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One Journey Ends

I’ve finally come to it – my two-year journey is coming to a close. With so many amazing people, cultures, places, and experiences, I am incredibly grateful for this time and know that it has changed me forever.

So, how have I changed and what have I learned over this time? I’ve come to realize that the world is much larger than any one viewpoint or set of norms. Instead of trying to fit the…

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#Journey #opportunity #transition #trip

My last stop of the trip – Panama City, Panama! The old part of the city, Casco Viejo, is very chill and a nice place for accommodations and restaurants. The neighbourhoods of the city vary a lot! Casco Viejo is very nice but somewhat on the touristy side. The next neighbourhood, El Chorillo, is the city slum. Make sure you don’t accidentally wander into this area at night-time – but crossing the police guard may be a giveaway!

I took a nice walk along the waterfront and took in the beautiful views, palm trees, and warm weather. On Sundays there’s a lot of activity going on. Many of the streets are closed to cars so that individuals and families can enjoy the area for cycling. Good idea!

And obviously, I made a trip out to the Panama Canal. It lived up to all my expectations – which were actually very high! Three cargo ships went through while I was there, so I got to see the Miraflores locks in action. These are a set of locks that lowered the ship in stages from Gatun Lake (in middle of canal) to sea level in the Pacific Ocean. The engineering, expertise, and will-power to build the canal and the recent expansion is astounding. The museum at the Miraflores lock and the Canal Museum in the city are both very interesting and worth the time.

Another very unique museum is the Bio-Museum, which reviews the bio-diversity and geography of Panama. It’s a fascinating place as Panama is where the two continents met and exchanged a massive array of fauna and flora. Very cool!

This marks the end of my Mexico/Central America journey. This part of the trip has been a blast, with so many amazing experiences and people. I had so much fun scuba diving along the Caribbean and hiking the many volcanos of Central America.

Now I fly back to my home in British Columbia, Canada. It’s amazing how fast these two years of travel have gone. I’ll be making a post about my reflections of my backpacking adventures – so stay tuned!

Cheers, Shawn

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Miraflores locks – Panama Canal

Waterfront – Panama City

Casco Viejo – Panama City

Bio-museum – Panama City

Panama – Bridge of the Americas My last stop of the trip - Panama City, Panama! The old part of the city, Casco Viejo, is very chill and a nice place for accommodations and restaurants.

#Biomuseum #Casco Viejo #Miraflores Locks #Panama Canal #Panama Canal Museum #Panama City

Tokyo is an amazing city pack with so many people and experiences! The metro area of Tokyo actually has more people than all of Canada! Crazy, eh?

We were in Japan during Japan’s Golden Week, which has several spiritual/civic holidays, such as Children’s Day, the Emperor’s birthday, etc. We attended some Shinto ceremonies around the city during this time. The Shinto shrines in Tokyo are very beautiful and are steeped in tradition.

In contrast to the solemn Shinto ceremonies, Tokyo also has the bustling downtown with all kinds of lights, robot cafes, arcades, and almost anything you can imagine! The famous Shibuya cross walk is fascinating to watch, where a mad rush of pedestrians bolt across the street to beat waiting flux of cars!

Something I didn’t know about Japan – Japanese love baseball! We attended a match in Tokyo in the Swallow’s stadium. There’s nothing quite like watching baseball and drinking a warm sake! The Swallow fans have a funny celebration when their team reaches home – everyone pulls out a mini umbrella and bobs them up in down in surprising unison! It was like a choreographed sports wave with umbrellas!

A great day trip was to the Fuji Five Lakes, near the base of Mt. Fuji. We hopped a bus there, and wandered the trails around the lakes. We wanted to climb up Mt. Fuji, but there was too much snow at this time of year (May). The views were beautiful, as we had some gorgeous weather.

And a trip to Tokyo would be incomplete without trying some sushi! We found a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Yes, this is exactly what you’re thinking. The chefs are in the middle surrounded by a conveyor belt of little plates with sushi. Customers sit on the outside of this conveyor belt and grab plates as they go around. When you’re done you bring your plates to the front and pay for each plate (different colour plates represent different prices). It was so delicious!

