The Dane - Adventures and exploring

Antarctica – The 7th Continent

After a few rocking and rolling days across the Drake Passage most passengers were ready for solid ground. We were here… The 7th continent! If you missed it, be sure to read how we got here.

Our 4th day onboard Sergey Vavilov had positioned us near Turret Point which would be our first “landing” in Antarctica.

Landings are when the ship anchors, or maintains engine power to stay in relative position, and then lowers the Zodiac Boats into the water. While that is happening, all 92 passengers get in their gear; I was in 4-6 layers depending on the day and weather. It snowed at some point each day we were there, and it was windy! It snowed at some point each day we were there, and it was windy! All outer gear quickly ends up in the hallways hanging to dry, outside the cabins.

You make your way from the cabins and to the “mud room” where you grab your boots and your life jacket. Then head out on the outer deck where you disinfect boots in a “tub” (takes 20 seconds). They really don’t want you to bring any foreign objects or bacteria on-shore.

The Staff and Crew work closely together in operating the crane and lowering in the Zodiacs. It is a very impressive and super quick process. Video below:

One Ocean “caps” each Zodiac boat with 10 passengers and 1-2 staff members. There is a barrel in each boat containing basic survival equipment and engine repair kits. Pretty impressive.

On shore there are no fancy piers or harbors. Just shore lines with either rocks, or lots of small rocks, and waves… Makes for a fun landing! And sometimes a bumpy return:

When returning; you make your way up on the side of the ship, and then enter via the “gangway”

The life on shore is impressive. Penguins, lots. Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstraps, and even one lonely King Penguin.

Feeding time:

And yes; they can be loud:

Hiking in the snow was a favorite. Getting up above and gather a view over the area gives you a new perspective, and some exercise!

Seals are also plentiful here.

Each day we would arrive at a new place. The journey to each was beautiful.

On three shore landings did we manage to see some bases.

A few old abandoned bases. One which stood out to me was Detaille Island – Station W built for 8-10 men to conduct scientific research, including meteorological etc. It was established in 1956, and was left in 1959 rather suddenly as the ship that was supposed to pick up the researchers and their gear, was unable to make it to the base. So the men had to load up sledges with just the basics, and make the 30 miles / 50 km journey to the ship. The base is literally a time capsule from the 1950’s. Since very few people get this far south, the items are left in good condition. We were the first ship to get here this season. Some seasons the ice is simply too thick and no one visits.

50+ years hanging here; they should be dry by now

We also got a full tour of the active Ukrainian Vernadsky Research Base

We made our way there from another abandoned hut. The trip below is a hypelapse from our zodiac ride. Our driver may have gotten a bit enthusiastic about ice bergs!

This base also has the southernmost bar in the world, and some homemade vodka! Yes please!

I may have left a Drunkcyclist.com sticker on their bar

Got to see the research areas too. They work on the thinning ozone layer (when not making vodka?).

We saw two Argentinian bases, one of which was occupied but they were too busy to even wave and say hi. Another one was empty.

At one of the bases we had all gone to the top of a massive ridge above the Argentinian base. Jessica and I were some of the first people heading down; well, all of a sudden Jessica stretched her arms out indicating to stop. I looked ahead. Our Expedition leader was in the middle of proposing to his girlfriend, the onboard Yoga instructor – they had been together for years as we would later know their full story as he shared it over dinner with the entire vessel that night. I asked Jessica if it was appropriate to take a picture, as we were the only ones in the vicinity – YES! Luckily the zoom lens was on, and managed to get a great shot that I am sure will go in their photo collection!

Our expedition leader had been busy planning the days activities, including his own!

Some emergency shelters were also spotted. Not places you’d want to spend more than a few nights.

An old whaling boat, and lots of wale bones on this shore landing

In addition to “shore landings” we also did some “Zodiac Crusing” which is exactly that. Cruise around the Zodiacs and spot whales, jumping penguins, massive ice bergs, or just enjoy the majestic nature here. If one didn’t feel small enough on the Sergey Vavilov, then you’d definitely feel small in a Zodiac. What if a whale popped up underneath you? We didn’t ask… But we did see some close by.

Humpback whale, random Sailboat, and Sergey Vavilov – in one shot, from our zodiac

The massive size of ice bergs cannot be described. We saw one that was over 300 ftp from waterline to the top – and remember, 85% is below the water line! The size of some of these are unimaginable.

Some penguins leaping out of the water to catch their breath

The ice is just incredible. It cannot be described. Here’s a video from our zodiac while cruising through some dense, but loose, ice.

Even got spoiled occasionally and had one of our Zodiac drivers bring a thermo along with some hot chocolate! Tasty tasty! I think the other zodiacs were a bit jealous. Note: Pick your Zodiac driver – they are all great, but each has their unique skillset!

Now, there are some serious photographers on board. Gear that probably costs more than my truck. So, naturally there would be a photo competition.

Some semi (and full) professional photographers onboard as well

One of the last nights onboard we had the showing of the selections. Three separate categories, a winner in each, and then an overall winner. The pictures were magnificent. The scenery alone was incredible, and then adding the skills of these photographers. Jessica won the “wildlife” category, with an incredible picture, taken on her SMARTPHONE! She was on to the finals… Three finalists. Amazing pictures. All of which would be worthy of a spot in a gallery. And the winner? Jessica! Even our onboard staff photographer was mind blown by the photo. I would share it here, but probably can’t for now. So stay tuned! But here’s a video of the moment her shot was taken:

One of the stops was the rather unique “Deception Island”. Somewhat difficult to describe, but imagine a very large volcano crater, with a narrow entrance to the caldera. The ship could barely squeeze through “Neptune’s Bellows” as there is a sheer crater wall on your starboard side, and an underwater rock on your port side. And strong winds and big waves all around pushing you around. The captain’s attention here was spot on, and his navigation skills were impressive.

