Route 66 – get your motor running
In our quest to explore the planet we decide to do Route 66 on a Harley Davidson. Scenes of the Easy Rider movie enter my mind and I start spontaneously singing the ‘Steppenwolf’ song. “Get your motor running, head out on the highway…” We call our friend Hans from Eagle Rider. “Of course I can arrange a bike for you” He says,  “The best thing to do is to start in Flagstaff, Arizona and drive all the way up to the Santa Monica pier, the end of the Route 66.”

“That sounds like a great plan!” I say, “Maybe we can make a detour to the Grand Canyon and to Las Vegas.”

“While we’re in California, we should try to meet up with some of the Silicon Valley brands, like Google, HP, YouTube and Twitter.” Anouk suggests.

“Great” I say, “We have a plan, we have the itinerary, we have the bike… that leaves us with only one question.” “What outfit shall I wear on my Harley?”

Flagstaff

As we arrive in Flagstaff, we check in at the Monta Vista hotel in the Historic part of town. The Eagle Rider shop is on the other side of town, on the Route 66 of course. We’re received by Jim, who’s a local from Arizona. He rides his bike every day over the Route 66 to work. “For the trip you’re about to make, I recommend you take the Fatboy” Jim says pointing at an impressive black bike standing just in front of the shop. I take place on the bike and push it to a vertical position to feel the weight. It has been some time since my last ride, so I have to get used to the weight and the power of the machine again. “It feels kind of heavy” I say while balancing the bike.

I push the start button and the engine emits the unmistakable Harley sound. I engage the first gear and the bike slides away very smoothly. “Take it around the block” Jim shouts. The bike roars when I accelerate and become part of the traffic on the Route 66. Visions of Easy Rider’s  Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper pop up in my mind. “Born to be wi-hild” I sing out loud while I take my Fatboy around the block. As I return to the Harley shop, I see Anouk sitting on an ultra white Heritage Soft tail. In her white outfit on the white bike, she looks as if she’s doing a commercial for a detergent. “Harley Davidson makes your laundry whiter  than white.” 20 minutes later we wave Jim goodbye and drive our bikes over the Route 66 in the direction of the setting sun.

Rock carvings at Twyfel Fontein in Namibia

From Swakopmund we drive north to Etosha National Park, a long drive, but with interesting stops along the way. We follow the shore up to the Skeleton Coast, which provides some dramatic scenery. From there we turn inland towards Twyfelfontein.

Twyfelfontein – ‘Doubting Spring’ – got its name because of the unreliability of its water. The area around the spring is superb, with red rocks that look as if a giant with contemporary art aspirations moulded them thousands of years ago. But it is not only the weirdly shaped rocks; there is something else which makes this place unlike any other.

We ask a local guide to show us around. She leads us up between the rocks and then stops below a tall red rock. As we draw closer, we distinguish carvings on the rock surface: a giraffe, a rhino and other animals. “These carvings were made by San nomads,” our guide says. “They are between 2000 and 6000 years old and were seen as spiritual, shamanistic and educational tools. Giraffes and rhinos, for example, were ‘rain animals’. The San believed that the more of these they carved, the more it would rain,” and a dazzling smile appears on her face.

We discover an extraordinary carving of a man-lion, a creature with the body of a lion, but human feet and hands in the place of claws. Our guide continues her art history lesson: “This carving represents a shaman entering the other world at the end of his earthly life or during a trance session.”

As we climb on we discover a map of the area carved into one of the rocks, with special marks indicating water sources and hunting grounds. “This was a way of educating the younger generations,” the guide explains. We study the map and try to orientate ourselves: if this mountain is in the south and the water source is there, then we should be able to find elephants, giraffes and lions to the north-east. North-east… Hold on, maybe they mean Etosha National Park! Etosha, here we come!

Extract from the CoolTravel book.

Seals in the bay of Walvis Bay - by CoolTravel

After exploring the harsh desert environment for two days, we emerge onto theAtlantic Ocean front. What a contrast – it’s like flicking from one channel to another. We have moved from the vast (apparently) lifeless sea of sand to a 100 percent liquid environment in the space of a just a few kilometres.

From Walvis Bay we take a boat northward to Swakopmund. The captain is called Franz, a name that is not uncommon in this former German colony. He’s a real old sea dog and we spend the journey listening to his heroic tales of storms and shipwrecks along the Namibian coast. He points to the crumbling skeletons of boats stranded on the coast – they are constant reminders of the violence of the Atlantic Ocean. “I know the captain of that ship,” he says, pointing at a Russian wreck.

“We meet in a local pub every now and then and polish off a bottle of vodka. His ship went down seven years ago and he hasn’t left Walvis Bay since.” The smirk on his face suggests this is just another one of his tall seaman’s tales. “Your story’s so touching, but it sounds jes’ like a lie,” I sing as I do my best Robbie Williams impersonation.

