Ramblings of the travelling nature

I've had many ideas in the past, some of which I have acted on; others simply dissipate back into the cells that created them. But the majority seem to originate whilst riding some form of transport, in particular buses.

There seems to be no logic, direction or focus on any particular subject just random glitches in the brainwaves triggering a series of events. Past glitches have included numerous web based sites ranging from Worldwide Walking Styles to one focused on young Europeans and "Capturing the Flag" and to the creation of new devices and sporting events. But the one thing that makes an idea great is it implementation, evolving from the idea of creation to creating the idea.

On a trip in the last few days through rural Belarus one such idea was born. Perhaps the conditions were just right for such a creation.
taking the normally4.5 hour trip from Brest to Grodno I took my seat in what can only be assumed as a 1980s Russian "bus". Unlike its European cousins it is minus a few of the things that seem to be taken for granted on an intercity bus. Shock absorbers, padded seats, air conditioning and a fully working engine have not yet made it to this part of Belarus yet it seems. At first the air conditioning was noted as non existent; as the temperature outside hovered around the 30s and the humidity off the chart, but luckily this model had working windows available.
We set out from Brest at our top seep of 70 Km/h along what I am reluctant to call roads. Arching up and down like a bucking bull as the driver tried to avoid any hole bigger than his tyres. The roads here are terrible, not the worst I have come across but when your sweating uncontrollably and hovering 2 inches above your seat it doesn't make for a pleasant ride. The Belorussians have also created a novel idea to traffic control. Upon entering a village and to reduce the speed of the traffic they have taken the simple hump and multiplied it! Just in case the first one didn't slow you down there are four more in front of it to really get you down to a snails pace. Although it seems that our driver is either partially blind or has already lost all sensation in his body as he didn't appear to slow down at all, instead his human cargo were flung around in the sweat filled interior as he continued on his way.

Well we pass through many villages but it was one that finally managed to bring up to a halt, Two things happened as we hurtled over the last in a series of humps.
One, the bus finally gave in and sputtered to a stop with a wisp of smoke chocking its passengers.
Second, it set of a chain reaction of brain waves. Arking and sparking and giving birth to an idea.
Naturally I can't give too many details as it is well...the Internet, but am in the process of registering a domain name. I'm not sure what exactly I'll do with it but gives it some sort of starting point.

The idea of spontaneous, totally unplanned travel by using only what you know and your skills to get from a specific destination by whatever means. Uncomfortable travel as such it not only pushes, grows and evolves a person it creates an environment where you meet and interact with local people thus gaining a true insight to a specific country. "Drop Me Off Here" creates an environment where the human spirit of survival, achievement and determination are binded together for the ultimate satisfaction.
As the idea stands at the moment I see a series of web based documentaries supported by online diary entries whereby upon entering a country the team of two is met by a pre-organised person with local experience and taken hours, days or weeks to a unknown destination and "dropped off". The complexities begin right from the start as only knowing what country your in and not having a map, guidebook, phrasebook or any traditional travel tools; just working out where you are to non-English speaking locals and how to get away is the first of many challenges.
The idea can also be done in cities such as New York, Mumbai, Tokyo and even London. Trying to find a destination armed with just an address and no access to a map or tourist information.

Of course for this to work I need a camera person.
So if anyone out there has a few weeks free to travel and some semi-pro video equipment and also not be afraid to "get in it" to get a shot let me know as I would be very interested to see how this pans out and if I would actually be up to the challenge myself.

I wrote a few weeks back a rather sombre post and have decided to throw some spontaneity into my own plans. I've extended my trip here in Belarus as a result of meeting some wonderful people and hearing the replies to my countless questions about their country.
I think perhaps I have become bored of Europe, its not a challenge anymore; its too easy. Travelling in Europe is now inside my comfort zone unlike before, so its time to move the boundaries again.
I'm thinking the The Urals; Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia for a month or so to quench the thirst. We will see.

