GlobeRovers Magazine Dec 2017

VOL. 5 · NO.
2, December 2017 Journal of Globerovers Productions · GR
GlobeRovers
Feature Article
10 A Glimpse into the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea

North Korea, also referred to as the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) is the world’s most secre-
tive and most isolated nation. Visiting it is like nowhere else in the world. While some nationalities have been banned
from visiting, either by their own government or the government of the DPRK, all foreign visitors must travel with a
DPRK government-sanctioned travel agency. Travelling here is expensive, restrictive, and can be risky.
Globerovers Magazine took the risk and returned safely with interesting stories and photos!
ARTICLES + PHOTOS REGULAR SECTIONS

66 Hill Tribes of Myanmar’s Shan State SPECIAL FEATURES
In the far eastern part of Myanmar‘s
Shan State is an area known for its
62 Sensible Travel Gear
volatile history. As exploring the hills 114 Tasty Traveller’s Treats
surrounding the town of Kyaingtong is
relatively safe now, we took long hikes 180 Postcards to Mom
in all four directions to visit the friendly,
and often remote, hill tribes such as the
Akhu, Akha, Wa Ann, and Ann people.
CONTRIBUTIONS
64 Cosy Peggy’s Cove, Canada
92 Africa’s Most Southern Point 130 House Sitting - World of Opportunities
Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of
Africa, is where the Indian and Atlantic 172 Traveller Memorabilia to Envy
oceans meet. This treacherous coastline
with its rocky shoreline is the graveyard 178 Harmful Impact of Wildlife Selfies
to countless ships. The area offers many
traveller delights that include lighthouses, 184 Travellers in the Spotlight
shipwrecks, and the quaint settlements of 188 Book Reviews
Gansbaai and Baarskeerdersbos.
132 Bali - The Island of the Gods TOP LISTS

Located along the southeastern tail of
the Indonesian archipelago, Bali has a 40 10 Weird Facts about North Korea
predominantly Hindu culture with hun- 158 9 Amazing Travel Experiences in Bali
dreds of Hindu temples. Add to this the
peculiar Balinese architecture, active vol- 170 13 Travel Tweeps to Follow
canic mountains, and rugged coastlines
with black-sand beaches, and you have
some incredible places to explore! IN THE NEXT ISSUE
190 Indonesia
PHOTO ESSAYS Active volcanoes, hot springs, deserted
beaches, colourful tribes, ancient ruins,
46 Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula wildlife, and jungles. Indonesia has it
116 Exploring Unexplored Timor Leste all. We set out to explore the islands of
Java (east side), Bali, Lombok, East Nusa
162 Vintage Cars of Uruguay Tenggara, and the Komodo Islands.
Juche Ideology Tower
Pyongyang, North Korea
1
01/08-2
2 Globerovers · December 2017

Editor‛s Message
“Not all those who wander are lost”. J.R.R. Tolkien
John Tolkien (3 Jan 1892 – 2 Sep 1973), an English writer, poet, philologist,
university professor, and author of ‘The Hobbit’, and ‘Lord of the Rings’.
Dear Readers,
THE FRONT COVER:
Statues at Mansudae Grand Monument, In this 10th issue of Globerovers Magazine, we are pleased to bring you a variety of
Pyongyang, North Korea. exciting destinations and other reading enjoyment.
The feature destination is the secretive ‘hermit kingdom’ of North Korea. Come
Globerovers Magazine along on the journey as we enter by train via the Friendship Bridge at Dandong
is currently a biannual magazine, available city in China’s northeastern Liaoning Province. From here we continue south by
in digital and printed formats. train to Pyongyang for a few days, and then southwards by car all the way to the
We focus on bringing exciting destinations world’s most fortified border, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), separating North
and inspiring photography from around Korea and South Korea since 1953.
the globe to the intrepid traveller.
We visit the Indonesian island of Bali, known as the ‘Island of the Gods’, and spend
Published in Hong Kong a few days with the friendly hill tribes in the far east of Myanmar’s Shan State, close
Printed in U.S.A. and Europe to the borders with China, Laos, and Thailand. We also explore shipwrecks, light-
houses, and a small town at Africa’s most southern tip.
WHO WE ARE:
Editor-in-Chief - Peter Steyn We have Photo Essays of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, Uruguay, and one of the young-
Editorial Director - Tsui Chi Ho est independent countries in the world: Timor Leste (East Timor).
Graphic Designer - Peter Steyn
A special thank you to our sponsors and also to our contributors who we introduce
Photographer & Writer - Peter Steyn
on page 5. A very special word of thanks to Janet-Lynn Vorster, our chief contribu-
Proofreader - Janet-Lynn Vorster tor and proofreader, for her meticulous work.
Advertising - Lizzy Chitlom
Sales - Leon Ringwell Lets connect on social media and visit www.
globerovers-magazine.com. For easy access,
FOLLOW US: scan the QR codes on page 7.
www.globerovers-magazine.com
www.globerovers.com Feedback: editor@globerovers.com.
facebook.com/GloberoversMag I travel so you can see the world!
pinterest.com/globerovers
twitter.com/globerovers
instagram.com/globerovers
Peter Steyn PhD
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
CONTACT US: Copyright © 2013-2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this magazine
is strictly prohibited without the prior written approval of the publisher. The pub-
editor@globerovers.com lisher does not take responsibility for any potential inaccurate information herein.
THE FRONT COVER
Kim Il-sung (L) and Kim Jong-il (R) statues at Mansudae Grand Monument
in front of the Korean Revolution Museum, Pyongyang, North Korea.
3
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to our Contributors
In this issue
All words and photos by Peter Steyn, except where otherwise indicated.
A very special thank you to our awesome contributors in this issue.
Without you, Globerovers Magazine just wouldn’t be the same! Thanks!
Janet-Lynn Vorster, Cape Town, South Africa (page 92)

Janet is a numerologist by profession, and journalist, editor and photographer by
hobby. She is the proud mother of three grown children and granny to three grandchil-
dren. Janet is the Southern African editor as well as chief proofreader for Globerovers
Magazine.
Beth Sharpe, Toronto, Canada (page 178)

Beth is the communications director for World Animal Protection in Canada. An avid
traveller, she is always looking for animal-friendly ways to view wildlife. Top trips include
whale watching on Canada’s coasts, snorkelling in Tahiti, Belize and the Caribbean,
supporting a dog vaccination clinic in the Philippines, and bird watching in Costa Rica.
Jonathan Maister, Toronto, Canada (page 64)

Jonathan is a Canadian-based writer who has travelled extensively, particularly in
Canada. His areas of interest are ecology and history, and he makes a point of includ-
ing these elements in his writing. He is also immersed in the sports medicine world as
a therapist, and has contributed extensively in that domain as a lecturer and author.
Vanessa Anderson, Living Around The World (page 130)

Vanessa is a full time international house sitter and publisher of House Sitting - The Ul-
timate Lifestyle Magazine. With her partner, Ian Usher, they travel the world as digital
nomads, working remotely and looking after other people’s properties and pets. They
prefer to explore the world, living as locals for extended periods in different countries.
Rudolf Nägele and Jean Jaspersen-Naegele, Thalfingen,

Bavaria, Germany (Page 172)
During their travels, Rudi and Jean have built up an incredible collection of ethnographic
items which they proudly display throughout their home. Globerovers Magazine visits them
in Bavaria to talk about their amazing collection that spans many cultures of the globe.
Additional Contributors:
A very special thanks to our interviewees in the “Travellers in the Spotlight” section, Alesha & Jarryd,
Jack & Aimée, and Christian & Yvonne. Thanks also to our authors Marion Halliday and David Noyes
for their book interviews.
5
The Globerovers‛ World
Globerovers Magazine was created by Peter Steyn, an avid explorer who is constantly in search of the
edge of the world. He will always hike the extra mile or ten to get as far off the beaten track as he can.
It is his mission to discover and present the most exciting destinations for intrepid travellers. He has
visited 119 countries (including territories: Greenland, Hong Kong, Macau) and is poised to explore
Africa & the Pacific Islands in the coming months. Peter’s home is wherever he lays down his cameras.
Afghanistan El Salvador Macau Serbia

Albania Estonia Malaysia Singapore
Andorra Finland Maldives Slovakia
Argentina France Malta Slovenia
Armenia Georgia Mauritius South Africa
Australia Germany Mexico South Korea
Austria Greece Moldova Spain
Azerbaijan Greenland Monaco Sri Lanka
Bahrain Guatemala Montenegro Swaziland
Bangladesh Honduras Morocco Sweden
Belarus Hong Kong Myanmar / Burma Switzerland
Belgium Hungary Namibia Syria
Belize Iceland Nepal Taiwan
Bolivia India Netherlands Tajikistan
Bosnia-Herzegovina Indonesia New Zealand Thailand
Brazil Iran Nicaragua Timor Leste (East Timor)
Brunei Ireland North Korea Turkey
Bulgaria Israel Norway Ukraine
Cambodia Italy Oman United Arab Emirates
Canada Japan Pakistan United Kingdom
Chile Jordan Panama United States
China Kazakhstan Papua New Guinea Uruguay
Colombia Kyrgyzstan Paraguay Uzbekistan
Costa Rica Laos Peru Vanuatu
Croatia Latvia Philippines Vatican
Cuba Lebanon Poland Vietnam
Czech Rep. Lesotho Portugal Yemen
Denmark Liechtenstein Romania Zambia
Ecuador Lithuania Russia Zimbabwe
Egypt Luxembourg San Marino 119 and counting...
o ll o w
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u s..
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DESTINATIONS
IN THIS ISSUE
ALASKA, USA
Page 46
CANADA
Page 64
URUGUAY
Page 162
Use a QR reader on your

phone to read these codes

GERMANY
Page 172
NORTH KOREA
Page 10
MYANMAR
Page 66
TIMOR LESTE
Page 116
SOUTH AFRICA BALI, INDONESIA

Page 132
Page 92
9
NOTE: This article is purely based on the experience of a traveller’s short visit to North Korea. A visit that was very restricted to what
government “minders” were allowed, and instructed, to show, and discuss. Foreign travellers have no freedom to travel independently.
Pyongyang is for the elite and is most likely not representative of the suffering of the poor and oppressed outside the capital.
Views and opinions in this article are therefore not representative of the situation in all of North Korea.
North Korea
Feature Article
A Glimpse into the

Hermit Kingdom
I
t has taken me almost a and should not be held responsible for
month since returning from reporting my experiences.
the Democratic People’s I know it was probably not the
Republic of Korea (DPRK wisest, politically correct, or safest de-
or North Korea) to start writing this cision to visit this oppressive country,
article. but I knew it would enrich my under-
All this time I have been mull- standing of humanity, or rather bizarre
ing over how to start this very first human behaviour.
paragraph in which I should explain But wait. Can I really promote the
why I visited this country. I am not rest of the world we happily travel and
sure if I should write purely about declare it a perfect place where there
my travel experiences, or tell it like it is no injustice, no oppression, no self-
is - everything I was told by my local serving politicians, or ruthless dicta-
guides (referred to as the “minders”), tors? Of course not!
my experiences, and my thoughts.
In the eyes of the world’s op-
I know that whatever I write, there pressed, those living in war-torn re-
will be critical comments and vari- gions such as Syria and Yemen, and the
ous opinions millions around
of support
and opposi-
A “hermit” country wilfully walls the world liv-
ing in extreme
tion - the latter itself off from the rest of the world. poverty, there
mainly from North Korea is a “cult hermit dictatorship” certainly are
those who have
never been to due to its excessive admiration for the places worse
off than North
North Korea to Kim Dynasty enforced on its people. Korea. At least
have first-hand North Koreans
experience connecting with the locals. have free education, free housing, free
I am also fully aware that should medical services, and free indoctrina-
I be honest, I could never go back to tion from childbirth! Violent street
visit North Korea. Even worse, should crime is largely non-existent. While
I speak out too harshly, North Korean none of these perks are glamorous,
agents may arrive on my doorstep! they must sound like bliss to the suf-
I decided to be honest and objective fering millions around the world.
Feature l North Korea | 11

North Korea
Let’s not forget North Korea’s lack of
freedom of speech, freedom of travel, and
freedom in general. Let’s not forget the
thousands of people in North Korean prison
camps, subjected to torture and inhumane
treatment for trivial infractions against the
state. As has been widely reported by defec-
tors previously employed at these camps: in
some instances entire families across more
than one generation are imprisoned as a
result of the “sins” committed by a single
family member.
Yes, we know there are many North Ko-
rean prison camps, but then again, America’s
prisons are overflowing and filled beyond
capacity, and so are the inhumane prisons
of South America and many other parts of
the world. I know things in North Korea are
more brutal and unfair than most every- Korean Art Gallery, Kim Il Sung Square.
where, but that should not keep me away
from visiting North Korea. Known for its extravagant military parades and well-coordinated mass dances, Kim Il-sung Square
is the heart of North Korea. Buildings around the square include the Korean National Art Gallery,
the Korean Central History Museum, and the Grand People’s Study House.
RIGID PRE-APPROVED ITINERARY
I knew in advance that our itinerary would
be set up by a state-controlled tourism agen- to these places with no regrets or guilt. A LIFELONG DREAM
cy with little or no flexibility without special
While North Korea is one of the most Growing up in the 70’s, I was hooked on
permission. For every place I wanted to visit
brutal regimes, it is certainly not the only the encyclopaedia series called “Children of
which was not on the pre-approved itiner-
one. Where do we draw the line on the bru- the World”. I could stare for hours at photos
ary, my minder had to make a telephone
tality scale, and how do we decide which not of far-away places that I knew nothing
call to get permission, which was sometimes
to visit? about. As I grew older, I increasingly read
rejected for some odd reason, or no reason.
I was well prepared for my visit to North the stories about these far-away places and
I knew we were not allowed to wander off developed a special interest in those places
Korea, having read many accounts from
on our own, but if those were the rules then I deemed “off-limits”, “out-of-bounds” and
journalists under cover, defectors, and a few
knew I would abide by them. I also knew that even the dystopian societies where people
travellers who wrote about their experiences.
I would be shown but a mere glimpse of life lead dehumanised and fearful lives.
in North Korea; that I would only be exposed
I’ve always wanted to visit places where
to a fragment of the realities. Visiting North Korea is like no
the fewest tourists venture. I have travelled
I wasn’t taken to visit the poorest in the other place on earth. Not only through Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Ye-
countryside, but I reminded myself that men, Syria, and many other places where
travel agencies in most countries prefer not is it a bizarre experience, but
even the most rugged travellers are hard
to show you the suffering of their people. it is also very exciting! to find. I have always come back safely and
So why should it be any different in North very enriched by what I have learned and
Korea? Many of us have visited the USA experienced.
and never been taken to the slums of New I also read articles by those who have
York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and many more never been to North Korea but still felt I am not a politician and have never
places. The North Korean agency was doing obliged to write about the “facts” of North wanted to be a politician. I don’t really care
the same, showing us the better part of their Korean life, most of which are totally incor- if my travels are politically correct or not,
country. rect and merely negative propaganda against because how do we judge, and how should
North Korea. we judge without first-hand experience?
I read statements such as “don’t try to I am purely a traveller interested in travel
VISITING A BRUTAL REGIME take a picture of people walking along the journalism, reporting on places and people
Some people argue that travellers visiting roads outside of Pyongyang. If you’re caught for the benefit of fellow travellers. I believe
North Korea are a vital source of funding the with one of those pictures, it’s literally like a the only way to understand people and their
regime’s sinister plans, which reminds me of foreign agent committing espionage against lives is to live it with them, even if only for a
many countries around the world we then the DPRK”. I found statements like these very short time.
should boycott if we follow this logic. Just blatantly untrue, though they may have ap- As this is who I am, I had no second
think about the many corrupt and brutally plied in the past. These kinds of statements thoughts about visiting North Korea to meet
oppressive governments in Africa, Asia, the underscore the importance of visiting a place the people, and to experience whatever
Middle East, and beyond. Yet we still travel before forming your own opinion. experiences were bestowed upon me.

Kim Il-sung Stadium.
The “Snow Falls” dancing women

statues at Mansudae fountain-park.
MIRAE UNHA TOWER

The 53-story Mirae
Unha (or Galaxy
Tower) is located on
Scientists Street, home
to scientific institutions
of Kim Chaek University
of Technology and their
employees.
MASS DANCES
North Koreans love
(or are forced to love)
their mass dances.
This one was on
National Day,
September 9th, 2017.
Mirae Unha Tower (53-story) on Mirae Scientists Street.

North Korea
In the predawn hours of June 25, 1950,
Kim Il-sung launched an invasion across the
38th parallel into South Korea. He invaded
with the backing of the Soviets, who eventu-
HERMIT KINGDOM OF KIM IL-SUNG ally obliged after several of his unsuccessful
attempts to convince Joseph Stalin to support
Eternal President Kim Il-sung is revered his invasion.
with unrivalled fear and passion. In this attempt to extend his rule south-
wards, he was repelled by the combined
T
o gain any understanding of life American military and the United Nations
in North Korea, you first need forces from some 21 countries.
to understand its early begin- Only through overwhelming support Anecdotes of Kim Jong-il
nings. Enter the Hermit Kingdom of Kim from China’s military was he able to repel a
Il-sung and its Juche official state ideol- retaliatory invasion of North Korea by the
ogy which wilfully walled itself off, meta- forces from the south. Book stores in Pyongyang are stocked
phorically and physically, from the rest of the with books written by their leaders.
The fact is that Kim Il-sung started the
world. Herewith a few anecdotes of Kim Jong-
Korean War which ended in a stalemate in
Il’s life which minders and guides like to
The official website of the DPRK explains 1953. This is contrary to North Korea’s pro-
tell their foreign guests:
Juche as “the principle of independence, paganda that the Americans started the war
self-reliance and self-defence, defending and destroyed their land and its people. • The first time General Kim Jong-il
the country’s Through his picked up a golf club, in 1994, he
sovereignty and Kim Il-sung died on 8 July 1994, at age 82, but brutal propa- shot a 38-under par round on North
dignity firmly”. ganda machine, Korea’s only golf course, including
The government still holds the title of “Eternal President” as “he is he continued 11 holes-in-one. He then decided to
also describes eternally with us and will never leave us!” to rule unchal- retire from the sport for ever.
Juche as Kim lenged for 46 • Kim Jong-il wrote six full operas in
Il-sung’s “original, brilliant and revolution- years over one of the world’s most isolated two years, “all of which are better
ary contribution to national and interna- and repressive societies. than any in the history of music”.
tional thought”. They even live by their own
Kim Il-sung remained President of North • Kim has the ability to alter the
Juche calendar! This year is not 2017, but the
Korea until his death in Pyongyang on 8 weather simply through the power of
Juche year of 105, which is the 105th year
July 1994. However, he is still officially the thought.
after the birth of Kim Il-sung.
President and the Great Leader! In 1998, the
• As a junior high school pupil in
office of living President was eliminated as
Pyongyang, he corrected and chas-
ETERNAL CULT LEADER Kim Il-sung was bestowed the title of “Eter- tised his teachers for their incorrect
Paramount to life of all North Koreans nal President of the DPRK”. His birthday is a interpretations of history.
is President Kim Il-sung. Their lives revolve national holiday, called the Day of the Sun.
around this man. Since childhood they have
been indoctrinated that this man is their
father, their hero, their god, their everything.
We know his original name was Kim
Song-ju, born 15 April 1912 in Man’gyŏndae,
near Pyongyang, Korea, which is now North
Korea. However, he grew up in China’s
Manchurian region in exile after the Japanese
invasion and was later trained by the Russians
and climbed to the rank of major in the Soviet
army. In 1948 he was installed by the Soviets
as the communist president of North Korea.
Much of the propaganda revolves around
him. He is known as the superhero “who
drove out the Japanese from Korea, and then
valiantly staved off the invading American
forces who retreated to the south in defeat so
that the Koreans in the north could live a free
life”. As these stories are told by the mind-
ers and museum guides, President Kim is
portrayed as having done all of this almost
single-handedly!
Sculptures at the Korean War Museum.
Kim Dynasty
Murals inside the Pyongyang metro trains.
Propaganda at apartment blocks.

THE KIM DYNASTY
hood. They have no comparison from which
The threesome: President Kim Il-sung, Gen-
to become despondent, so what they have is
eral Kim Jong-il & Marshall Kim Jong-un.
what they perceive life to be! They live in a
world which they assume is normal: a world
P
resident Kim Il-sung (“the Great of total dedication and devotion to the Kim
Leader”) and his successors Gen- Dynasty, and should they deviate, an entire
eral Kim Jong-il (“the Dear Lead- family across several generations are doomed
er”) and current Marshall Kim Jong-un, cre- to hard labour in a concentration camp.
ated and perpetuated a dictatorship of the It is quite upsetting that people are forced
most extreme kind. Their cult following is to live in such isolation in this day and age.
beyond anything Most of us live
Propaganda against the buildings. Soviet leader in societies
Joseph Stalin The Kim dynasty, officially called the Mount where we have
or China’s Mao Paektu Bloodline, strictly enforces a cult of per- freedom of
Zedong could speech, free-
have envisioned sonality tied to their state philosophy of Juche. dom of move-
for themselves. ment, freedom
The Kim family created a true hermit of expression, access to information, and
kingdom with people totally devoted to them thus freedom to think for ourselves. We can
and their ideology, a country closed off to the realise our aspirations and make informed
world keeping both the outside world and its choices. These freedoms just don’t exist in
own people completely in the dark about one North Korea.
another. North Korean people are not allowed to
Whenever the topic of the Korean War think for themselves and must strictly fol-
was discussed (which was very frequently), low the government propaganda. However,
our guides and minders reminded us of people don’t seem to care because they don’t
the brilliant ideas and philosophy of their know of a better life.
eternal leaders, and their braveness in driv- For the average citizen, it is a crime
ing out the Japanese and the Americans.
against the state to even watch a South
Korean movie, or have exposure to anything
LIVING IN ISOLATION not explicitly approved by their government.
It is true that the majority of the North But it happens, and increasingly people are
Street propaganda. This finger means Korean people know of nothing else other starting to realise that North Korea is not the
“only one united Korea”. than what they have been taught since child- utopia that they are being forced to believe.
Mansudae Grand Monument
The 22.5 metres tall statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. On the wall behind
the statues is a mosaic of the Paekdu Mountain located on the border between
North Korea and China, the reputed birthplace of Kim Jong-il.
The monuments show the Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Struggle

