Tag: benicoma

Referenzen von BeNicoMa

BeNicoMa produziert Bilder für die Marke CREAMS OF THE STONE AGE und widmet seine Arbeit künftig der Nachhaltigkeit.

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Was lange währt, wird irgendwann schon einmal gut. Meine “Karriere” als Blogger habe ich nie so recht anfeuern können, weil zu viel Job im Weg stand und ebenso ging es mit der Fotografie einher. Allerdings habe ich mich aus diesem Umstand befreit und werde mich nun im freien Markt als Unternehmer messen lassen müssen. Ich freue mich darauf und auch auf die Zeit nach der Gründung, wenn wieder etwas mehr Freiraum besteht, um am Projekt BeNicoMa weiter arbeiten zu können!

BeNicoMa Mindo Ecuador

Vor einiger Zeit hatte ich euch mitgeteilt, dass ich zukünftig in erster Linie eine neutrale Begutachtung der Pharma-, Kosmetik- und Lebensmittelbranche auf dieser Seite betreiben werde. Die Recherche ist allerdings derzeit zu aufwändig, in der Zeit, wo wir unsere eigene Paleo Biokosmetik Marke, die CREAMS OF THE STONE AGE, gerade erst erschaffen haben. Eine nachhaltige Biokosmetik Marke, die aufgrund vieler Faktoren den Unterschied zu herkömmlicher Naturkosmetik macht. Ich möchte jedoch nicht abschweifen, ihr könnt euch ja selbst ein Bild davon machen.

Der eigentliche Grund, weshalb ich heute schreibe ist die Fotografie. Ich habe viel dazu gelernt die letzten Jahre und es macht nach wie vor sehr viel Freude, unterwegs festzuhalten, was man alles so erlebt und sieht. Und ich möchte diese Gelegenheit nutzen – für euch und für mich – die “Milestones” zu fixieren. Manchmal nutze ich diesen Blog wirklich als eine Art Index meines eigenen Lebens (Of the Journey called Life), um rückwirkend zu schauen, wann was geschehen ist. So soll es auch in Zukunft sein – nur, dass ich damit beginne, wie beim Nachhaltigkeitsfonds unserer Biokosmetik Marke auch, 10% des Einkommens aus meiner Arbeit hier – auf benicoma.com – in den Nachhaltigkeitsfonds unserer Firma zu zahlen. Wir müssen ganz einfach mehr zurück fließen lassen, dahin wo wir unseren Wohlstand hernehmen. Solltet ihr Interesse an der Kooperation haben, kontaktiert mich bitte und sagt mir, wobei ihr Hilfe benötigt und ansonsten steht es euch natürlich frei, alle gezeigten Bilder und noch viele mehr über meine verschiedensten Accounts auf den gängigsten Stock Foto Börsen für wenig Geld zu erwerben, um selbst damit arbeiten zu können.

Nun aber zu einigen meiner wichtigsten Referenzen:

Huffington Post

Lonelyplanet.nl

New York University (NYU)

Deutsche Apothekerzeitung (DAZ)

ABDA – Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Apothekerverbände 

Der Standard.at

Medical Tribune

BARMER

Dr. Paul Lohmann

TU München (TUM)

Die PTA

Qual Viagem

Es sind derer noch hunderte mehr, aber die oben genannten erfreuen mich schon und haben mir gezeigt, dass ich auf dem richtigen Weg bin. Ich lade euch herzlich ein, auf dem aktuellsten Kanal meiner Tätigkeit, @benicoma auf instagram, zu folgen, damit ihr nichts verpasst. Und sobald die Gründung komplett über die Bühne und der Verkauf unserer Produkte angekurbelt ist, werde ich auch hier mal wieder aufräumen und der Website ein Facelift verpassen, versprochen!

Euer BeNicoMa

 

Nordkette Wetterleuchten Festival over Innsbruck

The Nordkette Wetterleuchten Festival is a cosy open air on Seegrube (1905 m) over Innsbruck. You get two days of electronic sounds, served with THE VIEW, down to city and far into the Alps at night. A truly amazing experience!

