Passport Stamps

Unexpected Travel Locations: Rockbridge County, Virginia

2013-02-24T13:41:00.001-08:00

Me: Hey guys, my travellers today are Viola and Hermann and their unexpected travel location is Rockbridge County, Virginia. Hello travellers. How did you find out about Rockbridge County?

Travellers: It was our birthday weekend, and we were looking for an inexpensive and local getaway. We were very busy with work at the moment, so we were looking for something close yet cheap, convenient and adventurous. We did some research on Google and discovered a multitude of fun activities in the small independent cities (Buena Vista, Luray, Natural Bridge, Lexington etc) within the Rockbridge Country area.

A stunning replica of the Stonehenge in Natural Bridge, Virginia. The first time I saw this picture, I have to confess, I thought I was actually looking at the Stonehenge. An impressive photocopy right? Even more impressive is that the entire thing is made out of foam.

Foamhenge Natural Bridge, Virginia

Viola and Hermann, our travellers.

Me: Was there any particular website that effectively helped you guys to plan your trip?

Travellers: Yes! The official website of the city of Lexington was incredibly beneficial. The website is organized, up to date and outlines all major events happening in the area.

Me: How did you get around Rockbridge County?

Travellers: A car.

Natural Bridge, Virginia

Me: Where did you stay?

Travellers: At a comfortable local inn.

Me: Why would you consider this travel location "Unexpected"?

Travellers: We had never heard of Rockbridge County before. While we were doing our research, we were shocked to discover how historically and geographically rich and diverse the area is.

Hiking, Buena Vista

At a local winery, Lexington, Virginia

At a horse riding event, Lexington, Virginia

Me: What was the most unexpected part of the trip?

Travellers: While we were driving to Natural Bridge, we were stunned to see what looked like the Stonehenge. The passengers in the car ahead of us were equally stunned, so we all stopped our cars and went out to examine the mystery. It looked exactly like the Stonehenge, but it was made out of foam hence the name Foamhenge.

Native American Village, Natural Bridge

Me: What were the highlights of your trip?

Travellers: Where do we begin? We went to a horseback riding event, and we saw a brilliant performance of Pride & Prejudice at a local school. We also went hiking in Bueno Vista, visited a Native American Village in Natural Bridge and tasted impeccable wine at a local winery. The Luray Caverns were also a spectacular experience; they are extremely beautiful and the stalactites and stalagmites are impressive. You have to see it to believe it. The Lexington downtown area is small but bustling with vibrant shows and bars. And FYI, The drinks are cheap. The entire Rockbridge County area is very small and compact, so all these activities are literally happening right next to each other.

Luray Caverns, Virginia

Me: Thank you for sharing your "Unexpected Travel Location"

Travellers: You are welcome. Thank you for having us.

Viola and Hermann are young professionals and business owners based in the DC area. You can learn more about Viola's business ventures at ALOIV

And that concludes the first feature of my "Unexpected Travel Locations" series. My goal for this project is to showcase the underrated and under the radar destinations we invariably ignore when we travel. If you have any unexpected travel location you would like to share, it could be a city, a restaurant, a hostel, a bar, a club or anything unexpectedly fun, please feel free to e-mail me at passportstamps22@gmail.com Cheers xx

A Tale of Two Cities: Finding Cheap Accommodation in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati

2012-12-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

When my proposal to present an academic paper on travel literature at the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) in Pittsburgh was accepted, I instantly began to worry about accommodation. I had never been to Pittsburgh, so I didn't know what to expect. After tirelessly searching for a decent place, my luck changed when a friend recommended Airbnb. For those of you unfamiliar with Airbnb, Wikipedia has a succinct yet thorough summary of how the system works, "Airbnb is an online service that matches people seeking vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations with hosts who have an unused space to rent, generally private parties that are not professional hoteliers.The site was founded in August 2008 by Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia. In July 2012, the company had over 200,000 listings in more than 26,000 cities and present in 192 countries with over 1,000,000 hosts and travellers on its platform.Listings include private rooms, entire apartments, castles, boats, manors, tree houses, tipis, igloos, speciality design housing, private islands and other properties."

The living room area at Not Another Hostel

While browsing through Airbnb, I stumbled upon Not Another Hostel. This amazing hostel (the only one in Pittsburgh by the way) was founded by Jon, and his vision for the entire project is inspirational and impressive. Jon runs the hostel on a donation-based policy. I'll let him speak for himself, "Hostelling started as a way to help travelers. Period. Unfortunately, people have tried to cash in on a travelers' need for a cheap place to stay. This is not one of those places...This is my home, and I'm opening up the doors to help travelers. I ask for donations simply to help me pay bills. I recommend donating 25 USD per person, per night." Read more about his mission statement here. Sounds suspicious? Think again.

The map on the hostel wall

Not Another Hostel is probably one of the cleanest, comfortable and aesthetically beautiful hostels you might ever get a chance to live in. Jon provides queen size beds, hot showers, free wifi, printing and scanning, bus maps, full kitchen use, clean sheets and the list goes on. All of these amenities for a minimum donation of $25 per night. I couldn't believe it. I'm generally very pessimistic about humanity but every now and then, something like Not Another Hostel comes along and reminds me that some people are *gasps* good. Of course there are some grotesque individuals who take advantage of this charity by using all the amenities and leaving without donating a single penny. However, most of the hostel's residents are keeping this initiative alive by donating. Spread the word people, really. We need more people like Jon and we definitely need more hostels like Not Another Hostel.

Brillobox, we had fun in the club upstairs

Pittsburgh pleasantly surprised me. It felt like Boston's hip cousin and a distant relative of San Francisco. I met incredible people at the hostel and we had a blast. Public transportation is consistently efficient and it takes less than ten minutes to get to downtown: you won't find a better location. And oh, the MAPACA conference went well.

The street next to the hostel

The following week, I was boarding a plane for Cincinnati, Ohio to present an academic paper at another conference (54th annual Midwest Modern Language Association). Once again, I didn't know what to expect because I had never been to Cincinnati. Once again, I consulted Airbnb and found Hopkins Park Bed and Breakfast at Bigelow St. run by Ethel and Barry.

