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Africa / South Africa

South African Safari Day 1: Blyde River Canyon & Kruger National Park

December 13, 2017

Excitement levels are at an all-time high this morning as we wake up and pack in anticipation of an 8am pick-up for our lengthy drive to Kruger National Park and the eagerly-awaited first day of our South African safari. Our energetic private guide for the next few days, Mary-Anne, retrieves us from our Airbnb promptly and, after signing a few forms and saying goodbye to our lovely host, we are all on the road, Kruger bound.

Throughout the drive, Mary-Anne dictates the long and winding history of Southern Africa, frequently interrupted by rants on her own political views and the evil of Greenpeace, and although it is clear that she is knowledgeable about the region, it is even more clear that mum and I will not be called upon to carry the conversation. I settle happily into photo editing in the backseat, listening out of one ear but not feeling the need to supply anything more than an occasional “mhmm”. And as we get to know Mary-Anne better, it becomes increasingly obvious that she is content to just talk about herself the entire drive anyway, so I’m not sure she even notices our diminishing levels of interest.

After a couple of hours, we make a rest stop and are delighted to see buffalo and ostriches milling about outside a waterhole. It may not be lions or cheetahs, but it’s our first wildlife sighting in Africa, so we are more than a little excited. Still, we’ve got places to be, so, after a few photos, it’s back on the road with Mary-Anne’s never ending monologues.

Around midday, we stop at Wimpy’s, a mediocre burger shop, in Lydenburg for lunch, but manage to lose the better part of an hour just waiting for the food to reach the table. The unfortunate result is that we are now behind schedule to reach the Orpen Gate into Kruger before closing time and Mary-Anne expresses concern for this fact continuously over the next several hours, despite the fact that there’s literally nothing I can do about the time crunch from the passenger seat. One of the first hacks is a visit to a waterfall in Sabie, but when it’s proposed that we skip the Three Rondavels to make up some time, I simply refuse. I had hoped to drive the entire Panorama Route, but the viewpoint over the Blyde River Canyon and the Three Rondavels is all of that original request that remains in our itinerary, so I’m just not willing to sacrifice it.

A frantic and slightly frustrated Mary-Anne is booking it down the highway, flying past the most spectacular scenery as we near the canyon. Thankfully, we make rather good time to the viewpoint, so mum and I are allowed a few minutes to hop out of the car and admire the world’s 3rd largest canyon (following Arizona’s Grand Canyon and Namibia’s Fish River Canyon, which I will be visiting in about 6 weeks) before we zip back to the car and continue another hour towards the Orpen Gate.

In the end, all of Mary-Anne’s stress was for not, as we sail quickly and without hiccup through the gate and into the park around 6pm. She’s given us a speech about how we will only be stopping for exciting animals tonight given that we are in such a hurry (which is initially disappointing, but after our twentieth antelope sighting I begin to understand why). This has us slightly worried that we may not see anything tonight, but not 100m past the gate she screams “RHINO!!” and I’m whipping my camera up to my eye in time to get about twenty shots of a gigantic rhinoceros cross the road directly in front of our vehicle. Both mum and I are squealing with excitement, and already our Safari is off to a swinging start, the first of our Big Five animals (still to find: buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard).

Minutes after our rhino encounter, Mary-Anne spots an elephant right up ahead and pulls us alongside for more excited hyperventilating and photos. He’s giving off some staunchly vibes that Mary-Anne soon interprets to mean that he’s in “musth” (sort of the male elephant equivalent of heat) and we need to scoot on out of his way. Since elephants, much like humans, may reach sexual maturity at 12-16 years, but may not actually mate for the first time until they are 35 due to herd dynamics, many male elephants experience rather intense hormonal headaches that can make them unpredictable– elephants in musth can actually experience testosterone levels more that 60x normal. I feel bad for our sexually charged friend, but there are plenty of lady elephants in the park, so I hope he soon finds a mate. As for us, it’s not long before we spot another happier elephant romping along the dry riverbed to take more photos of.

