Leonardo Di Caprio is lost on the backpacker trail in Bangkok when he hears word of a magical Beach located off the Southern coast of Thailand. Like most backpackers without a plan would, he follows this secret advice and is justly rewarded for his search. And though he narrowly escapes death, gets chased by a shark, is exiled from the hippy commune and is driven mad, it makes for a good story. Such were our hopes when we heard word of beautiful fjord and medieval town located 3 hours bus journey away from Dubrovnik in the newly established Republic of [View Full Entry]

---

---

There was a time when I was happy to touch down in a country with only a pack full of dirty clothes, a box full of wine, a smile and a willingness to sleep on the street. I would trust in the kindness of strangers and usually find myself in cheap, substandard accommodation. This style of travelling generally made for good stories, as it led to nights in mud huts, brothels and scary guesthouses; it also managed to get me onto a hijacked bus, get beat up in a bar in Singapore’s little India and be felt up by a Christian [View Full Entry]

---

---

The EU is looked to world wide as a leader on a variety of fronts; progressive social policies, environmental laws, cutting edge technology, and economic efficiency. However the reality of living in Europe can be quite different. While Spain is certainly notorious for carefree attitudes, and refusals to abandon old ways in favour of tradition, one wonders how this country can exist and thrive within the European community. Sometimes the examples are charming; an entire soccer stadium of 50,000 smoking and eating jamon bocadillos, a donkey pulling a cart through the orange groves of La Huerta [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our experience in Spain up to this point had been wonderful and we had been on some great trips both in the country and outside of it, but there was one great North American tradition that we were beginning to miss - the road trip. So we paired up with experienced roadtrippers Nadine and Aaron, rented a car, and set our sights on the snow capped peaks of Andorra. If you aren’t familiar with the country of Andorra (as I wasn’t prior to the planning of this trip), it is a tiny country stuffed between France and Spain, atop the Pyrenees, [View Full Entry]

---

---

I nervously chewed my fingernails at the Valencia Airport, hoping my parents would make all of their connecting flights. I might lie and tell you that I had total faith in my parents ability to travel independantly, but my badly chewed nails are evidence for the fact that my faith had wavered. Me of little faith, they arrived unscathed and ready to take Europe by storm. Expecting them to be jet lagged and ready for bed, my dad shocked me with his desire to check out Valencia's night life. My dads fearlessness to explore and talk to Spanish people in English [View Full Entry]

---

---

Another Ryan Air holiday bound to be plagued with certain uncomfortable elements; and yet, in the balance between comfort and cost we happily opt for the cheaper and more dangerous route. After enduring the ominously error free flight and bus ride, we arrived in a chilly Brussels, properly decoded another confusing metro system and met our couch surfer host. Belgium is a symbol of internationalism. They are the capital for the EU's parliament, NATO, and many other global governing entities. They have long had an active role to play in peace keeping, and their former African colonies of Cong [View Full Entry]

---

---

Every now and then a person finds themselves in the right place at the right time whilst travelling and a unique experience happens. One such memorable night came together for Kris and I while we were in Bologna. The trip up to that point had been a success. We had climbed towers, drank cheap cold red wine, and followed Bologna's porticoed streets up in the hills to see the church and the view. Unfortunately this blog is a bit overdue (2 months, acually) and I have forgotten the names of some of the sights. We also took a train to Venice [View Full Entry]

---

---

When you arrive in Alicante the first thing you might notice is the castle, high above on a hill. Or you might notice the pretty little beach only a few blocks from the downtown action. Or maybe your attention will be drawn to the beautiful facades of the churches and museums. But after we spent the weekend in Alicante the thing that struck us the most was the amount of characters wandering around the beach. Alicante might just be the Florida of Spain, judging from the amount of seniors. And I suspect that the combination of life experience teaching a person [View Full Entry]

---

---

(Please note that the comma between drinking and driving indicates that we did these activities at separate times; my aren't we clever) Driving codes and conduct vary widely from country to country, as does the training required to recieve ones licence. In most of Europe people must take extensive and expensive driving courses which involve learning defensive driving techniques, and hours of in car testing. Some people spend years training to recieve their licence... In Saskatchewan on the other hand, when highschool students turn 15 they take a short after school course that is supposed to [View Full Entry]

---

---

As many of you may or may not be aware, I am something of a homey gee. When I am not chilling with my peeps on various stoops in various countries, I can be found wandering the streets aimlessly, cassette boom box on shoulder, blasting the likes of Jazzy Jeff and the occasional track from Kool Herc and the Hercoids. Growing up on the mean streets of Regina taught me the importance of vandalism and grafitti, and though not much of an artist my self, I became a local afficionado of Saskatchewan's up and coming grafitti scene. From the aerosal cans [View Full Entry]

---

---