(right) and the Socialist Revolution (left).
EMBALMED BODIES OF THE ETERNALS The Kumsusan Palace is by far the largest STATUES AND PORTRAITS
Kim Il-sung died in 1994. His son, Kim mausoleum dedicated to any Communist lead- There are over 500 large statues of Kim
Jong-il, followed him in 2011. er and is the only mausoleum to display the Il-sung all over North Korea, and when
embalmed body of more than a single leader. including the smaller statues and busts, they
Their embalmed bodies, similar to those
of Lenin in Moscow, Mao Zedong in Beijing, This palace used to be Kim Il-sung’s add up to around 35,000, though no official
and Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, each lie inside official residence but after his death, Kim figures are available.
a clear glass sarcophagus on display at the Jong-il changed it into a mausoleum at a cost The side-by-side portraits of Kim Il-sung
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a massive mau- estimated to be well over $100 million. and Kim Jong-il are prominent in public
soleum located near the northeast corner Some estimates put the cost as high as transportation halls, hanging at every North
of Pyongyang. $900 million! Korean train station and airport, and inside
the trains. They are also placed prominently Man Who Descended from Heaven; Great On any given day, in particular on auspi-
at the border crossings between China and Man Who is a Man of Deeds; and Highest cious days, it is traditional for North Korean
North Korea. Incarnation of the Revolutionary Comradely newlyweds to pay their respects and lay flow-
Every family has their portraits as a cen- Love. Kim Jong-il has an even longer list ers at the feet of the statues immediately after
trepiece in their home. of epithets! their wedding.
Apparently, Kim Il-sung epithets include One of the most revered places in North Everybody, including foreigners, must
Superior Person; Brilliant Leader; Unique Korea is the Grand Monument on Mansudae bow in front of the statues. When taking
Leader; Great Leader; Guiding Sun Ray; (Mansu Hill) where the two 22.5 metres tall photos, both statues must be in the photo
Shining Star of the Paektu Mountain; Ever- statues of Kim Il-sung on the left, and Kim and no part of the statues are allowed to be
Victorious Iron-willed Commander; Great Jong-il on the right are located. left out of the photo!
The Journey
At the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge,

which connects China’s Dandong with
North Korea’s Sinuiju, the river is less
than one kilometre wide.
named but comfortable “Riz Carlsen Hotel”, to as the “Broken Bridge”, it starts on the
was to walk a few blocks south to the shores China side and tourists can now walk on it
of the Yula River. This river forms the inter- up to about halfway across the river where it
national border between China and North comes to an abrupt halt. The Korean side re-
Korea. Looking across the river into North mains destroyed, laying rusted in the waters
THE CHINA GATEWAY Korea revealed, to my disappointment, no below.
highly fortified fences, no visible presence
The main gateway to North Korea is the of guards with machine guns, and no boats
Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge in Dandong. NO MAN’S LAND
patrolling the river. It all seemed so peaceful.
Early the next morning we gathered
P
At the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge,
outside the Dandong Central train station to
lanning a trip to North Korea is which connects China’s Dandong with North
meet our fellow travellers, a group of eight
easy, as long as you have the money Korea’s Sinuiju, the river is less than one kilo-
adventurers from around the world. We were
to show. It’s not a cheap destina- metre wide. Constructed by the Imperial Japa-
all excited, yet sublimely scared.
tion as independent travel is not allowed. All nese Army between April 1937 and May 1943,
foreign visitors must book through a North the bridge was bombed several times in 1950/1 Here we noticed several North Korean
Korean government approved tour company by the Americans during the Korean War. men, dressed in their brownish safari suits,
and stay with the tour group at all times. each wearing their red and gold lapel pin
I chose a travel company based in China
who works with a local company based in “Leaving China and crossing bearing the faces of the two dead leaders. I
would soon find out that the leaders were
“not dead, but are eternally with us!”
Pyongyang. As there is no private company into North Korea felt like I was
ownership in North Korea, I assume the local It was the usual scramble at the Chinese
company is fully owned by the government. putting my head into the jaws immigration checkpoint with officials yelling
of a crocodile!” at their subjects. After much pushing and
shoving we successfully passed through the
DANDONG THE GATEWAY immigration.
The bridge was rebuilt after the war and
My journey to Pyongyang started in the now carries both automobile and rail traffic. Once in No Man’s Land, it was just a
beautiful Chinese coastal city of Dalian, from Next to it is an older bridge, built between matter of time before we entered the “abyss
where I took a modern fast train to the city May 1909 and October 1911. This older of North Korea”, which felt like I was putting
of Dandong situated on the southeast corner bridge was not rebuilt as the Koreans wanted my head into the jaws of a crocodile! But,
of the Liaodong Peninsula. to keep it as evidence of the “brutal Ameri- fear not, I thought. I’m here to experience
My first foray outside my totally fake- can attack” on their infrastructure. Referred and try to understand a very different world!
North Korea
travel guidebooks of North Korea, in addi-
tion to obscene materials or anything critical
of the country and its leaders. As we obliged,
TRAIN JOURNEY TO PYONGYANG we passed the first test with a sigh of relief.
Order a North Korean beer from the trol- The officials were all in an upbeat mood
ley ladies, sit back and take photos! and light-heartedly joked around with the
tourists. It was a pleasant surprise to meet
W
them and to see their smiling faces, and I
ithin minutes of the train think we all realised that these people are,
leaving China’s Dandong sta- after-all, not that much different from us,
tion, it crossed over the Sino- except that they live in North Korea!
Korean Friendship Bridge, and not long after
we pulled into North Korea’s Sinuiju station.
BEER AND RICE FIELDS
As our train rolled southwards for the
PORTRAITS AND OFFICERS next five hours towards the capital, Pyong-
For the first time we saw the two big yang, a festive atmosphere built up among
portraits of the “eternal leaders” hanging us travellers. We ordered North Korean cup
above the train station’s main doors, and we noodles, North Korean beer, North Korean
realised that we were indeed in North Korea. soju rice wine, and even joked around with
During the 90 odd minutes that our train the friendly North Korean ladies pushing
waited at this station, several immigration the food carts. We handed them some of our
and customs officials came into the train candies brought from our homelands which
to survey us, and eventually took away our they happily accepted.
passports. The train tracks passed miles and miles of
Some asked us to take out any books and rice and corn fields, all draped in lush green
electronics we had. We were warned upfront and golden yellows. Hard to believe that
not to bring in any religious materials or another food shortage is predicted for the
coming winter. Although, when considering
that the North Korean population is about 25
million, that only 20% of the country consists
of arable land, and the limited food imports,
then it is not hard to realise that a very good
harvest is required to feed all the people.
The train passed several small lakes and
many small canals, so a water shortage was
not evident. We also passed small villages,
shanty towns, dilapidated buildings and road
crossings where we got quick glimpses of the
locals on their bicycles.
The scenery reminded me somewhat
Dandong, China, of what China must have been like in its early
train station. days of revolution: ox and carts, and collec-
tive farming.
Every train station we passed displayed
Dandong to Pyongyang
the portraits of the two eternal leaders above
This is probably one the main entrance. Every few miles I noticed
of the most thrilling a single soldier standing guard in a tiny
train rides in the fortress-like shelter right next to the railway
world as you travel tracks and I can only speculate as to their
deeper into the purpose.
secretive state of Automobiles of any description were rare
North Korea. Beer is and whenever we saw one it was likely driven
cold and cheap so sit by a government official. This was a real
back and enjoy the glimpse into how some of the population live
scenery outside the outside of Pyongyang, and all along we took
photos through the train windows without
window.
any interference from any of the North Ko-
rean agents on board.
The Journey

North Korea
The Train Journey

Dandong (China) to Pyongyang (North Korea)

North Korea
50,000-seat Kim Il-sung Stadium was in close What I found striking at night is that
proximity. All very impressive! most residential buildings around the city
had all their rooms illuminated. This indi-
cated to me that people go straight home
INFAMOUS KIM IL-SUNG SQUARE
after work, as there are few entertainment
WELCOME TO PYONGYANG Standing on Kim Il-sung Square was sur- opportunities for the average person on the
The first sight that announced our arrival real. It was the stamp on our minds and the street. Restaurants are very limited, so people
in Pyongyang was the many tall buildings. dawning of the realisation that we were now dine and entertain themselves at home.
indeed in North Korea.
As we drove past so many impressive
A
It was a similar feeling to what I expe- buildings in Pyongyang, I realised that I
nd so we arrived at the busy main rienced when standing in Moscow’s Red needed at least a week to explore them all.
station of Pyongyang, a beauti- Square, or Beijing’s Tiananmen Square,
ful building which appears even though slightly different. It was less of a re-
more beautiful when illuminated at night. laxed place where young people and tourists
A festive atmosphere prevailed on the could hang around in the evenings. Kim Il-
platform as we met our two local minders sung Square was void of people, and within a
(guides). Both the young woman and man few minutes our minders led us away, back to
were friendly, good-looking, and so happy to our minibus.
see us!
We shook hands, exchanged names, and PYONGYANG’S ELITE
I was truly delighted to meet our friendly
We strolled along the Mirae Scientists
hosts. They were quite different from what
Street which is home to the privileged teach-
I expected: straight-faced, skinny, grumpy,
ers and scientists who live in fancy skyscrap-
expressionless, cold, older men uttering con-
ers, including the rather bizarre-looking
stant warnings not to break the rules.
53-story Mirae Unha Tower.
We broke the ice! We were a happy bunch One of the first things you will notice
While the building looks very mod-
and all excited to learn more about this town upon arrival in Pyongyang is that
ern from a distance, once you are closer it
and its people! without exception, everybody wears
seems rather depressing with a typical Soviet
We left the train station, boarded our design behind a lapel pin above their heart de-
minibus, and the pretentious picting portraits of one or both the
drove to Kim Pyongyang is like no other city in the world. modern curves dead leaders. It seems that people
Il-sung Square, with higher status can wear both
our very first
Typical Stalinist buildings, wide deserted roads on the outside. portraits, while the rest are content
While it was
attraction. with sparse traffic, and well-behaved people! difficult to see if with the portrait of either deceased
We passed any lights were leader.
several imposing and pristine buildings on in the middle and upper floors, the lower
en route, built in the grandeur communist floors appeared totally dark. My minder They receive the pin at a special
style reminiscent of Minsk in Belarus, and insisted that the building was fully occupied, ceremony and must protect it and
Moscow. These included façades, theatres, but a few minutes later admitted that “many care for it, even placing it in its spe-
statues, more statues, monuments, muse- of the residents are travelling to the coun- cial container every night.
ums, and sports arenas including the May tryside this time of the year”. I smiled, and
Day Stadium which is the largest in the she smiled in return, as if she knew that I Foreigners may acquire such a pin if
world with a capacity of 114,000 seats. The suspected otherwise. they attend “the special ceremony”.

Views of Pyongyang from the top of the 170 metres Juche Tower.
Pyongyang
North Korea
The People

North Korea
Our minders became our friends. I
The “propaganda looked at our minder, a young handsome
machine” is everywhere and man aged 27. As he was regurgitating
the messages are clear: the propaganda he had been well trained to
do, I could not help thinking that he did not
• Reunify the Korean Peninsula as THE KOREAN PEOPLE belong in this place. He deserved a life where
soon as possible. North Koreans are friendly, inquisitive, and he could follow his own mind and not that
• Reunify without foreign interference. there are no restrictions to talk with them. of the government. I even told him: “I hope
one day you can live in Canada or Europe”, at
F
• Death to “Imperialist America!” which time he smiled. You could see just how
rom the first moment I interacted much he wished it could come true.
• The military is cardinal. with the North Korean people such
Most of my verbal interactions while in-
• The Korean race is superior. as the immigration and customs
officers on the train while stopping at the side North Korea were with my local minders
as well as my Beijing-based British tour guide
North Korean border inspection point, I was
who chaperoned us around.
impressed with just how human they were.
Not that I expected them to be “non-human”, While I had ample opportunities to
but I expected rude and crude officers. mingle and talk with locals, their English was
very limited, and for the safety of us
The locals speak very limited English so that’s all our conversations were limited
to: “Hello, you have a beautiful
probably the reason why the minders don’t mind daughter. How old is she? Does she
like school?”
foreigners talking with them.
They were not robotic communist sol- SMILING LIKE THEIR LEADER
diers. They were people just like us. While we On September 9th, the day of the Found-
both live under very different governments, ing of the Democratic People’s Republic of
we were all just humans trying to make a Korea in 1948, we walked through Moran-
living. bong Park where many locals were celebrat-
People on the streets and in the metro ing the festive day with their families.
seemed unsure to interact, though when we They were laying out their picnic tables,
made a first move they seemed so happy. Our complete with barbecues, playing music,
guides were extremely easy-going, very ap- and even dancing to joyful patriotic tunes.
proachable, witty and caring. All looking very content with life. We joined
their dancing to the great delight of all. The
GUARD YOUR MOUTH ladies were totally in love with us guys danc-
ing with them.
Naturally, we could neither talk to them
Milling around and interacting with the
about everything we wanted to, nor attempt
locals provided them with some reassurance
to inform them of the true facts behind the
that foreigners are not bad people. This was
Korean War, or paint a rosy picture of life
a positive start to what could be slow but
outside Kim’s Kingdom. We understood that
positive change in this country. We could not
they were just “captive soldiers within the
help but wonder what they had been taught
regime” and they needed to walk a fine line
about Western people.
as dictated by their superiors.
Whatever they thought aside, they were
They had to play by the rules since they
very welcoming and open to interaction with
would be in serious trouble should they not. us. In the park, the locals were offering food
and alcoholic drinks to our group mem-
bers, laughing and truly enjoying our pres-
ence and our interest in them. I could not
help but think of the ever-present propagan-
da showing off the constantly smiling Kim
Jung-un. His smiles must be either highly
contagious or possibly pretentious.
While this is not a free country as we like
to define human freedom, I did not expect to
be riding with the locals on the metro, danc-
ing with the ladies in the park, joking around
with the school kids while taking selfies, or
even shaking hands with soldiers at the De-
militarised Zone.
National Day Mass Dance
North Korea, Pyongyang mainly, is known for grand celebrations
which include mass dances and military parades. This dance
was held on September 9, 2017, the Day of the Foundation of
the Republic, also called the Republic Day, or the National Day.

North Korea
WHAT TO SEE
Pyongyang has no shortage of very
impressive Stalinist architecture.
A
t the top of the attractions list is
to watch a few local TV sta-
tions! All North Korean televi-
sion stations are propaganda machines,
promoting the Worker’s Party position
and demonising all things Western. The typi-
cal programming includes news (watch out
for the famous lady Ri Chu–hee), revolu-
tionary operas, patriotic music, marching
bands, army choirs, documentaries about
the Worker’s Party, military parades, locally
produced movies, and lately a lot of foot-
age showing Marshall Kim Jong-un and his Arch of Triumph.
very happy and satisfied interactions with
his subjects. I did not notice any TV com- Pyongyang’s Arch of Triumph (60m) is 10m taller than the Paris Arc de Triomphe de
mercials for products or services. During l’Étoile (50m), and is reputed to be the second tallest triumphal arch in the world, after
the weather forecast you will see one Korean Monumento a la Revolución (67m) in Mexico City.
country going all the way down to Jeju Island
off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula.
A trip to North Korea is not complete
without the sites they want you to see: the and Kim Jong-Il. On the wall behind the Dress codes, security, and behaviour rules are
showpieces of the regime, the points of hero statues is a mosaic of the Paekdu Mountain very strict. Prior to entry, you will be dusted
worship such as Kim Il-sung Square and located on the border between North Korea off by both automatic shoe cleaners and a gi-
the towering statues at Mansudae Grand and China, the reputed birthplace of Kim ant clothes-dusting machine to ensure no dirt
Monument where we had to bow in front Jong-il. The fact is that he was born in the is trampled into the viewing hall.
of the statues of the two dead leaders. It Soviet Union while his father was in exile
was no big deal at all, so we just did it. The during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Pyongyang Arch of Triumph
Tower of Juche with its stunning views over The statues are flanked by monuments Built in 1982, it is modelled after the
Pyongyang, the Founding Party Monument, showing many soldiers, workers, and farm- Arc De Triomphe in Paris, but at six metres
the captured American spy ship USS Pueblo ers, depicting the Anti-Japanese Revolu- taller makes this arch the second tallest in
at the War Museum … so many places they tionary Struggle and the Socialist Revolu- the world. It was built to commemorate and
wanted to show us! We ran out of time and tion. The monument was first constructed glorify Kim Il-sung’s role in the Korean resis-
could not see the War Museum, but our with Kim Il-sung, but shortly after the death tance to the occupation of Japan from 1925
minders then arranged with the museum to of Kim Jong-il his statue was added. to 1945. Engraved in the middle of the arch
open one hour earlier to accommodate my is the revolutionary hymn “Song of General
friend and I, and two people to show us the Kim Il-sung”,” which is recited on national
Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun
museum. Their agenda was obvious. As we television every day.
started with a 15 minutes long propaganda Another highly revered place is the mau-
video about “how the American Imperialists soleum where the embalmed bodies of Kim
started the war”, I asked if we could skip the Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are laying in glass sar- Kim Il-sung Square
video and see more of the museum, but were cophagi. This former residence of Kim Known for its extravagant military
told we had to watch the video. Il-sung, the Kumsusan Palace, was converted parades and well-coordinated mass dances
by Kim Jong-il into a mausoleum at the time we have seen on our TV screens, the large
Here’s a list of the not to be missed attrac-
of his father’s death in 1994. Kim Jong-il’s Kim Il-sung Square is not easily outdone by
tions in Pyongyang:
body was added when he died in 2011. North similar showcases of power in Moscow’s Red
Koreans come here en masse to pay their Square or Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. This
Mansudae Grand Monument respects to the dead bodies of the eternal lead- is the heart of North Korea! Several build-
This is one of the most revered places in ers. A visit here is easily one of the weirdest ings of notable significance surround the
all of North Korea. People come from far and you’ll have anywhere in the world, even sur- square, such as the Korean National Art Gal-
wide to pay tribute, bow and lay flowers, at passing your visits to the embalmed bodies of lery, the Korean Central History Museum,
two 22.5 metres tall statues of Kim Il-sung Lenin (Moscow) and Mao Zedong (Beijing). and the Grand People’s Study House.
One of the many impressive buildings at Kim Il-sung Square.
The Juche Tower. Inside the base of the Juche Juche tower
Tower is a wall carrying 82
A short distance from Kim Il-
friendship plaques from sup-
sung Square, on the west bank of the
porters and Juche study groups
Taedong River, stands the 170 metres
from around the world.
tall granite tower, named after the self-
reliance ideology of Juche introduced by
Kim Il-sung. Constructed from 25,550
blocks (365 × 70: one for each day of Kim Il-
sung’s life, excluding supplementary days for
leap years) its top is capped with a 20 metres
high, 45 tons, illuminated metal torch. It was
unveiled to mark his 70th birthday in 1982.
Take the elevator to the top (€5) for great
panoramic views over the city. The elevator
is operated by a lady dressed in a spectacular
wide pastel coloured dress. The balcony at
the top has open views without any glass, al-
lowing for great photos of the city.
Other towers
Other towers worth visiting are the Tow-
er of Immortality (the writing on this tower
through the base of which traffic drives,
pledges that the ”Great Leader Kim Il-sung
and the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il will always
be with us”), the Liberation Tower commem-
orating the Soviet liberation of Pyongyang
from Japanese rule in 1945, the Sino-Korean
Friendship Tower which is a television tower
built as a gift from the Chinese to the DRPK,
and the 1967-built, 150 metres high Pyong-
yang TV Tower, copied from the Ostankino
Tower in Moscow, with a restaurant and
observation deck at the top.
North Korea
Monument to the Foundation of the hard to imagine this hotel ever being filled tion and constructed monuments to honour
Workers’ Party to capacity. The hotel continues to be the their leadership. His slogan was “Let us dash
Built to commemorate the 50th anniver- world’s largest unoccupied building. forward in the spirit of Chollima!”
sary of the North Korean Workers Party in
1995, the monument is rich in symbolism: Chollima Statue Tomb of Tan’gun
the hammer, sickle and calligraphy brush This impressive statue portrays Chol- The government announced in 1993 that
symbolise the workers, farmers and intellec- lima, the Korean Pegasus, which literally its archaeologists had discovered the tomb of
tuals. Each of these pillars stands at a striking means “thousand-mile horse”. It was built as Tan’gun, the founder of the first Korean king-
50 metres tall signifying the 50 years since a symbol of the speed and perseverance of dom. However, it wasn’t until recently that
the creation of the party. The inscription on North Korean workers. The symbol itself is the North Korean historians “made the in-
the outer belt reads: “The organisers of the of Chinese origin, a magical horse that is so credible discovery that revealed that Tan’gun
victory of the Korean people and the leader fast, no man can mount it. It’s an example was in fact a member of the Kim clan.” The
of the Workers Party of Korea!” All over the of how the North Korean state has incorpo- pyramid-shaped tomb of King Tan’gun,
monument is symbolism about the history of rated traditional Asian myths into its cult. located south of Pyongyang, is an impressive
the Korean nation and the birthday of Kim Kim Il-sung appropriated the myth in 1956 mausoleum that hosts the decayed bones of
Jong-il. It appeared on postage stamps in during the period of reconstruction follow- both the King and his wife. A small museum
1995 and 2005 as well as on the current 50 ing the Korean War. Known as ‘Chollima stands nearby, displaying artefacts from
Won banknote. Speed’, it depicted the speed at which North Tan’gun’s times, said to have been found in
Korean workers rebuilt their shattered na- and around the tomb.
Grand People’s Study House
This massive celebrated library on Kim
Il-sung Square is by far the country’s largest
library with a total floor space of 100,000m2,
complete with 600 rooms and the capacity
to hold up to 30 million books. Constructed
during 1982 in a traditional Korean style to
celebrate leader Kim Il-sung’s 70th birthday,
it was built with the intent of educating the
entire populace, in particular on the topic of
Juche studies! All Koreans over 17 years old
are eligible to receive free lectures on various
topics, even the English language. There are
also computers to browse the North Korean
intranet.
Ryugyong Hotel
Pyongyang’s pyramid-shaped Ryugyong
Hotel is one of the world’s most conspicuous
construction project failures. Intended to Monument to the Foundation of
be the world’s tallest hotel, it is now nearly the Workers’ Party.
as old as North Korea’s current leader Kim
Jong-un, though nobody has ever slept
here. Nearly 30 years since construction
started, the glass pyramid looms dark and
eerie in the Pyongyang night, with only a
single red light at its apex blinking a silent
warning to aircraft. Standing 105 floors high,
construction began in 1987 and was sup-
posed to be completed in just two years.
For various reasons such as the collapse
of the Soviet Union in late 1991, a major
economic crisis, and then a famine that
brought North Korea to the verge of collapse,
the hotel remains nothing but an outer shell
which was eventually completed in 2011.
Our minder informed us that the hotel will
“open soon”. With 360,000 square metres of
floor space which will include apartments
and offices along with hotel facilities, it is Grand People’s Study House.

Victorious Fatherland
Liberation War Museum.
Victorious Fatherland Liberation diorama depicting the battle of Daejon and include the Korean Revolution Museum,
War Museum the captured American helicopter from the which despite its misleading name, is focused
The colossal War Museum is one of the Korean War. on documenting the death of Kim Il-sung,
most grandeur museums in the world, and Unfortunately, no photography is allowed including a film of the extraordinary public
perhaps the very best museum in Pyongyang. anywhere inside the museum. Outside the reaction to his death. The Party Found-
After a long renovation, it opened its new museum are many war-damaged American ing Museum is a monument to the Fallen
doors in 2013 to mark the 60th anniversary tanks, weapons and aircraft, including the Soldiers of the Korean People’s Army. The
of the end of the Korean War, to tell the story most prized capture, the USS Pueblo ship Mangyongdae Revolutionary Museum and
of the Korean people’s fight against foreign that was operated by US sailors who were the Korean Central History Museum are all
invaders. In the foyer stands a massive statue held prisoner for 11 months before their rather predictable with a large number of ex-
of a young Kim Il-sung, where he looks release. The ship has been converted into a hibits showing the struggle against American
exactly like his grandson, Kim Jung-un. Or museum, and comes complete with a guide and Japanese imperialism and oppression.
rather, his grandson is trying to look just who has a triumphant Korean story about The Metro Museum depicts and glorifies the
like his revered grandfather! One of the everything related to the capture of the ship. roles of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in the
many impressive displays are the 360 degrees Other notable museums in Pyongyang construction of the Pyongyang metro.
The Ryugyong Hotel
Intended to be the world’s tallest hotel, this 30 year old building remains
nothing but a shell. Standing 105 floors high, it is now scheduled to at
last open its doors “very soon”, according to the minders. Until then, the
Ryugyong Hotel continues to be the world’s largest unoccupied building.

