Welcome to the first portal of the Dangerously Delicious Multiverse.
Poptasi and the Cookie Hunter collide to create a universe fueled by bold dreams, pastry power, and dangerously delicious creativity. This world is where imagination rises like dough and legends are baked crumb by crumb. Poptasi x Cookie Hunter – Dangerously Delicious Multiversie #001.

The Cookie Hunter, born from the heart of Poptasi’s pastry adventures, now travels through worlds where art, flavor, and creativity have no limits. Every creation you find here holds a secret crumb of a bigger story — a dangerously delicious saga that only the bold can follow.

Creativity is a force that cannot be contained. The Dangerously Delicious Multiverse is a place where flavors, stories, and imagination intertwine. Every portal you step through is a reflection of a bigger dream — a dream that began with a single crumb and continues to grow with every new adventure.

This is not just art.
It’s a gateway into a world where creativity has no limits, and where every piece holds a secret crumb of the Cookie Hunter’s legacy. This is Dangerously Delicious Multiverse #001 — the first chapter in a collectible journey. More portals may open. If you want to see them, leave a crumb behind:

If you want this universe to grow, leave your mark:
Drop a if you want this for real.

Ready to discover more dangerously delicious dreams?
Start your journey with Poptasi, the original home where pastry and creativity collide. Follow the Cookie Hunter’s missions on TikTok and stay dangerously tuned for more adventures across the multiverse. 8]x

Start your journey with Poptasi, the original home of dangerously delicious dreams.

Legend of the Cookie Hunter — Born 8]x.

The post Dangerously Delicious Multiverse #001 appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Hello, curious minds, wandering souls, joyful nibblers, and seekers of life’s small delights – Welcome to the deliciously whimsical world of the Golden Bite Rating.

Yes, I’m a Cookie Hunter.

But here’s the twist:
The “cookie” isn’t always a cookie.
It’s a metaphor.
A symbol.
A crunchy, melty, sometimes crumbly stand-in for the gems of life that bring us joy.

So many people asked me to rate the cookies I find during my travels. At first, I resisted—truth is, I’ve never liked judging. But hey, we live in a review world. And if you can’t beat ’em… own it.

That’s how the Golden Bite Rating was born.

A good cookie is a clue.

A great cookie? A full-on treasure map.

Cookie Hunter

So what’s the Golden Bite Rating?

It started as a simple cookie review system while I traveled—hostels, markets, random bakeries in alleyways—but it’s become something much bigger.

Now, it’s how I measure life’s golden moments:

From a cookie in the mountains of Peru to a street musician in Prague playing your favorite song… to that first sip of hostel coffee after a long night train.

Every joyful discovery gets a rating.

Golden Bite Rating is more than a score.

It’s a celebration of the things that make your soul say: “Yup, this… this is it.”

The rating levels

• Crumbly Disappointment (0–1/5) – Let’s be real. Not every moment (or cookie) is magic. Some just fall apart.
• Bronze Nibble (2/5) – A tiny taste of joy, but it’s missing the sparkle.
• Silver Crunch (3/5) – Solid. Satisfying. Worth the bite.
• Golden Bite (4/5) – Ohhh yeah. That’s what we came for.
• Legendary (5/5) – Cue dramatic music. This one lives in your memory forever.
• The Secret 6th Rating – A once-in-a-lifetime experience. So powerful, it doesn’t even have a name… yet.

Each level comes with its own sound effects, Cookie Hunter Badges, and wild reactions because let’s be honest, when something’s that good, you’ve got to dance about it.

But why Cookies?

Because cookies are universal joy. They’re tiny packages of comfort, surprise, nostalgia, and delight. And that’s what I’m chasing: those “Golden Bite” moments across the world.

What makes something worthy of a Golden Bite?

It could be:

• A sunset over a hidden beach
• A stranger sharing their last piece of chocolate in a bus terminal
• A cookie that tastes like your childhood
• A moment of peace in a chaotic city

If it gives you that spark—the “this is what I’m alive for” spark—it gets rated. And if it really blows my mind, it gets the Golden Seal of Approval.

Join the Cookie Hunt

This journey isn’t just about sweets—it’s about meaning. It’s about collecting moments, not things. Cookies, in all their literal and metaphorical glory, are my compass.So whether you’re chasing actual baked goods or metaphorical morsels of happiness, remember:

Life is better when you rate the good stuff.

Drop a crumb trail of joy wherever you go. And may you always find your next Golden Bite.

Follow the breadcrumbs to hidden cookie treasures on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Who knows what you’ll find along the way…

The post The Golden Bite Rating appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Weet je wat grappig is? Of misschien ook juist niet. Dat m’n verhalen op Facebook tussen de 600 en 1000 keer gelezen of bekeken werd. Nu ik m’n verhalen hier op m’n website post, is het aantal 24 tot 107 keer. Wat een verschil he. Life before and after Facebook.

Gek eigenlijk he, dat je daar zo aan went. Ik heb namelijk best veel berichtjes ontvangen dat iemand m’n verhalen mist. Elke dag even Facebook checken of Petterik iets nieuws geschreven heeft. Voor mij was het ook een heerlijke uitlaatklep. Of noem het therapie. Vooral de reacties gaven het voor mij waarde. Alleen vrees ik dat niemand mij meer weet te vinden. Of hooguit de 24 die m’n laatste blog wisten te vinden.

Social media oplossing

Moet ik dan iets nieuws verzinnen? Ik heb al aan een aantal van jullie gevraagd wat je een oplossing vindt. Veel opperden een nieuwe Facebook pagina. Ik ben eerlijk gezegd een beetje genezen van Facebook. Dus liever ben ik helemaal Facebook-loos. Alleen heel veel accounts gebruiken mijn Facebook login. Dus ik zit er nog aan vast ook.

