After another energy consuming weekend, I was happy to get back on the high-speed train in comfort to Beijing. The ride I had in store was about five and a half hours, and I slept for the majority of it. I’d have to say I fell in love with the bullet train the first time I took it en route to Suzou. I've always loved trains for the fact that you can actually observe a bit of the country that you are traveling in and it feels like moving from one destination to another is less of a waste of time. And with these high-speed trains, it definitely accelerates the process. The average speed is around 300km/hr and you could have a full glass of liquid on your tray, and it would be barely disturbed. I'd ... read more

Well, it's time to satisfy my itchy feet and the far east is calling my name again, but this time further north. My next destination is China. My good friend Richard Forbes has been there now for a few years paving the way, so I figure it's time to pay him a visit. While I'm there, I'll see what other adventures China has to offer and hopefully have something interesting to write about. Stops so far on my list include Beijing and Hong Kong, but I'm sure as I touch down, this list will greatly expand and be open for a very flexible trip. Good times!... read more

Entering my last few days of my working adventure, I thought I’d reflect on the past couple of weeks in Iqaluit. My last update included some interesting festivities and I’ve been more or less doing much of the same. On my days off, I have devoted most of my time to exploring the surrounding landscape. The weekend after my last post, I decided to take off on a hike that has been done by many of the local people who have settled in this area for thousands of years, the hike along the coast to the nearby “suburb “of Iqaluit, Apex. Luckily, the weather had gotten quite nice, which unfortunately brought on the one problem I’ve found with this city, but is definitely a familiar one with the north... the mosquitoes. Usually, when there is a ... read more

Once Durban had me nice and relaxed, it was time to move onto my final destination, Cape Town. Cape Town was the first city discovered by Europeans in search for a passage to India, and what a city it is. Immediately as I was picked up and taken to my hostel, I was captured by it's amazing landscape. I was introduced to Table Mountain and we continued into the city, the vibe had me feeling like I was in a dryer Vancouver with a more Afro-European twist. The cities Dutch and English heritage was definitely felt while driving down some of the streets. I checked into my hostel, The Backpack, and was impressed with the facilities. My mind was blown when I stepped out on the veranda out back and immediately slammed in the face with ... read more

One of my day trips from Victoria Falls included a 2 hour drive east to Hwange, Zimbabwe. This was home to my sponsored child, Bravo Shoko. He lives in rural Hwange, which is about 40 minutes outside of the main Hwange township. However, try not to imagine a large, developed town as this "township," as it is quite sparse and consists of a few government buildings, shops, one large grocery store and a clothing store. There are also many developed houses as well. However, much of the population in Hwange lives in the rural areas, which are a huge contrast from even the under developed township. After arriving to town and having a slight briefing at the World Vision office, the two World Vision escorts and I did some grocery shopping to bring some food to ... read more