With some incredible diving under my belt already I decided the final day of validity in my park pass was going to be used for some Dragon chasing. I met a nice French couple who were going to share the boat with me on the day of to visit the dragons on Rinca Island.
Where There Be Dragons – Diving Komodo
July 21, 2010 By 2 Comments
By the time I made it out of the Papuan highlands, I found it very easy to convince myself that I was due for a little relaxation. The past 9 months had been full of adventures and plenty of interesting experiences but now I was craving a little time eating good food and spending the last of my 2 weeks being horizontal on some white sand. I had my flight to Bali booked and looked forward to some easy days ahead.
Wai Do I Chose To Do These Things? – Papua Part Two
July 16, 2010 By 4 Comments
Feeling rejuvenated after my first night sleep in an actual permanent shelter and on a high from the warm welcomes from the people of Piliam, I was excited to move on through the forested hills towards Angguruk.
Mission Impossible? Finding a Reliable Guide in Papua
July 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
You Don’t just quit a great job and leave it all behind to lie on a beach. This had been a reoccurring thought of mine for the past 8 months and was once again in my head as I flew from Makassar to Jayapura, the capital of Papua.
Lessons on Life and Death in Toraja
July 2, 2010 By 3 Comments
*ANIMAL LOVERS BEWARE. THIS POST CONTAINS GORY IMAGES.
“Of course death is better than life” my guide Budi stated after we just watched the sacrifice of two large buffalo for a funeral ceremony. In my time in Toraja, I could not think of a better summary of their unique cultural beliefs.
It was in the slow hours of the morning in my first few months in Fort Albany I caught a short clip showcasing the elaborate funerals and death rituals of the Torajan’s in Sulawesi. I was captivated, having seen nor heard nothing of it before, I couldn’t believe traditions like these were still being played out in our modern world. It was Tana Toraja which kicked off my desire to visit Indonesia and it was Indonesia which started the idea for the whole 9 month trip that is now coming to a close.
Temple to Temple at Angkor Part Two
June 28, 2010 By 1 Comment
Having visited the “Big Hitters” the first day I was unsure of what to expect for my second day of temple hopping.
Temple to Temple at Angkor Part One
April 22, 2010 By 4 Comments
A few years ago when the topic of travel came up in conversation with a friend he spoke of his goal to see “the 7 wonders” of the world. In my personal experience, these, the best known sites in the world have never lived up to the hype surrounding them and are always crawling with massive tour groups making the chances for a unique individual experience quite difficult. Local populations living around these places, more often than not, are so used to dealing with tourists and taking their money that it creates a lot of hassel for the budget traveler who does not care about tacky souvenirs and amusement park like attractions such as camel riding to the Taj Mahal.When I think back to some of the most amazing places and people i’ve met thy very rarely include a countries top tourist destination. Having heard the praise for Angkor a thousands times before, I was pessimistic to say the least as to what the next few days would hold.
Around the World On A Toilet – Hsipaw
April 7, 2010 By 4 Comments
After almost 4 days in the big city, I began to feel that unshakable feeling one gets when its time to leave the urban centers behind for some fresh air.