Note that this posting is about our travels from May 2016. This marks the end of the Asia trip. Jon continues his journey to Taiwan, and I head back to Canada to explore the Canadian and US National Parks. Asia has been a blast with so many amazing people, places, and experiences. The journey continues!

Cheers, Shawn

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Tokyo

Shinto Shrine Tokyo

Shibuya crosswalk – Tokyo

Swallows baseball club in Tokyo – umbrella celebration

Sushi in tokyo – on conveyor belt

Mt. Fuji

Asia Trip – Early 2016

Tokyo – What an Experience! Tokyo is an amazing city pack with so many people and experiences! The metro area of Tokyo actually has more people than all of Canada!

#baseball #busy #Fuji Five Lakes #Mt. Fuji #Shibuya crosswalk #sushi #Tokyo

What a setting – you’re in the middle of a massive lake on an island formed by 2 volcanoes. There’s so much to do here, such as hiking, kayaking, biking, or chilling on the beach. I stayed in a town near Volcano Concepcion, which is a very tough hike. Our group made it up to the viewpoint, and couldn’t finish due to really strong winds. We had to hike diagonally to keep going straight! After this hike my muscles needed a rest.

For my next set of adventures, I made a full 10 hour tour of the island. My adventures included: climbing to some waterfalls, kayaking through a river between the volcanoes, relaxing at some natural springs, and checking out the sunset. I traversed the island via motorbike, which is the only real way to see all the sights.

The San Ramon waterfalls is a steady hike that takes about 3 hours return. You start walking by farms fields, and eventually wind partway up Volcano Maderas. Even though the water level was low, the sheer drop of the waterfalls was a sight to behold.

The next stop was River Istian, which flows between the 2 volcanoes of the island. This protected area is teeming with life with all kinds of birds, turtles, sleeping bats, and caiman. Caiman are a mini-crocodile creature and live along the river. I also checked out Oja de Agua, a beautiful natural springs pool.

My final stop was the sand bar on the western point of the island for the stunning sunset. I got a double feature, as there was a full moon above Volcano Concepcion. Both of these made for some beautiful photos, if I do say so myself! Check them out below.

I only have one more stop left on the trip – Panama City!

Cheers, Shawn

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Waterfalls on Volcano Maderas – Ometepe

Me and Volcano Concepcion – Ometepe

Me and Volcano Maderas – Ometepe

Volcano Concepcion – Ometepe

Caiman, a mini-crocodile animal on Ometepe

Mini-bats on Ometepe

Turtle on Ometepe

Bird in Ometepe

Turtle on Ometepe

Tree on Ometepe

Bird on Ometepe

Caiman, a mini-crocodile animal on Ometepe

Bird on Ometepe

Volcano Maderas – Ometepe

Me and tree at Oja de Agua – Ometepe

Oja de Agua (swimmming springs) – Ometepe

Native carvings of deities – Ometepe

Sunset on Ometepe

Full moon and Volcano Concepcion

Isla Ometepe – So Many Adventures What a setting - you're in the middle of a massive lake on an island formed by 2 volcanoes.

#Birds #Caiman #hiking #Isla Ometepe #kayaking #Turtles #Volcano Concepcion #Volcano Maderas #Waterfalls

Granada was a fun place to chill for a few days. It has a laid back atmosphere, albeit is a bit on the touristy side. A bonus of this is great food and plenty of nice accommodations.

I highly recommend kayaking along the Isletas (little islands), which is a 10 minute drive from the city. You can also get a boat tour, but these boats are rather jam-packed. While kayaking you can take your time and enjoy the surroundings. There are 365 mini-islands, one for each day of the year! Check out the many birds, monkeys, and maybe even bull sharks! I’m told that Lake Nicaragua is the only fresh water lake to have sharks.

In the evening I headed out to Masaya National Park, where you can see flowing lava. It’s quite the sight at nighttime, as the lava is glowing bright red/orange with multiple flows converging! Very cool… or perhaps not! Even though you only get 5-10 minutes at the top due to volcanic fumes, it’s so worth it!

Granada is a very nice place to wander around, as it has beautiful colonial architecture, churches, and plazas. Just kick back, buy an ice cream, and chill under a palm tree!

