(Disclaimer: This is my personal experience with having PRK/TSA eye surgery done in Calgary, Alberta. I am in no way a doctor nor am I recommending you get the surgery. This is a very personal decision and you should absolutely seek the advice of a professional before making any decisions.) 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve worn glasses. I’m not sure exactly when I was prescribed glasses but it was definitely in the early years of elementary school. They started off as big ugly things. Big glasses that stand out in pictures and make me cringe when I see those photos now. Slowly, they became smaller and smaller, but still relatively ugly. Eventually, I also tried out contacts, but due to my strong astigmatism, they were expensive and not very comfortable.

Eventually, as I got into high school, college, and university, my glasses got more stylish. I didn’t love them but I didn’t mind them too much. I guess I just grew into them. However, the one thing I always hated about glasses is that they got in the way of everything I did.

Playing hockey, I never had full vision. I didn’t like contacts and I couldn’t wear glasses under my helmet.

Scuba diving, I never had full vision. Contacts were a pain and very expensive.

Kissing my wife, they were always in the way. They’d jab into her head or the lenses would get mucked up.

It didn’t matter what it was, they were in the way. They’d get dirty. They might get bent or break. I really hated having to wear them and contacts were even worse because they made my eyes so dry.

Bring on PRK Surgery – Part 1

For years and years, I asked about Lasik eye surgery but due to my strong astigmatism, it wasn’t an option. Eventually, I gave up on asking and succumbed to the glasses. Then in 2017, I bumped into someone who was telling me about their experience with PRK surgery. This is a bit different than Lasik surgery but typically done by the same doctors. This guy was telling me that he had the surgery done despite his strong astigmatism. I was intrigued.

Has technology improved? Maybe I could finally get laser surgery!

I immediately did some research for Lasik eye doctors in my home city. One of them offered a free consultation, which means they give you all the eye tests to determine if you’re a candidate, free of charge.

Sounds like a great deal to me!

So, I booked myself in and went for my appointment. After a couple of hours of various tests, I was told that I was indeed a candidate for Lasik eye surgery. I asked if PRK surgery would be a better fit and they said no. Since PRK surgery has a much longer recovery time, they told me not to bother with it. I agreed and signed up for the surgery.

Then I backed out…

The day of surgery came. I was so nervous that I didn’t even sleep the night before. After all, frikkin laser beams were going to go into my eyeballs. It’s kind of scary and sight is so important to living an amazing life.

But it wasn’t the fear that caused me to back out. It was because, on the morning of the surgery, the nurse who was seeing me beforehand told me something different than what I was told in my initial consultation. Basically, the vision I was going to get wasn’t as good as I was told. This made me nervous. Why would the tests reveal different things? Maybe my eyes were dry from lack of sleep. Either way, I wasn’t sold anymore. Plus, I had a 150-day Canada road trip coming up and I didn’t want to have problems with that.

Flash forward to 2018.

After a successful multi-media road trip to experience the best things to do in Canada, I came back wanting the surgery even more. This time, however, I sought out a smaller clinic that had all 5-star reviews. I put hours and hours of research into the surgery, the clinic, and even the doctor who would be performing the surgery itself.

I went in for another free consultation and this time I felt much better. I was told my eyesight would actually be better than I was told the first time.

And this time, they mentioned PRK/TSA (I’ll explain what TSA is at the bottom of this article). They didn’t say PRK was mandatory for me, but they did say it might be the slightly safer option. It was also $1,000 cheaper.

PRK Eye Surgery – Part 2

I got the surgery on February 8th, 2018. This time, I didn’t feel as nervous. It was still scary, but I felt much more at ease. I also emailed the clinic dozens of times asking various questions to ease my anxious mind prior to the big day.

I went into the clinic early in the morning and went through the eye tests again to make sure nothing had changed. This time, all was good. Eventually, I was brought into the operating room where I was laid down onto a bed with the laser machine over my head.

The doctor came in and explained what the procedure would entail before putting some numbing drops into my eyes. Once they were numb, he took a cloth to clean my eyes. Everything about laser eye surgery is clean. Obviously, no one wants an eye infection! I remember this part of the surgery so well because it was like my eyes had become windows. As the doctor rubbed away any excess dirt with this cloth, I couldn’t feel anything. I could literally see the cloth rubbing my eyes the same way someone washes a window. Yet, I couldn’t feel anything. It was so strange.

Finally, he started up the laser and began the procedure. From what I understand, PRK surgery is quite different from Lasik surgery when it comes to the laser. For my mom, for example, she had Lasik surgery and said that once her flap was opened, everything went black and it felt like she was blind. That sounds terrifying. For me, that didn’t happen at all. I just looked at this laser over my eye, watching it make weird designs. I could smell the burning of flesh. Supposedly, this is the smell of the laser itself. I don’t know. It just smelt like burning. Either way, I didn’t feel anything and after just two minutes and four seconds, my life was changed.

Imagine that. 62 seconds per eye. That’s it.

I was amazed when the doctor said it was all over.

Really? That’s it?

I was then moved to another room where a nurse and the doctor would come to check up on me. Once I was approved to go, I had to slip on dark sunglasses, which I would need to get back home. Obviously, I wasn’t able to drive, so my parents picked me up.

What is PRK?  PRK VS LASIK

Basically, Lasik surgery cuts a flap in the outermost layer of your eye. Once the flap is lifted, the laser corrects the cornea. Then the flap is placed back down, and within a day, you typically have full vision. With PRK/TSA, the outermost layer of the eye is removed entirely by laser. Then the correction is made. And then glass contacts are put in your eyes to protect them from the elements while the outermost layer grows back on its town. This takes 7-10 days, which is why the recovery is much longer.

In addition, PRK doesn’t cut as deep into that outermost layer, which allows for further surgeries down the road if needed. I don’t know if there’s an exact number but typically with Lasik, you can get one additional surgery down the road, and with PRK/TSA, you can get three. Also, once healed, PRK is much more stable than Lasik surgery because there is no flap. The downside is a full 7-10 days of little vision. Plus, some people have a lot of discomfort over that week, requiring painkillers and other medications.

Still, after all the research I had done, I decided to go with PRK surgery, especially due to the new advanced TSA procedure. I figured the 7-10 recovery time was worth it for the safety of it all. Plus, I had dealt with glasses for more than 20 years. 7-10 days? Piece of cake.

What is TSA? 

The PRK surgery I had is called TSA. (You can learn more about it here.) It’s an advanced form of PRK and might be the reason I had very few problems afterward. TSA stands for Touchless Surface Ablation. This is the most advanced and proven form of PRK laser eye surgery treatment. What happens is the outermost layer of the cornea is removed using a unique laser algorithm before reshaping the cornea with an excimer laser. For me, this was done using the Schwind Smart SurfACE. This offers a faster technique and a quicker healing response.

From what I understand, it was the most advanced eye surgery I could have had done and when it comes to your eyes, only go for the best!