Upon entering you are in this mystical fog atmosphere – you are on a ship, inside an active volcano crater, in Antarctica, about to visit an abandoned whaling station! The whaling station was eventually abandoned and some of the buildings damaged by a volcano eruption in the early 1980’s.

Now do not let the volcano part fool you… But we did do the polar plunge here as it was the only place that offered a “beach”. So 20 of us went – in the frigid Antarctic Waters. Ice bergs floating around in the distance, cold water just breaking into your bones. The worst was actually getting dressed again as you couldn’t feel your limbs. Ever tried putting on socks when you can’t feel your toes, or feet for that matter? Yeah, no fun! Well, it kind of was!

Now, if freezing water wasn’t enough. There was optional camping, on shore. Mid-day there was a mandatory briefing on the ship for those who wanted to attend. Approximately 70 people showed up. Well, about 25 passengers showed up at 9pm when we were ready to head to shore. I guess the cold wasn’t something for everyone.

We dug our little snow hole to keep the wind away, rolled out the bivy sack, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad.

As you cannot use mother nature as your bathroom in Antarctica due to fear of bringing bacteria etc on shore, they had generously provided a basic “tent” with a bucket for the campers. The name: Mr Yum Yum. The advice was to avoid using Mr Yum Yum, or at least get first in line!

Snow flurries falling as we were crawling into our sleeping bags.

Woke up in the middle of the night to the sounds of: Cracking icebergs falling off glaciers, and a passing whale blowing out air. I take that as some good experiences waking up to, even at 3am.

What had been snowy peaks in the evening were now magnificent mountain tops, and sun! Back to the ship for a quick shower and breakfast.

The Russian Crew were amazing. From the cleaning staff that had cabins cleaned twice a day, to the serving staff serving meals in rocky waves, to the captain and his crew navigating between massive icebergs. I was impressed. The officers were rather quiet, but you could tell certain things got them excited:

When the captain rolls on the loudspeaker/PA system for the entire ship announcing a massive ice berg to the side, and then 2 min later announcing (in thick Russian accent) “now we bring ice berg to starboard side of ship”
When they spotted orcas, they’d quickly flip the entire ship and do a doughnut around to see the orca again. We all loved it! What’s a few hundred liters of extra fuel!

We did the Lemaire Channel which was just stunning; and windy. Lots of ice bergs all around, massive mountains, and big glaciers. And the sun was (partly) out. Sensory overload.

One of my initial goals was to make it south of the Antarctic Circle; very few get to go here. Everything in Antarctica is “weather dependent”, or in this case, ice dependent. But we made it! And how do you celebrate at 11am? Mimosas on deck of course.

All trips must come to an end. Cabin packed up, bags packed, waiting. We were anchored offshore of King George Island. We had been told that the plane from Punta Arenas would be leaving in 2 hours with 80 new passengers, and then make the return trip with us. Well, weather was not in our favor. 24 hours later and we tried again. Repack and onto the shore. No pier here, so all bags had to be transported via zodiac – an impressive operation.

King George Island is home to a few bases; Chile, Argentina, Russia, and Chinese.

We offloaded onto the shore, and changed out of our outerwear and into our own personal gear.

Bye bye ship – off to the runway by foot, and mud and snow

It is also home to a gravel runway that our charter jet would utilize.

Jessica stayed behind as she would continue her journey for another 10 days onboard Sergey Vavilov. It was an extended trip option that brings people to a slightly different area. 12 passengers from our group stayed on for this part, and then 80 new passengers joined. They would all finish in the Falkland Islands.

Bye bye from a Russian research base, in Antarctica

Fresh arrivals – and our ride back to South America

Taking off from Antarctica; no security checks, boarding passes, or passenger manifest here!

Our plane ride out:

Summary:

Antarctica was amazing. We sailed 1604 nautical miles / 1845 miles / 2970 km with Sergey Vavilov, with a phenomenal Crew and Staff, through some treacherous waters and narrow passages with ice.

We made our way down to the Antarctic Circle where very few people get to go. Then made our way back up the Antarctic Peninsula.

The sheer size of icebergs, and the majestic mountains impressed me. Penguins are weird, and they shit, a lot, and it smells. It was impressive to witness the whales’ majestic sizes next to the ship. Our fellow passengers were great, and the Staff was incredible. I hope that everyone respects the nature as much as our Staff, Crew and fellow passengers did. There are a few rules when you visit this remote place, but I am glad they are in place, and rarely had to get re-enforced. Start saving, book early, and go!

And while you are home – do consider the things that impacts the overall environment. Understanding the rate of ice melt and temperature rising in these territories are scary.