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This year’s Alps Festival Wetterleuchten has been stunning! The weather was stable and actually perfect, with true Wetterleuchten – thunderstorms seen from the distance – over other regions of the Alps.

Overlooking the festivities of the Nordkette Wetterleuchten Eletronic Music Festival over Innsbruck, Austria
Overlooking the festivities of the Nordkette Wetterleuchten Eletronic Music Festival over Innsbruck, Austria

There have been two tents with great, bassy electronic beats, in the bigger tent mashed up with some classics from time to time. Sound was great and dancing actually lots of fun! Everywhere you go up there, you find the tents of the people who stay there over-night. A mild night with around 18 °C on 1905 m, pretty warm and comfortable.

Chillout at the campfire
Chillout at the campfire
The big campfire, chill and warm-up while the bass vibrates in ears and body.
The big campfire, chillout and warm-up while the bass vibrates in ears and body.

People are in a good mood, but many decide to take the cable car home before 3 A.M. I sit down at the campfire for a while, get back to dancing and decide to leave with the last cable car at 3 A.M. as well. It takes me another hour to get home, but the walk was worth it. To be continued…

Chillout at the campfire
Chillout at the campfire
The whole festival at a glance. You can see some of the tents in the middle, great place to sleep.
The whole festival at a glance. You can see some of the tents in the middle, great place to sleep.
Overlooking the festivities of the Nordkette Wetterleuchten Eletronic Music Festival over Innsbruck, Austria
Overlooking the festivities of the Nordkette Wetterleuchten Eletronic Music Festival over Innsbruck, Austria
The cablecar, which guarantees our enjoyment summer and winter
The cablecar, which guarantees our enjoyment summer and winter
The View over Innsbruck
The View over Innsbruck
The tent and party folks again. I will show you the big tent soon as well
The tent and party folks again. I will show you the big tent soon as well
The small Festival Tent with hard beats
The small Festival Tent with hard beats
The big campfire, chill and warm-up while the bass vibrates in ears and body.
The big campfire, chill and warm-up while the bass vibrates in ears and body.
The View and the tents of campers
The View and the tents of campers
A closeup of Innsbruck never hurts. I love the mood up there and it makes this city unique!
A closeup of Innsbruck never hurts. I love the mood up there and it makes this city unique!

Discover Venice for a steal! – Part 1

Venice is one of the most famous cities of this planet, although it is tiny compared with many metropolitans all over the world which are equally famous. The fame is based on the special character of this city, which is built into the Mediterranean Sea and kind of an open air museum itself…

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The capital of romance and love is – with no doubt – Venice in Italy. You will have this feeling of visiting & living in a big open air museum nowhere else and the special character of the water streets is unique as well, at least in Europe and within a city that has an age, historic charme and dimensions like Venice. There are many copies of this city, mostly in the US e.g. with Venice of Los Angeles – and in themeparks all over the worlds.

I don’t want to focus on facts and figures with this entry, for all of that you have the linked Wiki above and probably good traveler guides anyways. What I want to deliver here are some impressions and since I traveled there already two times (and certainly not the last time), insider knowledge for your convenience, how you can make it there and live there, even with a very small budget – in the historic center, on the island of Venezia and not on the mainland.

  • Your Trip: Plan your trip in advance and don’t haste through this city. Plan at least three to four days, directly on the island. Don’t consider a stay on the mainland, it’s not even cheaper, if you book the hotel about a month in advance.