PRK Recovery Time

With Lasik surgery, most people are back at work the next day. For PRK surgery, you need at least one week, if not more. For seven days or more, you literally can’t see very much. My vision was incredibly blurry, like looking through an oily glass. I wasn’t able to be around any bright lights, including the outdoor sun and the indoor TV. At nighttime, I had to tape plastic shields to each eye to make sure my fingers didn’t scratch my eyes while I slept. I had to put multiple drops in my eyes every 15 minutes. It really is a lot of work and life is really boring when you have no vision. It really makes you appreciate being able to see.

I wasn’t able to read. I wasn’t able to look at a phone. I wasn’t able to go on the computer or watch TV. I wasn’t able to go outside. Nada.

All I did was lie around and listen to podcasts and music.

However, I had no pain! No pain or discomfort whatsoever. I didn’t even take one Tylenol T3. So, I can’t complain! Some people have major headaches for many days after surgery. For me, it was a breeze.

My PRK surgery cost was $4,000 CDN. This includes lifetime treatment if they need to re-do my eyes and all my follow-ups for life. PRK cost is not cheap but it’s a life changer. Plus, I don’t need to buy glasses anymore or deal with contacts and solution. At the same time, my cost of eye drops has gone up a lot. I’ve always had dry eyes but nothing like they are now. They aren’t terrible but because I buy non-preservative drops, they cost $15 per little bottle. One bottle lasts me one month. For the first six months after surgery, I was using one bottle per week, so it was getting expensive.

PRK Surgery Recovery

Short details:

• Recovery takes 7-10 days with little vision during that time.
• You must tape eye shields over your eyes when sleeping.
• You must put all sorts of drops in your eyes during the healing period, with some drops going in every 15 minutes!
• You must rest and take it easy.

As mentioned above, the general recovery time is 7-10 days. For me, I had no pain but others do have migraines for many days after. However, your vision will not stabilize for approximately six months to one year. For me, my vision would be good one week and blurry the next. It was very, very frustrating and sometimes I questioned my decision. The only discomfort I had was due to the glass contacts you MUST wear for one week. This protects your eye because the first layer has been removed and needs to grow back.

My biggest fear came after month one. I went into an eye doctor and he said I still had some astigmatism and that my vision was close to 20/40, which meant I might need glasses for driving. I was saddened. All that money and all that risk and I’ll need glasses already? What a disappointment. However, he said my vision could change and that I should come back again in one more month. When I went back the second time, my eyes had changed shape and I was now seeing 20/20 with one eye and 20/15 with both eyes! Imagine that! My vision was better than 20/20. He said he had never seen that before. I had no astigmatism now!

So you really need to be patient during the first six months. You might have clear vision by month one and blurry vision by month two. It sucks, but they’ll tell you this upfront. Just trust the doctor and keep monitoring your eyes at each visit.

My PRK surgery experience was great. It was fast and efficient. My life changed in just over two minutes. No more glasses. No more contacts. I can now wear sunglasses without a prescription. I can play hockey with full vision. I can go skiing with full vision. I can wake up and see right away without having to reach for my glasses. Actually, funny enough, I kept reaching for my glasses for the first few months. Old habits!

Basically, I now say what most people say after having eye surgery. I wish I had done it sooner!

***

Common questions I get about laser eye surgery

Does laser eye surgery hurt?

No, not at all. I can only speak for myself, but I didn’t feel anything. The only time I felt some pain was during the first week of recovery when I had to wear glass contacts. But it was minimal.

How long does Lasik take?

My PRK surgery took 62 seconds per eye. That’s for the actual surgery part. The visit is a couple of hours in length.

What advice do you have for getting laser eye surgery?

I am not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination. Please do your research, go for free consultations, and even visit an eye specialist. Ask friends and family if they’ve had it done and then choose only the best operations. Do not go for something that’s cheap. Go for the best reviews, the best doctor, and the best treatment centre. This is your eyes!

Are you thinking about getting eye surgery? Have you had it? Let me know in the comments below!

India had always been a place I wanted to visit, partly because I’m just so attracted to places that are so wildly different than my home country of Canada. India is one of those places and in fact, very few countries contrast with my homeland so heavily. With a population of fewer than 40 million people and a landmass that’s the second largest in the world, Canada is about as wild and free as one can get. India, on the other hand, has a population of more than one billion people and is 3-4x smaller. This, combined with mass poverty, means extremely high pollution, congestion, and a not-so-clean environment. On the other hand, their deeply long history and culture is so riveting to experience and is so incredibly colourful and entertaining.

Our experience there was similar to what many other experience in India. We loved parts, hated parts, and were challenged in various ways. Most travellers will say you’re guaranteed to get sick on your first visit to India, and while we didn’t get very sick in the country itself, we did bring home a parasite, which took a month to get rid of. We saw some incredibly beautiful historical sites, met some wonderful people, went on many adventures, and ran into a fair number of scams. Let’s start with Delhi, one of India’s most populated cities.

Delhi, “Demons”, and Our First Taste of India

We arrived late in the evening. Thankfully, I had read some blogs beforehand and was recommended to contact our hotel and have them send a driver to the airport. This turned out to be one of the greatest tips we could have received, as it avoided one of the biggest scams plaguing Delhi visitors. Our driver was waiting with our names written on cardboard, and we spotted him as soon as we grabbed our bags. We then scurried into his small truck, though not before getting ripped off on a SIM card at the airport (hint: don’t buy a SIM card at the airport). We then made our way to our hotel for the night. Located on a street that looked like a very seedy area by Canadian standards, we met the owners, got our room key, ordered some food, and tried to rest. Unfortunately, there was some sort of festival going on outside and all of a sudden, a firecracker went off so loud that it shook our bedroom. My rib-cage literally vibrated as my heart began to beat fast. It took us by surprise and it sounded like a bomb. They kept coming and coming and coming, all night long. For a while, we took amusement to it, but when it’s all noise and no colours, it’s less tolerable. I really thought our room window was going to shatter at some point. They were that loud. With so many beliefs, it was likely one of the many festivals you’ll stumble upon when visiting. Welcome to India!

In the morning, we woke up, ordered some breakfast from the hotel, and decided to buy our train tickets before exploring Delhi. Having been told that trains can sell out, we wanted to make sure we had them for our hopeful departure three days from now. This is another area where most travellers get scammed and so with the advice of our hotel, we jumped in a rickshaw and told the man to bring us to the government tourist office where we were told we could buy train tickets. After agreeing to a price, we jumped in and began our journey. As the bike approached a busier street, a tuk-tuk screeched in and closed us off. He jumped out and began yelling at our driver. He then approached us and said that this man was trying to scam us. He then pulled out a map and showed us where the tourist office was and that our rickshaw driver was taking us somewhere else. In all honesty, we had no idea what was happening, but we took his word for it and jumped in with him. A few minutes later, we rolled up to a more posh side of the city and low and behold, a government tourist office was there, just as noted on the map.

Phew. For a moment, we almost got scammed…or so we thought. As we walked into the tourist office, we noticed other travellers sitting at desks discussing travel plans as testimonials, written in pen and marker, decorated the walls around us. So far, it seemed legit. We went into an office and met with one of the sales reps. We sat down and told him that we were looking for a train ticket to Agra and then from Agra to Jaipur. The agent told us that the train was sold out and that we would need a private car, which would cost around $200 USD.

RED FLAG.