Bigelow St.

Once again, I will use the words once again. Once again, another incredible experience. I paid about $50 per night and it was worth every penny. First, the location: it is located on bigelow st, very close to downtown Cincinnati. Also, the bus will literally stop in front of your room and it takes about ten or less minutes to get to downtown.

Downtown

Second, the hosts: Ethel and Barry are genuinely hospitable and welcoming. Even their adorable dog Luna will welcome you at the door. They are also great conversationalists. Third, free breakfast: it's free breakfast, so there's nothing else I have to say. Lastly, the house is comfortable and relaxing and very home-y. I had a TV in my room and my supple bed was huge; I slept like a veritable baby. And yes, the conference went well.

Cincinnati skyline

On a totally unrelated note, I graduated a few days ago (masters degree), so I guess the adventure continues. Wish me luck.

Noisettes OVERLOAD

2012-11-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

Performing "That Girl" from their new album. I'm glad Dan is doing solos again.

"Ragtop car"

Some of my favourite pictures from their tumblr

Did you purchase their new album yet? Seriously man, what are you waiting for? Get it here.

Zak the Baker

2012-10-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Zak the Baker in the middle and me on the right. That's my serious 1920s Baker's stare.

So, you've read about my summer adventure as a baker's apprentice with Zak the Baker in this post. Now here's a video of the artisan bread master in action. If you are ever in Miami, you have to try his bread: pure magic. ENJOY!!

What is Artisan Bread? from Matt Degreff on Vimeo.

Photos by Matt Degreff

The Art of making Organic Sourdough Bread: A Summer Apprenticeship with Zak the Baker, Miami, FL

2012-08-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

I surely baked over a thousand loaves of bread this summer (including the gorgeous picture above of an organic walnut and cranberry sourdough bread) and overall, it was a stimulating experience. Summers are opportunities for me to try something different. Whether it is backpacking in South East Asia, volunteering with non-profit organisations or learning the intricacies of organic farming in Puerto Rico, I relish these unique opportunities to broaden my perspective. While surfing wwoofusa.org, I stumbled upon a rare opportunity to be a summer apprentice with Zak the Baker in Miami, FL. Zak the Baker is in his mid twenties. He spent years in Italy, Sweden and other European countries learning how to bake the perfect village artisan sourdough bread. In other words, he is enormously talented at baking. Because of my French background, I am familiar with artisan bread. I mean it is simply the best. Unfortunately, I have never been involved with the baking process, so an opportunity to learn was too tempting to ignore. I began my apprenticeship in the second week of May.

Hello Miami

I lived in a surreal antique house. Every day was like waking up in a museum because there was always an eye-opening antique sitting on a corner, just waiting to be discovered.

A 1947 Western Union telegram I found lounging around. Adorable ain't it?

An original 1963 copy of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat equally lounging around.

Ok, back to baking. The art of baking organic sourdough bread is more complex than people realise. Zak the Baker just started his business so it is very small, local and independent. The entire process is hand-made and in order to make the perfect loaf with the perfect crust, texture and taste, we have to pay close attention to the entire process: from the temperature of the fridge, to the mixing, shaping, threading to the mathematical calculations of the ingredients and other scientific elements like the retard. One seemingly simple mistake, like miscalculating the necessary grams of water needed for a certain amount of bread, can have a huge impact on texture and taste. My first week was definitely a daunting experience. Watching Zak the Baker in the bakery is an intimidating experience because he is very good at what he does. However, as weeks progressed, I became comfortable with the process and by the end of my apprenticeship, I considered myself a legitimate artisan baker.

Baguettes fresh from the oven

Shaping bread with the master

At the Sunday Pinecrest farmer's market.

It usually takes about 20 minutes for this to happen. Yes! the bread is that good. If you are ever in the city of Miami, do yourself a massive favour and try a slice of Zak the Baker's bread. Check out his website for more information and just so you know, he also delivers bread to Michy’s Restaurant which is like what? only the most highest rated restaurant in Miami owned by renown chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez. Once again, the bread is that good.

When I wasn't at the bakery, I was hanging out with my best friend Gideon.

Staring at the waterfall in the backyard

Observing fish in the backyard pond

Bike riding

Chatting with chicken

Working on the garden

Stalking the ducks

and of course, chewing with the goats. And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. I will be spending the weekend in New York City with friends before returning to complete my FINAL SEMESTER. I am only months away from getting my Masters degree and I cannot wait. How was your summer? I want to hear about your adventures.

A comprehensive guide to having an astronomical amount of fun in Cameroon Part 3 : Korup National Park

2012-04-30T19:42:00.002-07:00

I only recently discovered that Korup National Park, in the South West province of Cameroon, is one of the only forest regions in the world that survived the ice age. I was absolutely blown away by this piece of information. That means the flora and fauna in Korup Park has been preserved for over 60 million years. Isn't that phenomenal? A trip to Korup Park was, without a doubt, at the top of our to-do list. The first thing we did was hire a car to take us there.

Cameroon is not particularly a touristy country despite having all the climatic conditions and natural attractions found in the entire African continent. Weird I know but in my opinion, that's a good thing because you can truly immerse yourself in the culture without the distractions of modern tourism. However, the one negative aspect about not being a touristy country is the lack of tourism infrastructure. There are literally no tarred roads to get to Korup Park so you need to hire a sturdy vehicle capable to surviving hours of dirt roads and pot holes. I personally won't recommend a trip during the rainy season because the roads would be virtually impassable. My buddy and I hired a who guy claimed to have been to Mundemda (the city where Korup Park is found.) He said the journey was going to be about 4 hours, so we planned on doing a day trip: getting there, looking around, and then make our way back home. My buddy was only in Cameroon for about two weeks so we didn't have time to waste. Well, we soon discovered our driver had never been to the area so the journey ended up taking about 7 hours. When we got to the city of Mundemba, it was late in the afternoon. Driving on those crazy dirt holes at night is a terrible idea, so we had no choice but to spend the night.

Late afternoon lunch in the city of Mundemba. Here is my buddy eating achu like a true Cameroonian.

Crossing the bridge into Korup Park. Our driver almost shit himself.

