Tag Archives: travelling

EVO Car Share: First Timer Experience

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In my most recent trip to Vancouver, I tried Evo car share for the first time and I found it to be quite convenient and ideal for my kind of trip. This blog is sharing my experience to see if it’s worth it for you to sign up to use for a trip there. Read to the end for the discount code! Signing up was a breeze, cars were in good condition, support was awesome, and it was reasonably priced! This was the kind of trip where we didn’t need a car full time, but when we did it was to suburbs where otherwise it would’ve been difficult to reach. Little did I know, this decision would revolutionize the way I explored the city. In this recount of my experience, I aim to provide you with insights into the convenience, reliability, and overall value of using EVO Car Share in Vancouver.

Signing Up for Evo Car Share was Easy:

EVO Car Share Toyota Prius’s

The journey with EVO car share journey began with a seamless sign-up process.

Before I left, I signed up from Ontario. The procedure was pretty painless, but still need some forward planning. Give at least 3 business days for EVO car share to process, after you acquire your documents to provide to them. The main thing you needed was your driving record. It can be uncertified, but minimum of 2 years worth. I sent it in and the approval came just in time. For Ontario residences, visit Service Ontario and ask for your driving record. At the time of writing, it’ll cost you $12.

After that, with just a few taps on the EVO car share app, I registered for an account and gained access to their fleet of vehicles. The user-friendly interface made navigation a breeze, and within minutes, I was ready to hit the road. EVO car share’s commitment to simplicity and efficiency was evident from the get-go, setting a positive tone for the rest of my experience.

After getting there, I was a bit hesitant to actually use it in a rush for the first time ever. I was in a rush and didn’t want to rush through the process and screw it up. Luckily, Explorations Team member, Damian, is already on EVO car share and showed me how it works. It was actually very easy. You literally:

  • Open the app
  • Reserve a car which will give you a 30 minutes time limit to unlock the door (and cancel for free)
  • Do a quick inspection outside
  • Unlock the car door from the app and then you’re good to drive!

Convenience at Every Turn:

One of the immediate benefits of using EVO car share was the unparalleled convenience it offered. Whether I needed a car for a quick trip to the grocery store or a day-long excursion to the suburbs, EVO car share had me covered. With vehicles strategically located throughout the city, I could easily find and reserve a car that suited my needs, saving valuable time and effort. The flexibility of EVO car share’s service allowed me to adapt my travel plans on the fly, giving me the freedom to explore Vancouver at my own pace.

As for the cars, EVO uses a fleet of Prius’s, so feeling a bit more guilt free about driving and then getting stuck in traffic. These cars are in fairly good condition and other users generally leave them in decent condition. They come with pre-equipped roof racks for bikes, skis, and snowboards. Furthermore CBC states that they will be increasing their fleet!

As for parking, you don’t have to pay for it, anywhere in the “home zone”, ie nearly anywhere downtown area. You can do a “stopover” and not have to pay for parking. Gas? Free. They will reimburse you too, if you need to fill up gas.

The price is reasonable, especially if you use it for commuting with gear, more than one person, and to inaccessible places by the Skytrain.

Exceptional Customer Support:

One of the standout features of my experience with EVO was their exceptional customer support. On one occasion, I encountered a minor issue with the vehicle, and with the push of a button, I was connected to a friendly and knowledgeable agent. Their prompt assistance not only resolved the issue swiftly but also reassured me that help was always just a button away. It was evident that EVO prioritized customer satisfaction and went above and beyond to ensure a positive experience for their users.

Need help? Push a button to get help, relatively quickly. They call their service line and I got connected to a very helpful agent when I was completely turned around on how to exit a building and then was afraid I would get charged for the vehicle use.

Seamless Airport Drop-Off:

As my trip drew to a close, I was impressed by the seamless process of dropping off the EVO car share at the airport. After registering the car with the Park n Fly counter and providing them with the license plate, I simply dropped off the car, took a shuttle to the terminal, and boarded my plane hassle-free. The convenience of this drop-off option was a game-changer, allowing me to maximize my time in Vancouver without worrying about returning the car to a designated location.

Affordable and Transparent Pricing:

As a budget-conscious traveler, I was pleasantly surprised by the affordability of EVO’s service. With transparent pricing and no hidden fees, I knew exactly what to expect every time I used the service. EVO’s competitive rates made it a cost-effective alternative to traditional car rentals, especially for short trips or spontaneous excursions. Plus, with flexible payment options and no long-term commitments, I had the freedom to use EVO as often or as little as I pleased, without breaking the bank.

Having said this, I would caution using this as your primary go-to car, as it could get expensive and rack up if you use it often. And if you need a car for the whole day, there are cheaper options. If you foresee using public transit or having friends and family get you around, and when you’re on your own, this is definitely the way to go.

