I was riding slowly just past the town of Butwal on the Siddhartha Highway when it happened. The traffic within city limits was much more chaotic and concentrated than the twisty mountain roads so I took it slow. I was riding along and just passed a minor intersection when I noticed a girl holding her bicycle in the middle of the road. I became cautious, anticipating any sudden movements by her or traffic around me. She looked up and saw me, we made eye contact and I relaxed a bit figuring she noticed my approach. However, at the last moment she bolted in front of me and with heavy traffic around me I could not swerve in time. So I braked as heavily and as safely as I could, hoping there would be enough stopping distance, and braced for impact.

The motorcycle struck her bicycle's back wheel at around 10-15km/hr and it wobbled for a second before I managed to stabilize it. I pulled over, took off my sunglasses, my helmet and my balaclava. I dismounted from the motorcycle and started walking back. I saw the girl walking her bicycle to the side of the road. Since she didn't seem to have any major injuries, my first emotion was that of relief. I noticed there were some people talking to her and, upon seeing my approach, they seemed surprised that I had actually stopped. I walked over and asked her three times if she was okay and she indicated she was unhurt. Her confirmation greatly relieved my fears and concerns. Her bicycle's back-wheel frame was bent out-of-shape; it would require a replacement but otherwise no major work would be required.

I believed the accident wasn't my fault since I did everything I could to avoid the incident. However, I was a realist and knew I would get squeezed (asked/suggested/blackmailed to pay a damage fee) since I was a foreigner. Within 5 minutes, a man who was trying to take leadership of the situation said, "Okay, give 1000 Rupees." I laughed, 1000 NRs (~$15 CDN) was slightly more than 6 times the rate of my hotel room in Pokhara! First of all, I didn’t think I should pay for any damages at all and, furthermore, 1000 NRs was ludicrous and I told him that. When he threatened to call the police, I strongly considered waiting for them to arrive and settle the matter. I think the representative was very taken aback when I didn’t panic at his threat and strongly considered it. After five minutes of wrangling, we took the bicycle to a repair shop and asked a mechanic to assess the damages and cost of repair. Once again, I knew I would probably not get an honest quote since I couldn’t understand Nepali. On the way to the bike shop, I asked a younger onlooker if he agreed that 1000 NRs was too much. He seemed to agree and said maybe 600-700 NRs would be closer. As I expected, after having a conversation with the mechanic, the main representative told me that it would cost 1000 NRs for all the parts and repairs required. I laughed, he was definitely getting a cut of the money so I said, "No." He then thought about it and revised the price down to 800 NRs. I thought this obviously showed that he wasn't exactly truthful but since I needed to get to Lumbini before sundown I took out 1000 NRs and asked for 200 back. But after he took the 1000, he refused and said, "No, 1000 NRs! 200 NRs for repairs." Now I was angry, there wasn't much I could do except to wait for the police but I didn't have the time. In my last ditch effort at trying to make things more positive, I took the money back and gave it to the girl directly hoping she could spend it on repairs and keep the extra that would've gone to the translator/middleman/scum. But not even a second after that, she handed it immediately to the representative and I became even more enraged and chuckled. I even became cynical enough to wonder whether this whole event was a scam and whether I should have stopped or not. Before leaving for my destination, I asked for directions to Lumbini to confirm. It was the most expensive directions I've ever gotten.

When I got back to Petrova, the name of my rental motorcycle (Bajaj Pulsar 180cc), I was glad to see there didn't seem to be any damage to the bike. I rode away pissed-off but, remembering the lesson from my motorcycle safety course regarding emotions influencing safety, I tried not to dwell on the incident.

Due to the incident, I was somewhat down for the rest of the day but I tried to think optimistically. I thought to myself, the most important thing was that no one was hurt, the bike sustained no damages and $15 was more to them than it was to me. I also had a brilliant day of riding excluding the accident of course. The twisting and windy roads of the Siddhartha Highway were incredibly fun, challenging and dangerous. I was cautious with my speed and control however, trucks and buses making blind corners gave me a few close calls even as I slowed down and honked repeatedly before my approach. Since I was on a 180cc road bike with no off-road experience, many stretches of the highway were challenging and made me anxious. In these stretches, the tarmac would disappear replaced by sand and stone. I would concentrate on navigating around big potholes and taking the least rocky path; all while avoiding traffic and worrying about my tires. After the first day, I was glad I went with a Japanese style shifting bike that I was used to (1 down, 4 up) rather than the heavy Royal Enfield which have a different setup with shifters located on the right side. I was thankful for having taken a motorcycle safety (basic riding) course since clutch control, obstacle riding and collision management were all important on Day 1 of my motorcycle tour.

After a night mostly awake hunting mosquitoes, I rode Petrova into the Lumbini conservation area. The rectangular walled area contains monasteries built by governments and Buddhist groups around the world. At the center of the UNESCO world heritage site, the Maya Devi temple encloses the exact spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as Buddha. My first stop was the Maya Devi temple. I circumnavigated the sacred grounds and witnessed the Faithfuls offer prayers at the Bodhi tree. Colourful prayer flags were hung all leading to the large and old sacred fig tree. A monk was leading a group through prayers in front of the Asokan pillar. Within the Maya Devi temple, worshipers circumnavigate a stone marking the exact birthplace of Lord Siddhartha. I bemusedly wonder to myself how accurate the marker is considering it's suppose to mark an event that took place more than 2500 years ago.

After a quick visit to the Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery, a miniature and simpler version of the Forbidden City, I rode Petrova to the Vietnamese Monastery. According to my Lonely Planet Nepal (2006), the Vietnam Phac Quoc Tu Temple should've been finished in 2006. A sign posted on the outside said otherwise and evidently construction was still in progress. While I was stopped reading the sign, a monk spotted me through the gate and approached to explain visitors weren't allowed just yet. He then asked where I was from and I replied, "Canada." He then became very excited and expressed he studied at UBC and lived in B.C. for twenty years! After pausing for a second, he proceeded to ask me whether I wanted to take a quick 10 minute tour and I jumped on the chance and said yes. Although the complex was not complete, I could see it was very close to the projected completion date of July 2009. It was beautifully landscaped and the roof had detailed carvings of dragons. There was a beautiful pond and garden with replica cranes and one live one as well. In one of the ponds, there were steps leading to a platform shaped like Vietnam. The steps in the other one led to a water temple, according to the monk, similar but smaller than the one in Hanoi. I was then led up the steps to the main temple where pilgrims and visitors would pray. The intricate carvings of the deities were made in Hanoi and shipped to Lumbini. Adjacent to the temple was a new building which will act as hotel facilities for visitors when the complex is open. While I was in the main temple admiring the carvings of the deities, the friendly monk suggested I could offer my prayers for my family and friends. Not wanting to offend him and refuse his generosity by explaining to him I was an Atheist Secular Humanist, I put my palms together and thought of my family. I wished them all good health and attempted to telepathically convey my gratitude to them. I thought maybe I was too quick so I whispered "a mi tuo fo" and thought of my closest friends. I wished them all the best and my thanks for their friendships. I then said one final "a mi tuo fo" and thanked the monk for giving me such an opportunity. I was very fortunate to get an advanced tour of the temple and promised to tell me friends and family to visit.

The ride to Sauraha (a town by the Chitwan National Park) was longer than I expected. I had projected the duration to be four hours but instead it took five and a half. I had to ask for directions 7 times so no one can ever say I don't ask for directions (though I still believe if Christopher Columbus didn't need them, neither do I). My journey was supposed to be on highways and main roads yet for many stretches my tires were on rocks and sand which worried me greatly. On the upside, my riding skills both on and off-road have improved immensely. I had some real close calls on some of the passing and traffic today but that's just the norm in Nepal. I just hope my bad habits (such as honking at every moving thing to let them know my location) don't stay with me once I'm back in Canada!

I must say, even though I had some challenges and lost some money due to the accident described above, I truly enjoy motorcycle touring. Traveling by motorcycle makes me feel so much more in touch with the environment and at it's mercy. You're not confined within a cage or frame with glass separated with the world you wish to explore. Riding on the motorcycle, I was able to hear, smell and feel the places I visit and pass by. The motorcycle also allowed me to experience one example of Nepali courteousness. After getting some directions from an army highway outpost, I got confused once again and stopped by a market to ask for further directions. A local man expressed I had to keep going and turn left at some point. As I was getting to continue on in search of the illusive road to Sauraha off of the highway, he walked up to me and expressed he would show me the way and hopped-on the back of Petrova (no, I usually do not condone 2-men-up since I like to stick to a male-to-female ratio of 1:y, where y is greater than or equal to 1). After riding for about 20 seconds, the helpful local tapped me on my shoulder and pointed to the gate I was looking for. He then hopped off and after I thanked him "dhanyabad" he walked back.

For those of you with a strong sense of curiousity, I have a danger I must warn you about. Lonely Planet likes to include fun tidbits every now and then which are mostly harmless. That is not the case for the food section of Sauraha. After reading about a strange Dutch entree called Patatje Oorlog, I decided to order it (even though it was the most expensive thing on the menu). The combination of fries, onions, peanut butter and mayonnaise sounded interesting but it was far from good or even gastronomically edible. Even though I was famished and this was the first and my only meal of the day, I could not finish it. Lesson learned: never let my curiosity mix with LP food tidbits! Also, Dutch cuisine is going on my "Black" list.

Patatje Oordlog served!

That was disgusting, I couldn't even finish it and it was my only meal in 24 hours.

Motorcycle Adventures in Nepal remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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While I love Wikis, specifically the site Wikitravel, they’re not exactly impervious to bias. The Wikitravel entry for Pokhara includes a line that states the city is “considered by many to be the most beautiful place in the whole wide world.” Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal, is a lovely city situated by Phewa Tal Lake and surrounded by majestic mountains. After spending a few days there, it’s hard to disagree with that statement.

I left Varanasi at 6 pm for Sunauli. Staring out the window, I watched the hustle and bustle, the shops, the shanties and countless faces. My mind scrolled through all the sights and smells of India I captured, ones which could not be taken on camera, stored in my head. I thought of towns and villages zooming by on train rides. I thought of the innumerable small one-room shops with the shopkeepers looking back at you. I saw images of men standing in a group drinking chai, faces of kids looking back at you curiously. I saw a country quickly adapting and advancing technology. However, I also witnessed India’s sheer poverty and inequality. I’ve spoken to many travelers about India. While it is not my favourite country, my visit has been truly an eye opening and enriching experience for which I am thankful.

The bus ride to Sunauli was extremely bumpy and cold. The window beside my seat refused to stay closed. After two minutes of fully closing it, it would creep back down by 1 cm and after five minutes it would be down by 5 cm letting in a chilly stream of air. I wore my toque, windstopper, outer jacket and gloves yet I was still cold. The constant need to push my windows up and the cold prevented me from getting much sleep. Finally, we arrived to the Sunauli border stop at 4:30 am. Since it was pitch dark and we had no clue where the actual Indian-Nepali border offices were, we had to spend some time walking around and avoiding rickshawallas. Jeff, a Taiwanese guy I met on the bus, and I followed a Tibetan monk since we expected he would know the way. However, after 5 minutes we realized he had no idea and followed our instincts. After getting some directions from a jeep driver, we found the Indian customs office and waited an hour before it opened and a sleepy border guard gave us our exit stamp. After a short walk across the border into Nepal, within minutes, we got our entry visas and hopped on a bus for Pokhara.

Even though the bus ride from Sunauli to Pokhara was more scenic it was still a painful experience. The old creaky bus was crammed with passengers and, from the very start, there was a group of teenagers loudly laughing, talking and yelling throughout the long 9.5 hour trip. Additionally, the journey on the Siddhartha Nagar highway was dizzying, the traffic dangerous and the cliff drops a bit scary. At one point everyone in the bus looked over to the left side of the bus. I asked a passenger what he was looking at and after a pause, he hesitantly replied, “Accident.” A bus had gone over the edge and down the 100 metre cliff; it was impossible for anyone to survive that. I was glad I took a day bus instead of the notorious night buses for this scenic yet treacherous journey. Still, the combination of aggressive driving style, the lack of rails and the huge cliff drops right out my window made my stomach churn every now and then. One mistake or a faulty brake would easily send the bus over the edge and into all but certain death. We arrived in Pokhara at 4:30 pm after 9.5 hours but, perhaps due to my anxiety, I definitely felt like the trip was longer.

