LESSONS FROM AN UNSUCCESSFUL HITCHHIKE

Posted by BRYAN on December 18, 2013 in Travel

My wanderlust life for the last year have gave me many experience, in which includes unsuccessful hitchhiking trips where I got shot at. In China, I tried my first long distance hitchhiking adventure and ended up taking a total of 7 rides and spend 7.5h for a 4 hours bus journey. It is probably not the smartest hitchhiking trip but you learn from mistakes right?

Truth to the told, hitchhiking is not for everybody but if you are looking for a lifestyle of travel that are not restrained by money or bus routes. This is it. The beauty of hitchhiking is the ability of trusting the unknown and knowing that it going to be alright. That being said, don’t risk your life (like me) to save a few bucks.

1) Planning for your hike

I categorized hitchhiking trips into 2 groups based on their purposes.
– Adventure hikes (travel from one city/town into another)
– Day hikes (travel out and back into town within a day)

A comfortable hiking distance is about 6-7 hours of bus ride within a day. I don’t use distance here because the same 30km of road in Laos might take you twice or thrice the amount of time in America. Some recon would be helpful on the internet or by asking the locals. You could do a lot more than the 7 hours a day but you also might run the risk of getting stuck in no-man’s land. I suggest getting drop off in a decent town and try hitchhiking again from there. If you ran out of luck, at least you could find accommodation in that town.

The best time to hitchhike can be anytime from sunrise to sunset as there is less bad people around. Bad people travels at night right? During the day, it is easier for driver to spot you and stop in time to pick you up, also you look less like a “robber”. To note; in Spain there is Siesta “Nap” time in the afternoon which can greatly reduce traffic on the road.

2) Boys vs Girls

Yes boys; girls does has a higher betting average when it comes to hitchhiking. I am sorry. But to be honest, you only need one ride to get to your destination and also girls runs the risk of being harassed. If you a couple hitchhiking, you might want to let the girl do the stopping. On a funny note, if you are “white” guy with a “Chinese” girl, you might have a better than the girl. No offense*

3) Finding your ride

I learned this the hard way after my hitchhiking in China. I took any ride came along not knowing their destinations because I did not have a map. Next thing I know, I got drop me off in the next 10mins. Nevertheless, very grateful for their kindness and enjoy beautiful scenery in the stops. I have later learned that you are missing out good opportunities when you are on the ride instead of waiting for a better one.

Learning to spot a foreign car plate is one of the valuable skills as they have a better chance for a long distance ride. From my personal experience, 4WD, pick-ups, transportation lorries and mini bus are my favorite vehicles.

4) Preparing your equipment

A detailed map with the local language is the most important to bring on your trips. The driver will be able to pin-point his destination on your map even if you doesn’t understand what he is saying. Raincoat, drinking water, dry food and fruits are also your best friend.

If you are planning on a faster and adventurous hike, bring your camping equipments. It gives you the flexibility on the drop-off locations. You could camp close to the road for a early start the next day.

5) Places to hitchhike

The rule of thumb for a good location is where the vehicle is traveling on low speed or a place where they are able to spot you and stop in time. These could be a the exit of a gas station or highway, humps on street, traffic lights or a straight highway.

6) Dressing for your ride

Think from the driver’s point of view, they are also afraid of picking someone that will rob them just as much as you. I suggest to dress like a proper traveller, nothing to fancy nor shady. For props, I received suggestion of decorated signs, a bunch of wild flower that you could pick up from the side of the road or any musical instrument. The basic idea is to be interesting and catch their attention.

7) Safety precaution

I have spoke to some hitchhikers and gather some advices and little tricks to test and politely decline their offer.
– Always ask for his destination first and you could easily turn them down by saying that you are heading to another location.
– I ask them for permission to take photo of their car plate number and send it to your friends. (Sometimes, I don’t really do it but it is just to observe their reactions)
– You could also ask for a photo of their driver’s license
– For female hitchhikers, a pepper spray serves to be an effective weaponry to get away from rough situations.
– I carry a GPS devices so to know where I am at moment in time.