Conclusion of Evo Car Share:

In conclusion, after I used it for my 10 days in Vancouver and had an “on-demand” car, my experience with EVO Car Share in Vancouver exceeded all expectations. From the effortless sign-up process to the exceptional customer support and convenient airport drop-off, EVO proved to be a reliable and invaluable asset during my time in the city. Whether you’re a local looking for a flexible transportation solution or a visitor seeking convenience and freedom, EVO Car Share is the perfect companion for exploring Vancouver’s vibrant streets. With its user-friendly app, well-maintained vehicles, and commitment to customer satisfaction, EVO has set the standard for modern car-sharing services. So why wait? Sign up for EVO Car Share today and unlock a world of convenience and adventure on your next trip to Vancouver.

Evo Car Share Promocode: 9RTFB9NV

Join for free and use my promocode and get $25 of drive time, just for trying EVO! evo.ca

My EVO promo code is: 9RTFB9NV. If you’re already an existing BCAA member, you get additional perks!

Tips on Boarding Airplanes

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Since the pandemic struck, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten on an airplane to fly anywhere. In this new (almost) post-Covid context, here are some tips on boarding airplanes for your travels! This is more specific to a Canadian context, but may help other travelers as well!

Flying now is a bit more chaotic and challenging, with mad rushes to the airport where it’s understaffed as massive layoffs struck the industry to keep them afloat, financially. This is particularly true for Canadian travelers, whether it be domestic or international flights. Domestic flights, as I remembered it, were to board 45 minutes before flight. Now, airlines advise 2 hours and international flights to 2.5 hours, whereas it was previously 2.

In the background, staff are working to get luggage sorted, despite their best efforts, it is still a chaos with stories of lost luggage and wrong deliveries taking up to weeks to recover your bags, if ever. This is opting for several passengers to bring carry-ons, which then crowds the fuselage overhead compartments more and more, causing backups of passengers rushing to the front of the lines to board the plane for that prime real estate above their heads.

However, not all hope is lost, as there are some positive outcomes on these changes. No longer do you have to wait in line to get your boarding passes, which in its own right can be a nightmare, there may be opportunity to even book your security screening ahead of time if you know when you’ll be there!

So some tips to share after having gone through the whole process in our new context of, almost, post-covid era of flying. Information is largely dependent on your carrier and airport, but hope there’s enough similarities across the board that could help you out.

  • Check in: to be completed online, the carrier will send an email to confirm your check in. Once completed you’ll receive your boarding passes straight away to your email, or you can download a PDF containing the QR code and other relevant information.
  • Arrive to the airport actually early. This includes working backwards on how long it’ll take to get there, with traffic and delays. This should be 2 hours domestic and 2.5 international. This will also any stresses of delays and provide ample chill out time.
  • Boarding passes: as mentioned, it could be a QR code, or you could download a PDF and print it out (but why…?).
  • Check how long security takes here at Pearson International Airport
  • Security check can be booked online ahead of time, in that, you walk up to the gate and check in. (Not do the security check online): For Pearson International Airport: https://www.torontopearson.com/en/departures/yyz-express
    • Check your carrier and airport to see if they can book security

For those looking for COVID cleanliness, be prepared yourself. Bring hand sanitizer (wipes) and masks. Sanitize even the contact points around your seat, if it makes you feel more comfortable. I have learned the airflow in the plane is pretty good and only your immediate seat area is recycled air. The masks will be more important in the airport proper where transmission is higher. However, in the washroom stalls on the planes, be sure to keep your masks on.

Admittedly, and for the sake of complication, my flight, I made sure I didn’t have a need to do any check in luggage and not able to speak to that. I had the good ol’ carry on and personal bag.

Furthermore, I traveled domestically, so vaccine passports and other requirements were not necessary. However, I would suggest other travelers to pay close attention to the country entry requirements to avoid any disappointment. Hopefully these tips on boarding airplanes will be helpful for you!

Exploring Pelee Island

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It’s been a while since we had some trip diaries. Here we have Rob exploring Pelee Island in Ontario, the southernmost inhabited point of Ontario. You can only get to the island via a ferry. It’s boasted as Canada’s best kept secret! As a point of reference it’s roughly 70km (43 miles for you Americans), as the crow flies, South South East of Detroit on Lake Eerie.

Getting to Pelee Island, you may check out:

Pelee Island Ferries

If you’re looking for some ideas of places to stay attraction points, you may want to check out:

And a huge shout out to Pelee Motors for helping out with the battery issue!

If you enjoyed exploring Pelee Island, you may want to check out:

Rockwood Conservation

Rockwood Conservation

Nashville Conservation

Nashville Conservation

Greenwood Conservation

Greenwood Conservation

Explorations YouTube Channel!

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Hey Everybody!

Wanted to share the hard launch of Explorations YouTube Channel! Instead of reading our shenanigans, you can watch it here! If you’re new here, check out who we are and what we do!