North Korea
The Pyongyang Metro Other attractions

For just 5 Won (less than 1 US cent), Other attractions include the Mangyong-
you can explore one of the world’s deepest dae Children’s Palace, Kim Il-sung Stadium,
subway systems (over 110 m deep) where the May Day Stadium, Mangyongdae Fun-
it takes over three minutes going down by fair, Korean National Art Gallery and several
escalator to reach the platforms. On a busy theatres such as the Mansudae Art Theatre,
day, it is reported that some of the busy sta- Pyongyang Grand Theatre, Moranbong The-
tions transfer around 700,000 people. Daily atre, East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, and the
ridership is estimated to be between 300,000 Pyongyang Circus. Don’t miss an acrobatic
and 700,000, enough proof that Pyongyang is performance in the new Pyongyang Circus.
a bustling city. The breathtaking acrobatic and trapeze acts
are performed in front of a large screen
showing the destruction of the Americans!
The Gates of Pyongyang
Around Pyongyang, take note of the old
city gates, including the Taedong Gate, Chil-
song Gate, and the Potong Gate, constructed
in the 17th and 18th centuries. The latter was
destroyed by American bombings during the
destruction of Pyongyang in the Korean War,
but was reconstructed in 1955.
Three Revolutions Exhibition

This enormous museum complex show-
cases the three revolutions of Kim Il-sung
brought about in post-war Korea: the ideo-
logical, technical, and cultural. The six halls
detail advances across the board in electron-
ics, heavy industry, light industry, agriculture
and technology (advances appear to be fairly
slim though, with all the technical exhibits
looking more like a display of antiques). The
central building, a planetarium, has a shape
resembling a spherical planet with rings
around it, similar to the planet of Saturn;
somewhat reminiscent of Florida’s Epcot
Centre theme park.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) A trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
separating the two Koreas If you have been to the South Korean
side of the border, you will know the feeling
of gazing over into North Korea; that feeling
of “I so much wish I could visit that mysteri-
ous country, though it seems so impossible”.
Once you are in North Korea and venture
down to the DMZ, staring at South Korea,
you will think out loud “Yes, and so here I
am on the other side!”.
The narrative on both sides of the border
is like black and white. There are very differ-
ent interpretations of the war that divided
these two parts of the Korean Peninsula. As
we did not see any South Korean soldiers on
the other side of the dividing line, our mind-
ers reckoned that they are too scared of the
North Korean soldiers to show their faces!
The DMZ
Between 1953 when the armistice was

signed, and 1972, thousands of South
Korean soldiers and agents infiltrated
North Korea. Since then, the north has
secured the border to such an extent
that this is now the most heavily militar-
ized border in the world.
Standing on the southern side of the

Joint Security Area (JSA) at the border,
you expect to see heavy armoury on
the north side, though nothing is visible.
Similarly, standing on the north side
of the border, there is no sign of the
military, although tourists are strictly
chaperoned into the information centre
at the “Truce Village” and then to the
JSA’s blue buildings, and swiftly back
to the bus. There is somehow an eerie
warlike-peace in the air.
The buildings on the North Korea side

display a variety of paraphernalia used
during the signing ceremony, with
guides offering lots of demeaning com-
Until 1991 the blue houses used to host negotiations between the two ments about the UN and USA participa-
Koreas and the United Nations Command. The same room is used to tion in the armistice signing.
show to tourists from both sides, obviously never at the same time!
North Korea
though both the Korean countries were 11. Our minder expressly stated that they
simultaneously admitted to the United have nothing against the American
Nations in 1991). All their maps, even people as they had many visiting Ameri-
their weather reports on television, show cans who are “very nice people”, yet
Korea as a single country. They even their propaganda is all about destroying
MY TAKE-AWAYS... provide weather for Jeju Island which America and the American homeland.
Based on my limited experience, here is is to the far south of the South Korean 12. While war propaganda is everywhere,
my honest interpretation of North Korea: peninsula. product and services advertising is almost
4. They believe the southern part of Korea is non-existent.
S
“occupied by the American Imperialists” 13. Shops are limited, and foreigners are only
pending a few days in North Korea
and the Korean people in the south are allowed to visit selected shops, mainly
opened my mind to this reclusive
greatly suffering. When I told my minder bookstores (selling mainly propaganda
society. While nothing totally
that I have been to the “southern part of but also art). These dedicated “tourist
surprised me, every day was packed with
Korea” many times and had an office in shops” only accept foreign currency and
experiences I have never had anywhere else.
Seoul, she was visibly shocked. Unfor- prices are highly inflated. Only once did
Herewith a list of my observations, much of
tunately I decided to ignore her and did we visit a supermarket where we were al-
which were gained through my experiences
not probe further to understand why she lowed to change foreign currency such as
and my interaction with our local minders,
was so shocked. From what I have read, USD, Euro, and Chinese RMB for Korean
and guides in museums.
and discussions I had with South Koreans Won. We could then buy groceries with
about unification, none were particularly Won and afterwards switch it back to a
1. For the South Koreans, the war ended excited about such prospect, for obvious
almost 70 years ago. It is nothing but reasons. My minder was in disbelief when
history. They moved on to become one of I mentioned that my friends in the south
the most advanced countries in the world, were not keen to reunite with the north.
exporting highly respected technology
5. A strong mandate among the people is
brands. On the other side of the 38th
that the “occupying American Imperial-
Parallel, the border between the north
ists” in the south of Korea must be driven
and the south, the war has never stopped. out as soon as possible, and without any
Every day the North Koreans fight the foreign intervention. The Korean penin-
war mentally and emotionally, prepar- sula must be reunified under the leader-
ing for the day when they will once again ship of the Kim dynasty.
physically fight the war. Reminders of
the war, past and future, are everywhere: 6. They are well prepared for the day of
large billboards along the streets, in book- reunification. The road south of Pyong-
stores, on television, and I bet on all other yang to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) at
media such as their own intranet (there is the border with South Korea, is referred
no internet as the rest of the world knows to as the “road to Seoul”. A train station
it), on radio, and everywhere else. Their south of Kaesong City, near the DMZ, is
referred to as “the train station to Seoul”.
mental preparedness is constantly in-
doctrinated by sound and vision across 7. Our minder explained that Kim Il-sung is
all available media. Everywhere you go, the brain, while the people are the body
people are reminded that the Americans that serves the brain. He is the father, who
must be driven out from the south, and is loved and respected above all fathers!
better yet, that the American homeland 8. The people are totally dedicated to their
should be obliterated. country and their leaders, alive or dead.
2. Propaganda focuses on the great leaders Serving and respecting their leaders (the
and their miracles, in particular Kim Il- Kim Dynasty) is paramount.
sung. Propaganda about America starting 9. They are very proud of themselves and Anti-Japanese Revolutionary
the war is rife, and now North Korea is their “total homogeneous” society where Struggle monuments at the
committed to destroying the “American foreigners are not allowed to marry Mansudae Grand Monument.
Imperialists”. Propaganda abounds about Koreans. A racial pride which I have not
the power of the North Korean military encountered anywhere in the world. The
and how it will crush the Americans, pro- product of a very successful propaganda
paganda about the happiness within the machine and indoctrination since child-
country - from the current leader Kim hood!
Jong-un to school children and families. 10. Koreans are “totally unique” and don’t need
Everybody is so happy in the utopian the outside world. They “don’t like foreign
state of Korea. movies because of too much sex and vio-
3. They believe in one Korea and never lence”. They also “don’t like foreign music,
refer to North Korea and South Korea as as it just does not appeal to them”. All in
separate and autonomous countries (even line with the Juche ideology of Kim Il-sung.
foreign currency at the same rate as we
bought the Won.
14. Everybody wears a lapel pin above their
heart with portraits of one or both dead
leaders. They received the pin at a special
ceremony and must protect it and care for
it, even placing it every night in its special
container. Foreigners can get such a pin if
they attend “the special ceremony”.
15. Even though Pyongyang is home to most
of Korea’s elite, which means family of
the government and military as well as
intellectuals such as teachers and scien-
tists, smart phones are hard to spot. In
the metro, nobody is staring at a mobile
phone. The internet is not accessible but
Korea has developed their own internal
intranet, a network limited to govern-
ment-approved North Korean websites
with, I can imagine, lots of propaganda. Propaganda is everywhere.
Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National

Reunification at the end of the Tongil Expressway
outside Pyongyang. Mansudae Assembly Hall.
Entrance gate at the Korean War Museum. Apartment building.
Kim Il-sung Square.

North Korea
16. Photography is not much restricted and hard to know as they seem so self-assured So elaborate and extravagant it is that
there was not one instance where my and spit out a slew of statistics and dates even the North Koreans don’t allow
minder told me not to take a photo. Just to support their claims. photography. In the spectacular foyer
remember, no photos of buildings under 22. Kids on the streets always wear their is a massive golden-coloured statue of
construction (because they are incom- school uniform, which is the same for all youthful Kim Il-sung, looking just like his
plete and not ready to be shown to the school kids, complete with neck scarf. grandchild, Kim Jong-un, who is now ac-
world), and no photos of soldiers (as They never seem to be relieved from por- tively modelling himself after his revered
they don’t like to be photographed). Also, traying an image of kids going to school. grandfather. The American “atrocities”
no photos of poor people because “such are explained in the finest details, their
23. Some buses on the streets of Pyongyang
photos will only be used to show North captured warfare and soldiers with each
have a long strip of stars that goes halfway
Korea in a negative way”. I never did have “intrusion” concluded by an apology by
or all around the bus. It was explained
a chance to take photos of obviously poor the American Government, and rows
that the driver gets a star for every
people, except for the people along the of marble busts of Korean heroes who
accident-free year of driving the bus.
train tracks which certainly did not look fought for the freedom of the Koreans in
Obviously, some bus drivers have devoted
too well-off, though nobody stopped me the north.
their lives to the same bus, with a flawless
from taking the photos. 25. Around the city are many impressive and
driving record.
17. When photographing any statues of elaborate community buildings, sports fa-
24. Museums in Pyongyang are impressive,
the leaders, you are not allowed to only cilities, theatres, museums, and even two
and that’s an understatement. The newly
capture part of the statue, such as the bust round circus buildings. The playgrounds
renovated and enlarged Korean War
or head. The entire statue must be in the of the elite.
Museum, also known as the Victorious
photo-frame. While I played by the rules, 26. According to the North Koreans, there
War Museum or Victorious Fatherland
nobody asked to see the photos in my are 90 million of them: 20 million live in
Liberation War Museum and not to be
camera. the north (North Korea), 50 million live
confused with the Sinchon Museum of
18. While 1 USD gets you 1,180 Korean Won, American War Atrocities, is probably the in the south (South Korea) and 20 million
a metro train ticket costs a mere 5 Won. most impressive museum I have seen in currently live outside the country. “In to-
19. Many traffic intersections have full-time my life. As you walk in, you may think tal, we are 90 million people”, our minder
traffic ladies, impeccably dressed like sail- you are walking into a Saudi palace! reminded us.
ors, complete with white gloves and ro-
botic movements. Should they detect an
official black car coming down the road, a After a few interesting days in Pyongyang, including a trip down to the DMZ on the border
swift and robotic salute will follow. Roads with South Korea, it was time to take the train back to China.
carry few vehicles, even in the city during
As our train crossed over the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge and into China, we all erupted
rush hour. However, the traffic lady will
always perform her duties with the great- into joyful cheers and applause. I have never been so happy to be back in Communist
est dedication, such intense movements China, which suddenly felt like the land of boundless freedom!
that they change shifts every 60 minutes. Back at China’s Dandong Train Station I had the relative freedom to take five photos of a
On the very lonely road from Pyongyang
group of soldiers, before they yelled “No photo!” at me. I then realised that China remains
to Kaesong City near the DMZ, such a
traffic lady was spotted at an intersection China, and that the sooner I get to a country of true freedom, the better. When I arrived in
in the middle of nowhere, apparently New York City, I pointed my camera at an unknown building and there it was: “No photos
to direct traffic should an official enter please”, a security guard kindly informed me.
the road from a nearby military housing
complex.
20. Newspapers or any print media with a
photo of the leaders (dead or alive) must
be handled with great respect. They can’t
be torn, mistreated, or folded. Must be
carefully rolled up. Not sure how you
would discard of such a “holy” newspaper!
21. When you listen to the minders or mu-
seum guides talking about the miracles
and achievements of their leaders, and
the constant apologies they have received
from the Americans after their isolated
intrusions into the north, you can’t help
but wonder if these people know very
well that they are telling lies but have no
choice, or if they are so brainwashed that
they truly believe everything they say. Its Dandong, China, moments before “NO PHOTO!”.

The North Koreans are very proud of
their cold noodle dishes.
For more photos of North Korea, visit:

www.GlobeRovers-Magazine.com/north-korea
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Getting There Getting Around Photography

The gateway to North Korea is Dandong, Leave the getting around to your Korean Rules and regulations are fluid, so what
in southeastern Liaoning province, China. minders, who will meet you at the Pyong- is permissible now may be restricted
Most travellers get to Dandong by the yang train station and literally never let tomorrow. Enforcement of the rules also
overnight train from Beijing. A shorter jour- you wander too far out of sight. Just relax depends on your minders and guides. The
ney by fast train is via Dalian or Shenyang. as they arrange everything: transport, better the relationship you have with them,
On the morning of departure, meet your sightseeing, food, everything. It may be the more lenient they will be. Extra long
fellow travellers and guides in front of the the only trip in your life where you really lenses (250mm+) are forbidden. Don’t
main entrance of the Dandong train sta- don’t have to worry about where to go and take photos of the military or construction
tion. It is possible to fly into Pyongyang. how to get there. Sit back and enjoy! sites without permission.
When to Go Where to Stay Packing

North Korea is known for grand celebra- Choosing a hotel will depend on the Pack your cameras and smartphones and
tions which may include mass dances budget option you choose. Tour packages don’t worry about being searched. Don’t
and military parades. There are many vary from “ultra budget” to “luxury”, as have questionable photos and absolutely
national holidays and festivals to choose does the small selection of hotels permit- no travel guidebooks of North Korea, or re-
from. Summers are very hot, and winters ted to accommodate foreigners. Neither ligious materials. Dress conservatively, but
are brutally cold, though any time of the the ultra budget nor the luxury options are smart casual to visit Kumsusan Memorial
year is exciting! extreme. Palace and Mansudae Grand Monument.
Dining Out Train Journeys Cost of Travel

Restaurant selections will depend on The Korean State Railway covers 6,000 North Korea is not a cheap destination as
whether you are on a budget or luxury km of track. Your first taste will be the you will most likely book through a China-
tour. I experienced the “budget tour” and exciting five-hour journey from Dandong, based agency with a representative trav-
the food was perfectly fine. Again, you China, to Pyongyang. You could arrange elling with you, alongside the local North
will just follow your tour guides and won’t a chaperoned train journey to the north- Korean agency’s minders, car and driver,
have any opportunities to select your own east and then exit into Russia and con- and museum guides. They all take a nice
restaurant or coffee shop, if you see any! tinue onwards to Vladivostok, Russia. cut, passing on the costs to the travellers.

10 F acts about North Korea
weird
1 Pyongyang
only for the elite
Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is by far
the most populated with over three million resi-
dents. The second biggest city has 559,000 souls.
When travelling around Pyongyang, there are no

obvious signs of poverty or malnutrition. Over-
weight school kids are common. The people look
happy while enjoying their picnics in the parks.
Couples dressed up pose for cameramen with
expensive Japanese equipment.
Fact is: Pyongyang is not representative of North

Korea. City residents are the privileged elite who
live worlds apart from ordinary citizens. They are
beneficiaries of a class system based on being
born into a privileged family with a history of politi-
cal loyalty or bloodline linked to the Kim Dynasty.
Kim Jong-un takes special care of the elite!
2 Propaganda
everywhere 3 Statues
everywhere 4 Monuments
everywhere
Propaganda is everywhere: in the With well over 500 large statues Along with the multitudinous small, big
media; along the roadside; on the build- erected in honour of the great lead- and very big statues, come innumer-
ings; in the trains; even on the TV when ers, and an additional 35,000+ smaller able monuments, arches, and towers.
foreign visitors are having breakfast! statues and busts (though who knows Hard to even guess the number of
exactly?), it could take a long time to monuments all over the country. Appar-
Propaganda focuses on the great visit each statue, if you really desire to ently many are at risk of vandalization
leaders and their miracles, the need to accomplish such a feat. by starving Koreans!
unify the Koreas under the Kims, how
America started the war, how strong the The two 22.5 metres tall statues at Among the most prominent in Pyong-
North Korean military is, and how they Pyongyang’s Mansudae are the tallest yang is the Tower of the Juche Ideol-
will destroy the “American Imperialists”. of them all. ogy, Triumphal Arch, Monument to the
Propaganda pieces make great photos Korean Workers Party, Arch of Reuni-
and it is fun to decipher the cartoon The Mansudae Art Studio, with about fication, Chollima, Monument to the
designs. North Koreans have a sense 4,000 staff, create large statues for Victorious Fatherland Liberation War
of humour! export to dictators around the world. and the list goes on and on and on.
5 Juche Ideology
and not Communism 6 World’s Biggest
and “the best” 7 Museum
masterpieces
North Korea is not a communist state. North Korea loves boasting about hav- North Korea has no shortage of mu-
Kim Il-sung decided to create his ing the biggest and the best! Several seums, and as expected, propaganda
own personal national ideology which structures are indeed the biggest or is their focus. Though let us give the
he called “Juche”. In 1972, Juche tallest in the world, but many of the North Koreans credit: they are masters
replaced Marxism–Leninism though records used for propaganda are in the art of creating statues, monu-
Juche was explained as a “creative often more fake than fact. Guides and ments, and museums. The museums
application” of communism. minders love mentioning “this building in Pyongyang are nothing less than
was built in the shortest time for any masterpieces, unrivalled in grandeur
In the constitutional revision of 1992 building of its size anywhere”. Many and detail. The Victorious Fatherland
and in 1998 (4 years after his death structures are embedded with special Liberation War Museum is one such
in 1994), Kim’s personal cult ideology meaning, such as the Juche Tower brilliant masterpiece. Others include
came into full force, so all reference containing 25,550 blocks, one for each the Korean Art Gallery, Korean Revolu-
to Marx-Leninism was removed. The day of Kim Il-sung’s life. Pyongyang’s tion Museum, Central History Museum,
Juche ideology emphasizes political, May Day Stadium is indeed the big- Jonsung Revolutionary Museum, Man-
economic, and military self-reliance. gest in the world with 114,000 seats. sudae Art Studio Gallery, and more!
8 Wide Roads
with no vehicles 9 Fancy Cuisines
for tourists and the elite 10 1,000 Volvos
never paid for
The lonely extra-wide, poorly main- It is hard to think about cuisines of Over the years, long lists of bizarre
tained, highways of North Korea are North Korea when the fact is that most facts about North Korea have been
the face of the 3% of paved roads, people barely have anything nutritious compiled. While it is hard to verify the
compared to the 92% of paved roads to eat. Staple foods vary by region, authenticity of all the claims, in North
in South Korea. While most North Ko- but meals often include cold noodles Korea anything bizarre is normally bi-
reans don’t have the financial means to (Naung-myon), tofu, short-grain zarrely true. Such is the case with the
afford a vehicle, even if they did have, rice and porridge. If lucky, they may fact that in the 1970s, under the rule of
restrictions are tight which means few eat poultry, beef and seafood. Side Kim Il-sung, the North Korean govern-
would get permission to travel outside dishes, including kimchi, are tangy, ment purchased 1,000 Volvo 144 GL’s
the capital. Even travel within the city is salty, or spicy and are often fermented from Sweden. The cars were delivered
restricted. The only traffic on highways to add taste. Restaurants seem to be but never paid for. Apparently, the total
outside the city are official vehicles and limited in Pyongyang, though tour- unpaid bill for Volvo and other Swed-
those of chaperoned foreign travellers. ists are shuttled around grand “tourist ish firms currently amounts to about
Pyongyang has a few vehicles on the restaurants” where they sometimes US$330 million! These Volvos are still
road, and no traffic jams. get to mingle with the local elite. on the roads!
41
What is Shark Finning?
Finning is the process of cutting off the fins of a shark and discarding the body at sea. This wasteful and often cruel practice contradicts
all principles of sustainable shark fisheries management and conservation.
Why are Sharks Vulnerable to Exploitation?

The life history of sharks is typical of top predators, and completely different to most commercial fish, which mature early and produce
vast numbers of tiny eggs. In comparison, most sharks grow slowly, mature late and give birth to a few large pups after a long gestation
period. Consequently, shark populations decline rapidly when targeted by fisheries and recover slowly, if at all. Shark populations may
continue to decline, potentially to unviable levels with species becoming regionally extinct. There are now 126 species of chondrichthyan
fish listed in a Threat category on the IUCN’s Red List, with a further 107 species listed as Near Threatened.
Why Oppose Shark Finning?

• Although some sharks are killed before finning (a live shark represents a danger on board), many are still alive when their fins are
cut off, and are thrown back into the sea alive to die.
• Finning is hugely wasteful - wet fins typically represent less than 5% of a shark’s body weight and discarded carcasses could provide
a valuable protein source, particularly in developing countries.
• The environmental impact of removing large numbers of sharks from ocean ecosystems is hugely complex and unpredictable. Most
sharks are top predators and scientists believe sharks play a key role in marine ecosystems by keeping their prey populations in
check. Removing this control is likely to have a damaging effect on marine ecosystems.
• Today many shark populations are experiencing a downward spiral of reduced populations due to increasing fishing pressure and
increasing prices. Over the last 15 years some Atlantic shark populations have declined by up to 90%. However due to the covert
nature of the fin trade fins originating from illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fisheries means that we have likely underesti-
mated the effect on global shark populations.
Finning Facts
• Hong Kong is the world’s shark fin trading centre, accounting for 50-80% of fins traded worldwide. Currently the EU supplies 27%
of all fins imported into Hong Kong.
• Sharks’ life history makes them vulnerable to exploitation – for example, Basking Sharks take 15-20 years to mature, have a 2-3 year
gestation period and produce only 4–6 pups.
• Wet fins typically represent < 5% of a shark’s body weight.
• Some Atlantic shark populations have declined by up to 90% in the last 15 years.
• Sets of fins can sell for more than US$700/kg, with Hammerhead Shark fins among the most valuable by weight.
• A single Whale Shark pectoral fin can sell for up to US$15,000.
• Global trade in shark fins is increasing, and the market for shark fin soup is estimated to be growing by 5% per year.
• The EU’s fin to carcass ratio is among the weakest in the world.
• A third of European sharks, and a total of 126 species of chondrichthyan fish are listed under a Threat category on the IUCN Red
List, with a further 107 species Near Threatened.
Find out more at: www.sharktrust.org/finning
How can you help? www.stopsharkfinning.net/help-stop-shark-finning
SOURCE: www.stopsharkfinning.net
43
45
Photo Essay
A L A S K A, USA

America’s
arctic state
Alaska
Kenai Peninsula - Anchorage to Homer and beyond
A
laska has a surface area of roughly 1.718 mil-
lion km² which is unfathomable to most of us,
but certainly bigger than you ever imagined.
You know California is big! Well, you could
fit California into Alaska four times! You also
know that Texas is bigger than California. Guess what? You
could fit Texas into Alaska twice! Alaska is bigger than Texas,
California, and Montana combined! Rhode Island is America’s
smallest state and can fit into Alaska 425 times. From north
to south, Alaska measures 2,285 kilometres, the distance
from Denver City to Mexico City. That’s far!
Now that we realise how big Alaska is, we should also know
that most of Alaska has no roadways and only 20% of Alaska’s
roads are paved. Due to a lack of roads, much of Alaska is
practically unreachable but you can charter a seaplane to
many areas as Alaska has about 3 million lakes larger than
81,000 m² each.
Lets start by exploring Alaska by car and stay on the road

from Anchorage up north to the rugged Denali National Park
where we will find Alaska’s highest peak (6,190 m), Mount
Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley). We then head
south along the rugged Kenai Fjords National Park with its
many glaciers all the way down to the Homer Spit on the
southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. We board a small boat to
Kachemak Bay State Park to check out Halibut Cove and then
travel further southwest to the remote Seldovia Village.
Photo Essay l Alaska, USA | 47

Denali
National Park

Denali National Park
With a size of almost 24,300 km² of Alaska’s interior wilderness, the Denali National Park is a mix of forest
at the lowest elevations, tundra at middle elevations, and massive glaciers, rocks, and snow at the high-
est elevations. Its most famous resident is Mount Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley) the highest
mountain peak in North America (6,190 m). Its impressive Kahiltna Glacier is about 71 km in length. Look
out for Denali’s Big Five: the moose, bear, wolves, Dali sheep, and the caribou. Denali also hosts the red
fox, squirrels, collard pika, marmots, wolverines, voles, hares and many more!

ALASKA, USA
Bear Glacier in the Kenai Mountains

located in the Kenai Fjords National Park.
Holgate Glacier, Kenai Fjords National

Park near Seward.

East of Bear Glacier.
Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park.

Portage Glacier and Portage Lake.
Steller sea lions near Whittier.

Glacier near Whittier.
Steller sea lions, Kenai Fjords National Park.

Bald eagle, Ninilchik Snowy owl, Anchorage.
Bird rookery with black-footed kittiwake (front) and the common murre (back). As many as 20,000 seabirds build
nests in the craggy rock faces and cliffs of Gull Island on the south side of Kachemak Bay near the Homer spit.
Others include the glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic cormorants, red-faced cormorants, puffins and pigeon guillemots.

Bird rookery at Gull Island Horned puffin, Seward.
Kachemak Bay.
Alaskan moose near Homer.

ALASKA, USA

Steller sea lions, Kenai Fjords National Park
The Steller (or northern) sea lion is the largest of the eared seals
(otariidae) family. California sea lions can often be seen and heard
among the Steller sea lions in the southeastern Alaskan waters.
The Steller sea lion is much bigger, more blondish, and has a
shorter snout than their Californian cousins. The Steller males
also have a broad upper torso with a “mane” while their cousins
can’t claim this! The Stellers also have a much longer life span
(30+ years) while the Californian sea lions live 15+ years.

A lonely road outside Seldovia village in Kenai Peninsula Borough.
Sea otters drift around in Kachemak Bay near Seldovia village. During 2015/16 hundreds of them died for
some unconfirmed reasons. The likely culprit is the bacterium Streptococcus infantarius subspecies coli which
causes encephalitis in otters, or a host of other bacteria which flourish in the warming waters. An unknown
virus has also been suspected. The Kachemak Bay otter population was estimated to be around 6,000 in
2012. It is not known how many are left today.

Halibut Cove, Kenai Peninsula Borough, famous for its floating U.S. Post Office.
Halibut Cove, Kenai Peninsula Borough.

ALASKA, USA
Mt. Redoubt Volcano.

Sunset over Cook Inlet and Mt. Redoubt Volcano
Mount Redoubt, is an active stratovolcano in the volcanic Aleutian Range which is the
long skinny “Alaskan spit” piece of land jutting out in a southwesterly direction towards
the Bering Sea. The best, and safest view of the active Mount Redoubt is from the
Alaska native village of Ninilchik across the Cook Inlet. Mount Redoubt was violently
active during March and April of 2009 sending out plumes of smoke and ash clouds up
13,700 m into the air. The smoke was accompanied by several earthquakes.