===

After checking around, Jeff and I settled into different hotels before meeting up for dinner. I’m proud to boast that due to our aggressive bargaining skills he was able to score a double room with common shower/toilet for 120 NRs ($2 CND) and I paid 165 NRs ($2.5 CDN) for a double with hot shower/toilet per night. Both of our hotels were in Lakeside Central and I highly recommend people to go to Hotel Peace Horizon if they visit Pokhara. After settling in, we had dinner at the Rainbow Restaurant and Bar and I had a spaghetti bolognaise; the first time I had meat in 2.5 weeks and it was scrumptious. Pokhara would turn out to be a great place to feast and I went back to Rainbow quite a few times during my stay in the city. I spent the next day walking around the main touristy strip of Lakeside and its surrounding areas. Since Jeff was taking off for a trek in the Annapurna region the next day, we had a steak dinner at New Everest and the half-steak was filling and fantastic.

On my last day in Pokhara before taking off on motorcycle, I decided to hike up to the International Peace Pagoda. I took the scenic route to the pagoda, located on a narrow ridge overlooking Pokhara, by following the directions from Lonely Planet (LP). Finding my way was a challenge since LP’s directions were more of a loose guide. After hiking 1.5 hours through rice paddies, farmland and forested areas, I became somewhat worried about my lack of fitness and how I would fare on the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek. I alleviated my concerns by realizing most of my anxiety centered on being lost, not knowing the direction and I would have enough time to take lots of breaks. I felt relieved and I rejoiced when I finally came upon the clearing in front of the pagoda. The view truly was amazing, the pagoda very beautiful and the trek well worth the effort. I sat to catch my breath and admired the snow-capped peaks surrounding Pokhara. I watched the hawks circle and surf the hot-air currents abundant above the hilly range. I wished I could do the same (which is possible in Pokhara, a pursuit called “hawk-assisted paragliding”).

International Peace Pagoda, Pokhara

Pokhara by Phewa Tal Lake

Machapuchare in the clouds

During my exploration of the pagoda, I saw a guy with a Team Canada shirt and a Canadian flag on his backpack. I approached him and said, “Can you make it any more obvious that you’re Canadian? Do you also have MEC gear?” I jokingly checked his backpack and ironically it was indeed a MEC bag with an oversize Canadian flag which he explained he got in his younger days for backpacking Europe. I chatted a bit with him and his girlfriend Danielle about India and Nepal. Another group of tourists nearby overheard us and humorously asked him, “Why?” when he said they were heading to India. I prepped them for the Indian experience by telling them my “toilet everywhere” story. I also met an Italian tourist who had recently done the EBC trek and he said it was great. With regards to the trek, he reassured me the lodges were open, it was not too painfully cold and that meeting other independent trekkers would be easy. Effectively, he took care of all my major concerns and made me even more excited about the trek with his enthusiastic description of excellent clear weather conditions.

Finally, after walking around inspecting the pagoda, which was a 3-tiered structure and had statues depicting Siddhartha’s major life events, I snapped a few pictures and made my way back to town. I had earlier considered taking the direct return route and paying for a boat ride back to Lakeside; however, after resting for a while and feeling more confident I would remember the way back I decided to hoof it and save a few dollars. I made it back to town in under 1 hour, took a relaxing hot shower before hitting Rainbow for some lasagna bolognaise. It was an early night for me since I needed to wake-up early to pack, rent a bike and start my motorcycle tour of Nepal. I had a hard time sleeping that night since I kept thinking of the windy roads, the big cliffs and the chaotic traffic. Though I was anxious, the excitement of such a trip outweighed all my concerns and I never back down from a challenge. I told myself: if I left Nepal without riding its challenging roads and explore its towns, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

See you in eight days Pokhara!

Pokhara: Possibly the Best Place Ever remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Preface: First of all, I apologize for the long delay since my last update. It's taken a bit of time to get settled back into normal life and I've been procrastinating. Perhaps, as in previous experience, I was also denying and delaying the finality of my trip.

The corpses wrapped in saffron silk burn brightly in the night sky. The sun has just set. There are eighteen cremations taking place at Manikarnika Ghat, also known as the Burning Ghat, and many more are being queued up in the middle awaiting their turn. The sky above Manikarnika is filled with smoke, it remains so day and night for Death waits for no one. I am within metres of the cremations and the odors of death, a combination of smoke; ash and sandalwood, fill my nostrils.

I notice that one of the cremations nearby is almost complete. After 3 hours of burning, the closest male relative tosses a clay pot of Ganga water into the embers over his shoulder. He and the rest of the attending family, all males, walk away and do not look back. Female relatives aren’t allowed to attend since some would throw themselves into the funeral pyre in grief and desperation. A friend of mine told me that fact made her visit more moving.

The cremations happen at all hours. With the departure of the previous family upon completion of the cremation, a new one arrives to take its place. A group of eight family members carry a body wrapped in saffron coloured cloth to the funeral pyre with re-stacked firewood. The quality and the amount of firewood depends on how wealthy was the deceased. In a way, wealth and social hierarchy still apply even in death. The family of the deceased transport the body; covered with roses, jasmine and marigolds; from all over India to Varanasi, which is considered the Holy City of the Hindus and most auspicious place to die. It is believed that bathing in the River Ganges will wash away one's sins.

More than 1 million believers make the pilgrimage to Varanasi each year. During my visit, I witnessed many funeral processions. The male relatives carry their recently loved one, wrapped in bright saffron coloured cloth, on their shoulder through the timeless and narrow windy streets to the shores of Mother Ganges. They repeatedly chant, "Rama Nama Satya Hai!", meaning "God’s name is truth". A custom and tradition that has been performed for centuries.

After the body arrives to the Ganges, it is dipped in the spiritual water 3 times before being cleansed by the seven natural elements and placed on the firewood. The closest family relative then leads the attendants through the whole process with the help of the brahmin. After certain rituals involving various herbs and spices, the funeral pyre which can be composed of up to 220kg of wood is set on fire to burn for nearly 3 hours. Once the time is up, ashes and bones are collected and spread into the Ganges. For the Hindus, Benares is a Holy City. People come to bathe in the spiritual water and await death as it is considered most holy place to cross. In fact, a cremation at Varanasi can cost a fortune. The act of cremating a body, unabashed displayed, is such a final act. I believe it is fitting in providing closure for the relatives of the recently deceased. In Varanasi, the finality of death is prominently displayed in comparison with other funerary rituals.

While the city brims with life as it has been for more than 3000 years, the smoke and the funeral processions reminds us of the ever presence of death. Rich or poor, young or old, you cannot run away and you cannot cheat death. Everyone returns to the Ganges one way or another.

I am fortunate to have met a cool group of people before arriving in Varanasi to explore the city together. The two French girls, Angeline and Brunilde, as well as Benjamin and I took both a sunrise and sunset boat ride. We also walked along the river and numerous ghats (which are steps leading down to a body of water used by locals to bathe, wash, perform religious/spiritual rituals) to experience the colourful life of Varanasi.

There are some distinct experiences and images from Varanasi I will always remember: pilgrims praying and bathing at the ghats, laundrymen beating sheets on the rocks, stiff legs and does burning in the dark night and that distinct odour from cremations, the smell of death.

==

After 2.5 days in Varanasi avoiding barking dogs (hopefully without rabies), cow manure in narrow windy alleys and getting lost in one of the oldest continually inhabited city in history, it was time for all of us to move on. The girls flew to Delhi where they will have one last night of partying before flying back to Europe. Benjamin is off to Darjeeling and Kolkota (Calcutta) before continuing to Sri Lanka and the rest of his round the world trip. As for me, it's time to head into Nepal. I'm taking the bus to Sunauli where I'll cross the border and catch another bus for Pokhara.

Namaste India, Namaste Nepal.

I Have Smelt Death in Varanasi remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Massive crowds of tourists, locals and foreigners alike, fanned out the Taj Mahal grounds. Many were trying to get as many photos of their subject (partner, spouse, family) with the Taj Mahal. Some were attempting to get pictures of them holding up the Taj with the palm of their hands. Something I promised I'd never do after the Pyramids of Egypt.

I had picked a holiday Monday to visit the New World Wonder and it was a big mistake. The queue to enter was long and paying the ridiculous overinflated foreigner price (by 10 times) was made even more bitter by the impossibly huge crowd overrunning the grounds. Not even the complementary bottle of water and shoe coverings made it any better.

I left Jaisalmer on Sunday afternoon by bus arriving in Jaipur at 5 am. I was a bit sad to leave since I really enjoyed my stay and Hotel Renuka. However, it was time to move on and so I was going to Agra via Jaipur. Once in Jaipur, I was told to go to the Sindhi Camp Bus stand to take a nice express bus to Agra. I thought I did just that, I went to the station, bought a ticket for Agra and got on the bus. I knew I had made a mistake since it was not the Volvo Express bus I had thought but a decrepit local bus. It took us 8 hours due to the heavy fog to get to Agra and countless stops in small towns, pick-ups along the street and yelling disagreements between the passengers and the fare collector. I have to say, riding in an Indian local bus with 3 metres of visibility is not a lot of fun. Especially when you realize the bus is on the wrong side of the road sometimes and honking like crazy to warn the oncoming traffic.

Finally, at around 1:30 pm I arrived in Agra and dropped off my big pack at Agra Cantt station before heading off to visit Agra Fort. I can't say too much about it except it has been modified by several rulers including the British who used it as barracks and prison. After the fort, I headed to the Taj with what I thought was ample time. However, closing hours were earlier in winter and due to the queue I only spent approximately 1 hour on the grounds. I wish I had more time since standing there and seeing its magnificent splendour and tribute to love is far different than seeing pictures of it.

I returned to Agra Cantt station to wait until my train at 11:30 pm. The wait was long but I had a delicious meal at the comensum composed of curried pancakes with 2 dips/sauces for 14 INRs! I also got to finish my book called "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga which is really popular in bookshops in India. It's an excellent book and gives insight into the real two India's; one that is prosperous and called the "Light", the other being the poor, uneducated and hopeless called the "Darkness".

There was some confusion about where my train, the Mathura Patna Express #3240,, was going to come in but after talking to the station master and seeing a few foreigner headed to Platform 5 I knew I was correct. I had some doubts at first since Platform 5 was badly lid, incredibly dirty (even for India) and it even had live rats crawling and running around while Platform 1 was moderately clean and full of people.

I was able to easily meet many other tourists since they were confused and taking this train as well. I first met Benjamin from Frankfurt, then Doug and Kate from Australia before meeting Angéline and Brunilde from France. Little did we know how long this train ride to Varanasi would truly be. The train, which was not quite listed on Cleartrip and required the specialty of an agent in Jaisalmer everyone called "Uncle" to help me book, arrived at Platform 3 about 20 minutes late. Since Kate and Doug rented Royal Enfields from Delhi and had them waiting on Platform 5 for transport, they had to quickly push it up the ramp, over to Platform 3-4 and down to the proper platform for storage/transportation.

I don't know when we took off from the station but by the time I woke up the update was that the train was delayed by 6 hours due to heavy fog. After passing Lucknow, the train was essentially left with foreign tourists on the way to Varanasi. For the next 6 hours, we talked, exchanged stories and took bets on the train would actually arrive in Varanasi. We pulled into Varanasi Junction at 6pm after sunset and the race was on to get out and get into a decent hotel. I met up with the French girls and Benjamin and we made for Shanti Guest House. Angéline told us they had a chauffeur and I was welcome to join. I expected a car/taxi but it was actually an auto-rickshaw and so the 4 of us had to amazingly fit into the rickshaw with our backpacks as well! I of course got the honour to ride in the front which meant trying not to fall out during every crazy turn and in the stupendous traffic of Varanasi. In more than a dozen instance, I was sure we were going to hit or knock over someone. It's a miracle there was no collisions. We were not dropped off very close to the hotel, which is not accessible by rickshaw. So we walked for nearly 15 minutes through small alleys with the help of a guide (20Rs) before finally reaching our destination. I can't say much about the 70Rs room and I was definitely not found of the uneven bed but what can you expect from a room that costs less than $2? The important thing was that I arrived in Varanasi and I'm that much closer to going into Nepal.

===

Well that's all for now, I've got an early morning boat ride to see sunrise and the ghats!

Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I'm not riding a camel for a long time. After a 2 day camel safari, I believe my chances of having children has just gone down significantly.

Jaisalmer, what a place. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I like this desert city so much. The town is known for it's beautifully detailed havelis (old homes), the ornate temples and structures within the living fort and camel safaris. Jaisalmer did not disappoint me on all three counts and I've quite enjoyed the city and its people.