YouTube Channel

Here, we will be posting videos of our short videos, trips, gear discussion and our fire side chats! We’ve got content like this:

Downhill biking in BC

And this:

Overlanding in BC

And this:

Portaging in Ontario

We also want to introduce a forthcoming segment of “Amateur Hour” where we discuss things not as pros, but having gained experienced in the activity for a number of years. There will be more stuff for your viewing pleasure all coming shortly as part of the new revamping of Explorations!

Don’t miss out, subscribe to our Explorations YouTube Channel now! More announcements of videos to come!

YouTube Channel

Here’s a short teaser of other videos to come. Damian at Half Nelson, British Colombia:

Explorations Team

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The time has come to share the evolution of Explorations even further! Introducing the two additional core members of the Explorations Team. We have known each other for too long and have done too many ridiculous things together. As high school friends, now navigating the weekend warrior world, enjoying and sharing our adventures, please give a warm welcome to the new additions to the team!

Additional to the new team members, we will begin releasing short videos of adventure, our opinion on gear and accompanying adventures, along with insights of a sleuth of other fun things. This will be released through a forthcoming YouTube channel! Please stay tuned!

Without further adieu, please meet the new Explorations team members!

Damian G
You know that feeling you get when you unlock a new skill in a video game or beat a boss after 16 lives? That’s my motivation! Life can be just as much a video game as Legend of Zelda or Forza… except now instead of my thumbs hurting, it’s everything hurting… and instead of restarting, it’s my back I’m breaking or brain injury I’m suffering through… wait, was I supposed to be motivating you? haha whatever, just come along, it’ll be great!

Read More >>

Rob W
All my life I have been drawn to the outdoors. Often times I feel more at home out in nature than in my actual home. The world is full of adventures waiting to be experienced, and Explorations provides a way for me to document them and share them with family and friends as well as seasoned adventurers and those just starting out.

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Interview with a World Traveler

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I was interviewed by ArtSocket and originally published here titled “Interview with a World Traveler”,  and my journeys of being a digital nomad. I was asked 21 questions about adventuring through some of the least visited countries in the world. Below is the re-produced interview which was published from their blog.
Ian in the Everest Mountain Range

Art is a journey. Same-old is the opposite of creativity. Every single artist, musician and photographer that I know longs to discover something new – and what is a better way to do that than to go somewhere far far away?

Meet Ian Chow, my friend and someone I look up to when it comes to actually going to places most people only dream about. He is here to share his wisdom and experiences about being far far away from home.
Where are you now?
Currently, I’m back home in Toronto.
How many countries have you visited so far? How many cities?
17 or so countries and far too many cities to even care to count. Some countries though are weird, like Hong Kong, is that China or not? Or North Korea and South Korea, is that ONE Korea or not?
When and where was your first trip?
First trip with my parents was to NYC when I was like, 6? First trip abroad was to Hong Kong/China, Australia and New Zealand just before I went to university.
The ruins in Hampi. Read Ian’s account of this unforgettable site on his blog.
What was the longest time you have been away from home?
When I was teaching English in Korea. And then afterward I travelled. So that was maybe 3.5 years. Pretty not long considering I’ve met people that travelled for like 10 years.
What is it like to live in a foreign country, away from family and friends?
For me personally, it’s super easy. Although, I wish my friends were with me. But honestly, if they were, I wouldn’t be going around and meeting people and getting myself into stupid situations in other ways than I would with my friends… So that’s pretty cool.
What makes you keep on venturing into the unknown?
That’s a good question. I really couldn’t tell you. There’s so many reasons. I think though the biggest reason is that the world is so big, so many things to see, so many awesome things to do and experience. And my personality is that of curiosity and to seek adventure. I’ve decided big cities aren’t for me to travel to. Remote places to go adventuring, like climbing, biking, seeing wildlife, camping, and always that lingering possibility of meeting some locals that take you to probably the best of your life that wouldn’t find in any guide book.
The breathtaking Himalayas. Ian’s story behind his treck on his blog: here.
What is your most favourite place so far?
Hands down, Lobuche basecamp. I was in the Himalayas, did a trek out to climb this peak called Lobuche sitting at 6,100 meters. (Everest is 8,873M for comparison) We were acclimatizing after reaching basecamp and after a storm hit us, I was out at night just looking at the stars. It was so tranquil. Just being in the midst of 7000-8,000 meter mountains. So quiet. And so humbling to feel so small in such a big world. The energy was just immense. I mean, the experience of climbing a mountain there probably added to the awesomeness of it.
What is your least favourite place so far?
I don’t think there’s a least favourite place. It’s more about what you explore in that place you’re currently in. I’d have to say, after skiing in Hokkaido for a week in Northern Japan, the rest of it was pretty anti-climatic. It was just big cities. Not that I don’t enjoy big cities, but I went on weekdays and so my friends were working and couldn’t really go out. And so that has made Japan not that much fun.
An image Ian took at the India/Nepal border (more on his Google+ page).
Can you name three things that you experience on daily basis and could never have back in Toronto?
This really depends on you’re heritage (for language skills), where you travel to and your travelling style. I mean, I love the mountains and adventures in general. So generally aim to be in the middle of nowhere remote places, although I know people who love resorts and being pampered. So in my context…
The joy of fighting to communicate in another language constantly. I mean, most countries will speak a few phrases of English though. But in the remotes places… learn a few phrases of the local language.
Strategizing on how to pack your pack in the most efficient way. With things you use most constantly on the top, to the things that aren’t needed as much to the bottom. Where to secure money for easy access, yet out of prying eyes.
Enjoying being the misconceptions others have about you. People look at me, no matter where you are and guess wrong about me. I’ve been called, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, “Lama” (Nepali calls people who look Chinese “Lama” because of the cast system), and the best one was… I was a Sherpa. Obviously this is accompanied by racial stereotypes and people making fun of those stereotypes. Oh, and be prepared to be stared at. Constantly.
Being patient while frustrated for whatever reason. Patience goes so far in keeping yourself sane when you’re exhausted from hauling your pack after not sleeping for 48 hours, jumping on and off buses, rickshaws/tuk tuks, fighting traffic and people, and haggling for money in a different language where you dont’ know the market price for destinations while you have a fever and travellers diarrhea. Being patient has a different meaning when you’re travelling than it does back home.
How does travel impact your creative side?
I haven’t done much “artsy” things along the way. Although, I enjoy photography. Not so much in a contemporary way, but I’ve ended up being inspired with National Geographic shots for obvious reasons. I don’t go and look for the shots, I like to come across them and work with what I have. I guess it’s about trying to work your head around those shots.
This shot by Ian is my absolute favourite :>
During my time at some tourist locations I have seen millions of people taking… perhaps more photos than necessary. Do you think it is worth an effort to bring own (perhaps pro) camera to places like that?
Depends. I don’t think its necessary to have an expensive camera. And again, depends on your travel style. Honestly, a point and shoot is quite enough. But if you do want to go that extra mile to get the shot, then having something as simple as controlling the aperture would be pretty beneficial.
What was your wildest adventure to date?
That’s kind of a tough call. Adventure could mean different things. I consider party adventures as well, in my head anyways. I can’t do it justice to name one and leave the others out, as they all have its own flavours. I’ll list the top ones.
  • Bicycling the maritimes of Canada for a month and a bit.
  • Sailing down the Atlantic coast of America for 1.5 months.
  • Scaling a peak in the Himalayas.
  • Sniffing out an outdoor psy-trance festival in Nepal.
  • Hitting the Street Parade in Zurich.
  • Crashing the full moon party while learning to scuba dive in Indonesia.
What is the scariest thing that happened to you during your travels?
Probably in hindsight the fact I almost fell to my death in Switzerland when I was downhill biking in Zermatt. I took a downhill bike 45 mins up to the peak (I can’t remember the name of it now…) and 3 hour ride down. Part of the way down, there was a detour:
“Blasting zone. Imminent death. Do not pass.”
Okay.
Taking the hiking route down. Meaning biking down stairs of death and hairpin turns. On one of these hairpin turns I went over the bars and started tumbling down wet grass, rock, and through the clouds. Finally I caught myself, picked up the bike and kept going. When I passed another turn where I can look at where I fell… Had I kept falling, I would’ve gone over a cliff where it just drops to nothing for over hundreds of stories…
Lesson: Tell people where you’re going: It would’ve been days before anyone even found my body…
During your time overseas you meet a lot of other travellers. How different are they (if so) in your opinion from people back home?
Depends where you meet them. Resort or on a mountain. And depends who you hang out at home. I don’t want to make stereotypical comments and stuff, but you can guess what demography you’d find where. And generally… people tend to be the same in those kind of cliques or circles.
Issues of racism, sexism and homophobia are known to be more prevalent in some countries over Canada and United States. Do you have any experience or opinions regarding this issue?
When I travel with female companions in Muslim countries, if we just walk next to each other, we’re considered married. In Tazania, my lady-companion got a lot more attention from guys after I had left. Ladies, if you want guys to not bother you, just walk with another guy; a friend or even a guy you meet at the hostel is fine.
I was travelling with another couple once and there was a UK fellow and a Korean American. In the restaurant in India, the Korean American and I were suddenly given the bill with our order as they just assumed we were together.
When it comes to homophobia in Korea, it’s very interesting… They all love Adam Lambert (from American Idol) and think he’s a fantastic singer. But when they found out he was gay, they didn’t believe it. The Korean guys there hold hands, wear make up, and my male students play this game where they run around and grab each others shlongs. But that’s not gay. And neither is Adam Lambert.
A beautiful sight of elephants playing in Nambia on Ian’s Google+ page.
Is travel for everyone?
Travel is definitely for everyone. Depends how much you want to be involved with your travels and how much you want to learn and interact with others. The more you let go of your comforts and safety zones the more interesting adventures you get yourself into and if that’s what gets you going, do it. Or if the idea of hanging out by the beach on a resort soaking in the rays drinking margaritas all day is what you long for, go for it.
Personally, and I think you already get a feeling of my travelling style and personality, letting go and going with the flow is definitely the best way. What do you do when the only hotel is 150 bucks a night and there’s snow waist deep outside, -5 and it’s 12am and you’re in a small town somewhere Northern Japan? The correct answer is flatten down the snow and camp!
What do you do when you’re asked to join a troupe of 3 guys with 3 motorcycles to ride up to Mt. Merapi at 4pm and go see the sunrise in the morning the next day when you can go back to your Couch Surfer Host and spend a quiet night? You hop on the back of one of the motorcycles and ride through the night, up a misty mountain, past search and rescue crews, and recent lava flow. Now that’s travelling!
North Korea! Source.
What is the difference between travelling and tourism in your opinion?
Haha, I think I just answered it with the stories I just told (above)… Tourism is still seeing the place you’re travelling as a 3rd person. Travelling is when you live with/like the locals.
Is life as a traveller expensive?
Life as a traveller can be relatively inexpensive. Life as a tourist is super expensive., as per examples earlier.
Really, monetarily speaking the cheapest way is to stay at random peoples houses and travel slow. By that I mean, taking local transport all the way. Talk to people. Hitch. Bike. Walk. Sail. Don’t ever take a plane unless you’re out of options for time and distance.
Make local friends. Generally, they want to show others how they live, especially when they see only local people. They’ll cook food for you and let you stay at their place. But obviously, you give back by cooking for them and showing them other things as well as a cross cultural experience.
What is your advice to people who want to start travelling but can’t get their feet off the ground?
Well, there’s a lot to be said given the context of their situation. Mortgages, credit, work, significant others…
I started travelling on my own during university when I got the chance to school over seas. Hey, youngin’s: Do that! Study over seas! Best experience of your life!
Start earlier than later. Once I graduated, I looked for anything that could get me overseas. I landed a job teaching English. And frankly, flying out of Canada is the most expensive thing ever. Once that’s done, everything is A-OK. Once you start getting a job and saving money to go travel, you’re too late. You’ll end up collecting bills, responsibilities that tie you at home, and general excuses to not go do it. I find it so inspiring people who can do that and still leave.
If you’re already in the workforce and saving to go travel I think it’ll be a bit hard. You’ll only get the vacation dates. Take a job at home with an organization that will send you over seas. Other than that, really, your option is to quit your job, sell everything, and just go. Take a job overseas that has transferable skill sets. Or not. Start fresh. As a travel bum!
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
After all this travelling, I feel super sad to be hanging up my travelling boots for a bit. I have to settle at home for a bit before heading out again. But this would mean I’ll be travelling with more of a purpose as I want to get into community development with a focus on environment and resource planning. So essentially my goal is to head into rural communities and find out how they can be re-organized to be self sustainable.
Any last words?
Uh… I’m a man of few words… Any questions?
Dmitri Tcherbadji is the owner and one of the key contributors to ArtSocket. He is an avid photographer, traveller, designer, coder, musician and even a rock climber. Find him on Google+,Twitter or check out his blog.