....all swirling through my head, but the answers seem to be elusive; asking question upon themselves, turning into a riddle of never ending pursuit.
Perhaps the answers to the questions aren't the answers after all.

Since the start of May when the latest adventure begun, the questions had started; a trickle at first and now a raging torrent of mercy unknowns. What has caused this floodgate to open at this very time? Yet another question that gets snagged in the whirlpool of my thoughts.
I could easily take the easy option and connect it with another event that also occurred at the start of May, but I don't think that would solve it; for these questions are far too big to pin on one event, surely? Perhaps the trigger; the seed was planted and now it grows, growing into a tree of uncertainty with a fragrance of excitement.

I think a new mind is sprouting from the soil, once which like its natural counterpart is vulnerable in the beginning but grows into something strong and sturdy. I think the days of disappearing into the unknown for month on end by ones self are drawing to a close. The sanctification and excitement has faded, faded to a point of unexcitment if ever a word existed. Perhaps I have reached the goal that was never clearly set when I first embarked.
Trekking about searching, discovering, celebrating but not sharing has certainly lost its charm. The months, days, hours and minutes of talking and sharing with who? only passers by in a time line moving ever so quickly. Acquaintances of substance; yes. Acquaintances of knowledge; no. Knowledge of who I am and what I believe in, perhaps no one really knows, but there lies yet another question.

The mind is turning into a self destructive entity, evolution? or just a mental appraisal. Questions long since answered brought to the table for evaluation. What am I doing? Where am I going?, Why am I here, where I am? and the more superficial ones of Should I go study? Return home?, Get a real job and start making a like for the future?.
Well spending the majority of the 24 hours in a day with nobody but myself is starting to get a bit tiresome. It's not normally a problem and is actually quite normal for everyone, but when you have so much to share and no one to share it with in that very moment, well it just loses it magic.
So in the theme of self-appraisal, the following cuts have being made. All current travel plans are to be binned, including this very one I have embarked on.
The Balkans & South Eastern Europe - Binned
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & Thailand - Binned, Binned & Binned
Eastern Island & Chile - Binned
A knee-jerk reactions? possibly. But I see no pint doing these things when there are definite signs that change needs to happen, and what are travel plans; exactly that - plans.

What happens next? Well I'm not so sure, and that's what I want. The last few months have been well not stressful but I guess anxious in a way. The laid back Jason that I know must have got left behind somewhere because I certainly don't feel easy going at the moment. Rushing around from one place to the next, smoking like a chimney, drinking like fish; all warning signs that I guess I'm the only one that's going to see. So something needs to happen...and happen it shall!

The fact that I'm in love with a fairytale is certainly not helping matters and for what I reason is the stem of the questions. The seed was dropped and has grown uncontrollably. The fact that one person, one person can UNKNOWINGLY change ones outlook, goals and there ideals has come as a huge shock to me, but in turn set a powerful message, one I can't ignore or try to bury. What will be the fate of this seed? Time will tell, what ever way is goes the positives will definitely be enriching.
When I think it's all solved in my head, I have merely pushed it to one side before it slams back to center stage demanding attention.
So this is numero uno priority, I need to sort this out before it cripples my mind even more so. One way or the other the answers to the questions needs to be told weather I like the answers or not.

So as predicted earlier in the year, this is a year of change; one that is in full swing and all a bit overwhelming but a year that I will look back on and hopefully be proud.

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Seeing as I seem to have an internet access where ever I go, this one of the first in hopefully a continued list of blogs that I will publish that isn't related to the actual travel but the issues surrounding it and that of being a perpetual traveler.

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The skies have cleared and the sun is shinning again making the city of Oslo bearable once again, and what better time to write on my now stagnant blog on what the last year has being.