The circle of life?

Alsof het een onbreekbare cirkel is. Telkens als ik een doel en daarmee nut en structuur heb, dan wordt het onmogelijk gemaakt. Ik weet, ik heb er al vaker over geschreven. Maar dat komt omdat ik telkens weer terug bij af ben. Alsof de wereld een ‘loop’ is. Google vertaald dat in ‘lus’. Je blijft maar rond gaan. En kom maar niet verder.

Weet je wat helemaal bizar is. Ik ken een paar vrienden van vroeger met wie ik zeg maar opgegroeid ben. Die vrienden zie ik niet meer. Joh. Maar alsof the Universe ermee speelt, ontmoet ik hier in Azië vrijwel exact de zelfde typen. Niet alleen hun persoonlijkheden en gedrag, maar zelfs hun uiterlijk lijkt bizar veel op die van die vrienden van vroeger. Alsof het dubbelgangers zijn. Maar dan van een andere nationaliteit. Life before and after Facebook. (Ja deze zin moet ik een paar keer herhalen, anders is m’n SEO niet op orde

St. Patrick’s Day

Enniewees. Wat is er in de tussentijd dan gebeurt. Nou, best veel. Ik weet eigenlijk niet eens waar ik moet beginnen. Ik heb voor het eerst St. Patrick’s Day gevierd. Dat was nou niet per se heel tof. Een half gevulde Ierse pub met allemaal oude mensen. Gepensioneerd denk ik.

Ik had in eerste instantie niet zo veel zin om te gaan. Alleen al omdat die pub in een andere stad is. Zo’n 20 kilometer, ofwel 30 minuten met de auto. Is dat het wel waard. Achteraf gezien niet dus. Na de pub gingen we naar een karaoke bar. Mooie bar wel. Alleen deze was in een duister afgelegen straatje. En het was leeg, op ons groepje na. Of nou ja, groepje. Meer dan de helft kende ik niet en die waren voornamelijk met zichzelf bezig. Ik had wat midnight eten besteld en ben daarna naar huis gegaan.

Tot eind van de maand

Waarom post ik niet zo veel meer de laatste tijd? Is dit Life before and after Facebook? Nou, onder andere omdat ik er nog steeds niet uit ben wat en waar nou het slimste is om te posten. En ik werk zes dagen per week, 6 uur per dag. In plaats van 5 dagen, 5 uur. Ik heb dus maar 1 dag per week vrij. En ik wil m’n dagen opsparen.

Ik werk officieel tot 31 maart. Maar dankzij m’n opgespaarde vrije dagen is 28 maart m’n laatste werkdag. Op 29 maart verlaat ik dit eiland weer en vlieg ik terug naar Kuala Lumpur.

Duurt te lang

Ik ben trouwens al een paar dagen deze blog aan het schrijven. Of ik werd gestoord door iemand zodat ik niet verder kon. Of ik wist even niet wat ik nou wel en niet moest schrijven. Ik moest zelfs even teruglezen in m’n oude post wat ik al met je gedeeld had. Geheugen van een goudvis.

Misschien komt het ook wel omdat je als content creator vrijwel altijd aan het werk bent. Je hebt in principe nooit een dag vrij. Altijd alert om videos te maken of verhalen te verzamelen. Als je voor een baas werkt is dat een stuk makkelijker. Dan heb je structuur. Maar als zelfstandige en solo traveller is dat best wel een uitdaging. Ik weet nog steeds niet eens in welke taal ik nou moet schrijven. Joh.

Content creator of influencer (bah vies woord) zijn, is behoorlijk hard werken. Voornamelijk veel werken. Als je jouw social media kanalen op orde hebt is het al een stuk makkelijker. Maar dat heeft Petterik uiteraard niet. Hopelijk wordt dat volgende maand anders.

Golden Bite Rating

Ik heb trouwens een Golden Bite Rating ontworpen. Daar ben ik sowieso blij mee. En het lijkt heel simpel. MAAR weet je hoeveel extra werk het is om telkens een rating te geven? Alleen al die rating stickers in de filmpjes krijgen moest ik een cursus voor volgen. Want Instagram werkt natuurlijk weer anders als YouTube en TikTok.

Ik had trouwens ook een ‘leuke’ reactie gekregen op m’n YouTube video ‘What long term travelling does to you‘. Er waren in totaal vier reacties, die ik een beetje laat ontdekte. De laatste was van één of andere anonieme Ur3_on. Het zijn altijd de anonieme figuren die zo heerlijk eerlijk (ahum) zijn. Hij/zij schreef: “, 7 months, that’s nothing, I have met people on world tours who have been traveling for,6 years!”. Ik heb er een politiek correct antwoord op gegeven: “Beautiful to be travelling so long! Luckily it’s not a contest who travels the longest! :)”. Maar wil je weten wat ik werkelijk dacht? Komt ‘ie:

Petterik ongecensureerd

Joh. Meen je dat nou Anonieme Ur3_on?!? Ken jij echt mensen die langer reizen dan ik?? Serieus?! Jij KENT ze gewoon?! Ik ben zo jaloers nu! OMG! Jij kent mensen die wel 6 jaar reizen! Wat zal jij een gelukkig en verheven mens zijn. Maar vertel, ken je ze persoonlijk ook? Is het één van jouw vier YouTube volgers? Of ken je ze alleen online, zoals je mij ook kent?

Life before and after Facebook.

Zo. Petterik is weer op dreef. Heerlijk om het even van me af te schrijven. Misschien moet ik wel een video maken waar ik reageer op de reacties. Dat doen veel influencers (bah vies woord), toch? De andere drie reacties waren trouwens heel tof hoor! Daar reageer ik dan natuurlijk ook op. Al gok ik dat iedereen meer uitkijkt naar mijn live reactie op Mister Ur3_on.