At the end of the day, trust your gut feeling. If it do not feel safe, you can always turn down the ride politely.

8) Worst case scenario

I have met more than 10 hitchhikers and 3 independent female hitchhikers. Some of the better stories are drivers taking them as their lost daughter and end up hugging and crying towards them. Another stories was a Korean girl hitchhiking through Europe and driver asking if they could kiss her. She smiled and shake her head. All in all, nothing extremely bad happened to anyone of these people. For your worst case scenario, the pepper spray would be your best bet to get out of bad situations.

Go for that adventure and stay safe 😀

SNEAK PEEK: POLISH JEWELRY CRAFTER

Posted by BRYAN on December 10, 2013 in Crafts

Reporting to you from the wild wild east, It’s a sunny and beautiful day here in Dali. I wished all of you could see the night sky yesterday – it is filled with glittering diamonds sometimes there is even shooting ones. Yes, I am still here in Dali. It is not the food neither the wild ganja. I wanted to introduced a sun-loving, spunky Polish Jewelry Crafter, Hania Bogusz. Oh, those talented people you met on the road.

Hania create her jewelry with bronze, copper, silver and precious stones such as Amber. She has agreed to take me on a tour in her make-shift workplace in China. Here it is!

I took part in the making of a pair of copper earrings. And it is absolutely time consuming. The process involved hammering, drilling, sanding, melting silver under high temperature. I now understand why we are paying so much jewelries.

And it’s finally done after 5hours of hard labor. Click here for more photo of Hania’s handmade jewelry. Continue reading →

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VEGETARIAN KOREAN BIBIMBAP

Posted by BRYAN on November 29, 2013 in Food

It’s healthy vegetable, delicious fungus, jasmine rice and egg, all my favorite ingredients put into a deep bowl mixed with sesame oil and Korean spicy sauce. This is the famous Korean Bibimbap which is Korean for “leftovers.” (Literally, it means “mixed with rice”) This versatile dish can be made almost everywhere as long as there is a Korean store selling sesame oil and the special sauce.

Eun ju, my Korean friend is here to introduce you her version of the healthy and delicious Bbimbap.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
1 Big Zucchini
1 Big Carrot
1 Big fresh Onion
Handful of Bean sprout
Handful of Mushrooms
1 Garlic
4 Eggs
500ml Jasmine Rice
Sesame oil
Spicy Korean Sauce (Gochujang )
Salt

Bibimbap requires some basic cutting skill – Get on your chef hat and start chopping. I’ve provided a short tutorial to get you started.

Instructions

Julienne the Carrots and Zucchini
Cut the Eggplant twice as big as Julienne
Slice the Onions and mushrooms
Stir-fry each ingredient separately until cooked (garlic and salt optional)
Pan-fried the egg (Sunny side up)
Plate the rice and ingredients
Serve with 1tbsp of Spicy sauce and 2 tbsp of Sesame oil

Tips

– V-cut the onions at the back to make it easier to separate
– You should be able to taste each ingredient (don’t overcook or over seasoned it)
– Meat can be cut into cube size and fry (make sure it’s juicy)
– Korean Kimchi can be added as well
– Basically, any vegetables that you fancy!

THINGS I DID IN THE PAST YEAR

Posted by BRYAN on November 23, 2013 in Travel

1) Lived a new life for 1 year – I can whoever I want to be.

2) Took a 72 hours bus ride from North Peru to Cusco. No, I did not showered. I also managed not to kill myself either.

3) Pee in a water bottle while on a bus. No, I am not proud of it.

4) Got shot while trying to hitchhike on a dirt road in Guatemala.

5) Explore the scared ground of Machu Picchu with a llama.

6) Travelled 6 days without a shower in Peru. I had no choice.

7) Slept in a living room together with 8 other people for 3 days – Quito, Ecuador

8) Volunteered in the rural village in Guatemala.