Madurai to Kanyakumari: Late night entrances and ghetto mobiles

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Madurai to Kanyakumari: Feb 23 – 27
Beautiful intricate carvings of Southern Temples

In hindsight our journey to Madurai was one of our most comfortable and smoothest yet. It was still the beginning of our journey so we were still hesitant to tackle the estranged Indian public transport system. We opted for an AC bus with reclining seats as we did have a 9 hour journey ahead of us and it seemed like the best thing to do.We had a bit of a confusing transfer to another bus in the middle of the night, clinging onto our belonging heading toward a bus that was pointed out to us, praying that we have not just been scammed and that the bus would indeed accept us and take us to our next destination. We got in!

A sudden awakening at 3am by the bus driver mumbling “Madurai, Madurai” with the accompanying head wobble indicated that we had reached our destination. We get dropped off at the bus terminal, grab the closest tuk tuk and mosey into the late night dead streets of Madurai. The tuk tuk driver tells us that there aren’t many hotels open at that time of night and takes us to a hotel that he recommends to be “open and cheap”. With the first offer of 600 rupees (12usd) with stained sheets and water hose for shower head, dingy dirty hole in the wall hotel we kindly decline, thank him for his help and walk into the dimly lit streets. I must admit, we did both feel a bit sketched, especially after the tuk driver advised us not too. Very soon we spiked the interest of nearby lurking touts and eagerly they starting banging on various hotel’s tressil doors until one finally opened. (Seriously, they’re up at 4am looking for tourists!? That’s a bit sketch) We ended up settling for 750(14usd)room with fresh sheets, no hot water (its ok, it was 26 at night) and 3 beds at  “Hotel Surapi”, along one of the budget hotel streets of Town Hall rd.