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63
Peggy’s Cove
COSY
Nova Scotia, Canada

Words by Jonathan Maister, a Markham (Canada) based writer and adventurer.
Photos courtesy of Amanda Williams and Tourism Nova Scotia
Nestled at the eastern edge of St. lineage. She later married a local whale watching are both options for
Margaret’s Bay, 43 kilometres south of resident and the cove was named enjoyment on the ocean itself, while
Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a village well after her. beaches, golfing and birding await
worth visiting. It is a veritable mecca The nearby region boasts an envi- those who prefer to enjoy the ocean
for photographers and artists alike able list of temptations for the intrepid panorama from terra firma.
and the jewel in the crown of Cana- tourist. Scenic harbours and coves The community of Peggy’s Cove
da’s maritime majesty. await discovery, each more breath- itself is pristine, cosy and quaint. Strict
Welcome to Peggy’s Cove. taking than the next. This is a hiker’s rules govern further development to
paradise and you will also enjoy the ensure the area remains affordable
This is a coastline destination
warmth of the local residents, many for local residents. It also assures the
where you are assured of a whisk in
of whom still live off the ocean’s visitor a sojourn to a destination free
the face from the ocean wind as well
bounty as fisherman. Kayaking and of kitsch, glitz and commercialism.
as from the wonder of the breathtak-
ing beauty. Whether it’s the whisper-
ing of the waves, the rhapsody of the
rocks held petrified amidst the tectonic
turbulence of an earlier time, or the
interface of them both in poetic tidal
symphony, you will be mesmerized by
nature at its finest.
Behold the beauty of Canada’s
eastern shore!
The history of the bay is as intrigu-
ing as it is breathtaking. Lore has it
that Canada’s iconic explorer, Samuel
de Champlain, named the bay after
his mother Marguerite (French for
Margaret). Hence the name of the
cove, Peggy’s Cove (Peggy being
short for Margaret). Other legends
suggest that a forlorn young ship-
wrecked girl was adopted and named
Peggy by a kindly family, and that she
was either too young or too trauma-
tised by her experience to recall her Photo: Amanda Williams
64 Globerovers l ·December
Globerovers December2017
2017
You will see Peggy’s Cove with its and shifting and carrying soil and
famed lighthouse, character homes vegetation. Glacial scourings were
and rugged beauty the way it should
be, unfettered by all that so often
blemishes the beauty of other similar
filled by the waters, contrasting the
rocky brown edges with the blues and
greens of the ocean and the whites of
Canada
destinations. the wave-crests.
This village has been inhabited The mighty hand of the artist that
since 1811 when the Nova Scotian sculpted these wondrous sites cre- Rockies, the soaring Alps as well as
government granted six families some ated a place that virtually mutes any the stunning Cape of Good Hope, I
800 acres to settle on. The land and attempt to use words to do it real can state honestly that Peggy’s Cove
waters provided livelihood for farmers justice. ranks among the best that nature has
and fisherfolk alike. While the num- to offer.
As a traveller and writer who has
ber of local residents has waxed and seen the Cabot Trail of Nova Sco- Be sure to include this idyllic re-
waned over the years, the number of tia’s Cape Breton Island, the mighty gion on your to-do list!
tourists has grown, clearly an indica-
tion of all that this pristine area has to
offer.
The rugged beauty of the region
has prompted authorities to declare
it a special preservation area. Pro-
tecting it is a priority. Endeavours to
preserve it contrast mightily with the
Geo-tectonics that saw earth, ocean
and ice sculpt the artistry of nature
for over 400 million years to what it is
today.
During the Devonian Period, shifts
in the earth’s crust permitted molten
matter to flow to the surface. Over the
eons this hardened to form the rocks
we see today. Further rendering came
from the great glaciers that bulldozed
their way ever so slowly across North Photo: Tourism Nova Scotia
America, shaping the topography
Photo: Amanda Williams
Photo Credits
Amanda Williams:
www.dangerous-business.com Photo: Tourism Nova Scotia
Social Media: @dangerousbiz
Tourism Nova Scotia
www.novascotia.com Nova Scotia More information at:
Twitter, IG, Pinterest: @VisitNovaScotia Canada www.explorenovascotia.com
Facebook: @novascotia
Youtube: NovaScotiaTourism
Contribution l Canada |65
65
Article
Myanmar
Akhu women at Wan Sai village, east of Kyaingtong.

Hill Tribes of
Myanmar’s Shan State
Akhu ♦ Akha ♦ Lahu ♦ Lahushi ♦ Ann ♦ Wa ♦ Loi
Myanmar’s “Wild East” has now been tamed so it is safe to visit. Adventurous travellers
come here to hike to remote hill tribes, not yet affected by mass tourism.
W hile Myanmar is not

considered to be one of
the most ethnic and cul-
turally diverse countries
in the world, it certainly offers some of the
most approachable and friendliest people on
our planet!
What truly sets Shan State apart from
the rest, is the historic cultural influence
from its neighbours, particularly China and
Thailand.
The Shan people, who dominate this
state culturally and economically, arrived in
this area along with the Mongols when the
With no less than 135 distinct ethnic Pagan Kingdom (the first Burmese empire:
groups officially recognised by the local 849 to 1287) fell to the Mongols in the 13th
government (which excludes their much century. The Mongol invasion was launched
persecuted Rohingya people), the Bamar after the last true ruler of Pagan, King
people account for almost 70% of the total Narathihapate (who reigned 1254 to 1287)
population. Second in population numbers refused to pay tribute to Kublai Khan, the
“Great Khagan of the Mongol Empire”. The
are the Shan people, followed by the Kayin,
Mongols, under Kublai, delivered a crush-
Rakhine, Chinese, Mon, Kachin and several
ing defeat at the “Battle of Ngasaunggyan”
smaller groups such as the Wa, Lahu, and
(1277), followed by the Battle of Bhamo
Palaung
(1283) and the
Shan State, Shan State, in particular the “Golden Triangle” Battle of Pagan
located in the
central far east- which spans across Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, (1287), which
then brought
ern part of the has a rich, yet tumultuous history! an end to the
country, is the Pagan Kingdom
largest administrative region of Myanmar. and the construction of the temples at their
Covering an area of almost 156,000 square capital, Bagan.
kilometres, this state shares international Along with the victorious Mongols came
borders with China to the north, Laos to the Shan people who made this part of the
the east, and Thailand to the south. With world their new home and quickly domi-
an estimated population of almost 6 mil- nated much of the eastern and northern
lion people, it is the fourth most populated regions of Myanmar. They claimed much of
region after the Yangon Region, the Ayeyar- the fertile lands and became powerful land-
wady Region, and the Mandalay Region. lords, dominating all other ethnic groups.
Article l Myanmar | 67
At the time when the British took over to as Kengtung or Keng Tung). Located the-beaten-track” destination among intrepid
Burma, which lasted from 1824 to 1948, east of the Salween River, at the crossroads travellers who crave authentic experiences
there were 18 major Shan states ruled by of trade routes to neighbouring Thailand, unaffected by western values. However,
royals, and 25 lesser states ruled by other of- Laos and China’s Yunnan province, it is the tourism remained insignificant prior to the
ficials. When the border lines with Thailand largest town in eastern Shan State and was victory of Aung San Suu Kyi in the 2015
were drawn up, the eastern states became once known as the capital of the “Golden elections and her subsequent role of State
part of Thailand, while the central and west- Triangle”. Counsellor in April 2016. Since then, Myan-
ern states paid tribute to British Burma. During British rule, it was an important mar has seen an increase in foreign tourism,
After independence from Britain, the British administrative outpost, as the leftover though the Kyaingtong region still hosts an
Shan people engaged in a military struggle colonial buildings can attest. insignificant number of tourists. Mong La
to gain more autonomy from the Burmese- near the Chinese border and its surrounding
areas remain off limits to foreigners as well
Myanmar government. However, by 1996 With few visiting foreigners, as Myanmar citizens who don’t have a valid
most groups had signed a peace treaty with
the Yangon government, promising more excluding Thais from across reason to visit.
autonomy to the various ethnic groups. the border, the Kyaingtong One reason for the limited arrivals in
The ethnic minorities, such as the Wa, Kyaingtong, is the rebel activities in the
Palaung (Ta’ang), Akhu (Akhe), Akha, Lisu,
area remains virgin territory wider region. Foreigners are presently not al-
Lahu, La (Ka-La), Loi (Ka Wo), Ann (Eng), to intrepid travellers! lowed to travel overland to Kyaingtong from
Pa O, and others who mostly arrived from other major tourist hubs in Myanmar such
Tibet and China, were forced to mainly Decades of an ethnic insurgency, a brutal as Yangon, Mandalay, Inle Lake, or the state
inhabit the green rolling hills around Shan military rule, and smuggler economies, have capital Taunggyi. However, the road leading
State, hence becoming known as the “hill left much of the region impoverished and from northern Thailand is currently open to
tribes”. under-developed. The region is known for tourists.
Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, is its trafficking of resources, people, drugs and It is reported that fewer than 5,000
located about 260 km to the south-southeast endangered species. Mong La, at the Chinese foreigners (most are Thai day-trippers) have
of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city border, is a shabby border town which has ventured into Shan State from across the
after Yangon. grown to become a key hub of trade in en- Friendship Bridge at Thailand’s most north-
dangered animals and animal products. It is ern town of Mae Sai. Few visitors continue
Just over 400 km to the far eastern part
known as one of Southeast Asia’s largest open north to Kyaingtong.
of the state, lies Kyaingtong (also referred
wildlife markets where rare animals, many of Travel from within Myanmar can only
which are protected by international treaties, be undertaken by a domestic flight, mainly
are sold to Chinese buyers.
Getting here
limited to departures from Yangon, Heho,
Since the region opened to foreign tour- and Mandalay. In the rainy (or green) season,
ism in 1993, it has become an appealing “off- the number of flights is reduced.
Getting to Kyaingtong has
limited options:
• Currently, foreigners are not
permitted to travel to Kyaing-
tong by road from elsewhere in
Myanmar.
• Most visitors arrive here by
plane, either from Yangon,
Mandalay, or Heho near Inle
Lake.
• The only arrivals by land are
across the Friendship Bridge
from Mae Sai in northern Thai-
land to Tachileik in Myanmar.
• From Tachileik take the lim-
ited bus service, a shared, or
private taxi for the 4-5-hour
journey which winds its way
through a narrow and pictur-
esque river valley.
• Mann Yadanarpon Airlines has
limited flights from Tachileik to
Kyaingtong. “Yat Thaw Mu” Buddha Statue. Watin Monastery and temple.
Myanmar
Kyaingtong Kyaingtong
Highlights
PLEASANT CITY OF KYAINGTONG
Kyaingtong has several Here you can chill out for several days,
interesting attractions: enjoying the food and friendly people.
T
• At One Tree Hill is a solitary 264 he city of Kyaingtong – mean- the palace was the home of the Saophas
year old tree named Thit Ta Bin ing “Walled City of Tung”, was (meaning “lord of the heavens” or “lord of
Taung and is 66 metres high. Visit founded during the migration the sky” hereditary rulers) of Kyaingtong,
the nearby Zawmmoon Matyan period of the Chiang Mai dynasty (which be- until they were driven out, exiled or arrested
Monastery. came known as the Lanna Kingdom) in the during a military coup in 1962.
• On a hill Opposite Naung Tung is 13th century. Other cities founded around Sadly, this beautiful historical palace
a 20 metres high Buddha statue the same time include Chiang Rai and Chi- was demolished by the Burmese army in
pointing across town. ang Mai in northern Thailand, and Yunnan’s 1991 and made way for the construction of
Jinghong city. Reminiscent of Chiang Mai, the “Amazing Kengtong Resort” in 1996,
• Naung Tung Lake in the middle of Kyaingtong city was once surrounded by owned by the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels
town is a great place to sit out- a moat and and Tourism. The
side at night, eating, drinking and earthen forti- Yangon-based
people watching. fied wall with Kyaingtong city is built around a small lake, group, Amazing
• Watin Monastery and its temple is twelve impos- surrounded by rice fields and rolling green Holidays Hotels &
a peaceful, and beautiful retreat ing gates. Only Resorts, acquired
from the hot sun. one of these, hills - home to the friendly hill tribes. a 70 year lease on
the Pa Leng the property in
• The Kyaingtong morning market
Gate, is still standing. Find it next to the local 2015. If the palace had not been demolished,
is a beehive of activity, particularly
authorities’ Mother and Childcare Depart- this beautiful building would probably have
in the morning. Here you can buy
ment and nearby Princess Hotel. been restored by now and could have been a
anything you need, especially
fresh exotic fruits. Enjoy a bowl of The Kyaingtong Palace was built by Sao major tourist attraction.
Shan noodles at one of the many Kawng Kiao Intaleng (the 40th Prince of While Kyaingtong is a peaceful place
small restaurants. Kyaingtong) between 1905 and 1906 after be- nowadays, and hopefully for the foreseeable
ing inspired to build an imperial Indian-style future, during its most recent history it was
• Near the Kyaingtong Resort Hotel, palace during his trip to India. Built from a volatile region affected by the now rather
look out for the old city walls and a huge teakwood logs, featuring minarets and peaceful United Wa State Army (UWSA)
city gate. intricately carved lacquered teak interiors, to the northeast and the less peaceful Shan
Naung Tung Lake in Kyaingtong town.

Myanmar
State Army (SSA) who are still active to the the Myanmar government so you will come
north and northwest of Kyaingtong. Clashes across some Bamar-speaking people em-
between the Tatmadaw (armed forces of ployed by the government, such as the police,
Myanmar) and the SSA in late 2015 displaced military, and their families.
thousands of Shan, Palaung, Lisu and Lahu Situated in the centre of a wide valley,
people causing a new humanitarian crisis. the picturesque town with some 170,000
“The larvae of the wasp

inhabitants is surrounded by three main hills
with a rectangular teardrop-shaped Naung
Tung Lake at the centre. A beautiful loca-
are fried in oil and spices tion indeed. It is a pleasant town to walk
through and to mix with the friendly locals at
Wasps and Larvae and taste like honey. the many eateries around town, particularly
Delicious!” those around the lake’s shore.
There is little sign of new construction
At the Kyaingtong morning market look Kyaingtong is rather remote within
around town even though it is increasingly
out for the wasp nests, complete with Myanmar and not as Burmese as you may
live larvae. benefiting from cross-trades with China and
think. In fact, it is more Chinese and Thai
Thailand.
and it is not what you may have seen or
The wasps (Vespa auraria) make their experienced in places like Yangon, Mandalay, A few colonial houses can be seen around
nests underground and sometimes in and Bagan. Few local Shan women or even the lake and old teak houses line the wind-
trees where they are smoked out by women of any of the hill tribes wear the usual ing streets around the stupas at the top of
the local hill tribes at night. The wasps, de rigueur thanakha paste on their faces. You the hill. Still standing outside the northern
particularly the larger type (called “Thor” won’t see many men in their longyis any- corner walls of the hotel is a beautiful, albeit
by the Shan people) prefer the hills and more, and neither will you find the popular dilapidated, colonial house. During the
forests while the smaller wasps (“Than”) Burmese food restaurants which you may administration of the Kyaingtong princes or
live in the valley. Thor is able to deliver have grown to enjoy in the big cities. “Saohpas”, this house was called “Haw Hong”
a very potent sting, so collectors are If you can detect the differences in (Northern Palace). Apparently, the owner left
careful not to be stung. spoken language, you will also realise that this house for his caretaker to maintain, and
very few people speak Bamar, the Burmese here the story ends… According to a local
The nests are then brought to the mar- language. The urban population and the vil- guide, they are not allowed to say anything
ket for sale at high prices that vary by lages are spread out across the fertile valleys. about this house.
the season. The larger Thor are more They mainly speak the eastern Shan dialect, Near the Amazing Kengtong Resort, look
expensive than the smaller Than. which is quite similar to Thai. Kyaingtong out for the Maha Myat Muni pagoda, known
is still an important administrative town for in Shan and Thai as Wat Phra Jao Lung,
Look closely as it seems the rows of
larvae, still alive in their hexagonal- BBQ at Naung Tung Lake in Kyaingtong.
ly-shaped cells, move in rhythm with the
sound of the market!
Only the larvae are eaten, and not the

wasp, and tend to be more popular
among the older generation than the
young people.
The larvae are never eaten raw, but

rather fried in a dash of oil and spices,
and enjoyed as a snack. No part of the
larvae is removed. It is reported to be
“very delicious, and tastes like honey”.

Zawmmoon Matyan Monastery at Big Tree on One Tree Hill.
which is home to a replica of the revered are particularly popular, complete with their prices. Stock up on fruits, dried fish, and
Mandalay statue. short-legged tables and baby chairs. You will other snacks.
Constructed during the 13th century, the feel as if you are sitting in a doll-house! Don’t forget some medicines (such a pain
intrinsic Wat Jom Kham (or Zom Kham) and In the mornings before heading out to relievers and “Tiger Balm” cream) for the
its adjacent Watin Monastery, are believed to the hill tribes, drop by the bustling Central tribes and healthy snacks for the kids. They
enshrine six hairs of the Buddha, left behind Market which is the commercial centre certainly will highly appreciate every bit you
after he prophesied the city’s establishment. of town. Here you can find dried will bring their way.
frogs and several types of dried
High on a hill overlooking the city, stands Avoid any over-packaged
the 20 metres high military-built Buddha
worms, as well as live larvae FAST FACT
goods to limit the amount
of the vespa auraria wasp Kyaingtong has been a of garbage created in the
statue pointing across the town. The statue is
(hornet), still encased in
their paper nest compart- forbidden area for foreign villages. Bring back all
lit up at night and can be seen from afar.
Also towering over the city at One Tree ments and seemingly tourists until recently due to packagingtake into
materials you
the village and
Hill is a solitary 264 year old tree (named moving in tandem with
Thit Ta Bin Taung in Burmese or Kanyin the rhythm of the market. conflict between the Burm- dispose of it in the town’s
Phyu in Shan) which reaches 66 metres high, Stop by at one of the many ese army, Shan rebels garbage bins.
with an upper girth of 11m and lower girth small eateries inside the At the market look out
of 12m. market to taste the famous
and opium cartels.
for the colourful hill-tribe
At dusk, a popular retreat for the locals is spicy Shan noodle soup as well as women who come here to trade
one of the many restaurants and small eater- the pork ball noodle soup. their produce. Money chargers sit around at
ies and drinking spots dotted around the The Central Market sells anything you the small tables and happily accept Thai baht,
centrally located Lake Naung Tong. The BBQ can imagine. Pick up a new hat, raincoat, Chinese Yuan, and US dollars. Other major
joints serving Myanmar Beer with ice cubes shoes, and other clothing at bargain low currencies may be accepted too.
“Haw Hong” (Northern Palace). Watin Monastery.

Myanmar
local dialects, which are mostly unique from
one another and quite incomprehensible to
the Bamar people. With your guide by your
side speaking the local dialect of the tribe
you are visiting, you will be astounded with
THE HILL TRIBES OF SHAN STATE how inquisitive these people are about your
life. Their hospitality will warm your heart
The friendly hill tribes, some are very
and you will experience the warmth you have
isolated, live in small villages in the hills.
come to enjoy. Therefore, make sure you
bring a few gifts of your own.
W
hile Kyaingtong has much to Some of these villages are very remote
offer and can easily keep you and don’t have any shops nearby to buy food,
occupied for a few days, the medicines or anything else. It’s a very long
main reason why foreign visitors come here hike for them over the hills to the nearest
is to head out of town. So grab your hat, sun- settlement where they buy limited supplies
screen, walking stick, and your mandatory with the little money they have. Money is
local guide. The mainly gener-
guide and his
driver will make
While there are several hill tribes in the region, ated from trad-
ing their animals
sure everything we mainly visited the Wa, Wa Ann, Ann, Akhu, such as pigs,
goes smoothly chickens, and
and you will Akha, Lahu, and the Lahu-shi people. cows (or buf-
pass through a faloes), and from
few checkpoints without any hassle. Do take the rice and vegetables they produce on the
along your passport. green terraces. Bring along headache tablets
Every night you will need to return to and ointments for pain such the local version
Kyaingtong as foreigners are currently not of Tiger Balm. Best not to bring different
medicines as most villagers have never been
permitted to stay overnight in the villages, or to school and are completely illiterate. You
anywhere outside of town.
The kids live very basic lives. don’t want them to confuse headache tablets
It is possible to hike to various hill tribe with heart tablets or laxatives.
villages in all four directions. Some of the No TV, no smart phones, or
Kids are kids, and in these remote vil-
most accessible villages are a short drive out Facebook, Xbox or PlayStation.
lages the kids hardly ever get the pleasure of
of town followed by a short walk. These are
eating something special. While candies are
typically the most-visited villages, though
not recommended by proponents of sustain-
you may not come across any fellow travel-
able travel, bring along some healthy snacks.
lers, especially in the green (low) season. The
Fresh fruits are good gifts but do check with
more remote villages are further out of town
your guide which fruits are available in the
and hiking can be up to three or four hours
villages, such as bananas. Clothing is another
away in any one direction. If foreigners were
great gift, but again check with your guide as
allowed to overnight out of town, then the
many tribes have strong clothing guidelines
even more remote villages could be explored.
Even so, an early start to the day with a brisk to reflect their cultural heritage. Be creative
hike can take you some distance into the hills with your gifts and in doing so you will
to reach some of these remote villages which return their hospitality multifold.
hardly ever encounter foreigners. There are several main groups and sub-
Myanmar is known for its friendly groups of tribes reachable on day trips from
people. Known as the “real land of smiles”, or Kyaingtong. Among these are the Wa, Wa-
the “land of the biggest smiles”, the people of Ann, Ann, Palaung, Akhu, Akha, Lisu, Lahu,
Myanmar are one of the main reasons why Lahu-shi, Loi, and the Pa O people.
foreigner travellers come here, and return The normal marrying age of the hill
multiple times. Whether they are the pre- tribe girls is about 14 years, or as soon as the
dominant Bamar people, or the other main girl has her first menstrual period, which is
groups such as the Chin, Kachin, Kayin, the sign of reproductive readiness. By this
Mon, or Shan people, they are generally very time girls normally have their future hus-
friendly and respectful of foreign visitors. band in mind, and as sex before marriage is
But, wait until you have met the hill tribes, in not allowed, the two will soon get married,
particular those around Shan State. normally paid for by the boy’s family, and
While language is obviously a problem almost immediately start working on their
to connect with foreign travellers, you will first baby. Couples are generally of similar
have a local guide with you who speaks the age and the family does not enforce their
Hill Tribes
Kyaingtong is surrounded by rice terraces and rice fields.
own decisions on who should marry who. It’s

all determined by love and each selects their
own future spouse.
Contraceptives are not allowed, and
neither are they available, often never heard
of as these people live very basic lives with
limited or no education. Therefore, most
women give birth to several children during
their reproductive lifetime, though child
mortality is high and many will not survive
to become adults. Should an unmarried girl
fall pregnant before marriage, it is referred to
as a “mistake” and in some villages the boy’s
family needs to pay the chief of the village
compensation, such as buying him a pig
which is then slaughtered and shared with
the people in the village. If the parents of
the couple agree to the marriage then so be
it. However, should the parents not agree to
the marriage, the boy’s family need to pay a
substantial compensation to the girl’s family.
The girl will remain with her parents with the
new baby. Newly married Wa Ann couples
will move in with the boy’s family, although
some tribes have the rule that the newlyweds
move in with the girl’s family.
Almost all babies are born at home, often
with the help of a local midwife or a govern-
ment-provided nurse. Babies are not officially
registered and the exact birth date is unim-
portant and generally not remembered a few
weeks later. What is important though, is the The Lahu-shi people at Pang Pak
lunar year of the birth. Most adults know in village, west of Kyaingtong.
which lunar year they were born but have no
Myanmar
idea how old they are or when exactly they ing ceremony and pray for each individual use remedies collected from nature, or if that
should celebrate the exact day of their birth. while holding their hands. Larger villages does not help they may go to another village
Birthday celebrations don’t exist among these may even have more than one shaman to and ask for help. In serious cases, they may
hill tribes. About two to three weeks after take care of the many tasks laid upon them. go to a nearby town and get medical help,
birth the new baby will be given a name, Both men and women work in the farm- though money is limited to pay for medicines
which is done during an important ceremony lands around the villages. Even young boys and treatment.
attended by the entire village. and girls work in the fields. Once a girl has a Neither the federal nor the local govern-
Most of the hill tribes have no access to baby, she may stay in the village to take care ments provide much, if any, support to these
toilets, other than to head into the nearby of the baby. Once the child is old enough, communities. Unless villages establish their
bushes. There seems to be little need for the mother goes back to working in the fields own education systems, there are no schools
toilets among these people, as some tribes while family members, such as grandmoth- in the villages. The result is that most of the
have turned down suggestions by concerned hill tribes are illiterate, though this is slowly
outsiders to fund the construction of toilet If you are lucky, the shaman improving.
facilities. After life comes death! Upon death in
The chief of the village, and the shaman will give you a warm welcome a Christian village, the local priest and the
(medicine man), are the most important complete with a blessing chief of the village visit the deceased body
individuals in the village. The chief of the in the family home, and after prayers and
village is responsible for most of the im- ceremony and tea. blessings, they prepare for the washing of the
portant decisions and arbitrations in the body. The head of the body must always face
daily life of his village. His term could be ers, look after the child. Men are generally east. A few animals will be slaughtered and
for life, or could be as short as a few weeks, responsible for the building and repairing food prepared for the village. Within three
depending on his own job satisfaction and of houses and for making knives and axes days the body will be buried outside the
the approval ratings from his villagers. Most at the blacksmith hut. Women are gener- village. Some Buddhists cremate the bodies,
often the chief is selected for a few years and ally responsible for procuring and preparing though all Animists will be cremated. Unless
then turns over his important duties to a new food, though men easily take over when the the body is cremated, evil spirits may invade
chief. Most villages also have a shaman, who woman is away or not able to cook. the dead body before or even after burial and
is more prominent and revered among Ani- Medicine as we know it, does not exist the body may then return to the village with
mist villages, than in Buddhist or Christian in most of the hill tribe villages. They either a bad spirit such as a vampire or a tiger.
villages. Among the Animists, the shaman,
which is an inherited and lifetime position,
is responsible for calling up the ancestors for
advice and for keeping the communication
channels open with the spirits of the “friend-
ly ancestors”.
He is also tasked with keeping the evil
spirits away which includes performing of
rituals at designated places in and around the
village, as well as in his house and sometimes
in the houses of the villagers. He is also the
medicine man of the village, an almost exclu-
sive role in the non-Animist villages. In some
villages, the shaman may be the first person
to meet visitors and will conduct a welcom- Shaman’s blessing. Ho Kyein Htet Akha village.
Akhu woman Wa Ann woman Akha woman Lahu-shi woman

Akha woman.
Akhu woman Ann woman Ann woman Ann woman

Hiking East
Wanmy village of the Wa Ann Tribe.
Akhu woman. Akhu woman.
Wa Ann woman. Ko Yin Lay Monastery, Wanmy village.

