 For the first time in a very long time, I don't have much travel booked, as I prepare for the arrival of an important character in the ongoing Adventures of Esrock. Serendipitously, I stumbled across an old notebook which listed the highlights from much of my travels over the last decade. It's a good as time as any for some reflection, a list of a life well lived (hopefully with plenty to go). When I left high school, if someone would have said: "Robin, you will do all these things before you turn 40" I would have laughed so hard ice-cream would eject out my nostrils, even if I wasn't eating any. Which all goes to show: Anything is possible. Peru
Hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, eating fresh ceviche on the beach. Bolivia Mountain biked the world’s most dangerous road (twice), crossed the Salar De Uyuni (the world’s biggest salt desert) in a 4×4, overnight on a catamaran on Lake Titicaca. Chile Climbed an erupting volcano (Villarica), sandboarding in the Atacama Desert, catboarding in the Andes, getting lost on my bike in the Valley of the Moon. Argentina Climbing and river rafting in Patagonia, partying in Buenos Aires, eating those huge steaks just about everywhere. Brazil Hanggliding over Rio, visiting Iguazu Falls, relaxing in Jericoacoara, Sunday nights in Olinda, sailing off Salvador, Carnaval in Rio, New Year's Eve at a super club near Florianopolis, the Pantanal. Czech Republic Visiting the bone church of Kutna Hora Sedlec, listening to sweet jazz on the Charles Bridge, absinthe adventures with old hippies and errant US soldiers in the countryside. Croatia Kayaking and swimming in the Dalmatian Coast, paintballing on the Serbia-Croatia border. Albania Milking Ilir’s cow, visiting the abandoned castle in Gijirokaster, and hitching through the countryside. Venezuela Swimming with wild dolphins, being chased by a tapir, seeing a pink river dolphin while swimming in piranha infested waters, abseiling off a waterfall. Greece The red wine, olives and sunsets of Santarini, island hopping, smuggling contraband into Corfu. Turkey Paragliding over the sparkling Med in Olu Deniz, exploring Cappadocia, and sunset on a boat in Koycegiz, sunrise with 2000-year old statues atop Mount Nemrut. Hong Kong The world's highest bungee jump (off a TV tower), gambling in Macao, underground alley cat bike racing on Halloween. Slovenia Paragliding in the Julien Alps, ringing the bells on the island in Lake Bled. Dubai Dune buggying in the desert, high tea at the Burj Dubai hotel, sandboarding. India Yoga on the Ganges, seeing the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, getting a tattoo in Goa, Mumbai and New Delhi, Taj Mahal. Malaysia Riverboats in the jungles of Borneo, playing with monkeys, tigers, crocodiles, eagles and iguanas, eating nasi kinder curries, Penang, Japan Singing Karaoke, meeting the Harajuku girls, being pushed inside a train. Jamaica Meeting locals along the South Coast, a visit to a Rastafarian village in the Blue Mountains, Weddy Weddy in Kingston, birdwatching and fishing with locals. Thailand The lantern festival in Chiang Mai, riding an elephant,the buzz of Khao San Road, late nights in Pai. Laos The two-day slowboat down the Mekong, exploring temples by bicycle in Luang Prabang, tubing the river bars in Vangvyieng Sri Lanka Burning coconuts at the Katharagama Festival, picking tea in the Highlands of Ceylon. Cambodia Exploring the temples of Angkor, firing an Ak-47, visiting the Killing Fields and S-21 prison, massages on the beach in Sihanoukville. Australia Climbing the 72m tree in Western Australia, meeting kangaroos in Tasmania, cricket at the SCG, connecting with family and friends in Sydney. Ukraine Spending a night in Chernobyl, pressing the button at a former top secret Soviet nuclear missile base. New Zealand Skydived, Swooped, Zorbed, rafted the world’s highest vertical drop, speed races, Agrojetted, Bodyflying, mountain biking, 4×4′d, and lugeing in Queenstown and Rotorua. New Caledonia Spearfishing giant lobster and hunting deer. Fiji Taking shelter from a tropical storm. China Zipgliding the Great Wall of China, stumbling on Tiananman Square at dawn, visiting Mount Hua and the Yellow Mountain, cruising up the Yangtze River Georgia Learning a medieval martial art, drinking homemade wine out of a horn, mock battles in real castles. Mongolia Galloping on the plains, camping in a traditional gur. Jordan Petra, exploring Amman, the Dead Sea (from the other side) The Maldives A week in a luxury ocean-villa Russia Swimming in Lake Baikal, Siberia, doing the Trans-Siberia Railway, exploring St Petersburg by foot, Star City, the Moscow State Circus. South Korea Learning to meditate in a Buddhist temple, meeting Dr Fish, teaching English to school kids. Malta Hunting winter sun and