Je hoort het al. Life before and after Facebook is niet het zelfde. Love Poptasi

The post Life before and after Facebook appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Something changed

I don’t understand myself. Something has changed. Not lately, but since a couple of years already. I feel like a unguided missile. ‘Ongeleid projectiel’ we’d say in Dutch. I know I’m oversensitive. But lately my emotions get the better of me. Listening to particular music brings tears to my eyes. Even watching some emotional tv-show wets my eyes. Like I cannot control my emotions anymore.

Sometimes, no… actually most of the times I think I feel like a pregnant woman. Not the belly part. But the part where their hormones are all over the place. Who am I to think that I know how a pregnant woman feels? Well, I feel like a mess. Then I feel like the world. And then like a mess again. On and off. Hence, pregnant woman.

All the things happening to me here in Malaysia and Indonesia have a big impact on me. First of all because I’m trying to build something. To create a new job to become an independant traveller. Which Facebook kinda ruined on 15 February 2025. By blocking my page.

Second because I trusted people to do a long(er) term work-relationship with them. Only to find out that they completely denied recalling this agreement while I was already working for them for a week. Which I happend to find out by luck. All is sorted now tho. But in stead of three months i’ll be staying one month. I think that’s best for me now. I don’t belong here.

Communication disorder

I’ve always had difficulty with people who have communication disorders. In Dutch we’d say ‘communicatie gestoord’. It’s not that they can’t communicate. No. It’s those who simply don’t communicate because they miss social skills. I simply don’t like those people. Now I wonder, have I become one of them? Am I now what I feared becoming?

So why do I think i have become one of them? I’ve been pretty much by myself lately. With lately I mean since I went to Indonesia and came back to Malaysia. Usually i’d always hang out with new friends. Have a drink at the sunset, do karaoke, go to the club and dance whole night. Do you know what i’ve been doing this whole week?

My week

I’ve been alone. I’ve been to ZUS Coffee after work (I work till 15:00) and worked on my laptop. Not doing much work actually. After ZUS around 19:00 I went to the beach, alone. I’ve watched the sunsets until 20:00, alone. Then I dropped my bag at my hostel and went back to the beach, in the dark. I sat down and watched the stars. You know the worst part? I even had my AirPods in my ears with music on all the time.

Not just any music. No. I played Creep from Radiohead. On YouTube. Nonstop. If you know the lyrics, then you know what I mean. I’m a weirdo, I don’t belong here.

All YouTube versions

I’ve watched all versions, all covers of the song. There are actually real impressive ones. I watched the ones with lyrics. I sang along, in quiet. The one that struck me the most is the live version from Pinkpop. It’s called Best Live Performance. And that is so true. Look for yourself, and let me know what you think. It’s the one below:

I even just watched a video where some (famous?) YouTubers give their reaction to a live performance. Which is one of the best ever. Guess what happened?

Press pause

I couldn’t even watch it. I had to pause it every time. Because my eyes would fill up with tears. Which is weird when you’re at ZUS Coffee drinking Cham. Luckily everyone here is on their phones. They notice nothing. Lucky me. By the way, I usually don’t like watching videos where people watching (judging) videos). But to give you an idea, this is one of them below. I don’t know this girl. I never watched videos from her. But it’s touching me deeply to see how moved she is.

I shared this with a friend. Thru Instagram chat. I asked her to listen to this song. Especially this live performance. Do you know what her reaction was? She wrote: ‘It was like I heard you. I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo. I don’t belong here’.

I’m a creep. I’m a weirdo.

What the hell am I doing here.

I don’t belong here.

Radiohead

So I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Why can’t I control my emotions anymore. Is this what it’s like to be an emotional wreck? Can you imagine that noone ever noticed. I guess my surviving mechanism is good at hiding it.

Remember I posted my (bad) feelings on Insta not so long ago? Everyone, and I mean every-one replied to me that I’m always such a positive person. From the outside yes. From the inside a million emotions are running thru my head. So yes, I’m a creep. I’m a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here. I don’t belong here.

Probably what you not expected

I know this is not the typical kind of blog I usually write. I’ve started writing about this many times. But I never shared it. Until now. Ironically enough, I don’t even know to whom I’m sharing this with now. Since Facebook is off.

I’m still searching for the best way to share my things with you. Yes I know all of you are on Facebook. I understand you’re not on Instagram or YouTube. I received many suggestions to start a new Facebook page. But I don’t believe in Facebook anymore. I cannot even delete it completely. Because so many accounts I have use the Facebook-log-in option. So I have to change all my accounts.Yay.

I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m going through all options. Even the one to go offline completely. But like I said, I haven’t figured it out yet.

It’s heart warming to receive your messages that you miss my blogs. I miss being connected to you too. It may sound weird, but it feels like Facebook cut off you as my travel buddies.

The post I don’t belong here appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Wat is er allemaal aan de hand? Ik was naar Indonesië gereisd om m’n social media structuur te geven. Dat pakte ook totaal anders uit. In plaats van alles op orde, was ik 3.2 duizend fans (FB) kwijt. Dat is zo’n 3/4 van al m’n volgers. Ofwel Petterik is helemaal terug naar af. Wat nu?

Heel eerlijk gezegd weet ik het even niet. Ik ben zoveel nieuwe dingen begonnen de afgelopen jaren dat ik eventjes geen zin meer heb om alweer iets nieuws te beginnen. Niets doen is ook geen optie. Voel je m’n dilemma?