Prince Charles was here

Treading the jungle. If you want a thorough exploration of the forest, I reckon you do a three days tour or even longer. Then you will be able to properly explore, see chimpanzees, lots of flora and fauna and so many other cool animals. We were only there for a few hours so all we saw were a few monkeys and did some bird watching.

The city of Mundemba is a small village so this was the only "hotel" we could find on such short notice.

My buddy is scared of roaches so I had to murder this little fellow. RIP Mr. Cockroach. After settling in, we hit the streets, found a dodgy place to eat, drank a lot of booze, chatted about life, race, politics and all the good stuff and then returned home. We woke up at 4 A.M and began the odious journey home.

About 6 hours later, we stopped at the town of Kumba for some breakfast. My buddy is completely covered in dust. That's what happens when you spend 6 hours on dirt roads.

Had breakfast in this shed

After that, we headed to the car wash

We finally made it home and had an amazing dinner with friends and family.

THE END. That was an awfully long post wasn't it? I know, I know, I'm exhausted too. So Summer is finally upon us. What are you guys doing for the summer? any exciting travel plans? I anxiously want to know. I think I have two weeks before the semester comes to an end. As usual, I am incredibly busy. My summer has been sorted, so I am looking forward to an incredible adventure. Ok friends, stay safe, one love. XoXo

A comprehensive guide to having an astronomical amount of fun in Cameroon Part 2 : Seme Beach

2012-04-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I'm back from Spring break. I had a phenomenal time visiting my friends Yuks, Q and a whole lot of cool people. Post coming soon. Let's pick up right where we left off shall we? so we ended the last Cameroon post at the bus station. We took the bus from Buea to Limbe (less than 30 minutes), met up with friends and then hired a taxi to Seme Beach. A trip to Cameroon is not complete without a visit to Seme Beach in the South West city of Limbe. Seme Beach is like something off a fantasy novel. The beach is pure black sand, remnants of volcanic activity from the nearby Mount Cameroon, and the water is always fresh, clean and warm. The area is controlled by the Hotel Beach management, so if you are not a guest at the hotel, you have to pay a small fee (about 3 USD) to access the beach.

My buddy is excited for the beach

Down beach, Limbe. After hours in water and sipping on some beer we bought at the Hotel Seme Beach, we returned to Limbe town and ate some fish. After fish and more beers, we returned back to Buea and got ready for the next adventure. See you in Part 3 of "A comprehensive guide to having an astronomical amount of fun in Cameroon."

A comprehensive guide to having an astronomical amount of fun in Cameroon

2012-03-05T19:57:00.005-08:00

Happy March everyone. I can't believe it is March already. 2012 is wheeling through the calender like a jet. As promised, here is my comprehensive guide to having an astronomical amount of fun in Cameroon. Oh Cameroun, tu me manques, enormement. I flew into the Douala International Airport two weeks before Christmas. I'll be blunt, I hate the airport: it is hot, humid, stuffy, chaotic, disorganised and oh, did I mention hot? However, I always end up dragging my luggage through its dusty floors because it is the closest airport to my hometown. After hours of waiting for my luggage, it finally arrived. I stormed through immigration et voila! I was in Cameroon.

Oil rig
Limbe

Limbe is a coastal city in the South West region of Cameroon. It is without a doubt, one of my favourite cities in the country: the people are laid back and it has a vast array of pristine beaches.

Roadside procession
Limbe

Solar energy device
Balcony of my parents' house
Buea

Buea (pronounced BO-YA) is home to Mount Cameroon, the highest peak in West/Central Africa. It is also home to the only English speaking University in the country, University of Buea.

Front yard of the house

Living room

Wine rack
My favourite location

Anone fruit
Delicious

Bobolo

I always travel with my bow-tie

Having a drink in the city of Douala.
Douala is an amazing city but the traffic is unlike anything you have ever witnessed in your life. It makes New York City congestion look like child's play. Yes! it is that bad. The best way to navigate Douala is hiring a private chauffeur to take you around; it won't cost you a lot of money. The last thing you want to experience is being stuck in Douala traffic, sitting in a crowded taxi without an air conditioner. Trust me on that one. Besides, taxis are always stopping to pick passengers so it takes forever to get to your destination. With a private chauffeur, you have an air conditioner, you are safe and the vehicle moves quicker.

Rod Point, Douala.

le Boj, Douala
Their pizza quality is unmatched. They unequivocally have no rival in that department, simply the best. They also make cocktails, which is rare in Cameroon. Definitely my number 1 hang out spot.

En route to Yaoundé,
the capital city

Visited an Auntie and she served classic roasted fish, Cameroon style with a dash of Calvé Mayonnaise.

After sampling a few bars, we made our way to down beach to eat roasted fish.
Down beach is one of the popular places in Limbe for fish-eating. It is on the beach and servers walk around serving roasted fish and beer. The fish is allegedly always fresh but make sure there is always someone in your group watching the ladies who roast the fish. I've heard stories of people getting served "sleeping" fish and by sleeping I mean "old" fish. You are going to have a hellish date with diarrhea if you eat "old" fish so you definitely don't want that. As long as you monitor the ladies roasting your fish, you should be fine.

The city of Buea

The day after Christmas, I picked my friend up from the airport. He was visiting from New York City and this was his first time in Sub-Saharan Africa (he has visited North Africa before). It was so surreal to see him in Cameroon. The last time I saw him, we were in New York City and before that South East Asia. The first thing we did was pay a visit to Rue de la Joie in Douala. The ladies who work on those streets roast the best fish known to mankind. I am sincerely not exaggerating. Rue de la Joie is always bustling with festivities 24/7. A Sunday night is no different from a Friday night. There's always music, booze, fish, obscenities, booze and more booze. It never stops.

Devouring our fish
Rue de la Joie, Douala

We got back to Buea, rested, met with some friends and got ready for the next adventure

To be continued...