Random questions I have gotten since my return:

Is it cold?
- Yes. It is Antarctica, in the summer – but the worst is the wind. Layer up. Temperature in the mid 20’s to mid 30s (F), or -4 to + 3 in Celsius.
Did you see polar bears?
- No, you find those in the Arctic (north!)
What did you do each day?
- Wake-up on the ship (except one camping night). Eat breakfast. Go on shore or a zodiac cruise. Return to ship. Eat lunch. Move ship. See awesome stunning scenery from ship. Go on the bridge. Go on shore or zodiac cruise. Return to ship. See awesome stunning scenery from ship. Join a lecture. Join happy hour in the bar. Eat dinner. Hang out with fellow travelers. Play games/bar. Go to bed.
Was it too short or too long?
- It was perfect (for me). 11 days (turned to 12) was great.
Would you change anything?
- No. Maybe add an extra 2 days at the end due to weather issues if flying back from King George Island.

The journey to Antarctica

Antarctica, the isolated and remote place that has always spiked a curiosity in many travelers. But getting there isn’t easy. Albeit easier than it used to be. Many brave explorers made several trips, and for some it became their last. Ever read Shackleton and The Endurance?

Antarctica has been on my list for a long time – even though snow and cold weather generally does not appeal to me. I was intrigued. I had to see it.

First of all; Easter Island (where our previous adventure had led us to) to our starting point of the Falkland Islands is a bit of a journey…

Long way from Easter Island to the Falkland Islands – 4220 miles or 6791 km!

Leaving the Easter Island behind, 5 hour flight to Santiago where we spent the night. Early morning 3 hour flight to the Southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Here we managed to walk around the city a bit – super windy! Repack, and get some rest, and find an amazing steak dinner in what looked like a regular house on the outside but a phenomenal steak house on the inside! El Fogon De Lalo – it is the red house in case you find yourself in the area!

The steaks were spot on – along with the Pisco Sour

After our night here we were quickly boarding the rather unusual once a week LATAM flight to the Falkland Islands. As the flight crosses Argentinian air space, this is all they allow, otherwise they would shoot down the planes (according to the locals at least)… Lots of hard feelings remain after the British and Argentinian war of the Falkland Island in 1982.

Only air connections are the weekly Punta Arenas flight and the twice a week British Military flight from just outside London (at a rate of well over $3K R/T). It is a quick 90 min. flight for us, landing at a British Air Force base was even more unique. No photos permitted here…. Got our rather unique Falkland Islands passport stamp.

Bussed into the main City of Stanley via 1 hour of unpaved dirt roads with hardly any civilization in between, we got some background info. Hardy folks live here. A total population of around 3,500 people call the Falkland Islands home – most residing in Stanley, and an unknown number of British military personnel. No trees, but rivers of rocks, sheep, and lots of Range Rovers and 4x4s here. The weather can be unforgiving – cold and windy.

Some neat cars here – at the police station

Stanley itself reminds one of a smaller British coastal town. Pubs, red classic phone booths, even an abandoned London double decker bus! We strolled around the streets for a bit.

Sadly this double decker looked like it is only used for storage at the moment

Our visit is brief. We are whisked away to our ship located at the floating “pier”. A Russian ice strengthened research vessel built in Finland in 1988. The “Akademik Sergey Vavilov“. She is just as expected: Built tough and with a clear mission: Polar research and Oceanic acoustic research. Along with her sister vessel, the Ioffe, they work in pairs when doing research. Typically the ships are used for active research by the Shirishov Institute of Oceanology for 4 months each year. The 4 winter and 4 summer months they are used in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions exclusively by One Ocean Expeditions as Expedition Vessels for tourists, and limited research. And this is how we made our way onboard, as tourists 🙂

Aboard, you quickly settle into the basic, but nice cabins. All crew is Russian and the expedition staff varied from Scottish, Canadian, Australian, American, Taiwanese, New Zealand, and Finland. All were absolutely incredible and all had some beyond unfathomable adventures to share. One identified, and named a dolphin species (only 44 exists!), one was the first to have kayaked around Svalbard, others led polar expeditions, some walked with bears, some had photos published in famous museums… Makes one feel like you should probably get off your ass and do even more, says the guy that just checked off his 7th continent.

Our basic cabin – with clothing line and our GPS already installed

Fellow passengers were equally diverse. Aussies, Canadians, South African, British, American, Swedish, and Indian.

Safety was top priority. No shortcuts. Onboard doctor and medical clinic. A few years ago they had to perform surgery on the ship while in rough seas. Not recommended. But the patient survived due to the doctor onboard. Nearest rescue option could be 3-5 days away! We did the mandatory lifeboat drill and enjoyed some fresh air on the decks.

Ever heard of the Drake Passage? Some of the roughest ocean in the world. Guess what? We got to cross it! For 2 full days at sea. During the sea days, there were plenty of options to stay busy; ranging from lectures about sea life, history, to yoga classes as well as some mandatory presentation surrounding safety and marine life. We also had fun doing the “lint picking” where you clean the outerwear of any debris. All had to be inspected and disinfected as you cannot bring any foreign material/bacteria onto the continent.

The bridge was open 99% of the time – so it was neat to hang out here and enjoy the views and learn some Russian, and maybe how to steer the ship!

All meals were great. Breakfast buffet, and sit-down lunch and dinners with three choices for each.

Lots of great passengers and staff kept everyone occupied. Even had some fun games onboard. And we may have brought our own Telestrations game from home!

We brought “Telestrations” to much amusement of fellow passengers and staff

Spotting the first ice berg was done by myself! Well, and probably the radar and captain:-)

Ship iceberg radar (picture taken in Antarctica)

Watching it calving was an even more thrilling experience.

