Snazzy Snaps & Travel Tales
Welcome to my travel blog! I've visited 30 countries (kickstarted by Remote Year) and 38 U.S. States. Click SUBSCRIBE to receive an email when a new post is published.
Strangers in Saigon
A year ago, a kind stranger swooped into my life and showed me the best skyline spot in Saigon. For the full story, tons of snazzy snaps, and details about travel safety, check out this latest blog post.
* My award winning photo of the Saigon Skyline! Check out Bonsai Cruises to book an incredible night!
One of my last nights in Saigon, I wanted to snap the skyline at sunset. I asked the sweet ladies at the front desk of the Saigon Mansion (my home for that month), and they directed me over to this bridge across town: Cầu Thủ Thiêm
Hopped on an Uber Moto with my camera / tripod and got dropped off right by the bridge. I realized I needed to hit the loo before setting up my snap sesh, and was wandering the streets when this young guy on a moto stopped by me.
My first thought was, "Stranger danger."
Second thought, "Oh yeah, I've got a heavy ass tripod in my hand."
One strategy I started during my first month of travel was to always carry my tripod with my camera bag. If someone wanted to snatch my gear, they're gonna have to deal with my weapon.
Him: "Hey, are you a photographer?"
Me: "Ummm, yeah, I was just looking for a spot to take pics of the skyline."
Him: "I know a great spot to take pics of the skyline. You want to come with me?"
This is one of those moments when you see your life flash before your eyes. I've seen the movie Hostel and it left an indelible imprint on my imagination.
As murdery thoughts were making their rounds in my mind, he pulled a small tripod out of his bag.
"This is my tripod for my photo class."
I stalled for a bit, as we chatted. We introduced ourselves (his name was Lam) and he showed me his student ID.
He was in college and was an avid photographer. We talked about photography for a bit and my spidey-sense stopped spiking.
Photo: Lam Đinh
The sun was starting to set and it was decision time. He had kind eyes and seemed like a real nice kid.
Photo: Lam Đinh
I trustingly hopped on the back of his moto, but told him I needed to hit the loo quick before we set up shop.
As we rode through the streets of Saigon away from the bridge, a few murdery thoughts reemerged. But they were squashed when we arrived at a mini-mart and he offered to pay my small fee for using the toilet.
After that, Lam brought me to this sweet spot on the Sai Gon river, near this park. It was dark but there were tons of people around. It looked like a lot of locals with maybe a couple tourists sprinkled in. We set up our tripods and started snapping.
And I got to know Lam a bit more.
He was also a tutor. If I recall, he was tutoring students in English. (I could be wrong, it was over a year ago now).
And, he was SO incredibly nice. He went out of his way to help some random tourist.
He was so nice, that he was almost late for his tutoring lesson, because he wanted to give me a ride home!!! When I realized he was cutting it close, I insisted he just drop me off and I would walk the rest of the way.
What an incredibly nice and thoughtful guy! We exchanged Facebook profiles and I checked out his profile. He is a FANTASTIC photographer. And an even more fantastic guy.
Photo Credit: Lam Đinh
Photo Credit: Lam Đinh
Photo Credit: Lam Đinh
Photo Credit: Lam Đinh
This was one of my last nights in Saigon. And, now, ~1 year later, I'm going back to Vietnam.
I look forward to reconnecting with Lam, and maybe doing some more photography with him.
Photo Credit: Lam Đinh (?)
For me, this story proves that, while it is important to keep your guard up while traveling, it is also important to keep an open mind.
Some of my most amazing memories from Remote Year center around meeting random locals and them inviting me into their lives for a brief moment in time.
Sometimes, I get a little sad when I think about how many awesome people I've met on my travels that I no longer see. But, that's life. And, if our paths cross again, it will be like we never skipped a beat.
"See you soon, Saigon! See you soon, Lam!"
* UPDATE - 2 years later, I submitted my photo of the Saigon Skyline to a photo contest run by the Bonsai Cruise company that does premium dinner cruises here in Saigon and I won 1st place! WOW! Thank you to Lam Dinh and also my friend Dung, who saw the call for entry and tagged me! I guess I can say I am an Award Winning Photographer now!?
THOUGHTS ON TRAVEL SAFETY
Before I started traveling on Remote Year, many of my family members and friends cautioned me about the dangers of traveling abroad.
"You better watch your back in Buenos Aires. So much crime there."
"Be careful over there in Asia."
"Are you going to wear a money belt?"
"South America is really dangerous."
I definitely agree that travelers need to exercise strong street smarts, wherever they go. And, yes, certain countries / cities, extra caution is wise.
But, I also think people are pretty paranoid of the unknown. I felt just as safe in almost all areas of South America than I did in almost all areas of Los Angeles.
You stay away from Skid Row, you're good to go.
I traveled with ~70 other people for 1 year and I recall (may have been more):
3 Females getting their purse snatched: (1 left a bar alone to walk home; and 2 others who got their purse stolen via a fast moving motorcycle thief in Kuala Lumpur, & Phnom Penh)
1 Male getting mugged in Lima by a taxi driver who drove into an alley where guys were waiting
1 Female who had her cell phone snatched from the side pocket of her backpack
~70 travelers, who each traveled to ~15-25 countries each over the course of 12 months. To me, that's not that bad, especially when you often stand out like a sore thumb.
Sadly, female travelers need to be more careful than males. It's just statistics. Even if you're walking on the street with your hand on your purse, those motorcycle thieves are driving fast and your hand grip is no match for their slick n crafty techniques.
And, don't walk on the sidewalk with your head buried in your celly.
It's impossible to always walk in groups, so if you are walking alone, walk on the building side of the sidewalk, not on the street edge of the sidewalk. YES, motorcyclists can and will ride on the actual sidewalks, so you do always have to be on alert.
In Buenos Aires, and a lot of other cities in South America, young women and men, often wear their backpacks with the pack side on the front. Much safer than having it on your back, where someone could be walking behind you, and unzip it.
And, there were several times (at least 3) that I personally left my apartment / hotel with one of my backpack sections accidentally unzipped. Guess what happened? Every time, someone on the street noticed it and told me about it so I can fix it. (Cities: Bogota, Belgrade, Kuala Lumpur) I personally alerted several people throughout the year that their packs were unzipped.
That doesn't mean you should just let down your guard when traveling. But, I do think a lot of people are overly paranoid. If this is what's keeping you from traveling abroad---please reconsider! And message me if you want more advice.
When I returned from RY, I got this question a few times: "Was there any time or city you felt unsafe?"
The only time really was in Paris at Le Louvre.
It was the day after Bastille Day, 2016. Tragically, this was the night that terrorist drove his truck through a crowd of partygoers in Nice, France, killing 87 (including himself). After buying my ticket to tour Le Louvre, I was eating a baguette sandwich when the alarms started going off.
"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEAREST EXIT IMMEDIATELY."
Everyone was on high alert, and we all started to funnel toward the exits, eyes darting around, people looking for their loved ones. As we approached the underground exit, there was a Louvre security guard who was stopping the flow of traffic telling everyone they needed to go back the other way.
This was a weird moment. My imagination ran wild with the idea that a shooter was on the other side of where this security guard was shielding us off from. So, people started to turn around, but people were also pushing from behind. Getting trampled temporarily trumped my worry about an active shooter.
Thankfully, within ~30 seconds, the guard opened things back up and allowed everyone to exit through the underground pathways. And, the whole thing was a false alarm.
Other than that, I found every city I went to just as safe as any other in the good ole USA. Of course, you do your research about the bad areas of town and you steer clear of them.
Don't let fear stop you from traveling abroad!
Book your flight TODAY and then check out my friends at AllTheRooms.com to find a ton of cool places to stay! They are travel experts and they got you covered!
The Thrill of Uber Moto
Forget skydiving, or bungee jumping, Uber Moto is where it's at! In Vietnam, for as low as $1 you can ride the gnarliest thrill ride!
A year ago almost to the day, I hopped on the back of an Uber Moto for the first time and had one of the most thrilling joyrides I've ever experienced! Forget skydiving, or bungee jumping, just spend $1 and take an Uber Moto and your adrenaline will be through the roof!
Ho Chi Minh City is home to roughly ~8 million people, and there are ~7.5 millions motos. It's how most people get around. To a westerner like me, it just seems like total chaos. Madness!
They get so close to each other.
They drive on the wrong side of the road.
They drive on the sidewalks. They dart out in front of oncoming traffic. The rules of the road seem like merely suggestions.
But, there is a fascinating harmony about it all. It's the norm for them and it just kinda works.
Except for the half a dozen accidents I saw during my month I was there. The accidents weren't bad, thankfully. But, they bump n grind a bit.
Hanoi
It reminds me of India, although not quite as chaotic. For me, nothing will ever top that! The traffic is unreal. SOOO many vehicles on the road. Bikes, motos, cars, rickshaws, trucks, cattle, monkeys, etc.