Just like that, we knew this was a scam. He then proceeded to try and book our whole 30-day trip for us. As he talked and talked, I looked at my wife and gave her the reassuring look that I knew what was happening. We both knew this guy was trying to pull one over on us. Luckily, with over 30 countries under our belt, we’re not easy to fool. Rather than cause controversy, however, I just politely told the man that we would think about it and come back. My wife, on the other hand, began to share how she felt about the situation, but I stopped her before it got too heated. As we stepped outside, I couldn’t believe that this massive tourist office, which even had a mark on the map, was nothing more than one giant scam, ripping tourists off for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

For our ride back to the hotel, we chose to avoid the tuk-tuk, even though he had the nerve to wait there for us. Instead, we walked back to our hotel, which took over an hour. Along the way, we had taxi’s trying to stop for our business, but with the day we were having, we decided to continue walking. Once back at the hotel, we continued to ask both locals and tourists where we buy train tickets until someone finally said to just go to the train station, which was walking distance from our hotel. It was disappointing that our own hotel didn’t even tell us this, but I guess they were part of the problem.

We Made It To The Train Station

After walking a few blocks, there it was. The train station was right in front of us. We let out a sigh of relief, thinking our troubles were over. As we approached the main gate, some men who looked like guards locked their arms and said we weren’t allowed to go by. One of them asked for our ticket, and when we said we didn’t have one yet, he told us we couldn’t go by. He said that this entrance was only for ticket holders. Another man came and said he’d show us the way to the ticket office. We followed him around the building, thinking that he was bringing us to a different part of the train station. Instead, we arrived at his tuk-tuk, where he showed us a map with the same scammy government tourist office. Now we were pissed off. We said we had already been tricked once and weren’t about to be tricked again. We began walking back to the main gate as he tried to talk us out of it. We told him to leave us alone. Once at the gate, the guards tried to block us again but this time we forced our way through, using our arms to break their “arm-chain” and get them out of our way. It turns out that these were just scammers blocking the entrance and not guards at all. What makes it even crazier is that the real guards were standing right behind them. They didn’t bat an eye. Everyone is part of the problem. 

Finally, we walked into the train station, walked upstairs, and found the actual ticket office, which had plenty of tourists sitting around. We then waited for our turn and eventually bought our train tickets for the exact ticket price. As we waited, however, we sat next to other travellers and told them our story. Just by chance, the first couple we spoke to were also from Calgary, our home city in Alberta, Canada. As we shared our crazy story with them, they shared theirs as well, which was far worse than ours.

Our story became an adventure. Theirs became a nightmare.

Just like us, they arrived late to the airport a couple of nights earlier. Unlike us, they did not pre-arrange the taxi and instead relied on one at the airport. This was a big mistake. As the taxi brought them into Delhi, they reached a roadblock. The taxi stopped and rolled down its windows to see what was happening. A man who looked like a police officer came up to the window and said that there had been a terrorist attack and that all the streets into downtown Delhi were closed. The taxi explained the situation to the couple and mentioned another hotel he could bring them to. They seemed unsure of the matter and wanted to call their hotel. This is where their second mistake occurred. They asked the taxi to phone their hotel. Instead of calling the actual hotel, he called a friend who pretended to be the hotel. This friend told the couple that the road was closed and that the hotel was unreachable. Being 2 a.m., the couple decided to take the taxi’s offer and go to the new hotel. Just to make it clear, this entire event was a scam. There was no actual roadblock and there was no terrorist attack. Everyone was in on it. The couple paid for their main hotel in advance and did not even arrive. Instead, they paid for a new hotel, which was organized by the taxi driver for a cut of the profits.

But that’s not it. A similar scam convinced this couple the next day to buy a private taxi to Agra, skipping the train that they had already purchased tickets for! That same “terrorist attack” had shut down the train lines, so the couple went with the recommended option – a private taxi – which was charged at a rate of 4x of what one should pay. They lost about $300 with this one scam.

Crazy.

Long story short, we were relieved that we did not fall for any of it. Hopefully, they won’t fall for it again either.

We Were Cautious But There’s Always An Angel

Over the next couple of days, we were much more cautious with anything we were doing. Whether it was a local giving us advice or a simple taxi ride, we made sure to get our information from various sources before making a decision. For example, we almost got scammed again when a taxi told us that a certain street was closed due to a festival. He wanted to bring us somewhere else. “Somewhere” that was giving him a commission. Since our “red flag” radars went off, we decided to ask around and low and behold, there was no festival! You really have to be careful and be cautious about who you trust. On the plus side, we didn’t experience anything dangerous. It’s just about money.

However, there’s always “angels” as well and I want to emphasize that no matter where you go, there are people who generally care about you, even though you’re a stranger. Over the next 30 days, we experienced a variety of loving souls who didn’t want any money. They just wanted to help another fellow human try to experience their country. For example, when waiting at the train station, we learned that our train would be delayed 10 hours. That’s a long time and the train stations in India are not like the ones in developed countries. There’s not really any stores or restaurants or chairs. We knew in advance to pack snacks, but an older man did approach us and asked if we were hungry. We couldn’t communicate much with him, but he called me over and ended up walking with me outside to find a food cart and get some bananas. He generally cared for our well-being and simply wanted to make sure we had food. I’ll go into this more of these heartwarming stories in part 2.

Thankfully, Delhi was the biggest of our problems. Once we left Delhi, the scams became less of a problem, though being overcharged always presented itself in some form. Still, Delhi is a hotbed of culture and offers a lot of things to see and do. We explored the history of the city with places like the India Gate and the Old Fort, as well as Delhi’s new modern side, which included a visit to the beautiful Lotus Temple. We ate at popular local restaurants even though we questioned every bite, and walked around some of the oldest areas of the city, getting ourselves accustomed to the country we’d be exploring for the next 30 days.

All in all, it was an exhausting start to the adventure, but something we were happy to get out of the way. After a few days, It was time to make our way to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal – one of the most beautiful places in India and the main thing to do in Agra, India.

***

Did you like this story? Have you been to India?

Back in 2012, my wife and I spent an entire year in Southeast Asia and China. I completed my last semester of university in Malaysia through a partnership with my university in Canada, and we decided to take the additional 6+ months to visit Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, and Myanmar. We loved every single country in different ways but Myanmar really stood out. In fact, we had only 21 days to play around with and it was between Vietnam and Myanmar. It was a tough decision but because we had heard that Myanmar was on the verge of change, we decided to go there before that happened. I’m so glad we did because that experience stands out so much and became one of our best travel experiences ever.

Myanmar was so “off the grid”. One thing that’s easier now is preparing for your trip with Myanmar visa. When we went, we had to do it in Bangkok at the embassy. There was also no ATM’s in the country when we visited and visitors had to bring in all the money they think they would need, which had to be mint-conditioned US currency, no later than 2006 at the time. I remember walking up to a money exchange place in Bangkok, and after telling him where we were going, he had to open a “Special drawer”, which contained the money I would need in Myanmar. That was the beginning of a truly unique trip that can never be replicated, simply because the country has changed so much since then.