I arrived from Jodhpur at 4:45 am. Amazingly enough, we had left 20 minutes late from the Jodhpur Terminus and arrived 20 minutes early into Jaisalmer. When the lights came up, I checked my watch and figured we were early and could not believe we arrived into Jaisalmer. However, upon looking at the station sign outside I realized we had indeed arrived early which is a miracle for Indian rail. Arriving at such an early hour also meant that touts would be waiting and these were usually from the sleaziest and most desperate hotels. I reluctantly took a ride from one which promised 100 Rs, double bed room within the fort. Of course, this was a lie, it was located well outside the fort and nearly 2 km from the walls. I walked out and hailed a rickshaw, haggled and got a ride to Hotel Rennuka. Since all the beds were taken until 7:30 am when some people would go off on safari, I slept on the roof for 3 glorious hours and watched the stars under the clear night skies. I missed that experience and it reminded me of being huddled close to the fire and watching the even more brilliant night sky in Ngorongoro.

The first day I spent walking around getting a feel of the city. I quickly learned to look out for cows and the many mounds of cow crap left behind. I enjoyed the sandy coloured buildings and finally carved decorations of the havelis. The fort area was also really nice although much of it was oriented for tourism rather than everyday life. Of course, with tourism being such a big part of the local economy, he usual enticements and tricks could be seen. Walking down the main street, many shopkeepers try to sell you books, water, toilet paper, clothes, camel leather goods, etc. Hotel runners, safari operators, money changers all asking you to come in.

In the 2-3 days in town walking around, I can usually hear phrases such as:
"My friend, water, juice, toilet paper, gum?"
"Korea? Japan? China? ..."
"Hello handsome!"
"Internet? Camel safari?"

After a while, all those advertisements fade into the background.

On the second day, I managed to get a well needed haircut and refreshing shave for 30 Rs ($0.75). I also finally found a DC 5V charger for my media player. I must've visited over 20 shops in Mumbai, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer and finally found one that has the proper connector. I then met-up with Josh, an old University friend of mine, and we booked a camel safari with Hotel Renuka. He went for the 2.5 day safari while I went for 1.5 day. It's funny how small the world, we didn't even know each other was travelling in India until I saw his Facebook status which indicated he was in Jaipur while I was in Jodhpur. I messaged him to see if he was headed to Jaisalmer like I was and 2 days later we're having a beer on a rooftop overlooking the fort and going on a camel safari together.

The night before we left, I met up with Josh and a new friend named Menko. We had dinner and discussions together along with a hotel host. Since there was a blackout, I had to borrow a light in order to get back to my hotel at the other end of the city. However, thanks to Menko's initiative to ask and the host's generosity, I got a ride back to my hotel. What was even better was that he asked if I knew how to ride a motorcycle, I said yes and he shiftefd back and told me drive! I rode a 150cc Honda Hero motorcycle for about 10 minutes to get back. This was also the first time I rode 2-up (i.e. with a passenger) but it didn't matter much since we never went very fast and the bike had a small displacement. However, it did give me confidence to take on one of the many women who've requested a ride with me when I get back in Canada. I am extremely thankful for the generosity of the hotel host since walking back during the blackout late at night may not be the safest idea.

On my third day in Jaisalmer, Josh and I took off for our camel safari. We visited the Jaisalmer Royal Cenotaph and then drove 45 minutes to meet the camels and guides. I called mine Chamomile and spoke to her before I got on. Each of us then got on our camels and off we went for 1 hour before stopping at the site of ruins and another hour before stopping for lunch. By that point, we could all feel the full effects of camel riding on our body. The bruising and chafing on the inner thighs, the awkward stretching of the pelvis. The pain was amplified if the camel was going downhill. By the end of the day after reaching the sand dunes, we had done f hours of riding and we were all glad for the break! Quite a few of us were glad we had opted for 1.5 day and not much longer. We arrived at the sand dunes and our camp at 4:45 pm. We spent about 1.5 hours taking it in, enjoying the views and getting some pictures of the dunes and sunset. After dinner, we talked about literature, exchanged ideas and travel stories. Russ and I actually stayed up late while everyone had gone to bed to exchange our travel experiences.

Two of the funniest stories I heard from Russ, a musician from L.A. who was travelling India and Europe for a year, were:

1. A traveller asked a local Indian man where was the nearest toilet. The local stretched out his arm and moved it around to indicate the land and said, "In India, the toilet is everywhere."

2. A tourist sees an Indian man peeing on the side of the street and asks him, "Hey, isn't the police going to hold you for this?" The Indian man responds, "No, you have to hold it yourself."

We slept in the open but could only see the stars every now and then when the clouds cleared. After another 2 hours of camel riding in the morning, we took a jeep ride and returned to Jaisalmer to wash up and rest. Tomorrow I take off for Agra via Jaipur and then Varanasi. I have been having a hard time finding train tickets between Agra and Varanasi though but hopefully something will be worked out soon!

That's all for now, Namaste!

On the Rooftop Under the Stars remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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After a somewhat painful 19 hour train ride from Mumbai to Jodhpur, I arrived feeling sore and lacking energy. The reason for my state of being can be attributed to various factors. First of all, I suspected not eating for nearly a day may be an issue and I'd been doing that regularly in Mumbai and nearly that in Dubai. Secondly, I didn't sleep in a very good position since I put my main pack on the upper bunk and my pillow on top of that. Because of the height of the "pillow" and the shortness of the "bed" my neck was sore the whole night. Additionally, there was a draft coming in that made it really cold and the AC was pumping for a while as well. However, at 4-5 am, the heater turned on and blew directly in my face and I felt like I was suffocating. All of this contributed to me getting a sore throat, I'm hoping this goes away quickly since I wouldn't want to be sick for too long while traveling.

After bargaining down an auto rickshaw from 50 to 35 INRs to take me to the "gate" of Mehrangarh Fort, I still had a steep 200m climb up with my full pack. This was essentially a introductory training run for my EBC trek. I can already see that my pack (9kg) is way more than what I want to carry and I may have to invest in a smaller mountaineering pack. I used my expired ISIC card to gain student entry and saved 50 Rs. I took the audio guide that came with the entrance fees and proceeded to the numbered markers. I have to say, the guide was very interesting and informative. It even had commentary and contributions from the current royal family relating to tidbits of information and some of their memories. What's interesting about the fort is that it's never been taken by the enemy and many of them have been at the gates. At the main gate, there's an area with hand prints of Queen's passing though the gate for the last time before joining their husbands in death. I saw a man touch one of the hand prints and then touching it to his heart in remembrance. From the ramparts and many points of the fort, you can view the city spread out before you with the majority of the buildings painted in a light blue colour. This is the reason why Jodhpur is also called the Blue City. Apparently, the reason why the buildings are painted blue is because it's a calming colour and keeps the buildings cool during the summer heat. Seeing the indigo blue buildings in contrast with the vivid colours of life in India makes it especially dramatic.

Upon completing the tour of the Mehrangarh Fort, I walked to Jawswant Thada, the Jodhpur Raj's cenotaph. The place is also called the Taj Mahal of Rajasthan due to the exquisite white marble structure. On my trek back down through town, I stopped to eat (Gobhi Pakoda, fried cauliflower, and Mahkaniya Lassi a type of yoghurt) and then talked to a Spaniard named Mikel.

Well, more waiting at the station until my 10 pm train. Another overnight train and this time to the desert city of Jaisalmer! Hopefully this will be a better ride although I'll be in AC3 this time instead of AC2.

Cheers!

Jodhpur: The Blue City remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Ah Mumbai, the city previously known as Bombay, what can I saw about this crazy place? What a shock arriving from the luxurious well planned Dubai to this crazy chaos. I arrived in the late afternoon and immediately noticed the humidity and bad air quality. Kids begging at my taxi window reminded me I was no longer in Dubai. Since Alan's hotel tip was actually a hotel in Delhi, I was stuck taking a suggestion from the taxi driver on a place to stay for 600 Rs a night, cockroaches included. At least it was conveniently located in Colaba.

I checked out the Gateway of India, the renovated Taj Mahal hotel and Victoria terminus. The last two were viciously attacked by terrorists in December. My visit to Mumbai coincided with the Mumbai Marathon and I was happy to see signs rallying citizens to "Vanquish the Terror!" It reminded me of London's post-Tube bombing's "I am not afraid" movement. I have been to many places that have been sites of terrorist attacks. From talking to citizens and people who have been impacted, I've learned that we cannot live in fear and terror for that is the goal of the radicals. We must also not let anger and revenge make us act less honourable or less ethical. We have to look deeper to the underlying problems that are causing the radicals to act this way rather than simply resort to force.

While talking to an Indian family my train ride to Jodhpur, I asked how Indians felt about the new U.S. President Barrack Obama and what are their biggest issue? Whether that be foreign policy, the economy or terrorism? It seemed the overwhelming issue on their minds were indeed dealing with extremists coming in from Pakistan. A young man from the family and I both wondered, why was there such tension between Pakistan and India. It couldn't just be because of religious differences since Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains live side by side relatively peacefully in India. He even said his best friend was Muslim. I have heard stories from others of some ill feelings toward people of other religions but not enough to resort to violence. What is the true source of the conflict?

Well I'm taking my first Indian train ride tonight in the overnight AC2 sleeper, should be arriving in the Blue City of Jodhpur in the morning!

===

Directions to Bandra Terminus (Western Rail) from downtown Mumbai:

Many trains depart from the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai for cities in the north. However, there are not many directions on the best way to get to this station. After asking a few locals, I believe the following way is the cheapest and most convenient.

• Assuming you're starting from downtown in the Colaba area, make your way to the Churchgate local rail station.
• From there, buy a ticket towards "Vile Parle" (First Class if it's during rush hour, otherwise normal is just fine and only 7 Rs).
  
• The trains going towards Vile Parle are on Platform 1 or 2.
  
• The closest station to Bandra Terminus is not actually the Bandra but Khar Rd so get off there. It's one stop past Bandra local rail station.
  
• From Khar Rd, make your way East (the right side since you've been heading north) and cross the tracks using the pedestrian overpass.
  
• When you descend overpass, you'll feel like you're in a village in rural India. Don't worry, you're on Jay Prakesh Rd. Go towards the right and at the first intersection make a right (Pipeline rd).
  
• Within a minute you should be able to see Bandra Terminus.
  

If you're ever lost in the area after getting off Khar Rd and wish to take a rickshaw, do not pay more than 12-15 Rs since the station is extremely close.

Use this link to see an aerial map. Bandra terminus is the triangle building south east of Khar Rd Railway Station.

This map shows the local train station map referenced in my directions.

Thoughts from Mumbai remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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In my 4 days and 4 nights here, I’ve skied inside the Mall of Emirates, walked around Deira (old trading areas of Dubai), checked out the Burj from a distance (architectural symbol of Dubai). I’ve also met and partied with some friends of Rukmin. I even joined in on some post-partying karaoke with 2 British guys called Martin and Rich (seriously guys, “Two Become One”?)

I had a great time; I was able to catch-up with Rukmin and meet some interesting new people. Thanks to everyone for their hospitality and now I’m off to Mumbai!

Note: The normal Dubai price for a bottle of beer at a bar was 32 Dhs ($10.25) so I'm never complaining about Toronto prices ever again.

Dubai: City of Dreams? remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Two days ago, I was in the process of catching up with friends at a party when the following conversations repeated itself:

Friend: How are you doing? What's new?
Me: I'm flying off to Dubai tomorrow and will be traveling Dubai, India and Nepal for 1.5 months.
Friend: What ?!?

Even my closest friends were surprised at how sudden my departure was.
So how did this whole idea start? When did I start planning and how did I manage to get 1.5 months off?

I would attribute it to the following 3 factors: an email, a woman and a picture.

In early December, while I was finishing up my previous project I received an email about FlexLeave, a type of leave of absence lasting between 1 week to 3 months (till the end of Feb). The program had many benefits including retaining access privileges, time with the company still count. At first I thought it'd be a good way to take time-off without using my vacation time which I'm saving up. If a new project didn't work out and I run out of chargeable work I could take FlexLeave to keep my chargeability up.

I met this woman at an alumni party and she told me about her travels to India and Nepal. She was the one that planted the seed of traveling India/Nepal in my head. When she told me about her experiences, my mind tied the FlexLeave program to traveling India/Nepal. I thought to myself, "This just may be possible." However, at that point I wasn't 100% sure if I should do it now or later and whether I would get approved for it.

