Monthly Archives: May 2019

AtW #83: Sim and Nathan

Sim and Nathan and Dan

Sim and Nathan are Couchsurfers who stayed with Katie and me in Hong Kong. This was their final stop on a journey of more than a year. We had an awesome discussion about a variety of topics, ranging from traveling for free to exploding Pinto gas tanks.

Download this Episode (right-click and choose “save as”)

* * *

Show Notes:

Workaway is a website to connect travelers with local families, promoting meaningful work and volunteering around the world.
WWOOF is a similar organization, with a focus on organic farming.
For an interesting take on the idea that the golden era of travel is in the past, check out this discussion between Rolf Potts and Sean Keener.
Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. For more info, check out the Permaculture Principles website.
Here’s some more info on the Monsanto Roundup cancer lawsuit.
Popular Mechanics has an article talking about the problems with Ford Pintos gas tanks.
Not long ago, many experts were predicting that the world would soon run out of oil. But today, more and more people are predicting that decreasing demand will cause the collapse of the oil industry by 2030.
Maybe, just maybe, this bag made from cassava will come to replace plastic. (Maybe.)
This article talks about the frustrating state of recycling in Hong Kong.
Here’s a list of ten Korean revenge films.
And I found the article I mentioned, that attempts to persuade us to ban smoking (or maybe not).
Mayo Clinic has an article on the cause and symptoms of toxoplasmosis.
Here’s an article on the symptoms of mold toxicity.
All My Pets is an episode of the Reply All podcast that follows a youtuber who shows off her pets.

This video shows two guys on a small farm planting potatoes. Now you know.

Here’s a photo of some local villagers planting potatoes on the Annapurna Circuit. How many tractors do you see in this photo?

These are both photos of Poon Hill, one with people, one without. Which one is more accurate?

Here’s an insane video of a wild elephant charging a man.

Here’s a similar video, this time with a gorilla.

October, 2001. I was in a bar in London and two women asked to borrow my camera because they wanted to photograph a sign in the restroom. A few minutes later they returned, snickering. A couple weeks later when I got the film developed, I saw that this was the photo they had actually taken. Talk about a funny prank that you can’t do anymore!

Here’s a video explaining the concept of a cat cafe.

Sharp Peak, Sai Kung's Most Difficult Hike

Sharp Peak

Sharp Peak (蚺蛇尖) is considered the most challenging hike in Sai Kung. The main reason for this is because of the steepness of the ascent. At times you need to engage all four limbs, so you need to have good footwear and a clear head on your shoulders. On top of that, you’ll spend hours completely exposed to the relentless sun, making dehydration and heat exhaustion real possibilities.

But the hike is also quite rewarding. From the top, you get a great view over the beaches of Tai Long Wan, including Ham Tin Wan, one of the nicest beaches in Hong Kong. I went with my three CouchSurfing guests: Sim, Nathan and Miljana. We hiked all afternoon, and we didn’t arrive at the bus stop to come home until dusk. It took me nine months of living in Sai Kung before I hiked to Sharp Peak the first time; I don’t think I’ll wait so long before heading back.

Here are some of my photos from the hike:

We passed this abandoned village early in the hike.

Picture of Miljana taking a picture of feral cows.

If you come to Sai Kung, you’ll almost certainly see feral cows. They’re mostly docile, and quite a popular tourist attraction.

A conversation on the way up.

About two-thirds of the way to the summit, the view started to get really good.

Despite the heat, Miljana is excited to be hiking.

Picture of view of beaches from near the summit of Sharp Peak.

The view of the trail and Ham Tin Wan beach below.

Picture of Sai Kung peninsula from Sharp Peak.

From the summit of Sharp Peak, we got a good view of the Sai Kung peninsula.

Picture of Dan, Miljana, and Sim from the summit of Sharp Peak.

Me, Miljana and Sim on the summit, 468 meters above sea level. It was so nice, we spent nearly an hour there.

Picture of Miljana and Sim heading down the trail.

On the way down. The steep trail winds all the way down the ridgeline.

Ham Tin Wan has to be one of the nicest beaches in Hong Kong.

Sunset on the way back.

More photos from the Sharp Peak hike

AtW #82: Miljana Zutic, the Serbian Traveler

Picture of Serbian Traveler Miljana Zutic and Dan Pery.

Miljana and Dan

Miljana Zutic, AKA “Serbian Traveler”, has been traveling around the world for the last four years with no money. Seriously, she left her home with two euros and has kept the adventure going for all this time. How, you wonder? Listen to this podcast to find out.

Miljana’s social media can be found at the following links:

Serbian Traveler on Youtube (educational videos from her travels).
Serbian Traveler on Facebook.
Serbian Traveler on Instagram.

If you enjoy this podcast and Miljana’s social media pages, she would really appreciate it if you would kick a few bucks her way on PayPal. Here’s her address:
pierrestatue@gmail.com.