Indians and tourists alike come to Madurai to see the Sri Meenakshi  Temple, the largest temple in south India and considered to be the pinnacle of South Indian temple architecture. The temple is incredible and is the home of the triple breasted, fish eyed-eyed goddess Meenakshi Aman and is more of a huge complex enclosed by 12 gopurams (towers). Some of these towers are larger than others (and so far the largest that we have seen in India) and all are littered with wondrous colourfully painted carvings of gods, goddesses, demons and heroes. Most of the temple is off limits to to non-Hindus, but visitors are allowed to wonder around the complex and through the corridors where you are bound to discover some sculptures of various deities.

On this journey we have been very lucky with stumbling upon elephants and within the complex we were once again pleasantly surprised to turn a corner and to find an elephant religiously blessing people for any donation that they have to spare. We had heard. We had read about the Teppam (float) Festival that supposedly happens on the full moon of the Tamil month in Jan/Feb where the deities of the Temple are taken for a walk around the outside of the complex, accompanied by the elephant in the customary adornments, for all onlookers to see. So, as it was a full moon when we were there and there was clearly a lot of excitement in the temple with hundreds of people walking through the security check into the temple grounds, masses of people entering the ‘Hindu-only’ areas where sounds of chants and the strong aroma of incense flowed from into the visitors area and hordes of people lining up for something. We couldn’t figure out what they were lining up for (and I’m sure some of them didn’t even know) but they stood, and the line was so long that it started at one of the tower gates and stretched all the way through the temple grounds. We didn’t stand in the line as it seemed that it could take the entire day and we didn’t know if we would be allowed to enter into where ever the line led anyways. But yeah, as there was so much going we were certain that we were going to witness the ‘gods going for a stroll.

We have come to realize that every city we’ve been to carries some unique trade. In Mamallapuram, it was stone carvings, in Pondicherry were drums, and in Madurai, textiles.

Inside Ganesh’s textile shop

First a cold shoulder to a man who offered to tailor our pants for 50 rupees (1 USD), custom fit. After figuring out a way out of the city, we went back to him as Ian needed long pants for the night against mosquitoes. He hustles quickly through the traffic of Madurai and we soon end up upstairs in a small little textile shop with colourful stacks of fabric reached up to the ceiling. He introduces himself as Ganesh. A few expert whips of the tape measurer later, we have our sizes ready to be tailored. We both go silk. Because we’re that cool. We ended up getting 2 things; a dress for Christa and silk pants for Ian at a total of 33 USD. We could’ve haggled better, but we had no idea what any market price was. And plus, the old tailor was such a sweet little man. In hindsight it is still a little expensive according to market price in India there. 4 hours later, we picked them up and paraded them through the streets.

Our short lived surrogate mother

Toward the end of the night, we heard a parade happening in celebration of the full moon in these auspicious days for the southern Indians. The streets are packed with celebration and the occasional fire crackers that no one ever seems startled by. An elderly beautiful wonderful Indian woman decided to make friend with us, starting with a bindhi for Christa. And every time we walked by, she gave us more and more gifts. Mission accomplished when she sat Christa down and put a reef of flowers in her hair and bought us chai tea. We went through her store and both came out with Ganesh bracelets, 10 rupees each. About 20 cents usd.

We came in by accident as all the trains were fully booked and the only available over night bus took us as far as Madurai. However, we made the most of it and made it a trip and time worth seeing. We were not disappointed.

Next step, taking an other late night bus into kanyakumari, the cape of India were 3 oceans meet. We sat down, stood up and paced back and forth waiting for our overnight bus to pick us up from our hotel. Here’s to trusting another bus company!

Our rope tying skills

One hour late and less than expected “luxury” bus. This has all the luxuries of open air windows, self-strap-in luggage (with own rope), right behind a noisy gear box (given up by a nice gentleman who went to the back and took up the
whole row, which in hindsight we should’ve done), and chairs that recline a whole awesome 1 degree back.

This trip is only 220km but expected to take 6 hours. Already an hour behind schedule, we’re looking to arrive at 6 am. Luckily this bus is fully equipped with rackety suspension and noisy everything for a good nights sleep!

Plan as of now: survive this death trap of a ride (already a near miss with a head on collision with a larger truck and swerves, dodges and weaving through some hairy potholes. Which if not missed sends all of us flying up into the air with our luggage obediently behind us) and get off the bus with the beach and sunrise waiting for us. We’ll grab a nice view of the sunrise, find some food, chill at the info centre and then check into a hotel for one night. That’ll do. Yes.