Finally, while reorganizing my travel pictures I came upon my one of my favourite from the RTW 2007 trip. It was the one of me overlooking Machu Picchu in the final days of my trip. Everything came back to me; I caught the travel flu (wanderlust) and became insomniac. I couldn't sleep; I checked flights, Wikitravel and researched constantly.

I talked to my manager/career counselor about my next project, business needs and determined that I qualified for the FlexLeave program and it made sense for me to take a bit of time off to travel while new projects were getting to start-up. Thankfully, my CC/HR and upper-management were all very supportive and soon enough I had the go-ahead and tickets! I even managed to perform a miracle before departure my getting an Indian travel visa within 1 day by drop-off, which is not allowed for people of non-Indian origins. I pleaded with the official that it was an emergency and I didn't have a ticket within 72 hours to show (a requirement for emergency visas which also only lasts 1 month) since I was going on standby. I wanted to get it immediately since I didn't want to spend my time/money in Canada but rather in the beautiful country of India. Six hours later, to the amazement of the other people of Indian origins standing in-line to get their pick-up, I had a 6 month tourist visa! Wei: 1, Indian Bureaucracy: 0.

I would have some mixed luck in the first few days of my trip. The night before my morning flight to New York, American Airlines called to say my flight had been cancelled due to weather. After a tense 2 hours, I was able to adjust my flight t NYC and the connection to Dubai to a later time. There were 2 advantages to this change; first of all, I wouldn't need to transfer between LaGuardia to JFK since I would now fly directly into JFK. Secondly, I would fly the Airbus A380 from New York to Dubai instead of the 777 earlier. Unfortunately, I had more bad luck and my AA flight was late so I missed my connection to Dubai. This was the first time I'd ever missed a flight and I was pissed since I was delayed by at least one day and did not think I would be on the A380 anymore! However, all was not lost; I had flight interruption insurance so I had $1000 available to spend on hotel, meals and sundry expenses. My flight the next evening was also on the A380 and I used this chance to alter my flight schedule slightly so that I would stay longer in Dubai.

The A380 was a gigantic plane. There are sleeping rooms with full beds and showers on the upper-deck and a bar! The food of Emirates Airlines was amazing as always and the ICE entertainment system is even better than what I had the last time I flew with them.

And so, here we go! It's good to be on the road again.

On The Road Again remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Part 1 - Conclusion

I sometimes still wake up and forget where I am.

For the first few days after I got back home, I relished having nice clean showers with good water temperature and pressure, having my own bed, not having to figure out how to get from one country/town/place to another, feeling safe and my mom's home cooking. It wasn't very hard to get used to all of those luxuries quickly and starting new joiner orientation at my new consulting job 2 days after my arrival also kept me busy all day. Yet sometimes, I still wake up and for 1 second I wonder, "Where am I?"

Toronto, St Charles, Chicago, etc.

I got back to Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson airport on Friday at 1 pm. The flights from La Paz to Toronto via Miami through American Airlines were the most boring ones I’ve ever had. The only reasons they weren’t THE MOST boring ones I’ve ever had was due to my excitement to go home and the news that the Canadian dollar (Loonie) reached parity with the US dollar. I arrived in Canada with a broad smile, picked up my luggage and expected to head out and call for my pick-up. But it wasn’t necessary as my mom and sister were waiting in the arrival area and my sister was holding a massive sign with welcome back messages incorporating play on words of my name (yes, even after 20 years, my sister still thinks ‘Hi Wei/Highway’ is funny). After catching up with the family and a feast that my mom had been preparing for nearly 2 days, I slept the most relaxing sleep I had in several months. The realization that I was truly home didn’t sink in until Saturday night when I had dinner with two of my good. We caught up with what had been happening with each other, how our friends were doing, some of my travel stories and it was while we toasted our delicious Canadian beers (Rickard’s red how I’ve missed you), to my return, that I truly though, “I’m home.”

I’ve been delaying the writing and completion of this blog for a long time. At first I planned on writing it 1-2 weeks after my return for extra perspective. But after passing that landmark, it became sheer procrastination and then pure denial. In a sense, I refused to believe my journey was over. Now, after 45 days, I’ve decided it’s time for some closure.

In this 2-part post, I intend to thoroughly conclude and summarize my trip. The first part will be composed of tying some loose ends and finishing with some parting thoughts. The second part will be loaded with lists and details such as countries visited, best/worst experiences, favourite pictures.

Coming back to Part 1, how do I feel now?

Stable is the key word.
My life is now full of routines that I didn’t have during my trip. Get up, get ready for work, go to work, have lunch with co-workers, work, go home, work/relax sleep, repeat. On one hand, it is reassuring and safe; on the other hand, I am lacking the interaction and missing the dynamic aspect of traveling. What is encouraging though is that my work has somewhat alleviated that. I’ve been meeting really cool new people and been able to travel to Chicago for 2 weeks for training where I met and networked with employees from all over the world. I was also able to meet-up with a friend of mine in Chicago I’d met at Cambridge 4 years ago after my training was over. Although I now have a job and work responsibilities, it will at least be dynamic and keep my life interesting. I will also be able to travel and continually meet new people, to a lesser extent of freedom but still engaging.

How have I changed?

This is still a difficult question to answer.
Other than the large weight loss (which I am steadily gaining back), the answer can be broken down into 2 parts:
1) Discussion of complex political and cultural issues witnessed first hand
2) Greater dissatisfaction with materialism and mundane life

1. While it is normal for anyone to talk about their trip experiences (especially when one is asked so often), I've also had increased discussion about my time in Israel and Palestine, East Africa and South America. To many people, their perception is skewed by the media and when I present a contrasting view, it really gets a reaction. Many people inquire further due to curiosity, but some also due to suspicion. It is hard for some people to accept an experience or view point that is not aligned with the media's position. It is hard to understand certain things that are so foreign and unthinkable unless one is actually there, in the location, talking to the people affected, experiencing the culture and environment first hand.

This was the case when I talked about the suffering of the Palestinian people, the warmth and kindness of Ugandans, the friendliness of conservative Muslims in Zanzibar. My experience has enriched me with a greater understanding of complex political and cultural issues in many parts of the world. Perhaps in speaking about them to those who wish to listen, I can enrich them too.

2. Another major change I experienced is the adjustment to Canadian life again. While I do enjoy numerous aspects of having a stable life, there are also many issues that are even more glaringly irritating to me than before my trip. After surviving with so little for a few months and witnessing so many people in poverty, the consumerism and purposeless of mundane life is like a nauseates me everywhere I go. I am possibly eating 2-3 times more than I used to and while I love food and home cooking, I think I feel less healthy now that I'm eating regularly and in greater portions. I also struggled a bit first when I got back in adjusting to the routines of life. I was disoriented a bit by the complacency and lack of movement and exploration. After submerging myself into this society, I started feeling like I was drowning in the waves of materialism and meaningless fears. It really boggled me how much people cared about material goods and wealth. The obsession with getting promoted and making more money in order to impress some people or afford that new expensive car/house/cellphone/clothes disgusted me. I had a hard time understanding how people could truly be so paralyzed with such trivial fears and superficial goals in life. I'm not sure how I will adjust to this in the long term. I can only hope that I don't get totally sucked into that mindset and forget the the experiences I encountered and lessons learnt as well as my own purposes in life.

While I have gone through many changes, I've also realized things about myself I must change more.
One of them is my lack of risk-taking when it comes to human relationships. I am still too complacent and must be more aggressive especially now that I am no longer in University(thanks for the stories and advice Rhett!) It's funny how I barely consider the dangers of going into areas with numerous travel warnings or hesitate to tackle my fears, but when it comes to taking that leap of faith, my stubbornness makes me falter.

Where do I go from here?

I have to find ways to adapt. In order not to get sick of talking about my travels and people of hearing them, I have to be conscious of what I say and not get drawn into one of my travel stories. This is an incredible hard task but it is one that I must do.
My lower inclination to spend money on material goods except for necessity will be helpful since I need to save as much money as possible to make mortgage payments on the condo I'm moving into. Eating 1/2 ration in order to save on grocery bills will also help me physically and financially (Because it's just impossible for me to go back and live under my parents' roof after being away for 4 years of Uni and backpacking around the world).
My consulting work will also enable me to keep living my nomadic life; travel, meet new people, tackle new challenges. This will ensure that I don't kill myself over routine work. (In fact, I was made an honourary Chicagoion after hanging out with coworkers from the Chicago office during training!)

While the sights of my travels were amazing, it was the people I met along my journey that made it incredible. I want to thank everyone that I've met for their stories and hospitality(Erico, I will be visiting you in Brazil, soon!) In return, if any of you would like to visit Toronto, you'll have a place to stay.

Finally, the best cure to those wanderlust blues is to start planning your next one. Going to the end of the earth (Antartica) by motorcycling to Terra Del Fuego and then taking the ferry is an ambitious plan that I intend to make into reality in a couple of years.

I better start planning.

Part 2 - Summary

Length of travel: 16 weeks and 5 days, 117 days
Number of Continents visited: 6
Number of Countries visited: 26
Number of Flights: 33
Number of Train rides: 5
Number of Buses taken: Innumerable
Number of Car rented: 3
Number of Scooter/Moped/Motorcycle rented: 4
Number of Friends Made: Innumerable
Numbers of Friends met during trip: 9 (Andrew/Dana in Munich, Martin in Munich, Baris in Istanbul, Cath in London, Zab in Ramallah, Thomas in Kampala, Yuki in Tokyo, Jill in Singapore)
Number of items purchased: 7
Number of Photos and Videos taken: 3259, 9.25 GB
Number of Times slept in Airports: 5
Number of Movies Seen: >30

Bests:
Best Countries:

• Tanzania
  
• Uganda
  
• Turkey
  
• Croatia
  

Best Cities:

• Istanbul, Turkey
  
• Queenstown, NZ
  
• Barcelona, Spain
  
• Granada, Spain
  
• Munich, Germany
  
• Tokyo, Japan
  
• Singapore, Singapore
  

Best Activities and Experiences:

• Drinking wine at the campfire under the starry night huddled with two Swedish girls amongst the wildebeests, buffaloes and zebras, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
  
• Mopeding around Easter Island, Chile
  
• Sandboarding the dunes in the Far Far North, NZ
  
• Hiking on Franz Josef glacier, NZ
  
• Mopeding Hvar, Croatia
  
• Exploring Machu Picchu, Peru
  
• Scuba diving and exploring shipwrecks, off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania
  
• Overnight bus to Buenos Aires with a bus full of Peruvians
  

Best Hostals:

• Oasis Backpackers, Granada
  
• Mate's Palace, Sydney
  
• YHA Brisbane, Brisbane
  
• Charlie B's Backpackers, Christchurch
  

Best Movies Seen: Amazing Grace and The Island

Best Foods:

• Fish and Chips, Monganui and Kaikoura, NZ
  
• Chorripan, Argentina
  
• Biftek de lomo, Buenos Aires
  
• Bocadillo con calamares, Madrid
  
• White Veal sausages, Munich
  
• Polish dumplings, Krakow
  
• Grilled kielbasa, Krakow
  
• $0.25 falafel, Jalezone, Palestine
  
• Fergbuger, Queenstown, NZ
  
• Night market foods, Taiwan
  
• Lobster, king fish, mussels and squid, Forodhani Market by the sea and setting sun, Zanzibar
  
• $20 Sushi breakfast, Tsukiji Fish Market
  
• Seafood pasta, Split, Croatia
  
• Indian buffet, Wellington
  

Worsts:
Highest number of consecutive overnight buses taken: 3 (Turkey)
Worst Foods: Horse meat jerky, Easter Island
Worst Movies:

• Turkish space movie
  
• Littleman (in Turkish)
  
• Nigerian evil mermaid movie
  
• Spiderman 3
  

Worst Hostal: rooftop bed, Backpackers Cozy Corner, Singapore
Worst experiences: (They were terrible at the time, now they're just funny to me)

• Overnight bus breakdown in 38C heat in Parmukale, Turkey
  
• Freaking out about lost Iron Ring, Brisbane
  
• Freaking out about kidnap/pirate taxis, Cuzco
  
• Sketchy overnight train from Prague to Krakow
  
• Waiting for 3 hours to get through passport control in T4, London Heathrow Airport
  
• Walking around in 40C heat wearing long black shirt and pants looking for internet, Dubai
  
• Being hounded by kids asking for money, Matemwe beach, Zanzibar
  
• Almost falling victim to a pickpocket, Granada, Spain
  
• Almost dislocating my shoulder snowboarding, Queenstown
  
• Mysterious periodic intervals of pain in the abdomen for 18 hours, Jerusalem
  
• Being in the bottom bunk of the sex bed, Granada
  

Best Pictures: (For complete pictures, see gallery)
Random black cube in front of museum in Hamburg
Diocletian Palace, Split
Shoe memorial, Budapest
Best falafel ever, Jalezone, Palestine
School children at Bunyoniy
The traditional and the modern
Girafe looking at you!
The long road
Road to Kilimanjaro
Public transit Africa style
Dan on the Dune
Homeless man in Tokyo
Ida looking through binoculars It's sanboarding time!
Girl with Alpaca
That is where I slept in Lima Airport between 11PM-5AM
Lake Tekapo, NZ
The At the end of my trip in Machu Picchu!