Over the next hour as we make our way to Satara Rest Camp, we spot several gatherings of giraffe, a dozen different “dazzles” of zebra, a couple more elephants, a slender mongoose, and countless wildebeest, kudus, and impalas. I’m getting whiplash from all the animal sightings and it’s only day 1 in a very small section of the park! We’ve been beyond lucky with the wildlife, but also the weather, which was stormy and pouring rain while we were in Johannesburg, but has miraculously cleared to blue skies and mid-30s for our Safari. It is picture-perfect, especially in the golden light of sunset.

When we make it to Satara, Mary-Anne checks us in and sorts out our room key while we stock up on snacks for the following day, and then mum and I dump our luggage in the room, lather up in bug spray, and rendezvous with Mary-Anne for dinner at the onsite restaurant. We chat about our day and lay out plans for an early departure (430am) tomorrow over wine and beers, and then mum and I happily retire back to the room so I can pass out without showering in my lumpy single bed. I absolutely can’t wait for tomorrow. Crossing all fingers and toes for big cats!

Read more about our South African safari

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI DAY 2: SATARA REST CAMP, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI DAY 3: FROM KRUGER NATIONAL PARK TO SABI SANDS GAME RESERVE

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI DAY 4: ARATHUSA SAFARI LODGE, SABI SANDS

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI DAY 5: OUR LAST DAY IN SABI SANDS

PHOTO JOURNAL: HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI

COMPARING SAFARIS IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SABI SANDS PRIVATE GAME RESERVE & ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK

A GUIDE TO PLANNING THE BEST SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI

TAGS:mother natureopt outsidewildlife
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brooke brisbine

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics, teaching at a university & securing permanent residency in Australia. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

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The Comments

  • Anonymous
    December 18, 2017

    Spectacular writing Brooke! Keep posting so I can follow along with you!❤️

    Reply
  • Leta Danielson
    December 18, 2017

    So interesting! You do such a great job of writing!

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Leta Danielson
      December 21, 2017

      Thank you, aunt Leta!

      Reply

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hi, I’m brooke!

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

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@brookebeyond_

  • 🏔️ PATAGONIA 2024 GROUP TRIP 🏔️

I still have a few spots left on my second group trip to Patagonia with @zealoustravelco from 23 Feb - 2 Mar 2024 😍😍

Our 9-day itinerary includes:
💃🏻 a day in Buenos Aires (one of the world’s best cities!)
🧊 Perito Moreno Glacier
🧗‍♀️ an epic via ferrata in El Chalten
💦 white water rafting
🏔️ 3-day backpacking trip around Mt Fitzroy
🐴 horseback riding
👯‍♀️ & BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE

If you want more information or a link to sign up for the trip, comment DETAILS below & I’ll dm you! Can’t wait to see you guys in Patagonia 🤩
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#patagonia #fitzroy #elchalten #losglaciaresnationalpark #parquenacionallosglaciares #argentina #hikerbabes #girlswhohike #outdoorwomen #adventuregirl #adventurebabes #mountaingirl #mountaingirls #grouptrip
  • I guess it was that Mexico MAGIC ✨
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 #sancris #sancristobaldelascasaschiapas #sancristobal #chiapas #chiapasiónate #chiapasionate #chiapasmagico #chiapasmexico #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido #mexicomagico
  • LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
  • Cheers to knowing better 🌙✨
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#visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #norwegianhospitality #MagicalEscapes #selflove #abuserecovery
  • I wrote a note on my phone titled “Goals to a better Brooke” last year after leaving an abusive relationship. And then I basically disregarded all of it for another year.

Again & again, I chose the ‘adventure’ of running around the world with someone over working on myself. I genuinely believed I could ‘learn the lesson’ intellectually & then those SAME situations would lose their power to hurt me, that if I saw the abuse happening & put up internal walls, I’d somehow outsmart it. That if I didn’t give people full access to a future with me, then I could protect myself & still ~enjoy the trip~ right next to them.

And so, I repeated a lot of unhealthy patterns this year. Maybe because I thought it didn’t matter as long as I was having fun (even if I wasn’t), maybe because (I believed) I only knew how to exist in a relationship where I was hurt & held by the same person, maybe because I thought I could change the story if I just *tried a little harder to be good*, but definitely because I never took the time to heal properly.

It’s been a month since I moved to Mexico to work on myself, and coming across this note again, I actually started crying. Not because I’m THERE. But because I’m finally, FINALLY taking these goals seriously for the first time since I wrote them. And that feels really good.

~ this will be the last drink I pour out for the same mistakes.
  • Día de Muertos in Oaxaca is a kaleidoscope of colour 🤩🌈✨ Who’s in for 2024?!
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
  • OAXACA DÍA DE MUERTOS BUCKETLIST: where to go for all the best experiences 🤩↯

🌼 start off by wandering through the Centro Histórico to see the entire city decorated in colourful flowers for Día de Muertos
🌈 admire the elaborate tapetes de arena (sand carpets) located on Avenida de la Independencia; you can also see larger & more ornate sand paintings in Zaachila outside of the city
🎺 Magna Comparsa is the city’s largest parade, but nearly every day from 28 Oct-2 Nov will feature comparsas of varying scale!
🥐 pay respects at the community altars in Plaza de la Constitución 
🎨 have your makeup done by street vendors— head to El Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán to find some of the best, but they are all over Centro & you can expect to pay 150-200p ($8-10) for colourful face paint
👑 buy a traditional flower crown made from fresh marigolds
👹 visit Etla, a collection of small communities outside of Oaxaca City known for their explosive comparsas & extravagant costumes (best time: evening of 1 Nov)
🎻 attend the evening concerts in Plaza de la Danza
📸 stroll through Jalatlaco, Oaxaca’s colourful arts district that is simply overflowing with street art, much of which is associated with Día de Muertos iconography
👘 peruse the craft market in front of Templo del Carmen Alto, one of my favourite spots for more unique pieces— great if you want to go all-out for your costume!
🪦 visit Panteón General Oaxaca to see festivities taking place in the local cemetery— nighttime is a very spiritual & authentic experience, while the afternoon is more like a carnival with rides, cocktails, street food & loud music (the evening of 31 Oct & afternoon of 2 Nov are great times!)
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
  • FELIZ DÍA DE MUERTOS 💐🪦✨

Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is one of Mexico’s most important spiritual traditions & an incredible celebration of life that dates back thousands of years to the country’s rich pre-hispanic roots.

On November 1 & 2, it’s believed that the veil between our world & the spirit world dissolves, allowing the souls of the dead to return to their loved ones to dance, to party, to celebrate, to walk among us for a few hours. 

Many of these celebrations take place right in the cemetery, where graves are decorated with bright marigolds, adorned with candles, and laden with offerings of the deceased’s favourite food & drink. Entire families come together to welcome their loved ones home and it’s not unusual to see bands playing as tacos are grilled up & mezcal is passed around, the kind of laughter & dancing & merriment that would be instantly out of place in graveyards of Australia or the US.

These festivities passionately honour those who’ve passed on into the next existence, one of the most powerful symbols of how Mexicans view death, and by extension, LIFE… love & family & community above all else 💃🏻❤️

It’s not to say that death is never a somber affair— loss is mourned intensely in Mexico, but after 40 days, believed (by many cultures around the world) to represent the time it takes a soul to travel towards the light, Mexicans choose instead to ✨celebrate✨ their loved ones through explosive parades, all-night parties & elaborate costumes. 

I was so lucky to celebrate Día de Muertos in Oaxaca this year, so I’ll be sharing more about the traditions & my experience throughout the week-- stay tuned 🤩
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
  • oops 😬 
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#2023 #travelgirl #travelmore #adventuretravel #fulltimetravel #girlsgoneglobal #solofemaletravel #hikergirls
follow @brookebeyond_

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Explore my travel guides, custom itineraries & blog posts with an interactive world map ✨

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  • 🏔️ PATAGONIA 2024 GROUP TRIP 🏔️

I still have a few spots left on my second group trip to Patagonia with @zealoustravelco from 23 Feb - 2 Mar 2024 😍😍

Our 9-day itinerary includes:
💃🏻 a day in Buenos Aires (one of the world’s best cities!)
🧊 Perito Moreno Glacier
🧗‍♀️ an epic via ferrata in El Chalten
💦 white water rafting
🏔️ 3-day backpacking trip around Mt Fitzroy
🐴 horseback riding
👯‍♀️ & BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE

If you want more information or a link to sign up for the trip, comment DETAILS below & I’ll dm you! Can’t wait to see you guys in Patagonia 🤩
.
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.
.
#patagonia #fitzroy #elchalten #losglaciaresnationalpark #parquenacionallosglaciares #argentina #hikerbabes #girlswhohike #outdoorwomen #adventuregirl #adventurebabes #mountaingirl #mountaingirls #grouptrip
  • I guess it was that Mexico MAGIC ✨
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.
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.
 #sancris #sancristobaldelascasaschiapas #sancristobal #chiapas #chiapasiónate #chiapasionate #chiapasmagico #chiapasmexico #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido #mexicomagico
  • LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
  • Cheers to knowing better 🌙✨
.
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#visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #norwegianhospitality #MagicalEscapes #selflove #abuserecovery
  • I wrote a note on my phone titled “Goals to a better Brooke” last year after leaving an abusive relationship. And then I basically disregarded all of it for another year.

Again & again, I chose the ‘adventure’ of running around the world with someone over working on myself. I genuinely believed I could ‘learn the lesson’ intellectually & then those SAME situations would lose their power to hurt me, that if I saw the abuse happening & put up internal walls, I’d somehow outsmart it. That if I didn’t give people full access to a future with me, then I could protect myself & still ~enjoy the trip~ right next to them.

And so, I repeated a lot of unhealthy patterns this year. Maybe because I thought it didn’t matter as long as I was having fun (even if I wasn’t), maybe because (I believed) I only knew how to exist in a relationship where I was hurt & held by the same person, maybe because I thought I could change the story if I just *tried a little harder to be good*, but definitely because I never took the time to heal properly.

It’s been a month since I moved to Mexico to work on myself, and coming across this note again, I actually started crying. Not because I’m THERE. But because I’m finally, FINALLY taking these goals seriously for the first time since I wrote them. And that feels really good.

~ this will be the last drink I pour out for the same mistakes.
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
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🏔️ PATAGONIA 2024 GROUP TRIP 🏔️ I still have a few spots left on my second group trip to Patagonia with @zealoustravelco from 23 Feb - 2 Mar 2024 😍😍 Our 9-day itinerary includes: 💃🏻 a day in Buenos Aires (one of the world’s best cities!) 🧊 Perito Moreno Glacier 🧗‍♀️ an epic via ferrata in El Chalten 💦 white water rafting 🏔️ 3-day backpacking trip around Mt Fitzroy 🐴 horseback riding 👯‍♀️ & BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE If you want more information or a link to sign up for the trip, comment DETAILS below & I’ll dm you! Can’t wait to see you guys in Patagonia 🤩 . . . . . . #patagonia #fitzroy #elchalten #losglaciaresnationalpark #parquenacionallosglaciares #argentina #hikerbabes #girlswhohike #outdoorwomen #adventuregirl #adventurebabes #mountaingirl #mountaingirls #grouptrip
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I guess it was that Mexico MAGIC ✨ . . . . . . . . . #sancris #sancristobaldelascasaschiapas #sancristobal #chiapas #chiapasiónate #chiapasionate #chiapasmagico #chiapasmexico #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido #mexicomagico
2 weeks ago
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LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
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 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐

One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻

The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end.

This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown.

Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽
.
.
.
.
.
 #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
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LA CALAVERA CATRINA 💀👒💐 One of the best ways to get into Día de Muertos is to dress up in elaborate costumes— none more iconic than La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull 💃🏻 The skull makeup so closely associated with Day of the Dead actually relates to a painting by Jose Guadalupe Posada more than a hundred years ago, later honoured (& largely popularised) in a mural by Diego Rivera. Depicting a well-dressed woman as a skeleton, the artwork was intended as a commentary on how death is the one common thread between the rich & poor, and regardless of material wealth, we are all skeletons in the end. This is the most popular costume for Día de Muertos and you can find stalls all over the city centre painting a million creative versions of La Catrina-- I paid 150p ($8) for makeup + 100p ($5) for my marigold crown. Another beautiful thing about this country— love & respect for its traditions are almost always enough to earn you an honorary seat at the table. Even foreigners are encouraged to dress up & paint their faces, often pulled close to celebrate with local families. It’s hard to remain a stranger in Mexico ❤️🇲🇽 . . . . . #diademuertos #díademuertos #felizdiademuertos #comparsas #lacatrina #oaxaca #oaxacabonito #etlaoaxaca #panteón #dayofthedead #méxico #vivamexico #mexicolindo #mexicotravel #mexicodesconocido
2 weeks ago
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3/5
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
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Cheers to knowing better 🌙✨ . . . . . . . #visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #norwegianhospitality #MagicalEscapes #selflove #abuserecovery
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/5
I wrote a note on my phone titled “Goals to a better Brooke” last year after leaving an abusive relationship. And then I basically disregarded all of it for another year.

Again & again, I chose the ‘adventure’ of running around the world with someone over working on myself. I genuinely believed I could ‘learn the lesson’ intellectually & then those SAME situations would lose their power to hurt me, that if I saw the abuse happening & put up internal walls, I’d somehow outsmart it. That if I didn’t give people full access to a future with me, then I could protect myself & still ~enjoy the trip~ right next to them.

And so, I repeated a lot of unhealthy patterns this year. Maybe because I thought it didn’t matter as long as I was having fun (even if I wasn’t), maybe because (I believed) I only knew how to exist in a relationship where I was hurt & held by the same person, maybe because I thought I could change the story if I just *tried a little harder to be good*, but definitely because I never took the time to heal properly.

It’s been a month since I moved to Mexico to work on myself, and coming across this note again, I actually started crying. Not because I’m THERE. But because I’m finally, FINALLY taking these goals seriously for the first time since I wrote them. And that feels really good.

~ this will be the last drink I pour out for the same mistakes.
I wrote a note on my phone titled “Goals to a better Brooke” last year after leaving an abusive relationship. And then I basically disregarded all of it for another year.

Again & again, I chose the ‘adventure’ of running around the world with someone over working on myself. I genuinely believed I could ‘learn the lesson’ intellectually & then those SAME situations would lose their power to hurt me, that if I saw the abuse happening & put up internal walls, I’d somehow outsmart it. That if I didn’t give people full access to a future with me, then I could protect myself & still ~enjoy the trip~ right next to them.

And so, I repeated a lot of unhealthy patterns this year. Maybe because I thought it didn’t matter as long as I was having fun (even if I wasn’t), maybe because (I believed) I only knew how to exist in a relationship where I was hurt & held by the same person, maybe because I thought I could change the story if I just *tried a little harder to be good*, but definitely because I never took the time to heal properly.

It’s been a month since I moved to Mexico to work on myself, and coming across this note again, I actually started crying. Not because I’m THERE. But because I’m finally, FINALLY taking these goals seriously for the first time since I wrote them. And that feels really good.

~ this will be the last drink I pour out for the same mistakes.
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
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Follow
I wrote a note on my phone titled “Goals to a better Brooke” last year after leaving an abusive relationship. And then I basically disregarded all of it for another year. Again & again, I chose the ‘adventure’ of running around the world with someone over working on myself. I genuinely believed I could ‘learn the lesson’ intellectually & then those SAME situations would lose their power to hurt me, that if I saw the abuse happening & put up internal walls, I’d somehow outsmart it. That if I didn’t give people full access to a future with me, then I could protect myself & still ~enjoy the trip~ right next to them. And so, I repeated a lot of unhealthy patterns this year. Maybe because I thought it didn’t matter as long as I was having fun (even if I wasn’t), maybe because (I believed) I only knew how to exist in a relationship where I was hurt & held by the same person, maybe because I thought I could change the story if I just *tried a little harder to be good*, but definitely because I never took the time to heal properly. It’s been a month since I moved to Mexico to work on myself, and coming across this note again, I actually started crying. Not because I’m THERE. But because I’m finally, FINALLY taking these goals seriously for the first time since I wrote them. And that feels really good. ~ this will be the last drink I pour out for the same mistakes.
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/5

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