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Siargao Island Adventures III

10 February 2013

Two friendly Australian couples from Hong Kong were also staying at the resort. We all got along well from the start and decided to explore the area together. The next morning, we congregated in the hotel lobby, rented a boat, and ventured off to visit the nearby islands.

Our first stop was a small pristine island called “Dako Island.” It was inhabited by a small community who lived off of coconut plantations and canoe manufacturing. While the men were busy carving canoes out of trees, the children played on the sandy beaches with home-made wake boards.Read more

Siargao Island Adventures II

Jasper

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Asia

28 January 2013

After we settled in our new environment, we decided to go on a reconnaissance mission using the islands main means of transportation: the motorbike.

Typically, I shy away from driving these vehicles as I have met too many expats and tourists with scars, mutilations, brain damage and other motorbike accident related injuries (which in Thailand they call “natural tattoos”). On this island, however, traffic was sparse so I threw caution to the wind and mounted my bike.Read more

Siargao Island adventures I

Jasper

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Asia

11 January 2013

I was traveling around Asia when I got a message from my friend Johan. He had been working tirelessly for years and finally had some time off. “I desperately need a holiday,” he told me. “I want to relax and decompress, somewhere away from all the tourists. I need a quiet, peaceful place.”

The light bulb in my head flashed. I immediately thought of Siargao Island, a remote island in the Philippines. Read more

Panic in Shanghai

Jasper

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Asia

23 December 2012

I was having dinner with some friends in a middle-eastern type restaurant in Shanghai. It was my last night there and I was heading to the airport straight after dinner. My next destination was replete with sun, beaches, and excellent surfing conditions. I was going to the Philippines. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was captivating. Between the tasty kebabs, the sexy belly dancers, and my vivacious friends, the evening was sublime. Nothing could ruin it. Or so I thought.Read more

A Turtle’s Tale: Diving with Uncle Bob

Jasper

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Asia

14 December 2012

I met up with my buddy at Manila airport. We share one passion: deep sea diving. Our final destination was Sabang, a little dive resort in the municipality of Puerto Galera. To get there from Manila, we first had to take a 3 hour taxi to Batangas, a village located at the southern point of the island of Luzon. From Batangas it would be another 2 hours on a Banca (typical Philippines boat) to Sabang.Read more

A reunion in El Salvador

Jasper

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Central America

9 December 2012

When I was 12 years old, my parents hosted an exchange student from Norway named Lena. My mother was always fond of Lena, considering her to be the daughter she never had. So when my mom discovered that Lena had moved to El Salvador, the planning for a visit began.

I rendezvoused with my mom in Houston, Texas. We enjoyed a drink in the United lounge while waiting for our flight. My mother was bursting with excitement… partially because she hadn’t seen me in some time Read more

Fabulous Florianópolis

Jasper

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South America

6 December 2012

It had only been two weeks since my arrival, but I still knew. My mother always told me not to be hasty, but when it hits you, it hits you. As I stepped onto the warm, soft sand for the first time and stared across the turquoise water charged with rolling waves, the proverbial question rang out in my head: if you had to spend the rest of your life in one place, where would it be? Right here.Read more

Lobster hunting in The Bahamas

Jasper

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The Caribbean

5 December 2012

It’s good to have a friend, but it’s better to have a friend in The Bahamas! Dom is an old university friend, famous for his eerily seductive dance moves. If you have a local friend when visiting a new place, it generally makes for a much better experience. This was no exception.

Two of my friends, Andreas and Christophe, joined me for this excursion. Our first night out began at the US style nightclub ‘Aura,’ where Dom managed to get kicked out for allegedly being drunk (even though, as unlikely as it sounds, he had yet to have his first drink). I can’t really blame the bouncer though, as Dom’s dancing style mimics a drunken stagger-dance pretty well. Read more

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