From Granada I head south along Lake Nicaragua, to a double volcanic island in the middle of the lake – Isla Ometepe!

Cheers, Shawn

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Granada

Kayaking near Granada

Lava at Masaya National Park – near Granada

Granada – Lava, Churches, and Isletas Granada was a fun place to chill for a few days. It has a laid back atmosphere, albeit is a bit on the touristy side.

#Granada #Isletas #Kayak #lava #Masaya #Nicaragua #volcano

I didn’t originally plan to visit the Corn Islands, but I’m so glad I did! Little Corn Island is a tropical paradise, has stellar scuba diving, and it’s possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours. Aside from horseback and biking, walking is your only choice as there are no roads/vehicles on the island!

To get here you can fly into Big Corn Island from Managua, and then catch a panga boat (see photos below) to Little Corn Island. There are stretches of undeveloped beach where you can relax, soak up the rays, and go snorkeling. While I was here I did 3 dives a day with Dolphin Dive, and enjoyed the great diversity of marine life, caves, tunnels, and gorgeous coral.

My lifestyle here was possibly the most chill of the entire trip. I would head out to the diveshop around 8:30am for my first dive, relax for 40 minutes, and do my second dive finishing around 12:30pm. I’d have lunch, snooze on the lounge chair, and go diving again at 2:30pm. Then I’d go to my hotel, get cleaned up, and meet up with some folks for dinner/drinks. Next day hit repeat, and somehow a week and a half disappeared!

I also spent 3 days on Big Corn for some diving and catching my flight back to Managua. Back to the mainland, and to the city of Granada!

Cheers, Shawn

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Beach on Little Corn Island

Path around Little Corn Island

Beach on Little Corn Island

Sting ray near Little Corn Island

Nurse sharks near Little Corn Island

Boat from LIttle Corn to Big Corn Island

Corn Islands – Paradise at Sea I didn't originally plan to visit the Corn Islands, but I'm so glad I did! Little Corn Island is a tropical paradise, has stellar scuba diving, and it's possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours.

#Corn Islands #Island Life #Little Corn Island #Nicaragua #Scuba Diving

Leon is my first stop in Nicaragua, after a 15 hour shuttle from La Ceiba, Honduras. The trip went well, and I got a good night’s rest after arriving to Leon at 2:00am.

Leon is a fascinating place. The architecture here is very interesting, especially the overpowering Cathedral. The main plaza is a great place to chill and relax. The city is very important for its role in the Nicaraguan Revolution that ousted the former dictator Somoza. The Museum of the Revolution on Leon’s main plaza has some interesting information regarding the revolution and Leon’s role in it.

In case you’re wondering about the lion statues in the photos, Leon means lion in Spanish – it’s somewhat of a city symbol.

There are some really fun activities around Leon, including – VOLCANO BOARDING! You hike to the top for about 1 hour while carrying a toboggan like board up the volcano. You get some great views at the top, and get to overcome your fears while looking over the edge of the volcano. You hop on the board, give yourself a little nudge, and cruise down the mountain! You’re provided with a jump suit and goggles to keep out some of the ash and rocks – but you’ll be filthy at the bottom no matter what! It’s so much fun, and I definitely recommend it to anyone travelling in Leon.

Another interesting side trip is Leon Viejo, or Old Leon. These are the ruins of the original city of Leon that was destroyed by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the early 1600’s. Historically it’s very important as this is one of the few very well-preserved ruins from the colonial era. You can visit the old cathedral, government buildings, and monasteries.

There’s also a newly built monument that shows a proud native resident with dogs biting at his feet. I inquired to the significance of this, and my guide informed me that it commemorates a native rebellion, after which the Spanish defeated. The Spaniards then set their dogs loose on the natives to kill them. Quite a brutal history, but I’m glad that it can be openly presented and taught. Perhaps Canada can learn a lesson from this about its own brutal history with its native people.

From Leon I head out to the Corn Islands on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Back to the water!