Next up: Antarctica – the 7th continent and photo overload galore

Easter Island – Rapa Nui

One cannot phantom how remote this place really is. But I will try:

It is a 5 hour flight from Chile
It is a 4 hour flight from Tahiti Those are the only flight options
The diversion airport is where you came from – you better carry enough fuel
It is the most remote inhabited island in the world (by default)
6,000 people live here. About half speak Rapa Nui and also Spanish
Bring your own groceries as stuff is really expensive here – we saw lots of coolers coming out of the plane

We touched down on this massive runway (used to be a backup landing spot for the space shuttle!). Picked up park entry tickets, and was greeted by our Airbnb host Leonardo (or his much longer Rapa Nui name) and a traditional flower Lei. A brief drive around the tiny town and we were dropped off at our guest house. My friend Armando in Santiago had put us in contact with his friend Marcelo who lives on the island, and he lent us his basic mountain bikes. And off we were.

On the edge of the extinct volcano Rano Kau

Checked out the crater after a steep climb and some dirt. No one else out here on this path.

Also saw a former ceremonial village that was used a few times a year for various ceremonies. Including the “Bird Man Competition” which could best be described as:

Head to the ceremonial village for a few weeks
When the birds are about to arrive on the rocky island off the coast, head down the cliff
Swim!
Camp on the rocky island
When the birds lay their egg, get an egg and swim back across and present it to the tribal leader and you and your tribe would get preferred treatment that year

Jessica and I cruising Easter Island via mountain bikes

We returned to town, and watched a stunning sunset with a rain storm passing by in the background. Next to these amazing Moai statues.

Sunset with a passing rain shower off shore

The Moai were erected on top of an Ahu, and behind you would find ashes of cremated tribal members. The Moai was erected to honor a tribe leader. The Moai statues brings more questions than answers when you see them in person. It is impossible to phantom the sheer size of these and the weight. Average weight was 70 to 80 tonnes! Then to find out they were transported across the island from the “Quarray”, using no machinery (current theory is that they were “walked” using ropes and lots of manpower), where they had been carved out of the side of an extinct volcano crater, by hand, for 2 years, on the most remote island in the world. Built between 1250 to 1500…. ok. I will stop. It is baffling.

The next morning we had a full day of mountain biking ahead of us. Started out along the coast where we saw more Ahu’s and visited some incredible cave system from former lava tubes. Leading straight out of a cliff over the ocean.

Entrance to the cave was tiny. I had to remove my day pack to fit through the entry way

Sadly we had a torrential downpour that kept us under a tree for a good 90 minutes, getting soaked eventually, only to find out the 2nd cave we wanted to see was just. A few hundred feet away where we could have stayed dry, oh well.

This set of caves were much larger. Distances of several hundred feet in either direction.

These Moai statues are the only ones facing towards the ocean. The goal of the day was to reach the summit of the island. A thing not a lot of people do as it is hiking only, and not a lot of people attempt it on a bike. Luckily my friend Sebastian (also from Santiago) had given me a great biking itinerary that we followed.

Terevaka – highest point on the most remote island in the world, by bike

Views were spectacular. The heat, sun, mud, rain, and humidity was a brutal one. Did i say I miss my bike(s)? We started our long decent back down, this time to the other coast, and back home. The next morning we had borrowed Marcelo’s motorcycle for the day. Did i mention how just incredible trustworthy and friendly he was? Giving two random friends-of-a-friend his mountain bikes and motorcycle for free use??? We cruised out along the East coast to the Moai statues here.

Probably the most amazing ones. It was even better as we had the entire place to ourselves, besides the park rangers hanging out in their little hut.

We drove onwards to the Quarray where most of the island’s statues had been carved at. So many finished, and unfinished Moais’ here. It was stunning.

Inside the crater you would find some water, and lots of free roaming horses. There are horses everywhere on the island. Just loving life.

Onwards to the beach, we saw rain approach and we quickly turned off the road, and huddled in the covers of a park rangers hut. We chatted for a good 20 min about life, culture, history etc. I get to practice my Spanish here for sure! We noticed he had a small fire going just outside the hut, and he said that normally there are 2 rangers, and for lunch one will go to the ocean and catch a fish or two, and then cook it over the fire. Fresh lunch!

The first beach we went to was stunning. 2 other people here, and a few more showed up as we left. Waves were big, but manageable. The 2nd beach, and most popular was gorgeous as well, but a tad busier with Chileans enjoying their summer vacation. We had some fresh pineapple that was just delicious.

Back to town we of course caught the rain once again. And got soaked. Picked up some adult beverages as a thank you to Marcelo.

We walked around town, saw the local church and got to witness the locals practicing for the upcoming Rapa Nui festival. The dancing and music was just incredible. Sadly no photos or video was permitted. Some surfers enjoying the sunset and the wave action. We returned to our house to pack for tomorrow’s journey back to Santiago

Next stop, Santiago for 10 hours, then Punta Arenas for the night > Falkland Islands > Antarctica!

*note that blog entry and all pictures are from a smart phone

Santiago – Chile

Touching down in Santiago in the early morning hours after a 11 hour overnight flight from Los Angeles, what do you do? Drop bags and hit the ground running of course.

Trying out LATAM business class on their 787 – Not bad!

Crowds, business people running late for their workday, and us just leisurely strolling through the metro. The city has grown more and more modern since my last visit, lots of construction boom going on.

Random dude playing his keyboard in the metro

Santiago has tons of parks and green areas, people just lounging around and dogs playing in the grass. We could use more of these areas at home.