Myanmar
Hiking routes around Kyaingtong

HIKING EAST OF KYAINGTONG The hiking routes to the
hill tribes are dispersed in
all four directions. Note
While some of the hill
tribe villages are a short
drive from Kyaingtong,
one day as foreigners are
currently not allowed to
stay overnight outside of
East of Kyaingtong is the Wa Ann tribe that you do need a local followed by a short hike, Kyaingtong. Staying over-
and the pipe-smoking Akhu ladies. registered tour guide, a other hikes are over two night would be a great
rule which is monitored hours of driving followed experience so we hope
A
by police checkpoints by over three hours of this rule will change in the
bout 10 km to the east-northeast along the main roads. hiking. All must be done in near future.
of Kyaingtong, passing through
wide patches of rice fields, is one 37 year old monastery is dedicated to novice the pagoda as it is believed that it contains
of the more easily reached villages of the hill monks. At the time of visiting, about 60 to 70 one of the Buddha’s hairs. The monastery
tribes. The village, named Wan My, is home novice monks, cladded in their mix of orange provides no accommodation for either
to the Wa Ann (also written as Eng or Enn) and burgundy robes, were living and study- monks or visitors who often come here to
tribe with about 300 people living in the ing here. Vegetarian meals are served daily at meditate in the spacious meditation room
32 very basic houses. There is currently no 06:30 and again just before noon. overlooking the valley. Usually, only one
school in or nearby the village so most of the monk and a few novice monks are around to
Some of the novice monks are so young,
inhabitants are illiterate.
one wonders how they live here without their take care of the facilities.
The people in the village are either Bud- parents. Local men at the monastery are A few kilometres in the direction of
dhists or Animists. incredibly friendly and will likely invite you Kyaingtong and a short walk from the main
The Wa Ann tribe is known for their for tea and bananas on the carpeted floors road, lies the Akhu village of Wan Sai. As
black teeth. From the time they get married, in the middle of the temple. Look out for the the name implies, the Akhu is believed to be
women use the bark of the chestnut tree old ladies in traditional Wa Ann dresses who originally a subgroup of the Akha. The Akhu
which they burn to charcoal to blacken their meticulously tribe is small
teeth. This is further enhanced by chewing sweep the floors
a mixture of tobacco leaves, the bark of a every few hours. East of Kyaingtong is the colourful Ko Yin Lay and lives in one
of only four
young chestnut tree, and ground limestone. They are totally Monastery and the Ka Bar Aye War Peace Pagoda groups around
The daily use of these items will cause the emotionless and the Kyaingtong
teeth to become black, though total black- seem to be in a Monastery with stunning views over the valleys! area. Wan Sai
ness of the teeth is not achieved until a more trance as they village consists
mature age. sweep so gently with their long grass brooms. of about 172 people living in 29 houses.
The main reason for this unusual love of Located high up on a hill, with stunning Some 20 years ago something sinister hap-
black teeth is due to their belief that animals views over the rice fields and rubber planta- pened in the village. At that time most people
have white teeth and that humans should be tions, is the Kabar Aye monastery (meaning converted from being Animists to Christian-
different and have black teeth. This elevates War Peace Pagoda in Burmese but referred to ity (Baptists). The village is known for their
humans above animals. The blackening of as Pra Htard Zom Doi by the Shan people). friendly pipe-smoking women. Tobacco from
the teeth is also believed to protect the teeth This 1,200 year old monastery has been nearby fields is dried and smoked in their
from decay, and to prevent bad breath. These rebuilt and renovated multiple times over long home-made pipes.
people obviously do not have toothbrushes the centuries. Some of the oldest parts of the The women all appear to be very experi-
and toothpaste. monastery are inside the covered pagoda enced too, slowly puffing on their pipes for
The Wa Ann people still wear traditional which has four large Buddha statues, each a while before having to reload and reignite.
clothing, which is mainly a black blouse with facing towards one of the four directions. They are very happy to sell you a pipe and
a few rows of rainbow-coloured embroidery Look out for the exquisite gold-leaf motives load it for you. They really get excited about
around the arms and along the lapels. Their on the inner walls and the sparkling domed sharing their smoking tradition with visitors,
black skirts are adorned with thin horizontal ceiling. while trading their home-made beaded neck-
rainbow-coloured lines (see page 74). Note that no women are allowed inside laces for a few kyatt (local Myanmar money).
Houses are very basic wooden construc-
tions which are raised high on stilts with
wooden shingles to cover the roofs. The open
area below the house is normally where the
animals, such as pigs and chickens are kept in
their fenced enclosures. During the day the
animals are allowed to roam freely around
the village.
Not far outside Wan My village is the co-
lourful Ko Yin Lay Monastery (Junior Monk
Monastery) situated on the banks of a mur-
muring stream. As the name suggests, this
Akhu women at Wan Sai village.
Myanmar
ing in with the groom’s family, the Akha’s
rule is that the newlyweds need to set up
their own nest away from the family home.
SOUTH OF KYAINGTONG
Only once the father (head of the family
home) dies, then his eldest son and his fam-
HIKING ily may move back to the family home to take
care of the father’s wife.
South of Kyaingtong is several Akha vil-
lages known for their great cooking! Now that the eldest son is head of the
family, he is no longer permitted to sleep
S
with his wife. The only time they are al-
outheast of Kyaingtong lies the lowed together on the same bed, is during
Akha village of Ho Lap and the sex. Once the act is over, she must move
Naung Cho village of the Wa people. back to her own bed to sleep. There are some
High on the hills, about 30 km from Kyaing- variations to the rule as there are a variety
tong is the town of Loimwe, meaning “misty of religions in the village, though all people
mountain”, situated at an altitude of 1,600m. are Akha and generally adhere to the Akha
As a former British hill station, the town has traditions.
a few decaying colonial houses which are Some Akha Animists have a strict rule
reminiscent of the colonial era. Still standing that a married couple should never ever
is an old Catholic church which was built by sleep together as the man would then lose
an Italian mission early in the 19th century. his power, and here is the reason why:
An old post office still stands on the lake According to folklore, hundreds of years
shore. ago an Akha man went to work on a farm
Along the road to Tachileik, at the Myan- every day. One day, he met a beautiful lady.
mar border with Thailand, a lengthy hike However, unbeknownst to him, she had a big
along a steep secret. She was a
path past coffee
plantations and The Akha ladies are known as the “chefs of the dragon-lady was human dur-
who
rice paddies hills” so bring meat and veggies from the ing the daytime
leads to the Ho but turned back
Kyein Akha morning market for a home cooked lunch. into a dragon Ho Kyein Htet Akha village.
villages. Ho after midnight.
Kyein Htet village is home to about 400 Akha Day after day they walked past each other inferior quality like animals, which happens
people living in 65 houses. and smiled. Then one day she spoke to him because of reincarnation. In the distant
The Akha is the “true hill tribe” as they and they soon fell in love. He took her to past, the twins’ parents had no choice but to
mostly live at relatively high altitudes and his village to meet his parents and they all either change religion, or to kill both babies.
survive mainly on a slash-and-burn econ- agreed it was a perfect match, and so they Nowadays their options are easier. They can
omy. While their agricultural methods are married. On the very first night, she revealed give up the babies for adoption. However,
rather crude, it sure works in the nutrient- to him part of her secret. She explained that the parents must also stay away from the vil-
deficient soil typical of these high elevated they could be in bed together in the evenings lage for one year, or move far away from the
hilltops. Their main crops include mountain and make babies, but she could not sleep Animist village to where there are Christian
rice, soybeans, and corn. with him throughout the night as he would or Buddhist people.
The Akha people here are either Ani- then lose all his power. She did not want to The Akha people place high value on boys
mists, Buddhists or Christian (mainly Catho- reveal the truth that she would in the family. If a man’s wife has borne him
change into a dragon at four consecutive baby girls, then he
lics or Baptists) - a diversity of religions liv-
midnight. He agreed,
FAST FACT is allowed to try his luck with a
ing in harmony.
A typical Animist Akha village will have had sex, and then had Akha ladies wear an second wife, which is generally
two entrances, each with an arching gate to leave her room elaborate headdress with well-received by the first wife.
before midnight. Ahka women like to
standing about two metres high, referred
Since then, women which they work and sleep
to as a “Law Kong”. At the top of the gate’s wear a black blouse, jacket,
wooden cross-beams you will find carvings and men do not sleep as protection against skirt and leggings. The cuffs of
of birds, swords, and star-shaped charms. together. While there evil spirits. their clothes are often adorned
Along the sides of the gates are wooden stat- are no dragon ladies, men with shiny pieces of metal sewn into
ues of men and women to ward off evil spir- still believe they may lose their it. Their headdresses, which they believe
its coming from the nearby jungle. It is also power. So, now there is a room for the men resemble that of a dragon, are the most
believed that these statues prevent disasters and a separate room for the women in the elaborate among all the hill tribes, and get
and diseases from entering the village. house. more elaborate as they grow older. More
The Akha tribe differs from most other The Animists also believe that the birth reminiscent of a crash-helmet, a headdress
tribes in how they treat their newlyweds. of twin babies brought bad luck to the vil- includes decorations with silverware, beads,
While most tribes have the new bride mov- lage as the babies are regarded as being of metal balls, and even a variety of beads or
Hiking South
An Akha woman preparing lunch at Ho Kyein Htet village.
shells. They constantly wear their headdress- helmet” headdress, is worn by the Aajao Akha woman.
es, at home, when working in the fields (often Akha people who live near Maing Kat, to the
covering it with a scarf), and even when north of Kyaingtong. household items.
sleeping. They believe that when the head- The Akha women are renowned for being At the village, your guide will find an
dress is removed, they become vulnerable to kind and very hard working. They do their eager recipient of the gifts and in return,
misfortunes brought upon by evil spirits. own spinning of cotton threads, weaving, and she will make you a sumptuous wok stir-
The design of the headdress differentiates dying of cloth with indigo leaves for tailoring fry lunch with the meat and veggies you
the different Akha villages from one another. their traditional family clothes. Furthermore, brought. The kitchen fire is made in the
The most prominent difference in design the Akha women are very enthusiastic cooks. middle of the kitchen floor with no chimney.
is the shape of a small board at the back of Before you leave Kyaingtong, make sure to Smoke just seeps through the thatched roof
the head – which could be square, round, or drop by the Kyaingtong Central Market and of the house. While the food may be a bit
triangular, or could be a round loop which pick up some fresh meat and vegetables for oily, it comes with the best intentions. When
is worn, in limited numbers, by the Loimwe lunch, as well as a few gifts such as headache lunch is finished, leave a tip discretely on the
Akha group. Another variation, the “pointed tablets, shampoo, and any other practical table. She truly deserves it.
Piglets at Ho Kyein Htet Akha village.

Myanmar
of rice, vegetables, and chillies. They are as they grow older.
known to be very kind-hearted and hospita- The Lahu-shi do not get married outside of
ble to visitors, with men caring well for their their own tribe due to their Animist supersti-
wives and children.
WEST
tions and their belief in maintaining their
A 45-minute drive from Kyaingtong in “true untainted bloodline”. If someone does
HIKING OF KYAINGTONG the west-northwest direction will take you marry outside the tribe, then the newlyweds
to Kong Ma village. This friendly village of must move far away from their village. The
West of Kyaingtong are some very inter- the Wa tribe is located in the valley so no process of getting married is rather complicat-
esting Lahu, Lahu-shi and Wa villages. hiking is required. While the people here no ed: once a couple decides they want to marry,
longer wear their traditional tribal clothes, they inform their parents and ask for consent
T
he area to the west of Kyaingtong it’s worth a visit to meet the very active and and blessings. Should the parents agree, they
is home to the Lishaw, Wa, and smiling kids will get mar-
the Lahu tribes. The name “Lahu” and talkative The Lahu-shi tribe living in Pang Pak village is ried, though no
means “tiger hunters” and originates many adults. Unlike elaborate wedding
centuries ago when this tribe was still liv- the wooden one of the most remote to reach within one day. reception is held.
ing in China. The Chinese Emperor found homes stand-
them to be the best hunters and therefore ing on stilts in A 3-hour hike ends in a very warm welcome! Rather, the imme-
diate family will
bestowed upon them the name of Lahu, the the high hills, offer a get-togeth-
“tiger hunters”. Their two subgroups, the the houses here in the valley are constructed er for the village and offer drinks. At this get-
Lahu-na and the Lahu-shi, respectively mean from adobe materials such as grass and bam- together, they ask for the blessing of the entire
the “black tiger hunters” and the “yellow boo encased in an orange clay. village. Once achieved, the man moves in with
tiger hunters”. As their forefathers and other From Kong Ma it is a three-hour hike to his wife’s family and they start creating their
humans decimated the tiger population, one of the Lahu-shi villages, such as Pang own family. The groom then has a maximum
they can no longer hunt down the tigers, so Pak village. This village was established of ten years to work and save money. Once
now focus on hunting the remaining wild eleven years ago and has only 185 people liv- he has enough money, he needs to buy the
animals. They generally live in the hills at ing in 23 very basic houses. About 60% of the following gifts for his wife’s family: 22 Indian
over 1,300 m above sea level and live off Lahu-shi inhabitants are Animists while the coins, 100-200 kg of rice, and 50-60 kg of pigs.
slash-and-burn farming in addition to their remaining people are Buddhists. If he does not have the money to buy these
hunting. The girls here marry around the ages of gifts within ten years, he and his family need
The Lahu people are generally polytheis- 13 to 15 and will eventually give birth to no to borrow the money. Once the gifts have been
tic, believing in more than one religion such less than three or four babies, and perhaps up delivered and accepted, the village will come
as Christianity, Buddhism, and Animism. to 14. Once married, they will start wearing together for the official wedding reception.
Most of the Lahu villages have no electricity a little drum-shaped earring through each After the reception, the couple is free to live
or running water. Their diet consists mainly earlobe which will stretch to epic proportions with either the bride’s or the groom’s parents,
In a Lahu-shi hut in Pang Pak village.

or they may move into their own house.
Hiking West
Like some other villages, the Lahu-shi
women make clothes for the entire village
from cloth which they buy in the nearby
towns. They no longer weave their own cloth
from locally produced cotton as they claim
cotton has become hard to grow in their
area. The colours of this specific village are
beige (or maybe once was white) at the top,
and a light blue skirt, pants, or longyi. As the
village is quite high in the hills, it gets down
to only about 7°C in winter, so their winter
clothes need to provide enough protection.
The Lahu-shi people have a strict rule
that forbids any alcohol in their village, even
Shan-made rice wine. It is perfectly fine to
smoke from an early age, including the girls.
Locally grown tobacco is carefully rolled into
corn leaves or even chestnut leaves. People Pang Pak, a Lahu-shi village
here only smoke their home-made cigars, so
no pipe smokers here. Smoking marijuana is to tune in to Radio Lahu which transmits houses. Don’t be surprised when most of the
forbidden. from China and Laos in the Lahu language. village’s women and kids follow you into the
“Along the 3-hour strenuous

In addition to updating the villagers on house. They will sit around you in a large
world affairs, the radio station also keeps circle while the village chief prepares after-
up the culture with traditional Lahu music. noon tea. Be ready to hand out some small
hike we came across three ladies The audience is not small as the Lahu is the gifts you bought at the Kyaingtong morning
who hiked 6 hours from a more re- second biggest tribe in Shan State, after the market. The people so much appreciate small
Shan people. handouts such as headache tablets, shampoo
mote village to reach the nearest and healthy snacks. Seeing the many kids
While old Chinese phones are cheap,
large village with a few stores.” enjoying the snacks is such a pleasure. Be
nobody has phones in the village.
sure to bring healthy low sugar snacks which
A couple of years ago, with help and Once you walk around in this remote are not individually packed. To avoid litter-
funding from volunteers, a water tank was village you will realise that money is very ing the villages with plastic packaging, rather
installed about one kilometre from the scarce. To generate an income, families take out individually-packed snacks and
village. This provides clean water for the resi- cultivate their own domestic animals such as place them in a larger bag before arriving at
dents but water needs to be hauled into the pigs, chickens and buffaloes, in addition to the village. Take any plastics or non-reusable
village as there is no pipeline installed. soybeans, peanuts, and corn. Their produce containers back to the garbage dumps at
The limited electricity, which is locally is then sold to other hill tribe villages or to Kyaingtong.
generated by the small mountain streams, is the more affluent Shan villages in the valleys. Before leaving this interesting and very
just about enough to power up a few small The man is the head of the household and friendly village, make sure to drop by the
light bulbs in each house. Televisions and therefore in charge of the family finances. blacksmith hut to see how these men use
other electronics are unheard of, except the If you are lucky, your guide will let you their super-hot fire to tamper their big knives
odd home has a small radio which they use settle down for a rest in one of the larger and machetes.
Pang Pak village. Pang Pak village.

Hiking North
Warm welcome at Pan Lea village.
Ann tribe woman at Pan Lea village.
At Pan Lea village.
At Pan Lea village.

Myanmar
HIKING NORTH OF KYAINGTONG

North of Kyaingtong are Lahu-na, Akha,
and the “black-teeth” Ann tribe villages.
A
bout 90 minutes drive north of
Kyaingtong you will find the
Lahu-na tribal village of Pin
Tauk and further on the Akha village of Wan
Pin. The 800 villagers of Wan Pin are mainly
Catholic and Baptists who live in about 160
houses. En route, stop over at the village of
Wan Kong to see how they distil a very po-
tent alcohol from bags and bags of fermented
rice. The workers will scoop out some freshly Shaman’s wife, Pan Lea village.
distilled liquor for you to taste. Take a deep
breath. It is very potent!
About two to three hours’ hike uphill
from the Akha village of Wan Pin past beau-
tiful views of the valley, lies one of the most
interesting hill tribe villages of the region.
Pan Lea village is home to the Ann tribe, who
prefer to call themselves the Va people, and
are believed to be closely related to the Wa
tribe. This small village of just 165 people live
in 26 houses. They still wear their traditional Young bamboo.
tribal clothes which are mainly black with
coloured buttons and a black headdress with
a few white seashells arranged in a straight
line at the front.
The Ann tribe living at Pan

Lea village blacken their
teeth which raises their
status within the tribe.
Like the Wa Ann women at Wan My

village to the east of Kyaingtong, the Ann
women of Pan Lea also blacken their teeth
for similar reasons. Look out for the beauti-
ful black smiles! They chew a variety of nuts
such as betel nuts, mixed with crushed lime-
stone and leaves which stain their mouths
and teeth with a bright reddish colour. The Wan Pin village.
chewing starts at an age of about 16 to 18 and
over time their teeth turn a shiny black. The The main causes of death among the adult to the shaman and those he invites inside.
older women in the village all have almost residents are high blood pressure, and water- They fear water spirits and therefore build
completely black teeth. borne diseases. High alcohol consumption is their villages along the mountain ridges,
The people still wear their traditional also a contributor to death. The average life far away from rivers and marshes. Water
clothes and weave and dye the cloth accord- expectancy is about 65 years. for household use is piped into the villages
ing to tradition. All people in the village are Animist. through a series of hollow bamboo pipes.
The mortality among children is current- Look out for the altar where sacrifices are If you visit during a full moon in Novem-
ly at about 30%, mainly from malnutrition. made to the spirits. Some areas are only open ber you may witness the “Fertility Festival”,
Tailor-made adventure to
Myanmar Creating Treasured Memories
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Myanmar
which originates from China, where the In the shaman’s house is a large drum several couples will get married and then
Ann people are originally from. Back then, which will be beaten while the drunken start making babies. This Fertility Festival
the larger tribal groups often came to steal people dance to the drumbeat. At this continues to be held in this village, every
young girls from the smaller groups. To time, he will choose an intoxicated elderly November.
make up for the shortfall of females in the man and summons specific ancestral spir- After spending a few days hiking
village, there was an urgent need to create its to come into the man. The spirit (could around the hills of Shan State and meeting
more babies. be a water-, nature-, rice-, mountain-, or with the friendly hill tribes, you will be
So, after the harvest time in Novem- tree spirit) will then speak through the so happy you ventured to this part of the
ber, animals would be killed and lots of elder to make predictions for the village, world. GR
food prepared for the village. Then, on this or address questions about the harvest,
full moon night, the elders will go through rainfall, or any specific issues the village
the village to receive food offerings which is having to deal with. All evil spirits are
are then taken to the house of the shaman strongly avoided. The shaman will also
where the entire village will congregate. walk around the village to drive out the Globerovers Magazine
The shaman will scatter rice around evil spirits. acknowledges with great apprecia-
the large floor on stilts and wine will be One of the strongest men in the village tion the trip sponsorship by Yangon
served around the shaman’s house where will dance with a smaller man and pretend (Myanmar) based PRO NITI TRAVEL
people are sitting grouped by age. The to have sex. This is to teach the young
youngest people are not allowed to drink. girls about the facts of life. After the show,

Currently the only way foreign travellers The hill tribes can only be visited when Photographing the hill tribes is the reason
can reach Kyaingtong from tourist areas accompanied by a registered local guide, why many travellers visit. Most, if not all
such as Yangon, Mandalay, or Inle Lake, who will arrange a car and driver. Several these friendly tribes are perfectly fine
is by air. Flights from Yangon are direct tribal villages are within an hour or two of being photographed. However, let’s not
in high season, while a quick stop-over at driving from Kyaingtong. treat them like paid models, or worse, as
Heho is required during low season. Air- if they are on display. Be discreet with
lines still charge a premium to foreigners. Feel free to walk around town and around your photography, and if taking close-up
The only road open to foreigners is at the the lovely lakes. Rent a bicycle, or a portraits or photos inside their homes, al-
Mae Sai border in northern Thailand. scooter as there is much to see in town. ways ask for permission, and thank them.
When to Go Where to Stay Safety

Kyaingtong is an all-year destination, Accommodation is increasingly permitted As with much of Myanmar, the Kyaingtong
though during the rainy season, hiking to take in foreigners, although, as in the area is a safe destination for foreign travel-
will be challenging. While most rain falls rest of Myanmar, private homestays are lers. The areas further away from town,
in July and August, this part of Myanmar still illegal. Many foreign travellers stay in such as Mongla near the Chinese border,
does not get nearly as much rain as some the pleasant Amazing Kengtong Resort, are not safe, and therefore off-limits to
other regions. December to March are the which is very centrally located a few steps foreigners. Stay with your local guide, be
driest months with lots of sunshine. away from Lake Naung Tung. street smart, and all will be fine..
Dining Out Packing Cost of Travel

Kyaingtong is not known for its flashy res- While the nights from November to Feb- As you can’t travel independently to the
taurants, so join the locals at one of the ruary can be cool and dry, you may want hill tribes, you need to join a small group
many restaurants scattered along Lake to bring some warm clothes. The rest or a private tour with a local guide. Neither
Naung Tung. Enjoy the variety of meat- of the year is hot to very hot. During the accommodation nor food is expensive.
on-a-stick BBQ’d over an open fire. Shan rainy months of July and August, bringing Do make a contribution to the well being
noodles are the specialty in Kyaingtong along a raincoat and water proof day-bag of the tribes as they need medicines and
and are much loved by travellers. is a good idea. other supplies.
91
S o u t h e r n Po i n t
i c a ’s M o s t
Afr recks, Lighthouses, QuaAinftriTcoawns.
Shipw o v i n c e, S o uth
Cape Pr
Words by Janet-Lynn Vorster In our series, Village LIFE, our Southern Africa correspondent, Janet-Lynn Vorster,
Cape Town, South Africa. takes us around the coastal areas of Gansbaai, Cape Agulhas, and Baardskeerdersbos
All photos by Globerovers Magazine, in the Overberg area of South Africa’s Western Cape Province.
unless where otherwise indicated. A continuation of the article in the July 2017 issue of Globerovers Magazine.
T he great white shark capital of the

world, Gansbaai, meaning “Goose
Bay”, is just over two hours from
Cape Town, 162 km via the N2
and R43 highways. In the previous issue of
Globerovers (July 2017), much was written
on this town and the area, with separate ar-
ticles on the great white sharks and penguins.
The Intriguing Stories of
Danger Point in Gansbaai
Gansbaai is an unspoilt area, stretch- Danger Point Lighthouse and the Forgot-
ing along the coastline with the Atlantic on ten Era of Lighthouse Keepers
one side and fynbos-covered mountains on
The name Danger Point in Walker Bay,
the other. It is home to the Marine Big Five:
Gansbaai, says it all. The many reefs and
bottlenose dolphins, Cape fur seals, African
rocks under the ocean’s surface make this
penguins, great white sharks, and the south-
stretch of ocean one of the most treacherous
ern right whales.
in the world.
The shoreline varies from endless white
Today, the 18,3 metres tall octagonal
sandy beaches, to rockpools, caves, and rocky
lighthouse with balcony and lantern serves
cliffs.
as a powerful warning for 27 nautical miles
Dyer Island, roughly eight kilometres (50 km) and reminds one of the thousands
offshore, is the largest of a group of tiny of lives lost off this coast over the centuries.
islands. Adjacent to Dyer Island is Geyser At least seven wrecks are littered on the rocks
Rock, home to a colony of about 60,000 Cape beneath this lighthouse.
fur seals. “Shark Alley” is the narrow channel The lighthouse, with co-ordinates
(240 m wide) of water separating these two 34°37’49.0”S 19°18’08.9”E, was built in 1894
islands, constantly patrolled by great white and officially opened on January 1st, 1895,
sharks. and lies at the end of a scenic drive. The
Gansbaai is home to the White Shark distinctive day marker is the white octago-
Diving Company with its famous shark cage nal tower with its red lantern dome. It was
diving, marine conservation programs, and originally painted with vertical red and white
international volunteers. Book a shark cage stripes.
diving trip if you want to get up-close and From May to September it may be visited
personal with these apex predators. by reservation only. From October to April
Ivanhoe Sea Safaris, regarded as one the it is open to the public from 10h00 to 15h00.
leading boat-based whale watching com- What a beautiful setting! Climb the 99 steps
panies in South Africa, launches from the for a breathtaking 360 degrees view over the
quaint fishing harbour of Gansbaai. ocean and the peninsula.
Village LIFE
Agulhas, SOUTH AFRICA
Gansbaai, B’Bos and Cape Agulhas area
Koos de Kock – Lighthouse Keeper until and loved it. He has very happy childhood lighthouses are completely automated.
1995 memories. A typical day at a lighthouse in South
Koos took me into his “braai kamer” His younger brother was born while they Africa looked like this (before automation):
(BBQ room) that resembles a lighthouse lived on Malgas Island, and Koos recalls the • Three shifts daily, each shift run by one of
museum with photos, certificates, accolades, tedious process of sending a messenger in the three lighthouse keepers, with 4 days
newspaper clippings and more adorning the a rowing boat to shore followed by a mile- off per month.
walls. and-a-half walk to the nearest telephone to
• Once an hour a logbook had to be filled
get a doctor to come out to the island from
He retired in Gansbaai, after working as out. Many lighthouses were first-order
Vredenburg for the birth. However, by the
lighthouse keeper at Danger Point Light- weather stations, and data was phoned in
time he arrived, the birth had been success-
house for nine years, from September 17th, every morning at eight o’clock. They kept
fully attended to. Chuckling, he recalls an
1986 to end of August 1995. This was the meticulous records of the weather: sea
episode as a young boy where he howled and
last the lighthouses he worked at, but by no conditions, temperature, atmospheric pres-
screamed as he was put into a sack and low-
means the only one. He says this was his sure, humidity, wind speed, wind direc-
ered from a larger boat onto a smaller boat to
favourite lighthouse. get to an island. tion, precipitation, cloud formations, cloud
In 1994, Koos received an accolade for cover, and visibility.
In 1959, he attended SAS Saldanha, the
being the best lighthouse keeper at a one- South African Navy, to do a year of national • Maintenance work, as the unforgiving
man lighthouse on the South African coast, service training. coastal weather turned metal to rust. The
in the first year of the inception of this award. painting of the lighthouse and tower was
In 1958 and 1960 (the year before and the duty of the lighthouse keepers, and not
He is a proud man who took his lighthouse
after his naval service), Koos worked on a the general worker.
uniform and job seriously and has a very
big island boat with his dad. They shipped
proud family history of lighthouse service. • Before electricity, the light in all its stages
supplies and family members to the light-
Koos started life on an island just off the houses at Bird Island (near Port Elizabeth) of progress took a lot of manual upkeep
coast of Luderitz in Namibia. When he was a and Dassen Island (near Yzerfontein) every and time.
young boy, his father was transferred to Mal- two weeks, and to the Saldanha islands every Koos fondly remembers taking a sheik
gas Island, a small island about 800 metres week. It was during this time that Koos from Saudi Arabia shark diving. The sheik
off the coast of Saldanha Bay in South Africa. knew he would become a lighthouse keeper. was airlifted per helicopter from Cape Town
In 1947 when he started school, his father He started his five years apprenticeship on to Gansbaai, and using a boat that came
was transferred to the mainland of Saldanha August 1st, 1960. all the way from Mauritius (over 4,000 km
and given an island-boat to get to the island Before lighthouses were automated, they to the northeast), Koos took him from the
and back. Koos attended Saldanha Primary, were all three-man stations plus a general mainland at Gansbaai to where the shark div-
and attended a boarding school in Vreden- worker, so each lighthouse had four “houses”. ing boat was anchored near the islands and
burg for his high school years, as it was too With modern technology, lighthouses are back again in the same fashion after his dive.
far to commute daily from Saldanha. now manned by one person only, and their Once he helped to move 700 penguin
He grew up on the sea, knew it well, job is more supervisory. Some of the remote chicks off an island (in one day), whose par-
Village Life l Africa’s Most Southern Point | 93
ents moulted at an inopportune time due to
climate change, resulting in them not going
into the ocean to fish for three to four weeks.
The chicks would have died. Thank good-
ness they now have the African Penguin and
Seabird Sanctuary in Gansbaai to alleviate
transporting these chicks long distances. Do
visit the sanctuary as it is on the way to the
lighthouse. They feed the penguins at 15h00
in the afternoons.
Koos has helped with two shipwrecks – a
Taiwanese long line fishing vessel that ran
aground at Pearly Beach and a ship that ran
aground at Die Plaat which he managed to
tow out to sea again.
One Sunday morning at Danger Point
Lighthouse, while sitting in the office listen-
ing to a church service on the radio, he saw a
stowaway come ashore on a raft made from
four paraffin tins. There were originally two
stowaways, but one drowned. He gave him a
cup of coffee and sandwiches and phoned the
Sometimes I find progress sad as it has it that legendary ghost ship, the Flying
police who came to fetch him and took him
replaces jobs and people filled with passion, Dutchman, was spotted for the very first time
away.
nostalgia and purpose, I concluded after from Danger Point.
Koos is well trained in life saving, and listening to Koos’ life story from a forgotten
has helped many distressed seamen and The HMS Birkenhead docked briefly at
but important era in maritime history. Simonstown, near Cape Town, on February
boats. He worked full time for the Herma-
nus National Sea Rescue Institute from 2004 23rd, 1852. Most of the women and children
onwards together with his lighthouse duties, The Most Famous Shipwreck at Danger disembarked here and a few sick soldiers.
and received recognition for 11 years of faith- Point – the HMS Birkenhead Reportedly, nine cavalry horses, several bales
ful service. Safety is a very important part Stories about shipwrecks and ghosts are of hay and 35 tons of coal were loaded here
of Koos’ life, and he was involved in many rife in this town! This coastline has repeat- for the last leg of the voyage carrying troops
organisations and conducted inspections to edly taken its toll. Especially so in the days and their families to Port Elizabeth.
uphold safety regulations. His accolades are before echo sounders were developed to al- It is documented that the sea was calm,
plentiful! low hydrographers to chart the oceans. Myth the night was clear, and the HMS Birkenhead
The treacherous coastline at Cape Agulhas.

Danger Point Lighthouse on the southern point of
Walker Bay, near Gansbaai, is visible on the right
side of the photo.

was hugging the shoreline, sailing at a speed I was in the water about five hours, as the head, he and his diving partners found a
of 8 knots (15 km/h). Shortly before 02h00 shore was so rocky and the surf ran so high handful of coins from officers’ wallets, but
she struck an uncharted rock at 34°38’42”S that a great many were lost trying to land. there was no sign of the three tons of gold.
19°17’9”E, one-and-a-half kilometres off the Nearly all those that took to the water with- They had proof that the gold was loaded
coast of Danger Point. out their clothes on were taken by sharks; from studying the archives of the admiralty
She sank to her watery grave on Wednes- hundreds of them were all round us, and I (the department of the British government
day February 26th, 1852. It took a mere 25 saw men taken by them close to me, but as that once had control over all naval affairs).
minutes to sink to a depth of 21 metres. I was dressed (having on a flannel shirt and However, they could not obtain a copy of
trousers) they preferred the others. I was not the documents. In the Birkenhead trial the
The Birkenhead became famous for being
in the least hurt, and am happy to say, kept purser (the person on a ship principally
the first shipwreck where the “women and
my head clear; most of the officers lost their responsible for the handling of money) said
children first” protocol was applied, known
lives from losing their presence of mind and 120 boxes of gold were loaded.
today as the “Birkenhead Drill”. All the wom-
trying to take money with them, and from
en and children were brought to shore safely, They got a letter from the Prince of
not throwing off their coats.”
and some of the men made it to shore, but Whales permitting them to work the wreck.
over 440 men perished on that fateful day. Of the nine horses on board, eight man-
They were however not allowed to move the
aged to swim to land.
It was also reputed to be carrying about bodies, as it is a war grave and heritage site.
three tons of gold, secretly stored in the Every year families of the deceased still fly
powder-room, which has never been found. André Hartman to the Danger Point Lighthouse, from where
A letter from Lieutenant J.F. Girardot to André Hartman, who resides in they sail out to the wreck and throw wreaths.
his father, March 1st, 1852 reads as follows, Gansbaai, is a spear fisherman who repre- André has his own theory about the
and I quote from military.wikia.com: “I sented the South African team for five years. gold, believing the gold was offloaded in
remained on the wreck until she went down; He later got involved in wreck diving. I had secret in Simonstown before the ship sank.
the suction took me down some way, and a a fascinating morning listening to André’s It took three months for a ship to sail back
man got hold of my leg, but I managed to stories ranging from diving expeditions to to England in those days before the incident
kick him off and came up and struck out for shark encounters and sunken ships. He has could be reported. This left many months in
some pieces of wood that were on the water retired from diving. which the gold could have been moved and
and started for land, about two miles off. When diving down to search the Birken- distributed.

The Grand View – Beyond your Wildest Dreams
When you walk in, you will be drawn to the work there, inspired by the glory of the ocean
view in front of you. You will more than likely view.
put your bags down and walk straight towards Ooh and ah over the comfortable lounge area,
the floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors and dwarfed by the sheer volume of space around
windows in front of you. You will probably open you. You will not yet have discovered the purple
them and step onto the balcony and breathe the Victorian chaise lounge upstairs. Pick up your
fresh sea air. Nothing will compare to the vista bags and find your room. There are two upstairs,
before you. and one downstairs.
See Hermanus across the bay, and realise you Words do the main bedroom no justice. It is
are standing on the edge of the nursery of the king size, as there is nothing grander than a
southern right whale, with a front-row seat in king, with its own adjacent library and lounge
whale season, (June to December). area, spacious walk-in dressing room, and an
Perched on the edge of the cliff, see milkwood en-suite bathroom such as I have never seen the
trees carpeting the slopes down to the rocks and likes of before. The bath overlooks the ocean.
hear the crashing waves below. The wine cellar is lightly stocked with local
The many glass elements in this house, high wines, spirits and beer. The kitchen is a gourmet
ceilings and skylights, allow the interior to blend chef’s delight, equipped with everything you
almost seamlessly with nature. need.
Now explore the rest of the house. Interest- If you have not pulled your car into the
ingly the house is built on three levels. Notice double garage yet, go ahead. Then wander out
the majestic double-volume entrance hall and and feel the temperature of the pool.
the original art specifically designed to incorpo- Every aspect of this house reflects opulence,
rate the texture of nature and the opulence of exquisite taste and comfort, while being mini-
The Grand View. Look out for the glass desk right malist and s-p-a-c-i-o-u-s.
in front of “the grand view”, as you will want to
Pour yourself a drink at sunset, find your
Sponsored Accommodation favourite spot in-or outside, and experience this
orchestra of ocean, sky, nature, class, lifestyle,
REVIEW quality, extraordinary views and luxury. You
were born for this, and you know it.
Jaco Boshoff, Maritime Archaeologist, “women and children first”: there was a ship- Every object has its own process: differ-
Iziko Museums wreck in Table Bay, ten years earlier in 1842, ent chemicals, different physical techniques.
Jaco is a maritime archaeologist at Iziko and they also adhered to the “women and The Waterlogged Objects Conservator is the
Museums. He has always been interested in children first” protocol, as it was common person in the lab who specialises in this very
history, but found it very restrictive at school, practice among the Royal Navy. However, complicated field of expertise.
where he learnt a little about archaeology as there was no loss of life, it was not highly The legalities surrounding a wreck de-
and decided to study it. That was where he publicised. So, although this drill is accred- pend on treaties and agreements in place be-
became interested in shipwrecks. ited to the Birkenhead, it was only significant tween countries, and whether other countries
because of the loss of lives being only men. claim the wrecks or not. Generally, wrecks
Archaeologists work either for them-
selves, universities, or museums. Museum ar- Maritime archaeologists don’t dive in in the territorial waters of South Africa are
chaeologists do a lot of research themselves, dangerous conditions, and follow strict rules government property. There are never re-
and are a different species, Jaco says, working and regulations. Most of the diving they do ally any issues, except with the Birkenhead,
more with collections. is shallow diving, although this has its own as there was an agreement between South
dangers. To work as a diver requires a fairly African- and British governments, so some
For archaeologists, the importance of
stringent qualification, not a sport div- objects went to the Imperial War Museum
the Birkenhead was that the construction
ing background, as one cannot work as an in the United Kingdom. Archaeological sites
of this vessel was unique. She was a hybrid
archaeologist without a professional diving require permits before diving can commence
construction ship and one of the first paddle
qualification. Jaco laughs and reminds me it on the wreck.
wheelers that came across to the South Afri-
is not an Indiana Jones kind of job. Places of interest to learn more of South
can shores.
Excavation gear consists of a vacuum Africa’s maritime history:
My research shows that she was powered
cleaner type suction device, and each ob- • Danger Point Lighthouse
by two single-piston engines, 350 horse pow-
ject is carefully lifted with various unique • Cape Agulhas lighthouse
er combined, connected to a pair of paddle
methods. Archaeology is basically a foren- • Iziko Maritime Centre at the V & A Wa-
wheels positioned on the outside of the hull,
sic investigation, and each component of a terfront in Cape Town
each six metres in diameter. It was one of the
wreck is carefully recorded, and notes made • Slave Lodge in Cape Town
first of the Royal Navy’s iron steamships, still
of where it was found, like on a crime scene. • Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp. GR
combined with sails though, which evolved
Each item removed from a wreck must be
from the wooden sailing vessels, reflecting
treated and conserved. It is removed from its For more information about Gansbaai and
the transition from wood to iron.
stable underwater site where it has adapted to area, visit the Gansbaai Information Centre:
Jaco says that sadly treasure hunters re- the environment, and needs to be stabilised
moved a lot of these unique features and now www.gansbaaiinfo.com
in a new environment in a laboratory, so they
that history is lost forever. facebook.com/GansbaaiTourism
only remove what they can conserve. Remov-
twitter.com/GansbaaiTourism
Regarding the Birkenhead Drill of ing anything more is viewed as vandalism.

Africa’s Southernmost
Lighthouse and Ship Graveyard
Words by Janet-Lynn Vorster.
C
Photos by Globerovers Magazine, unless where otherwise indicated.
ape Agulhas is where the Indian and towns. Cape Agulhas Lighthouse
and Atlantic oceans meet, at this Cape Agulhas has a wild, rocky shore- This lighthouse was requested in 1837 by
southernmost point of Africa, line, which is shaped by the cold Atlantic; Colonel Charles Michell, a surveyor-general
at 34.8163° S, 20.0152° E. Many graveyard to countless ships. This treacher- and civil engineer of the Cape Province.
people mistakenly believe Cape Point near ous coastline is safeguarded by a lighthouse After years of raising the necessary funds,
Cape Town, to be the most southern point which beams light deep into the night to construction eventually started in April 1847
of Africa, but with coordinates 34.3567° S, warn passing ships to steer clear of the and was completed by December the follow-
18.4968° E, it falls short of this feat. danger. ing year. On March 1st, 1849, the lighthouse
Cape Agulhas is about 223 kilometres In 1488, Bartholomew Dias named this beamed out its first continuous warning
southeast of Cape Town, via the N2, R316 southernmost point of Africa after Saint signals
and R319 highways. About 6 km before It has withstood violent storms and
Agulhas. The Portuguese christened it Cabo
reaching Cape Agulhas, you must pass guided many vessels and fear-gripped souls
dos Agulhas (Cape of Needles), due to both
through Struisbaai. The two towns merge to dry land and to safety: a witness to human
the needle-sharp rocks and the fact that the
almost seamlessly. What is difficult to wrap tragedy and heart-wrenching losses.
needle of a compass does not vary between
your head around, is that these two towns,
true north and magnetic north in this area. It was declared a National Monument in
lying side by side, are each bordered by a
The French later renamed it L ‘Agulhas. To- 1973.
completely different ocean, with a measur-
day it is more commonly referred to as Cape As with all old lighthouses, it was initially
able difference in ocean temperature and
Agulhas. powered by a candle: four concentric Argand
with very different temperaments. In the
July 2017 issue of Globerovers Magazine, Come along as we visit the lighthouse wicks producing a stationery white light of
information is provided on these two oceans and explore some of the shipwrecks. 4,500 candlepower, fuelled by burning the fat

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse.
of local fat-tailed sheep in the area. This was istics, such as the pylon shape of the mock Shipwrecks
later replaced with an oil burner, increasing windows, the fake entrance resembling The first recorded shipwreck on this
the candlepower 100-fold. Today the beam the Temple of Isis, similar frieze designs as coastline was the Zoetendal in 1673; the first
has a range of 31 nautical miles (55 km) and depicted on temples and tombs in Egypt, and of at least 140 ships to succumb to uncharted
an intensity of 7,500,000 candlepower. strong horizontal lines. rocks, inaccurate maps, gale force winds,
There were many modifications over the It is built from local limestone and im- storms, strong currents, and waves reaching
years, including upgrading the light from ported Burmese teak. up to 30 metres high.
stationery to flashing. It was originally driven At night, each lighthouse is identified by
by a hand-wound weight-driven clock on a its flashing light, and by day it is identified by André Hartman – Wreck Diver
flexible steel cable revolving on a mercury its shape etched on the horizon and standing I went to visit André at his home in
float, and later replaced with an electric out against the landscape, and the colours Gansbaai to get some inside stories on the
motor and gearbox. The types of glass used and shapes it is painted. Cape Agulhas Light- shipwrecks. I got a lot more than I bargained
have also evolved from flat glazing to curved house has broad horizontal bands of red and for, and really enjoyed my visit. Even though
glazing. The source of illumination includes white on its middle tower. his stroke has slowed him down, I can pic-
many other fascinating details worth reading In 1966 the customary three lighthouse ture a younger version of him living a life of
if this article piques your interest, including keepers were replaced by a single lighthouse wild abandon.
the lenses used to concentrate the light into a keeper as electricity took over (it was electri-
André started as a spearfisherman and
single, piercing beam. fied in 1936, actually), and fewer shipwrecks represented the South African team for five
The design of the Cape Agulhas Light- occurred due to the invention of echo sound-
years. He “evolved into a wreck diver” as he
house is unique in many ways. Firstly, while ers which allowed hydrographers to chart the puts it, suggesting there is a lot more to this
most lighthouses have a single tower, this oceans.
form of extreme diving. He lives in Gansbaai,
lighthouse has three towers: a tall one (27 I would never have guessed some of these but has dived extensively in Cape Agulhas
m high) and two smaller towers on each facts without the help of the museum at the and the surrounding area. He has lived a
side. Secondly, it was styled on the famous lighthouse, and the Bredasdorp Shipwreck life of wild adventure, and is renowned as a
lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria in Egypt, Museum. shark whisperer, free diving with the great
one of the Seven Wonders of the World and The lighthouse is well worth a visit. white sharks, and taking film crews to view
the most famous lighthouse in antiquity. It Climb the (challenging) 71 stairs to the top the sharks and participating in documenta-
has many Egyptian architectural character- and take photos. ries. He was also the go-to person for filming
The Meisho Maru 38, was the last shipwreck in these southernmost waters.
She was a small Japanese fishing vessel that ran aground on November
16th, 1982. It is the only wreck visible from shore. Part of the wreckage,
the prow, still lies in the shallow waters in the cold Atlantic Ocean: a few
minutes’ drive from the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, and very close to the
Photo: Janet-Lynn Vorster southernmost tip of Africa.
Town of Cape Agulhas.

dangerous snake species, catching them in André aside, reopened its mouth to swallow working. He found the cannons first, and
Gansbaai and creating the right scenarios for his arms, but André, after a moment of being then silver coins, and they dived this wreck
film crews to get the shots they wanted. paralysed by fear, moved quickly. He put his for about three years.
Wreck diving and spearfishing in South fist onto the shark’s eye. The shark spat out
Africa both have the occupational hazards the speargun while André disappeared into Shipwreck Borderer - 1868
of dangerous seas, and diving in the hunting the kelp, still towing his fish, and emerged on
the closest rock. After diving the Joanna, Sealit, split
grounds of the great white sharks. into two, and André became part of a new
In 1977, off Partridge Point, about 1.7 He then swore he would never dive again, company called Aqua Exploration. While
km northeast of Smitswinkel Bay near Cape but of course he did and since then he has
looking for the next wreck, he received
Point, André encountered his first great white encountered 23 sharks on his dives. However,
information on a wreck called the Borderer
shark while spearfishing. He shot 13 fish and he has changed his tactics. He is aggressive
that another diving company had found, and
wondered about the absence of the usual raft towards them and fears losing his fish in fish-
salvaged quite a lot of tin. They said they had
of seals in the water, a certain warning of dan- ing competitions more than losing his life to
left about 100 boxes of tin behind, which is
ger, but did not give it any further thought. a shark.
about three tons according to André, so he
Towing his fish behind him on a rope, he André got involved with wreck diving went to find it to salvage what was left. He
swam his way back to land. He looked back to when a friend asked him to accompany him took three days to find it. It sank off the coast
check his fish but instead saw movement and to dive a wreck called the Reijgersdaal off the at Arniston to the right of Bulldog Reef, three
the big black eye of a great white shark that west coast of South Africa. miles out to sea, where it hit a rock.
had been attracted by the smell of André’s Shortly after this, he and a few colleagues
fish. His thought at the time was “Wow, what The Borderer lay 45 metres deep, but
set up a company called Sealit. despite this great depth they managed to
a beautiful animal.” It was about five metres
long. The shark came between him and the excavate and salvage the remaining tin suc-
kelp, as it would when hunting seals. So, cut Shipwreck Joanna - 1682 cessfully over the next few years, without
off from the safety of hiding in the kelp close The first wreck André looked for with any serious diving accidents. The time limit
to shore, he wanted to pole vault over the Sealit, was the Joanna, a British East India- underwater for divers at this depth is about
shark with the aid of his speargun by placing man wooden sailing vessel. The Joanna had 60 minutes, so diving a wreck takes a long
the tip of it on the top of the shark’s head. been untouched for 300 years. André found time as sea conditions also play a huge role.
A nightmare unfolded. The shark opened her about 19 km west of Cape Agulhas on the They had to be decompressed in a chamber
its mouth and swallowed the speargun and third day of looking. They had to swim the on board the boat. The proceeds of the tin
clamped its jaw down. The shark pushed coast as neither of their magnetometers were were used to fund their next excavation.
Follow us on Facebook @struisseashack

Shipwreck Brederode – 1785 With this information, André eventually
The next wreck they found was the found an uncharted rock in that area. He
Brederode, lying 65 metres deep on a reef off dived and found a piece of steel on top of the
Cape Agulhas. They were granted a permit rock. A steel ship hit that rock a few years
by the government to excavate this wreck in earlier and was badly damaged. He was quite
1991. However, an argument ensued between sure that was where the Brederode had gone
down. However, as the rock was uncharted,
them and the government, and the govern-
the South African Navy Hydrographic Office
ment took their permit away. Shortly after
inserted two fictitious rocks into the map,
this, UNESCO was founded, protecting any
which confused many wreck seekers. This
cultural, historical or archaeological under-
was in an attempt to get ships to steer clear of
water site older than 100 years. Now they
the disastrous area.
can’t touch the wreck, which has, according
to André, 130,000 pieces of Chinese porce- To complete the puzzle, André remem-
bered his friend Jimmy had found two rud-
lain and 90 tons of tin on board.
der pintles on a rock a couple of years earlier.
André seems to have a gift for finding It was the very same rock, and the rudder
ships. He pieces together his knowledge of pintles were part of the Brederode.
the sea, the coast and information available.
He told his team where to locate the
He was pivotal in finding the Brederode.
Brederode, but they would not initially
Everybody thought the Brederode was on the
believe him as it was far from where she
western side of Cape Agulhas, as the ship was was suspected to be. So, still the Breder-
sailing from the east, and they thought it had ode eluded them. André was very insistent
hit a rock off Cape Agulhas. though, and they eventually found her based
He got the final piece of information, on his theory. The magnetometers could not
the coordinates of the wreck, in a pub in go deeper than 50 metres. They modified the
Gansbaai, by asking local fisherman if they magnetometer to locate her. That is a story
had had any hook-ups when bottom trawl- on its own.
ing in the suspected area. A local fisherman Working backwards from the coordinates
was identified, and André went to see him. of the ship, he managed to piece together
He confirmed that he had hooked something what happened on that fateful night.
heavy, an anchor he thought. André later Apparently at nine o’clock that night the
found this anchor close to the wreck. The crew on the Brederode saw shore breakers in
fisherman found a block and tackle in his net front of them, and turned the ship around.
as well. This was made from wood bound He reckons when the ship turned around,
with rope, so André realised it was pre-1800. they sailed for five miles in a southerly direc-
From this last bit of information, he knew tion, and then hit a rock where they lost
JOIN US he had very possibly located the final resting

place of the Brederode.
their rudder and punched a hole in the boat
at about 11 o’clock that night. So, drifting
FOR
INTREPID
FUN
GlobeRovers
Magazine
Rough coastline and waters around Cape Agulhas.