 

  • When to go: Summer is fine of course, but Venice is overrun by tourists and in between July and September is main vacation time in Italy and the city is even more frequented. Summer can be nasty in Venice, since the city sometimes stinks when it is warm and you will not be able to enjoy your stay, when you have to fight for space on all main sights. I prefer to go in late Autumn and Winter. End of October to mid of January is a good time, although it is not really warm. So far the weather was always appreciable. Rain can occur, but you will have sun as well. I have never visited Venice for the Carnival, but if you plan to do that, book about one year in advance!
  • Getting there: If you arrive by ferry or train, everything is good – you can’t take a motorized vehicle onto the island! If you have a rental car within Italy, make it a one-way and return it in Venezia. If you have an own car or a rental you plan to use after your stay as well, park it on the mainland! The pricing differs drastically and it’s possible that you pay up to 30 EUR a day for public parking if you choose to park directly at the entrance of the historic city. This is very convenient and if you can afford it, you should do it. The options on the mainland are by far cheaper and if you choose the right hub, it costs about 5 – 10 EUR a day! Before you get off your vehicle make sure you have your Vaporetto pass ready to take the bus into the historic city, directly from the parking site. It is by far the most convenient way. You can buy the ticket until 7:00 PM (weekdays) in Mestre in Via Giuseppe Verdi 14, (List of ticket offices) upon your arrival and if you are under 27 the pass costs less – show your ID to prove the age!

 

  • Staying in Venice: You certainly have plentiful options via AirBNB but they are not necessarily cheaper than your average B&B which you can find offered at all common websites like Booking or tripadvisor. It’s up to you what you choose. Expect daily costs to be around 20 EUR per person in winter with the option to cook your food at home. I stayed once in Mestre, the first time I visited Venice and I would never do that again! Last time we stayed in the B&B Venice Hazel and I can recommend it for the price, cleanliness and proximity to all main sights.
  • Getting around in Venice: Many ‘Piazzas’ are touristic, some aren’t. As recommended get the Vaporetto pass – a single ride costs you at least 6 EUR. A Vaporetto is the big water bus, for up to 100 people. It’s not as romantic as the little gondola, but a ride with the gondola costs you 80 – 100 EUR for one hour and for two people. Something you’d do when you want to propose or you have sufficient funds – nothing for the traveler on a budget. The Vaporetto helps you to return to your area of choice – and to get away from there I recommend to walk the city and discover it.

 

  • Eating out-house & Groceries: The less tourists you see, the better is the food. The price range is from up to 5 EUR for a coffee (Piazza San Marco) to 0,90 EUR everywhere in the places where the locals go. Same is for Pizza which can cost you 5 EUR in the area of the University – or triple the price in the touristic areas while mostly worse in comparison. Get a feeling for yourself while you discover it. I prefer the food of Tuscany and Blogna by far, when it comes up to Italy but you can find really good food in Venice as well, you just have to have a closer look. For aperitivos I can highly recommend the area close to Ponte di Rialto, around the Rialto market place – which is lively at daytime and where you can buy great ingredients for your home cooking. The other groceries can be bought much cheaper at one of the few Coop supermarkets.

In Part 2 I will tell you a bit about the sights and options you have in regard to the sightseeing and about the tickets – because sightseeing is expensive as hell if you don’t do it properly, as is going to the toilet. I never do the average sightseeing when I am there, although it would probably be worth it. I choose to just enjoy the city itself as a great museum. On the other hand, there are plentiful options one should discover… With those first infos you will get there and around and you can easily stay a week for not more than 500 – 600 EUR for two persons if you do it right, most of the food included. Stay tuned. I will bring up the next entry for Venice in about two weeks and it will include many more impressions of the city. One last advice: Make sure you don’t act like a touristic bum while you are there, the Venezians hate it and if you see the masses of tourists you know why!

The grand Basilica from Piazza San Marco
The grand Basilica from Piazza San Marco
Somewhere in Venezia
Somewhere in Venezia
The view from Ponte di Rialto
The view from Ponte di Rialto

Vienna Calling!

Vienna is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, the capital of Austria, a cultural metropolis and the definition of coffee house culture. Whenever you are to central Europe make sure to hit it. The summertime is certainly the time of the year to do so!