To be quite honest, I’m not sure how I’m even capable of typing this up on this damn bumpy ride, bustling through the night time country side of south India. The air is quite refreshing with all the windows open; if you ignore the perpetual waft of god-knows-what from the outside.

So we trudge on…

Backpack-istan

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So, we started by flying into Chennai and heading straight for Mallahapuram, or otherwise known as backpakistan. Malla is a small, slow paced port town that seems to run on tourism. The little town consists of a few streets notorious for budget hotels and restaurants serving delicious local and foreign cuisines, specializing in freshly caught seafood. When dining at any of the street or sea view restaurants, watching other travelers wondering by while you wait for your meal, it becomes inevitably clear why this town is known as “backpakistan.” The city itself used to be huge port that enabled trade with many parts of the world, including china, Persia, Rome, and other nations, but the main attraction in Mallahapuram is the Archaeological site that surrounds the outskirts of the little town. It consists of amazing monolithic carvings of temples and sculptures carved out of a single piece of rock (apparently the second biggest of its kind in the world with the first being in Cambodia). Here you also find Krishnas butter ball (a big circular boulder seemingly balancing on a slanted slab.) It is said that the British thought the positioning of the boulder was dangerous and tried to move it with 10 elephants, but still it didn’t budge.There is also a magnificent temple at the shore(aptly named the shore temple) that really is a spectacular site to behold at either sunrise or sunset.
In summary, Malla is a quaint, dusty little town crawling with contemplative foreigners. The beach is strewn with fishing boats and bundles of fishing nets, but there seems to be a little corner of it where travelers congregate for a late afternoon swim and sunbath (we did however find a bigger cleaner beach on the otherwise of the shore temple where horseback riding on the beach at sunset is also an option). 
Seafood is completely to die for with prices that range to about 250 rupees (5 USD). Clothing and stone carving shops are abundant. Electricity availability is unpredictable and beggars (women and children alike) are very persistent. Mala is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities. At it’s slow pace and relaxed mood it is the perfect location to either start a trip and acclimatize and familiarize to the weather and new country. Or a great place to consolidate thoughts and do some shopping before leaving India. We stayed at Siva Guest house, a clean quite place situated very near the main road leading to the beach. The rooms are of varying prices, with or without A/C and the guy who works their is honest and helpful. At Siva’s Guest House, we also met a couchsurfer named Max. He’s a fun German guy with lots of enthusiasm! He has become our pseudo travel partner; only even if we bump into him by accident along the way…

Siva Guest house,  #2 Ottavadai Cross Street, Mamallapuram, Tamilnadu, South India 603 104,Phone 0091-4427443534, check in – 12:00 – check out . 900 INR a night without A/C.

Shiva’s Guesthouse – where we began our India trip


Some additional photos or view all photos here:

Our new friends in local restaurants


Welcome to backpackistan (Mahabs)

Seashore temple

Rock Climbing in Korea: Where we climb

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Rock climbing in Korea has become such an extensive part of our lives here in Seoul. If you followed us, you know we continuously post these pictures up with us on this mountain.

Please also note, rock climbing in Korea is generally trad climbing. Please be comfortable with your gear placement and anchor building before setting out! This post reflects our favourite routes and additional information on getting there, down and around, but climbing and information continues to evolve.

The information isn’t by any means secret. But if you’re wondering what we’re climbing or if you’re reading this blog sniffing out rock climbing in Korea, keep reading! This could be a great round the world idea for you to start your outdoor travel adventures!

ROCK CLIMBING IN KOREA: What is there to climb?


Climbing Insu-bong in winter via Go Deok Gil

There are a lot of climbing gyms in Korea, but most of them are bouldering gyms. We’re not really gym rats… Korea is a very mountainous country. Don’t know where to go in Seoul? “Bukhansan”, on the northern edge of the city, a city which few would think of as an “adventure getaway”. Rock climbing in Korea, Seoul is actually very accessible. The city literally wraps around this mountain which is in a national park called “Bukhansan National Park”. This is a very popular park for Seoulites. The peak in the mountain we climb is called “Insubong” which is across from the main peak called “Baegundae”. From the summit of Insu, when you look across, it looks like an ant hill. Easy access (but complicated to get there) and a plethora of different routes attracts a lot of climbers to Insubong.

The climbs on the main face of Insubong are mainly high friction granite slabs and cracks. Multi-pitch trad climbing is prevalent. There are other climbs on the rappelling side that attract more sport climbers, single pitch stuff. There are 5.12 stuff for you stronger climbers. Most routes are about 5 pitches, so leave your portaledges at home! You can find a picture of the routes at the bottom of the main slab.