Wat is er ondertussen gebeurt? Veel. Heel veel. Weet je wat pas ruk is? Dat ik niet eens alles kan opschrijven. Deze ‘Backpacker with Trust Issues’ vertrouwd naast Facebook, helemaal niemand meer. Ook niet de Nederlandse Overheid. Zeg maar gerust Belastingdienst. Die ongetwijfeld mee leest. Leuker kunnen ze het niet maken.

Hoe leg ik het uit?

Om toch een beetje een idee te geven. Ik was terug naar Maleisië vanwege een afspraak, voor drie maanden. Na ruim een week kwam ik er toevallig achter dat mijn ‘baas’ onze afspraak helemaal niet na kwam. Ze beweerde bij hoog en bij laag dat ik nooit had aangegeven dat ik daarvoor terug was gekomen. Ik voelde me best wel genaaid. Want ik had juiste meerdere malen tegen haar gezegd waarom ik terug zou komen. Ze bevestigde dat toen. En nu opeens wist ze van niks. Ze wilde eventueel wel een nieuwe afspraak met mij maken die dan vanaf die dag in zou gaan. Ik voelde me meer dan klote.

Ik was er zo klaar mee, dat ik het liefst meteen zou vertrekken. Geen idee waar naar toe, maar gewoon weg van hier. Ik besefte dat dat geen slimme optie was. Dus ik stemde mee in om een nieuwe afspraak in te laten gaan. Ze vroeg me dit keer om een bevestiging. Via Whatsapp. Ik bevestigde dat ik voor de periode van 1 maand zou blijven. Tot 31 maart. Dus geen drie maanden meer.

Ik ging op zoek naar een nieuwe volunteers job. Maar waar? Ik stuurde wat hostels een bericht via Instagram. Weet je hoeveel er reageerden? Geen één. Shit. Wat nu? Toen bedacht ik me, dat de eigenaren van het hostel in Kuala Lumpur, waar ik eerder had gewerkt, had gevraagd of ik wilde verlengen. Ik stuurde de baas een bericht.

De volgende dag kreeg ik een antwoord. Ze waren nog wel geïnteresseerd in een volunteer voor hun social media. Ze gaan namelijk in maart een nieuwe locatie openen. Ik vroeg of ze ook wilde dat ik weer front desk work ging doen. Nachtdienst. Daar had ik niet zo veel zin in namelijk.

Wat dan wel

Dat hoefde gelukkig niet. Dus guess what. Petterik gaat een maand in KL als content creator aan de bak! OMG. Eindelijk iets doen wat (sorry dat ik het zeg) niet beneden m’n niveau is. Nu maar hopen dat daar dan weer nieuw werk uit komt.

Mijn probleem trouwens is nooit inspiratie. Ik heb ideeën zat. Ik heb altijd moeite met motivatie. Om telkens weer de energie te vinden om iets te ondernemen. Een coach zei ooit, dan is het nu niet de tijd om je daarmee bezig te houden. Het is tijd wanneer het tijd is. Mooi gezegd, maar het schiet nog steeds niet op.

Ik had sowieso geen tijd om een beeld uit te zoeken of te maken voor deze post. Ik moet namelijk voor elke post op m’n website een beeld hebben. Net zoals bij Instagram. Weet je wat ik gedaan heb? Schrik niet. Ik heb ChatGPT om advies gevraagd. Ik gebruik dat gewoonlijk nooit. Want Petterik heeft nooit gebrek aan inspiratie. Alleen Petterik heeft gebrek aan energie en daarmee tijd.

Dus ik heb ChatGPT gevraagd een beeld voor me te maken van een jochie die Cookie Hunt en het even niet meer weet. Bizar genoeg wist ChatGPT dat ik geen vrouw ben (Ansuya). Toen ik om een re-make vroeg (zie foto onder) had ik in het nieuw gecreëerde beeld zelfs grijze haren! Bizar. M’n nieuwe DJI Osmo camera had ik zelf ingegeven. De groene backpack ook. Maar de Apple Watch niet. Die is overigens stuk. Zou ik m’n camera moeten bedekken soms? ChatGPT blijft bizar.

Ik durf ook niet alles

Enniewees. Ik heb m’n baas nog niet durven vertellen dat ik niet langer dan een maand blijf. Erger nog, ik heb m’n vrije dagen opgespaard om eerder te kunnen vertrekken. Dus in plaats van genieten van m’n vrije dagen en m’n (gratis) verblijf, vertrek ik.

Het ticket naar KL kostte me 18 euro. Yep. Achttien euro maar. Het is ook maar een uurtje vliegen. Ik vlieg met m’n favoriete AirAsia. Dus ik weet nu al dat ik vertraging heb. Maar goed, het is maar één vlucht, overdag. En ik weet al waar ik heen moet.

Dus ja, wat nu. Voorlopig werk ik deze maand zes dagen per week, zes uur per dag. Ja echt. Ik heb maar één dag in de week vrij. Die spaar ik nog op ook. Joh. Dus ik werk lange weken hier. Ik dacht dat de baas boos was op mij. Gewoonlijk vraagt ze dagelijks wel waar ik ben, wat ik ga doen of dat ik wil eten. De laatste dagen niks. Maar ze heeft erge last van hoofdpijn de laatste tijd. Kan ze natuurlijk ook niks aan doen. Da’s sowieso nooit fijn.

Geen doorsnee toerist

Weet je waarom ik trouwens niet de doorsnee toerist ben? Omdat ik niet als een kip zonder kop rond ren om zo veel mogelijk te zien. Sterker nog, ik hoef die toeristische attracties helemaal niet te zien. Ik stoor me er eerlijk gezegd steeds meer aan dat iedereen, ja ie-de-reen, steeds naar de zelfde bestemmingen reist. Iedereen maakt de zelfde foto’s van de zelfde prachtige views. En iedereen wil influencer worden. Ik overigens niet hoor, blijf liever content creator. Geen idee trouwens of ik dat nog wel kan.

Want toen ik mijn macaronwinkel had, toen deed ik iets bijzonders. Iets wat niemand anders deed. Ik had niet de macaron uitgevonden. Ook was ik niet de eerste in Nederland die ze maakte. Maar ik was wél de eerste die zich er in specialiseerde. Dat heeft niemand me tot nu toe nagedaan trouwens. Niet dat ik daar ooit naar gezocht heb. Misschien leef ik te veel op m’n eigen planeet.

Het liefst doe ik iets wat een ander nog nooit gedaan heeft. Wat een ander ook nooit zomaar kan doen. Ik hou er nou eenmaal niet van om te doen wat de hele wereld al doet. Where’s the fun in that? Maar het is niet zo dat ik toen op zoek was naar iets hoor. Nee. Mijn passie voor macarons was spontaan ontstaan. Het toeval deed zich voor dat er een winkel uit voort kwam. Er was niks gepland. Ik had nooit een droom om een winkel te openen. Het kwam gewoon op m’n pad.

Alles kost geld

Ik hoor je al denken, Petterik wacht gewoon wat er op je pad komt. Ja ja. Makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan. Ten eerste ben ik ongeduldig. Joh. En ten tweede heb ik geen baan of inkomen om ergens naar uit te kunnen leven. En alles kost geld.

Ik was zo super blij met de donaties, die ik nooit zag aankomen. Maar de harde realiteit is, die kwamen alleen via Facebook. En die is pleite. Komt ook niet meer terug. Wat mij weer terug bij af brengt. Het was al een mision impossible om in een jaar een online empire op te bouwen. Nu 3/4e van m’n volgers weg zijn is het niet alleen impossible, maar kan ik het ook geen mission meer noemen. Het kan gewoon niet.

Voorlopig probeer ik overal volunteer jobs te krijgen. Zonder Worldpackers of WorkAway trouwens. Dat zijn websites gespecialiseerd in vrijwilligerswerk wereldwijd. Maar die kosten geld. Zonder hun is het dus een extra grote uitdaging. Maar misschien moet ik gewoon toegeven en 60 dollar betalen voor Worldpackers ofzo. je moet dan nog wel steeds zelf solliciteren. Ze bieden je alleen een netwerk. Waar ik overigens nu ook op kan kijken, alleen kun je niet reageren op de advertenties.

Slimme ikke had stiekem foto’s van hun vacatures opgezocht op Google. En zo zelf een berichtje gestuurd naar de hostels. Waar dus vrijwel niemand op reageerde. Kennelijk accepteren ze alleen kandidaten via hun websites. Geen idee.

The post OMG. Wat nu? appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

In February 2025 I was one week in Medan on the Island of Sumatra. There I found this massive shoppingmall called Sun Plaza. It was so big. Hidden in the back I found this shop called La Maison. And guess what? They sell macarons! So i had to try them! Cookie hunting. So here’s my findings on: Macarons from Indonesia.

Patisserie La Maison

La Maison is specialised in French Macarons. Their presentation in the shopping mall was very impressive. It looks real luxurious. They had plenty of flavours. The price was not too bad. Approximately 1,40 euro per macaron. I decided to start with one first.

Popcorn Salted Caramel

I chose Popcorn Salted Caramel. I mean, who doesn’t like Salty Caramel. Right?? They carefully packed it in a little transparent plastic bag. I sat down on a bench in the shopping mall. Took the macaron out of the bag and took a bite.

Personally I didn’t expect much. So far the macarons that I’ve tried in the last 7 months that I’ve been travelling, were so so. But this one! OMG! What a pleasant surprise! It was delicious! The structure so nice and chewie! The flavour of the Salted Caramel so beautiful! This macaron made me happy I decided to go back tomorrow, to try them all! Macarons from Indonesia.

The next day

I went back to La Maison the next day. I wanted to try all their flavours. But I could never eat all of them. At once I mean. So I chose for a 6 box. I picked 4 of them and asked the girl from the shop which 2 others she’d recommend. These were my flavours:

1. Kue Kacang (Peanut Butter)
2. Salted Popcorn
3. The Simpson Doughnut
4. Bubblegum
5. KitKat
6. Kinder Bueno

She packed them in a beautiful box. Which I carefully took back to the hostel, to taste them. My findings you can see in my YouTube series: Cookie Hunt. Here’s chapter 1.

Cookie Hunt 03, Macarons from Indonesia

Check La Maison out yourself

Are you curious about La Maison? They have a beautiful website. Go check it out. They have beautiful pastry creations: La Maison

The post Macarons from Indonesia appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

Facebook suspended me. My page is blocked. 12 years of work gone. 3.2 followers gone. All memories, pictures and stories of my macaron shop gone.

Suspicious message

One day after Valentine’s Day I received a message from a woman named Paulina Kostrzewa who claimed to work for Meta. Her profile picture was a cow.

was it spam or real?

She wrote that my page was on the list to new removed because I violated their trademark. I wanted to share this message, to figure out if it was real or fake. The moment I posted it, Facebook removed it. Immediately after they blocked my page.

Review

The message said that if I didn’t agree with their decision I can ask for a review. I had to click on a suspicious link. Which to me was a scam. I did click it and my Mac protected me from opening the page. It was dangerous, said the pop-up.

Facebook blocked me. But of course I did ask for a review. Now it’s a waiting game.

The message

Judge for yourself if this message is real or not. It’s pretty much threatning language. I removed the link. Facebook suspended me:

Important Notice From Meta:

Your Facebook page is scheduled to be permanently removed due to violating our trademark rights. We made this decision after careful consideration and in compliance with our intellectual property protection policies.