First goal was to get to the top of Cerró San Cristóbal which has a nice view over the City and the Andes mountains surrounding it.

Pope signs were everywhere as El Papa would arrive in a few days. Some people seemed excited, others less so, and some protested.

Pope – selfie mode. Super relaxed guy. Didn’t even move

Walked through the gorgeous Mercado Central where it looked like fish were plentiful and ice quickly disappearing in the warming day. One could either buy fish to go or enjoy at one of the many small restaurants. We certainly got solicited for both!

Plaza Las Armas is the main square of Santiago and we spent some time here looking at life. People hustling, people selling ice cream (summer vacation!), and people just relaxing.

We also made it to the main cathedral and even joined mass as we walked around checking out this magnificent building. We did however pass up on the confession booth, sorry Pope.

The next day it was up at the crack of dawn to go meet a friend of mine, Pantera. We were picked up in his 4×4 and started driving outside of town, and up to the Andes mountains. Gorgeous scenery. Last time I was here it was in the late fall, and the snow had just fallen. This time it was summer, green, and lots of horses, goats, cows, and birds. Light breeze and sunny skies. An occasional condor soaring high above. Just perfect.

We proceeded with some hiking, ropes out and scrambling. We made our way up to the ice cave where water is simply pouring out from underneath the side of a sheer mountain.

No one else in sight here. Crossing the river got our boots soaked. But the view was worth it. We drove through green areas lodged between majestic mountains, criss crossing small streams and lakes. Eventually Pantera found the lunch spot he was looking for. It was perfect. Horses roaming around and magnificent views to the top of the snow covered peaks.

The Argentinian border just beyond those ridges, maybe 3 miles / 5 km away. Lunch cooked over an open fire, Avocados, steak, some beer and a bottle of wine! Yummy!

We made our way back to the City and said by to Pantera. See you next time! During the next day we, once again, headed out of the City. This time with our guide, Mick, originally from California. We had a wine tour of three vineyards in the area outside Santiago.

Views were stunning, wines were all perfect and it was just a great day. Managed to meet my friend Armando that I used to work with, and his wife. We went out to the busy district of Bellavista which attracts quite the night crowd. Sadly, it also attracted me to a round of full on food poisoning, so the next 30 hours I was “out of commission”. But a rest day was ok I guess, and I had to be rested for tomorrow’s adventure of Easter Island! Jessica took great care of me during this time, and also went grocery shopping for tomorrow’s journey. Yes, you bring groceries with you to the Easter Island 🙂

Follow our journey live at https://share.garmin.com/catchusifyoucan

Chile, Easter Island, Punta Arenas, Falkland Islands, and Antarctica

Ready.set.go….

Off to the south, and my 7th continent. Bags are packed, out of office notice enabled, and an epic adventure awaits.

Bikepacking the Black Canyon Trail

Arizona offers endless amounts of outdoor adventures, even close to the masses of Phoenix. The Black Canyon Trail is one of them. Commence bikepacking!

Jeff and I met up at Emery Henderson trailhead just North of the Phoenix metro area late Friday afternoon, leaving work, emails, and busy life behind. Left one (of our two Tacomas) vehicle here and drove North, cached some water halfway’ish.

We were ready for another epic bike packing adventure.

Left another vehicle at the start area, loaded up bikes with beers in hand (and a cold 8 pack in an already overloaded backpack), we set off from Highway 69 and headed south on The Black Canyon Trail (BCT). The BCT was used by ancient Native American travelers and traders linking settlements together. In more recent times; it was used primarily by valley wool growers to herd sheep to and from their summer range in the Bradshaw Mountains and the Black Hills up until the mid 70’s.

We only had 30 min of daylight left, so we decided to ride until we either found a good camping spot, got tired, hungry or whatever. All while enjoying the trail and scenery

The simple pleasures of simply setting up camp whenever and wherever you want to. And we were treated to a spectacular starry sky, so we left tent sides open.

South we went after a solid breakfast and clean up of yesterday’s dinner events, and prepping bike and gear for the adventure ahead today.

We made stops whenever scenery was right or the legs requesting it

Even found a slow moving stream and enjoyed the last two cool beers while getting some shade.

Cool beer, creek side, at 10am. Not too bad!

Made our way to our water cache in almost 100 degree weather, while climbing. It was toasty. A river crossing followed shortly thereafter

Did a side stop for a large pizza in Black Canyon City, and saw some legit cowboys with boot, spurs, and hats. They were equally perplexed by our outfit as we were of theirs, as they drove off in a pickup with two dogs in the bed, and 2 horses in tow, we rode off on our fully loaded bike rigs. Back up the hill.

Climbing and bushwhacking through the trail

Made our way to our goal for Saturday night, after bushwhacking our way, we were quickly settled in water side and dipped in the water for an hour. Heaven!

Also, does anyone know what these sounds are from? Frogs?

For Sunday we had an early start to avoid some of the heat. We also knew that it would only get warmer the more we dropped in altitude.

Another river crossing

Jeff showing how it is (kinda) done:

Familiar territory in sight for me.

And we are done! 65 miles, lots of exposed sides, flats, climbs, downhill, rivers, sand, boulders, and gorgeous canyons!

Cambodia – Part II

We left the temples behind as we took off from Siem Reap, heading towards the coast of Cambodia on a one hour flight. A quick ferry ride from busy backpacker style Sihanoukville and the airport, to much more laid-back Koh Rong Samloem Island was welcomed. This small island has no roads or utilities other than what the small “hotels” offer. Our bungalow had no AC or hot water! But it did have a view.

Our “bungalow” was directly on the beach, walking distance from the ferry “pier”

Our plans for 4 days on a small island with nothing to do? NOTHING!

But we still found a few activities; sunsets, beach, scuba diving, hiking, exploring a local fishing “village”, and great food.

Sunset on the other side of the island by “Lazy Beach”

However, on the 3rd night at our Bungalow, we all of a sudden were awoken to something. Mosquito bites? Couldn’t be since we had the mosquito net down. Sandflies? Maybe. Bedbugs? Definitely! I have literally spent YEARS living in hotels throughout the world due to my job working for a Hospitality Company, and from my personal travels. Never once have I experienced, nor seen bedbugs. But I guess there is a first time for everything. The Hotel relocated us to another “resort” the next day, after our night was spent in less desirable sleeping arrangements, and an entire morning going through all of our clothes, souvenirs, backpacks etc. checking for bugs.

What better way to celebrate a sleepless night? Maybe hike across the island up to an abandoned lighthouse, surrounded by big guns from the Cambodian Military. Of course.

We also manged to stop by a small local “village” with around 10-20 people living there. Based on the excitement of the locals, it didn’t seem like any tourists took this detour. They gladly showed off the pig they had just slaughtered, and were now parting out. Blood on the floor, and no refrigerator for the pig – sure thing!

After some island time, we headed back to the mainland. A quick 45 minute “ferry” ride brought you back into busy Sihanoukville. We had arranged for some “VIP Shuttle Van” to take us to the Capital, Phnom Penh – around a 3-5 hour drive depending on conditions. As our VIP Shuttle Van was full of live cockroaches, we decided this was not going to work for us. A few arguments regarding refund and threats of engaging the police didn’t yield much more results than a $10 towards a private car transfer. After having wasted a few hours already, we decided to proceed, and agreed that next time we find ourselves in Sihanouville and need to go to Phnom Penh, to just spend the extra $ and take a private car. Lesson learned. Also, I wouldn’t recommend CTT Transports unless you are obsessed with Live Coackroaches.

Driving in Cambodia, and South East Asia in general, is not for the faint of heart. These drivers are crazy. Sometimes it is just better to not look. So we had loaded up the tablet with a movie, and watched some Tombraider – how appropriate since we were just in Angkor Wat.

In Phnom Penh we had very limited time, 2 nights yielding just one full day. It also meant that our time in Cambodia was coming to an end. Instead of finishing the visit to Cambodia with some amazing fun experience; we spent most of the day learning about the extremely dark side of the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime. I would highly recommend everyone to spend a few minutes reading up on this if you do not yet know the history. From 1975-1979, two million people – a quarter of the population of Cambodia were killed. Many via indescribable methods that one simply cannot comprehend humanly possible. The next few paragraphs may be rough to read and see – but since I know that most of you may never have heard of this, and I feel that we as a humanity should never allow history like this to repeat – I have chosen to spend a good part of this post on this visit.

We visited the “S-21 – Security Prison” which sits in the middle of busy Phnom Penh. This used to be a high-school, that quite frankly, looked like many other high-schools I have seen around the world. Big green courtyards with trees, even a swing. Classrooms and outdoor hallways. One could imagine teachers in front of students in these classrooms eager to learn. Staircases leading to the upper floors where I am sure a lot of kids were running (late) for their classes.

But this was no ordinary high-school after 1975. The Khmer Rouge regime used this as a prison and interrogation center. An estimated 17,000-20,000 prisoners went though this prison from 1975-1979. All but 7 were killed, and today only 3 are still alive. Let that sink in for a bit.

We got to meet one of the 7 survivors in person as he was at the prison that day, sharing his story via a book.

Meeting one of the 7 survivors – Chum Mey

Most of the prisoners were simply tortured until they confessed to something. These confessions were all lies and made no sense.

Classroom turned to torture room – picture on the wall is graphic, but shows what the room looked like when the prison was liberated

Several of the cells and torture rooms still had visible blood stains on the walls and floors

A few foreigners were also imprisoned here. One of them were Kerry Hamill, a young New Zealander that was sailing with a few friends around the world, and got caught drifting into Cambodian territory. His actual confession was displayed, and referenced facts such as “He wrote that Colonel Sanders (of the chicken fame) was one of his “superiors”, the home number in Whakatane was his CIA operative number and scattered through as members of the CIA are family friends – Colonel Perram was Miles Hamill’s gliding instructor, Captain Dodds was an old friend of Kerry’s from Whakatane.” He, among the thousands of others, were simply forced to confess to things they didn’t do, then it was documented and signed, and eventually killed at the Killing Fields just outside town.

On that uplifting note; we drove to the outside of Phnom Penh to visit the actual Killing Fields (Choeung Ek). If the scene at the high school could be more bizarre, then this may have been it. A beautiful green area, with birds chipping away, even a few chickens and a rooster walking around the grassy areas, and the nearby pond/lake. Flowers in bloom and a beautiful memorial building.

The signs and the audio tours tells a much different story. Thousands of people were killed here in inexplicable ways. Ranging from a few dozen to a few hundred per day. Most were clubbed to death while kneeling in front of a mass grave. Babies and infants were simply smashed against a tree. All to save costly bullets, and to avoid any noise.

Memorial containing thousands of human skulls discovered here in the mass graves

The visit to S21 and the Killing Fields left us with a deep impression. This may not be your typical vacation go-to-spot, but people travel to broaden their understanding of other people, and understanding people’s past may help you in that understanding. While no one will truly understand why Pol Pot and his regime did what they did – we as mankind must be aware of them, and never to repeat them.

The rest of our visit in Phnom Penh was spent at a few local markets, and some walking around the city. We even managed to find the exotic North Korean Embassy.

Phnom Penh seems extremely hectic and crazy at first, but the city is full, of quiet side streets and restaurants. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Cambodia. From amazing cultural sights such as Angkor Wat, to beautiful landscapes outside Siem Reap, to small islands off the coast with amazing beaches, to dark history from the Khmer Rogue Regime. I’d recommend Cambodia for anyone interested in some of this.

Next stop: Hong Kong and home to the US.

Cambodia – Part I

Arriving into the small airport in Siem Reap, in a terminal that looked to be newer than any US airport I’ve seen was impressive. Our short flight from Saigon on appropriately named Angkor Air was also flawless.

We had arranged for a guide/driver for our visit to Angkor Wat. “Tea” met us at the airport and we dropped off bags at hotel and started our visit to the his impressive temple. I won’t go into long detailed history about the temples, other than saying it was absolutely impressive what they could build in year 1000, by manpower only. Including bringing in building stones from 30 miles/50 km away. Welcome to the largest religious monument in the world!

The level of details were just mind-boggling. Stories were simply carved into the walls.

We saw around 10 temples ranging from Angkor Wat, to smaller less visited temples, to popular temples such as the Tomb Raider temple (like from the movie….)

We also managed an absolutely stunning sunrise at Angkor Wat.

The area contains several temples, and we drove around for some extended distances.

Smaller temple around 30 min from Angkor Wat

After being “templed out”, we found our way to the downtown area of Siem Reap, and managed some good foot massages for around $5 each for an hour. There were no discounts issued with the rat running around the light fixtures above us. We just laughed and had another sip of beer while watching the fat tail of the rat disappear back into the wall and light fixture. Oh Asia.

This deal simply seemed to good, so we upgraded to the $5 place instead

Some walking around Siem Reap, including the local market.

We wanted some adrenaline adventure, so I had the great idea of an ATV/Quad rental, which proved cost prohibitive. So instead we booked a guide with a few dirt bikes. Jessica on her own dirt bike, and having only ridden a small automatic scooter once, was no challenge for our guide. He managed to teach her in less than an hour.

We were fully geared up and headed out of Siem Reap. Small local villages with no tourists. Hazards included: Cows, chickens, mud, water, potholes, pigs, ducks, machinery, roosters, you name it. We made it to the final destination around 40 miles away, at a waterfall. Somewhat crowded and a bit too touristy for us. Grabbed lunch and a few pictures and we were on our way back to Siem Reap.

Waterfall - people used for scale — Waterfall – people used for scale

Siem Reap was incredible. We thought that 1 1/2 days of temple sightseeing was adequate. The city itself was also a great spot to hang out in. I’d caution people visiting the temples that it is hot, and lots and lots of tourists. Get a knowledgeable guide if you go as you otherwise don’t know what you are actually looking at.

Next stop, beach!

Vietnam – Part II

We left Hue after our short 1 night visit. We found the time to be sufficient for the key sights.

For our trip south to Hoi An we were on a bus for a 4 hour ride. Some unusual seating for sure. But for $9, not too bad.

$9 Sleeper bus with seats that didn’t sit up straight

Hoi An is a smaller city just south of the busy, and up and coming, larger city of Da Nang. The sheer influx of hotels being built just south of Da Nang was interesting and worrisome at the same time. I hope they will manage the impact on the local environment sufficiently.

One of the first stops in Hoi An was the scooter place across the street. One stop shop for water, snacks, laundry, and scooter rental. We took our scooter down to the beach and grabbed lunch. Weather was not on our side as we were in the middle of the monsoon season. Note: Vietnam has three separate climate zones so you are bound to have some rain somewhere on your trip. It wasn’t bad and we were quickly in the dry again.

After the beach and lunch we zoomed to downtown Hoi An for some custom made/tailored clothes which Hoi An is known for. A few dresses, shirts, and blazer were designed and ordered for us. Turn around time 24 hours, and at a fraction of the cost of the USA. Hello custom made clothing.

Hoi An’s beautiful walking streets and canals were great to immerse yourself in. Less hectic than Hanoi for sure.

We also rode bicycles to an organic farm where we got to do some planting, and then cooking some lunch afterwards. We succeeded at both, but we’re experienced farmers 🙂

When riding a single speed bicycle gets to be too much, take the water buffalo

From Hoi An we drove north to Da Nang and caught a flight south to busy Ho Chi Minh City, formerly, and to some degree, known as Saigon.

Since it was Jessica’s birthday I may have requested some help with party preparations at our trusted Marriott family hotel (home sweet home Renaissance Saigon)

We walked and walked, checking out this more modern city. Also managed to visit the War Remnants museum which showed the very ugly side of the Vietnam war. The sheer destruction and impact that the war had left some impressions on both of us. Agent orange, napalm, torture, bombings. All terrible things that war brings. Unfortunately, as most war related information, the museum was single sided only and only showed what the USA and their allies did during the war. I am sure there were equally ugly sides of War from the North Vietnamese side. Welcome to communism.