Alot has happened over the last year, the majority of it "working" and saving for this current journey. Maybe this is why I have neglected to write as nothing too exciting has being going on.
Well for the last year and a bit I have been working on one of those big luxury yachts as a deckhand; which is basically a glorified name for a boat cleaner. Lots of washing, polishing, buffing, painting, scrubbing and things like dropping the anchor and making sure we didn't run into stuff. I did have a good time on board and although we were quite lucky in that the boat travelled round alot I think by a year a case of cabin fever started to kick in.
Some of the amazing things..... Well without a doubt it had to be Alaska, the deciding factor that made me join this boat in the first place. What a truly untouched and magical place. Words just can't describe the beauty up there, a little bloody chilly for this Aussie guy but soon forgotten when face to face with a glacier millions of years old pushing into the Pacific Ocean.
The lowlights would have to be of course getting up at 4am; in Alaska! whilst it is blowing a gale and buffing windows so to look a million dollars before the owner got up. We did spend alot of time in America's West Coast, I think a total of 6 months in the end which made it possible to see some of the sights and experience the truly unique American way.

Then it was off to New Zealand via French Polynesia and Tahiti. I wish we had have done NZ first as it really lost its impact after Alaska, was much the same but less well...grand!
Saying this, we were in a boat putting around the coastline so not really seeing the true NZ, I still one day hope to do a road trip of the place as it seems like a beautiful destination.
I left the boat in New Zealand, which being right next door to OZ couldn't resist going home for what had being 4 years away. first stop was Sydney, which surprisingly I had never being to before. So Mel showed me around her big old city before I went to visit the parents in Queensland. It just so happened that my visit home coincided with Easter, so all the family was around and up to there old antics. Then it was back to Brisbane to catch up with everyone and sort out a few thing before saying Bonn voyage again after 2 weeks in my mother land.
Was so nice catching up with everyone about the old and new time but the most special thing was my cousins. Totally caught me off guard but was incredible seeing them again, especially the two youngest who were just babies when I left. Guess they are kinda like my sisters.

The one thing I did manage to do on the boat was to get totally debt free and save enough for this year of travel. Alot of people were surprised with how far in debt I was, a rough estimate was around $16,000AU which was really inevitable as I hadn't really had a decent paying job since I left in 2005. the one person I just can't thank enough for what he did and how he helped me out is Steve. You did so much more than you should have and god knows where I would be now if you hadn't had helped.

So after the whirlwind that was Australia it was back on the place and to my second home.....London.
I don't really know how to write this, so I'm just gonna write and see what comes out.
Originally I was going back to London to catch up with everyone and sort out my visas that I will need for this trip. Then my friend Monica decided to join me as she had never being to London before so was happy to show her the sights. Had an interesting and wonderful time there and was awesome to see everyone again and go back to some of the old haunts. Thanks so much to Charlotte for letting us stay at your place and giving up your own bed!!
So that was London, lots of sightseeing and what not then after a week it was off to Stockholm and where Monica joined me as well. Ahhh Stockholm well not so good memories there, not going to go into it too much detail as it still hurts quite a bit but ended up being quite a sad situation. After a few day there we moved into separate places and went out separate ways, I managed to screw it all up and just hope that something can be salvaged.

Now I have moved onto Oslo in Norway where I'm just trying to get my head together and get into the travelling "vibe", which seems to be quite hard to do this trip. I can't help but feel lonely which in the past I have felt before and is to be expected when travelling solo, but this time it just feels like If I can't see it with someone why is it worth seeing if you can't share it. Perhaps this is a turning point; the end of solo Jason perhaps? whatever happened it all part of the process...right?

The other thing about this trip I'm about to undertake and something that is going to be totally different to all the others, is that I'm going to be CouchSurfing the whole way. Now I absolutely love the CouchSurfing Project and what its all about and what it does, but it lacks one thing and that's the possibility of travel partners; not in the long term but at that very moment. Generally the people that are hosting you are rooted in the city, weather it be for a long or short time it doesn't matter as they have lives there. Fair enough, all good! What I am use to is hostels and the abundance of "travellers" in them, which more often than not meant that you had someone to see the city with and even better someone to travel to the next destination with, creating a friend of a kind.
By CouchSurfing all the way, which I have no choice but to do, means that this truly be a solo trip which I'm not sure if I am 100% ready for. But that's what its all about, discovering yourself? Well fuck I think I'm in for one hell of a discovery mission.