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It was already my third time, that I visited Vienna, one of the most beautiful cities Europe has to offer. The old houses from the times before WWII shine, as the many outstanding sights. To mention some facts here:

  • It has about 1.8 Million inhabitants and is therefore under the Top 5 (Rank 3 or 4, together with Munich) cities with German as main language, together with Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne.
  • It is by far the biggest city and capital of Austria and has the most inhabitants of all Austrian states, more than 20%.
  • The Opernball of Vienna is an world famous event where the global high society and many wannabes mix up.
  • Vienna has an outstanding Coffee House culture and is famous for the rich and heavy bakery. You have to try a Wiener Melange, when you visit the city!
  • The Prater is nothing special anymore in regard to the thrill of the offered rides – nowadays modern theme parks got much more to offer – BUT it is classy and the observation wheel is probably the only one, where you can enjoy your candle light dinner, just with the person you love – while cruising some rounds with remarkable views over the city. There are combo tickets for many different attractions and if you have some more time, you save a decent amount of cash if you buy them in advance – like in other big cities as London or New York.
  • The most important musician of the new time, who is dead already – RIP – is Falco. He has this typical Viennese accent and is one of the most famous artists of all times, singing in German language.

Enough said, you will find the rest in the article I linked up, at least the figures and facts. I want to go into detail in regard to special recommendations for you. First of all you should park your car, if you come by car, and use the public transportation, which is efficient and reliable, often faster and you don’t have the risk to get a ticket. This is all to easy because in many areas there are parking zones, where you can just buy the parking ticket on a Trafic (tobacco store) during daytime.

Try to hit the free of charge Donauinsel Fest (German) in summer time, when you love Rock Music and Electro – it will be from 26th to 28th June in 2015. I attended this event once and it was awesome, totally free of charge and a special feeling to thrive and party along this island between Vienna and New Vienna City (Wiener Neustadt).

As two Coffee House recommendations I want to introduce my favorite Viennese Cafe to you, the Cafe Prückel, which is not as posh as the Sacher or the Cafe Central in the 1st district. It has this certain charme and the cake and coffee is outstanding. But for the appearance and location in the heart of the city the Cafe Central is moderately priced and beautiful and the cake is delicious as well. That’s why I’d say, if you can just make one and have a very limited time, plus look for THE stereotype, do this one as a sight and enjoy your piece of cake. If you are in Vienna for longer or like to get to see, what it’s all about in the normal life of the Viennese, you should go to my favorited Cafe Prückel.

What else is enjoyable in this city… If you like markets, the Naschmarkt for sure. I love it! You get many different oriental ingredients, fresh fish and meat in very good quality (e.g. when you don’t have the METRO card), specialties of Austria and the normal, crappy souvenir stuff – but you don’t need to buy it, right? Check this market out, the Kebap there is actually really good, which is a predicate if a Berliner says that… 🙂

To finalize this entry I want to give you another source, I use to check regularly before I start into a big city. – Unlike.net – They have plentiful information on places that are a little off the beaten track and therefore I love them! I recommend the nightlife section as well, since I haven’t tried many locations and after the sightseeing and enjoyment I am barely in the mood to party in the nights.

My picks for you would be some outstanding buildings and going places. And as always, when I visit a big city, I totally recommend to walk it, as much as possible to see as much as possible!

  • Stephans Dom (directions)
  • The Donau Channel for urban graffiti culture and in summer to just hang out
  • The whole 1st district with…
  • The Austrian Parliament 
  • Burggarten and Albertina – the Cafe Sacher is here as well – and the huge building is the National Library 
  • Besides is the Museumsquartier with plenty different museums
  • The Viennese Rathaus and the space in front with the Burgtheater
  • And there you have the Volksgarten with the Hofburg, both top locations to stroll in the early evening, enjoying the lighting and beauty
  • The little streets around Judenplatz
  • Last but not least the Wiener Staatsoper, the place where the Opernball takes place…

There are many more things to see, best you walk all along those areas and get yourself an overview. If you click on the respective sights you can access the locations via Google Maps, a convenient way to safe those locations to your phone and make the map accessible offline – the way I do it when I am somewhere else. Have fun exploring Vienna and if you have a little more time, you can always visit the Donauturm, to have an unforgettable view over the whole city area and countryside that surrounds the city.

