Savage Travels + Vanilla Lattés

Treasures in the Land of the Shining Mountains ~ Columbia Falls, Montana, USA

2012-02-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Who says being in university means no more adventures?

I want to take this opportunity to thank the powers that be who invented "Reading Week".

I will indeed be reading... a 1948 edition of "The Travels of Marco Polo" that is.

Which I found in a lovely treasure trove: The Shops at Station 8.

Colette Gross, the owner of the antique shop was happy to have me take a few shots of her creations.

This was indeed the cutest Antique Shop that I've ever explored. Ribbons, frills and lace were carefully placed by Colette, among antique rocking chairs and sweet smelling book shelves.

What a better way to relax than take pictures of pretty things in an ex-train station and to then have lattes and blog in a converted Red Caboose.

If you ever happen to be near Columbia Falls, Montana, make sure to take a peak and be sure to ask her about the shop's mysterious carved initials of decades past...

With love,

Savage Travels

When Wilderness Called Me Out to Play ~ Kananaskis, Canada

2012-01-26T19:04:00.001-07:00

In a time when most are dreaming of warmer days, sunny afternoons, and tanning on beaches...

...winter called me out to play.

So along with fellow blogger and photographer Rob, international business man Brooks & real estate superstar Carina, we picked up rented snowshoes at Sports Rent Bowness, and sped off towards the mountainous skyline.

After a few short delays due to a required tire change and the horrifying experience of losing control of the pickup on the icy Rocky Mountain back-roads, we finally made it to a clearing: Upper Kananaskis Lake.

We trusted a local ice fisherman who reassured us that the lake was frozen... "except for a few spots over there"... which we decided we would make sure to avoid...

...and trudged off into what reminded me of a windy Sahara Desert.

Complete whiteouts from tiny shards of ice whipping and whirling from every direction will give you an adrenaline rush that lounging on a beach never will.

After an hour or two (or did it only seem that long?), a familiar smell reached my nostrils.

Pine trees never smelt so strong. Land at last.

With love,

Savage Travels

Ps. What's in your backyard?

Winter Wonderland ~ Canmore/Banff, Canada

2011-12-31T16:02:00.001-07:00

A cozy little village called Banff, a short drive from Calgary, with its sweet smelling cafés (Eveylyn's Coffee Bars) and bakeries (Wild Flour Bakery),

is the perfect remedy for an overcharged schedule, an exhausting semester and a craving for the Christmas spirit (two years overseas for the month of December will make you long for Christmas Carols like you'd never expect).

Where else can you sneak into a Castle, find a secret room with a fire place, and savor a glass of wine while overlooking the white wilderness that is the Rocky Mountain Range? (Seriously, if you know please comment below.)

The only thing better than living so close to Banff, is having family (some of whom just so happen to be fellow bloggers Michael and Kyle) in Canmore, which I consider to be Banff's older/wiser (but in no way less fun) sister, speckled with rustic restaurants like the trendy Rocky Mountain Bagel Co and the smoky Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.

Thank you for a wonderful Christmas,

With love,

Savage Travels

Crossing a Border by Foot, No Passport in Hand ~ Tijuana, Mexico

2011-12-17T15:35:00.002-07:00

One day I visited a beautiful city,

eerily void of tourists.

Could it be because of the bad rep Tijuana gets in the media?

Could it be because it sadly had 820 homicides in 2010, compared to Calgary's 15?

I want to travel the world, and I do mean the whole world.

I agree with the possibly overused quote that says "a ship in the harbour is safe but that's not what ships were built for" - Unknown

However, I also am a strong supporter of educating ourselves in the name of safe travel.

Take a look the Canadian Government's free online booklet of "Her Own Way".

Then pack your suitcase and although you don't need a passport to walk down into Tijuana...

don't forget it if you want to walk back up.

With love,

Savage Travels

Without Packages, Boxes or Bags ~ Montréal, Canada

2011-12-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

I just want to take a break from studying for finals and wish you a happy holiday season.

I've enjoyed sharing about my 2011 travels with you.

Bigger and better things are coming in 2012.

Stay posted, and remember those who go without.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?" ~ Dr. Seuss

With love,

Savage Travels

Lost in a Big City ~ Montréal, Canada

2011-11-27T13:28:00.001-07:00

There is something surprisingly liberating about not knowing where you are...