As we gaze at the shipwrecks and listen to Franz, we have a strange feeling though… It is as though we are being watched. We look up into the cloudless sky and spot a huge pelican hovering 30 metres above the boat, eagerly eyeing our every movement.

“I know this fellow,” the captain says. “His name is Wilhelm.” This is probably another one of his stories, we think as we watch the large bird. All of a sudden the captain is hanging over the railing, waving a fish in his right hand and making what are probably meant to be pelican sounds. To us it sounds more like the noise of a diesel motor with a broken exhaust, but the pelican seems to understand this language and swoops down towards the boat. The captain tosses the fish overboard, just in time for the pelican to catch it mid-air. Wow, a performance worthy of the Cirque du Soleil! The pair repeat their act several times, but as soon as the pelican realises that the bucket of fish is empty, he soars up into the air and heads off towards the setting sun.

The story of Walvis Bay by CoolTravel

We wake up as the first morning light filters into our tent. We are camping in the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world that was formed over a period of millions of years. At breakfast we meet Tommy, a sand dune and desert specialist with over 40 years of experience. “For millenia, the Orange River carried sand from the Lesotho Highlands to the Atlantic Ocean,” he explains. “Ocean currents transported these sands northward and deposited them on the shore to create these dunes. From here, vigorous winds drove the sand north-east. This ‘marching’ of the dunes continues today at a rate of 20 metres a year.”

We head off in Tommy’s truck, in search of the life hidden in these sands. “It looks like nothing can survive in the desert,” he says. “But that’s a false impression.” Initially, we have no idea what to look out for. Then Tommy suddenly stops and jumps out of the car.

“There!” he points. “Do you see it?”

“See what?”

At what we thought was a random-looking spot, Tommy rummages in the sand with a metal hook with which he draws out a sand-coloured snake. “A sidewinder,” Tommy explains. “It moves sideways to cross the loose desert sands.” He releases the animal, which glares at us as it disappears back into the sand. Soon after, we spot a poisonous scorpion going for a morning jog. As soon as we draw near he starts waving his tail at us. We suspect that tail wagging does not mean the same for scorpions as it does for dogs and keep our distance. Tommy catches the animal with one of his instruments and then takes it in his bare hands, holding it firmly by the tail. After a brief meet and greet, he places the scorpion back on the sand where it continues its workout.

“Next comes an animal with a master degree in camouflage: the chameleon,” Tommy continues as he walks up to a bush. The animal, which had attuned its colouring to that of the bush, immediately changes outfit when Tommy places it on the sand. Tommy places a small beetle in front of it, which the chameleon considers for a while. Then, within a split second, it unfurls its tongue and scoops up the insect. Amazing! His tongue is at least as long as his body! After four beetles and two fancy dress sessions, the chameleon has had enough of us and ‘moonwalks’ back to the bush.

We meet Nadja in the Namibian capital Windhoek and set out for the coast along a road which she promises will be spectacular. The landscape here has been formed over millions of years by drifting continents, volcanic eruptions, ocean currents and unabating winds. Namibia’s coastline used to be attached to South America, which means that we are right on the fault line that divided Africa and America.

We drive through a varied landscape with vast plains, deep valleys and sweeping views of the mountains in the distance. So far we have not encountered a single car, only a tortoise on the road and a couple of grazing springboks in the fields. In a way it is no surprise: this country, which is more than three times the size of the United Kingdom, only has two million inhabitants.

As we draw nearer to our final destination, the landscape becomes more arid. We are entering the desert, with sand dunes as far as the eye can reach. We leave the dirt track and drive into the desert for about half an hour until we reach a sheltered area below some rocks where two other cars are parked.

We get out of the car and look around. Not a sound. The grey rocks reflect the orange glow of the setting sun.

“Up here!” a voice echoes from somewhere above. We climb up the rock and meet Hilmar, who has come here to watch the sun set with friends. “Welcome to the moon!” he says as he shakes our hands and points to the plunging views over the valley and its bizarre landscape. “I brought some fresh oysters and champagne for the occasion. Get ready for the best sunset of your life!”

With the sun behind the mountains and the sky still pink and orange, we follow our host over a steep hill into a narrow valley where some 300 candles in paper bags have been scattered over the rocks like stars. A desert camp has been set up in the clearing between the rocks. “How do you like my desert dining club?” Hilmar asks.

Dinner is fantastic: great food, great scenery and great company! As we throw a last log on the fire, the candles go out one by one. We walk to our tent and I realise that I have never heard such a deafening silence, nor seen such darkness. Welcome to the desert!