Cheers, Shawn

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Me volcano boarding

Monument to murdered natives – Leon Viejo

Leon Viejo – near Leon

Volcano Cerro Negro

Volacno boarding – Cerro Negro near Leon

Trek to volcano board

Leon – Cathedral

Leon (lion) in Leon (city)

Leon – Volcanoes, History, and Boarding Leon is my first stop in Nicaragua, after a 15 hour shuttle from La Ceiba, Honduras. The trip went well, and I got a good night's rest after arriving to Leon at 2:00am.

#Leon #Leon Viejo #Nicaragua #Volcano boarding #Volcano Cerro Negro

I took the ferry from Utila to Roatan, which runs Friday-Sunday. After the 90 minute ride, I was happy to set my feet on land and let my stomach settle! I took a taxi from the port to the West End village, where my hotel/diveshop was located. This is the best area for diving, which is world-class and quite reasonable. I stayed at Hotel Chillies, which is affiliated with Native Sons Diving. This is a very laid back spot with great divemasters. You just walk across the street and climb into the boat for your dives!

The reefs off Roatan are absolutely stunning. They are very healthy, massive, and contain all kinds of marine life. Check out the night dive where you can see bioluminescence – the plankton glows when you make movement. If it’s really dark without any moonlight, you can see the strings of pearl, which are silk-like beads that glow all around you! It’s such a cool experience to swim through these! From the West End most of the dives are within a 10 minute boat ride, which makes diving more convenient and less expensive. I paid $30US/dive.

If you’re into chilling at the beach, you can check out the West End beach (right across the street), or hop the water taxi to West Bay beach. Both have beautiful, clear, and warm water that are perfect for swimming or snorkeling.

Overall I’d say that the diving is better in Roatan than Utila. The reefs are gorgeous and there’s more life. It is a little more expensive than Utila, roughly about 20% more. I’d definitely recommend travellers making a trip over to Roatan. Note that the ferries between Utila and Roatan run only Friday-Sunday. Otherwise you’d have to go back to La Ceiba and catch another ferry from there.

My time in Honduras is coming to an end. I will catch the ferry to the mainland, and take a 15 hour van/shuttle to Leon, Nicaragua. The journey continues!

Cheers, Shawn

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West Bay Beach – Roatan

West End Sunset – Roatan

Diving in Roatan

Roatan – Riveting Reefs I took the ferry from Utila to Roatan, which runs Friday-Sunday. After the 90 minute ride, I was happy to set my feet on land and let my stomach settle!

#Bay Islands #Honduras #Roatan #Scuba Diving #West End

My scuba diving adventures in the Bay Islands of Honduras begin! I hung out at Parrots Dive Center and completed my Advanced Open Water PADI certification. Parrots was a blast with professional instructors, fun divemasters, and amazing dives. If you make it to Utila, check them out!

After this I checked out the local reefs, walls, and sea wildlife for 5 days. All kinds of cool sea creatures, including: nurse sharks, lobster, octopus, squid, crabs, beautiful coral, and so many different fish! There are some great wall dives around Utila where you can see the ocean bottom fall before you. Very cool!

In the afternoons, I made many sweet kayaking journeys. There is a little canal that runs through the island, and you can kayak from one side to the other. You have shade for most of the way through the mangroves, where you can see many bird species, weird-looking crab, and have a chance to snorkel at the east end of the island. This is a very unique and beautiful trip. A hostel/bar called The Venue rents quality kayaks and is well situated to start your kayaking adventure.

Utila was a lot of fun for both the activities and the people. I made a lot of friends during my time here, and am rather sad to leave. But the journey continues to the largest of the Bay Islands – Roatan!

Cheers, Shawn

P.S. Note that I am NOT sponsored by the companies that I mention in my blog. I recommend them because I had great experiences there, and want to share these with my fellow travellers.

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Diving in Utila

Shipwreck in Utila

Kayaking in Utila

Caye Off Utila

Utila – Enter the Bay Islands My scuba diving adventures in the Bay Islands of Honduras begin! I hung out at Parrots Dive Center and completed my Advanced Open Water PADI certification.

