“My mojito in the Bodeguita del Medio and my daiquiri in the Floridita.” These are the words left by Hemingway himself on a signed quote still hanging on the wall of La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. “Papa”, as he was often called, had a long-lasting love affair with Cuba and he made sure the …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
“Daiquiri like Papa” or “Papa Doble” are the old names used for this Cuban rum cocktail honoring Hemingway. Today we simply call it “Hemingway Daiquiri”. This recipe is the exactly the Daiquiri the writer used to have at his beloved El Floridita Bar.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, Indians, Romanians, Chinese are just few of the wise ancients who appreciated the all mighty healing garlic for its medicinal properties. They did not have scientific evidence, yet their empirical use gave them confidence in garlic’s healing properties.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, made famous Romania’s belief that garlic wards off the vampires. But, when you start really looking for the truth, things look very different. Romans, Greeks, Indians, Mongolians, Egyptians and so many more share the same belief.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
The macaques rule over the 12.5 hectares of the The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Bali. It’s the kind of place where you can spend a full day without getting bored. And how can you get bored when there are hundreds of naughty macaque monkeys of all ages, jumping all around always looking for something …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
It’s not without a good reason why Ancient Greeks called dolphins “hieros ichthys” which means sacred fish. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and full of surprises as you’ll see …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Mother Nature designed an amazing and perfectly working ecosystem that we are destroying each day little by little. World Wildlife Day 2018 & Discovery channel honor today the Big Cats: Predators under Threat
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Just as the garlic has been thought to ward off vampires or other evil spirits, it is also found in the mythology of countries as a repellant for what is generally known as Evil Eye. This was first recorded in Mesopotamia about 5,000 years ago in cuneiform on clay tablets, but it may actually have …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Those who read my blog know I am fascinated by myths, symbols and traditions. Those who do not know can check my posts about the magic garlic, vampires, Garuda etc. This time I shall talk about the mezuzah. It is a sacred object is of biblical origin, being mentioned twice Deuteronomy, and therefore carries great weight …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
In Kecak Dance story I’ve shared with you there’s a character named Garuda, a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. When researching a little bit about him, I realized deserves special attention …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
From time to time the universe shows you what true people look like and that’s exactly what happened in Uluwatu… and no, it was not an old grey-haired man with some deep and profound story. Quite the opposite, I would say …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Watching the Kekac dance at Uluwatu Temple at sunset is one of the most amazing experiences one can have while in Bali.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
For the first day in Bali I planned a trip to Uluwatu Temple–Pura Luhur Uluwatu one of six key temples believed to be Bali’s spiritual pillars. I was planning to see the Fire Dance at sunset. What I did not expect was to see the monkey thief playing a harmonica.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
At just twelve years old and one month, Dor Geta Popescu climbed Uhuru Peak (5895 meters) in the highest summit on Kibo’s crater rim in Kilimanjaro Mountains. This success make her the youngest Romanian to ever climb this peak.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan