Virus Holiday

It's commonly thought that nobody has the power to choose which virus they get infected by. We beg to differ. While it's true that the other, infernal virus – which shall not be named here – continues to cause suffering and misery, there's an important distinction to make. While the former represents an attack not just on the human body but on the nervous system of our entire society, the latter is a choice.

Here at Bikini HQ, we're used to seeing love, consideration and conscientiousness rule and believe that the more colourful and diverse we are, the better. Therefore, it's been sad to see more and more people seeing everything in black and white. People are losing their capacity for empathy, hate is becoming mainstream and people are conjuring up their own truths when they don't like the facts. The virus is destroying far more than people's lives and it probably doesn't even realize!

But, it's not all bad news. The amateur virologists at Bikini have detected another bug. It's just as contagious as its deadly cousin but it has exactly the opposite effect. Instead of blinding people, it opens their eyes. Instead of polarization and entrenchment, it spreads openness and curiosity. And rather than spreading anger and mistrust, it causes calm and relaxation. A "calm" and "relaxation" bug? Now that's something we can get behind.

Yes, you guessed it. It's our favourite virus: the travel bug. However messed up things get in our world, it's always working its magic. Anyone who catches it is instantly enchanted by new experiences, cultures and people. And so, no vaccine needed! Just let yourself be infected. The travel bug has the power to transform you for the better.

Meanwhile, here in our tiny petri dish at Port de Sóller, we observe the wondrous effects of the travel bug every day. Our "patients" buzz about the place like never before (even if they are a little fewer in number than usual, a little further apart from each other and are wearing masks). And the good vibes have made a comeback too, with an abundance of respect, friendliness and high spirits.

So, why are we telling you all this? Well, we need to join forces to fight the unmentionable, evil virus. And because we'd like to remind you that we need to get infected by the travel bug again. It helps preserve our humanity and it's therefore one of the best things that we as humans can do.