I remember so many experiences from Myanmar, which included having a beer with some random teenagers at night while biking back to our guesthouse, going on what seemed like a never-ending day of mishaps to the famous Golden Rock, peddling our bikes around hundreds of ancient temples, and hiking through villages to get to beautiful Inle Lake. While the landscapes and history added to our experience, it was the extreme kindness of the people that really stood out. It was very special.

I haven’t been back since then but I’ve heard that it had changed quite a bit. Not a lot of people go to Myanmar – at least not in the numbers of places like Thailand and Indonesia, but one of my friends, Dustin Main, loved it so much when he first visited that he now operates his own tours there. He also does professional photography of the country, documenting it as it changes each and every year. I thought it would be cool to ask Dustin some questions and to get another perspective from someone else who loves Myanmar as much as we do.

Introducing Dustin Main…

When did you take your first trip to Myanmar and what inspired the visit?

I had planned a trip to Myanmar in 2010, but unfortunately, it fell through and it wasn’t until a year later that I finally stepped foot in the country.

That first visit was only a couple of hours long on a Visa Run from Chiang Mai Thailand, but just crossing that river dividing the two countries and spending a short amount of time in that border town, I knew there was something special.  I could feel it.  I sometimes refer to it like this: I just had this sense that there was adventure around every corner.

Many people visit countries, including Myanmar, but don’t return. What inspired you to return so many times and even start doing photography tours?

After that experience, I immediately began planning my first big trip to the country, and a couple of months later it happened.  I found the country endlessly fascinating, and those early adventures quickly paved the way for more.  Knowing I’d be returning, again and again, I wanted to have something to show for it when all was said and done. That is how my documentary photography project This Myanmar Life came to be.

I quickly had many friends and family members who wanted to come and experience what I was so enthusiastic about, so I decided to put together a unique experience unlike the usual “tour” most find themselves on, to really try and get to the heart of this place through food, festivals, and photography.  I call it the Un-Tour to Myanmar.

I’ve been fortunate to photograph and teach photography so much in the country in the past few years (I’m working on two books coming out it 2019), that it was a no-brainer to incorporate that as part of the tour as well.

When people ask you about Myanmar, what’s one of the stories that always gets told?

I have so many to pull out of my hat that it really depends on who I’m talking to.  Is it Shell, the former political prisoner who has dedicated much of his life to fighting for democracy, hearing all he’s given up, and how having his first child has changed things for him?  What about Daw Tin Tin Hla, who spends nearly all of her income as a seamstress to help stray dogs and cats in her city, going to the market to buy dried fish and medications to help heal their infections?

What about what it feels like to witness the sunrise over thousand-year-old temples on the Bagan plains?

Or maybe I’ll just talk about the food, which has a bit of a bad reputation thanks to some lazy travel writers in years past, but I assure you is incredible.  So many unique dishes, featuring interesting tastes and textures, with influences from neighbours India, Thailand, and China.  It’s something you’ll start to hear about more, especially if you’re hanging out with me, haha!

We went to Myanmar in 2012 because we were told it was changing rapidly. I’m glad we did because when we were there, there wasn’t even an ATM machine. We had to bring in mint-condition, almost-new American dollars. What are some of the changes you’ve seen in the last 5+ years?

My documentary work actually centers around change, be it political, cultural, economic and social, so this is a big interest of mine.

Economic sanctions weren’t lifted until 2013, and that had kept many large international companies from entering the country.

One of the most interesting changes has to do with mobile phones. 4 years ago, the cost of a SIM card would be in the hundreds of dollars, much more expensive than most citizens could ever afford. This changed in 2014 when two foreign mobile phone providers launch service in the country.

Seemingly overnight, the country went from virtually no one having mobile phones, to a large percentage of the population.  It was one of the fastest growth rates for mobile phones of any country in the world. This one thing has completely changed how people in Myanmar communicate and access information.  Facebook is essentially “the internet” in Myanmar.

That said, you still won’t find many International restaurants like McDonald’s KFC or Starbucks in Myanmar.  I don’t mind   

At the end of one of your tours, what do the people often say about the visit?

“A deep and rewarding experience.”

“Like I was really getting to know a country, and not just passing by.”

“We really got to know people and get different perspectives on where Myanmar has been and where it’s going.  It gives context for so many of the places we went.  This trip has been full of surprises and far exceeded anything I could have imagined.”

Those are all quotes from past clients and reading them gives me the biggest smile.

(Note: these are all reviews from Dustin’s tours at dustinmain.com)

For a first time visit, what would you tell someone NOT to miss?

Plan to visit at a time when a festival is going on.  There are some absolutely incredible ones, and my favorite is the Fire Balloon Festival in Taunggyi over Tazaungdaing (Oct / Nov full moon).

(Note from Matt: If you’re not there during a festival, there’s still so many things to do in Myanmar. One of the top things to do in Yangon is to visit the Shwedagon Temple. It’s incredibly beautiful. Even walking around the historic core, which is crumbling to the ground, is an enriching experience. Then, of course, there’s Bagan, the most famous area of the country. Anyone looking for what to do in Myanmar will stumble upon the thousands of temples lining the dusty fields of Bagan. Rent a bike and peddle to as many as you can. Take a hike to Inle Lake or just show up there and go for a boat tour. I’ll write up another article soon about things to do in Burma.)

Afghan music playing in the background, I sit here writing as a gopher sneaks by. In front of me, Afghan and Mexican ladies dance to both Afghan and latino music. A war is brewing but it hasn’t arrived yet. In fact, It’s probably the only time that innocent villagers hope the war comes. We actually hope that the guns will start shooting and the tanks will roll in at any minute.

We hope for this because this is just a training scenario; a $30,000,000 training scenario for the Canadian military in which I am a simple actor…an “extra” so to speak. There are no cameras, however, and none of us are allowed phones or any electronic devices in the field. It’s relatively top secret and will determine the suitability of whether the soldiers will go overseas or not. I first heard about the exercise back in 2011 when my wife was searching for Spanish-related jobs. Since these training scenarios are to train the military for overseas operations, the villagers cannot speak English. This is why they try to recruit people with a second language. That’s also why I am just an “extra”, adding “population” to the various villages set up across a vast amount of land near Wainwright, Alberta. I only speak English and therefore, I cannot speak to the soldiers.

Sometimes, however, I do get to have fun. I’ve had the opportunity to do special effects, where I’m dressed up as a soldier and injured with wounds such as a bullet in my throat, a bullet through my stomach, and various other “traumatic” events. I’m then “rescued” by the military and their paramedics, and put into a LAV (similar to a tank), or another mode of transportation. The effects are insanely realistic looking. Bullet holes, head gashes, broken bones, and other severe injuries are created just like they’re done in Hollywood movies. Some people literally get sick just looking at it.

Some of my most memorable moments during these exercises have been flying in a Chinook helicopter to another city and then flying back in an American Black Hawk. It was such an incredible experience to ride inside these amazing aircrafts. How many people can say they’ve gone for a ride in a Black Hawk or a Chinook helicopter?

And that’s just it. Not many people can say that. Not many people can say they’ve been involved in a very realistic military training exercise and have heard horror stories from people who have actually be involved in the war in Afghanistan or have dealt with the terrorism caused by someone like Pablo Escobar in Colombia. Not many people can say they’ve been to 38 countries, either.

