Category: Experiences

Swimming in disaster

IF THE WATER FEELS PLEASANT, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

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.

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Apocalypse Later

INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE LAOTIAN MEKONG

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.

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Working for peanuts

PAYDAY IN MANDALAY

“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.

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Fishing the river for Dolphins

SUNSET ON THE RIVER MEKONG

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.

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Big Sir!

TO THE HIPPIE HIDEAWAY, PASS THROUGH THE US ARMY FIRST

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.

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The good, the bad and the Han

FINDING SERGIO LEONE’S HIDEAWAY IN LIMING

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.

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Kor Klavim

THE WATCH SAYS IT’S 1pm, BUT THE SUN IS SETTING

The GPS says it’s 69º North. The thermometer shows it’s 20º below zero. In my native tongue – Hebrew, there’s a word for “cold”. There’s also a word for “Bitter cold”, but when things get really damn icy, there’s another expression, “Kor Klavim” – a “dog’s cold”. This linguistic trivia is quite surprising given the fact that Hebrew is a Semantic language from the Middle East, a place not known for dog sleds.

And yet, here we are, in Kiruna on the northern tip of Sweden. It’s Kor Klavim, and the dogs around are braking like they couldn’t have had enough of it. We’re, on the other hand, are freezing.
Thanks for asking.
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