#Bay Islands #Honduras #Island Life #kayaking #Scuba Diving #Utila

The ruins of Copan have the most exquisite detail of any Mayan site I’ve visited! While it’s not as large as Chichen Itza or Tikal, the site is packed full of beautiful, and sometimes frightening, sculptures and stelae. Many of these represent various Mayan gods and former rulers. Copan was one of the most southern Mayan cities, and makes for a fascinating day of sightseeing!

A center point of the ruins is the massive staircase, full of hieroglyphs, statues, and carvings. While the site is clearly Mayan, the detail and style is very distinct from other Mayan sites. I definitely recommend a visit, especially as it’s on the main travellers’ route from Guatemala to Honduras!

You can wander around several paths in the archeological site, and walk along the tops of several temples. As you’re walking from the ticket booth to the site entrance, there is a wilderness walking trail that takes you through the surrounding jungle where you can see various wildlife, birds, and flora. It takes about 30 minutes, and is worth the time.

I really enjoyed my time in Copan, and am ready to head on to my next destination – the little mountain town of Gracias!

Cheers, Shawn

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Mayan Ruins of Copan The ruins of Copan have the most exquisite detail of any Mayan site I've visited! While it's not as large as Chichen Itza or Tikal, the site is packed full of beautiful, and sometimes frightening, sculptures and stelae.

#Copan #Copan Ruins #Honduras #Mayan

I spent Christmas in the chill beach town of Monterrico, my last stop in Guatemala. This was my second beach Christmas, as last year I was in the beach town of Mui Ne, Vietnam! How time flies!

Near Monterrico is a wildlife reserve, where you can see all kinds of birds, fish, and funny 4-eyed amphibians that hop along the water. I hired a boat to tour me around the reserve for sunrise. It made for some beautiful scenery! Aside from this, I really didn’t do too much in Monterrico other than chill, relax, and drink some beer!

From Monterrico I headed into Honduras, and stopped in the town of Copan. This is another relaxed town, with quite a few cool things to check out. First are the famous Mayan ruins right close to the town. I’ll be writing a separate post for these ruins. Second there’s a Bird Sanctuary that takes in abused or unwanted birds with the hopes of rehabilitating them for release into the wild. It has a great jungle location, and has a vast array of birds, including: toucans, parrots, macaws, pheasant like birds, etc.

The third site is a butterfly hatchery, where many species of butterflies are bred for release into the wild. There’s a good variety of butterflies, but one especially caught my attention. On its wing there’s what looks like a giant owl eye. Check out the photo of these butterflies mowing down on some fruit! Pretty weird-looking!

Stay tuned for the next posting about the beautiful Mayan ruins near Copan, including photos of the many statues an stellae!

Cheers, Shawn

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Bird Sanctuary near Copan, Honduras

Butterfly hatchery near Copan, Honduras

Near Copan, Honduras

Wildlife Reserve near Monterrico, Guatemala

Bird Sanctuary near Copan, Honduras

Near Copan, Honduras

Boats, Birds, and Butterflies – Monterrico and Copan I spent Christmas in the chill beach town of Monterrico, my last stop in Guatemala. This was my second beach Christmas, as last year I was in the beach town of Mui Ne, Vietnam!

#Bird Sanctuary #Butterfly Sanctuary #Copan #Guatemala #Honduras #Monterrico

We spent about a week between Kyoto and Osaka – there’s so much to see and do here! The many temples/shrines are amazing, with such an attention to detail! It seems that every inch of the buildings are polished and every plant in the surrounding gardens are trimmed to a perfect proportion! Whether you’re visiting with a spiritual motive or to simply site-see, you will not be disappointed! Of particular note is the shrine Fushimi Inari-taisha, a Shinto shrine with thousands of Torii gates – very beautiful!

Osaka was also a fun place to check out, especially their aquarium. You take an escalator up, and walk down through the aquarium via a spiraling walkway. There is a massive tank in the middle with all kinds of massive sea creatures – dolphins, seals, whales, sharks, whale-sharks, manta rays, and much more!

In both Kyoto and Osaka there are numerous beautiful gardens, walking paths, arcades (very intense experience), nightlife, and great food. If you’re in the area be sure to check out the town of Nara and Mount Koya, both are great day trips. Nara has some beautiful shrines and temples, and plenty of tame mini-deer! Mount Koya is a traditional holy mountain with a collection of very interesting monasteries, convents, and shrines. You take a train and a cable-car (funicular) to reach the top. There are plenty of beautiful walking trails around the temples and the little town.