I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences in life, much too many to list here. Some of them include working on a sheep farm in Australia, acting in a movie, scuba diving with sharks, taking a shower at 40,000 feet during a first class flight from Dubai to Houston, jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet, speaking about personal development in front of 400 people, driving across Canada for 150 days, bungy jumping off of a bridge, climbing volcanoes, sleeping in hammocks in the Colombian jungle, and so forth. I married a Mexican girl and rescued a Cuban street dog. I’ve driven a motorbike throughout Southeast Asia and got an anchor through my foot in Cambodia, the same country that I ate a tarantula in. I also startled a group of wild silverback gorillas in Uganda, which was pretty unnerving. Then again, it was probably more dangerous when I fed a wild hyena with my mouth in Harar, Ethiopia. Who knows? Perhaps it was even more dangerous to fly over Burning Man in a little 4-seater Cessna wearing only my boxers while sitting next to a Navy Seal. Okay, maybe not, the Navy Seal would have protected me. Right?

You know what’s more dangerous though?

Not doing anything.

What is life if it’s not spent doing things that interest you and excite you? If you’re not putting yourself in at least some form of “danger”, are you really living? One of my biggest fears throughout life has been to wake up one day when I’m 75 and saying, “shit, I wish I done that”. That fear isn’t so strong anymore, but it was one of the fears that drove me to do so much with my life.

A lot of people ask how they can become an interesting person. Entire books have even been written on the subject. It’s really quite simple. To become an interesting person, you have to do interesting things. By doing exciting, interesting, and cool things, you’ll develop lots of REAL entertaining stories; shit you couldn’t possibly make up. Then, when you meet people, these stories will naturally come out, and suddenly, people will wonder who the heck you are and how you’ve managed to do such amazing things. Hopefully, you’ll also become better at listening to other people’s stories because you’ll realize that everyone living has had something interesting happen in their lives. Everyone. Even if they are relatively boring, you’ll be able to find something cool about them.

I’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more experiences, baby. Okay, that’s not nearly as funny as Will Ferrell saying “more cowbell, baby”, but it’s basically how I feel every day. I have this insatiable desire to experience everything, or almost everything, at least once. It’s been a driving force of mine since I was maybe 16, although it really only blossomed around the age of 24. In fact, I didn’t even know it was a desire until I reached my early twenties and began to try new things more often.

The first time I realized that I had become an interesting person was at a meetup I was attending in Calgary. It was a meetup filled with writers and creative types. As a writer, I had gone to meet more writers, and as we discussed life, my stories naturally came out. They would then continue to ask questions, which would bring up more stories. Suddenly, more people had joined the circle wanting to hear about my travels and adventures. Then it clicked; I was interesting.

So that’s it. All you have to do to become a naturally interesting person is to do cool things. Do things that interest you. Get out of your comfort zone. Get out of the house. Get out of your city. Perhaps, get out of your country. Go explore. Challenge yourself. Accomplish things. Meet other cool people. Hear their stories. Dare yourself. Explore your surroundings.

Live your life to the fullest. You only get one.

Live Limitless.

Back in November of 2017, my wife and I went to Cuba, a place I had long wanted to visit. Its uniqueness, history with revolution and communism, and relatively closed-relationship with much of the world had always piqued my interest. I love visiting places that are so different than my home country. We went for just over two weeks, which proved to be a little too long in the end. Maybe its because my wife is from Mexico, or because we’ve travelled a lot through Latin America, or maybe just due to the overall cost of traveling around Cuba, but we were somewhat disappointed.

We still had a good time. We loved exploring Havana. We loved dancing in Trinidad. We loved meeting locals and hearing their stories, albeit through my wife as I don’t know enough Spanish. But it just wasn’t a place we fell in love with. Foreigners are charged excessively compared to locals. We felt like $-signs sometimes. The food is very bland and for anything more than bland, the prices are on par with Canada, the USA, and Europe. We enjoyed our time there but had no intentions of returning.

But then we did return, thanks to a street dog we named Cheerio. Cuba is full of street dogs – friendly little animals that have been given up by their so-called owners. Forced to fend for themselves, they tend to cherish foreigners who aren’t used to seeing street dogs and therefore show more love and affection than locals do.

Seeing street dogs breaks my heart. After all, it’s doubtful that they’ll live very long. With dangers such as cars, starvation, disease, and “government control”, life on the streets is often short-lived for a canine. I wish I could help them all but just like global hunger and pollution, there’s not too much I can do on a large scale. So, in terms of street dogs and cats, we usually try to give them a treat or some water, give them a little love, and then bid them farewell.

That is until we met Cheerio in Cienfuegos, Cuba. As we walked through Parque Jose Marti, this little dog ran up to us, so excited, wagging her whole bum in the process. It was the first time a street dog approached us so cheerfully, looking for some affection.

Like others, we gave her some love and then went on with our day. Around 8-10 hours later, while walking around a different part of the city, Cheerio found us again. This time, we both ran to each other. She lied on her back and we petted her belly. We had no food but we gave her some love once again and then walked back to our guesthouse, which was about 10-12 blocks away. This time, however, she followed us all the way back. It was now nighttime, and once she got to the door of our guesthouse, we gave her another pet and then the homeowner shooed her away. She was such an adorable dog, and we felt bad that we couldn’t do anything, but our next flight was to Mexico and we were leaving in just a couple of days.

I felt really sad that night knowing that little Cheerio (and all the other dogs we had seen, for that matter) was on the street, neglected by all those around them. The only difference between this and other times is that the sadness didn’t go away. In Mexico, I was thinking about her. In Canada, I was thinking about her. As months went by, I couldn’t stop thinking about Cheerio.

Finally, roughly four months later, I decided to do something about it. By sheer luck, we had managed to take one single photo of Cheerio lying down in the park where we first found her in. So, we contacted the guesthouse that we had stayed in and ask if she could try and find her. We also contacted a painter that we had bought a small painting off of. His email was on the back of the painting. We also asked him to look for her. At this point, I had no idea what I was going to do when or if they found her, but I had to do something. I even went on to TripAdvisor and found tourists willing to look for her on their next trip to Cienfuegos. Then, I found a group on Facebook that helps rescue street dogs in Cuba. I was then put in touch with a lady in Toronto that helps facilitate pet adoptions in Cuba. She told me that they had never done this before in Cienfuegos but that she knew of an organization there that she could reach out to.

This small organization was started by a foreigner who uses GoFundMe to raise money. He then rescues dogs, treats them, and hopes to find someone to take them. He had approximately 150 of them already but as usual, it’s hard to find people who want street dogs, even though they are healthy. I sent the photo I had taken of Cheerio and explained the two areas we had seen her in. He told me that there was a very low chance of finding a dog after four months as they’ve most likely run off somewhere else or have died due to a variety of causes, the most likely being a government killing squad. Weeks and weeks went by and I had heard nothing.

Then, I got an incredible email. THEY FOUND HER!

I couldn’t believe it. I asked them to send a photo. It was obviously her. It was such a relief to know she was still alive. They checked her health and found that she was not pregnant. She did, however, have a uterus infection that would have killed her very soon. Had we not asked them to find her, she wouldn’t have had many days left. They removed her uterus, treated her, and kept her safe. The organization that already had 150 dogs in their possession now had Cheerio as well.

