Posts by author

Raquel Karstens

34 posts
Overlanding the PanAmerican highway in our Landcruiser.
  • Couldn’t help but compare this beach to the one in Leonardo DiCaprio’s dream world in Inception... rocks the size of skyscrapers, eroding away and eventually collapsing. You can see the remnants of a pillar bottom left corner. I asked the heli pilot why there’s no way down to the beach, and apparently there’s a colony of penguins that live down there. Dream penguin world down there for sure. 🐧 @savethereef #savethereef
    365
  • @jess.wandering doing the Laird Hamilton pose. 🏄‍♀️ I’d give her a strong 7/10.👏
    327
  • Every visitor who enters Palau signs a pledge in their passport - “To preserve and protect . . tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.” This respectful mentality reflects thru their warm culture and pristine landscapes. I have never seen so much beauty, virtually untouched. @savethereef Song by: @phosphorescentmusic “Black Moon/Silver Waves”
    724
  • Yesterday, we had the opportunity to swim with some endangered Australian Sea Lions. Every time they looked at me with their curious faces, it felt like I was looking into the eyes of a friend. Happy to be working with @savethereef to help protect more habitat for my new ocean buddies.
    863
  • Took the last 2 months off to build my dream home. The process of designing, and constructing it felt nearly identical to when I create a photo. Starts with a vision that I can’t get out of my head, then the research, finally commitment to the undertaking, and no stopping till it’s done. I had 60 square feet to work with. And was able to squeeze in a kitchen + dining table, office, bathroom, couch, full bed, heater, ventilation cooling, solar setup w/ battery bank, storage for my gear, oh and there’s an iPad movie theater too. Feels pretty luxurious (for a car). 👍 🚎 @quinsvan . Thanks for helping me out @bradjamin @ourhomeonwheels @andrewknapp @jess.wandering . Song: “Lost My Head There” by: @kurtvile .
    4695
  • It took me 5 years to make the trek to this plank suspended over the Qin Mountains in Central China. The journey consisted of a few days in planes and airports, two train rides, hours of climbing stairs, two cable cars, and a few hour long line. When I finally stepped foot onto the rickety plank, I thought back to the mental, physical and financial journey I’d been thru to reach this destination... and was greeted with party music, and hundreds of young people taking selfies with themselves, their friends, and sometimes even grabbing me for one. There was traffic going both ways. I’m pretty comfortable with heights, but passing someone on this plank was extreme. Felt like squeezing past someone seated on an airplane when you need to go to the bathroom and they won’t get up.. but with a few thousand foot drop on the other side. It got so crowded that I ended up squatting down in a ball, grabbing the chain, and hugging the wall, as people leap frogged over my back. These are the experiences I live for.
    2440