NOTE: I will be creating a "Walking Around the World" video for release in the future. Also, if you have any feedback or questions, feel free to leave a post or send me a message! I'd love to hear what you think.

6 Weeks Later remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I'm usually not a paranoid or anxious person. But after reading stories and warnings about pirate/kidnap taxis that rob/mug/steal from passengers, I was a bit on the edge. I think I get that side from my mom. After arriving at Ollyantambo, I hopped onto a bus expecting to leave immediately for the 2 hour ride back to Cuzco. I needed to be back early to catch some dinner and pick-up my luggage, then go to Terminal Terrestre to catch my bus to La Paz and my flight to Miami and home. I needed to be back home in time and get ready to start work Monday! If I missed any of those connections, I would be in trouble.

The bus didn't leave for 35 minutes due to 3 indecisive Japanese tourists and another bus blocking our path, unloading supplies from its rooftops. Honestly, nobody has ever heard me curse so much or so violently, chaining together as many swear words as possible. My heartbeat was elevated throughout the ride due to anxiety and altitude. Miraculously, I made it for the hostel dinner, picked up my bags and faced my greatest anxiety: the taxi to the bus station. After hearing stories of people driven to the middle of nowhere and then muggers jumping in to rob them, I was determined not to let that happen. I chose an official-looking taxi, confirmed the destination and fare, locked all doors. Throughout the ride, I was ready to unlock my door, open and roll out of it if it looked like I was getting out of town. When we passed through a deserted part of town, my heartbeat raced and I was totally ready but then I saw signs and recognized the way to the bus station.

1 more taxi ride to go.

The bus ride to La Paz was long and uneventful except for the border crossing. While this crossing took half as long as the Chile/Argentina one, it was more interesting because of its hilarity. Little boys with pens offer to help you with the 3-part crossing process (for a fee of course) and at one point I saw our driver give a bag of bread to the Bolivian guard who waved him through; that's how you get the express treatment. After walking back towards the bus on the Peru side after taking care of the Bolivian entrance visa, a Peruvian guard waved me into the guard house. "Oh man, here comes the bribe request", I thought. But I was mistaken, he checked through what I had in my pockets and money belt for narcotics and then thanked me, shook hands and waved me through, all without taking a sole! Unfortunately for the girls, I think their breasts were checked, for narcotics of course.

My last taxi ride from the bus terminal to the airport also gave my heart another workout. Halfway through the trip the driver indicated he needed more gas, turned off and went through some sketchy looking neighbourhoods looking for a pump. I felt suspicious and once again was in escape-ready mode. Fortunately, we didn't get much further out and he found a pump quickly. After a brief ride, I was at the airport.

Numerous posts ago in Krakow, I was with another Canadian who was on the last day of his his trip and I wondered how I would feel or how I would change? I thought of that again on the overnight bus.

How do I feel?

Anxious to get home, see family and friends. Anxious for clean machine washed clothes, my own bed/bathroom, familiar foods with stability are all things I look forward to. On the other hand, it's balanced out by fears: of monotony, stability, responsibility, relationships, mortgage, career.

How have I changed?

Other than being physically lighter and older, I am not sure how to answer that. Months ago in Palestine, my friend remarked that I was quieter, more contemplative and less anxious to please others. While that may have been how I looked at the time, that is a facet of my responsibility I've always had. One of my biggest issues has been how to unify my multi-faceted personalities and histories into my own identity. For so long, I have chosen to keep them mutually exclusive and nicely compartmentalized. In a way, this trip has helped me draw them together and be connected to my core identity. I have gained new perspectives on many issues especially many in my life.

I didn't go on this trip to seek a life altering experience or find the meaning of life. However, these past 4 months have shaped me. Other than being good at living cheap and having a good nose at not getting ripped off, I believe I've become more focused and aware. The diverse environments I have witnessed also gives me a more relativistic perspective on life. It's still too early to tell how this experience will mean to me in the grand journey of my life.

Though I may enjoy the stability and predictability of my life for the next few days, weeks, months or years. I do hope, perhaps in a little while, to be on the road, again.

Author's Note: There will be one more post to summarize my trip.

Mad Dash to the Finish Line remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Being at Machu Picchu feels like being in a distant land back in time and history, or a fantasy land. It didn't feel like that at first with the ridiculous legions of tourists each trying to snap as many pictures of the ruins and themselves. But as the afternoon wanes and crowds die down, the wonder and amazement sets in, especially as I write this sitting on a ledge overlooking the Inca city.

I arrived early from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes by a 4 hour train ride. After getting tickets and a bus ride, I entered Machu Picchu national park and feasted my eyes on the new World Wonder. Unfortunately, instead of doing the Inca Trail and arriving at dawn when the crowds of day trippers haven't arrived yet, my schedule only allowed me to do a day trip from Cuzco and in fact take the overnight bus to La Paz and fly out. This is the result of my extensions in Africa and New Zealand, unfortunate but not regrettable. It is truly amazing to see the structures and engineering work of the Incas constructed so long ago. Even in Cuzco you can see examples of their superior engineering compared to the Spanish. There is a joke from "The Motorcycle Diaries": In Cusqueña, there are two varieties of engineering: Inca or Incompetent.

I arrived at the Buenos Aires airport about 5 hours early. In that time, I entertained myself by looking at the prices of airport duty free goods and the beautiful Argentinian saleswomen. The only incident to note was that at one point, a Chinese kid came up and asked me whether I was Chinese.

Me: No, Canadian ... Taiwanese!
Him: Do you speak Mandarin?
Me: A little, why?
Him: Can you help me?

He and his friend were going to Caracas via Lima but their flight to Lima was overbooked. Since neither of them spoke Spanish or English, they were pretty useless and clueless. Using my limited Spanish, I helped them confirm that they were indeed leaving the next day. Two hours later, one of them found me resting and asked me to help translate again. However, this time there was Chinese dude, myself, another man (who spoke English and could translate)and the airline staff standing in a circle answering/asking questions. We probably looked like we were playing telephone.

What really pissed me off the most was the ineptitude of the 2 Chinese kids who traveled without any knowing Spanish or English. At one point one of them asked me, "How come they don't have Chinese translators?" I briskly replied, "Because English is the world language and you don't even know that!"

After sleeping in the Lima airport on the mat provided by London Heathrow Airport, I took a flight to Cuzco in the early morning. My eyes hurt but I wasn't sure if it was from tiredness or air pollution. I spent half the day running around to get tickets to Machu Picchu and ensure that I arrive in La Paz in time to fly home. I then spent the rest of the day getting familiar with Cuzco and going to bed early. Unfortunately, the headache I was developing from altitude sickness assaulted me all night and it was only after chugging 1L of water and 2 ibuprofens later that I felt better. Being at 2500m really takes it out of you. Your body feels tingly and you get out of breath really quickly. It was also discouraging and humorous to see see the locals just strolling or running the steep roads.

Cuzco is amazing. Even with all the tourists, you can't help but feel transported back in time. Locals wear their distinctly patterned Alpaca-wool made clothes. Some of the older women wear Bowler hats on top of their braids. This tradition originated when a European shipment of Bowler hats were given to locals since they were too small. I didn't get to take a lot of pictures but was greatly reminiscent of the end credit scenes of The Motorcycle Diaries.

In Cuzco, I walked around the Inca walls, the 12-sided stone, checked out the cathedral that had a very interesting version of The Last Supper. I suppose even religion isn't above advertisements as a big juicy cuy (Guinea pig) was the centerpiece. Imagine the captions: "Jesus goes to Casa Mama and has cuy with his mates when he celebrates! Where do YOU go?"

Headed to La Paz tonight and then flying home. Only 3 more taxi rides away from safety!

Ciao!

Machu Picchu - The Lost City of the Incas remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I woke up at 2:43 AM to the sound of snoring and occasional shifting. I was on a semi-cama bus going the 14 hour trip from Mendoza to Buenos AIres. I´d left the day before on a Tur semi-cama bus from Santiago to Mendoza, a 7 hour trip including 2.5 hours at the border for customs. That trip was comfortable due to the ample legroom, semi pullout and the fact that the only spare seat in the bus was the one beside me. I was worried that I'd have to spend the night in Mendoza if I arrived too late and the ticket sales agent in Santiago was useless at explaining anything. I immediately went to the Tur bus counter after picking up my bags in Mendoza and got the bad news: No bus to Buenos Aires tonight, I then went to talk to CATA, none tonight as well but a 7 AM. I dejectedly paid $39 USD for it before looking at my map for a hostel since the station would close at 1 AM; disallowing me from camping at the estacion for the night. However, before I left the station, I passed a double decker "El Rapido" bus with the sign "B.Aires". It looked full but I had to ask. The driver saw me approach and a attendant came out.
Thankfull, I knew some basic spanish.

Me: Asto libre?
Him: Si, uno.
Me: A que hora sale el autobus?
Him: A hora!
Me: Cuanto cuesta?
Him: Cien pesos.
Me: Dolares Americano?
Him: Treinta y cinco.
Me: (pause for 3 seconds) Okay.

After taking my bags, he showed me to the only seat available in the whole bus beside a very annoyed looking woman in a white coat. THis bus was drastically different being a double decker, dirtier and a lot noisier with people drinking. I had barged in on a party uninvited and taken someone's joy away; it was a rough start. However, thankfullu I took SPAN 010 because things would change for the better. Although I was kicking myself for paying $39 extra for a common ticket, it was worth getting to Buenos Aires early. Also, as soon as I sat down, I heard "japonais" being whispered an that's when I replied, "No estoy Japonais. Yo estoy Canadiense!" The girl next to me then turned and said, "Ah you speak English?" Within minutes after some conversations about where I was from, I was offered a beer by the gyu in front of me, some pineapple juice by the girl in white coat, chips from the guy across the aisle and an invite to visit someone in northern highland Peru. The girl next to me was a tour guide in Peru and the only one who spoke good English. She explained to me that they were all Peruvians coming from all over Peru going to Buenos Aires as tourists. Now I am not sure what everybody thinks of Peru, but I thought that except for the select few rich people, Peruvians were generally poor and perhaps uncouth. However, sitting there in the early hours of the morning, I realized it was the other way around; it was in fact them who were rich in friends, family and company, food and generosity and I who was poor, with nothing to share except my gratitude and appreciation.

After arriving from Easter Island to Santiago, I bought a ticket to Mendoza fom the useless man behind the counter and then checked into a nice hotel/guesthouse where I got agood single for $14. I then walked about before having a $2 USD dinner with the locals; a bottle of coke and 2 completos (hot dogs smothered with avocado sauce and mayo). Eating them were quite tricky as I didn't want to make a mess or leave sauces all over my mouth after everybite, like a milk mustache or worse for those with their minds in the gutter. I observed the locals and settled on just shoveling it horizontally and biting. I then caught up on travel blogs at an internet cafe for $1.25/hr.

After walking around for half the day, I went to catch my bus to Mendoza. While on the bus, I watched the baggage man, an old balding man wih a blue overcoat, carefully analyze and place passengers' luggages in the 2 small compartments. He was a specialist and did it for our bus as well as the other ones beside ours. I realized that he and I were in fact quite similar. While I use mathematics and engineering to analyze and design, he performs the same tasks with luggages and compartment spaces.
In a way, we both seek to find order in chaos.

===

After checking into the hostel and taking a shoer, i explored Buenos Aires. I visited the Palace of Congress, the Casa Rosa (Presidential Palace where Evita addressed the people) and then walked around Av. Florida to scout potential deals. While I saw some things I liked, the only thing I bought was $0.75 steak sandwich (chorripan) that was heavenly. I also treated myself to a great dinner at La Mejor Parillada de Argentina where I had a lomo de biftek, big bottle of beer and helados mixte (like gelato). It only cost me $15 and was quite a steal!