Now, another difficult part. We had to figure out what to do. We had no intentions of having a dog. After all, we travel a lot. But we just couldn’t leave this little angel behind. Next, we got an email that the government had found out about this organization, and for no reason whatsoever, expelled the foreigner out of the country. The 150 dogs were now in jeopardy and one of the volunteers took Cheerio to their house. Time was now of the essence.

Next thing you know, my wife, dad, and I were flying to Cuba to bring a little dog back to Canada. Since we had flown all the way to Cuba, we took a week to show my dad some of our favourite areas such as Havana and Trinidad before going to Cienfuegos to get Cheerio.

It was so exciting to see her again. We had just one day to get to know her before giving her a full day of trauma – putting her in a kennel for the first time, having her inside a taxi with us, having her fly all the way to Canada in the bottom of an airplane, and then introducing her to a new country. Surprisingly, she did quite well. She’s just such a lovely dog. In fact, it’s her calm demeanor and cheerful attitude that captured our hearts in the first place.

We’ve since given her a grooming, had a vet give her the needed shots and bought her her very first bed. She loved it so much that she immediately dug her head right into the corner of it. Even as I write this post, she is lying in her bed. She knows it’s hers and she appreciates it greatly.

We’ve also changed her name to Maya. It was a tough choice as I loved the name Cheerio as well but it seems my wife and others like the shorter name of Maya more. She’s a very timid dog. It’s obvious that she was abused as she often cowards when approaching her. At first, she also peed when we’d hook her up to a leash or pick her up. But since then, she has gotten used to a lot of things. Now she loves her walks around the neighborhood and adores going out into the backyard and lazing in the sun. My entire family has fallen in love with her and she continues to be the sweet, cheerful, calm little dog that we found on the streets of Cuba back in November. Now she’s in Canada, more than 4,000 km from her original home city of Cienfuegos. I often wonder what she thinks. Does she realize she’s somewhere totally different?

It’s easy to forget but sometimes when I look into her cute little eyes, I’m reminded of the connection we felt with her back in Cuba. I’m reminded of all the work it took to find someone who could find her. I’m reminded of the sheer luck it took to actually find her once again and the expense of getting her back to Canada. But most of all, I’m reminded that when you really want something – when you really want to make a difference – all it takes is courage. The courage to make it happen.

A very special thanks to Cuban Dog Tales Rescue (The Canadian organization), Proyecto Nueva Vida Animal in Cuba (The organization in Cienfuegos), to Air Canada for waiving the pet transport fees for “Cheerio”, and to my family for welcoming her in.

You can donate to either of those organizations by clicking on the links above.

What’s something inspiring you’ve done? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below…

As someone who has visited six continents, I get asked all the time about travel preparation. People are interested in how to go about getting visas for different countries, how to check the safety of a destination, what vaccinations to get, and what sort of travel insurance they should get.

There’s certainly no “one-way” of doing things and many travelers might have differing opinions, but if you’re going to be leaving your country, you should at least have some general knowledge of various travel preparations and decide what you want to do and how you will prepare.

How to Prepare For World Travel

Travel Visas

This is very important because if a country requires a visa and you don’t have one, you won’t be getting in. In fact, the airline might not even let you board because then they are forced to bring you back. Visas always depend on two things: What country you have citizenship with and what country you’re visiting. With this information, you can find out what type of visa you may or may not need. Some countries, for example, require no visas at all. Others require a visa that you can buy at the airport. Some countries require you to get a visa in advance, which could be a lengthy process with no guarantees. Either way, you will need to know this before booking your flight.

Travel Vaccinations

This is also an important subject, especially if a vaccination is required. For example, some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination and without it, you won’t get into the country. If the country has no firm requirements, then it all comes down to your own personal preference and safety. I always get the basic vaccinations but I typically choose not to do any others. For example, when visiting Asia, I got my Hep A and Hep B vaccination, along with Typhoid and yellow fever. Of course, there are some basic ones you may already have such as ( the metal one). Your best bet is to ask around, do some research, ask your doctor, or perhaps, visit a travel clinic. Warning: Travel medical clinics tend to charge a lot and push as many as they can. Be careful.

Travel Insurance

Purchasing medical travel insurance is often a personal preference, although there are some countries that demand it, such as Cuba for instance. I always get travel medical insurance because it’s not that expensive and in the case of an accident, your medical bills can skyrocket quite quickly. I like having the piece of mind that I am covered in case of something serious happening. In fact, even if you get a minor stomach sickness and require medication, you’re covered. Typically, the cost is a few hundred per month or less, but it all depends on where you’re going, how long you’re going for, and how old you are. It may also depend on activities you plan on doing, such as sky-diving or scuba diving. In addition, you’ll want to check if you need additional coverage for dependents as well. As far as trip cancellation and baggage insurance, that’s something I typically don’t get, unless it’s built into the price. Again, it’s all personal preference and totally up to you.

Travel Safety

Another very common question from people wanting to travel is how safe it is. Obviously, this will depend on where you’re going, but in my experience on six continents, I can say that I’ve never felt unsafe. Whether I was backpacking through Ethiopia, road tripping through the USA, or taking a bus across Southeast Asia, I’ve always felt safe and comfortable. However, each destination typically has their own scams to watch out for and to find these, it’s usually best to use Google, talk to people who’ve been there recently, read a Lonely Planet book, or search a site like Wiki Travel. Most scams deal with stealing goods but not in actually causing harm to you. At the same time, you may want to avoid places with government warnings in place. A lot of the time, these warnings are not all that accurate but if a country has a “no essential travel” warning, your travel insurance might not cover it, so it’s a good idea to find out first.

WiFi

In terms of WiFi, this obviously is not as important as the other things above. However, if you do want WiFi, or need WiFi because you work online, you may want to consider a portable device such as the TEP Wireless Travel WiFi Hotspot. Tep Wireless is a small, portable WiFi device that lets you bring your own Internet access with you wherever you go. This is a much better option than roaming charges or local SIM cards.

We’re working on a guide to all of the above travel precautions and will publish that shortly. Until then, check out our eBook on Amazon. It’s called Limitless Travel and it talks about everything you need to know to prepare, book, and enjoy your trip around the world.

For those of you who followed the massive 150-day multimedia road trip across Canada I put together in 2017, you’ll know that I had a drone. A drone was never something I intended to buy but after seeing one being advertised, and knowing I had this big road trip ahead of me, I went ahead and bought it. The only downfall of buying the drone was learning about all the restrictions that Transport Canada recently placed on them. Basically, I needed approval from each and every region we were visiting, local approvals, and really expensive drone insurance…$900 for the year to be exact. To put that into perspective, the drone itself was just over $1,000.

By the time the drone had arrived, I had just around two weeks left at home before departing for Newfoundland to begin the trip. I knew I wouldn’t be able to become a pro in such a short amount of time but I did manage to get outside for a few practice shots before using it to capture footage for the Road to 150. All in all, it was a GREAT investment as it really added production value to the videos and allowed us to score some BEAUTIFUL aerial shots of some of Canada’s most stunning landscapes. I also became a pretty good drone pilot along the way and even rescued the drone from a couple of close calls, one of which was in Newfoundland.