4 or 5 family members on one moto. Dozens hanging out of rickshaws. Monkeys and cows crossing the roads and everyone just swerves around like it's no big deal.
I saw a mother with two small children, probably ages 2 and 4, smack dab in the middle of a busy rotary. All 3 begging for money. I couldn't believe the 2 year old was just right there! A little sad actually.
This was a different girl:
The other strikingly different thing about the traffic in India is the incessant beeping. They are not beeping to be jerks. It's how they communicate. Beeping is just someone saying, "Hey, I'm on your right."
India is by far the most incredibly culturally rich travel country I've been to!
The traffic in Vietnam seems tame compared to India. But, it is still thrilling!
Check out the video of my first Uber Moto experience. My heart was pounding!
These next two snaps are from Hanoi, long exposure shots from the top of the hotel I was staying at. You can see the crazy traffic madness:
Wonder if UBER Moto would ever happen in the U.S.? Probably not.
Guess that means I need to go back to Vietnam for my next adrenaline fix. Hmmm...
My Remote Year Marathon
12 months, 19 countries. A year of new experiences and constant stimulation. A year that can never be replicated, and never fully comprehended by anyone outside of RY3 . A year that probably seemed so luxurious on social media. But, in reality, it was just as challenging as it was rewarding. Like running a marathon.
12 months, 19 countries. A year of new experiences and constant stimulation. A year that could never be replicated, and never fully comprehended by anyone outside of RY3 . A year that probably seemed so luxurious on social media. But, in reality, it was just as challenging as it was rewarding. Like running a marathon.
It's been 2 weeks since I completed Remote Year and you may have noticed the radio silence on my part. The reality is, I'm recovering from the marathon!
Our first week in Remote Year, Carlos Paz, Cordoba, Argentina
In our very first meeting in Cordoba, Argentina, the staff played a video for us. It was an advice compilation from the original RY group that was in month 9 of 12. One of the older guys in the group said,
“RY is like a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself, because a year of travel and work is really challenging.”
Being a marathoner, I took these words to heart. In the beginning of the race, I know I always feel like this:
The adrenaline is flowing and I'm so excited the race is finally here!
But, I know that the mid to late miles are tough. The initial adrenaline wears off. Fatigue sets in. I get numb. And the last few miles I'm on auto-pilot, emotionally and physically. I sometimes can't remember a lot in those late miles, because my body is in this weird state of confusion. I'm just going through the motions, and everything is a blur.
And, when I get to the finish line, I'm often not able to savor the moment. I'm just numb. I may have an emotional moment for a minute, realizing that I just completed a big race that I'd been training so hard for. But, then, it takes me a couple hours to get some feeling back.
On my Remote Year marathon, I didn’t quite realize how tough the late months would be!
It wasn't tough to visit gorgeous National Parks, UNESCO sites, and Wonders of the World. It wasn't tough to adapt to the local culture or find my way around a new city. It was not hard to get along with such a great group of people who cared for each other and treated each other like family.
But, the combination of: constant travel, sightseeing, work, time zone challenges, lack of sleep, blogging, photography, the high of forging new friendships, the lows of saying goodbye and start all over, etc, etc. It's all amazing but exhausting!
The last few months of RY were challenging. I constantly felt fatigued. Got sick a bunch of times. Wasn't sleeping much. Was pushing my mind and body to the limits, trying to see all the sights. In a lot of ways I was just going through the motions. Checkin' stuff off the list.
Oh, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Neat.
A Wonder of the World...huh. Cool.
Most people plan their whole year's vacation around some of the things that I probably took for granted. I got emotionally numb in the late miles.
And, towards the end, I just wanted to hit that finish line.
Final day of Remote Year, just finished packing up my stuff.
But, now, I'm getting my feeling back. :]
Looking back, I realize just how lucky I am to have been able to be a part of Remote Year. So few people on this Earth will ever have the opportunities that I've had. It was the most extraordinary journey I've ever taken. The best race I've ever run.
And, the best part about it is, I'm not numb any more! And, while I may have been fairly unemotional during certain times, I still experienced it all. And, I can look back on those experiences now and fully appreciate them. And, I've got thousands of photos and videos that I haven't even looked at.
In a marathon, sometimes I forget the mid-to-late miles.
But I will never forget one mile, one day or one month of Remote Year.
Patrick and I on day 1 of 365. We were just babies back then.
Fuerza Bruta show, Buenos Aires, Argentina---one of the best nights of the year.
Wandering the streets of La Paz, Bolivia
Climbing Mount Huayna Potosi, one of the gnarliest, craziest things I've ever done!
Cusco culture, they love their little lambs and llama and alpaca.
The train to Edinburgh, Scotland
My romantic weekend in Paris
A phenomenal weekend in the Czech countryside to hike and watch the Perseids meteor shower.
A solo trip to Santorini, Greece, and some gorgeous beaches.
The slow boat in Laos with the Golden Shower Trio!
Admiring the Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos
Sure, I'll buy a straw hat for $1 in Myanmar
The sweet hotel owner and her daughters in Inle Lake, Myanmar
Zaw Min! The best driver / tour guide of the year, hands down. Loved this man.
Inle Lake!
Jumped on the mic on the cruise in Halong Bay!
HA LONG BAY
Vietnam Mekong Delta cruise.
Vietnam welcome party spilled into the streets for the Tet New Year!
My final memory of Remote Year. A candlelight speakeasy. Magical.
Floating Village and Forest
After temple running at Angkor Wat and seeing the circus in Siam Reap why not check out the “Floating Villages” tour at Kompong Phluk? I was skeptical about this at first, but was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and tranquility of the experience.
After temple running at Angkor Wat and seeing the circus in Siam Reap why not check out the “Floating Villages” tour at Kompong Phluk? I was skeptical about this at first (lots of negative reviews online), but was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and tranquility of the experience.
What is a floating village? Basically, houses built on stilts to accommodate monsoon season flooding on the Tonle Sap river in central Cambodia.
It’s a bit funny to me that this is a tourist destination, since back home, my Dad’s boat is docked in a river with houses on stilts. But those stilts accommodate the varying water levels brought on by tide fluctuations.
So, essentially the floating village tour features “flood-proof houses”. But, either way, being on a boat ain’t so bad, especially when it’s 90 degrees F!
TRAVEL TIP: DON'T BOOK A FLOATING VILLAGE TOUR ONLINE IN ADVANCE. You can get it much cheaper in Siam Reap. Actually, this is something I have experienced almost the whole year through for all tours. Almost NEVER book in advance. This theory is completely contrary to how I used to travel. You want to feel safe knowing you have travel plans and tours solidified. TRUST ME. 9 times out of 10 you will get ripped off. Unless the tour is something like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, which requires special permits and a guide---you can almost always get something cheaper by booking through your hotel or asking around town. Be patient. Been burned many times on this year trip by booking in advance.
There are lots of tour companies that feature the floating villages, but beware---lots are overpriced and get really bad reviews. Some of the more well known companies are $40 - $50 and some include a visit to the crocodile farm.
But, my Siam Reap travel buddy Carolin and I did our homework. Well, she did most of it. She found a small tour ticket booth in Siam Reap that offered a tour for $18 USD! And it was really nice.
We were picked up first thing in the morning and our tour guide ‘Vanna’ was quite charming. He grew up in the village and was eager to show us his hometown. He was entertaining too, “I am lucky, I am the most handsome man in my family. I am 30 years old. My wife is older than me, but it’s ok because I love her.”
Our cruise was only ~8-10 people total. Lots of the big companies pack you in like sardines on 50-70 person boats.
When we got on the boat, a 10 year old Cambodian boy named ‘Ka’ joined us. As soon as we sat down for the cruise, he got in the seat behind me and started massaging my neck. I realized he was looking for a tip...and sure enough he says, “$1 dollar.” It felt really good though, so I was happy to oblige. But, as soon as I said yes, the quality of the massage went down the drain. Ahhhh, what do you expect I guess. He was a good kid and kept me plenty entertained throughout the day.
We cruised for a while down the Tonle Sap river and stopped at the center of the village to check things out. Lots of kids getting out of school! Super cute.
Optionally, the tour featured an up-sell of $5 USD for the ‘floating forest’ cruise through the mangrove trees. Mangrove trees have special roots that allow them to grow in brackish water. I know, nice use of the word ‘brackish’, Matt!
This was SO worth it! It was incredibly peaceful. And, the shade of the mangrove trees provided a cool relief from the unbearable heat. We even saw a monkey climbing in the trees. Monkeys always make things more interesting, methinks.
The women of the village are the ones who row the boats. That’s their job, while the guys are out fishing. They even bring kids with them.
Our guide was super sweet, and paddled like a pro. Near the end of the tour, she pulled up a shrimp trap and sure enough, one little shrimp!