Travel and Friendship

2012-02-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

The thrill of meeting new people is one of the most exciting components of travel. For a quick second or minute or day or week, I can forget about the realities of my life and assume the role of a fearless adventurer. I can shake off all the restrictions that tie me down in the real world and fully connect with another human being. The friends you make while traveling, however, rarely become life long friends. Once all parties return home, a break in communication slowly builds because everyone has to deal with the realities of their physical lives. Two summers ago, I backpacked and volunteered in South East Asia. You can read about my experience here, here,here and here. While I was at a hostel in Bangkok, on an unsuspecting night, this guy from Chicago who lives New York City joined our international group on the balcony. He was a pretty cool and laid back guy so we decided to travel to Cambodia together.

My buddy at I with our new friends.
Angkor Wat? bar, Siem reap, Cambodia.
Summer 2010

You can read more about the experience in this post. I think we traveled together for about five days or less but we instantly became good friends. When we were done exploring Siem Reap, he left Cambodia and I continued exploring southward. Because of the nature of travel friendships, I really didn't expect to see him again. However, we kept in contact every now and then via email.

With Canadian backpackers at the same bar.
I met them again in the Southern region of Cambodia
Summer 2010

I visit New York City regularly so whenever I'm in town, we try to hang out. When we first met in South East Asia, he had talked about visiting Cameroon. Yes! in case you were wondering about my nationality, I am from Cameroon. There is a post about my blog on yahoo answers saying I am Nigerian. As much as I love Naija, Cameroon has claimed me lol.

On our way to the see the magnificent Angkor Wat temples
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Summer 2010

Anyways, back to the story. So my friend said he wanted to visit Cameroon. I never took him seriously until he purchased his plane ticket. He ended up visiting me in Cameroon about a month ago and it was, without the doubt, the best travel experience of my life. This is the first time a foreign friend has ever visited me in Cameroon so it felt like I was also rediscovering a new Cameroon for the first time.

Chutes de la Lobé,
Kribi, Cameroon
January 2012

The moral of the story is the next time you travel, you might find a very good friend. When I bounce back from blogging laziness, I will chronicle my adventures in Cameroon. I will also do posts about the do's and don'ts of traveling to Africa. Cheers mates!

Sondre Lerche does Beyonce

2012-02-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone. I hope the new year is living up to your wildest expectations. Let's get right into this shall we? My favourite Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche decided to do a cover of Beyonce's hit song Countdown. The result? EXPLOSIVE. I absolutely love his indie interpretation of such a classic r/b song. Below is a clip of Beyonce performing Countdown on Jimmy Fallon live. Sondre's cover

Brilliant ain't it? soothes the soul like warm tea. To download a free copy of the song on Sondre's website, click here...and that's all folks, for now anyways. I spent the last month in THE MOTHERLAND aka mama Africa so I will be back soon with some proper travel posts.
Cheers!

Washington DC in a week

2011-12-01T14:40:00.001-08:00

Legendary cupcakes

Seasoned to perfection

I attempted to crash a private screening of Tinker Tailor Soldier spy because Gary Oldman himself was in attendance...didn't work out so well.

Chinatown

At the French Embassy

My new kicks. Totes dope! I'm in love.

Cannot wait for this movie. Fassbender, Virgo and Keira Knightley? Talk about the holy trinity.

I was fascinated by the glow of this electric water purifying system.

This is not DC. This was taken today, in my disheveled office on campus. I should be writing research papers not taking pictures. Oh well...

Tallgrass Film Festival

2011-10-24T18:52:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the annual Tallgrass Film Festival held in Wichita, Kansas. Yes! a film festival in the nucleus of America's Bible belt. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Founded in 2003 by Timothy Gruver, it screens over 100 movies every year. For what its worth, Tallgrass is decent. The diversity of movies is impressive and the turn out encouraging. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a huge fan of cinema so what do you do on a weekend with no homework or student papers to grade? crash a film festival.

9 in the morning, ready for the first feature

The first movie I watched was Circumstance (Sharayet), an Iran-based movie written and directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz. The movie was released to critical acclaim and won the audience award at the 2011 Sundance film festival. The performances are astounding and the soundtrack beautifully heartbreaking. It is definitely a side of Iran the Western media has tried laboriously to hide from the public. Check it out and be wowed. Here's the trailer.

Off to the iconic Orpheum Theatre for the next movie.

Ticket purchase booth.

The ceiling of the Theatre.

An original 1951 poster used to market A Street Car Named Desire. The theatre opened in 1922 so it has tons of historic pieces lying around. You can't even begin to fathom how excited I was to see this poster. To say I'm a huge Brando fan would be understatement.

The theatre bathroom was heaps cool

Had my tallgrass ale beer ready for the next feature. The movie is called Tyrannosaur by British actor-screenwriter-turned-director Paddy Considine. To be completely honest, this movie is the only reason why I came to this festival. I'm a huge fan of Paddy's work so it was impossible for me miss his feature film debut. The movie did not disappoint, Paddy did not disappoint. He, together with his phenomenal actors, delivered. I was a little bumped he was not present with his crew for a Q&A session but then again, I'm sure they have better things to do than coming to Wichita. When the closing credits rolled, I was speechless. There was so much emotion in me, I could not speak or breathe. It is that good of a movie. Tyrannosaur has been picking up some major Oscar buzz especially for Olivia Colman in the best actress category. My British readers probably recognise Olivia from the comedy series Peep Show. Trust me, there is no sign of a comedy in her performance. Olivia will leave you heartbroken, shattered, devastated and ultimately destroyed. I know I'm just an amateur blogger and what not but if I had a vote, Olivia Colman will be my choice for best actress Oscar 2012 (that is until I see Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady which, coincidentally, also stars Colman in a supporting role). Here's the trailer.

Ingenious! Here's a bonus video of Paddy, the amazing Peter Mullan and Colman at the Sundance Film Festival.

After such an intense cinematic experience, I needed alcohol. You know me ;-)
My beverage of choice? Caipirinha, a true Brazilian delight.

Next up? Tostones. After my summer in Puerto Rico, I can't get enough of this plantain dish. I have to confess though, I do make better Tostones than this restaurant.

Salad to top it all off and that was it for the day. On Sunday, I checked out a documentary called Elevate and later enjoyed limitless free wine and snacks at the closing Tallgrass Film Festival gala. I was too intoxicated to take any pictures so let your imagination roam wild.