By the time the adventure was over, I had about 100 flights under my belt and felt pretty confident about operating the drone. Overall, I’m a very responsible person anyways and so I always followed all the rules and was pretty conservative with it. After all, I wasn’t about to buy a new one if I had crashed it and I really wanted to complete the trip with as many drone shots as we could get.

With this newfound confidence, I decided to bring it to Mexico for Christmas. My wife is from Mexico City and so we had decided to spent about four weeks down there for the holidays. Although Mexico City in and of itself is a spectacular place to visit, we also decided to go to Acapulco, Guanajuato, and a beautiful jungle paradise called Huasteca. Well, the region is called La Huasteca. The primary reason I wanted the drone in Mexico was to capture the beauty of Huasteca. This place is sooooo beautiful. It’s a relatively unvisited slice of Mexico, in the jungles, surrounded by snaking turquoise rivers and hundreds of waterfalls. There’s also sinkholes (as featured in the series Planet Earth) and surrealistic castles. It reminds of the movie Avatar. I really wanted to make a video on the whole area.

However, since Huasteca was our last place on the schedule, I first brought the drone to Acapulco to get some gorgeous beach shots and to Guanajuato to fly it over one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world. Then, my time finally came for Huasteca. One of my favorite things to do there is to jump off a series of waterfalls. So, we all walked out into the middle of a waterfall and I began flying the drone backward to show us standing in the water and to give the viewer some perspective. Not expecting to fly the drone close to the canyon walls, I kept an eye mostly on the phone to make sure I was capturing the footage I wanted. Maybe because I was already nervous about falling in the water, I forgot to ask my friends to keep an eye on the drone, which is something you should always do. After flying out quite far, I decided to pan across. This is where I made my mistake. With all of us looking at the phone, I wasn’t aware of how close I was getting to the canyon walls. Then, all of a sudden, my friend Ricky looked up to see the drone and yelled out “Bro, you’re gonna crash”. Then, that’s it. My screen went fuzzy and I lost connection. I was in shock. Just like that, my drone was gone. The only one who noticed it, last minute, before it’s fateful crash, was Ricky, and he pointed up to a spot on the cliff, maybe 200 feet above where we were. It was truly gone.

Then, a moment of hope. Ricky could still see the drone. I couldn’t see it at all but he said he could see this little white spec clinging on to a tree. The drone was way out of reach and there was no way to climb up there. Still, we all kept the hope and left the waterfalls to go back to the main road and get a better look at where it was. Once we all had an eye on it, we noticed something unbelievable. Just thirty days before we arrived, a company built a zip-line in the area and I had crashed the drone just 2-3 feet away from one of the platforms! I mean, what are the chances! We drove to find the zip-line guys and Ricky went with them on the zip-line to get it. 30 minutes later, they came back with the drone in hand! It was broken, of course, and totally un-useable in its current state, but I had it back, along with all the footage!

Seriously, what are the chances of such a mishap? I crashed the drone on the side of a cliff, maybe 200 feet above a fast-moving river and a series of waterfalls. It was clinging to one little branch where a stroke of wind could have easily knocked it off. Thirty days before my arrival, a company built a zip-line course in that exact area and I just so happened to crash it above one of their platforms. They were working that day so we got them to go and get it. It was broken but totally fixable.

It’s just a crazy story to me, and when I got back to Mexico City, I found a DJI repair shop and had them fix it for $100 CAD. Now it’s as good as new.

The only downfall is that the only footage I got of Huasteca is what you see in the video before I crashed.

Guess I’ll have to go back.

What’s the lesson?

If you’re operating a drone, be very mindful of the surrounding area. You should always have a second person keeping an eye on the drone so that if you’re looking at the image on the phone, they can tell you if any dangers are present. And, if you do crash, don’t be immediately discouraged. You may have simply crashed it on a cliff next to a zip-line. You never know!

Did you like this story? Did you like the video” Say hi in the comments and let me know

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Questions? Let me know in the comments below…

Exploring Inuvik, NWT

After a night in Eagle Plains, we drove more, and more, and more before taking a ferry across the Mackenzie Delta to Fort McPherson where we stopped for gas. By now, the scenery was getting to be slightly more flat, although we still found trees along the way. Eventually, maybe 4-5 hours later, we arrived in Inuvik, the biggest town in the Arctic. Here, we found amazing accommodation at the Mackenzie Hotel and were able to enjoy some really good food such as fish tacos at Alestine’s, an eclectic local restaurant where the kitchen is inside a yellow school bus. We love finding local restaurants like this but it’s certainly no secret. Aside from Alestine’s, we still used our camp stove to cook many other meals as there wasn’t a huge selection in the area and the grocery store prices were quite insane. A single Gatorade was $7! I really don’t know how people can survive with these prices but I suppose that’s why hunting and fishing are still so popular.

During our time in Inuvik, we met with city officials, toured the famous local greenhouse built in an abandoned hockey arena, visited the famous igloo church, and jumped on a boat to go up some of the narrow rivers that create the MacKenzie Delta, stopping to see wildlife such as beavers, eagles, and swans. It was a beautiful experience. We also met up with the construction crew that would be accompanying us on the not-yet-opened MacKenzie Valley highway to Tuktoyaktuk. Unfortunately, it had been raining and so the road was soft. Remember, this isn’t a paved highway. Due to them not wanting us to get stuck up north and not wanting us to cause deep rivets in their new highway, what was supposed to be a three-day stay in Tuktoyaktuk became a four-hour stopover. They wanted us to come back the same day. This was really disappointing but at the same time, we couldn’t afford to get stuck there either, especially with all the activities we had scheduled during our 150-day road trip across Canada.

Driving to the Arctic Ocean

Finally, the day had arrived. It was time to drive the new highway to Canada’s Arctic. We met up with the construction crew that would be guiding us and began the journey. The highway is actually not all that long. It’s around 130 km and takes maybe two hours to make it to Tuktoyaktuk. Unfortunately for us, it was quite wet and cloudy, which not only lengthened the trip but also provided us with zero scenic views. The landscapes this far north are also quite different. It’s all tundra and so it’s primarily flat with small bushes here and there. The road was quite soft in some areas but with all the driving skills I’ve learned over the last 20 years, it was a piece of cake. In some areas, the road was so soft that bigger trucks had created deep rivets, which I had to creatively avoid. Other than that, it really wasn’t anything too exciting. The real beauty of it all was arriving at the secluded Arctic fishing village of Tuktoyaktuk.

Not many people make it this far north and up until now, it was only accessible by plane or boat. Yet, here I was, just a small town boy from Alberta, driving into Tuktoyaktuk on a road not yet open to the public. Since we only had a few hours to enjoy the town, we got in contact with some people, such as Joanne from Joanne’s Taxi (jsteen@netkaster.ca), who could help give us the best experience possible in such a short amount of time.