9) Owned my first car. As old as me.

10) Drove down the California Highway 1 while playing Californication, Red Hot Chili Pepper.

11) Found an rifle at a house party – USA

12) Car tires exploded in the middle of the freeway.

13) Worked with my favorite wedding stylist, Joy Thigpen.

14) Learned Mexican spanish. Si senor, hablo espanol.

15) Got stung by scorpion while riding on the back of the pick-up. Result: I couldn’t move my arm for a day.

16) Talked to cows in Sacred Valley of Peru.

17) Invited by potatoes farmer for a meal of freshly picked potatoes.

18) Camera (DSLR) got stolen from my bag on a bus while I was standing up. No, I still don’t know how it happened.

19) Got robbed 2 more times – Peru and Mexico

20) Slept in a salt hotel. Meaning a hotel made of salt. For real.

21) Ate a dish of pasta and potatoes, with rice on a side – Peru
22) Picked cocoa fruit, potato, avocado, apples, pumpkin,peach, lemon, orange and macadamia nut straight from respective trees.

23) Ate too much tacos – Mexico

24) Petted my first baby llama and baby sloth. The sloth winked at me. I swear it did.

25) Mountain biked down the most dangerous road on earth. The yearly average is 209 accidents and 96 people killed. Death Road in Bolivia.

26) Witness a live sacrificial ceremony, killing of a living llama and had blood rubbed on my face.

27) Had Inka Cola and Chicha (Peruvian corn “beer”)

28) Entered the highest silver mine in South America.

29) Marveled at the graciousness of pink flamingos in Chile and Bolivia.

30) Had a bath in a hot pool in the largest geyser field in South America. 8am, -7 degrees.

31) Enjoyed the best beach in the world with 2 Australians and a husky

32) Paid USD$1 for an hour bus ride in Ecuador

33) Attended our first ever woman wresting fight in Bolivia. And yes, the hair pulling, bottle smashing king.

34) Beatbox on the bus in Ecuador and made US$4 in 5 minutes

35) Had a picnic on an island full of cacti, in the middle of a salt desert.

36) Attended a total of 9 weddings in USA and Mexico. And no, I didn’t got drunk in any of them, I was working.

37) Celebrated my birthday at an Asian restaurant with my new found Mexican friends and a big pineapple fried rice. I miss my Asian food.

38) Managed an impressive 64 mosquito bites from a night in Mexico. They even bit through a thick blanket and pants.

39) Hike the scared ruin with the accompany of a rainbow, can of tuna and a 50 years old Singaporean lady.

40) Tried Cuy (roasted guinea pig) after getting robbed in Peru

41) Went to a Mexican circus with Churros on one hand and a corona on the other.

42) Ate fried grasshopper with lime and chili powder – Mexico.

43) Dug a hole to bury a dog – USA

44) Petted a dog, cat, cow, pig, donkey, horse, llama… and a sloth 🙂

45) Saw the largest (width) tree in the world. Tule Tree, Mexico.

46) Made illegal student pass using photoshop

47) Fell in love with Mexican Carnitas Tacos, Pulque and Cocktail de Camaron

48) Ate the same tacos for 10 consecutive breakfasts.

49) Wore the most non matching outfits and colors and did not care about it for one second

50) Made a beatbox rap song about me!

51) Caught 8 Dungeness crabs in the port of San Francisco in one night.

52) Made Chinese Cerviche and ate it with Mexican Toastadas.

53) Slice Tried slicing fish with a steak knife. I end up tearing them.

54) Cooked Singapore Chicken more times in one year than in our entire life up to that point

55) Danced my socks away with some hundreds people at the New Orleans street party.

56) Beatbox in a bar and became famous in the streets of New Orleans.

57) Planted a Rosemary and gave it as present

58) Ate my first Peanut-Butter burger. Seriously, it’s delicious.