A few favourite routes of ours is “Insu-B [인수-B]”, “Yang Ji [양지]”, and “Gomak-B [검막 – B]”. Standard rack should suffice. There is this one 5.7 splitter crack, though, that requires BD5’s. But that’s one special case.

ROUTES ON INSU-BONG

A brief description of some of our three favourite routes for rock climbing in Korea, by no means comprehensive. We’re also a fan of mish-mashing routes together instead of sticking to one route the entire way. This is to give you an idea. For a more comprehensive climbing guide, check “more information” at the bottom of the page.

“Go Deok Gil” 5.6 (5.5?)

This route can be done with minimal trad gear. However, bring out your slings, because this is where you’ll need them. At the big slab head up right. Way right, like you’re going to leave the climbing area. This route is great for foul weather climbing as it’s very not-exposed. It’s about 6 pitches, but most of these pitches are less than 30m. Crux pitch is the last pitch that starts with a 5.7 shallow crack that opens into a layback. Several routes converge right here and usually bottle necks traffic. Bring up to a BD 3 here.

“Insu – B” 5.7

This is by far, our most favourite route, mainly because Ian learnt how to trad climb on this. We usually start this on the slab, but the official beginning is a 5.7 crack. The crux pitch is pitch 2, where you can navigate a 5.9 slab on the left and right, or stick into the off-width 5.8 crack. Ian usually sticks to the crack. Not a bad idea to bring a size 5BD camalot for this pitch, especially near the top of the crack. The rest of the 3 pitches are cruisers hovering around 5.7’s.

“Gomak – B” 5.9 (with A0 on crux pitch)

If you like slab, this ones for you. On the 3rd pitch, before you head up the climb, you have to walk down a bit to get to Gomak, otherwise, the route you’re looking at is a 5.8 splitter crack which requries 5BD’s and a lot of them. Navigate your way up the 5.9 slabs and you should find yourself at the bottom of the aided bolt pitch, 5.10c or A0. Quickdraws to aid should suffice. Just grab the bone and pull up. This is the crux pitch, freak out on it and cruise up the last 2 pitches.

GETTING DOWN

There are about 8 rappel anchors on top of Insubong that allows a quick descent. With the amount of teams up there though, getting down is a battle, mainly fighting for an anchor. You’ll need 2x 60m ropes. If you’re only stuck with one rope, like how we usually are, there are anchors at the 15m point to tie in again. There is a 7 meter over hang on the anchors to the mid and climbers left of the face. In the late afternoons, around 3 or 4, it gets windy.

GETTING THERE

Ian on Gomak crux pitch, 5.10c (A0) slab

To get to Insubong, get out of Suyu Station (line 4), exit #3. Get onto the bus island and take the 120 bus to the last stop, which is a small bus terminal. Hop on a taxi in front of the area where the bus for the temple picks up people, which is located across from the small bus terminal. The taxis usually shuttle people up and down for a flat rate of 2,000kw per person. This area also has a lot of small little stores with hiking and climbing clothes you can brows

Or, alternatively, catch a taxi from Suyu station and tell them “Doe Sun Sa”, which takes you to the rotary. It shouldn’t cost more than 10,000 kw (~10 USD).

You’ll arrive at the rotary and the trail head. Enjoy the view of the Koreans decked out in their finest Sunday climbing clothes. From here, start up the trail. The approach takes about an hour. Once you reach the campsite (about 40 minute hike in) look for campsite 11. From campsite 11 you’ll see the a trail that leads up. Follow it, but keep in mind your navigation toward Insubong.

MORE INFORMATION

On the anchors of the rappel station

If you’re a well established climber, you can search for more routes here on Korea On The Rocks (KOTR). This site gives you a lot of beta and different climbs; bouldering gyms, climbing gyms, and artificial outdoor walls. KOTRI (KOTR Initatives) recently just came out with a guide book “Climb”, you can find here. Rock climbing in Korea continues to change and evolve. So at the time of writing, this is the information provided. There would be updated routes and recommend to check as it is user generated content and updates: https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/south-korea/insubong

Suggest consulting this page: https://explorationsevo.com/outdoor-gear-shop-explorations/#rock-climbing-gear-shop for ideal shoes for rock climbing in Korea, especially for trade and slab. There is sport and ice climbing as well, but extends beyond the scope of this article.

If you’re not a well established climber but want to head out on the mountain anyway, there’s a great guide company called SAN. They offer various beginner and intermediate rock climbing courses, rescue courses, ice climbing, guided climbs, and programs, a great way to get started in climbing! It’s all conducted in English. They’re also great for satisfying your outdoor travel adventure junkie inside you! That’s actually where we started climbing. SAN also helped sponsor the Reel Rock Tour film festival in Seoul. Check out more of the Reel Rock Tour here. So that’s the gist of it, rock climbing in Korea! Hope it was helpful!