Download this Episode (right-click and choose “save as”)

* * *

Here’s one of Miljana’s videos, from Wadi Rum, Jordan:

Tulou Country

Picture of Katie and Mom at Tianluokeng.

Katie and my mom at the Tianluokeng tulou cluster.

For our last stop on our trip to China, Katie, my mom, and I visited the Hakka tulou region of Fujian province. Tulou (土楼, literally “earthen building”) are the “castles” of the region, fortified to prevent invasion. They were built as either circles or rectangles, and they contain large central courtyards, with housing for up to 800 people.

This was our favorite destination of our trip. The region has beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and an interesting history. Here are a few of my photos. What do you think?

My mom at our bed and breakfast, the Fuyulou Changdi Inn. We were staying on the top floor.

A papaya tree in the village.

Picture of mom and Dan getting dressed up in traditional clothes.

Getting all dressed up.

Picture of man fishing in front of tulou building.

Goin’ fishin’.

The gateway to a temple.

A pond in front of the local temple.

Main street in the village.

One of the round buildings.

Jars of local rice wine.

Mom and Katie.

Heading home.

We thought this was fish, but it turned out to be bamboo shoots, laid out to dry.

Sunset on the river.

Square houses in a round village.

Hoeing the fields at sunset.

This girl nearly burned down the house with some fireworks she found.

Picture of red lanterns in a Chinese guesthouse.

Our guesthouse was decorated with many, many lanterns.

This is the Tianluokeng tulou cluster. The buildings represent the five elements of ancient Chinese philosophy (metal, wood, water, fire, earth).

A walk through a bamboo forest.

Picture of man laying out bamboo shoots.

This guy is laying out bamboo shoots and vegetables to dry.

‘Sup?

Inside a tulou.

Dozens of families can live inside one of these buildings.

Outside of the tulou.

Picture of dried loose tea with Chinese sign.

Local wild tea for sale.

Rice fields.

The Yuchang tulou is upwards of 1700 years old. They were rolling out a piano for a show that night.

Outside of the Deyuan Ancestral Temple.

Picture of inside of the Deyuan Ancestral Temple.

Inside the temple.

Picture of Deyuan Ancestral Temple from above.

Above the temple.

Inside the King of Tulou, the largest of all earthen buildings.

Walking the outer ring of the King of Tulou.

Click here for more of my photos from the area.

Gulang Yu

Gulang Yu view: looking back at Xiamen really gives you an idea for the old and new.

After spending a day and a half exploring Kinmen Island, we took a ferry back to Xiamen. From there, our goal was to head to the island of Gulang Yu (鼓浪嶼 “Drum Wave Islet”) for a few days. This turned out to be far more difficult than we had anticipated.

While not a famous destination internationally, Gulang Yu is quite popular among Chinese tourists, attracting 10 million annually. Because of this, only the locals are allowed to take the short ferry directly to the island’s main port. It wasn’t clear how we tourists could get there, though. We ended up joining a mini tour, which included a round trip ferry ticket. Three hours, two ferries, and four passport checks later, we – along with two hundred of our best Chinese friends – spilled onto Gulang Yu.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Gulang Yu was one of two foreign concessions in China (the other being Shanghai). Because of this, the island is full of European-style mansions and churches. It also has a piano museum and a calligraphic wood carving museum (my personal favorite attraction). Cars and bicycles are banned on the island, so the tourists get to walk around and take it all in.

Though Gulangyu was difficult to reach, especially given its proximity to Xiamen Island, it was still worth the journey. Here are a few of my photos from the island:

The old American consulate.

A popular activity here is to pose in front of street signs.

Blooming flowers.

Gulang Yu: Picture of Katie with street sign.

Katie in front of a street sign.

A sign for a noodle shop.

The island’s main temple.

An old graveyard.

Gulang Yu: Picture of wood carving at the calligraphic museum.

My favorite place on the island was the calligraphic carving museum.

The walkway through Shuzhuang Garden.

Shuzhuang Garden.

The arch bridge.

Katie is in one of the eight caves.

One of the temples.

Sunset is over an industrial area.

The beach.

More photos from Gulang Yu

A Trip to Kinmen Island

Kinmen: Picture of a row of red lanterns.

A row of Lanterns on Kinmen Island.

A few weeks ago, my mom made the long flight to Hong Kong to visit Katie and me. After spending a couple days around our home, the three of us went on a trip. Our first stop was Kinmen Island, which sits close to the Chinese mainland and is controlled by Taiwan. We had quite a whirlwind day to get there: local bus, subway 1, subway 2, Hong Kong customs and immigration, Chinese customs and immigration, high-speed train to Xiamen, bus across Xiamen Island, Chinese customs and immigration, ferry to Kinmen, Taiwanese customs and immigration, van to our hotel. And we still arrived before dinner!

We were exhausted, but excited to explore. That night we checked out the main town on foot. The following day the three of us rented electric scooters and drove them all over the island. It was a fascinating place, rich with history. The vibe was very laid back and the people were quite friendly.

Here are a few photos from Kinmen Island: