Join my journey to the corners of this world
When I was a kid in the 70s, my father, who frequently traveled to Brazil for 
business, told me of a famous local saying that went something like this:
“Brazilians will start working only when the Jesus statue on top of the Corcovado rock will clap his hands”. Looking at Rio’s bright white landmark, the answer was obvious – never!
But, as I later found out for myself, they were wrong. Here’s why:
Parched land. Few giant Baobabs dot the endless plains. 4 meter-long dried snake’s skin nailed to one of these giant trees. White sculls – chimps probably – pegged on sticks.
Welcome to Bushville.
It’s another hot and humid day in the Northern Philippines, and we’re all sweating profusely. No big surprise, having spent the previous two hours
trekking up our way through the thick bush. But it was worth it. A beautiful Emerald lake – clear, cool and inviting, is lying straight below us. It didn’t take long for us to leave our sticky clothes behind, and take a plunge into the chilly, slightly acidic water.
But this is no ordinary lake.
This is Northern Laos, a mountainous, remote and hard to reach place. A land of few visitors, and even fewer roads. The mighty Mekong snakes its way through the deep-cut empty gorges, almost defining the term “remoteness”. All you can see are few remote enclaves populated by colorful hill tribes, few tiny fishing boats and a couple of water taxis commuting up and down the murky river. Is this the real heart of darkness?
It sure looks the part. You can almost hear US Army helicopters playing “Flight of the Valkyries”. Apocalypse? Perhaps later.
Ever been to a true Banana Republic? I was.
It is beautiful, humid, and hot. It’s full of bright colors, intoxicating scents, and tastes. And it’s sad. Very sad.
Welcome to Guatemala.
When I started writing my blog two years ago, I wasn’t really sure where this experience would lead me. I’m still not 100% sure today but, boy, what a ride it has been!
Let’s see what we had so far.
“Working for peanuts” means toiling for a very low wage. Sometimes, unfairly low.
Many have been wondering where this expression came from. What were its origins? Was it anything real? Is there anyone out there receiving a meager paycheck made of ground crops?
I went to a remote corner of this world and discovered that some slang has, well, a grain of truth.
There is something very special about the grand Mekong River. The majestic tributary of Southeast Asia connects so many cultures and covers so much history it has become its own icon. Drawing the borders of Tibet, China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam The Mekong is as Indochina as Lemongrass and Satay Sauce. One part of it, however, manages to be even more special. That part is Kratie, Cambodia. And that’s where I decided to visit to try and fish myself a Dolphin.
Yep. That’s right. To get to Big Sur – the mother of all Hippie hideaways – you do need to pass through a US army base – Fort Hunter Liggett, to be exact. The big sign at the entrance says that by passing through the gate you agree to a vehicle search (and a body search) at any time and without a warrant. Scary stuff. Still, if you do brave it through, you’d find one of America’s most un-American roads, and a view so striking you’d forget the military warnings.
The place looks like a scene from a 1960’s Spaghetti Western. Complete with rocky cliffs, and a small run-down school where Native-American kids play ball. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear Ennio Morricone’s famous tune playing in the background. But of course, the kids are not Indians, and the guy playing the flute is Naxi, not Italian.