Chad has a chequered history marked by civil unrest, instability, poverty and, more recently, streams of refugees flowing in from neighbouring Sudan. Recent developments, however, are bringing the promise of a new era in Chad’s history. For the time being, however, tourism remains virtually non-existent in Chad, making it difficult for visitors like us to discover the country.

At the Kempinski N’Djamena, we meet Zaid who gives us some interesting insights into the country. Half-Ethiopian, half-German, Zaid combines European efficiency with an African heart – a perfect mixture in Chad. He suggests we visit the SOS Children’s Village, which the Kempinski sponsors. “Spending just an hour with those kids gives me enough energy to face anything for the rest of the week,” he says.

The village, situated on the outskirts of the capital at the end of a dirt road, consists of 12 houses, each housing 10 children and one ‘mother’ who takes care of them. Aged up to 14 years old, most of these children were picked off the street and have harrowing personal stories.

In the village they receive schooling, proper medical care and regular meals. “But most of all it gives them the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment,” adds Abdelkerim, the village director, whom the children call ‘father’. We tour the village and are struck by how polite all the kids are, shaking our hands with a smile and a cheerful “Bonjour!” We meet some of the mothers and more kids who soon get used to our presence and start coming closer, touching us, smiling, laughing and playing. But as soon as we want to take a picture they freeze and start posing awkwardly.

In order to dispel this camera shyness, we give them our PowerShot camera so they can take pictures of each other and of us. “I want to be a photographer when I grow up!” one of them shouts.

After half an hour the kids are used to the cameras and we start taking portrait photos. While their young faces show signs of their past suffering, their broad smiles are little rays of hope for a brighter tomorrow for Chad.

Sustainability, duurzaamheid, groen leven, milieubewust, biologisch en ecologisch, je footprint verlagen, het blijft voorlopig nog wel een hot onderwerp. Veel merken zijn ermee bezig, maar wat komt er nou eigenlijk van terecht, hoe komt het aan bij de consument? Ik ben bij wat mensen in mijn omgeving gaan peilen, wat doe je nou eigenlijk om jouw steentje bij te dragen? Het is niet de gemiddelde consument, het zijn hoger opgeleiden, de meesten zelfstandig ondernemers. En, eerlijk gezegd, valt het niveau van duurzaamheid en milieubewustzijn me wat tegen….Zowiezo al dat de dagelijkse boodschappen en de was toch nog steeds door de vrouw in het gezin worden gedaan, behalve als het om alleenwonenden gaat. Bottomline komt het eigenlijk neer op 2 dingen. De meeste mensen die ik sprak, kopen nauwelijks of geen duurzame, biologische en ecologische producten omdat het duurder is, niet duidelijk en overal verkrijgbaar is, met andere woorden, het kost extra moeite om deze producten te verkrijgen, dus doen ze het niet. Het kost ook moeite om af te stappen van de producten of merken die je altijd al koopt en over te stappen naar duurzame, biologische of ecologische producten. Degenen die wel dagelijks biologische en ecologische producten kopen, zijn ook in hun overige activiteiten veel bewuster van de impact die ze op het milieu hebben en leven dus duurzamer. Minder vlees eten, minder vaak de auto pakken, ecologische luiers voor de kids en zelfs een doorgeefsysteem van kinderkleding met vrienden.

Ik heb ze ook gevraagd groen te wassen met Persil ECO Power, een nieuw wasmiddel van Persil dat bestaat uit 100% plantaardige ingredienten en daardoor 100% biologisch afbreekbaar is. Het is het eerste grote wasmiddelmerk dat met een dergelijk duurzaam groen wassen product op de markt komt. En wat blijkt, iedereen is enthousiast over het groene wasmiddel, het ruikt lekker, wast goed schoon, dus dat is vast gewonnen. Degenen die al milieu bewust inkopen doen, vinden het een goed initiatief, zij gebruiken al een ecologisch wasmiddel, Ecover. Degenen die nog niet zo milieu bewust inkopen doen als ze zouden willen, zijn ook te spreken over Persil ECO Power. Eigenlijk is iedereen enthousiast over dit groen wassen product, dus waarom gebruikt niet iedereen vanaf vandaag een duurzaam wasmiddel zoals Persil ECO Power? De belangrijkste 2 redenen zijn dat mensen niet van hun ‘eigen’ merk afstappen en dat Persil ECO Power te duur zou kunnen zijn, in vergelijking met het wasmiddel dat ze nu gebruiken. Dus, vastzitten in patronen, kopen wat je altijd koopt zonder nadenken, en de doorgaans hogere prijs van duurzame, biologische en ecologische producten, staat een heuse hype vooralsnog in de weg. Waar volgens mij veel behoefte aan is, is duurzaamheids educatie, wat altijd zo is bij een nieuwe stroming of een te veranderen mentaliteit. Wat kan ik doen als persoon om duurzamer te leven, hoe doe ik dat, hoe doe ik dat op een manier die niet ten koste gaat van mijn comfort en geen kapitalen kost. Blijkbaar is daarover veel te weinig voorhanden of niet toegankelijk genoeg.