If you believe this is a misunderstanding, we ask you to submit a complaint so we can review it before removing the page from Facebook.

We understand that this situation may impact your ongoing business operations. However, please note that if we do not receive your complaint, our decision will be final.

Your cooperation and understanding are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

Best regards,
Facebook Support Team

What now?

I’m counting on it that I won’t get my Facebook page back. Am I gone then? Nooo. You can still find me on Instagram, YouTube and Tiktok. Hopefully see you there. Maybe this was a message from the universe?

Find me anywhere @poptasi

The post Facebook suspended me appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

The reason that I traveled to Medan wasn’t because of sightseeing. Nope. I went here for a visa run. My visa of Malaysia was about to expire. In order to get a new one, I had to leave the country for one week. Medan was one of the closest and cheapest options. At least, I thought so.

The capsule pictures were promising. But then again, so are all hostel pictures. They were made when the hostel was brand new. Many times it happens that since then there has been no maintenance. 

According to booking dot com, this RedDoorz Hostel is an 8.1 on a scale of 10. So that’s pretty high. 

The Grab taxi dropped me off at the hostel. As I feared the girl at the reception desk asked for a deposit. In cash. I could not check-in without the deposit. Not all hostels are this strict by the way.

So I went searching for an ATM. It was about 5 minutes walk from the hostel. I collected my 1.5 million rupees from the ATM and went back to the hostel. 

According to the pics on Booking the Coffee counter is shiny black. In reality the restyled counter is foil white (February 2025).

The girl gave me my keycard and followed me upstairs. She gave me a pair of flip-flops to use in the dorm. She showed me the bathroom and my capsule. Number 334. She gave an explanation how the buttons in the capsule work. Since the door locks itself after 10 seconds. Press the center button on the panel to unlock. Roger that.

Then she gave me a blue bag with a towel and a bottle of water. Very considerate. No complaints about the service.  

The capsule looks beautiful. Very spaceship-like. I immediately tried out all the buttons. There’s even a TV inside the capsule. But unfortunately it only shows a freeze frame of a TV show. The remote doesn’t work. The little hook to hang your clothing was broken. It fell off when I tried to hang something.

Unfortunately the staff doesn’t speak English. So it’s quite a challenge to explain an issue. Altho they’re always willing to help. Today they told me that the TV-box and remote are broken. Tomorrow someone will come to fix the TV-box.

The bathrooms

The showers and toilets are not as fancy looking as the capsules. They are simple. On the floor are antique shower-mats. The shower-heads are beyond simple. Cheap plastic ones. Most shower-hooks are broken. So you have to hold it while showering. There is hot water tho. But only at the beginning. The water turns cold after a minute. There is also soap in the showers. Simple dispensers. 

There is an ass-shower, but no toilet paper. I wonder how do people dry their ass after showering it?  

The dorms are pretty noisy. A man from India decided to do some phone calls at 01:00. His voice, as any sound, goes right through the plastic capsule walls. 

Your private bedroom

The capsule mattress is big. Not really thick, slightly hard. But okay. I’ve slept not bad my first night. I must say I woke up many times. Don’t know if it was because I always sleep on one side. Until my arm starts hurting, then I have to turn around. I’ve turned around many times. But I fell asleep right after. 

I think it’s not really a social hostel. You don’t really have roommates since everyone locks himself up in his pod. I guess mainly guys book it. So they can have their own private Star Trek bed. I was surprised to see a girl just now. Not very talkative tho. I read on the dorm doors today that one floor is for women. There are no men allowed. The other for men. Likewise no women allowed.

Conclusion

To me it looks like this hostel had its glory days when it was all new. It is not bad. But it doesn’t really look anymore like the booking pictures either. The red couches in the lobby are pink these days.  

Would I recommend it? If you want to travel back in time, yes. Because you have to experience your private spaceship capsule bedroom at least once. Would I book it again. Maybe. If I want privacy and be by myself, then yes. But in general I’m always a fan to try new things. So if RedDoorz Capsule worth booking? Yes. Considering the price and what you get. Unless you prefer a 5-star hotel. Then this is not for you.

The post RedDoorz Capsule worth booking? appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

I wanted to find the best cookies in Ao Nang, Krabi Thailand. The locals couldn’t tell me. Also because they don’t speak English that well. So I use Google, right? TripAdvisor popped up at the top: ‘THE 5 BEST bakeries in Ao Nang. That sounds promising. Especially since there are SIX bakeries on that page. Anywayz. I went on a mission to ‘the 5 best bakeries in Ao Nang’. Poptasi vs TripAdvisor – Ao nang. Or call it Cookie Therapy by Poptasi.

1. Mon Cafe Ma Boulangerie
2. Coffee House & Bakery Ao Nang
3. Get Baked
4. Sirena’s Bakes
5. Adeelah Bakery & Restaurant
6. Coffee Cup Club

First I looked up their addresses. Number 1 the list Mon Cafe Ma Boulangerie was not in Ao Nang, but on the island Koh Phi Phi. Sorry TripAdisor, you score 1 fail out of 6. The other addresses were far apart. So I had to divide them into two walking routes. Poptasi vs TripAdvisor – Ao nang.

Route 1 by the sea

5.6 km walk in total

1. Get Baked – 19 min walk
2. Adeelah Bakery & Restaurant – 31 min walk
3. Coffee House & Bakery Ao Nang – 51 min walk

Route 2 land inwards

7.4 km walk in total

1. Coffee Cup Club – 20 min walk
2. Sirena’s Bakes – 51 min walk

Day 1, route 1: Aprox 51 minutes walk 2.8 km

Sunday 10.11.24. It was cloudy today. Still 25+ degrees. I left my hostel pretty late. Around 16:00h. But I was eager to find the best bakeries. I filled up my water bottle. And on my way I went.