around with the bow pointing south and Jaco Boshoff, on identifying shipwrecks to make a terrible overland journey to the
without a rudder, they probably tried to turn Jaco Boshoff is a maritime archaeologist Cape. There was a priest on board, who
the ship around by pulling sails down at from Iziko Museums. I met him in his office wrote a book on his ordeal. This ship has
the back, as there was a south-easterly wind in an amazing old building in Cape Town reportedly been found, but it has not yet
blowing. By four o’clock the next morning at the top of the Social History Centre. He been 100% proven.
water was coming into the gun ports, as they explained the challenges of finding particu-
were sinking slowly, so they got onto little 2. Schoonenberg, 1722: Stories are rife that
lar shipwrecks. He cited the Meermim as an
boats and abandoned ship, and went with the this ship was intentionally wrecked so
example. This ship is reputed to have gone
wind. By the next morning they reached land that the cargo could be stolen. The wreck
down in an area in front of a river mouth.
to the west of Cape Agulhas, near Die Dam. However, coastlines and river mouths change has not been found yet, but is believed to
This led them to presume the ship had gone over the centuries. be around Struisbaai somewhere.
down to the west of Cape Agulhas. Wrecks are plentiful in this area. Finding 3. Meermin, 1766: This vessel sailed to
A few survivors got to the Cape and re- a specific wreck is not that easy. Maps were Madagascar to purchase slaves to bring
ported the incident. They came back looking “secret” in those days, so the exact locations back to the Cape. The slaves revolted, and
for the ship, thinking it was five miles off the of the older wrecks are obscure. Shipwrecks the Meermin ended up shipwrecked in
Agulhas Point. André says not to forget that are challenging to identify, unless you find Struisbaai close to the river mouth at De
they were sailing at night, and there were no a plate or item with a name on it, like the Mond Nature Reserve. The story of this
lights on land. There no people or farmers ship’s bell. Archaeologists build up a body of slave ship is tragic.
living there yet. They called the entire coastal evidence, methodically, systematically and
area Cape Agulhas, as Struisbaai and the scientifically, almost like a crime scene. They On your way back from Cape Agulhas
other places had not been named yet. So, div- must be 100% sure of their facts before an- to Gansbaai or Cape Town, you will pass
ers had searched for years for a submerged nouncing the finding of a particular ship- through Bredasdorp where you can view
rock and the Brederode near what is today wreck. artefacts from various shipwrecks at the
known as Cape Agulhas. Jaco’s top three recommended ship- Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum. Ask the
Afterwards, André went to the South Af- wrecks to read about, based on interesting friendly staff to take you out back to see the
rican Navy Hydrographic Office, and pointed stories and history are: beautiful carriage and old fire engine.
out the exact location of this troublesome 1. Nossa Senhora dos Milagros, 1686: She As a last word: treasure hunting and ship-
rock to them. This is now inserted accurately was carrying representatives from Siam, wreck poaching is illegal, so don’t even think
into their maps. now called Thailand. The survivors had about it! GR

Baardskeerdersbos
the Overberg’s Artist Town
Words by Janet-Lynn Vorster.
B
Photos by Globerovers Magazine, unless where otherwise indicated.
’Bos, as Baardskeerdesbos is human hair to use in their nests. But don’t Proteas, Ericas, Orchids, Moraeas, Gladiolus
fondly known, the art and soul worry. People in B’Bos still have their hair and many species listed on the IUCN red
of the Overberg, is an artist’s and beards. data list. Both spring and autumn are good
dream and home to the legend- seasons to view these flowers, but there are
ary Baardskeerdersbos Art Route. It is a B’Bos, a fynbos (floral) biome, artists’
mecca, farming community and fertile species flowering all year round.
quick 25 minutes’ drive from Gansbaai, en-
route between Gansbaai and Cape Agulhas. valley, had a population of 103 residents in The area around B’Bos is frequented by
Look out for the turnoff from Gansbaai to 2011. It is around 250 at present. It has a both birding enthusiasts and wine lovers.
Baardskeerdersbos, opposite Uilenkraals- feeling of timeless peace about it, rural and As one of the artists so humorously puts
mond. secluded. Were it not for the paved road sec- it, he loves B’Bos as it is the only South Af-
tions and reduction in the speed limit, you rican town where there are more pubs than
Baardskeerdesbos, directly translated,
means beard shaver’s forest, due to small could almost miss it as you drive through. churches. Whether this is true or not I can-
spider-like creatures that apparently cut The flora in the area includes very rare not say for sure, but B’Bos does indeed only

have one church and more than one pub. He believes that life is not a head-case thing, jeweller designing once-off pieces. After
The church, built in 1921, has been de- it must just be lived, and that doing practical 35 years, she still enjoys the process.
clared a national monument. It is famous for things like baking bread loosens the hands “Follow your gut feel and do what you
its little dove cote, a miniature version of the and creativity and frees the mind. There are love and what you have a passion for.”
church, on the wall in front of the church. many life lessons to be gained from baking
Brenda visited B’Bos in 2014 for an Art
People travel from far and wide to attend the artisan bread. Observe how yeast has a life of Route weekend and totally fell in love
annual sheep head festival, where exactly its own. Understand that bread is a humble
with the place. She says a good reason to
100 sheep heads are prepared in a special contribution from one individual to the
visit B’Bos is to experience the tranquil-
oven by the Swellendam “Skaapkopgilde” group, which is what bread symbolises in
lity and sense of timelessness in this
(sheep head guild) using their own unique society.
corner of the Overberg.
and secret recipe and method. For those who The development plan for B’Bos is to
do not have the stomach for this, they do preserve it as an artists’ town, together with 2. Philip John: “Art for me is exposing
prepare many other delicious local cuisines farriers, metal workers and other traditional myself to a creative process where I try
at this event too. Add traditional Afrikaans jobs. to allow the medium, and serendipity,
music and dancing, and this festival captures I love B’Bos for many reasons, one being to lead me, in the process uncovering
the essence of this town perfectly: an eclectic the quirky and unconventional artists. I find aspects of myself and reality: the unex-
mix of yesteryear, artists and traditional them extraordinary, and experiencing life pected, the surprising and the beautiful.”
Afrikaans culture. through their eyes a treat. I attended the Philip focuses on printmaking, mainly
Buy fresh produce, arts and crafts, and Art Route in September 2017, and had the monotypes, but has started working in
delicious locally-made food on the last Sat- pleasure of meeting every one of them and cow dung.
urday of every month at the farmers’ market viewing their work. The Art Route put B’Bos Philip ended up in B’Bos as a result of
in the Strandveld Pub and Grill. on the map.
a whole series of events. He says the
Niel Jonker hosts a two-day sourdough So, let me introduce you to the artists as unpretentiousness of the place appealed
bread-making experience at his home. It is they share their art, words of wisdom, and to him, and he has learnt to appreciate
perfect for people who are feeling trapped the reasons they think you will love B’Bos. the value of open space, the minimum
or want a change from a lifestyle that does 1. Brenda Parker: Art to Brenda is an of lighting at night, and stillness.
not feed the soul, or just need to unwind. object or artwork that gives the viewer
Niel will enthuse you with a new awareness pleasure and joy and evokes some posi- 3. Liz van den Berg: “Art makes people
around food consciousness and slow living. tive emotional response. Brenda is a feel good about the world around them.”
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Photo: Janet-Lynn Vorster langenhovenchrista@gmail.com
Liz does Gyotaku, which is fish print- tography, with manipulation in camera down using objects from the environ-
ing, and a Japanese traditional tech- and post production, combined with ment. Art is about expressing herself.
nique which originated on the fishing sculpture, text and more, providing a Her style is expressionist and semi-
boats. Fish are laid out and their fins are sensory experience. Gearing for a career abstract. “To be an artist, study it, and
opened into a natural-looking position, in the sciences, and being very fashion just do it, be prepared to be the black
swiped from nose to tail with ink, then conscious, she would not be seen dead sheep in society. If it is your passion,
paper is dropped over the fish and the in a white coat, so she chose the arts just embrace it no matter what family or
image is transferred to the paper. It was instead. society says.”
traditionally used as a counting- and
Kali came to B’Bos as she needed a Amanda and her husband saw an advert
record keeping method. The only part
quiet, contemplative rural environment for the farm 22 years ago. She clearly
that may be touched up by hand is the
to tap into her own- and the collective remembers getting stuck in the mud,
eye. It has a spiritual aspect too, appar-
unconscious. She says the drawcard seeing a puffadder, and thinking the
ently giving fish unhindered passage to
to B’Bos remains the quaint, small, place was far too wild. Then she saw and
the afterlife.
unspoilt rural village, still in its artist fell in love with the little cottage, built in
Liz Likes the quietness of B’Bos. It has phase. She lists incredible landscapes, 1880 using mud bricks, with its original
small town authentic charm and is close the sea close by, rare fynbos and the wooden beams. She says the old places
to some fantastic places and fabulous beautiful village as good reasons to visit, in B’Bos, still unspoilt, are a wonderful
bird life as she is enthusiastic about together with friendly, genuine, unpre- attraction. Visitors come to B’Bos, she
birding. tentious and welcoming people. says, for the rural, unspoilt landscape,
and are very attracted to the lifestyle,
4. Kali van der Merwe: Kali is a name she 5. Amanda Jephson: Amanda does often popping by en route between the
gave herself at age 30, representing the etching, oil painting, and mixed media whale route and Aghulhas National
Indian goddess of creation and destruc- graphic 2D visual work. She was diag- Park.
tion. She is very “out of the box”, but nosed with breast cancer a while ago 6. Jan Vingerhoets: His art brand is
she says she is “not sure what box they (she is in remission now) and did an known as Redeux, a wordplay on “redo”.
are referring to”. For Kali, art is a visual interpretive still life called “Entropy”, Seeing landfills all over the world and all
language. Her mainstay is creative pho- which depicts a series of things breaking the waste, Jan decided to do something

about it, and reuse, redo and recycle. He 7. Joshua Miles: He is known for his an art piece itself, as the walls inside
works in stone, wood, glass and metal, reduction linos and monotypes: a print- and out are covered in Coleen’s murals
and will be working with plastic soon. ing process, with a big printing press. and paintings. Coleen was the initiator
Jan says art needs to be both functional This process involves chiselling stencils of the art route, and started it together
as well as an heirloom, and have bal- out of a linoleum block, rolling them with Niel and Joshua. She paints what
ance, shape and form. Coming from a with ink, putting paper on top and then she sees in the area, and on the academ-
highly stressed technical background, finally going through the printing press. ic side she does mixed media sculptural
he found that going into the garage, put- He does four or five layers on top of work, using resins, different materials,
ting on some music and working, was each other. “Art is anything creative”, he wire work, wooden boxes and more. She
very relaxing. “Art is an expression of likes a bit of mystery in her work so that
says. He has always loved art, and there
imagination is also inspired. Art is her
yourself and how you see the world. Art has never been anything else he wanted
life, and she breathes and eats it. “Just
is more life than science is life”, he says. to do. “Keep on working and be honest
go out and do 90% hard work and the
This is profound coming from someone with yourself.” talent will grow.”
with a scientific background. “Follow
Joshua had friends who lived in the Coleen lights up thinking about the old,
your heart and happiness.”
area, so he knew about this forgotten unique stories from the original folk in
Jan arrived in B’Bos via the gravel road corner of the world. It was affordable, the area, and says they are a treat. She
from Grootbos. Suddenly this valley had leiwater (street furrows with run- says it is “unpolluted and just a stunning
appeared before him that he didn’t know ning water) and incredible soil. He is a place to visit”.
existed, even though he had grown up passionate gardener with over 50 fruit-
in Cape Town. He could not face going and nut trees and a vegetable garden 9. Ivan Trollip: Ivan has many years of
back to the city, and came to B’Bos as under irrigation, just far enough away practical experience as a landscape art-
it was the nicest spot they could find to from the sea not to be influenced by ist, for which he is well known, work-
live off the grid, near the sea, with plen- the salt air. He says it warrants a visit to ing in both oil and acrylic. His subjects
ty water in an amazing micro climate. see lots of artists, and experience pubs, range from wildlife and florals to
He found the town full of nice friendly good food, the tradition of boeremusic, abstract. His paintings are vibrant and
people with a zest for life. Jan rates the dancing and people partying. colourful.
fynbos biome as the most unique in the Ivan draws inspiration from the
world and a very good reason to visit 8. Coleen Emmenis: Coleen has reno- environment around B’Bos which is
B’Bos, and, of course, to find unique art vated a restaurant, called Flip Flop Fish more beautiful than one could possibly
in an unexpected place. Den in Gansbaai, 25 km away. This is imagine.

Photo: Stefan Pheiffer
CHASING WAVES
Inspired by an interview with
Stefan Pheiffer
else you would research when chasing waves but you need to get back to the beach to
for surfing. Wave- and surfing photography change the aperture etc. A more sophis-
involves taking very expensive equipment ticated (and expensive) housing allows
into very intense conditions. It takes a lot of you to reset everything in the water.
sacrifice to get the perfect photo. 5. Start with a GoPro Action Camera and
Once a wave hit him from the side as then if you want to take it further move
he was sitting in a barrel with a guy coming on to a good second hand model to be
towards him, and took him hard! Rolling used in the water, such as a Nikon D70s
over reefs trying to prevent the water hous- or D100 with a Sigma 10 - 20 mm F4.0 -
Stefan has added a new passion to body- ing from being hit on the rocks is not for the F5.6 EX DC HSM, an interesting super
boarding: chasing waves to capture them on faint-hearted! wide-angle lens and a basic water hous-
film. ing. From here taking it to the next level
As long as his lifestyle is not pedestrian,
It started with his girlfriend photograph- and he has a wave and dreams to chase, can get very expensive very quickly.
ing him surfing from the shore, grabbing Stefan is happy.
amazing shots of dynamic waves that looked Check out the images by Stefan:
almost alive. Stefan’s tips: thepicta.com/user/stefan5fer/1645559918
Initially he purchased bigger lenses to 1. Very early mornings are magical for
get closer shots of the waves from shore. filming, casting light under the waves Follow Stefan at:
However, for a surfer to be on dry land is not where there will be shadow later in the www.instagram.com/stefan5fer/
cool. So he saved money for a water hous- day. The water is brighter, crisper, more CHASING WAVES continues in the next issue of
ing to enable him to take his camera into alive. Globerovers Magazine.
the water. Being in the waves with a camera 2. Having the sun behind the wave is also
allows Stefan to be both creative and part of magical.
the action, “If the ocean allows me to film it
and comes to the party” he adds, describing 3. Fast shutter speed is imperative to pre-
the ocean as a “beast and a monster”. Respect vent blurry images.
for the ocean is imperative. 4. There is a budget way to do this, and an
This passion-driven hobby involves expensive way. To have a housing with
studying the wind, the swell, and everything just a trigger system will cost you less, Photo: Stefan Pheiffer

10. Niel Jonker: Niel studied fine art, and saw. Come and experience the ecolog- within a one-hour radius, such as Gansbaai,
learnt sculpture and bronze casting. ically-minded and interesting alterna- Hermanus, Struisbaai and Cape Agulhas.
He does not have a foundry of his own, tive energy people. “Visit to walk and If you are staying in self-catering accom-
but works with other foundries. He breathe. Close your eyes and listen. You modation, there is an old-fashioned farm
also works in plaster, earth and other are part of nature.” shop general dealer in the main road. It has
mediums. He loves to paint landscapes all the basics: bread, milk, tinned foods,
outdoors, where he can hear the birds, If you would like to ship art home, or sweets, alcoholic- and non-alcoholic bever-
meet people and escape for a while, order truly beautiful South African art from ages, vegetables and meat. There is no ATM
and he takes his painting bag along abroad, Liz, Kali, Amanda, Coleen, Jan, in B’Bos.
wherever he goes, painting whenever he Joshua, Ivan and Niel can most certainly as- Eat at Marietjie’s Pub and Grill, Strand-
gets a chance. He likes to work fast and sist you with this. veld Pub, or Lokal which is a pop-up restau-
spontaneously, so his paintings are vital Niel says they are opening the town rant. I have eaten at Marietjie’s Pub and Grill
and alive, and he catches the energy of as a residency destination for other artist twice now, and can vouch for a good, hearty
the scene, not the detail. Niel is very travellers to live amongst the artists, and South African steak, schnitzel, or spare ribs
optimistic about life. share work and stories. Send an e-mail, con- that will fill the hungriest of tummies. This
Niel came for the isolation. He enjoys nect, visit and feel welcome while you live a is a favourite hangout for locals and visitors
the lifestyle, living and working in country-style life and share art. alike, and lending an ear to the local banter
nature as we were originally intended to While visiting B’Bos, I stayed at Die is quite entertaining.
do. He says B’Bos is good for the soul. Kloof, a self-catering farm house situated in a If I had money lying in the bank, I would
There are less distractions, it is cheaper, ravine close to town. Surrounded by tall trees have bought a cottage in B’Bos and em-
more creative, and more fulfilling than with a stream running by, it is very private, braced the lifestyle there without thinking
city life. He too came over the hill at comfortable though not modern, and ideally twice. I thoroughly fell in love with B’Bos
Grootbos and could not believe what he situated to drive to many wonderful places and the people I met, and miss it already. GR
Ivan Trollip Jan Vingerhoets

Ivan Trollip
Kali van der Merwe

“ Here is a place
where you will
feel welcome and
experience a home
away from home.
I know I did”.
Photos: Hermanus Boutique Guest House
South Africa’s favourite guest house in Hermanus along the Cape Whale Coast
For reservations, visit:

hermanusguesthouse.co.za
Tel local: 028 313 1433
Tel Intl: +27 28 313 1433
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NATIONAL MONUMENT
113
Tasty Traveller’s Treats
Authentic, affordable, clean food is every traveller’s dream.
Enjoy these tasty morsels from far away places.
NORTH KOREA NORTH KOREA NORTH KOREA
NORTH KOREA

MOROCCO JAPAN CHINA SPAIN
PORTUGAL
MYANMAR
SOUTH AFRICA
SINGAPORE
CANADA TIMOR-LESTE
HONG KONG
CHINA
THAILAND GEORGIA JAPAN
115
Photo Essay
TIMOR LESTE
The Eastern Beaches and a Statue

Areia Branca Beach and Cristo Rei Beach. The 27 metres high
statue of Jesus can be seen on the far-end hill. The statue
was unveiled by President Suharto in 1996 as “a gift from the
Indonesian government to the people of East Timor”.
Timor Leste Exploring the unexplored young nation of East Timor
S omewhere in the world are still a few plac-

es where you can travel for days without
seeing any fellow travellers! Timor-Leste,
also known as East Timor, is not far north
of Australia, though it feels like a world away. Here you
will find a world not yet overrun by mass tourism. A
place where the sight of a traveller is rare, in particular
people were subjected to the brutal treatment under
the Indonesian forces. Killings such as the 1991 Santa
Cruz Massacre caused outrage. During these years, an
estimated 90,000 to 200,000 people died!
After endless international interventions, the Indo-
nesian troops withdrew and Timor Leste achieved
independence on May 20, 2002.
outside the capital, Dili, and nearby Atauro Island.
An easy trip should include a few days in Dili and even
Timor Leste is one of the world’s newest countries,
more time on nearby idyllic Atauro Island.
and unquestionably one of the least explored coun-
tries in the world. Venturing further away is challenging as road condi-
tions are notorious for being bad and in the rainy
It is a relatively peaceful country these days, though
season (November to May) some roads will be inac-
peace did not come easy. After centuries of Portu-
cessible. This small country is mostly mountainous so
guese colonial rule, independence in East Timor was
a 4-wheel drive is necessary. Travel within Timor is not
declared on November 28, 1975. However, under false
cheap though the rewards may outweigh the cost.
pretenses, Indonesian President Suharto’s military
forces swiftly invaded East Timor on December 7, Among the reasons to visit are the lonely beaches,
1975 and declared it “Timor Timur”, a new province spectacular diving, unspoiled scenery, homegrown
of Indonesia. For the next 24 years, the Timorese coffee, and idyllic islands.
Photo Essay l Timor Leste |117

The Palacio do Governo
The grand, white Government
House dominates the centre of Dili.
Cristo Rei Beach, east of Dili.
Areia Branca Beach, east of Dili.
Eastern Beaches
The beaches east
of Dili city include
the Areia Branca
Beach and Cristo Rei
Beach. Both offer
great swimming and
trees on the beach
that offer welcome
shade in the sun.
A few restaurants
along the road serve
good but expensive
meals and drinks on
plastic tables under
these trees.

Dili City
TIMOR LESTE
De São António de Motael

Roman Catholic Church
Rebuilt in 1955 in the old Por-
tuguese style, it is second most
important after the newer
Immaculate Conception Cath-
edral located just over one
kilometre south. During the
independence struggle a few
people were killed in the church
during a confrontation.
Dili harbour and the city.
The Farol Lighthouse

Built in 1896, the 19 metres high “Farol do Porto
de Dili” lighthouse is located along the beach on
the west side of Dili. A spiral staircase around
the central column goes to the lantern at the top.
Photo Essay l Timor Leste | 119

Dili City
TIMOR LESTE
Santa Cruz Cemetery
After the brutal shooting
of Independence activ-
ist Sebastião Gomes in
the Motael Church on
November 12, 1991,
thousands of mourners
walked from the church
to the cemetery following
the memorial service for
Gomes. Indonesian troops
A statue of Francisco
then opened fire on the
Xavier do Amaral,
mourners in the cemetery
the first President of
and killed about 250
Timor-Leste and the
innocent civilians. This
Proclaimer of the Na-
massacre was the turning
tion’s Independence,
point towards freedom!
inaugurated on May
20, 2017.

Turbulent past
TIMOR LESTE
Santa Cruz Massacre Memorial Monument

Located along the seafront, opposite Motael Church where independ-
ence activist Sebastião Gomes was killed by the Indonesian forces in
1991, the monument commemorates those who lost their lives in the
resulting Santa Cruz Massacre.
Dili Harbour Canons

Portuguese canons are still pointing towards the
sea entrance to Dili. Atauro Island can be seen
in the far distance.
Barry’s Eco-Lodge
The lovely bungalows of Barry’s
Eco Lodge on Atauro Island.

Atauro Island
TIMOR LESTE
Atauro Island
This small elongated
triangular island is situated
just 25 km north of Dili. Sur-
rounded by incredible diving
and snorkelling sites, one of
the few accommodation op-
tions is Barry’s Eco Lodge.
Conservation International
(an American nonprofit
environmental organiza-
tion) designated the waters
around the island in 2016 as
“the most biodiverse waters
in the world”.