I will be heading to Lima where I will spend the night in the airport instead of venturing out at 11 PM into the kidnapping capital of the world and then fly to Cuzco at 5:40 AM.

Hopefully the connetion to La Paz won't be too bad and I will stay safe in Peru and Bolivia.

Less than 1 week!

To Buenos Aires with a bus full of Peruvians! remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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After watching Ocean's 13, Pirates of the Carribeans 3, I arrived in Santiago from Auckland, an 11 hour flight. I then had to pay the ridiculous $132 USD reciprocacy entrance VISA. This is due to the fact that Canada, along with the US, UK, Australia, slapped an entrance visa for Chilenos. I could've avoided it if I had gone to Buenos Aires and overlanded into Santiago but it would've cost me an extra flight anyways. However, next time coming from North America, I'd go to Buenos Aires first. I then waited for a few hours before my 5 hour flight back towards where I came from to Easter Island.

After some price comparison, I got a single room, double bed, private bathroom for $16 USD instead of $20 a night.

Day 1: Explored the town of Hanga Roa, Ahu Tepai and a few surrounding Moais. Used some internet and got some moped rental quotes.

DAy 2: Rented a moped for 8 hours to explore the whole island. I first went to the huge crater of Rano Kau which was awesome since it was filled with water and situated next to the sea. THen I went to the park ranger to pay my $10 USD entrance fee but since they didn't have change for my 10 000 pesos they just waved me in to the Orongo village. I think it was also because one of the ranger and I spoke some French when he found out I was Canadian.

The village was pretty cool since it was situated on a peninsula between the sea and the crater. there werehouses built of stcked slabs of rocks half submerged into the ground. There was also an area where ceremonies were held and the petroglyphs in the rocks. This was where ceremonies were held for the Birdman of the Year. I then sped my way along the south coast, stopping at various Moai and caves to check them out. The landscape was lush green and it was a beautiful day for riding. The highlight was definitely Rano Raku, this was the great hill where Moais were quarried and you cn see many of them there of different sizes and expressions. I took many pictures and entertained myself by imagining the conversations they could've had. I then visited the most impressive and famous Moai of the whole island, Ahu Tongariki, before spending some time at the beach of Anakena and speeding back to Hanga Roa.

Just dreaming and looking at the sky.

Moai 1: Who invited Steve?
Moai 2: That dude's a !$!%
Moai Steve: I just want to be friends!

Moai 1: Yay grass!
Moai 2: What an idiot.

Day 3: Payed back more of the principal and interest on my sleep debt accrued in New Zealand. Then I looked around the shops and bought some postcards to send. Also got my passport stamped with Easter Island - Rapa Nui ones for $1.50. Spent the siesta hours at Ahu Tahei reflecting on many things. a lot of them were the adventures, experiences and people I've met on my trip. But more importantly was on the people and memories of my life before my trip, I thought about friends I missed, people that had been good friends at some point but grown apart for stupid reasons or none at all. I regret not having tried harder or how trivial some of those reasons seem now. I know I am a stubborn man and I guess it took 4 months of traveling alone and a tiny island 5 hours away from any continent to put some things into perspective.

Finished reading "Empire of the Sun" and off to Santiago!

Rapa Nui - Easter Island remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Sitting here on the Auckland-Santiago flight listening to "Video Killed the Radio Star" from the album "20 of the Greatest Hits from the Decade of Excess: PURE 80's" , I thought of how much fun the last few days have been and how funny things can change in life.

So I was feeling a bit down after leaving Rotorua and Auckland didn't help much either. I arrived and rented a cheap compact car for 3 days for $90 NZD (which is actually cheaper than renting it for 2 days). Auckland is just like any other big cities except it's strange for New Zealand being such a small sparsely populated country. The highlight was finding a food court that had a Taiwanese foodstall where I ordered some delicious beef noodles and had pudding milk tea.

I spent some time trying to catch-up on my travel blogs at the internet cafe and then went back to the hostel. I thought a drink at the hostel bar would be nice but it was closed. I dejectedly went to the lounge and watched some Family Guy with a group of people that I wasn't quite trying to socialize with. However, before I left for bed, the guy who sat beside me and I started chatting and I told him I was going north to Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga tomorrow. He said, "Okay. I'll go with you" and that's how Philip from Rotterdam, Holland joined on board. Sweet, 1 more person to share the costs.
The next morning, he came down and said, "Want one more person? There's an Irish girl who'd like to go." I thought, sure, one more person to share the costs and more company. And that's how Julia Cherry (the cool one, not the other one who's a tosser according to her) joined us.
This worked out perfectly since she drives on the left and her and Philip could use the car for the extra day since I would have to return it within 2 days as I was flying out. It also worked out because the car was a manual and I'd never driven manual. I would later get some lessons in Paihia in the Bay of Islands but I didn't get much chance to practice since the road were windy and hilly requiring more intermediate gear shifting.

The 3 of us stuffed our bags into the drunk and seats and left for Paihia. Though it took some time to get out of Auckland, the drive was smooth. In Paihia, we got some info and did a small hike to a lookou point where we could see the town and Russell. The area has historical significance since it was the oldest settled area and Russell was what Charles Darwin described as "the refuse of society." It was a lawless place composed of convicts, prostitutes, sailors and whalers.

For the evening, we had opted for the $12 NZD BBQ + Pint. But we also went to the liquor store where I introdocued some Canadian customs/traditions to my new Dutch and Irish friend in the form of the Rye Train. Canadian Club and Scheppes Ginger Ale. They were hesitant at first but once that sweet delicious liquit hit their lips they were converted. All in all, it was a good night except for losing 2 games to 1 in tightly fought games of Speed with Julia.

The next day Dan from Toronto joined us on our trip up to Cape Reinga. He had the bad luck of coming to NZ for 2 weeks with his ex since they booked when they were still together making the double they shared an awkward affair. We first visited a Kauri forest and Kaitai to get sandboard. The small city was interesting for its Dalmatian (region of the northwest Balkan Peninsula on the Adriatic Sea in present-day Croatia, not the dog) and Maori population. The signs welcoming us into Kaitaia greeted us with "Dobro dosli" and "Haere Mai".
We were going to have lunch at a cafe but instead found the whole town watching kids race carts down a street. It was there that we found $2 scallpps and $1.5 sausages which was quite a steal as well as a very entertaining race.

After leaving Kaitaia, we stopped at Rarawa beach for the white silica sands and then to the sand dunes at Te Paki. I can't truly describe how strange it is to se these massive sand dunes, that could easily belong in the Sahara, situated between a lush green forest and the sea.

We took our sandboards which were essentially plastic toboggans and started climbing up in order to get a better view and scout for potential tracks. The climb was steep and more strenuous than I thought and required the use of the toboggan as a digger on the way up. But after a few climbs, a trek and some sweat, the view afforded was captivating. I had run ahead of the group seeking for a distinct dune overlooking the ocean. When I got there, I realized it was the tallest dune with unobstructed view of the ocean. It would be a while before the other 3 reached me and I sat down on my tobogan at the top of the dune looking out, contemplating.

Naturally, like many conscious beings staring at the ocean, I tried to picture its vastness. I tried to imagine all the unkown that lay beneath.
How much its given and how much its taken?
How complex and how simple it is?
How angry and kind can it be?
In a sense, the 3 regions could be a metaphor for life.
The forest, an area of nice and sheltered life full of energy and nurture, representative of infancy and growing up.
The sand dunes, a period of dramatic ups and downs, seeking independence, adventure and exploration, representative of young adulthood and its growing pains.
Finally, the vast ocean with its endless questions and possibilities. it is full of predictabilities and unpredictabilities. Like life, it just depends on what kind of person you are. Will you stay safe on the shore or in shalow water looking out and wondering about the "What ifs?" Or will you take it b ythe horns and sail out to meet it. Some never take that chance and some do, though it may take a while, like the Old Man and the Sea.

We found a nice steep face to have our introductory run. The 1st run I almost hit Dan who was in front of me since it was hard to navigate with the ropes provided. We did a few more runs before I sttled on using the handles on the side. We then took a few runs on other dunes before realizing we needed to head to Cape Reinga soon. We soon tackled the highest and steepest face we could see for the rea. I had a modest run since my right handle had broken which made steering impossible. After some convincing by Julia who waned to do it again, 3 of us climbed up again and this time I switched sandboards and had an exhilarating one. The timing was perfect since it started to rain by the time we got to Cape Reinga, the northermost tip of NZ. After 3.5 weeks, I had gone to the southernmost, centre and northermost tip of mainland NZ.

I've definitely fallen in love with the land and have a soft spot for the Kiwis. They are friendly, kind and more modest and reserved than the Aussies. They are a great bunch of people and incredibly conscious of their actions to other people and their environment. As a multicultural nation of travellers themslves, they've really made it easy to travel their beautiful land of Aotearoa. From well signed info centres and public washrooms, backpacker deas, knowledgeable and friendly staff, locals , these all contribute to a great travelling experience in New Zealand. And of course, the pristine beauty of the land is mind-blowing.

We arrived at the Monganui Fish & Chips 3 minutes before they closed. This was fortunate as they were some of the best fish I've ever had (1st being in Kaikoura). Took a while to wash off all the sand in all the places of my body and then had more Rye and Ginger and beer with the Rugby game (All Blacks vs. Italy, 47-7 by half-time) before bed. We went to the Waitangi centre where the signing of the Treaty took place. There was also the Treaty House, Meeting Place and Te Whare (war canoe). We then made the journey back toward Auckland were I got dropped ff at the airport.

Earlier, I was saying it's funny how life works out. One moment I am about to go to bed. The next I've got someone else coming along. Then another because she got woken up by someone in her room to her displaeasure and was eating breakfast and chatted to Philip before being convinced, packed and went. She had just arrived from South America and didn't even have a guide book (which she would from me since I didn't need it anymore and it had my notes/corrections). Then she met Dan from Toronto at breakfast the next day and he came with us and was thankful since he was considering going back to Auckland.

Life sure is full of unpredictabilities, just like the sea.

===

P.S. I might've been out of my mind when I tried to explain the similes between the forest, sand dunes and the sea with life haha. Also, I read "The Old Man and the Sea" at a bookstore in Singapore in 2 hours. Great book.

Sandboarding In The Far Far North remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Time: It is an ever present variable of our lives. Sometimes it feels like it's going by too fast; like the 3 hour moped ride on Hvar that felt like 3 minutes. Sometimes it feels like it's going excruciatingly slow; like the 14 hour overnight Turkish buses or the Dar Express with the Nigerian movie being played or flights with crying babies. However unless you have a vehicle that can take you to speeds even remotely close to the speed of light, time is constant, always ticking by. The grains of sand continually and constantly flow down in the mystery-sized hourglass of the Universe.

I am running out of time.

I am running out of time since my trip will end in 2 weeks. I will be starting work in less than 19 days and although I miss family, friends and stability, I fear being chained down by career and responsibilities like so many people.
I am running out of time in New Zealand and instead of staying an extra day in Rotorua, I've decided to rush to Auckland to rent a car and go up to Cape Reinga and 90 Mile beach. I am regretting the decision since I have left behind Marco and Yvo, 2 pretty cool guys also with Magic bus, and also a group of 3 girls form the UK that were pretty sweet, nice to talk to and just plain attractive.

Yvo and I along with the 3 girls went to the Tamanaki Maori village to see the concert and hangi feast. I was very impressed by how well it was put together. It wasn't tacky and it was extremely education and entertaining. The audio/visual was great. Yvo volunteered to be our Waka's (canoe/bus) chief since visiting tribes needed a chief and he had some responsibilities. He was one of 4 chiefs present when a group of warriors came out to do intimidation dances and the peace offering. We then walked about a replica village seeing some of the traditional activities. We then attended the concert which had great music and was full of energy. They sang a few traditional songs, a love medley and did the almighty Haka (I've got it on video) which was quite a sigh live and in close encounter. We then had the hangi which was a buffet of food cooked in the earth. There was regular/sweet potatoes, carrots, fried bread, pasta salad, egg salad, mussles, fish, chicken, lamb, stuffing and gravy. This was a feast compared to what us backpackers usually get.
I ate a lot but the girls ate so much they were out of commission and couldn't ome out for drinks later. It was at dinner that I sat beside one of the girls and we struck up some interesting conversations. I was feeling good since I had a haircut, a shower, a shave and really cleaned up from the bum that I kind of looked like before. At one point after getting some tea back to the table, the girl whispered to me, "Your dessert almost got taken away."
Me: Well, thank you very much for rescuing it for me.
Her: Rescued it from myself!
Me: Well you know there there's more where it came from.
She looked at me, smiled and said, "Don't tempt me."