Get Baked

The route went by the sea. Beautiful view. I used Google Maps. Since Apple Maps seems to be less accurate. But whichever navigation I used, I could not find Get Baked bakery. So I asked a woman from a massage salon. She pointed me through some passage with empty shops towards a beach resort.

I entered the resort but found nothing. So I asked a Thai man who worked there at the bar. We got lost in translation since he didnt speak English. A big English man came to assist. I guess he was the manager or owner. He didn’t know the bakery. But he found on his phone that Get Baked was permanently closed. Sorry TripAdvisor, 2 fails out of 6. On to bakery number 3.

Adeelah Bakery & Restaurant

This bakery was further up the road. According to TripAdvisor that is. It led me to some dead-end street. Which seemed to be the entrance of two resorts. I asked a man from the resort. But he simply walked away. Ignoring me. I guess he didn’t speak English. So yeah, you just walk away.

A man on a scooter drove up. He spoke a little English. I asked him if the bakery was inside the resort. But he had never heard of Adeelah Balery. He pointed me away to different area.

Then a funny old couple passed. They had coloured their white hair pink and green. They looked cheerful. I said ‘Can I ask you a question?’. They looked at me and walked on without saying anything. I guess they thought I wanted to sell them something. Or they were Russian.

Anywayz, I looked up the address on Google Maps. This was a different address. Weird. Just 1.3 kilometer, 17 minute walk. This route led me to another dead end road. Or actually a dirt road. According to Google Maps this was the route. So I walked on. carefully stepping over puddles.

Half way a scooter come from behind. I gently stepped aside to let the scooter pass. The man stopped and asked where I was going. To the end of this road, I answered. He let me hop on to his scooter. So kind of him. He dropped me off at some asphalt crossing. And I continued on my way. Onto some domestic road. With a big white hotel. Weird. I entered to ask the reception. But there was noone there. So I looked the address up on Google.

Google and TripAdvisor don’t always agree. According to Google: Adeelah Bakery, temporarily closed. Maybe I should have done better research before I went hiking? Nevertheless, TripAdvisor: 3 fails out of 6.

Coffee House & Bakery

To be honest I was pretty miuch exhausted from all the walking in the heat. Most roads weren’t exactly pedestrian friendly. So I decided to to end my quest of the day. And go back to my hostel. I’ll delete this ‘Best Bakery’ of the list. Leaving the score at TripAdvisor: 3 fails out of 5. Tomorrow part 2 of my quest. Poptasi vs TripAdvisor – Ao nang.

Day 2, route 2: Aprox 51 minutes walk 3.2 km

Monday 11.11.24. This day I left on time. Around 12:00h. It was clear blue sky. Full sun. 30 degrees. No shades by the roads. And no wind.

Coffee Cup Club

According to TripAdvisor this bakery should be land inwards. Distance 1.4 km. Once I reached the destination after approx 20 minutes walk, I found out that TripAdvisor gives a different location than Google maps. Meaning there was no Coffee Cup Club at this location. TripAdvisor: 4 fails out of 5. Anywayz, on to the next bakery.

Sirena’s Bakes

So Coffee Cup Club wasn’t were tripAdvisor told me it would be. That’s ok. But the next bakery was 2.2 km further up the road. According to Google maps 31 minutes walk. The only challenge was, that there was no boardwalk. Nope. i had to walk on the road next to the cars.

But hey, I had gotten this far. So I was not gonna give up now. Most cars kept a nice distance from me. The tricycles did not. They almost ran me over every time one passed. But I was on a mission. So I kept going.

According to Google Maps I had to turn left at some point. This wasn’t a road. This was just sand and rocks. It ended in grass and palm trees. Maybe the bakery was hidden on the side of the road. So I walked up. And yes, I did find the bakery. Or actually the house with a sign saying: Sirena’s Bakes.

I did not see the entrance. But I did see another sign on the fence. It said: We are not available at the moment. TripAdvisor 5 fails out of 5. The 5 best bakeries of Ao nang. Great advise TripAdvisor.

On my way back I saw this Chinese Supermarket, Wan Wan. I decided to get some cookies here, since the other addresses were a disappointment. I found Oreo Coca Cola. Had to try them. Indeed they taste exactly like those little cola bottle candies. At least I had some cookie!

Conclusion

TripAdvisor is a great app if you need some advise for travelling. The only thing is that not all advise is accurate. Or in my case of THE 5 BEST bakeries of Ao Nang completely false. I guess TripAdvisor wants to tag along to stay trending as best as possible. But coming up with a formula ‘THE 5 BEST’ isn’t really the way to do it. Especially if you haven’t checked your resources.

These are my recommendations of TripAdvisors ‘Best bakeries of Ao Nang’. That’s correct, none of them. All of them were a fail. That’s bad.

1. Mon Cafe Ma Boulangerie NOT IN AO NANG
2. Get Baked PERMANENTLY CLOSED
3. Sirena’s Bakes NOT AVAILABLE
4. Adeelah Bakery & Restaurant TEMPORARILY CLOSED
5. Coffee Cup Club NOT TO BE FOUND

Good thing is that I checked them for you. So you don’t have to! Love, Poptasi

The post Poptasi vs TripAdvisor – Ao Nang appeared first on Cookie Hunter.

I’m on a plane to Palawan now. So I have some time to do some writing. Yay! Coz I wanted to write about my hostel experience. It was my first ever. I mean, I’ve travelled before. Duh. But always stayed in hotels or resorts. So this was my first hostel ever.