(...unless of course you are lost in an underground subway maze, desperately searching for a washroom that cannot be found...)

This got me thinking, and indeed there are six best cities in which to get lost. The list is published by none other than my trusty travel companion (although it seems to be a one way relationship) Lonely Planet.

With love,

Savage Travels

Turkish Delight on a Stormy Night ~ Montréal, Canada

2011-11-23T13:21:00.002-07:00

During my recent visit to Montreal, as clouds overhead threatened to explode with rain, a friend ushered us into a refuge, a stunning café: Nocochi.

Where else can you nibble on gooey Turkish delight &

hand made cookies "created according to ancient Persian and Middle-East recipes"?

I will never tire of Montréal's hidden gems.

The cozy cushions & beautiful paintings of this cute café are just some of the many things

calling me back to Canada's Cultural Capital.

With love,

Savage Travels

Less Sunshine but no Less Love

2011-11-12T12:44:00.004-07:00

As the year draws to an end and less and less sun is seen over Calgary's skyline and the nearby majestic Rocky Mountain peaks...

... love is in the air...

With full time work and a full course load, I haven't found much time to catch all you blog readers up on my numerous adventures, but do not fear, they are safely documented in old fashioned paper format, waiting peacefully for their time to be shared with the world.

I couldn't resist sharing these lovely pics however.

One of the cutest couples that you could ever know, let me and a fellow photographer follow them around for the evening...

...as people whispered "they must be celebrities or something"...

... they are indeed...

... and this is just the beginning.

Thank you Shea & Katherine, twas a lovely evening.

Love,

Savage Travels

We May Not Have Found Fame & Fortune... But Who Needs Them When We're Having Fun? ~ California

2011-10-01T17:51:00.001-06:00

I packed my bags, jumped into a pickup full of 4 friends, and off we sped (literally) to the YYC to catch our plane to California...

...for a whirlwind visit of Los Angeles, Laguna and Huntington Beach.

I loved slowly walking along the beach with friends in the morning,

Running into the waves to wet my ankles at night,

Finding a hidden antique shop and buying a dusty old book from 1911 titled "The American Woman Abroad" by Blanche McManus,

Browsing the specials racks at the cutest little clothing store I've ever seen: Varga.

Iced coffees from HSS surf shop mere meters from the beach...

It's already been too long,

'Till next time California,

Love,
Savage Travels

A River Runs Through It ~ Day 65 of 88

2011-08-04T00:19:00.003-06:00

Today I woke up in the peaceful (yet overly touristic due to its infamous tubing attraction) riverside town of Vang Vieng, Laos.

Here we stayed at the Thavensouk Guesthouse with its beautiful large (but mosquito infested) rooms,

and spent most of the day lounging on the terrace, writing, blogging, drinking ice cold pop and hot egg noodle soup...

...and thinking about how wonderful it is to explore the world and how a table on a terrace surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and a slow flowing river...

...would make an excellent office if you asked me.

Hidden Realities ~ Day 64 of 88

2011-07-30T23:07:00.003-06:00

Today was spent driving to Van Vieng on sharply zigzagged roads through jagged peaked mountains.

We stopped only for bathroom breaks or to get a bite to eat.

Getting from point A to point B involves escaping from tourist traps and seeing how people really live.

Attempting to understand cultural differences and others' reality is one of my main goals when traveling.

Slapped, Cracked & Poked ~ Day 63 of 88

2011-07-27T18:18:00.001-06:00

I resume my adventure in the village of Luang Probang which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. That means it is considered a place where its conservation (of culture and architecture) will benefit all of humanity.

It is a town where Buddhist monks wander the streets in the early morning mist, and where street food and the night market take over by closing streets from 5pm to around 10pm.

Today my mom, two Norwegian friends (Ellen & Dan) that we've met during our adventures, and I all went to experience traditional Laotian massages.

We walked into a three walled room (one side of the room had only sheer yellow curtains blowing slowly in the warm breeze) at Lotus du Lao Massage... and hoped that we didn't have too many spectators as we changed into the massage outfits they provided for us.

This was an amazing experience, during which my mom, Ellen and I, along with our 3 local massage therapists, couldn't keep from giggling as they kneeded, slapped, poked, pulled and cracked us.

They laughed at how we put the outfits on incorrectly and pointed out our freckles and mosquito bites to each other as they chatted away in Laotian.