On the way back, some national anthems were sung and we could smell getting back into town.

===
Later on, Marco, Yvo and I decided to go out for drinks but other than a half empty bar reeking of fresh paint and a Belgian pub with 3 cougars looking at us from the window, we didn't find much. So we finished a bottle of wine and watched half of Black Hawk Down before hitting the sack.

Time's up in Rotorua.

Kia Ora - Good Health! remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The road from Kaikoura is incredible. It's a 3 hour drive from Kaikoura to Picton ferry where passengers were being dropped off and for 2 hours we were winding along the coast. I watched the turquoise blue ocean, the hagged rocks portruding from the water and the occasional seal. 2 hours after we left Kaikoura, I realized that in my rush for internet time, I had forgotten to reutnr my key for check-out, forfitting $10 NZD.

Walked about Nelson and checked out the jewelry store that created The Ring from LOTR. They even still held the models used in the movies! Several models were made for different scenes including one 5" diameter for close-ups! On my 2nd day, I did what I went to Nelson for. I went to Abel Tasman National Park, sea-kayaked with Tamsin, a teacher from Yorkshire originally from Wales, an Irish couple and Brent, our guide. We kayaked for half a day and it was awesome. The only downside was that Tamsin was a little bossy and kept trying to steer, counter to my efforts as the navigator. We then hiked fto Anchorage Cove and had a water-taxi tour before geting back to Nelson. The tramp (which refers to the trek, not Tamsin!) was wonderful. I got to see and hear unique birds and the views were really scenic. All in all, it was a great but tiring day.

Wellington: This city might as well be the Vancouver of NZ. The ferry from Picton was very comfortable and I had a 2nd row seat in front of the observation deck. I slept for most of the crossing and it was real smooth. The interislander is a huge and luxurious ferry. They even had a movie theatre screening The Simpson movie. I watched the School of Rock and The Evil Woman as it was a Jack Black back to back. Damn I hate Jack Black, I don't know who I hate more, him or Hugh Jackman.

Spent day 2 at the Te Papa museum, tour of Parliament, Beehive, Parliament library. Took the cable car up and then walked about Lambton Quay, Manners St., Cuba St. and Courtenay. The Courtenay mall had song and dance performances by kids to teens randing from Grease songs to tap dancing (to Hollerback?!?)

After eating leftover pizza for lunch, I decided to treat myself to an Indian buffet for $12 CND. 2 plates later of rice, naan, chicken tikka, lamb curry, butter chicken and more chicken tikka, I was full like never before. Well actually, I forgot to mention that in Dunedin, I was feeling hungry to the famished point. I bought 450g of meat, a pack of spaghetti and a jar of pasta sauce and made dinner. Honestly. it was embarassing how much food I had. The pasta and meat sauce was about 1-3/4" high and it was absolutely ridiculous. I ate it until there was half a normal plate left. That original plate could've fed me for a week and I in fact did not eat a meal until 27 hours later.
I am on my way to Taupo tomorrow and then hopefully the Tongariro crossing before Rotorua. Then Auckland, Bay of Islands, Cape Reing. My schedule in South America is ketchy but I'll figure it out.

I am missing my friends and Canada very much but the days are winding down. It's already the 3rd and in less than 3 weeks I will be starting training/work and home in 18 days!

The Road From Kaikoura remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Dunedin must be the sister city of Kingston. It has a population of roughly 100 000 with 20 000 students at the University of Otago, the oldest university in New Zealand. Walking out of my hostel, I saw a hungover kid with unkept hair reading on a couch with burn marks on the sidewalk opposite a cathedral. What's even more freaky is that the day before I arrived there was a student event called UNDY 500. Basically cars decorated with all kinds of themes and masses of University students getting drunk and rowdy. 64 students were arrested and some are being charged with rioting. Objects were set on fire and beer bottles were thrown at the police in riot gear. The majority of the trouble makers weren't even from Otago but Canterbury-Christchurch. Does that not remind you of Queen's Homecoming 2005?

On my first night in Dunedin, I met 2 drunken Otago Dental School alumni who returned from their faculty's centenary celebration. One of them was from Winnipeg and went to McMaster and then Otago. He then never left New Zealand! After some talk, he invited me to go sailing and put me on a fishing vessel in the Bay of islands if I want. I'm not sure I'll have the time but it's quite an offer and I love drunken alumni!

I rented a car on my 2nd day in Dunedin to go to the Catlins; an untouched and beautiful area in the south east coast of New Zealand South Island. It was a bit strange driving on the left (and wrong) side of the road but other than a momentary lapse of concentration, everything was fine. Saw some seals and beautiful panoramas. Visited the fossilized and petrified forest (which was real sinister looking). We even stopped at Niagara Falls cafe, which was ironic since there was a Niagara Falls close by but this one was only a few centimetres high. Finished the night with a farewell indian dinner and a few drinks with Linda who got a job as a photographer at Coronoet Peak ski slopes in Queenstown.

Then I was off to Lake Tekapo!

After a day in Lake Tekap and a night of drinking under the stars, some poker was played in which I won $4 NZD. We were then off to Christchurch and I realized that this would be my 4th night in Christchurch, which is 3 more than what people usually stay! But I quite liked Christchurch. I had $4 NZD fish and chips, played big sized Chess at Cathedral square with Daan (I won with a King, Knight and Pawn. He only had King left) Then took care of some stuff at the internet cafe. I got a shock when I received an email from Accenture confirming that I was starting on September 10th when I thought I was starting on the 24th. I also couldn't even get a flight out of NZ until the 9th of September nevertheless getting back for the 10th. I replied quickly and forwarded the exchange emails I had with a recruited confirming my start on the 24th. Hopefully everything will work out.

===

I am now sitting in a cafe across from the coach since it's being looked after by a mechanic due to a rear axle problem. I am on my way to Kaikoura and almost missed my bus this morning again! I woke up at 7:53 AM and my pick-up was at 7:55 AM at the hostel next door. Thankfully my bags were packed and I just picked up everything and rushed out and the bus arrived 30s later! Whew. 5 days in Christchurch would've been too much and even with 3.5 weeks in NZ. I am running out of time!

Last night, I said farewell to Helen, who's on her way back to Newcastle and Daan, who'll be off to Holland. We'd kind of traveled together with Linda since Greymouth/Franz Josef when we roomed together and it was fun to have some familiar faces. Meeting new people is fun but it gets tiring and wearisome asking and answering the same questions.

23 days left!
Sweet as.

Total Eclipse of the Moon remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I felt the NZ wniter as soon as I arrived in Christchurch. Stayed at the Charlie B's backpackers hostel for 3 nights which was plenty for the small and quaint city of Christchurch. I was actually only going tostay for 2 but I overslept and missed my shuttle/train on the hop-on-hop-off backpacker "Magic" bus. I avoided extra costs when I got a different operator from Magic who smoothed it out but it still cost me $14 NZD to call Auckland to do so. However, the Sky movies/sports channels at the hostel was more than enough to entertain me. On the extra day, I also tried to look for a mysterious skating rink that could not be found with Deana (Darwin, Australia) and John (Melbourne, Aus.). We walked around for 2 hours before finally giving up.

It was also in Christchurch that I finally experienced smoe friendliness that reminded me of Canada. While walking in town, a mother wich a child smiled at me and said hi while passing by. In my post earlier I had said that I missed that while travelling.

Took the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth via Arthur's Pass. It was a magical ride and the scenery was amaznigly beautiful. I can understand why the Kiwis are so concerned, proud and protective of their land. The beauty of the snow-peaked mountains, crystal clear streams, yellow and green hills and plains rivals the most amazing engineering feats of humanknid.

There wasn't much to do in Greymouth but I had a $5 all-you-can-eat BBQ and it was great. Good sausages and decent salads. Watched "Notting Hill" (there was 5 girls and 2 guys) and "Starsky & Hutch" before going to bed.

New Zealand promotes itself as a land of great beauty and endless opportunities for extreme sport. There's a joke that goes: "Given a mountain, a Kiwi will find 2 ways to get around it, 3 ways to climb it and 2 ways to go over it!"
I believe the joke was actually truth as I was hiking on the the Franz Josef glacier. I went with a half-day hike but I really wanted to do the heli-hike however it cost way too much. The hike was an amazing expereince. It wasn't too cold and there were a lot of rests. Saw a lot of cool sighs and deep blue peaks. Watched Trainspotting with Daan, Linda and Helen before having an early night for an early morning drive towards Queenstown.

I wanted to do 1 day of snowboarding and 1 day of skiing. However, I decided to forgo skiing for handgliding. The day of snowbaording was really fun, educational and painful. The pain to my ass was enhenced by the near dislocation of my shoulders and a small strain in my neck muscle when 6 of us beginners decided to go to the intermediate slope next to the magic carpet. It was going to be our last run and I must've taken 15 falls. Great views thuogh but my ass is more than bruised than that of an inmates after his 1st night in jail!
Everything hurt. However, not enough to deter Daan and I to go get some $5 pasta and some pints of Monteith's beer. But the kitchen closed by the time Helen got back so we had to search somewhere else for dinner.
Enter the Fergburger!
A famous delicious burger reknown from Queenstown. Though it cost $10 NZD, it was quite sumptious though I believe the Pluto burger at JJ' in Kingston is still superior.

Milford Sound, Fiordland.
5 hours to Milford Sound from Queenstown via Te Anau and 5 hours back hurt my ass like no tomorrow. The scenery to and back was beautiful and that of the cruise was stunning. Maurice and I kept taking pics fro each other since we trusted each other's skills. I even drank from a stream that was 99.8% pure water!

I got up early for my paragliding experience. However, upon calling to confirm, I found out that my morning flight was cancelled due to high winds and to check later. However, upon checking in the afternoon the wind conditions hadn't let up and I was leaving Queenstown the next day. Hence, I went luging with Daan and Linda. But instead of taking the gondola up, we decided to save money and hike up instead. I twas a somewhat strenuous hike but totally worth the savings which was used to purchase a nice beef vindaloo dinner and beers later.
The luge race was tight but in te end I won 3 of 5 races. Daan and I watched the Waikato/North Harbour Rugby game and then had the Fergburger again!

It's been good Queenstown!

Aotearoa - New Zealand: I Love This Country remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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After a moment, my mind started to work hesitantly and confusedly. I tried thniknig about my timeline and scenarios.

• I am sitting on platform 2 of the Brunswick station waiting for the train to the airport which requries 20 minutes.

• The train comes every 10-20 minutes.

• I have 2 hours until takeoff and my path to the hostel can be retraced in 10 minutes. 5 more minutes if i need to get access to my room and search it.

• Summary: By the tmie I get back on train and get to airport, I could have less than 1 hour left. After experiences in Tokyo and Taipei, I didn't really want to cut it that close again. However, of all my possessions on my trip, nothing was more valuable to me than that Ring. Sure it was stainless steel and could be replaced for $20 (it was really intrinsically worth $2) but the sentimental value is immense. Not only was it a representation of 4 years of studies in Mathematics and Engineering, $60 000 CND in tuition, room and board, it reminded me of the Oath I took to my fellow classmates, my profession and society to act honourably and righteous.
  Heck, I'd miss my flight looking for it.

I picked up my bags and started walking back, retracing my steps and scouring the floor for a stainless steel ring with a unique pattern. Of course, that whole thought process was plagued by emotions such as panic and fear of the loss. It wasn't nutil 10 minutes after my realization, 1/4 of the way back that my mind switched to the proper worknig mode.

Thought Process:
Q: What is the chance of losing it while I was asleep in bed?
A: Didn't check in morning. But should be low. Approx 0.5%, very low. Even though I've been away for 82 days, it was still a miniscule chance.
Q: Was there any actions that might've pulled it off?
A: Retracing actions:
1) Woke up
2) Grabbed sheets and bags
3) Checked out
4) Walked through Chniatown to Brunswick Food Court
5) Bought seafood sub of the day and ate it
6) Tried to look for a beverage that cost under $0.75 at the supermarket since that was all that I had
7) Went to station and platform
8) Stuffed S. America Lonely Planet guidebook to front pocket of backpack

Summary: Action #8 has high probability of moving or removing the Ring from my hand.