After the forest, we ate lunch on a floating restaurant and I had a huge craving for shrimp...which I devoured like a giant.
The ride back was quite nice. I mostly hung out on the roof of the boat, snapping pics of the locals and fishermen...
...and clownin’ around with my new buddy Ka. Good kid, he is.
All in all, our tour was ~5 hours with travel time to and from our hotel. A relaxing way to spend a half day in Siam Reap. And, an interesting Cambodian cultural experience!
A famous man once said, "No day on a boat is a bad day." Wait...I may have just made that up? But, you get the point.
Hot Air Balloon in Bagan
My 10 day vacation in Myanmar was marvelous! Traveled with some Europeans: Jacek, Kasia and Viktoria. Myanmar just opened their tourist doors a few years ago and it felt like the wild West. The highlight was the hot air balloon ride over Bagan, the ancient city with thousands of temples.
At the end of January, I left Cambodia early for a 10 day vacation (no work) to travel Myanmar with fellow Remote Jacek (Austria), his sister Kasia and her friend Viktoria. (Sweden)
Myanmar, aka Burma is a country that just opened its doors to travelers ~5 years ago and as such felt like the wild wild West. For me, the highlight was the hot air balloon ride over Bagan, the ancient city with thousands of temples!
We went with Oriental Ballooning, which was the most expensive of the 3 companies, but got the best reviews. If you want the best deal with Oriental Ballooning, you can find it here at Myan Marvels.
Ballooning ain't cheap. ~$350 to $375 USD for a ~1 hour flight. It’s the 2nd highest sightseeing thing I did this year, behind the Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu ($675 USD). Some friends of mine opted out of ballooning because of the costly price tag.
But we all said, “Well it’s a once in a lifetime thing.”
Guess what? I know it won’t be JUST once in my lifetime. I want to fly again! Maybe in a different place with different landscape.
It was worth every penny!
And, I realized why it’s so costly. Of course, there is high demand for it. But also, it’s not easy getting that aircraft in the sky and landing it back down safely with anywhere from 9 to 13 people in it. I think it took a crew of ~8 to launch our balloon, plus our pilot.
We lucked out with the pilot. Donna, from Australia has been flying for 11 years, and works seasonally in Australia, New Zealand and Myanmar. She seemed to be the manager of the other pilots---or, maybe just the one who does the public speaking. Either way, she was really fun and charming and we couldn’t have asked for a better leader!
We lucked out with the weather too! Another gorgeous sunrise in Myanmar.
Breathtaking.
We even got to fly with some birds along the way.
Bagan was the capital city of the Pagan Empire that thrived during the 11th to 13th centuries. ~10,000 Buddhist temples were built and today there are still ~2200 temples remaining. This makes Bagan perfect for a bird's eye view!
The skyline is peppered with pagodas popping up out of the dry desert plains.
We flew fairly close to the ground, especially toward the end of the flight. So close we could say hello to the folks down below:
"Mingalabar!" (Hello)
One potential drawback of flying in Bagan is that the Bagan Airport is nearby and they restrict the top altitude that balloons can fly at. We got about 600 meters up, which was a gorgeous height. But, according to Donna, in areas like Inle Lake the flights get up to 4,000 meters! That would be very nice!
That being said, no complaints! What a magical experience seeing Myanmar from above. The flight was super smooth and peaceful. An adrenaline rush, but it felt really safe too.
I've got some videos that I'll compile at some point.
After the flight, we sat around eagerly chatting and enjoying fresh fruit, orange juice, and champagne for those who partake. We were told that the French invented hot air balloons and used to carry bottles of Champagne with them to give to the land owners when they accidentally landed on their property! And so the tradition continues.
If you want to do a hot air balloon ride in Myanmar, I highly recommend Oriental Ballooning! Go to MyanMarvels.com for the best deal!
More on Myanmar coming soon!
Phare, The Cambodian Circus
Siam Reap, Cambodia was a breath of fresh air compared to Phnom Penh, literally and figuratively. I ventured off on a solo trip for a few days to get out of the city and see the Angkor Wat temples. Angkor Wat was certainly impressive, but it was the Phare: Cambodian Circus that captured my heart!
Siam Reap, Cambodia was a breath of fresh air compared to Phnom Penh, literally and figuratively. I ventured off on a solo trip for a few days to get out of the intensity of the city see the famous Angkor Wat temples. While the temples at Angkor Wat were certainly impressive, it was the Phare: Cambodian Circus that captured my heart!
It's like Cirque du Soleil, but with Cambodian performers who studied at a local non-profit school for the performing arts. The NGO was started by 9 Cambodian men after the Khmer Rouge to help support local artists. Check out the website
The Phare Story is "Uniquely Cambodian. Daringly Modern. More than just a circus, Phare, the Cambodian Circus performers use theater, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern."
Phare was recommended by fellow Remote Translator.Liz who had visited earlier in the month. I went with a German friend (Carolin) who I met on the bus from Phnom Penh to Siam Reap. The only seats left were general admission and we were in the far back corner. But, it was a tiny tent venue and it didn’t matter. The performance was so powerful, there were no bad seats in the house!
Just like Cirque, the show featured music, dance, juggling, acrobatics and humor, all sprinkled on top of an overarching story of an outcast in a village who yearns for acceptance. It was brilliant.
The energy in the show is top notch! These performers had us eating out of the palm of their hands. Every audience member seemed entranced from start to finish. I found myself giggling and smiling so much my jaw hurt at the end.
I got emotional at one point during the show. My mind wandered back to the Fuerza Bruta show back in Buenos Aires, which was same same but different. BA was month 2 of Remote Year, and there I was in month 11. The whole year flashed before my eyes and the realization that the year is coming to an end brought a range of mixed emotions up to the surface.
I think the reason I loved the Phare Cambodian Circus so much was because Cambodia was a hard place to live mentally and spiritually. Phnom Penh is overpopulated. The streets are littered with trash. Poverty is ever-present. The dark history of the Killing Fields looms in the back of your mind. As a caucasian foreigner, everyone thinks your rich and merchants can be rather aggressive. It is probably the most challenging place I’ve lived this year.
For me, Phare represents hope! And Cambodians need hope. Feeling the positive vibes, the warmth of the circus and seeing the smiles of the performers was exactly what I needed. It was electrifying!
Hope.
Hope is not a dangerous thing, Red.
"Remember, Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."
Super Bowl Monday in Saigon
6:30 am. Monday. Sun's coming up and it's Super Bowl time! GOOD MORNING, VIETNAAAM! Yes, it's wicked weird but with wings and Coca Cola, feels just like 'Merica. Kinda. 'Same same but different'.
6:30 am. Monday. Sun's coming up and it's Super Bowl time! GOOD MORNING, VIETNAAAM!
Yes, it's wicked weird but with wings and Coca Cola, feels just like 'Merica. Kinda. To use a common Asian quote: "same same but different".
I arrived at the Guru Sports Bar about one drive into the game. The bar was packed inside, but thankfully I spotted a table with a great TV view outside. Sat next to Vietnamese couples on both sides --- Atlanta fans. Or, probably just Patriots haters.
The bar had some western style breakfast specials going on, but I opted for the wing platter. To my surprise, it did NOT disappoint! I dissected it like Matt Ryan did to the Patriots D in the first half.
BEFORE
AFTER
Everyone was rooting for the Falcons. Couple Pats fans inside but outside was all Hotlanta. No surprise. I’m used to the haters by now.
The first half was depressing. I was texting with Stevo, and we kept saying things like “lotta football left to play”, even though things were lookin' bleak.
On top of that, watching it on Sky Sports was annoying. (Sorry Jena) No ads. During commercial breaks they went back to the booth with 3 British announcers and Ndamukong Suh, a dubious choice at best. Suh is the Bill Laimbeer of the NFL, and has the personality of a Keanu Reeves or Vin Diesel. (More Suh dirt here)
My sis and I texted at halftime.
Sis: “Yes!!! Soooo disappointed. :[”
Me: “Ain’t over yet tho.”
The halftime show was the highlight of the day for me. I thought Lady Gaga was spectacular! She is a phenomenal performer! And she actually sings and plays music instead of lip synching. Loved it.
Then...
People on social media started ripping into the Pats. Nasty stuff, calling out Pats fans, ripping Brady, etc. I’m used to it. But, I'm also tired and cranky. (And also sick with a nasty cough)
One of my friends posted: “I don't even like football, but... GO FALCONS! Beat the cheaters!”
I felt like this was a good time to pick a fight with her. I messaged her and asked her if she was aware that the Falcons got caught cheating two years ago? She was unaware. Or that the Giants got caught cheating this year? She was unaware.
Of course she was not aware. Cuz no one cares if other teams get caught in scandals only the Patriots. This led to a healthy political debate, which strangely momentarily made me feel better. Guess I needed to blow off some steam. Ok, back to the game.