That's all folks
Hasta Luego

^ ^

The Tattoos

2011-10-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Recycle sign. I was dumb enough to get my first two tats on two of the most sensitive parts of the body. Not pleasant. Not pleasant at all but my tat artist took very good care of me.

From Arthur Rimbaud's Une Sainson en enfer.

“Elle est retrouvée.
Quoi? - L’Éternité.
C’est la mer allée
Avec le soleil.”

Translating poetry can be tricky. Many a time, translators focus on language and ignore the essence. I think the below translation does justice to the original text.

“It has been found again.
What? – Eternity.
It is the sea
Mingled with the sun.”

Tats recovery stage. My skin smelt like animal flesh when I took those wraps off.

More recovery.

I got the tats over the summer at this place called Harisumi in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a little pricey but you get seasoned tattoo artists and unrivaled service. All in all, a remarkable experience. I promise to be back soon with an epic post. Stay safe.

P.S
Passport Stamps is finally on twitter. Spread the love lovely people
^ ^

RIP Wangari Maathai

2011-09-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

I woke up to unsettling news today: The death of Wangari Maathi. For a budding environmentalist like myself, mama Maathi was not only an inspiration but a role model. Her fearless environmental and humanitarian work in Africa and the world at large is truly unmatched. Death is, ironically, part of life. As cruel as it sounds, we are doing ourselves a great disfavour if we think otherwise. I'm heaps gutted that mama Maathi is no longer with us but I'm happy too, happy that she left us with so much legacy. She left us with the reality of what we are, what we have done, what we are doing and most importantly, what we could do. Mama Maathi, you have been through a lot. Go now and rest in peace. We love you.

An Organic Puerto Rican Summer

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the hostel, the same hostel that welcomed me to Puerto Rico. It's been about two and a half months since I last slept under this roof but it doesn't feel like it; physically, the environment looks different but the essence hasn't changed. I am sitting by balcony, typing on this laptop of course, and watching rain fall from the beautifully gloomy sky. The wind is wrestling with humidity and judging by the gentle coolness caressing my back, the former is winning.

San Juan International Hostel

As I said in this post, I had no major expectations about the trip but nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for how drastically my life was going of change. I began the trip in this hostel on Calle America, a street with a very latin flavor. I met a guy from New Zealand who was embarking on a year-long journey across the globe and we did some exploring together.

San Juan. This was put up by the political party that wants independence/self-determination for Puerto Rico. In case you didn't know Puerto Rico is a colony, um I mean territory of the USA.

San Juan is a beautiful city, it really is but I won't recommend staying there for more than a week; the best of Puerto Rico is definitely NOT in the big cities. After the fourth day, I hopped on the metro to the city Bayamon to catch my ride to the Central Western mountains of Utuado. Why Utuado? to volunteer on an organic farming. www.living-organic.net defines organic farming as "...the process of producing food naturally. This method avoids the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms to influence the growth of crops. The main idea behind organic farming is ‘zero impact’ on the environment. The motto of the organic farmer is to protect the earth’s resources and produce safe, healthy food." Sounds easy and practical right? it actually isn't. With the ever looming presence of gigantic food co-operations, with the sole goal of making profit regardless of health effects, the job of the organic farmer is an extraordinarily difficult one. I will talk about more this in another poster dedicated to this subject. Back to Utuado. I stayed in Utuado for over a month, in my humble little tent next to the vegetable garden.

The irony is I didn't learn a lot about organic farming while there. The organisation I was volunteering with had a natural building project in the city of Arecibo so I had to help with that. I spent three weeks helping on the project and my feelings about the experience are mixed. Can I just say that I have gained a new found respect for construction workers? the next time to see a construction worker, please stop him or her and shake his or her hand. Construction is tough work; very tough and it entails a lot of science. People look down on construction workers but they are certainly more skilled and educated than most of us.

The natural building project in Arecibo

What made the project even more special was that it was natural building. Natural building is basically a range of building systems emphasizing sustainability. The goal is to use recycled materials, renewable resources and other minimally processed materials to build durable and eco-friendly buildings. Working on this project made me to start thinking about self-sustainability.

The building's exterior

Why do I need to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a house when I can build a more durable one myself which is not only better for the environment but it's also more comfortable (natural buildings have better indoor air quality). While I was learning a lot, I came to Puerto Rico for organic farming and not construction.

So I didn't learn very much about organic farming in Utuado but I learned other valuable things, I learned to appreciate nature, see her in her purest form, respect her, adore her and apologize, on behalf of mankind, for all the insanely maddening things we are doing to her. I know, I know, I am starting to sound like a keep-peace-alive hippie but you do get a different perspective when you live in nature, completely detached from technology and her distractions.

What I am most grateful for about my time in Utuado are all the friends I made, Katie in particular. She studies horticulture and was also volunteering on the farm. Katie is heaps cool and we had an amazing time together. In between the natural building project at Arecibo and Utuado, we squeezed in time for some sight seeing and other unexpected adventures.

When the opportunity came for me to volunteer with thirty-something couple from the city of Camuy. I did not hesitate to grab it. I had met them on couple of occasions before while in Utuado and I knew they were good people. I was willing to volunteer with them because I knew they were both agronomists and I was guaranteed a learn something sizable about organic farming with them. As usual, I had very little expectations. In fact, I was only planning to spend a week or two with them and return to Utuado. After my first day with them, I knew I wasn't going back. They taught me everything I wanted to know about organic farming and more.

Me. Hard at work.

They have a little farm behind their house and I learned heaps from working on it. Not only are these guys remarkable organic farmers, they are remarkable people. They welcomed me into their lives with honesty and open arms and for that, I will forever be grateful. I am going to do a more detailed post sometime later about this amazing couple and my experience on their farm and also about volunteering abroad on organic farms.

The next time you see an organic farmer, please shake his or her hand. It's tough work. It's tough because they work in an industry dominated by food co-operations with pesticides and factory farms and high fructose corn syrup and most importantly low prices (as a result of mass production and government subsidies). I mean how do they compete with that? Isn't it ironic that the people who supply healthy food have been marginalised not only by their governments but the consumers too?

Vera

During my time in Camuy, we were able to squeeze in some adventures too like an electrifying Damian Marley concert in San Juan ( his back-up singers/dancers were FIRE!!!! those girls literally SHUT IT DOWN), the waterfalls in San Sebastian, indian cave in Arecibo etc etc and sometime in between all of this, I had two tattoos and became a vegetarian.

Sunrise. Utuado.

Salsa in the salon.

Working hard at a vegetarian workshop.

Planting beans in Camuy. This was taken about a week or less after planting.

And back to this hostel. It has stopped raining and humidity is stealthily creeping in. Backpackers are returning from the day's adventure and the fans are whirring louder than before. I catch a plane out of Puerto Rico tomorrow and it's back to school. I'm not excited about that of course but I have a year left to complete my Masters degree so I'll try to make the best of it. Preparations for my December/January travel plans are already on the way and it is going to be major. I am beyond excited but you know I won't spill any details, at least for now.

I'm done, finally. Now! how was your summer????

Saludos desde Puerto Rico

2011-06-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

More updates coming soon.
XoXo

Fort Myers, Florida's best kept secret

2011-05-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you are ever looking for a different side of Florida, something outside the radar of tourist traps, then Fort Myers is your place. What Fort Myers has to offer is a unique and excitingly different realm of Southern culture. The city is inexpensive, the people are compassionate and the food is good. Where to stay?

The River District Hostel. One thing I have noticed about traveling in America is that outside the big cities (Chicago, NYC etc), hostel culture is nonexistent. River District is an exception.It has that hostel ambiance but feels like a home at the same time. There is a huge TV with an array of DVDS, a home-style living room, comfortable beds and a fully stacked kitchen and when I say fully stacked, I mean FULLY STACKED with everything: from a rice cooker to frying pans to Southern spices, it has everything. All of these free amenities are at insanely affordable prices. I spent $27 per night. Still don't believe me? head over to Trip Advisor or Hostelworld or travellerspoint.com and read the reviews by travelers.

It was also the top rated hostel of 2009 on hostelworld.com. When it comes to booking hostels, hostelworld.com is the most legit site and before you book a hostel always make sure you read the reviews by other travelers.

The hostel is also within walking distance from the main downtown area

The streets around the area, like the one above, are beautiful and serene. The only negative thing about the hostel's location is its distance from the beach. The beach is about a 30 minutes drive away (much less if there is no traffic). I didn't have a vehicle so the bus was one of our options. The bus ride to the beach takes much longer because it makes multiple stops. This is a very inexpensive option if you are patient. Make sure you check the bus schedules so you know when to catch the returning bus from the beach. You can also consider taking a cab if you are with friends. You can arrange a fare with the cab driver. My friend and I negotiated a 20$ fare ($10 per person) and then took the bus for our return trip.

Reading Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe, a very disturbingly good book

Beautiful sunset

New year 2011 celebration downtown

This band is called No Way Jose and we jammed to their music the entire night. They played everything: rock n' roll, salsa, reggae, everything. You name it, they played it.

And here I am doing tree-assisted headstands on the streets. I don't recall if I was intoxicated at this point (I probably was).

In the hostel the following day, making wonderful Happy New Year food. You buy your own food but all the kitchen utensils are provided by the hostel. Didn't I tell you the kitchen was FULLY STACKED?

My headstands once again, using the jacuzzi for support. Did I also forget to tell you that the hostel has a free jacuzzi? oh my god, it is remarkably relaxing. I wanted to stay in there forever.

And that's all folks. I'll leave you with a picture of this big guy, warmly inviting you to Fort Myers. But before I go, I was just wondering if anyone is having problems logging into their blogger account on Google chrome? the most curious thing. I am not a tech person so I'll be chilling over here at Firefox until the people at blogger or Google accounts sort out their issues. Furthermore, summer is here. Are you guys excited? any travelers out there? what are your plans? any tips on summer travel? I'm thinking about doing something collaborative with other travel blogs but my mind is too soggy at this moment. I will be doing something very different this summer and I can barely contain my excitement. I don't have any major expectations so I'm just going to let myself soak the experience. I will keep you guys updated.

Best regards,
XoXo

Kam-sam-nida : A summer in South Korea

2011-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

A sun ray is lightly heating the surface of my skin and I can smell the exuberance of fresh flowers. You know what that means? summer is here. I spent the summer of 2008 in South Korea and it is an experience I would never forget. Below is an assortment of my favorite pictures.

View of the city Gyeongju from the summit of a hill

Hiking

A traditional Korean performance

Gampo beach

The beautiful city of Busan. I consulted a fortune teller for the first time in this city. I did it just for a few laughs but I have to say, it was quite the experience.

On Busan's crowded beach. People are sitting beneath those orange shades in the background. I have never seen so many people on a single beach before.

Crab munching in the city of Pohang

California Beach in Gyeongju.

Taking shots as a penalty for losing in a drinking game. I'm drinking a beautifully lethal Korean liquor called soju. It's smooth but, um, very effective if you know what I mean. I got massively drunk that night and the truly absurd ensued.

So I got this shirt from someone in Korea. The writing on it is something hilarious or maybe even vulgar. The person who gave me the shirt articulated what it meant but I was too drunk to retain the information. If any of my readers are fluent in Korean or know someone who is can you please help me translate? I'll be forever indebted. Ok! enough about me. What about you guys? do you have any memorable summers or are you planning exciting adventures this summer? I'll love to know. Cheers!!

What's the difference between tourists and guests?

2011-04-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Road trip in the US OF A : Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma

2011-03-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Can I just preface this post by saying America is extraordinarily massive? I can't comprehend how the settlers were able to traverse such a huge chunk of the earth with nothing but feet and carriages. Last week Wednesday, I went on a road trip. The drive through Kansas was interesting. Because we avoided the highways, we had to put up with the foul stench of farms, beef industries and slaughterhouses. The car smelt like cow shit but we were too excited to be bothered.

Colorado Springs, Colorado. We stopped at Colorado Springs because we were presenting academic papers at a conference. My paper was Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien

At Pikes Peek in Colorado. The scenery was breathtaking.