Recommended Action: Look in bag.
1) Search small bag.
Result: Nothing. Damn.
2) Open front pocket of big backpack, take out book, put hand in and search.
Result: Nothing, Damnit!
3) Take book and search.
Result: *Clink* The Ring falls out and I grab it and put it back on where it belongs, stroking it like Gollum on his Precioussss
4) Go back to station and wait for next train
5) Relax and decrease heart beat

I spent 2 days in Cairns and 2 days in Brisbane. Cairns is sort of a resort/vacation town in the N.E. Australia, the top of the Gold Coast. It's the launching point for diving the Great barrier Reef. It was significantly warmer than Sydney and full of tourists, especially the Japanese variety. In fact, there was so many signs in Japanese and numerous Japanese employees were hired in shops and restaurants to cater to the huge number of Japanese tourists.

I had planned on diving the reef but after consideration, decided to do that in the future and save money for New Zealand. I ended up just chilling and backing up photos on DVD. Lived cheap by eating 2 meat pies and a sausage roll for $3 AUD and 1L of Ginger beer for lunch.

I met a girl in my room from Montreal who had just stidued in Auckland for 7 months. She was on exchange from McGill and gave me some tips on travelling New Zealand. I swear she must've been the sister of this girl i know at Queen's named Maia.

I then went to BrisVegas (aka Brisbane) and I arrived on a party day, a random public holiday on August 15. While the weather was cooler, it was still agreable to me even with a light drizzle. I explored the downtown CBD area on my first day and had $2.25 dinner composed of 2 discount sushi rolls! Since it was a party day, I saw numerous drunk people by 2 pm and by 7 pm, many groups of partiers were streaming to the bars. Another Canadian traveller and I noticed that most of the women partying in BrisVegas loved to wear these dresses that were essentially silk short bathrobes with low necklines. This was quite a change from Singapore and Zanzibar!

The only notable incident on Day 1 was that I had a convo with a man frmo Taiwan on business. After helping him take a picture, he asked me where I was staying and after I told him I was at a hostel in a room of 8, he offered me a place to sleep since his company had booked a 2 floor loft with 4 rooms. While it might've been good intentions, I thought it sounded sketch and declined the offer politely.

Day 2: Sub of the day, spent half the day trying to reset my Easyweb password, walked about south bank, discount dinner, watched Pulp Fiction, bed.

Well, I am now headed to Christchurch, New Zealand via Auckland!
So long Oz.

Freaking Out In Brisbane remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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1. Accomodations: Sure, nothing's going to beat that $11 SD rooftop bed, but you can still get bargains. Of course, if you're like me, it might mean having your hostel be in King's Cross/Darlinghurst in the middle of the red light district. However, the rooms/beds were clean, location was excellent and staff incredibly friendly. Whats a few invitations to see a stripper or peep show? They're just being friendly!

2. Transportation: Bus? Monorail? Forget it. Walk! It's good exercise for you and a great way to immerse yourself into the local culture (especially that of the pimps in your neighbourhood).

3. Attractions: Why pay when you can do it for cheaper or free? With enough patience and dedication, you can see some gerat sights and get great photos for free. Smoe can be taken from the cheap ferry to/from Manly. But you want to get there early to get the good seats and bring warm clothes. The suckas are the ones who aren't prepared and have to go inside due to the cold halfway through.

4. Food: Sure food is expensive in Australia relatively to Singapore. However, if you go to big food courts like Meyers at 5-6 pm when many need to get rid of food, you can get great deals for $3!
I got rice and 2 dishes for $4 but after some sweet talking, $3 it was!

The cool dry weather has been a delight after spending so much time in heat and humidity. The new pants have come in handy and I can imagine myself maknig trips to Singapore in the future for food/shopping!

Spent my first day in Sydney walking about the Kings Cross/Darlinghurst/Victoria/Potts area.

Day 2: Visited the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and town centre.

Day 3: Went to Manly and walked about the beach front. The place felt like the toruist beach in Cali/L.A. or Malibu. Too many tourists for my liknig.

Overall, I've found Aussies to be very nice. However, I don't think I could settle here in the Gold Coast for the long term. I'd feel too relaxed. This patch of Oz is the perfect land for the hedonistic and unambitious. We'll see about Cairns and Brisbane!

How To Live Cheap In Sydney remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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===

I met up with Jill and Robin in the evening after arriving from the airport to Bugis station. We grabbed a chicken schwarma dinner in the Arab quarter and then went to see the Fountain of Wealth. We saw the laser show there and even a marriage proposal! We didn't hear the answer so my guess was that it was a negative! We finished the night by having a Singapore Sling (a type of alcoholic drink that was invented at the hotel we had the drink at) and it was only when the bill came that I realized the drink cost $20 Singapore Dollars ($16 CND) It would be funny later when I bought a pair of jeans for that price.

The next day, Jill and Robin went to the zoo and night safari so I explored the city on my own. I walked down the commercial centres of Orchard Street where I entered the Takashima and Ngee Ann complex. I had lunch there and bought 2 pair of pants for $50 Singapore Dollars, or $32 Canadian! It was strange being able to conduct my transactions in Mandarin and hearing Hakka and Taiwanese dialect being spoken there! I finished off the day by walking along the river, visited Clarke Quay and then Merlion park. It was at the mall/shop arcade across the street from the hostel that I found a shop with great cheap dark leather briefcases/messenger bags. I had gone there to hit some AC after having chicken Roti Prata at the restaurant beneath the hostel. There were numerous shops and restaurants in the plaza and as soon as I saw the simple designs and cheap prices, I was interested. The cute salesgirl might have helped too. Although, I knew my chances in Singapore were limited since earlier during the day, I'd gone up to a girl holding a cup of Big Gulps and said, "Big Gulps eh? Well, see you later!"

On the last day, I went and bought a nice dark leather messenger bag which I'll send back to Canada from Australia. Went to the airport and ate like a king at the employees food court (Thanks for the tip Jaka!) Then I took a flight to Sydney. I planned on writing this entry on the plane but was too busy talking to the Kiwi who saw next to me.

I really have a feeling I'm going to be "stuck" in New Zealand for a long time.
It's been good Singapore!

Singapore: The Fine City remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I haven't been back in Taiwan since leaving it the summer of 1995. While my parents and sisters have been back to visit, I haven't had the chance with school and summer work. Add to that the complications of my conscription service and 12 years have gone by.

In those 12 years, I've changed a lot. Grown up into the person I am today, graduated from University in Engineering and sprung up to the 6' tall 158 lbs man that I am today (which is almost 4-6" taller than the average Taiwanese man!)
Though I've left Taiwan early at the age of 5, my family and I moved back in 94-95 before the Quebec referendum. We didn't adjust that well and decided to move back to Canada, but this time Toronto instead of Montréal.

In that one year, I gained a lot of memories of my birth country and relatives I barely knew. After leaving and being away for so long, they were just names in a distant land to me. In a way, my embrace of the Canadian identity further increased the divide between my Canadian life and the one I left behind in Taiwan.

While my family and I have had a patchy relationship with our relatives back in Taiwan, people do say that blood is thicker than water. While memories may be suppressed, they cannot be forgotten. The sights, smells and people all brought them back one at a time.

The familiar face of my oldest aunt reminded me of the family gatherings we used to have. The dresser in my cousin's room reminded me of when we played hide-and-seek together 12 years ago. Riding on the moped with my uncle on the wrong side of the road reminded me of Taiwan's insane moped traffic. The smells of the night market reminded me of the endless cheap and diverse snacks that Taiwan is known for and that all Taiwanese people long for when away. Seeing my younger cousins all grown up and tall as well as new ones that I hadn't seen before reminded me of how much older I've become! Visiting the place where I sued to live in Taipei, I suddenly remembered a brown suit with red bow tie I once wore. My uncle laughed and dug out his wedding pictures that showed me and my cousin as ring bearers for my aunt/uncle's wedding 20 years ago. I forgot.

On visiting my great aunt, she remembered the nickname she called me all the time when she took care of me since she lived across the street from us in Taipei.

"Non goo", it means slow, dimwit.
The joke's on her though, I'm the first of this Tseng clan to graduate University and my grandma was pretty happy that I was nearly 1' taller than her grandson my age. My grandma is a simple and competitive woman.

I also visited the old family farm land which used to include a nice old home but it was sold, demolished and a retirement home was built in its place. I had great memories of playing in the creek nearby with my cousins and exploring the right wing of the home which was full of old stuff (including a big artillery shell my dad had brought back from the Army, he was an artillery sergeant) But all that remains of the Tsengs there was pieces of rice paddies, old friends and memories.

We met the old village chief and his wife there. As soon as she saw me, she said, "That's Tseng Pen-Chao's son. He's got his face." I am familiar with that exclamation and not ashamed (apparently, my dad was well sought after by the ladies in his younger days, something I thought was just my mom's exaggeration/boasting however my aunt and grandma did confirm that it was true).

My usual response: "I'd be worried if I didn't look like him!"
That always gets a few laughs.

On my last day in Taiwan, I spent it all in Taipei. I went to the (remarkably good) vegetarian buffet and then Taipei 101 tower. After the visit to great aunt, we went to the night market for me to have authentic Taiwanese food that I wouldn't have for a long time. Finished up with going to the wharf in Danshui and checking out the bridge. I spent the night at my dad's younger brother's place. He runs a bookstore with his wife and didn't get home till after 2 am when I'd already gone to bed. But I finally met the aunt that I'd never seen in the morning.

It's strange. For me, my family has always meant my dad, mom and sisters. The relatives in Taiwan were unknown strange people far far away. But now I realize, they are a link to my past and an integral part of my history and identity. Though I've spoken to them less than to my most disliked professors, there is a connection with them that transcends distances, countries, languages and culture.

Although I had given up on that connection, I would indeed like to renew and reconnect.

Thank you (for all the food) Taiwan!

Taiwan Memento: A Trip Down Memory Lane remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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===

My last full day in Tokyo was spent in the old and new part of Tokyo. I visited the area of Asakusa where I saw some pretty awesome shrines. I then tried to find some lens and filter for my camera at Akihabara, the Mecca of Electronics, but I was still undecided. I then went to the man made island of Odaiba where the architecture was ultra futuristic. I visited the Fuji TV complex which was confusing and highly entertaining. I then got a panoramic view of Tokyo from the observatory of the World Trade Center. It was a gorgeous view and I was the only one there at the time!

Finished off the day by walking around the wild and seedy part of Tokyo in north eastern Shinjuku. Yuki and I then had an amazing sushi dinner at a restaurant in Meguro. Since it was my last full day in Tokyo, we went to a chain pub nearby for drinks and some snacks (including friend chicken tendons, grilled meats!) The mango callpis was a great drink and I'll be looking for the ingredients back in Canada. As I wait for my next train, I'll try to summarize some thoughts about Japan.

Food: Heavenly. There are diverse options ranging from cheap $3-5 Bento lunches, quick chains that do great cheap combos of rice/noodles, meats, miso soup. There are also sushi bars ranging from cheap to exquisite. Yuki and I went to the Wall Street of Sushi, Tsukiji fish market, and had the freshest sushi possible. There were also various snacks like melon pan, grilled rice crackers and grape ice box to keep your taste buds exploring.

People: Incredibly polite, courteous, proper and civilized. In any other country, the massive amount of people in Tokyo would cause riots and higher levels of insanity. However, for Tokyo, it's just another day. People actually don't jaywalk, they're very respectful to elders and very helpful in any service.

Society/Culture: The work ethic/collectivist attitude of Japan is legendary. Their service is top notch. However, I believe the higher levels of emotional labour required also takes its toll. The high number of hours spent commuting can also be draining. Combined with the constant obsession with work, perhaps this can cause disillusionment to certain people. I believe that perhaps that's why anime, slot machines and adult material sold in many places are so prevalent. They are a form of escapism and desensitizers that stimulate a kind of need to feel. Perhaps that's why so many Japanese people travel, to escape the stability and monotony of their lives, or they just like to travel.

Being in Japan has been an amazing experience. To see how a society manages to cram 30M people in the Tokyo area and not have everyone go insane is an achievement only the Japanese could accomplish. While it may seem like a technological utopia, it isn't perfect. But it may be humanity's closest attempt.

I would definitely love to revisit this country in the future and maybe live/work here for a period of time. Who knows?
I want to thank Yuki A LOT for all the help and hospitality. It would have been much harder for me to do it on my own (and a lot more expensive!) It was also really good to see an old friend from a place I miss so much and talk about old times.

That's all from the Land of the Rising Sun!

Going Back to the Motherland remains copyright of the author NomadicOne, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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