Watching the second half was SURREAL. I felt like we had a chance to come back but assumed we might fall up short. 28-3 is a big hole to dig out of. And especially when they got a beast like Julio Jones, and the MVP Matty Ice.
But, Brady is the GOAT. And Belichek is the GOAT.
Funny thing happened. When they started coming back, ALL of the people outside the bar switched sides. Slowly but surely, everyone started rooting for the PATRIOTS. Whaaaaaa!?!?!?
This was a fascinating turn of events. It proved to me that people just like the underdog. All of a sudden, the Pats were the underdogs. And, no one wants to see a blowout.
It was an incredible moment in sports history. Greatest comeback of all time.
We are so lucky in New England.
I wish people didn’t hate the Patriots so much, because we are witnessing greatness in the NFL the likes of which we may never see again. I never liked the Yankees, but I appreciated when Derek Jeter retired because he was GREAT and he was humble and classy. Brady is classier than anyone and always takes the high road. So happy for him. Maybe people will come around on Brady n Belichek? Not holding my breath.
I did shed a tear when the Patriots won. I didn’t cheer and scream and yell when they won. It was just a moment of elation, and relief after gritting my teeth, clenching my fists with a nervous leg twitch for 3 hours. I got handshakes from the Vietnamese couples next to me. And took some selfies with an Australian guy and a British guy.
Yup, teary eyes.
I'll leave the celebration up to my boy Mike Bracco, who recorded this raw, unfiltered reaction to the end of the game (NSFW): Click to watch here
And then I scowled when Goodell gave the most inauthentic presentation of the trophy to Robert Kraft.
And then I hopped on a motorbike home with “Son”. Rode through the streets of Saigon, Vietnam back to my home.
Just your typical Super Bowl Monday morning.
Well, same same but different.
The Killing Fields
Traveling the world is not all rainbows and waterfalls. It's a course in world history and sometimes history is horrifying. The hardest day of the year was visiting the S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Traveling the world is not all rainbows and waterfalls. It’s a course in world history and sometimes history is horrifying. The hardest, most humbling, sobering day of the year was visiting the S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In 1975, the Communist Khmer Rouge Regime under the evil dictator Pol Pot marched into Phnom Penh and took over the city after defeating the existing Cambodian government. The people were elated as they thought the many years of war were over. However, they were forced out of their homes and into the countryside. They were told they could return in 3 days. Instead, most were arrested and forced to work ridiculously long hours in the agricultural fields. If they resisted they were imprisoned. And tortured. And executed.
From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime killed anywhere from ~1 million to ~3 million innocent Cambodians.
Some were killed because they opposed the new political regime.
Some were killed because they wore glasses.
Some were killed because they had soft hands.
Pol Pot was as evil as any man in the history of the world.
We visited one of the Cheoung Ek Killing Fields, where ~9,000 bodies were found in mass graves. Every time it rains more bone fragments, teeth and clothing are unearthed.
When the mass graves were discovered, they found a tree next to one grave that contained women and children. The tree had skull fragments and brain tissue all over it. Studies indicate they killed babies by bashing their heads against the tree, and then tossing them into the graves.
They built a memorial the Cheoung Ek site which houses thousands of skulls, and bones dug up from the graves.
We then visited the S21 Tuol Sleng Prison, where victims were first brought, interrogated, starved and tortured. A lot of them died from starvation, or torture in this very prison. But, most were brought to the killing fields to be executed.
Only ~3 survivors remain. I got to meet one of them. After Bou Meng, was tortured for weeks, they found out he was a painter. He was forced to paint portraits of the Khmer Rouge leaders for the remainder of his time imprisoned.
His life was spared. But his wife's was not.
After these atrocities were discovered, and the Khmer Regime was overthrown, Bou escaped from the prison. He now paints images of what life was like in the prison. And, he volunteers at the prison.
I got to meet him and shake his hand. I bought his book. It was a fascinating firsthand account of what life was like in S21. And he testified in the court trial against the Khmer Rouge regime. What a brave man.
This happened during my lifetime. It’s almost impossible to fathom that people can be so evil.
The Khmer Regime was not even really held accountable for their actions. Pol Pot was able to live out the rest of his life with his family, and the other leaders were not prosecuted for their crimes until a few years ago.
I don't remember this event being covered in history class back in school. We learned a lot about the Holocaust, but not much about other genocides. I guess there's too much history to cover everything. But knowing world history is important for our future.
If you are interested in more info, there is a book by a Cambodian woman who was a young girl when her family was forced out of Phnom Penh: First They Killed My Father. Angelina Jolie is producing a Netflix film based on the book that will be released in 2017.
And, of course there was the 1984 film entitled The Killing Fields, by Roland Joffre which won 3 Oscars.
There is a memorial outside the S21 prison with all the names of the known victims.
And a monument with the inscription: "Never will we forget the crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea regime."
I know I will never forget.
Chiling Falls with Mr Baby
MEMORY MONDAY - One of my favorite days on RY was the Chiling Waterfalls in Malaysia. We took buses ~1.5 hours outside of Kuala Lumpur and I was lucky enough to sit in front with our driver: 'Mr Baby'.
MEMORY MONDAY - One of my favorite days on Remote Year was the Chiling Waterfalls day trip in Malaysia. We took buses ~an hour and a half outside of Kuala Lumpur and I was lucky enough to sit in the front seat with our driver: 'Mr. Baby'.
I have no idea what his real name was, because he introduced himself to us as Mr Baby. He said all his friends call him that because he has 10 babies.
Mr. Baby lives in a village outside of Kuala Lumpur near a gorgeous area called Perhentian. He said it was common in their village for men to have ~20-25 children! But, "Mr Baby only 10 children. And, only 1 wife, because Mr. Baby is good man." He was quite proud of the fact that while his religion said that he COULD have 4 wives, he only has 1 wife and loves her very much.
Mr. Baby made my day! He is a solid driver, not shy of steppin' on it. And he doesn't like it when other drivers are slow. "See, this driver is sleeping. Mr. Baby don't like this."
And, he thinks "Indian drivers are the worst". Not sure if he realized Abe was in the back seat, but not sure he really cared anyways. He didn't say it mean spirited, just matter of fact like.
The Chiling Falls are located near Selangor Lake, which is a really beautiful cool blue.
We had to trek through the jungle ~1 hour to get to the falls. It was SWELTERING HOT. I was sweating the second we got out of the air conditioned Mr. Baby-mobile. Welcome to Malaysia!
One thing I've learned on Remote Year---I love the jungle / rainforest. I love the outdoors in general, but the jungle has a bit more vibrance than the typical green forests I'm used to. The sounds of crickets and insects are constant. And, there is just a buzzzzzzzz that you can't describe unless you're in it.
In order to get to the Falls, you have to cross the river 4-5 times. Wading through the river was so fun! The main reason is because it was SO HOT and the river was so refreshingly COOOOOOL.
But also, it added a bit of extreme danger to the trek. I had my good camera with me, and one slip would be fatal (to the camera).
I love adventure!
When we finally got to the falls, I was so excited to see that we could swim in them! It was a great reward for the sweltering trek. The water was so cold and refreshing!
When you get into the water you realize you are swimming with MANY fish, and YES, they do nibble at your feet n legs a bit!
And, we could jump off the rocks!
Some of us were a little afraid of takin' that leap, like Heather. :]
But, I was in it to win it! Here's my plunge with the GoPro in hand.
We could even swim UNDER the falls! I will say, being inside a waterfall is not very fun. It's like being in a washing machine or a tropical storm. It takes your breath away and feels a little dangerous. But, our fearless leader TRAVIS is the waterfall KING!
Couple groups shots:
And then we had to trek back.
I think these are termites, not ants.
We made it back!
Thankfully, Mr. Baby stopped at Selangor Lake on the way back and let us snap a few shots of the lake, which was stunning.
Jungle + Waterfalls + Adventure + Camaraderie + Mr. Baby = 1 of my favorite days on RY!
New Year, New Pic Process!
Month 11 of Remote Year, and I’ve only published 5 months of snaps. It kills me, cuz I want to share them! But, pic processing takes time. So, New Year, new pic process.
Month 11 of Remote Year, and I’ve only published 5 months of snaps. It kills me, cuz I want to share them! But, pic processing takes time. So, New Year, new pic process.
People ask me, “I don't understand, why don’t you just upload them from your camera?” But, it’s not as easy as that. Processing a month of snaps usually takes me anywhere from ~6 - 15 hours!
I'm currently working on Prague, I took over 1000 photos. Often I take multiple exposures, testing out different settings. First, I’ve got to weed out the bad ones. And, then the good ones always require post processing. Tonal value, brightness, contrast, etc.
From now on, I’m just going to upload pics to Facebook here and there. No more waiting until I've completed a full set for each country. No more forcing myself to go in sequence.