The next stop is the bustling capital of Tokyo, and the end of our Asian adventures!

Cheers, Shawn

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Kyoto

Osaka Aquarium

Fushimi Inari-taisha – Kyoto

Kyoto

Osaka

Osaka Aqarium

Asia Trip – Early 2016

Kyoto and Osaka – Fantastic We spent about a week between Kyoto and Osaka - there's so much to see and do here!

#Aquarium #Japan #Kyoto #Osaka #Shinto #Shrines

Hiroshima is a beautiful modern city with an ominous past. This is one of the two sites where the USA dropped an atomic bomb in World War II. The memorial and museum in the city present the atrocity and Japan’s role in World War II in a respectful and informative way. Let us hope that remembering this dark part of human history will ensure that it never repeats itself.

Aside from the memorials, there are many other great sites to check out. The Hiroshima Castle (actually a replica of the original) is an interesting museum of Japanese history. A little pricey, but interesting none-the-less. Another unique trip is to the Itsukushima Shine, a Shinto shrine along the coast. Depending on the tide, the shrine can be partly submerged in water. You can easily take public transit to this site via train/boat.

In Japan so far, it’s fairly easy to note that costs are quite a bit higher than other Asian countries. Long-haul Japanese trains are very expensive, but for budget travellers, you can easily take buses instead for a fraction of the cost. No pass is required – just head to the local bus station and buy your tickets there. In peak travel times, it may we worthwhile to buy the ticket a day or so in advance.

Jon and I had a cool experience in a Japanese restaurant/pub. We heard that okonomiyaki was very good, so we found a restaurant serving this. We walked in and saw what looked like a bar, but half of the bar was actually a large grill. We sat down asked for okonomiyaki. Our server then poured a rice-based batter on the grill to form a pancake like item, and started adding cabbage, pork, eggs, sauce, and all kinds of vegetables. When she was done she gave us a plate and a spatula. We could slice up our lunch and chow done when we were ready!

A local fellow at the restaurant noticed that we weren’t locals (I wonder how!), and told us he works as a chef in Las Vegas, and was back home for holidays. We chatted with him for quite a while, and he wouldn’t let us pay for our meal – he covered the full bill! What hospitality!

Now we head west to Osaka!

Cheers, Shawn

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Itsukushima Shinto Shrine – near Hiroshima

Atomic Memorial – Hiroshima

Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima Memorial Museum

Asia Trip – Early 2016

Hiroshima – Reflection and Remembrance Hiroshima is a beautiful modern city with an ominous past. This is one of the two sites where the USA dropped an atomic bomb in World War II.

#Atomic Memorial #Hiroshima #Itsukushima #Japan #okonomiyaki #Shinto

Fukuoka is a great introduction to Japan – very laid back with beautiful scenery. Although we didn’t do a lot, it was great to relax in the many parks and gardens. I also found the people in Fukuoka to be very friendly – sometimes confusingly so! I dropped into a 7/11 (which is actually a Japanese company now) to buy a quick lunch. As I was paying the clerk had a huge smile and said something to me in Japanese. Before I could blink he put a big box in front of me, and motioned for me to take something from it. I pulled out a little card with an anime cartoon on it. The clerk sounded like he was congratulating me… apparently I had won a free coffee!

While walking around we checked out the Fukuoka Castle and a Shinto Shrine. Shinto is a unique religion to Japan, and is connected to traditional rituals, mythology, connection with nature, and the Japanese Emperor.

Note that we were in Japan in April 2016. While in Fukuoka, we felt the aftershocks of the major earthquake that hit southern Japan. We were 200 km away from the epicenter, but very distinctly felt the shaking in the middle of our first night in Japan. On the roads, we could see many military aid conveys travelling to the affected area. Even in this disaster, it was heartening to see the people throughout Japan working together to raise funds for those affected.

Our next destination is Hiroshima. Onward and forward.