Een suggestie vond ik zelf erg interessant. ‘Kan er niet een duurzaamheids deskundige bij mij thuis langskomen, een nulmeting uitvoeren van wat wij nu als gezin verbruiken. Vervolgens zou ik dan een advies willen krijgen hoe we onze belasting op het milieu verder kunnen verlagen. En dan na een aantal maanden zou ik wel weer een duurzaamheids meting willen laten doen om te kijken wat we hebben bereikt. Dat daar financiele besparingen op de lange termijn aan vastzitten, is meegenomen, maar voor mij geen voorwaarde.’
Als je het mij vraagt, zou toch de overheid een strengere rol moeten spelen en producten uit de handel moeten nemen die niet aan bepaalde duurzaamheids eisen voldoen en zodanig een te negatieve impact op het milieu hebben. Maar ja, de overheid….als we daarop moeten wachten.

Dus, mijn stelling is dat we zelf voor duurzaamheid moeten gaan als consumenten, if you care! Als we tips en ideeen met elkaar kunnen uitwisselen over een meer duurzame manier van leven, wat doe jij en wat doe ik, dan kunnen we die van elkaar overnemen en samen tot nog meer ideeen komen om nog duurzamer en milieubewuster te leven, dat is volgens mij de manier! Als er daarnaast steeds meer merken zijn die ook hun producten ecologisch verantwoord maken, zoals Persil dat doet met Persil ECO Power, komen we een heel eind!

Anouk Pappers - CoolBrands

Anouk Pappers

Kwalitatief onderzoek door Anouk Pappers van CoolBrands n.a.v. de introductie van Persil ECO Power, een 100% afbreekbaar en 100% plantaardig wasmiddel van Henkel.
Zie ook het interview met Jean-Baptiste Santoul en Stijn de Beer.

Valley of the Kings in Luxor – photos by CoolTravel

In ancient Egypt, the east bank of the Nile was the centre of life. The west bank of the mighty river, where the sun set, belonged to the dead. This is where all the tombs and funerary temples were built. During the Old Kingdom, the pharaohs were buried in pyramids in the north of the country; during the New Kingdom, they were laid to rest in the valleys on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, or Thebes as it was known at the time.
The best way to get an overview of the vast Theban necropolis is from a hot air balloon. We arrive at the departure site in the early morning to find a dozen men preparing the balloon. They are using an enormous gas burner to blow hot air into a slack piece of cloth, which slowly takes on the shape of a giant mushroom. Then the cloth lifts off from the ground and starts tugging at the basket. Time to get in!

The gas burner is being regulated by our captain, Mohammed. “First time in a hot air balloon?” he asks. “Mine too!” Apparently humour is the best way to make people feel at ease. A last surging flame from the gas burner and the basket floats up. Below, the villages are waking up. We see farmers harvesting sugarcane, heavily loaded  donkeys slowly moving across the fields, children who stop to wave at us… We hear people  talking and smell breakfast being prepared in the open kitchens. And in between these everyday scenes, dozens of ancient temples are scattered.

We land briefly to visit the tomb of Ramses IX, penetrating deep into the mountain along a narrow tunnel that is covered in paintings describing the king’s life. The tunnel leads to the burial chamber where the king’s most prized belongings were piled up so he could take them to the afterworld. The wind has carried us beyond the necropolis and it is time to land. “There are two ways of landing,” Mohammed says, “the usual way and the Egyptian way. With the usual way, the basket is dragged across the ground over about 50 metres before coming to a full stop. But I’ll show you that next time,” he says with a smile as he smoothly sets the basket on the ground, the Egyptian way.

Balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings

Storytelling workshop by CoolBrands

Maarten Schäfer is creative mind for CoolBrands in Amsterdam – He travels the world to interview brands -  There is only one question: “what’s your story?”  The stories are written with a wow factor and stickiness and published in CoolBrands the Guru Book – In workshops, people are teached how to create talk value – in this photo: Storytelling workshop by Maarten Schäfer – CoolBrands

Workshop storytelling by Anouk Pappers - CoolBrands

CoolBrands Storytelling workshop at infiniti in Geneva

the world to interview brands -  There is only one question: “what’s your story?”  The stories are written with a wow factor and stickiness and published in CoolBrands the Guru Book – In workshops, people are teached how to create talk value - Storytelling workshop by Maarten Schäfer – CoolBrands