Experiencing Tuktoyaktuk

There’s not all that much to Tuktoyaktuk. After all, the population is only around 900. Yet, it’s a fascinating place and so different from the rest of Canada. Houses, for example, in Tuktoyaktuk, and in Inuvik are built on stilts to avoid damage from the permafrost. Permafrost is ground (rock, soil, etc) that remains at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. If homes were built as they are down south, they would basically be ruined when that permafrost begins to melt. We were hoping to go down into the permafrost via a big natural fridge that people have been using for generations, but it’s been closed to the public.

As for food and accommodation, you certainly won’t find any Michelin-star restaurants or big name hotels but you will find friendly people willing to introduce you to their unique culture. We teamed up with a local tour guide and jumped on their short tour of the area. After bringing us to the Welcome Sign, they took us to a small Pingo, which we climbed for views of the area. Pingos are unique to the area and are a protected National Landmark. A pingo is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic regions of the world. You can see them all over the place. Some are big, some are small, and I like to describe them as Earth’s pimple. Next, we went to a locals house and got to try Muktuk (beluga whale), which was basically a thick chunk of fat and skin. We also got to try Beluga jerky. Both were quite tasty but I have to admit, I felt a bit guilty after snorkeling with Beluga whales in Churchill a few months prior. Next, we dipped our toes in the Arctic Ocean. I also stripped down to my swim trunks and threw my whole body into the ocean as part of my goal to dunk myself in all three oceans neighboring Canada. Mission accomplished! (Surprising note: the coldest ocean was the Atlantic, although that might be due to it being May and surrounded by icebergs!)

Overall, Tuktoyaktuk is an interesting place. It’s so far removed from most of Canada that it’s almost as exotic as a place like Easter Island. Not too much further north is the North Pole! It was cool to hear about a different way of life and It’s truly unfortunate that our visit was so short. However, now that the new highway is open, perhaps we can visit again someday and spend more time getting to know the people and the culture that up until now we knew nothing about.

To learn more about Canada, visit our Canadian tourism website www.MustDoCanada.com or check out our Canada YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MustDoCanada

Have you been to the Arctic before? Would you like to go?

Dream Trip Complete: Driving to Canada’s Arctic

I love a good road trip. There’s something about having a vehicle and being able to drive it where I want to go and about being able to comfortably pack my things and have them with me at all times. One of my bucket-list goals was to drive the infamous Dempster Highway all the way to Inuvik, Canada and then take the new highway to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada’s first road to the Arctic Ocean!

There was only one problem – The new highway wasn’t open yet. Luckily, however, I had a way to get around that. Back in 2017, I came up with the idea to travel across Canada for 150 days, creating a web series about Canada in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. This project allowed me to get special permission for a variety of things, one of them being access to the new Mackenzie-Delta Highway, the highway connecting Inuvik with Tuktoyaktuk in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Yup, that’s right. I was literally allowed to drive the highway before it was opened to the public. I even had a construction crew join me! But first, back to the story.

Driving the Infamous Dempster Highway

First things first, the Dempster Highway. This 738 km dirt road connects Dawson, YT with Inuvik, NT. Any true road warrior will know what it is and will either want to do it or has done it already. Not only is it known for its epic beauty but it’s also known for being quite off the beaten track. After all, there’s literally only one place to stay in the middle of it all (Eagle Plains) and this is also the only place to get gas, food, and any vehicle repairs you might need after being on the bumpy road.

Just getting to the Dempster Highway is an adventure in and of itself. First, you have to drive all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon. Then you have to drive another 8-hours north to the wild-west town of Dawson. Dawson is one of the highlights. This has to be one of the coolest towns in the entire world. Here you’ll find old saloons, Canada’s first casino, CanCan girls, and gold panning. We experienced all of it before heading up the long road North.

There’s a lot of preparation to be done before driving the Dempster Highway and we did none of it. Okay, I’m kidding. We did do some of it but I’d say it was the bare minimum. The biggest things to worry about are flat tires and broken windshields. There’s also no reception so if you want any communication on the road, you’ll need to buy or rent a satellite phone. Since it’s unlikely you’ll be completely alone on the Dempster Highway, we chose to rely on truckers and other travellers in the case of an incident. We just didn’t have the time to get a satellite phone and we figured the chances of breaking down were slim. We did, however, pack extra food and water. For maximum safety, you’ll also want a full-size spare tire. Again, we didn’t bother. Instead, we relied on buying Slime (a substance you put in your tires should you get a flat), and our non-full-size spare tire, which was underneath the vehicle. Perhaps we took some chances but after talking about it with locals, many said we’d be fine as long as we didn’t drive like maniacs.

Off we go.

Thanks to my trip planning skills, I timed it perfectly, making it up there just in time for the fall colours, which come early due to the Northern climate. After taking a photo of the Dempster Highway sign, we proceeded North, making our way towards Eagle Plains (population: 9), the place we’d be spending the night. We had approximately 450 km to go and all of it was beautiful. Perhaps the most stunning landscapes were found in Tombstone Territorial Park, which is just 150 km north of Dawson. This place features jagged mountain peaks, lakes, and Arctic tundra. There’s also a park office, which can help you plan your time there.

Over the next 300+ km, we drove by a seemingly endless array of natural beauty, finally ending up at Eagle Plains close to sunset. Eagle Plains is an interesting place. It’s basically located in the middle of nowhere and yet, they have everything you could need. They have a restaurant, a hotel, a bar with a pool table and TV’s, a campground, a gas station, and a mechanical shop. They even have WiFi, albeit not very fast. Actually, it’s incredibly slow.

It was a nice break from the road and I’d highly recommend staying here, whether it’s in the hotel or in the campground. Some people opt for making the whole trip in a day but not only is that really long, it also increases the chances of something bad happening, because if you break down, it will likely be dark. However, depending on the time of year, you may have daylight for a long time and so it will be up to you to make that decision. There’s also a ferry crossing further north and if you don’t make that, you’ll be sleeping in your vehicle.

Anyways, we loved getting out of the vehicle after such a rough road. Since we had our own food to eat, we ended up getting out our camper stove and cooking up some pasta. With hot food prepared in the restaurant, this was a hard decision but due to our budget and wanting to get rid of some of the food we had bought, we decided to make our own. We then relaxed and set our phone alarms for 1 AM, just in case the Northern Lights were out. Luckily we did because as horrible as it is to wake up at 1 AM, we woke up to an incredible display of Aurora Borealis, dancing across the sky like green and pink ribbons. I grew up in Northern Alberta and saw my fair share of Northern Lights but this was the best I had seen since that time. The only downfall to the experience was all of the truckers leaving their truck engines running. It wasn’t the best atmosphere with all the noise and lights from the hotel but it was still very impressive.

The next day, we opted for a hot breakfast at the restaurant, which was a surprisingly good value. After all, this place is truly far from everything and I expected the prices to reflect that. Instead, It was less than $10 for bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. It was also much better than hooking up the propane to our little stove and making instant oatmeal. It was very nice to have a break before getting back into the vehicle for another 365 km drive to Inuvik.

Not long after leaving Eagle Plains, we crossed the Arctic Circle, taking some time to take photos by the sign and get some drone footage. We also met some interesting people here, including one guy from my home city and another who was on assignment for Canadian Geographic. All adventures, that’s for sure! You won’t find anyone but adventurers driving this far north.

Click here to read part two: Driving to Canada’s Arctic.