Ascending Pikes Peek (with a vehicle of course). I felt really nauseous because we were at an incredibly high altitude. So if you are planning on undertaking a similar journey and your body is not familiar with high altitudes, make sure you bring medicine for headache or nausea.

I had stones in my pockets to prevent the wind from knocking me over. I kid, I kid. The winds were pretty tough though. Vehicles were prevented from further ascension because the breeze was out of control.

Jubilating in New Mexico. I am wearing a five year old rubber sandal thingie from Cameroon (Central Africa). In Cameroon, we called them "Nchang" shoes. Some people consider them to be somewhat archaic but I personally think they are stylish and comfortable; I wear them any chance I get. I used the word "them" too much in this paragraph.

Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Shitting a fully-developed human being at the Grand Canyon

We also did a bit of camping in Arizona. If you are ever going camping in Arizona, around the Grand Canyon or Phoenix area, I highly recommend Seven Springs Campground. They have beautiful views, clearly marked hiking trails and nearby rivers. It is also the most inexpensive option; the cost per night is 6 dollars. If you are lucky like us, you won't even pay a dime. There was no rancher or toll gate present when we camped so we stayed there for free. The ride is a little bumpy but it is definitely worth it. So yeah, definitely check out Seven Springs Campground.

Another recommendation; while driving to or from Seven Springs Campground, you'll pass a little town called Cave Creek. There's a gloriously tasty coffee shop in this little town called The Village Coffee shop. Make sure you stop there and enjoy one of the best crepes you will ever have in your life. The beverages will equally massage your taste buds; they use only home-made milk in their coffee and tea. They have a massive sign by the road so you won't miss it.

At a flea market in Cave Creek, Arizona.

Beautiful sky at Cave Creek

Hiking mountains around the Cave Creek area.

Descending

Pool side. Phoenix, Arizona. A generous friend of one of our friends, let us crash at her place. She took time off work to show us all the hot spots around the city.

Palm trees by the pool.

Because my camera is waterproof, I've become a tad bit obsessed underwater photography. I used my fellow travelers as models. This is probably my favorite.

This is also one of my favorites. I wasn't intending to capture her facial exit from the water but it ended up looking tres cool, if I might say so myself. Ok! this post is going on forever so I'll stop here. We drove through Texas and Oklahoma on our way back.

This is the farewell picture of this post. In summary, the road trip was fun. We encountered bad weather in the Grand Canyon on our second day out there so we couldn't hike down the mountains. If you are heading over to the Grand Canyon anytime soon, regularly check weather updates. If you are going to be living in big cities, do lots of research about hostels or hotels and book in advance. Don't drive to Denver, Colorado without reservations like we did and spend hours finding a place to sleep. For the small towns and counties, you don't need any reservations; cheap motels are in abundance. If the weather is nice, I recommend camping; you spend less money and communion with nature. What more could you ask for?

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Trekking in Chiang Mai, Thailand

2011-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Glistening temples, verdant vegetation, bustling nightlife and mouth-watering food makes Chiang Mai one of the most alluring cities in Thailand. Chiang Mai is also seductive to tourists and backpackers because of its top rated physical activity programs at very affordable prices. Some of these activities include trekking, yoga classes, zip lining and bungee jumping.

A motorcyclist driving past a temple

The trekking experience is arguably the most popular and that is exactly why I visited Chiang Mai. If you plan on visiting Chiang Mai, I highly recommend Julie's hostel. It is clean, safe, spacious and criminally affordable. You can get a comfortable bed in a four bed bedroom for as low as 80 baht per night (which is about 2 USD and 60 cents). They also sell ridiculously cheap alcohol(the cheapest you will find in the area) and decently-priced food. Julie's hostel is the quintessential backpacker hotel so you will definitely meet a lot of people. They have a wide open space with chairs, tables, sofas, pool tables etc and everyone sits, drinks, chats and just basically hangs out. At Julie's hostel, you can also book a three day trekking adventure for about 30 USD and I am not even kidding. The 30 USD covers everything: food, transportation, everything. It is one of the cheapest trekking programs in Thailand. However, bring some money with you so that you can buy water, drinks, snacks and souvenirs.

Elephant riding

On the first day of the trekking tour, our tour guide came to the hostel and picked us up very early in the morning. We jumped into the truck and the journey began. We stopped at a beautiful butterfly garden and then at a market to buy food supplies. After a long ride into the jungle, we arrived at the elephant riding center. What is great about this center is they nurture their elephants with great care and even rehabilitate abused elephants.

Elephants getting their drink on

Elephant riding is not as fun as I thought it was going to be. I had my first elephant riding experience in Cambodia and it was uncomfortable and scary. The elephant dawdled on the edge of a hill and our seat tilted downwards everytime. I honestly thought I was going to die haha.

Our elephant in Chiang Mai was hilariously stubborn; all he wanted to do was rest and eat. We bought him a ton of food supplies for the 30 something minute journey but he ate everything in less than five minutes. If we didn't feed him, he'll stop. Forward movement was only guaranteed if we obliged. I couldn't stop laughing at his schemes; he made the ride exceedingly enjoyable.After the elephant ride, we began our five hour trek up hill. I expected mosquitoes to ravage my skin the entire time but it wasn't so bad. We stopped sporadically to eat, chat and drink water.

Taking a break from trekking

After five hours of ascending, we arrived at the first village. Our home for the night was a very comfortable hut at the zenith of the mountain.After our sumptuous meal, we all sat outside, drank beer, played games and listened to our tour guide play the guitar.

At the summit

View from our hut

Toilet/bathroom :-)

We journeyed with two dutch families, two dutch girls and a dutch couple ( 10 Dutch people in general). The mothers embraced my buddy from England and I as if we were their own children; very nice people. Our tour guide was also a blast; words can't express how good of a guide he was. He had me in stitches the entire trip.

Waterfall at village numero 2

This kid swims like a fish.

On the second day, we trekked for about three hours to the second village. The second village was equally amazing. We ate, jumped into the waterfall, drank , relaxed and then continued our journey to third village. The third village was smaller and located downhill. We met some very interesting characters that night and had a splendid time.