I'm turning over a new leaf! Breakin' free from the old me! 2017!!!
Here are a few of my recent faves and I'll add these to Facebook as well:
Prague
Santorini
Belgrade
Split
Kuala Lumpur
Kuching
Borneo
Chiang Mai
Laos
Ko Samui
Phnom Penh
Elephants on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was quite different this year. Instead of being in Boston dreaming of sugar plums and reindeer, I was in Thailand, eating sugar cane and playing with elephants. I definitely miss family, but this was as sweet as Mom's homemade butterhorns!
Christmas Eve was quite different this year. Instead of being in Boston dreaming of sugar plums and reindeer, I was in Thailand, eating sugar cane and playing with elephants. I definitely miss family, but this was as sweet as Mom's homemade butterhorns!
Yesterday, I spent my day at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. It's a rehab center for mistreated elephants. In case you didn't know, the elephant tourism industry is quite controversial. You can watch this video about the dark side of riding elephants.
This sanctuary buys elephants from tour companies and gives them a better life! And they bring in tourists to play with them, feed them and bathe them. These gentle giants are really really kind, and they too, love Christmas.
We rode in the back of a truck which is a typical taxi here in Thailand. (Not to be confused with Tuk-Tuks, which are smaller, open-air rickshaw type taxis.)
It was 1.5 hours each way, but they gave us free water!
The group consisted of: Abby (Vermont)
Abe (Pittsburgh, but originally from India)
Derrick (Los Angeles)
Derryl (Los Angeles)
And, Natalie (Luxembourg)
Once we got to the sanctuary, we had to put on these snazzy shirts. They need you to wear similar clothing as the caretakers so the elephants know you're friendly.
I was pretty pleased with the color scheme of my shirt, since it matched my red tee n sneaks.
Then, we got schooled on how to approach the elephants. Do's n don'ts. Here is Abby and I not listening to the instructions.
Naw, I'm kidding, we were dialed in. I am not one of those people that takes wild animals lightly. Don't wanna get stomped or smushed.
AND, more importantly, you need to know eleph-elfie etiquette. Here is my eleph-elfie.
Just in case you wanted to see my eleph-elfie from a different angle, Abe got you covered:
And, maybe you want more eleph-elfies? Better quality wide angle eleph-elfies? I got you.
Here are a bunch of snaps of my friends feeding and chillin' w the ellies:
CRUNCH!!! These ellies eat bananas and sugar cane stalks. It's wild to hear them CRUNCH on the sugar cane, crushing it like it wasn't even a thang.
This is me, cautiously feeding, and petting the gentle, GINORMOUS animals.
Petting the elephants was throwin' me super weird! It feels like you're rubbing a spongy piece of staircase anti-slip grip tape, with wire bristles coming out of it. I definitely wouldn't want to snuggle or spoon with an ellie.
After the feeding, we went down to the mud pit, where everyone was encouraged to jump in n get dirty with the ellies. I opted to take photos. Not because I'm afraid to get dirty, I just wanted to take pics.
And then I saw this and think I made the right choice:
After ~7 mins, they led the ellies down to the river, and this time I got in and splish-splashed with em! (You have to watch the video to see me)
After a good swim, what do they want to do? Get dirty again.
But, they're not just showering themselves with dirt because they want to get dirty. It's a defensive move. Filling their pores with dirt helps them avoid tick bites when they sleep at night. Smart thinkin' fellas!
Here's one of the staff clownin' w the ellie---he held the trunk up to his ear like he was answering a phone call! LOL
Just a snap of one of 'em roamin' off in the distance.
I gotta say it was a good day. The views were gorgeous.
And, the experience was unforgettable.
It was pretty hot out there, and on the way back, we were zonked. Snoozin' in the ole truck.
Without further adieu, here is the video I made for you! It is ~6:40. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!
Borneo's Wicked Wildlife - Pt 3
Want to know what millions of bats flying out of a cave looks like? Check out part 3, the finale of Borneo's Wicked Wildlife, featuring the bats in Gunung Mulu National Park!
Years ago, I watched BBC’s Planet Earth series and was transfixed by the Caves episode. Bats, snakes and insects make up this incredible ecosystem. Borneo’s Mulu National Park boasts some of the world’s most impressive caves and underground passages and is featured in the BBC episode I saw. Mysterious Mulu was beckoning me…
In Kuala Lumpur, we visited the Batu Caves, which was basically Mulu’s baby brother. It was but a mere appetizer before the Mulu main course.
We took a headlamp guided tour of the dark caves.
You see centipedes, and spiders and scorpions, and worms, and cockroaches, and all sorts of creepy crawlers.
And the whole time, you hear the chirping of bats above you.
But, the thing is, it’s not scary. It sounds scary, but, it’s actually quite peaceful.
Algae grows on the rocks that get sunlight inside the caves
The highlight of the tour (for me): deep in the dark trenches, they ask everyone to turn their headlamps off. We sat in the dark for a couple minutes, just listening to the chirping, the scurrying, the slithering, the whoosh of the wind and drips of water.
Nothing living in the caves has any interest in getting near humans. You have to trust that.
Deep in the dark caves, there really is NO light. You try to adjust your eyes, and still it’s complete pitch black. In normal nighttime environments, there exists some moonlight, and or ambient light. Not in the caves. Pitch black. It was INTENSE.
Once you get out of the cave you are confronted by tons of devious monkeys that seem like they are plotting or concocting some 12 Monkeys type plan...
But, that was just the Batu Caves! Back to Borneo...
Gunung Mulu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protected because of its unique wildlife and plant life and protected so people of future generations can visit and experience the beauty.
Mulu was next level cave madness. WICKED. WEIRD. And, MAGNIFICENT.
First, my hotel, the Mulu Marriott. It's nestled right into the rainforest. Just listen to the awesome SOUND of the jungle. I love that sound. Constant buzz, chirping, yawping geckos and frogs. So weird.
The Mulu Marriot’s mascot is the gecko (kinda). They sell gecko stuffed animals in their hotel store. Each guest gets a gecko in their room (joke). Here's mine:
Now, unfortunately, there was monsoon-season rain every day, and I did not get to go on the canopy walk, or the night hike, where I would have seen tons of crazy lizards, centipedes, etc. But the real attraction was the bats in the caves.
There are 4 main “Show Caves” that most tourists visit.
Deer Cave (named because Deer used to run through the passage and lick the salt covered rocks)
Lang Cave (Gorgeous interior walls that look like jellyfish)
Clearwater Cave (because of the gorgeous river running through it)
Cave of the Winds (named because of the wind vortex that exists in some of the narrow passages. Tons of cool stalagmites and stalactites!)
The caves are home to MILLIONS of bats. Bats are a vital part of these ecosystems---pretty much everything revolves around them. They eat mosquitoes and other insects. They poop out “guano” and other insects eat the guano, and other insects eat those insects and the circle of life continues.
I am thankful for the bats, because there’s enough mosquitoes in the rainforest already! I’ve got the bites to prove it.
In addition to the bats, there are Cave Swiftlets: birds that use a type of 'clicking' sonar. The chirping of millions of bats and then the clicking of the low flying swiftlets. INCREDIBLE.
The clicking gets more frequent the closer they get to their target. Click, click, click, click, click, click...like a horror movie.
Spooky-key-kuh key, key-ku-key, key-kuh-key.
There are also millions of spiders in the caves. They post up on the walls, and catch flies and other insects. Check out how many webs there are:
This is a different type of web, spun by the thread worm. It hangs and traps flying insects:
Day one of the tour ends at the Bat Observatory, outside the Deer / Lang Caves with the possibility of seeing the bats fly out of the caves in formation to feed.
Some lucky visitors get to see em. Some don’t. Some folks I met tried two nights in a row, and the monsoons were too strong --- no bats.
But, wouldn’t you know it, I’m like the Lucky Charms leprechaun and even though it was raining, they came out to play.
They come out in waves. About 5-7 mini groups exit the cave first. They flock in beautiful ribbon-esque formations. After the mini groups, the rest of 'em fly out in one long ribbony stream that can last ~45 mins! (Ours lasted about 5 minutes. Most likely not all came out due to the drizzle of rain) It's almost like a fireworks show with the grand finale.
Not a lot is known about bats and why they fly like this. Bats are blind, but SHARP. Their sonar is on point.
At my hotel the following night, I was having dessert at the pool bar, with a Dutch couple, and we realized bats were flying underneath the ceiling of the outdoor lounge and literally right over our heads. They’ll fly so close to you and so fast, but never hit you.
My, oh, my, Mulu is magnificent!
The idea of visiting caves that are fully encrusted in bat guano may sound gross to some, but for me it was spectacular.
Seeing the bats fly out of the cave was bananas. It was the icing on the cave cake.