Staying with Strangers ~ Costa Rica

2011-07-25T21:55:00.001-06:00

Over the next two days, I was happy to spend time with Marina's family who made me feel very welcome.

I ate every meal with them, and went with Marina on her errands around town, stopping here and there to chat with her neighbours and even getting invited in for delicious black (and extremely sweet) Costa Rican coffee.

I will never forget the time Marina took to invest in my life by spending hours speaking Spanish clearly and slowly and teaching me about Borucan culture.

I certainly learned more Spanish in the last 2 days than I have in the number of language classes I've taken.

If ever you want to experience indigenous culture in South America, find your way by local buses to Boruca and ask for Marina.

She'll be happy to find a bed for you to lay your head on for a few nights.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood ~ Costa Rica

2011-05-10T13:09:00.005-06:00

This morning I went to stock up on drinking water, not knowing what to expect in Boruca, a small village on one of Southern Costa Rica's Indigenous Reserves.

A riggedy old bus pulled into Buenos Aires' city centre and all those who were waiting piled into what felt like a dusty sauna.

About 2 hours later, I paid my ₡900 ($1.75) fare and hopped out of the bus, asking for the woman whose name I found online as one of the leaders of the Borucan women's cooperative La Flor Co-operativa. When I found her (the bus practically dropped me off on her front doorstep), I asked if she knew of a home I could stay in for a couple nights.

Marina gladly offered to have me stay in her own home! I thanked her and left my backpack (valuables removed), and headed out to explore my surroundings, making friends with the village children, who were captivated by my camera.

Breaking a Fast, Starting an Adventure ~ Costa Rica

2011-05-07T16:54:00.004-06:00

Today I broke a month long coffee fast... (ok I may have cheated once or twice) but I have now decided that enjoying a cafe con leche in the Cabinas Fabi's restaurant, as a humid breeze blows through my hair, is worth all the heart palpitations that it may cause.

I am waiting sleepily (after a red-eye flight from Denver and 4 hour bus ride from San Jos é, Costa Rica to Buenos Aires, Costa Rica) for my ₡8000 colónes (about $16) room to be prepared.

When I asked the server if he had any sin cafeína, he laughed and responded that he only has real coffee... seeing as I never like feeling like a naive north american, I decided I won't be asking for decaf again.

This trip I have decided to fully go off the beaten tourist track, and am traveling alone for the first 4 days. I have not seen any other foreigners or spoken English since leaving the airport this morning. This will be the way I'll be backpacking until I meet some friends with whom I will be volunteering at a Women's Shelter in San José. Read more about the organization by clicking on the link, and help us raise funds for them here.

Until then... no guides or friends, just me, my backpack, camera and basic Spanish are heading to the middle of the indigenous reserve of Boruca, where there are no Hotels, Motels or Holiday Inns.

This shall be good.

Traveling for a Good Cause

2011-05-07T15:41:00.002-06:00

Hang some of my (or another photographer's) travel photography in your home for a good cause! 100% of proceeds will go to the woman's shelter "Casa Luz" where I will be volunteering during the 2nd half of my time in Costa Rica, from May the 14th to the 21st.

Enroute to the End of the World

2011-03-07T19:20:00.002-07:00

How exciting! Enroute contacted me to say one of my photos was chosen to appear in the March issue of their incredible travel magazine.

I had submitted my shot of the Calgary Tower to them last fall to participate in their Flash contest (the winner will win a trip for two to anywhere in North America with Air Canada).

Keep your eyes open for this magazine if you fly with Air Canada anytime soon.

They publish three photos every month and will choose the grand winner at the end of the year.

Cross your fingers peeps.

Rushing Falls ~ Day 62 of 88

2011-03-02T20:47:00.003-07:00

This afternoon we took a bus for about an hour from Luang Probang, Laos, up to the Kuang Sii Waterfalls.

With emerald coloured water, tropical flowers, butterflies and warm sunshine these falls are described by one of my favorite books, Lonely Planet, as being "a tonic for sore eyes, with a multi-tiered cascade tumbling over limestone formations into menthol green pools below."

After walking along the small river, we found a gorgeous pool, surrounded by lush greenery, where we could swing in by rope, jump in from the top of the falls, or cautiously wade in from the rocky banks.