Cheers, Shawn

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Fukuoka Castle

Origami in Fukuoka

Ohori Park – Fukuoka

Shinto Shrine – Fukuoka

Photos by Jon Lang

Asia Trip – Early 2016

Fukuoka – Chill and Beautiful Fukuoka is a great introduction to Japan - very laid back with beautiful scenery. Although we didn't do a lot, it was great to relax in the many parks and gardens.

#Earthquake #Fukuoka #Japan #Shinto

Beijing is a behemoth of the ancient and modern worlds. The current Chinese Communist Government is one of the most powerful on earth with a strong grip of control over its people. And while much of the traditional Chinese culture has been downplayed in China’s recent past, sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City demonstrate China’s long-lasting legacy stretching back millenia.

What do I mean by “strong grip” of the government here? One example: each Chinese person is permitted to work where the government decides. This usually means that a person can work in their home province, and are not allowed to move to another region of the country without permission. As Beijing and Shanghai have stronger economies, there are many “illegal workers” from other parts of China. While using the Beijing metro (which is awesome), there were several police checkpoints that require personal identification. As a foreigner the police didn’t care about me – only Chinese nationals. If an illegal worker’s ID was scanned multiple times, they could be flagged. Not quite what we’re used to back home… perhaps a tradeoff between freedom and economic development. Even if you don’t like the Chinese government’s policies, the economic progress over the last decades have been unprecedented in human history.

In the city we stayed in a traditional area, with our hostel having an open common area that was surrounded with rooms. Very peaceful area and a nice neighbourhood. The food in Beijing is to die for, especially the Peking Duck. The duck was brought out and carved in front of us, and is eaten with thin pancake/crapes and various vegetables. So good!

Obviously, we visited the Great Wall! We went to a part of the wall that is less visited, and we had it to ourselves for the most part! I did meet one Chinese fellow who was trying to tell me something. My lack of Mandarin and his lack of English resulted in a traditional charades discussion. I figured out that he was offering me a cigarette, and that along his trek, we was smoking one cigarette for each wall tower! He had a good laugh and headed off!

The China trip comes to an end. This has been a truly unique and fascinating country. Even though us in the West don’t always agree with other political/value systems, we can appreciate their strengths and learn from their weaknesses. Now for the last leg of the Asia trip – Japan!

Cheers, Shawn

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Beijing

Great Wall

Great Wall – with Great Wall Wine!

Unofficial entrance fee – hehe

Photos by Jon Lang

Asia Trip – Early 2016

Beijing – Ancient and Modern Beijing is a behemoth of the ancient and modern worlds. The current Chinese Communist Government is one of the most powerful on earth with a strong grip of control over its people.

#Beijing #China #Forbidden City #Great Wall

Lake Atitlan is a truly magical place. The scenery is stunning, and is surrounded by several chill and inviting towns. I stayed near a little town called Santa Cruz. After my hikes in Xela, I took the first day to relax and read a book. I even found an English bookstore with A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens! I hope Scrooge learns his lesson this year!

It’s easy to hop around the lake on public water taxis, or lanchas, which only cost around $2. My spot in Santa Cruz was right on the lake, with the little Mayan town perched a couple hundred meters above. The main commercial hub is Panajachel with all kinds of shops, restaurants, and bus connections. I took a chicken bus above Panajachel to Solola that has great views of the lake. The best lookout is from the town’s cemetery, which can easily be spotted with its colourful monuments. Just below this town I wandered around a bunch of little farms with its industrious Mayan farmers hard at work!

I also did my first fresh water scuba dive in the lake! This lake was formed from an old volcanic crater, so the rock formations are really interesting. Some time ago the water level in the lake increased significantly, with the water covering a hotel. I was able to swim in this hotels’ underwater swimming pool, and swim through the old bar!

Next stop is the Pacific Ocean – Monterrico!

Cheers, Shawn

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Lago Atitlan

Solola, near Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan and local farms

Lake Atitlan – Guatemalan Gem Lake Atitlan is a truly magical place. The scenery is stunning, and is surrounded by several chill and inviting towns.

#Lago Atitlan #Lake Atitlan #Panajachel #Santa Cruz #Solola

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