avoiding bombshells. Denmark Absinthe and Christiania in Copenhagen, biking with a beer in Arhus Papua New Guinea Learning to scuba dive with the Scuba Diver Girls Taiwan Getting the Fire Doctor treatment, Yiheu Geological Park, Taipei 101, a toilet-themed restaurant Sweden A week with the moose on “Moose Mountain”. Barbados Learning how to kitesurf and upright paddleboard with a Bajan world champion, making barracuda ceviche, learning to play polo. Norway Camped in an old Nazi bunker in Narvik, under the midnight sun in the Arctic circle, bathing in fjords, partying in Bergen. Zanzibar Camping on the beaches of Nungwe, getting lost in Stone Town Colombia Bullet proof vests in Bogota, the mud volcano of youth outside of Cartagena Ecuador Being rescued by a mountain shaman, dancing on a bus roof in Quito Zambia Swimming in a rock pool overlooking Victoria Falls, and flying up north for an afternoon. Lithuania Finding my grandfather's old village, learning about my past, dressing like a knight in Vilnius. Swaziland Swimming in the king’s sacred rock pool, meeting a hippo, smuggling contraband. Poland Finding my grandmother’s village, the haunting visit to Auschwitz. Kenya The Migration of the Wildebeest in Masai Mara National Park, helping the Flying Doctors with a medical evacuation. The Phillipines El Nido, Palawan, Jeepnies in Manila (and everywhere else), Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Bicol, diving with Thresher sharks off Malapascua Island, Cebu Ethiopia Lalibela, and tribe watching in the Omo Valley. Belize Caving with underground waterfalls, riverboating to jungle ruins, meeting an odd village of Mennonites. Israel Working on a kibbutz, floating in the Dead Sea, climbing Masada, clubbing in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Egypt Riding a camel by the pyramids in Giza, snorkeling the Blue Hole in Dahab, belly dancing in Cairo, dirt biking in the Sinai. Scotland Vagabonding and hustling my way at the Edinburgh Festival, exploring the Highlands Portugal Running with bulls in the Azores, blindfolded walking tours in Lisbon, wine tour along the Douro, Porto, Halloween in a haunted 17th century hacienda England Living in London for a couple years, and all that comes with it, oh, Cornwall, spending a romantic night in an old castle. Wales Getting growled at on New Years Eve in Abergavanny. Ireland New Year’s Eve in Temple Bar, visiting Belfast during a security alert, drinking Guinness from the source. France Romance, the Louvre in Paris, Jim Morrison’s grave, the red carpet in Cannes, the Rugby World Cup. Monaco Gambling in a casino in Monte Carlo. Latvia Art Nouveau building watching, backstage at one of the world's oldest circuses, chasing stag parties in Riga. Cook Islands Diving, hiking with Pa, paradise islands, midnight scooter runs around Rarotonga, bush pub in Atiu, magic in Atitaki. Italy Michaelangelo’s David in Florence, the Vatican, pizzas and toga parties in Rome, driving a Lamborghini and a Ferrari near Modena, real Balsamic vinegar, toga party in Rome. Germany Too much beer at a beer hall in Munich, exploring the Rhine. Holland A disastrous yet fun train ride to Amsterdam, where the memories are still pretty fuzzy. Iceland Volcanoes, waterfalls Romania Running about with the Hash House Harriers of Bucharest, dancing in Cluj Napoca, overnight in a traditional Transylvanian village. Spain Gaspacho in Valencia, the smell of olive oil in the air at Grenada, meeting the Black Crowes in a Barcelona cafe. The United States Mardi Gras 2000, driving through Nevada, Arizona and Utah in a red convertible, Vegas parts I, II, III and IV, Alaska, rally racing the Oregan coastline in a vintage Porsche, Burning Man 2010/2012, Explorer's Club gala in New York. Mexico Wrestling in the ring with Luchedores, Guadalajara, Manu Chao in Mexico City, backpacking the Yucatan Peninsula. Finland Getting smoked in traditional and public sauna, riding a rollercoaster with a manual handbrake, getting frugal in Helsinki South Africa The Garden Route, the Drakensburg, Nambiti Hills, walking with a lion, bungee jumping in Gouritz River, a night in the Lost City, swimming with crocodiles, cage diving with Great White Sharks. Canada See: The Great Canadian Bucket List
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Greetings.
Please come in. Mahalo for removing your shoes. After many years running a behemoth of a blog called Modern Gonzo, I've decided to a: publish a book or eight, and b: make my stories more digestible, relevant, and deserving of your battered attention. Here you will find some of my adventures to over 100 countries, travel tips and advice, rantings, ravings, commentary, observations and ongoing adventures. Previously...
September 2023
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