So that's the story as it stands today, I plan on getting at least down to Bulgaria/ Northern Greece by September and then it looks like I will be shooting over to Hong Kong in November/ December to meet an old mate and see some more of SE Asia.

The sun is setting here in Oslo, along with the temperature. Thanks to the scarf that was kindly donated by Laura (you rock!!) it's marginally warmer, I just need to work out how to tie this thing right!
Tomorrow I'm off to buy a big arse jacket before moving to the west coast of Norway for a couple of weeks of glacier and fjord hopping before mentally preparing myself for the challenges that lie above the Arctic Circle.

Check out all the pics here >>>
http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/

Thanks to Dan for this amazing shot in Alaska!

Having being granted another long weekend I decided to head south and check out Mexico.
Setting off from San Diego, me & one of the boats stewardess (Helen) made our way to the US/Mexico border and crossed over to Tijuana where we picked up our hire car for a 3 day adventure.

The plan was to drive south till we hit the town of Ensenada where we would stay the night before heading west across the Baja Peninsular to San Filipe & then eventually driving back up through Mexacali and Tecate and back to the border; well that was the plan. Nothing too exciting on the way just see what happens and go with the flow kinda style, but something in my gut told me that this was going to be an adventure even if we were only there for three days.

We picked up our hire car at the airport and while Helen was wishing for an old VW Beetle I was just wanting some manual el cheapo car that didn't scream 'Tourists!' to every passer-by. We ended up with a 2006 Toyota Tsuru which although produced in 2006 honestly looked like something from the late 90s.
Off we went heading south down through some serious fog bound for Ensenada, as it's within a couple of hours from the border I imagined it would be full of American tourists but it actually wasn't; just a few drunken college kids at lunch time and that was it, not even at the Street/Dance/Bar Festival that was going on that night. Bonus!

With thumping hangovers we started early as we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us across the peninsular to San Filipe where it's not only the home of some of the biggest tides in the world but also those massive giant cactus.
Arriving around 1pm to the park entrance of "The Land of the Giants" we collected our map from the lone man in his shack and started to make our way through the park. I don't think I realized just how big these things were, absolutely massive with some above the 10 meter mark and thousand of years old.
As we passed a sign stating '4WDs only past this point' we thought we should be alright and could see that the bigger cactus were deeper in the park, so there was no way we were going to turn around. As the path turned into a sandy bumpy trail Helen insisted that I should be driving as it was jut too much fun for one person! So I take the wheel and continue driving and as my off road driving skill range from low to non-existent I really had no idea but found that just planting my foot to the floor seemed to have positive results even if my passenger was clutching the dashboard and letting out muffled squeals as we gracefully flew over the dips.
As on the map there seemed to be a tiny but steep little mountain in the middle of the whole lot which you are meant to drive around......somehow, but ended up on a trail going right up the thing! In what was not my brightest moment up we went; pedal to the metal, rattling round like clueless rally drivers. I did have second thoughts half way up but god we were committed now. Still hammering up the mountain loosing traction and who knows what else we reached the top and after a few jarring thumps and ear peacing scrapes were brought to a holt. Oh shit!
Personally I was more worried about the front spoiler being all banged up as that's something not easily fixed or hidden, and what might have being a small stroke of luck it was fine except for that oil leak steadily pissing out the bottom. I didn't really see it as a big problem, just get back to the shack get some Mexican bush mechanic out and stick something in the hole. Fixed!

Well it didn't quite go like that as we never made it back to the shack, well at least not with our car. Seems like I got into a spot of bother on the way back and managed to get suck in the sand......two front wheels 3/4 buried. Perhaps it was the lack of water as my first dillusional thought was "Well at least we've plugged the hole", no no it's sand you idiot. Well now it's serious; here we are stranded in the desert atleast a few kilometers from the main road with half a bottle of water for the two of us and in searing temperatures. The decision was made to start walking back to the entrance to get help, a tow and a mechanic. Trying to keep the thoughts of scorpions and rattlesnakes out of my head and not daring to mention it to Helen as she's English and most probably think snakes go hunting for humans, anyway after what must have been 2 hours of walking through the sand we finally reached the shack and after Helen hosed off and turned back to her normal colour we explained in broken Spanish the problem. So he left us his gun to play with and went off to get his boss the ranch owner.

Well I'm going to summarize now as its going to take way to long to explain it all......
- Ranch Man came (really nice bloke), hauled our car out of the sand with the look of "another bloody tourist stuck"
- Back at the shack; problem found. Transmission sump plate torn open with multiple scrapings and gasket buggered!
- Ranch Man drives us round for 2 hours with one oily removed sump plate to find a welder/mechanic. No luck but nice tour of the town though.
- Buy steak for Ranch Man & he points us in the right direction for the next morning.
- Spend the night in San Filipe. In the morning try finding a mechanic. No luck; no one can do it or just don't understand.
- Find a mechanic. Fixes plate. Sends friend with us to reattach
- Glue plate on, fill with oil. Fuck there's another hole. Seal newly found hole and repeat.
- Pay everyone and finally head off.

With the car practically fixed but still dripping oil we load up on bottles of transmission fluid. to hopefully last the distance. The drve to Tijuana should take around 5 hours and with it being 3pm and having to return the car by 9pm as the rental shop closes and needed to get back to America and be ready for work first thing the next morning. It was going to be tight and there's no way we could fit a breakdown in.

Well we made it after crossing though another baron desert and one of the most spectular mountain highways I've ever driven on before getting back to Tijuana at 8:50pm.
Now do we tell the rental company or not? The decision was split and was left up to me. After settling the bill I casually mentioned that the car had all of a sudden started leaking oil and we had to keep filling it up. possible refund? I don't think he understood........perfect!

Check out the pics here >>>
http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/gallery/4986184_u2VBc/1/298906581_euYEa

After crossing the Caribbean Sea we reached our destination of Colon in Panama after making a brief pit stop at the stunning San Blas Archipelago.
Colon would be the start of out Panama Canal adventure of which would normally only take 12 hours but managed to last nearly 2 days due to a pilot shortage and consequently having to stay overnight in the canal, which is apparently a very rare thing. During the overnight stay I was the unfortunate one that had to do anchor watch in what has being one of the most nail biting watches I've done.
After dropping anchor the captain has informed me that we are sitting in about 8 meters of water with the arse end of the boat just about in the canal channel, the front within 10 meters of the canal bank and 2 big steel moorings either side which we could possibly hit if we swing around. Nice! the perfect watch. As I'm pacing round the bridge trying to spot the mooring and the shore line in pitch black darkness I notice a massive cluster appear on the radar (like something you see on a Loch Ness Monster film), can't be rain I thought as it's a perfect night and can't possibly be a ship can it, it's massive! So I grab the binoculars and peer out the window noticing that all the shore lights behind us that were there a minute ago have disappeared and now our yacht has started to rock up and down violently, what the hell it going on here. It's only then that I notice a sliver of colour change appear in my binoculars lens, as I step out onto the deck to see a wall of steel hull silently and stealthfully push ever so closely past out now seemly small stern.