It was nothing what I expected. So what did I expect then? Actually I don’t know. But it sure wasn’t the luxury that hostel Lub d offered. It was amazing! 

Reaching the hostel

We arrived at the hostel at 05:00h. The plane had a 3h delay. Unfortunately. I said ‘we’ yes. At the airport I met backpacker James who had the same flight from China to Philippines. So I suggested to share a taxi. He was going to a cheaper hostel. If I remember correctly, he paid 8 euros per night. Mine was 13. 

While we were driving the taxi, the chauffeur used his Google maps. But his navigation gave a different location than James’. So we drove around quite some time through empty dark streets of Manila. It felt like being in a gangster movie, cruising through the ghetto. 

It was dark

After I don’t know how long, we finally found James’ hostel. It was dark. The whole street was. James said, it looks like it’s closed. But he went for it anyway. I told him he could always come to my hostel if they didn’t let him in. 

And then there was light

Anywayz. The taxi driver brought me to my hostel. I backed his navigation up with my phone, just to be sure. It was a long ride. But we ended up at a lightened street. I saw the neon light of Lub d. It still looked a bit like a ghetto neighbourhood. But I guess that’s just Manila. 

Hostel Lub d

A bit of a weird name maybe, Lub d. But it’s means sleep well. Anywayz. In front of of the hostel was a friendly security guard. He told me to go to the second floor with lift or stairs. I chose the beautiful tiled stairs. I had no idea where I was gonna end up. 

First impression

Once I was on the first floor, I found a nice industrial looking lounge area. I could hear people talking in the back. So I guess life is 24/7 here. Just like Amsterdam. But I couldn’t find the stairs to the second floor. So I took the elevator. I pressed button 2. Nothing happened. Weird. Guess what. This was floor 2 already. So I got out of the elevator. Must have looked silly.  But hey, I was pretty much sleepdrunk from the 30h trip I just made. 

A friendly girl at the reception desk named Kisses welcomed me. Yes her name was seriously Kisses. She told me that they had cancelled my reservation, because I was late. I explained that I had send them an email about my flight delay. But it was no problem. She made a new booking. 

She even told me that this one was cheaper. Nice, thank you. I asked if the breakfast was also included, like my original booking. It wasn’t. But she gave me 2 vouches for breakfast with discount. 

Sleeping on an airport

Probably the total price was actually higher now than before. But I didn’t mind. I wanted to go to a real bed now and sleep. During the flight I couldn’t sleep on the plane. In China I did sleep some at the airport. Yes I actually did! One day you’re working on an airport. And another day I’m sleeping there. LOL. 

Anyways, Kisses was really helpful. She gave my room 306 with bed number 8. It was a bunk bed. Mine was the upper bed. She told me that I could change it later if I wanted the lower bed. I didn’t mind, as long as it was a bed. 

Entering the dorm room

The dorm was dark (duh at 05:00h), but looked pretty well organised. On each wall there were beds. But not like solo furniture beds. No they looked more like a castle. Nice and solid. Like every bed was a little bedroom, the size of the matress. Each bed had its own lights. 

Wooden dorm lockers

The lower beds had put their blankets up, so they looked like tents. Mine had curtains. They didn’t close my bed completely, but that was just fine. Every bed had a box at the entrance of the room. You could use them as lockers to put in your luggage. 

You had to bring your own lock though. But I was prepared for this. I had little luggage locks with me. I noticed that the other (sleeping)travellers hadn’t locked their boxes. But I wasn’t gonna leave my backpack unlocked. Just in case. 

Backpacker first needs

First thing you need for backpacking is a sleeping mask and earplugs. I felt so happy I brought mine. Because there was an airconditioner blowing and making noise at full speed. It wasn’t that though, that kept me awake. It was my disturbed biorhythm and sleepdrunkness. I fell asleep at some point and slept like a baby. When I opened my eyes it was already 14:25h. 

Goodmorning Manila

Breakfast was till 10:00h. So I started with lunch. I went to the lounge on floor 2 and ordered myself some pancakes. They were big and delicious. Maybe a bit too much oil or butter for my taste. But I could use the fuel. I ordered a big glass of juice and a coffee. 

Wheel of Fortune

Speaking about coffee. When Kisses checked me in, she invited me to spin the wheel of fortune. It’s for every new guest. You could win nothing, a free night and everything in between. Guess what. I won a coffee! Yay!

Meeting backpackers

The hostel was built for the modern digital backpacker. They had power plugs in the floor at every table. At almost every table there were people sitting with their laptops. Actually everyone was just looking at their screen. I know, it’s solo travelling. But I guess I expected travellers to be more social. Like eager to meet other travellers. I wasn’t wrong. Because I learned that they do want to meet other travellers. Eagerly. But only to date and have sex. It’s more like a Travel-Tinder. 

The 13th floor

The whole second floor was the lounge. At the entrance the reception desk. In the middle a bar. There were two elevators. One went up to the rooftop restaurant on the 13th floor. I went up there in the evening to get some food. The view there… it was so impressive. Skyscrapers all around. It felt like I was in a Japanese manga movie! So incredible cool! We don’t have such a metropolis in the Netherlands. 

Go to ‘Lub d’ and ‘sleep well’

Overall the hostel was great! They have thought of everything to make their guests feel as comfortable as possible. I know I have said it many times, but I will say it again, the people are so nice and friendly here. Definitely a place I’d recommend to anyone. Because it’s not only young people travelling. And I definitely wasn’t the oldest guest. I saw lots of people travelling solo. But plenty of them travelled in pairs. Lub d offers dorm rooms, private rooms and family rooms. I’ve only seen the dorm though. Duh. 

The post My first hostel appeared first on Cookie Hunter.