Latin America picture ToDo-list

This is my “ToDo-List” for Central and South America. Covered are 19 countries so far, but I am open to your suggestions! The pictures I used are all from artists of the twenty20 community and I have to thank you guys at this point for taking such great pictures! Please feel free to leave suggestions for me, what I should not miss out when I travel Latin America the next time.

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Pictures tell stories better than a thousand words. This is an old wisdom and it’s actually true. You might have read my report about my relatively short travel to Panamá, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. For me this was the first contact to this beautiful and magic piece of land on our planet and it is not the last time, that I have been there, promised. Since pictures express much more, than text ever could, when it comes up to the description of the beauty of places, people, nature and everything else but the lyric itself, I started to create and build up a Twenty20 Collection. In this gallery I collect pictures I like and worship, and included are pictures of 19 countries so far, here presented from North to South.

Central America

Cancún in Mexico, by @soniamchopra
Somewhere in Guatemala, by @s_cavazos
Belize and the Maya temples, by @_melche
US Embassy in Honduras, by @cellalaaa
Surfing the Pacific in El Salvador, by @gerardoch10
Vulcano Concepción on Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua, by @benicoma
The cloud rainforest Costa Rica’s mountains, by @benicoma
The Islands of San Blas in Panamá, by @benicoma

 

South America

Medellín in Colombia, by @vcostaphoto
Morrocoy in Venezuela, by @erickmendez9
The highlands of Ecuador, by @puapv
Machu Picchu in Peru, by @corrine_t
The death road in Bolivia, by @birgitry
Jesus statue over Rio de Janeiro, by @nanohooligan
Isla Fernando de Noronha of Brazil, by @joneliabe
Somewhere in Paraguay, by @jcibils
Surfing the beaches of Uruguay, by @marcbaechtold
The Iguazu falls of Argentina, by @kauaitraveler
Chilenian part Patagonia, by @birgitry

 

People

A vendor in Bolivia’s capital La Paz, by @raulbarnoir
The lovely people of Costa Rica celebrating their football team in the World Cup. The contribution goes to my friends in Costa Rica!
A mayan child bathing in a creek, by @andrewqholzschuh
Tango in the streets of Buenos Aires, by @mackeykatrina
Salsa and Bachata, by @hurpatty
Mother and child in Mexico, by @whiteraslion
Carneval Samba in Brazil, by @jealston
Guna Yala
The Guna Yala and me on San Blas in Panamá, by @benicoma

 

This collection features great pictures from all over Latin America, from diverse artists and is something like a ToDo list for me, when I travel to this region the next time. I will need plenty of time to do that of course, since there are already 19 countries included and by far not everything worthwhile to see…

What I have to do:

  • Surfing all along the Pacific coast, from Baja California in Mexico down to Chile, wherever I come by
  • Visit the Maya tribes of the Mexican desert for their cult, and experiencing it
  • Visit the plantations for cacao and coffee in different countries
  • Visit the places where medical plants are cultured in a fair trade principal
  • Visit the Maya Temples of Mexico and Belize
  • Exploring the Amazonas of Brazil and Bolivia
  • Sail to Cartagena via San Blas in Panamá
  • Dance Tango Argentino in Buenos Aires
  • Dance lots of Salsa
  • Snorkel and Dive in Central America and Venezuela
  • Visit the Carneval in Rio de Janeiro
  • Go diving on Coiba Island of Panamá and on Isla Fernando de Noronha of Brazil
  • Go snowboarding and hiking in Patagonia
  • Finish Pacific Coastal Highway 1 – called the Panamericana in Latin America

When you are on Twenty20 yourself, have pictures of those regions which might fit in and you are willing to get them featured in the Collection, please comment under them with the hashtag @benicoma and I will consider to take them in as well. And when you read this blog entry and want to share great places to visit, please leave a comment, it is highly appreciated!