Posts in Journey
Unexpected, Overwhelming Hinduism - Myanmar
*A warning to my more squeamish visitors, this story includes graphic images*

The drums: pounding.  The crowd: dense.  The colors: vibrant.   

In a word,

Overwhelming.

It was after 5:00pm, and I had spent the day on nearby Bilugyun (Ogre) Island in the heat of Myanmar (Burma) summer. I was exhausted.  So exhausted in fact, that when I caught a glimpse of a line of 150-odd monks walking toward us on the other side of the road my first instinct was to just move on.

Then, something I'd never seen before.
A row of people walking on the other side of the road.  Brightly colored garland draped over-top of an apparatus some were Read More
Introducing My Newest Project - Travel With a Local: New Zealand
Climbing volcanoes, jumping off of stuff attached attached only by a cord, spotting dolphins, caving, abseiling, eating cheese... for the next two months.
Yep, that's the plan.
I'm happy to announce that my newest project has just hit the ground running.  And by that, I mean I have just arrived in New Zealand for "Travel With a Local."
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What's Been Going On - January 2013 - Asia
So you may be wondering why it has been so quiet around here.  The short answer... is Burma (Myanmar).
Back in October I headed back to Burma for another 5 week stint, hiking lush valleys, visiting hilltribes, biking around to monasteries, and talking to the people about their country and democracy.  As all of my trips to the country have been, it was quite eye opening, and left me yearning for more and more.

 

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Update on What’s Been Going On October 2012 – Asia -> North America -> Europe -> Asia
Autumn is upon us, well for some at least.  Me, not so much.  It's the tail end of the monsoon in ​Thailand and I'm holed away in my makeshift office watching it pour down from behind a desk overlooking the Democracy Monument in Bangkok.
I'M HEADING BACK TO BURMA
My first trip to Burma / Myanmar earlier this year has left a lasting impression on me, and I'm already heading back.  In fact, it was just yesterday that I picked up my fresh new visa from the embassy here in...
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Project Do It In a Dress: The Berg Lake Trail Part 1 - Canada
The crack of the ice as it breaks off a glacier and falls into a lake to become an iceberg is just like thunder on a clear da;  Out of nowhere.
Oh and it sounds like thunder as well.
This feeling of something not seeming quite right is probably what most people thought when they saw three men donning schoolgirl dresses on the Berg Lake Trail as we made our way up and down it over the course of five days.
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I'm Doing It in a Dress
I've been busy this past week putting the finishing touches on a hike that my brother (Jeff), and Dad (Dale) have been preparing to do.  You see, we've been planning this 60+km hike on the Berg Lake Trail in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a little while, but when I arrived back in Canada after  WDS in the middle on July, I had something up my sleeve.
I was going to hike in a dress
So I convinced them to join me.
Since I'm literally leaving in less than 6 hours, and I think I should get some sleep, I'll save the story for when I retur.  In the meantime, please read about Do It in a Dress, support us if you like, and consider joining our team "Hikers Without Pants" on your next hiking adventure.
Here are some shots from our photo shoo...
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A Day in Dala - Yangon, Myanmar / Burma
I realized quickly that any and all adventures in Burma are best left unplanned.  It was a recurring theme during my entire time there in March / April 2012.
random mid morning stroll down Strand Road and towards a bit of commotion near the Pansodan ferry terminal along the Yangon river.  Minutes later, I was on a ferry heading across the river, with a young guide named Joga (rhymes with yoga).
bike with a 20-odd chickens attached.  Hmm...
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