59) Brought coffee for a random stranger in Starbucks

60) Had my hair cut by random people for an entire year

61) Spent 5 days in the world’s highest capital – LaPaz, 3650m

62) Went to the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titikaka

63) Experience the China’s pollution first hand

64) Poo in a toilet with no doors

65) Saw numerous shooting stars – Dali, China

66) Went to Frida Kahlo’s House in Mexico City

67) Lived in my favorite city in the world – Mexico City

68) Salsa my Mexican night away with the company of tequila and Corona.

69) Visited graveyeads in Mexico, China, Colombia, Guatmala and US.

70) Saw the impossible; 1L of cocktail for 65 pesos, A tacos for 7 pesos in Mexico

71) Got myself a driving ticket in USA. Yes, I was shitting in my pants.

72) Entered 2013 on the rooftop of San Francisco, over-looking to the city with fireworks with DJ, free-flow bar and a bunch of unknown friends.

73) Spent halloween in a home garage turned brewery with 14 different types of beers on tap.

74) Stayed in a hostel with out a toilet. No, it’s not cheap at all.

75) Witness a homeless guy masterbating to a FHM magazine in the streets of San Francisco.

76) Fell in love, multiple times

78) Tried Macadamia pancakes under the shade of it’s tree – Guatemala

79) Observe the great Yak grazing on the highlands of Shangri-La
80) Repaired my shoes for 3 times over 11 months.
81) Savored wine in respective winery while posing as a gay couple who owned a private resort in an Malaysian island – California
82) Meditated in a Tibetan monastery along with the aroma of butter candles.

83) Refused to pay for a donkey ride and almost kill myself from a 4 day hike across the mountain into a hidden ethnic village – Shangri-La.
84) Made friend with the horse in the Tibetan grassland. Well, at least until it kept selling my crouch.
85) Visited the famous Jose Cuervo Tequila Factory in Tequila, Mexico

86) Found my favorite hot-dog stand in Mexico. It’s the perfect mix of cream, tomatoes, Jalapeños and warm bread.
87) Haven’t combed my hair for… let’s say, a very long time

88) Met incredible teachers every step of the way.

89) Live out of a same 60L bag pack for a entire year and packed it almost 200 times.
90) Slept in almost 100 different beds… couches, floors, tents, buses, planes, ferries.

91) Pack my life in the same bag pack for one year

92) Had the greatest conversations… with myself

93) Showered in almost 100 showers (many cold ones, mostly at winter time), and I had a bathtub once. Once!

94) Managed to wear the same 6 T-shirts for 1 year

95) And realized you don’t really need more than 6 T-shirts, 1 jacket, 2 pants, 4 socks and one pair of old shoes to wander the world and be happier than ever

96) Visited 8 Countries and over 50 cities

97) Out of the 1 year on the road, I spent 10 months as guests

98) Had the time of my life…

99) Smiled, laughed, cried, ate, prayed, loved, learned, danced, jumped, marveled, glowed, wrote, enjoyed, understood, accepted, thanked. Lived.

100) Made life long friends

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Autumn Orange Jelly

Posted by BRYAN on November 15, 2013 in Crafts, Food

Yes, I know. It’s been a month since any update on the blog. Don’t blame me! I’ve been trying hard to find inspiration in China and it took me longer than I thought – looking at generic buildings after buildings. My trip started out in Guangzhou visiting the Huang Fei Hong museum, which is horrible by the way, then quickly got out of the city and headed to Chang Sha, Hunan in search of the “Avatar land”. After some local advices, I abandoned my Avatar adventure and brought a plane ticket to Kuming in the Yunan province. Thank you, Uhaw for the advice*

Its mountain, vegetations, Yaks, horses and rice fields here in Yunan. I’m in love, especially with a place called Old Dali (大理) in Yunan. I managed to made some new friend who runs Cafe Nani here in Dali.

It’s the end of Autumn here and the big juicy oranges are everywhere. I am excited to share this cute little recipe with you guys prepared by my newly made friends!