I’m exploring Sri Lanka by bicycle with a great group of people, visiting Buddhist temples and ancient ruins while cycling through remote rural areas that few people ever see. One of the highlights so far has been Wasgamuwa National Park. Wasgamuwa is home to a large population of Sri Lankan elephants (which means you have to visit on a jeep safari since the elephants might trample cyclists).
Continue reading “Stranded in the Sri Lankan Jungle”
Tomorrow I begin a 12-day cycle tour of Sri Lanka. I arrived a few days ago to give myself some time to work through the jet lag and do a little sightseeing. So far, I’m really impressed! My good friend Charles thought I might be in for another very trying experience like our trip to Bangladesh two years ago. Where we found rancid air and chaotic traffic jams in Dhaka, here in Sri Lanka I feel much more at ease. A fresh sea breeze blows through the trees, mixing with the aroma of curry and spices. The touts are even some of the friendliest and most respectful people I’ve met in all my travels!
Continue reading “First Impressions of Sri Lanka”
Turks and Caicos is a set of Caribbean islands a few hundred miles east of Cuba. It’s a tropical paradise in every sense – endless white sandy beaches, warm turquoise water, friendly people, and delicious food. But it isn’t such a paradise if you’re born here as one of the unfortunate street dogs often seen picking through trash for food or scurrying away into bushes as cars whip by. As in many places where spaying/neutering is uncommon, the population of street dogs is growing rapidly and the dogs are considered a nuisance. The life expectancy of a stray is a short three years. A large portion die from diseases like parvo and distemper before they even make it to adulthood.
Continue reading “Turks and Caicos Islands’ Puppy Rescue Group”
JP, a fellow passenger on the Carib Dancer scuba diving live-aboard, just put together this video of the trip. Great job capturing how wonderful it was to experience all that underwater life, JP!
Just a little over a week ago Hurricane Joaquin was crashing into the Bahamas and threatening to derail a much anticipated Caribbean scuba trip. Our flight got cancelled and it looked like there was no way a boat would be going out into such stormy seas. Luckily, we made it to Nassau just a day late and, amazingly, there were very few signs of the hurricane. It just missed us.
Continue reading “Scuba Diving in Bahamas aboard the Carib Dancer”
Only a few months ago we narrowly escaped the Nepal earthquake. Five months later, Sil and I are on our way to a week of scuba diving in the Bahamas and a hurricane is ripping into the island. Fortunately, we’re stuck in Toronto after our flight was cancelled this afternoon but, secretly, I’ve always wanted to experience a hurricane first-hand (from the safety of a well-stocked concrete bunker with bullet-proof glass).
Continue reading “From Earthquakes To Hurricanes”
Having recently taken part in the TGO Challenge, a walk across the Scottish highlands from the west coast to the North Sea, I got to reminiscing about another great coast-to-coast walk.
Back in the summer of 2012, Michael and I walked Wainwright’s coast-to-coast trail in northern England. It goes right from one side of the country to the other – from the North Sea, across 300 km of mountains, moors, and classic English countryside to the cliffs of the Irish sea. Here’s my journal and some photos from our adventure…
Usually, people walk the trail from west to east and stay in B&Bs along the route but we chose to go in reverse and to camp as much as we could. This let us save what we felt was the most beautiful (and difficult!) part for last.
Craters of the Moon is a little-known, seldom-visited lava field in southern Idaho. Sil and I had the chance to visit earlier this week on our way from Colorado to Vancouver Island. The scenery really is other-worldly. Oozing lava weaves its way through the landscape like a giant snake. Huge tubes and bubbles of lava cooled then dramatically shattered leaving behind a chaotic mess of sharp blocks. Spatter cones are caught frozen in time, as if caught in the action of spewing out molten rock for an eternity. It feels like a desert – hot, dry, intense burning sun. Temperatures regularly soar to 110F in summer and the surface of the blackened lava can reach 150F! And yet, just below the surface are a series of cool caves formed by “lava tunnels”. Scrambling down into one of these caves brings instant relief from the heat of the day and urges you to explore deeper. We found one that even had ice covering the walls and cold water dripping from the ceiling!
Only 1% of visitors venture beyond the interpretive trails and walking paths along the scenic loop road. We wanted to venture a little deeper. A wilderness camping permit is free and lets you stay out as many nights as you want. We had only enough time for a single night but walking even a few hours into the remote lava fields and camping with not another soul in sight was exceptionally peaceful.
Here are a few photos from our adventure.
Next week I’m heading to Colorado for a 5-day backpacking adventure with Andrew Skurka through Rocky Mountain National Park. I first met Andrew, along with Mike Clelland, in 2013 when I attended his Backpacking Fundamentals course in Washington’s Olympic National Park. I’d already done a fair bit of backpacking and didn’t really consider myself a novice so I was surprised and very happy that I learned so much during the 3-day trip. That’s why I’m back again this year.
Learning wilderness navigation was a big part of the fundamentals course. Continue reading “Backpacking Adventure with Andrew Skurka”
This is Part-4 of a trip report from my very first TGO Challenge, a walk across the Scottish Highlands. If you missed the first parts, you can find them here:
Planning for the TGO
Part-1: Torridon to Orrin River
Part-2: Orrin River to Loch Ness
Part-3: Loch Ness to Braemar
Day 10 – A Challenge Party
Braemar to Lochcallater Lodge
12:30-14:30 (2 hours), 9 km
I left Braemar after enjoying a tasty breakfast at Gordon’s Tearoom. Nothing like bacon and black pudding to fuel a day’s walk. Two hours later I arrived at Lochcallater Lodge. A few other Challengers had already set up tents just outside and more were inside enjoying hot tea. I was really excited to be at Lochcallater, perhaps one of the most prominent landmarks in TGO Challenge history. Every year Challengers gather here to celebrate, sing songs, and eat and drink late into the night.
The atmosphere was wonderful. Seeing so many friends re-unite after a year apart was touching. And how can you not be in a good mood when you’re in a warm cozy room full of like-minded walkers as cold rain falls outside?
Continue reading “Walking across Scotland – the TGO Challenge (part 4)”
Eating Snow Around the World 