As I treaded water beneath the splashing falls, I could hardly believe my luck.

Until one has swam in an ice cold pool filled by a rushing cascade... one has not lived.

Warm Wind and Red Balloons

2011-02-24T17:41:00.002-07:00

One great thing about Calgary, Alberta, is that it's blessed every once in a while with a hot wind called the Chinook. It blows down from the Canadian Rockies and Calgarians rejoice as the snow melts before their very eyes.

What I love even more than having a break from minus 35 degree Celsius weather, is how perfect a time Chinooks are for photo-shoots, so here are a few of the many shots from one of our last Chinooks.

Thank you to my coworker Blanche for bringing her amazingly cute kids and creating some fun pictures with me.

Sometimes...

2011-02-23T19:06:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I just want to stop hurrying, stressing, worrying....

...at those times I just buy myself a latté.

Lazily along in a Slow Boat ~ Day 61 of 88

2011-02-09T20:14:00.004-07:00

After a quick stop in the small village, we re-boarded our slow boat and the direction of Luang Probang, Laos.

We spent the rest of the day floating lazily down the Mekong River,

watching the other boats with curiosity,

napping in the sunshine, enjoying a delicious home-cooked Laotian meal (cooked right on the boat)

and sipping coffee, tea and ovaltine whenever our hearts desired.

Those Who Can Only Dream

2011-01-31T23:21:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to take a minute...

to flash back into reality,and ask you,

if when you complain about the weather,

you ever think,

of those who can only dream...

of coming in from the cold.

Take a minute to read about homelessness in Calgary.

Snotty Noses & Bare Bottoms ~ Day 60 of 88

2011-01-25T14:17:00.003-07:00

After a few tuktuks, ferries and border crossings (one for each country, Thailand and Laos, on both sides of the river), I finally got a new stamp in my passport.

We boarded a local family's boat and for the rest of the day, puttered down the Mekong in the sunshine.

We came across a little village and disembarked to learn a little about their way of life.

As our guide spoke, I was quickly distracted by all the playful children crowding around us, some staring curiously, some taking pictures with their cell phones (those things are everywhere!), which made me feel a bit less guilty about taking my own of them!

When I travel, I am astounded at the positive attitude and welcoming atmosphere that radiates from small villages. Even if I knew people were coming to help fund (by donation) my local school...

...I am afraid I might quickly tire of nosy tourists stepping into my bubble.

All the people I have met in Indochina seem to be the friendliest people I have ever met. I sometimes wonder if it may be related to the importance here of "keeping face".

The Crazy Temple of Chiang Rai ~ Day 59 of 88 (Part 2)

2011-01-22T19:03:00.005-07:00

After an unbelievable visit with some of Thailand's minority groups and a delicious buffet in an orchard garden, we started on our journey towards the Laos border.

We made one important stop before getting to the banks of the Mekong River.

We stopped to see the modern day temple of Wat Rong Khun whose interior is painted with images of everything from the Twin Towers to Superman. It was interesting to see a modern, still in construction, temple when most impressive religious buildings are from many decades, or even centuries ago.

It is hard to put words to this interesting construction. All I can say is that as I stood staring at the sparkling white against the crisp blue sky and its perfect reflection in the fish filled pool, I felt like I was in some kind of storybook, almost like an adult version of Hansel & Gretel, where instead of the candy drawing me in... it was the great photo ops.

Unfortunately no photos where permitted inside, but I found some online, taken by a photographer far more rebellious than I.

The Long Neck Tribe ~ Day 59 of 88 (Part 1)

2011-01-13T22:23:00.001-07:00

This morning we took a taxi from Chiang Mai to a nearby village where six different hill tribes congregate to sell their handicrafts to tourists.

One of the tribes here is called the "Kayan", also known as the "Long Neck Tribe", who captured the world's fascination with their taboo body modification.

Although the existence of this village is specifically to make money from tourism, the tribes have truly settled and now live, raise children, harvest crops and tend to animals here.

There was something that made me slightly uncomfortable about wandering the villages and being welcomed to peer into the residents' private homes.

I cautiously, somewhat guiltily, photographed the women and children as the men of the village stood amongst themselves, chatting together without (from what I saw) participating in the money-making process.

I recommend watching the short documentary about the Kayan, their beauty practices and the risks involved, available on National Geographic's website.