We also had a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels located outside Saigon. These tunnels stretched over 250 km/155 miles. People simply lived underground fighting the Americans during the war. Terrible traps and killing methods were used here.
We did get to go through these tunnels, located around 20-50 ft underground, and these were certainly not designed for walking, more crunched over or crawling. They did a great job at concealing everything from chimneys for smoke located far from kitchen areas, and ventilation shafts concealed as termite mounds.

The “termite hill” is actually the air vent – well disguised

40 ft below ground here. Totally safe. No standing room whatsoever. Length – 250km/154 miles

From Saigon we headed south west to the Mekong Delta. A larger river area where people truly utilize the river as their livelihood, transport, and pleasure. Small islands with no bridges, instead they use canals linking houses, and the river keeps the commerce flowing.

Floating market. Bulk style sales (like Costco on water…)

We spent 2 days here with our own boat, and enjoyed a local homestay for a night. No a/c, plenty of mosquitoes at night, and a palm sized spider in the shared bathroom. Those things aside… we did get to learn some cooking and I got to make some mean spring rolls in the fancy kitchen, over a wood fired stove.

Homestay living room – don’t worry, our rooms were nowhere near this nice

Cooking over a wood burning stove – and flipping spring rolls with gigantic chopsticks

We took am afternoon bike ride around the village

During our Mekong tour we got to visit local factories, fruit farm, bee farm, and a coconut candy “factory”. All very interesting.

Back in Saigon we had a buffer day before our trip to Cambodia. We managed some shopping and an evening food tour by Motorbike/scooter. I was thoroughly impressed with these drivers skills, and that’s coming from me as as motorcycle rider! Food was great, and our young university students were great guides and they were eager to talk to us in almost perfect English.

And that’s it for Vietnam. Next stop Cambodia. We had a great time touring this country, but the cities are a bit of a chaos, but I guess that’s part of the experience. Hoi An was a beautiful city and a great stop. Cruising Halong Bay was also very pretty. Overall I hope that Vietnam takes care of their country and manages development and tourism better.

Last Vietnamese breakfast at the airport before we are off to Cambodia

Vietnam – Part I

Hanoi is a city with almost as many scooters/motorbikes as people. I seriously doubt this is an exaggeration. Traffic is a cluster, no rules, other than the fact that one should honk every 5 seconds. Traffic lights? Who cares…. 5 people on a scooter? Sure. Scooter towing a trailer with a full size pig? Done.

As planned, I met Jessica at Hanoi Airport after my quick Hong Kong flight, and her quick Thailand flight where she’d been touring on her own for the past 3 weeks.

Vietnam can be experienced for pretty cheap if you are willing to go a tad out of your normal comfort zone. Dinner for two, and two big beers? $US 2.50. But you do end up sitting on tiny chairs and kids tables at “illegal” street restaurants occupying Hanoi’s sidewalks. We even did a private food tour one evening. Bun Cha, Snails, Sea Worms, quail eggs with embryo, egg coffee, and some local strong alcohol shared with some enthusiastic locals who ended up buying us some beers, and sharing their appreciation for the US and especially Bill Clinton, less enthusiasm was shown towards Trump.

Hanging out with Bill Clinton supporters in Hanoi, and they bought us a round of beer

Pork, Quail eggs with embryo, clams, and some local alcohol

Time in Hanoi was spent walking around the city, watching locals simply celebrating life and having fun. On the weekends, some streets in the old quarter are blocked off for traffic where after thousands of people take them over. Music, games, selfies, lake, concerts – you name it. These guys are loving it. I think we could learn a bit about this in the US!

We spent an hour or two watching life go by at this lake, and these guys catching fish

On the sightseeing part we visited Hoa Loa prison that was used over various wars and conflicts. Including keeping some US Prisoners of War captured. Senator John McCain was held here. The museums description of the US POWs conditions vary a bit from the one shared by the US POWs, but it wouldn’t be any good communist proaganda if we stretched the truth a bit (I’m sure the US is guilty of similar stories themselves)

Also managed to visit the Womens museum which was a great way to learn about women in Vietnam as well as traditional family life and culture.

While Hanoi was a major target of US air raids, there is no grudge held against any American or foreigner here, more the contrary. Smiles and happy people everywhere you go. Still a bit odd to know that not long ago Americans were dropping bombs on Hanoi, and today they’re dropping dollars (or Dongs as they are humorously called)

Small lake where McCain crashed during the Vietnam war

One part that we had decided as a must do was Halong Bay, unfortunately it seems as most tourists considers this a must-do as well and it was rather busy. We spent two days on a cruise boat, also known as a “junk boat” crusing around stunningly beautiful Halong Bay. With just 8 cabins on our boat it was not crowded at all, and always great meeting other travelers from all over the world. Our crew was great and spent time with us showing us Halong Bay, including some kayaking during sunset. We did manage to visit a cave that was inundated with tourists, to the point where it was a bit ridiculous. Managing Vietnam’s natural beauty is an area where some urgent attention is needed before it is destroyed.

Heading south

We caught a domestic flight south to Hue (pronounced ¿Hué or whey?) which is a much smaller city compared to hectic Hanoi. We visited multiple sites, including the Imperial City with a massive wall surrounding impressive buildings.

Too bad these buildings were severely damaged during the war, and restoration is at a snails pace. Hue suffered some of the most intense battles between the North and the South/US during the Vietnam war.