That’s it for the Borneo’s Wicked Wildlife blog series. Borneo was one of the best travel experiences of my life because it was just so different and exotic. Never had been to the rainforest before ('cept one day in Iguazu Falls). But, Borneo was one week of wild and weird.
There is a buzz in the rainforest, literally. The sound of it is entrancing. And, I can hear still it in my sleep.
Borneo's Wicked Wildlife - Pt 2
No trip to Borneo is complete without seeing wild orangutans. Seeing animals in a zoo is depressing. Seeing them in the semi-wild is wicked sweet!!
No trip to Borneo is complete without seeing wild orangutans. Seeing animals in a zoo is depressing. Seeing them in the semi-wild is wicked sweet!!
If you visit Kuching, you gotta go to Semenggoh Nature Reserve. It's less than an hour from the city. For a little context, Kuching is the capital city of the state of Sarawak, which is on the island of Borneo, which is part of Malaysia. Here is the map in case you missed the last post:
Here are a few snaps of Kuching to give you an idea of what this charmingly cute and colorful little island city is like. (THANK YOU to Fritztastic and Celeste for recommending it!)
Ok, back to the wildlife. You probably are wondering why I said "semi-wild"? The Semenggoh Wildlife Center was set up in the 1970's as a rehab center for injured animals. They help sick animals and then release them into the jungle.
Semenggoh basically acts as a feeding center for the endangered Bornean Orangutans. Twice a day they call out for them and if they come, they get to eat fruit. During the fruitful seasons in the jungle, the orangutans don't even show up, cuz they're full. This makes the staff happy, but the visitors sad.
Semenggoh is actually a little controversial, because some think we are intruding on their space too much. See the article here. I didn't see any problem with it. They're endangered and making sure they are fed seems like a good thing long term.
There are a bunch of other areas on Borneo where you can see orangutans truly living in the wild. I've already got a spot I want to come back to: Danum Valley in Sabah (just up the coast on Borneo) came recommended by a guy who guides up there, and it is home to Proboscis Monkeys, Orangutans AND Pygmy Elephants. YUP, I'll be back.
Feeding time is 9 - 10am, and then the afternoon. I went at 9am based on the recommendation of a fellow traveler --- thanks Yogginy! Higher likelihood of seein' 'em early.
The workers led us on a short hike to get to the feeding area. And then, they call out to them, yawping wildly into the jungle every minute or two.
We waited. And waited.
9:15. No orangutans.
9:30. No orangutans.
At this point, the crowd seemed defeated. The adrenaline had faded. I started taking pics of cool jungle flora.
Then, all of a sudden...we see large treetops swaying irregularly way off in the distance.
The excitement was palpable!
And then, the tree next to it started swaying...they're getting closer!
The first sight of one off in the distance, was unreal. I've seen orangutans in zoos before, but this was like Jurassic Park type stuff. Thrilling!
These guys are so acrobatic and flexible.
They seem like they are having a blast as they are climbing trees, swinging and swaying.
It's just their way of moving around, but arboreal locomotion just looks so fun! Who wouldn't want to be Tarzan, swinging from vines? Maybe I should get into trapeze...
2 came out to get their fruit on and we watched them for about 20 minutes.
They did not come close to the crowds like when Yoginny was there. But, I didn't mind. Call me crazy, but I tend to appreciate a bit of distance with wild animals.
For the most part, they had their backs to the crowd.
But, every once in a while, they would check us out.
I love how they hold the fruit with their feet, and use their hands to eat---all while holding on to the ropes. Amazing animals.
After about 15 minutes, one of the feeders announced that there were two or three baby orangutans approaching the front area if we wanted to see them.
When he said babies, I had this vision of orangutans in diapers, sucking on passies. But, naw, these babies look pretty grown to me.
Look how flexible this one is. Doing a split, holding his weight with his toes, while scarfin' some fruit.
10am, feeding time was over! But, I'm thoroughly happy with my visit to Semenggoh. Thought I was gonna get skunked. Instead I got orangutan-ed.
Next up...the grand finale! Borneo's Wicked Wildlife Part 3.
Ever wonder what millions of bats look like flying out of a cave, all together in formation!?!? Subscribe to my blog, cuz you don't wanna miss the next post.
Borneo's Wicked Wildlife - Pt 1
The island of Borneo boasts the most wicked wildlife! Because of the climate, the rainforest is home to the most species of life on Earth. I went to Borneo for Thanksgiving on a solo journey and here is part 1 of Borneo's Wicked Wildlife!
The island of Borneo boasts the most wicked wildlife! Because of the climate, the rainforest is home to the most types of species of life on Earth. From plants to insects to animals, it is lush in life. And, it's simply gorgeous.
So I went on a solo journey over Thanksgiving to explore and see what this wildlife was all about. Best travel week of the year. (Maybe because I was not working?)
I could write for days about the trip and all of the interesting things I saw. But I want to focus on the wildlife. This is the 1st in a 3-part series:
Pt 1 - Bako National Park
Pt 2 - Semnggoh Nature Reserve
Pt 3 - Gunung Mulu National Park
First, you’re probably wondering, where is Borneo? Well, Borneo is the largest island in Asia and the 3rd largest in the world. The island is split between 3 countries: Malaysian, Brunei and Indonesian. And it’s in the South China Sea:
Bako National Park was out of this world! It came well recommended from Remote Tom, and cousin Jeffrey SS Johnson whose story of getting robbed by monkeys had me geeked to the gills.
You have to take a ferry to get to Bako. This ferry was a tiny river boat. A ferry for one.
At the landing, you learn of the crocs in the water. GULP.
Guess I won't be swimming in the water, just swimming in sweat. It is unfathomably hot and humid in the jungle.
Bako is known for being home to the endangered Proboscis monkeys, among many other wild things. It features 14 different hiking trails, and you can see different plants, animals, birds and insects depending on which trail you take.
And it's got this weird awesome vibe about it. Almost like Jurassic Park. Or the LOST island.
In addition to the day time hiking, they also offer a somewhat spooky, guided night hike, into the deep and dark jungle with flashlights to find nocturnal animals. Not many pics from the night hike. A little dark.
I was only on Bako National Park for ~24 hours and here's a list of the things I saw:
Proboscis Monkeys (Endangered)
Crab Eating Macaque (Monkeys)
Flying Lemur (Sadly did not get to see it fly. It was just hugging a tree.)
Snails
Mudskippers (Kinda like flying fish)
Swallows (Birds)
Tortoises
Spiders
Centipedes
Scorpions
Frogs
Praying Mantis
Shell Dwelling Hermit Crabs
Spotted Gecko
Lizards
Grasshoppers
Mosquitoes
More Mosquitoes
Did I mention Mosquitoes?
All in all, the most exciting species were the endangered Proboscis Monkeys!
Proboscis Monkeys, aka Long-Nosed Monkeys are all over Bako. They look like humans with their pot bellies & long noses. My first sighting was my best. As I was heading to the hiking trails I stumbled upon 3 eating in a tree ~10 yards away, right out in the open.
The 3rd one was behind these guys, a bit lower.
They noticed me. I got so excited, like the feeling of approaching a girl for the first time. Heart racing, "Don't do anything stupid, just be cool." I took a couple snaps, and they were fine. Inched a bit closer. Fine. And then i did something stupid. I took out my GoPro and turned it on. BEEP BEEP BEEP. They ran away. So sad!
The funny thing is that, in my giddy, kid-like state, I tried to call out after them and ask them why they were running away.
"Hey, wait! Guys, don't go!"
As if they're going to just turn around and listen to reason.
I saw a few more during my stay on Bako but never out in the open like this. And then monsoon season kicked in and they were scarce. Coolest animals I've seen in the wild! Gotta go back to Bako. Here are some shots from them up in the trees.
Caveat --- I'm actually NOT a good photographer. I may have a decent eye, but I make a lot of mistakes that cost me amazing snaps. When you're in the jungle, sweating profusely, and the adrenaline is pumping from seeing wild animals, you don't have a ton of time or mental capacity to figure out the perfect F-stop and ISO settings. That's why these are blurry. And, that's why I have to go back to Bako!
The beach is filled with holes in the sand. If you're patient and you watch closely, you can see crabs running out of the holes every once in a while. They're tiny and have super cute eyes.
Pit vipers...you would not even notice them if someone didn't tell you they were there. They stay in the same position on the same tree for weeks sometimes. They sit and wait...and wait...and wait for prey to go by and then WHAM! Gotcha!
Speaking of snakes, there is a formation that juts out of the water in the park, that resembles a snake. They call this the sea stack...what do you think? Snake like?
And a spider from the night hike:
Here's a short video of what I assume is a Silver Lutung Monkey:
And, here is a weird video of what I assume are maybe mud skippers in low tide? And then, towards the end of the video, maybe a fish that is about to go aground?
Oh and lastly...a huge shout-out to the bearded pigs!
