I've seen paradise here, on Earth, and you can find it in so many forms if you just take the time and pay attention around you because only the things you see with your own eyes and only the things you experience firsthand are yours forever. I don't believe in heaven after death, but I believe in a paradise around you and inside you, right here and right now!
So... I've seen a place in this world where the stars are closer to you and shine more brightly and the trees grow higher and embrace them. While I was there I looked at the stars every single night, I observed them falling and I remained with them in a silence that you can afford to be in only with your intimate friend and yet seem the most natural and pure way of sharing a profound moment. Every night is the same, it's like you're alone on the island. It is just you, the trees, the stars and an immense ocean. Every night under the open sky everything felt for me more real than it was anywhere else in this world.
Vincent van Gogh said: "whenever I see a tree I see the desire of the earth to have a meeting with the stars. Each tree is a desire of the earth to have a meeting, a love-affair with the sky. That's why trees go on moving upwards, upwards, upwards. Trees are longings of the earth to have a meeting, to make love with the sky. They are on the way."
In Angaga island, I was definitely on my way.
In a place like that you wake up naturally with the sun and the sound of the calm waves. I didn't know if I was still dreaming or simply my reality became my dream: barefooted in the sand for two weeks... To be able to feel the sand touching your feet no matter where you go, no matter if it's morning or evening, if you dance or you eat, it's paradise for me. It's like there's no use of shoes on a world like this. I am a woman, but I promise - even to you, my dear Flori :) -, there's no place for shoes in here. I would change them all in a second, any time, for a place like this.
We've stayed in two islands, Angaga and Safari, both on the same atoll. We chose the islands based on the reef because we've got our diving open water certificates and we wanted to enjoy the best of underwater life. I fell in love with Angaga. The island is so small that you can walk around it in 15 minutes.
We've stayed in two islands, Angaga and Safari, both on the same atoll. We chose the islands based on the reef because we've got our diving open water certificates and we wanted to enjoy the best of underwater life. I fell in love with Angaga. The island is so small that you can walk around it in 15 minutes.
There is so much life around you in such a small place. I've tried to capture in a few pictures for you this amazing life.
And then, there's the incredible life of the ocean...
Hello there!
One day we took a trip to swim with this beautiful creature of the ocean: the whale shark. They are quite big fishes and they have a big mouth about 1m wide (sorry I couldn't take a proper shot of the mouth). This one was about 8 meters long, but don't worry, they feed only plankton so we were safe :)
Chris, thank you for everything you taught us!
Beginners, learning in progress :)
Resting after
Open water proof pics diving :)