Third Village. Vietnamese hats and waterproof ponchos

On the third and last day, we trekked to the river for the whitewater rafting. It was my first rafting experience and I was surprisingly good at it. I handled the paddle like a pro and screamed with excitement every time our boat was on the verge of capsizing.

Strapping up for the whitewater rafting

After that, we did the bamboo rafting which was harder than I predicted. You are basically float on a bamboo raft and then you use a long bamboo stick to paddle forward. I absolutely sucked at it.

Whitewater rafting. Contrary to what this picture is conveying, I was quite brave on the water :-)

After bamboo rafting, we had our final supper and then drove back into town. The trekking adventure in Chiang Mai was one of the highlights of my trip in South East Asia. So if you are ever in Chiang Mai, I recommend Julie's hostel as your choice of accomodation and the three day trekking tour program. Not only was it extrememly fun, I paid about 30 USD for the entire experience (food, accomodation, whitewater rafting, bamboo rafting etc). 30 dollars well spent if you ask me.

Volunteer abroad for free (Thailand, South East Asia)

2011-01-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

As some of you already know, finding a free volunteering program abroad these days is almost impossible. I've never understood the logic behind charging people exorbitant prices to volunteer for free. Before I traveled to South East Asia in the summer, I was fortunate enough to stumble on a volunteer organization called Isara in Nong Khai, North-East Thailand. If you are ever looking for a free and meaningful volunteer organization in Thailand, I highly and unequivocally recommend Isara. I'll tell you why.

Sculpture Park, Nong Khai

Firstly, it is absolutely free. Isara does not charge you a single penny. They provide you with a free place to stay; it is a nice house with a kitchen, bathroom, computers, beautiful backyard et cetera. I should warn you though, after working with Isara and seeing how this small organization is changing lives, you won't resist the urge to open your wallet and donate some money.

Volunteering with the kids at Ban Nong Jang school

In fact, I highly recommend making donations. Even something as small as $ 10 or 20 goes a long way. Secondly, the founder Kirk is an amazing guy. Words can't describe how inspirational Kirk is. He quit his well-paying corporate job in America, moved to Thailand and started Isara.

Volunteering at another school

He has a zero profit motive and all he cares about is the betterment of Nong Khai. There are other volunteer programs in the surrounding regions with massive sponsors but yet they still charge volunteers thousands of dollars. Kirk, on the other hand, is determined to be the moral voice in this wacky and scandal-prone world of volunteering abroad.

To Udon Thani (Thailand) and Vien Tiane (Laos)

Isara makes their money through their website and donations. Thirdly, you would absolutely love volunteering with Isara. Working with these wonderful Thai children will melt your heart. You can teach English, work on recycling projects, play games, assist in computer learning et cetera. There are so many fun things to do in this community.

Right across the river from Isara is the country Laos. If you squint, you can see the Laotian flag.

Last but not the least, you will fall in love with this little town called Nong Khai. The Natives are friendly and engaging; I felt like I was part of a family. I always, always, always bought my food(Somtam and Kao nyao. YUM!) from the same lady and we became good friends even though she spoke very little English and I spoke very little Thai. The food in this town is delicious; very authentic Thai food, not like the commercialised stuff you get in touristy cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

The Isara compound where volunteers live and where some classes are taught

You will also learn a lot of Thai. Because Nong Khai is not a commercialised town, very few people speak English. This is a good thing because it forces you to learn some Thai. When you travel with backpackers from Europe, Australia and North America and you live in touristy hostels and cities, you learn absolutely NO THAI because you have no exposure to Thai people and the culture. Isara offers free Thai classes so you can go out to the street and practice your Thai by ordering food or buying something in the market.

A young schoolboy showing his appreciation to Kirk for the helmets donated by Isara. Motorcycles are the predominant means of transportation in Nong Khai so Kirk started the helmet campaign to ensure the safety of motorcyclists.

I'm starting to ramble so I'll stop but as I said, if you looking for a free and meaningful volunteer program in South East Asia, definitely check out www.isara.org. If you are ever traveling to Thailand or/and South East Asia, definitely stop at Isara. Even if you are only there for a week or two, you won't regret the experience. Their application process is very simple. You don't need any prior experience or degrees or anything like that; all Kirk cares about is your passion to make a difference. You can fill out an application on their website.

Posing with the exceptional students of Ban Nong Jang school. That is James sitting next to me. He's the smartest kid I know.

Before I go, I should tell you this little story. I received a facebook message from Kirk yesterday telling me that the young students I worked with at Bang Nong Jang school said they missed me. I'm not an emotional person but it made me feel all mushy inside. I guess I was surprised to discover that after four months, they still remember me.

On the back of truck with another amazing volunteer

It feels somewhat good to know that in this big, confusing mess of a world, I have somehow and in some obscure way positively contributed to the growth of these exceptional and beautiful children. I'm being cliche right now but fuck it! I'm having a rough week so I've earned my right to be cliche lol Ok! kids, I'm done for real this time. Spread the word and stay safe.

My final day at Isara, posing in front of the Isara logo

Bow Tie

2011-01-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

There is something very enigmatically alluring about bow ties on adult men. I got this little fellow at American Apparel and I decided to keep him. He looks decent, no?

In my little Bisayan town, the guitar strings are loose...

2010-12-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas at my sister's and I can't stop fondling with her guitar. I've been trying all day to play "Wonderwall" by Oasis and "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry to no avail *shrugs* Happy holidays!!

"in my little Bisayan town
the guitar strings are loose
and the sound
becomes musically challenged...

surprisingly
i can sing alone and yet
still be in tune
without things
without so many people

yes, it is this solitude
and the rest becomes mere surplusage"

- Excerpt from "learning to live alone and be happy" by Ric S. Bastasa

Patriot

2010-12-24T01:09:00.000-08:00

Thai flags wagging above the sunset. This was a beautiful day. I took these pictures while waiting for our boat ride. Some days, I wake up wishing I was still backpacking through South East Asia and journeying into Australia and New Zealand. If it wasn't for school and other annoying obstacles, I would embark on a one year backpacking adventure. I'm the epitome of a restless soul.