These guys are shamelessly snorting their way around the island. Stickin' their lil snout in everyone's business. But, it's cool. They're not shy and fantastically weird. One of them just wandered on to the beach at sunset, searchin' for sea worms.
Next up, Part 2: Semenggoh Nature Reserve, wild orangutans!
And, if you are curious about bats...just you wait for Part 3: Mulu National Park. Stay tuned for some mind-blowing battiness...
Motivating Malaysian Middle Schoolers
I met some of the brightest leaders from KL at an RY networking event with YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative). One young lady, Sherry asked me to speak to the students at her middle school (15-16 yr olds). My mentor once told me, “Take every speaking opportunity you can get, Matthew.” CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
I was super inspired meeting some of the brightest, hungriest leaders from Kuala Lumpur at a Remote Year networking event with YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative). One young lady, Sherry asked me to speak to the students at her middle school (15-16 yr olds). My mentor once told me, “Take every speaking opportunity you can get, Matthew.” OK, I can't say no!
It is a challenge trying to sell Malaysian teenagers on the importance of communication and public speaking for their future. Of all the things on a teenager's mind, wanting to be up in front of a group is uuuuusually not one of them. Not to mention, there is a slight language barrier here. Most kids speak basic English, but some are more fluent than others.
But, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
Last May, I spoke to a group of high schoolers in La Paz, Bolivia. It was a bit of a snooze fest. A yawn-a-thon. I feel like I lost ‘em halfway through and couldn’t reel ‘em back in. Up to that point, all of my workshops had been with adult audiences. Speaking to students is a different ball of wax! I vowed to learn from it.
Waiting to get picked up...confident, yet excited!
The event was at a secondary school here in KL: The SMK Taman Maluri School. Before I was about to go on, the students seemed a little antsy. It was hot outside (at least to me, they're probably used to it) and they had been sitting for a while already, listening to local filmmaker, Sham Sunder. I was feeling the excitement, bigly! I knew I had to keep the energy up if I wanted the crowd to stay with me. And I was expecting them to talk over me---especially the kids in the back.
But, I was pleasantly surprised! ~100 students seemed dialed in. They listened attentively, and participated whenever I asked them. I spoke for an hour. Once or twice I felt the audience was getting a little antsy---but I switched things up and was able to reel ‘em back in.
It was an incredibly exciting experience, interacting with these young Malay kids...finding out what their hopes and dreams are...and trying to motivate them to achieve their dreams!
What am I doing here, demonstrating how to cradle a coconut?!!?!?
I met a future Oscar winning actor, “the next Angelina Jolie”!
I met the future President of Malaysia!
I met a future Marketing Manager for a beauty products company!
I met future software engineers.
And, I met students who simply said, they just wanted to work hard and make their parents proud. :]
I learned a LOT from these students! And I think they seemed inspired. Overall, the energy was amazing.
And after I was done, the school presented me with a beautiful fruit basket and a certificate of appreciation.
If the amount of selfies requested is an indicator of success, I’d say the event was a success!
I left there elated and inspired. I realized I want to focus more of my time on working with the youth. This is way more fulfilling and exciting than adult training. I know my colleague Joshua C. Jackson knows exactly how I feel. He has traveled to 88 different cities in the U.S. this past year talking to students. Seems like a blast!
It was only my 2nd time speaking to kids, but I already know I will make the next event even more successful, and entertaining!
Thank you to Sherry and the SMK Taman Maluri school for having me! And, thanks to Travis in Remote Year for setting up that YSEALI event, which led to the event!
Here is Sherry and her sweet kids:
Rubber Trees & Duku Fruit
Did you know rubber comes from trees? I must have been daydreaming about Kelly Kapowski back in science class when they covered this, because I thought rubber came from factories. I guess that’s synthetic rubber? Mind blown!
Did you know that rubber comes from trees? I must have been daydreaming about Kelly Kapowski back in middle school science class when they covered this topic, because I thought rubber came from factories. I guess that’s synthetic rubber. Blew my mind.
Our Remote Year Welcome Party was last Saturday and we traveled by bus to a ‘remote’ (#pun) homestay in the country outside of Kuala Lumpur. We learned about Malaysian culture and did a series of fun activities.
We played with slingshots (Here is Ruslan showing us how it is done):
Mike won!
Laura came in 2nd!
Travis 3rd!
We played Sepak Takraw (volleyball meets soccer) with the local kids. This was really hard for me. You can't use your hands, just your feet and head. When the ball came to me, I instinctively bumped it like a volleyball.
If you want to see what hard core, competitive Sepak Takraw looks like:
But one of the more interesting events was a demonstration on extracting rubber from rubber trees. You just carve a couple diagonal lines in the tree, and the rubber seeps out.
If you touch the rubber with your hand and roll it around in your fingers it gums up and becomes---well, rubber. Reminded me of Elmer’s glue.
After a traditional Malay lunch, we were given as many duku fruits as we wanted to eat. Someone said these are langsat. But we were told duku. Wiki redirects them both to the same page, but there are slight differences between duku and langsat. Who knows. Either way---delicious.
Kinda tastes like lychee, even kinda looks like it. But, it's more flavorful and has more of an orange-y taste? Here's a demonstration for how to peel and eat duku fruit.
It was a fascinating Malay day and I learned lots. Like the fact that rubber grows on trees. And people in Malaysia harvest it.
Mind BLOWN!
Next thing I know, you’re going to tell me that a former reality TV star who publicly mocked a handicapped person got elected President of the United States.
Oh wait. That happened.
MIND COMPLETELY BLOWN INTO SMITHEREENS.
Belgrade Street Art Movement
It’s almost impossible to not notice the Vegan street art around Belgrade. The cute and colorful characters and the simple slogans are brilliant. I’m NO VEGAN, and I’m not planning to GO VEGAN, but I do appreciate a movement and I love street art.
It’s almost impossible to not notice the proliferation of GO VEGAN street art around Belgrade. The cute and colorful characters and the simple slogans are brilliant. I’m NO VEGAN, and I’m not planning to GO VEGAN, but I do appreciate a movement and I love street art.
Friend, Not Bacon.
Friend, Not Omelette.
We Are Not Food.
My Tits, My Milk.
I’m not sure who is behind this campaign. Couldn’t find much info online about it. But, kudos to the artists that came up with it! Once you see them, you can’t un-see them. They’re everywhere!
Belgrade is certainly not the only city to see Vegan street art. Here is a Tumblr dedicated to Vegan street art around the world.
I found this interesting article about someone who painted VEGAN over a McDonald’s mural in Huntington Beach, California. This is NOT cool. Don’t paint over a beautiful mural. Make your art on a random wall. But don’t paint over someone else’s piece, even if it is a Mickey-D’s mural.
In my opinion, graffiti is a beautiful thing. I’ve seen some amazing street art around the world on this trip! Each city has its own style. Belgrade has some phenomenal artists, like this one who does these black and white portraits of important political and historical figures. This piece is quite controversial. It features Bosnian Serb anarchist, Gavrilo Princip, who assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and essentially started WWI.
Buenos Aires has the most impressive collection so far (Read my previous post about it) I love cities like BA, and Venice CA, where street art is not only accepted, but celebrated and encouraged. It can turn a decaying city into a colorful, tropical concrete jungle.
Street art is a powerful medium that can be a catalyst for social movements.
I’m sure we will see some politically motivated street art emerge over the next few years in the U.S.
Curious to see what people come up with…
Asia Travel Day and Doha
Our last big travel day for Remote Year was a >2 day, epic-long, exhausting journey from Europe to Asia. RY did a great job of breaking up the trip into digestible chunks with a sweet 7 hour layover in Doha, Qatar---which turned out to be a completely fascinating cultural experience!
Our last big travel day for Remote Year was a 3 day, epic-long, exhausting journey from Europe to Asia. RY did a great job of breaking up the journey into digestible chunks with a sweet 7 hour layover in Doha, Qatar---which turned out to be a completely fascinating experience!
It started on Friday with a 5 hour bus ride from Split to Zagreb (capital of Croatia). We left ~4pm, and luckily I got a seat on the sunset side of the bus.
We spent the night in a Zagreb hotel. Pootee the Explorer and I found a 4.5 star TripAdvisor restaurant: Lari & Penati, which did not disappoint! Here is a shot of the decor at the restaurant. Pots attached to the walls:
Got up early to take the 5 hour flight from Zagreb to Doha, Qatar. The timing worked out where we were able to see a sick sunset coming into Doha---chalk another one up for RY's timing and Ma Nature for comin' through in the clutch:
We then had a hotel in Doha for 7 hours before our overnight flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Before this trip, I had no idea what a Zagreb was, or a Doha, or a Qatar. I may have assumed they were creatures from Willy Wonka's World. But, now I know Qatar is a country in the Persian Gulf and Doha is its capital.