Having finally made it through the 5 locks of this marvel of engineering we anchored off Panama City where we are now not only on the other side of Panama but also in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. After being granted shore leave, I headed into Panama City to get my first taste of Latin America.
Having walked round the city for nearly a day and discovering its charms I decided to venture down a street that looked quite enchanting in the beginning; with multi-story colourful shacks and children playing in the streets and chirping "Hola" as I walked past, but then turned quickly into a seedy neighbourhood where anybody not from this neighbourhood should not be. Ignoring my hunch I continued on down the streets, with my head in the sky looking up at what was; and going deeper into somewhere I shouldn't. Somewhere where even if I wanted to turn back I couldn't.
As the realisation set in that I was travelling the streets of a Panamanian ghetto, my heart started to beat faster as my legs picked up the pace and my sense were at high alert before BAM! It happened. In all the time I have being travelling nothing remotely similar had happened like this. I was being mugged. Not knowing how to react to the group of teens who had came up from behind me, I turned round with my bag that they had being trying to snatch still firmly attached to my back and started throwing a few swings here, there and everywhere before they fled with nothing but what they arrived with.
In hindsight I think retaliating like that was probably not the best of ideas, as the rest of there buddies and no doubt there family were down the end of the street waiting to see what bounty they could come back with. I don't hold a grudge to people I don't know and rarely to those I do, and I was just a walking opportunity in a place where opportunities are few and far between but still it scared the shit out of me and I got the hell out of there quick smart.

After spending a few days in Panama it was time to start out 10 day voygue up to San Diego. The first few days were absolutely perfect with clear skies and a rippleless ocean which made it possible to spot the countless turtles and pods of dolphins. It seemed like we were disturbing the peace as we cut through the middle of it all; making waves and noise in the otherwise unspoilt landscape.
The seas picked up a little after a few days and the fog drifted in briefly but our trip to San Diego was just about near perfect......except for the fact that we couldn't get off the boat, were still working on the boat, and were rationed to 2 beers per day

Check out the pics here >>>
http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/gallery/4648377_n8w4r/1/271325639_Fp4SA

Well I've made it!
I've made it past the one month trial period, but only just as there have been a few incidents which I thought would have stitched me up for sure. Such as pre empting an anchor drop & letting it plummet to the ocean floor while still pushing 4 knots and then there was nearly losing the waverunner which I could have sworn I clipped on; until seeing it about 200 meters away and realising that " Hey! That's ours!!". But I take a little comfort in the fact that my deckhand buddie, who is also a newbie; managed to nearly lose the tender....at night! We were lucky enough to see it in the dim moon light being wished away by the strong currents. The captain must think he's got a couple of clowns working for him.
So it's being a very interesting, challenging and tiring month.

As the owner was on for all of our cruising of the Caribbean it's being non stop shifts 24/7 and not being able to get away from it like a normal shore job has taken some getting use to and I'm still not cool with it but we have got to see some wonderful places along the way.
After leaving St Martin we headed down to Antigua to pick up some guests before cruising down to Guadeloupe and all the islands down to St Lucia, which is about halfway down the Caribbean chain of islands; before heading back up to Antigua. It all took a little under 2 weeks to take in all the islands on our whistle stop tour before the owner and the guests got off and we started to prepare for our next journey.

The weather here had being a bit shitty and not really what I expected of the Caribbean for this time of year with choppy seas, non-stop wind and countless passing rain showers to drench the boat that you have just meticulously dried from the previous shower.
But on the days that have been perfect I've tried to make the most of the down time we have and any shore leave that we're given and were lucky enough to be treated to a watersports day where we could use the yachts toys like the jet skis, waverunners and kayaks and I've never had so much fun on a waverunner as I did that day. Jumping over 8-10ft relentless swell of one of St Lucia's beautiful points, wave after wave; airborne and blinded from the salt spray. Wicked stuff!

So now we're heading across the Caribbean Sea, heading fro Panama and the famous canal where we will hopefully get some shore time before making the long 10 days treck up the coast to San Diago and the U S of A baby!

Check out the pics here >>>
http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/gallery/4648377_n8w4r/1/271325639_Fp4SA