You may recognize Qatar from watching the best soccer player in the world---Lionel Messi's team FC Barcelona is sponsored by Qatar Airways.
Image Courtesy of USA Today
OR, you may know Qatar as the country that will host the World Cup in 2022. (you also may have heard about the controversial accusations that they bribed the World Cup committee to get the games?)
Doha, Qatar is very grand!! Vegas-esque. The city skyline is most impressive. Sadly, I did not have time to do any night photography, so this image is courtesy of MrWallpaper.com
Doha (like Vegas) is built in an extremely arid desert climate, has a ton of tourism and has a ton of big, fancy, modern hotels that are lit up like Christmas trees. BUT, (unlike Vegas) it is a Muslim city and thus, almost exclusively dry. You can drink alcohol in only some of the hotels and residents can purchase alcohol to drink in their homes only. Oh, and it is an incredibly CLEAN city. Pristine sidewalks.
Doha is recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders Cities. (BTW, 2 of the other cities are La Paz, Bolivia, RY month 3, and Kuala Lumpur, which we are currently living in).
One of the main attractions in Doha is an outdoor shopping center called the Souq-Waqif (translated = standing market). After checking into one of the fancy hotels, we only had a few hours so we headed to Souq.
First order of business---food. The travel was making us hangry. Waltzed into this phenomenally fancy Persian restaurant Isfahan Gardens, which is designed to resemble the Iranian Palace with the same name:
After eating delicious Persian dishes, we explored the Souq market. There is a labyrinth of alleyways with rug shops and lamp shops and random trinket shops. Reminded me of the markets in the movie Aladdin---only way more modern!
One highlight in the Souq Market was the Turkish Ice Cream guy. He messes with the customers and puts on a show! I asked him what flavors he had and he said Tomato. I ordered the Tomato ice cream and it was actually strawberry.
Turkish ice cream is DELISH. It's got a more gelatinous texture. Chewy almost. I'd give anything to have some right now!
After ice cream, we stopped at a hookah bar, because that's what you do in Doha.
Where am I?!
After spending time at the Souq Market, we went back to the Doha Airport for our 7 hour overnight flight to Kuala Lumpur.
One sweet surprise was finding Lay's Salt & Vinegar chips at the Doha Airport. I wrote about my love of these chips and not being able to find them in the beginning of Remote Year (click here to read). But, I found them for the first time in 9 months, and the romance was still real. This bag did not stand a chance.
Jet lagged, no sleep, weary eyes!
The Salt & Vinegar chips were a great way to kick off the 7 hour flight. Finding Dory helped pass the time too. And starting the TV series Fargo. And a few Zzzz's...
After arriving in Kuala Lumpur, we then took an hour long bus ride from the KL airport to our new home, the Maple Suites.
~51 hours of travel from Europe to Asia.
It was nice to break the trip up with a couple hotel stays and visiting Zagreb and Doha.
A month ago, I had never even heard of Zagreb, Doha or Qatar. But, Doha especially was such a rich, cultural experience and a huge added bonus on our Asian adventure! Wish I had longer to take pics, because the architecture is incredible.
Thank you, Remote Year for the 7 hour layover in Qatar!
Chasing Croatian Waterfalls - Pt 2
Round 2: Krka National Park. Plitvice was pretty, but I had heard good things about Krka. Krka is literally on the way back from Plitvice, right off the E65. So, I set out and took my time getting down there.
Round 2: Krka National Park. Plitvice was pretty, but I had heard good things about Krka. Krka is literally on the way back from Plitvice, right off the E65. So, I set out and took my time getting down there.
I left Plitvice without eating breakfast so it was serendipitous that I spotted a cheese stand at a cute little farm not far from where I was staying!
They were selling several varietals of cheese---I opted for the smoked cow cheese, 20 Kuna worth. (~$2.90 USD. Not bad!)
Started driving, and takin' hunks off the wedge. But, as delicious as it was, I couldn’t eat that much of it. At least it held me over until I could get to a real lunch spot and get some pizza, aka, more cheese.
Driving down, I had one of those emotional road trip moments, where you realize how beautiful the world is, and you just wish everyone could be with you in the moment to experience it. Croatia is a gorgeous country. I hesitate to compare it to one particular US state, because it feels like a combo of many.
I stopped on the side of the road a couple times. The Croatian countryside was lookin’ fine and I wanted to remember it.
Finally, got to Krka National Parks.
Right outside I saw signs for warthog crossing, and I wondered if I’d run into a bunch of Pumbas? No sight of ‘em---or smell of ‘em though.
Got my ticket to Krka and set out on the path. Another wooden trail, icy blue to emerald green crystal clear water and more small waterfalls EVERYWHERE.
Check out this barista-inspired river froth:
Krka is a bit smaller than Plitvice. Actually, it’s a lot smaller. BUT, pound for pound, it might be better because of the finale. The end of the trail is spectacular, and the end of the Plitvice trail felt a little anti-climactic.
Get this---in the summer, you can actually swim in the final falls area! Not in the fall though.
Did you know that I’m super lucky? I was born on 7-11-77, which is naturally lucky. Sometimes, this luck is dumb. Like when I was taking this video and a fish jumped out of the falls! Check out the 0:35 mark of the video to see a special moment.
This is me, proud of the fish I just caught.
In case you missed it, here is a close up:
One thing I learned in Igauzu Falls --- where there are waterfalls, there are rainbows. You just have to find the angles. Found ‘em.
And, be on the lookout, I was taking photos near this cement wall and realized I was hanging out with many insect friends that look like ladybugs but are not. They are "firebugs". Cuties.
It only took me about an hour to get through the Krka trails. They were gorgeous! Better angles than Plitvice. The sun wasn’t always blaring in the background.
If you ever make it to Croatia, and only have one National Park in you, I’d take in Krka. Plitvice is bigger, and has more variety, but Krka is a tighter package. The colors are stunning.
Next up---chasing waterfalls in Malaysia! Sunday is the day!
Chasing Croatian Waterfalls - Pt 1
Croatia is home to some wicked waterfalls in: Plitviče Lakes National Park, and Krka National Park. I set out on a solo adventure and it was very nostalgic. It’s fall in Croatia and the leaves were changing color. The foliage reminded me of the US...a little...
Croatia is home to some wicked waterfalls in: Plitviče Lakes National Park, and Krka National Park. I set out on a solo adventure and it felt very nostalgic! It’s fall in Croatia and the leaves were changing color. The foliage reminded me of fall in the US (a little bit).
The drive up to Plitvice is ~2.5 hours. I was cruising up the freeway doing 140 (km/hr), and the weather was perfect! I was thinking how easy the trip was going and how happy I was to be on the road again.
Until, the freeway suddenly...just...CLOSED.
Apparently, there were severely high winds and it's not safe to drive on E65 in these conditions. The problem was, my SIM Card was broken and I had no way of looking up directions. I DID have an old-school GPS, but it kept re-routing me onto the freeway.
I drove up to the tollbooth and asked for directions. She rattled off a series of directions in her limited Croatian-English and I barely caught anything except: “You must take the OLD road”.
But how is one to know where the old road is…?
Drove around, back and forth in the middle of the Croatian countryside. And I realized:
1. There are far worse places to get lost than Croatia! I was near some gorgeous lakes, with red and orange trees and big mountains in the background. Croatia is beautiful! I decided to stop and take some pics.
2. It is well past my pizza time. Croatia is near Italy and they are proud of their pizza. I must stop and fill the tank.
Stopping for pizza was helpful, as they tried pointing me in the right direction. But, I still got lost again. Finally stopped at a tollbooth for a second time and asked them to type directions into my phone.
I finally found the old road. Arrived at my AirBnB around 8pm. The trip was supposed to take ~2.5 hours. Instead it took ~7 hours. Oh well, I made it!
Plitvice Lakes National Park is pretty big. It is a series of 16 lakes that are connected by a wooden hiking trail and a series of waterfalls. It’s not the type of thing where you hike for a while to get to the ONE waterfall. There are several different hiking trails with MANY small waterfalls and lakes. I chose the H route, which takes ~4-6 hours to get through. This is the start of the H route---as you can see the lakes are crystal clear!
BTW, Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can see why it is protected---it's wondrous.
And, it was a beautiful fall day for a hike.
Unfortunately, I think going in the afternoon was a mistake. It seemed like every awesome waterfall had the sun right behind it, which killed my photography game.
Maybe it would have been better to go in the am? But I had worked until 5am the night before and then woke up around 10ish. (This job is getting in the way of my sightseeing) :] That being said, here are the best of the shots I took:
Plitvice Lakes are gorgeous. It was a breath of fresh air to be in the woods during foliage season, especially after all the urban living the past 8 months. Plitvice is no Iguazu Falls, (the best waterfalls I've ever seen) but it is a beautiful experience!
Next up, in Pt 2 --- Krka National Park! Stay tuned...