Atauro Island
TIMOR LESTE
HOUSE SITTING A World of Opportunities
island home when we left on visa renewal

Vanessa Anderson is a full time international house runs, so the concept wasn’t new to us. It just
sitter and publisher of House Sitting - The ultimate took a while for us to realize the amazing op-
lifestyle magazine. portunity it could offer us too, if we used it as
a way to travel less expensively.
Vanessa and her partner Ian Usher, travel the world Cutting out accommodation costs can
as digital nomads, working remotely and looking really have a very positive effect on your
after other people’s properties and pets. Having sold travel budget! And it’s not just the lodgings,
most of their possessions, they prefer the freedom it’s the gas, electric, and WIFI. I was sur-
prised to discover that sometimes even a car
to explore the world, living as locals for extended
is provided!
periods in different countries.
W
At this point it’s important to say that the
primary purpose of house sitting isn’t to get
Words & Photos by Vanessa Anderson free accommodation!
We’d used house sitters to look after our
hen I first discovered in- It seemed I had escaped one trap but home and our jungle dog, Campesino - who,
ternational house sitting, put myself in a new one. The only difference while being Head of Island Security, in reality
I couldn’t quite believe being, it was a much nicer environment- a wouldn’t have been very effective at all! So
this would be my ticket small island in the Panamanian archipelago we knew the benefits of using house sitters to
to a freedom lifestyle. of Bocas del Toro. I still needed to find a way oversee the property and pet care.
I’d started the process of breaking ties by to create an income, or to learn how to travel So we knew that house sitting came with
selling my house at the end of a long-term inexpensively. responsibilities and we were prepared for that
relationship. Then I gave up my job to go This became more of a necessity after part of the exchange. We considered it a very
and live with my new partner Ian, on a small Ian and I decided we really wanted to travel fair swap, and understood the win-win-win
island in Panama. I hadn’t thought much be- the world while we were still young and fit nature of this trust-based agreement. Great
yond living on the proceeds of my property enough to actually enjoy the experience. for the home owners, ideal for us, and the
sale, and had pushed into the background the best ever result for the pets!
House sitting enabled this to happen.
reality that this money wouldn’t sustain me
We’d used house sitters to look after the We also thought it would be a wonder-
indefinitely.
ful way to help other home owners unable to
leave their homes and pets for long periods
House sitting in Australia of time. It would allow them to go off on
their own travel adventures, while we got
to live in their homes, with their pets (we
needed our cuddles), experiencing the area
like a local.
So that’s how we started out. We became
full time international house sitters, and
worked out ways to minimize our travel costs
by staying in one continent, or area for a sub-
HouseSittingMagazine.com
groups/housesittingmagazine
pinterest.co.uk/HouseSitMag

stantial length of time. In Central America you can pick the house sitting assignments
for instance, we were able to visit 5 different that you’re comfortable with, from thousands
countries, and house sit in 3 of them, travel- that get advertised every year.
ing inexpensively between locations by bus. Our lives are full of travel opportunities
Our money now goes much further, and and experiences, and we don’t expect that to
we’ve had the time and space to work on stop anytime soon. That’s because interna-
other ways of supplementing our income, tional house sitting is becoming more and
like teaching English online. more popular, with more home owners in
In four years we’ve traveled to the USA, new and interesting locations, recognizing
China, India, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Mexico, the benefits of using house and pet sitters to
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Botswa- look after their homes.
na. We experienced our first extreme weather We’re so passionate about the concept,
event, a devastating Cyclone in Fiji; we hiked we now produce a free monthly publication -
back and forth across the Grand Canyon; House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle maga-
and spent a month traveling around Cuba. zine (https://HouseSittingMagazine.com).
We’ve dived with sharks, climbed numerous It’s full of community stories, getting started
mountains, been to the Victoria Falls and ex- tips and even a helpful house sitting platform
perienced a once-in-a-lifetime mobile safari comparison guides.
in the Okavango Delta. House sitting truly does open a world of
At the moment we are house sitting for possibility and opportunity. I would never
three months in Barbados. We have a beauti- have expected that for three months this year,
ful home with a lovely pool - a necessity in we’d be house sitting on the edge of a river in
this tropical climate. We are looking after Botswana, watching hippos just a few meters
Heidi, a lovely undemanding semi-feral cat. away for our evening entertainment.
At the other end of the scale we’ve looked We would never have been able to af-
after six cats on one sit (plus a couple of ford to travel to Botswana, the luxury safari House sitting in Botswana
strays), a mix of dogs and cats, and even a capital of the world. But house sitting made
small paddock of sheep back in the UK. But it possible!
131
Article
Indonesia
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
This Shaivite water temple on the shores of Lake Bratan
was constructed in 1633 and is dedicated to Dewi Danu,
the Balinese water, lake and river goddess.

Bali Island
The Island of the Gods
The south ♦ Ubud ♦ Central NW ♦ Central NE
Bali, for the foreign traveller, has changed much over the past 20 years, but so have many
popular places around the world. Journey away from the crowds to find the real Bali.
C ommonly referred to as the

“Island of a Thousand Temples”,
“Island of Gods”, and “Bali
Dwipa”, Bali island is the most
visited Indonesian island by foreign travel-
lers. While most travellers start and end
their Indonesia journey in Bali, often fixated
chicken facing west towards Java, with a
land area of almost 5,800 km².
Bali’s central mountains include several
peaks rising over 3,000 metres in elevation,
with Mount Agung, or locally known as
Gunung Agung, the highest at 3,031 metres.
Mount Agung is an active stratovolcano
on their luxurious tourist resort and spas, which, prior to the current eruptions, last
Indonesia is much more than Bali. Many erupted in 1963, one of the most devas-
seasoned travellers to Indonesia will argue tating volcanic eruptions in the modern
that Bali is not Indonesia. Bali is uniquely seismographic history of Indonesia. The
Bali, and not typical of Indonesia. cone-shaped peak dominates the surround-
As a starter, while most Indonesian peo- ing area, even influencing the rainfall pat-
ple are Muslim, the Balinese people practice terns. Since September 2017 there has been
Balinese-Hinduism. The Balinese-Hindus an increase of
celebrate about seismic activ-
60 religious hol- The popular southern part of Bali is no longer a ity around the
idays a year, so
they commonly
rustic outpost for intrepid travellers, so head out volcano which
has resulted in
organise their further away to find tranquillity. the evacuation
lives around the of thousands of
practice of their religion with almost every residents from the surrounding areas. At
aspect of their lives involving prayer, wor- the time of writing (November 2017), the
shipping, and offerings to their gods. volcano is spewing ash clouds, mudflows
Different ceremonies form an essen- and fire. Locals remain on high alert.
tial part of every Balinese person’s journey Bali is known for its beaches. Those in
through life, a journey of colour, aromas, the south tend to have white sand while
and celebration. Their culture is vividly those in the north and west have black sand,
expressed through their traditional arts, ample evidence of Bali’s historic formation
dances, festivals, and religious offering and reshaping by volcanic eruptions. The
ceremonies. big swells make for great surfing, and being
The island of Bali lies just over three surrounded by coral reefs makes diving one
km east of Java island, separated by the Bali of the main attractions for many travellers
Strait. The island has the shape of a sick flocking to Bali.
Article l Bali | 133
Pura Dalem temple, Ubud.
Highlights
of Bali
The island of Bali has enough attractions
and activities to keep anybody occupied
for weeks on end. Here are a few high-
Welcome to the lights for first-time visitors:
“Island of the Gods”.
• The crowded towns and beaches in the
south still have some charm, in particu-
lar during off-season.
• Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali, is a
place where you can easily spend many
days relaxing, being pampered in spas
and enjoying the cuisines at many ro-
mantic restaurants and resorts.
• Northwest of Ubud are the Alas Kedaton
temple, the Pura Luhur Batukaru temple
located on the southern slope of Mount
Batukaru, and Pura Ulun Danu Beratan,
a Shaivite water temple.
• Northwest of Ubud are the Pura Ulun
Danu Batur temple and the scenic
Danau Batur Hot Springs.
• A bit further south lies the Pura Be-
sakih, the “Mother Temple of Bali”, on
the southwestern slope of active Mount
Agung volcano.
• There is so much more to see and ex-
perience than this short list. Rent a car
and drive all around the island.

Bali, Indonesia
THE CROWDED SOUTH
T
he largest concentration of tourist
hotels is in the south along the
beaches of Nusa Dua and Sanur
on the eastern side, and Kuta, Legian, and
Seminyak on the west.
Over the past ten to twenty years, these
once rustic areas have been invaded by luxu-
ry hotels, superstores, fancy restaurants, and
upscale nightclubs. There are ample famous
Western brand fast food restaurants and
luxury clothing stores. Areas that once had a
little scattering of travellers, are now crowded
with tourists from around the world. The Kuta Beach.
roads are jammed with cars which makes
even crossing the road difficult.
I find it rather sad how the southern part
of Bali has been transformed from a “rustic
village” to a crowded upscale tourist destina-
tion. The product of mass tourism!
If you despise beautiful islands over-
crowded with tourists, head up north, past
Seminyak to the beaches of Kerobokan
and Canggu, and even further north to the
beautiful Tanah Lot Temple. Bali island is
large and there are many areas along the
coast which still remain off the beaten track,
imbued with tranquillity and a rustic laid
back character.
Kacek at Sunset
The Uluwatu temple, situated on the

edge of the 70 metres high cliffs, was
built during the 11th century. The
location high above the rough seas is
stunning, and the place to be for sunset.
Watch out for the many sneaky Ma-
caque monkeys who specialise in taking
anything they can lay their claws on.
The main reason thousands of visitors

flock here before sunset, is to watch
the daily Kecak “dance performances”.
It can be a surreal experience, which is
only exceeded by the massive number
of tourists allowed into the small space.
Be here early to get a seat. Pura Luhur Tanah Lot temple.
The South
Kuta Beach.
Kuta Beach.
Masses of tourists waiting for sunset while sipping

on their cocktails and beer at Seminyak Beach in the
southwest of Bali Island.

Hindu prayers on the beach
A Hindu purification ritual on Kuta Beach. The largest of such ritual is
the Melasti Ceremony, usually held three days before the silent day
or Nyepi Day in March or April every year.

Bali, Indonesia
Jatiluwih rice terraces.
Jatiluwih rice terraces
Belimbing’s rice terraces to the southwest of
THE RICE TERRACES
O
Jatiluwih are also among the best!
nce you leave the larger towns There is no best season to see the rice
such as Denpasar and the tour- terraces of Bali. It all depends on whether
isty areas of Kuta, Legian and you want to see some reflection in the water
Sanur, you will drive past endless rice fields shimmering around the newly planted rice
and terraces. The Balinese rice farmers are seedlings, or the flourishing green stage, or
known globally for their skills in producing different shades of yellow before the rice is
high-quality rice. Maybe it is because the harvested. In fact, seeing and photographing
Balinese believe that Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice cultivation at any stage is fascinating,
rice, should be honoured to ensure good rice from planting to harvesting.
harvests. The farmers even set up shrines in
However, do make sure to visit Bali when
their rice paddies to honour Dewi Sri.
the hillsides and valleys are at their greenest,
Rice is an inherent part of Balinese life. which is at the tail-end of the wet season,
The Balinese even have three names for rice, from February to April. Rice in Bali is har-
depending on the form it takes: when grow- vested during the dry season which generally
ing it is referred to as padi, when stored in a lasts from early June to the end of July. Note
bag it is beras, and when cooked and ready to that many areas have more than a single crop
be eaten, it is called nasi. per year. Some have up to three crops, which
One of the best areas to experience these makes it hard to pin down the exact time
splendid rice terraces is at Tegalallang, about of the year to see the lush green terraces,
10 km north of Ubud town. The Jatiluwih though in the wet season you are guaranteed
rice terraces in central Bali are also beautiful. swathes of greenery!
Tegallalang rice terraces.
Jatiluwih rice terraces.

Rice Terraces
A lazy resident of the Alas Kedaton (monkey forest), surrounded by rice terraces.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
The lush scenery of the cool highlands at Jatiluwih village lies at the foot
of Mount Batukaru - Bali’s second-highest mountain at 2,276 m. The trad-
itional water management cooperative in place here dates back to the 9th
century and is known as ‘subak’.

Bali, Indonesia
Ubud Town

UBUD, BALI’S HEART
A
typical day trip from the south-
ern beaches driving north to the
town of Ubud will provide an op-
portunity to enjoy the interesting Bali Bird &
Reptile Park, the Bali Zoo, Tegenungan Wa-
terfall, and the Goa Gajah Gianyar (Elephant
Cave Temple). A few minutes’ drive east will
get you to Pura Samuan Tiga, and the same
distance south to Yeh Pulu with its ancient
Balinese rock carvings.
From here drive to Ubud and sleep in
one of the many guesthouses or hotels cater-
ing for all budgets. Some of the more special
accommodation is located on the fringes of
Ubud town, nestled among the rice fields.
Among the highlights in the art-lover’s
town of Ubud are the monkey forest, the
Pura Taman Saraswati temple, the Pura
Padang Kerta temple, Puri Saren royal pal-
ace, and the art markets around town.
Make sure to see an evening performance
of Kecak dance at the Pura Dalem Taman
Kaja, and visit a spa and have a Balinese
massage. Other interesting traditional per-
formances include the Barong “scary mask
dance”, Baris “war dance”, Legong “pointed
lady finger dance”, and the cendrawasih
dance performed by two ladies illustrating
the mating rituals of the bird of paradise.
Get up before sunrise and walk down to
the bridge over the river at the Gunung Leb-
ah temple. From here the Campuhan Ridge
Walk meanders high above the quaint valleys
on both sides, past beautiful scenery and a
few small restaurants that serve breakfast
with strong Bali Kintamani coffee. The air is
cool, and the hillside vistas are beautiful.

Pura Padang Kerta, Ubud.
Pura Dalem, Ubud.
Kecak Dance at Pura Dalem

Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud. Taman Kaja, Ubud.
Pura Dalem, Ubud.

Bali, Indonesia
At the northwestern edge of Ubud town is Bukit Suci Gunung Lebah

temple from where the pleasant “Campuhan Ridge Walk” hiking trail
starts. A delight to hike outside of town at sunrise or sunset.
Ubud: A way of Life
Ubud has a long history for many travellers who

stay here on every visit to Bali, many who moved
here to make Bali their seasonal or permanent
home.
Ubud is a way of life. You either have Ubud in your
blood, or you soon will. Like many places on the
island, Ubud has seen more tranquil times in the
past. Back 20 years ago, on my very first visit, the
town was rustic and laid back with only a handful
of foreign visitors. Sadly, nowadays the streets
are often locked in traffic jams with bus-loads of
tourists descending on Ubud, taking day-trips from
the southern beach resorts and hotels.
Still, Ubud is a way of life to many who live by the
rhythm of the town. It has it all: great restaurants,
yoga, meditations, spas and massages, artists,
shops, temples, museums, everything you need.
Cycle or hike out of town, or stay in a guest house
on the fringes of town, and you will be at ease
among the lush tropical vegetation only interrupted
by ancient moss-covered Hindu temples and
shrines. Sit down next to a meandering stream and
Campuhan Ridge Walk, Ubud. Bukit Suci Gunung Lebah, Ubud. find peace and quiet. It is a way of life. Ubud life!
Bali, Indonesia
NORTHWEST OF UBUD
T
he area north of Ubud to the
crater lakes of Danau Beratan in
the northwest, and Danau Batur
towards the northeast, are best explored over
a two-day period.
On the first day, stop at the beautiful Ta-
man Ayun temple in the village of Mengwi.
Built in the early 17th century, this temple is
a classic example of traditional architectural
features loved by the rulers of the Mengwi
kingdom. The towering tiers of the temple
shrines and its courtyards and enclosures,
complete with expansive garden landscapes
with lotus and fish ponds make this temple
special.
A short drive to the north of Taman
Ayun temple will take you to the Alas Keda-
ton monkey forest. This monkey forest gets
far fewer tourists than the Ubud monkey for-
est. The Balinese long-tail Macaques are con-
sidered sacred, and with the hordes of flying
foxes, they have taken over the Alas Kedaton
temple and its moss-covered walls which are
being swallowed by the dense misty forest of
tall nutmeg trees.
Continuing further north you will find
the Pura Luhur Batukaru temple, located
on the southern slope of Mount Batukaru,
Bali’s second-highest volcano. Built during
Taman Ayun. Pura Ulun Danu Batur.
the 11th century and destroyed in the 17th
century, it was rebuilt in 1959. The tallest,
seven-tiered tower, is dedicated to Mahade-
wa, the god of Mount Batukaru. This highly
sacred temple offers the local Hindus several
ceremonies throughout the year and many
parts of the temple are off-limits to tourists.
The vegetation around the temple is very
colourful and lush. Look out for the massive
tree ferns.
Head further north to Pura Ulun Danu
Beratan, a Shaivite water temple on the
shores of Lake Bratan. Constructed in 1633,
it is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the Balinese
water, lake and river goddess. This temple is
one of Bali’s most famous and picturesque
landmarks, and likely the most photographed
temple in Bali. The mirror reflections of the
tall tiered towers on the smooth surface of
the lake surrounding it give the impression
that it is floating on the water. The mist-cov-
ered mountains encircling the lake provide
a scenic backdrop to the temple. Be here
during sunrise or sunset for brilliant photo-
graphic scenery.

Northwest of Ubud
Taman Ayun.
Pura Luhur Batukaru. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan.
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
Probably the most photogenic temple in Bali, and debatable the most
beautiful, this Shaivite water temple on the shores of Lake Bratan is best
visited at sunrise and sunset. Its “pelinggih meru” (tower) has a wooden
chamber and eleven tiered thatched roofs.

Northeast of Ubud
Danau Batur Hot Springs.

Bali, Indonesia
Pura Ulun Danu Batur.
NORTHEAST OF UBUD
D
irectly to the east of Lake Bratan
lies Mount Batur, another active
volcano. To the east side of the
volcano is the caldera Lake Batur known
for the many hot springs along its western
shores.
To the west side of the volcano is Pura
Ulun Danu Batur temple, the second most
important temple in Bali, after Pura Besakih
to the southeast. Also dedicated to Dewi
Danu, the Balinese water, lake and river
goddess, this temple was built in 1926 after a
violent volcanic eruption destroyed the ear-
lier 17th-century Mengwi Kingdom temple.
The tallest 11-tiered tower was spared by the
volcano and still stands today.
After a relaxing time in the Danau Batur
Hot Springs, head southeast to Pura Besakih,
affectionately known as the “Mother Temple
of Bali”. Located at an elevation of over 900
metres along the southwestern slope of active
Mount Agung volcano, it is the most revered
Pura Besakih. and largest Hindu temple in Bali.
The artistic temple complex covers a vast
area and offers breathtaking views of the sur-
rounding mountain scenery.
While some ancient inscriptions dating
back to the 2nd century refer to this temple,
there is enough evidence that it was a popu-
lar and one of the holiest Hindu temples by
the 15th century.
The centre of the temple complex, known
as Pura Penataran Agung, consists of 22
temples on six rising terraces and is the main
place of worship. Assumed to have been
saved by the gods, the temple miraculously
survived a devastating eruption by Mount
Agung in 1963 which killed an estimated
1,100 to 1,500 people. Mudflows caused by
heavy rainfall after the eruption killed an ad-
ditional number of people. Even more people
were killed by pyroclastic flows a few weeks
later. At the time of writing, November 2017,
Mount Agung continues its high levels of
seismic activity, so the raised alerts should be
monitored before visiting this area.
Be here during a full moon when pil-
grims throng to the temple. During April, the
temple is elaborately decorated for the fes-
tival of Odalan when pilgrims hike through
the heavy incensed air while humming
ancient prayers for a prosperous life.
Done with Pura Besakih, head southwest
to Ubud town for a well-deserved spa treat-
ment and traditional dance show, followed by
a romantic dinner. You will be so happy you
are visiting Bali, the island of the gods!
Pura Besakih - The Mother Temple of Bali
Located along the southwestern slope of active Mount
Agung volcano (3,031 m), it is the most revered and largest
Hindu temple in Bali. Past eruptions of the volcano has
flowing lava missing the temple by a few metres, a sign to
the Balinese of the temple’s miracle powers.

Bali, Indonesia

Many airlines fly directly into Bali’s The Kura-Kura Bus service is a conve- Bali is very photogenic and offers ample
Ngurah Rai International airport, the 3rd nient way to travel around the southern photo opportunities. Beaches, sunsets,
busiest airport in Indonesia. The airport part of Bali and as far north as Ubud. temples and more temples, smouldering
welcomed over 10 million travellers during Geared mainly towards foreign travellers, volcanoes, surfers, traditional performanc-
the first half of 2017. Some Indonesian the service is efficient, inexpensive and its es, monkeys, jungles, and more. Locals
airlines use Bali as their hub for inter- route serves most places of interest. If you are generally happy to have their photo
island travel. You can also arrive here by need more flexibility or want to explore taken but be a courteous photographer
public boat from islands such as Lombok, areas further away, rent a car, or even and always ask before taking a close-up.
East Java, and islands further away. include a local driver with the car. Be discreet at temple ceremonies.
When to Go Where to Stay Packing

Located just south of the equator, Bali In Bali’s more touristy areas such as the As Bali is warm all year round, pack your
has a tropical and humid climate all year south and Ubud, accommodation options beachwear and sandals. If you are go-
round. While rain is possible on any day, are abundant, though you are well advised ing volcano hiking, bring warm layered
the wet season is from October to April. to book in advance during peak season. clothes as the wind at the top can be chilly.
Best is to avoid the tourist peak seasons Value for money is of the best in the world Pharmacies and convenience stores are in
with too many people and inflated prices. and rates fit all budgets. You can stay abundance in the towns and villages. The
Avoid July, August and December. comfortably for US$20 or $5,000 per night. power is 230V. SIM cards are cheap!
Dining Out Safety Cost of Travel

Balinese cuisine is delectable and very Violent crimes are uncommon but bag Bali caters for all budgets. You can spend
affordable. In touristy areas, restaurants snatching and petty theft often occurs. as little as US$20 per day including a
are all over the place - some more local, Avoid drinking the local rice-fermented dorm bed and food, or you can spend tons
others more international. Among the Bali- Arak unless you trust the source. Obvi- of money. For the budget conscious, Bali
nese cuisine, try the many varieties of sa- ously avoid drugs, and best avoid hawk- is great value for money. Best is to book
tay, nasi ayam, nasi campur, betutu, babi ers and touts. Be very vigilant of many flights and accommodation long in ad-
guling, pepes, and lots of great seafood! scams, and when changing money! vance. Resolutely negotiate local services.

9
z i n g
Travel Experiences Bali

am a in
1 Conquering
Volcanoes
Bali is famous for its volcanoes, some-
times dormant and other times erupting.
Make sure the volcano you select is not
on high alert and that your fitness level will
match the climb.
Mount Batur is the most popular as the

trek is relatively short and not too strenu-
ous. The volcano is smouldering, so don’t
breathe too deeply!
Mount Agung is currently on high alert as a

major eruption is imminent. Its highest point
is at over 3,000 m, so the trek is tough.
Also consider trekking the Bratan Caldera

and Mount Batukaru, Bali’s 2nd highest.
2 Traditional Dance
Performances 3 Temple Ceremonies
Bali has a rich history of traditional dancing which is largely For the Balinese to attend a religious festival or temple
influenced by its Hindu roots. Hence, most of the dances are ceremony is as natural as people commuting to work in
sacred or semi-sacred dances, rather than dances purely for other countries. Should you be lucky enough to attend,
entertainment purposes. you need to strictly comply to the rules, such as wear-
ing a sarong, not walking in front of people praying, no
The Wali dances such as the Baris war dance and the cameras flashing, not sitting higher than the priest, and
Sanghyang are mostly performed in the temples. However, checking additional restrictions applicable to women.
increasingly these sacred dances are now performed at tour-
ist venues with an entrance fee and flashing cameras and Most, if not all temples have multiple ceremonies a
selfie-touting tourists. year. However, some temples do not allow tourists to
attend the ceremonies, but should you attend, follow
Among the dances often performed for tourists are the Ke- the rules strictly and be a discreet photographer. Among
cak, Barong, Legong, Kebyar, and the Sanghyang fire dance. the festivals are the Nyepi, Galungan, Kuningan, Siwa
Some of the other dances include the Gambuh, Topeng, Ratri, Saraswati, Pagerwesi, Tumpek Kandang, Tumpek
Pendet, Wayang-wong, Janger and the Joged dance. Landep, Odalan, Tumpek Uduh, and many more.
4 Festivals 5 Hot Springs 6 Trekking
Religious festivals and temple cer- Being an active volcanic island, with On a tropical island with volcanoes
emonies are often intertwined. In ad- more than one smouldering volcano, and calderas, jungles, rice terraces,
dition to the many temple ceremonies Bali has numerous hot springs. an abundance of moss-covered
and religious festivals, Bali also offers Whether you like a secret hot pool Hindu temples, and wide beaches, it
many other festivals, although noth- nestled in the jungle, or a natural hot is almost hard to find areas not good
ing in Bali is too far removed from the spring pool adjacent to your luxury ho- for trekking. So, to recommend one
Balinese Hinduism religion, which is tel, you will find some place that suits good place to trek would be easy: go
a blend of Shaivism and Buddhism. your taste and budget. trekking anywhere on Bali Island.
Look out for these exciting festivals: Along the shores of Lake Batur are To name but a few exceptional treks
Bali Arts Festival, Sanur Village Festi- several hot springs located in an idyllic include hiking any of the volcanoes,
val, Bali Spirit Festival, Bali Kite Festi- spot. Alternatively soak at the Tabanan but also the canyon in Sambangan
val, Ultra Beach Bali, Nusa Dua Fiesta, Hot Springs next to Mount Batukara, with its many waterfalls, the Sangeh
and more. Don’t miss the Perang Banjar Hot Springs in the central far Monkey Forest, and the jungle around
Pandan (a mass coming-of-age ritual). north, or the Belulang Hot Springs. the twin lakes Tamblingan and Buyan.
7 Rice Terraces 8 Balinese Cuisine 9 Sunrise & Sunset
Few landscapes in Bali are as fa- Bali is blessed with delicious cuisine It is always a great debate among
mous and beautiful as the lush green that is part Indonesian, part Indian, travellers to Bali as to where the
rice fields and terraces. Rice is very part Chinese, and part uniquely Ba- best sunsets are. A not-to-be-missed
much part of the Balinese culture, so linese. With a well-developed tourist sunset is at the Tanah Lot temple.
rice terraces are synonymous with infrastructure, you will find way too Great photo opportunities as the sun
the Bali landscape. many choices of great restaurants in sets over this very photogenic temple,
the touristy areas, and even in the also famous for its festivals. The next
Among the most scenic terraces are less touristy regions. most beautiful sunset is at the Ulu-
those at Tegalallang, about 10 km watu temple that is perched on rocks
north of Ubud town. The Jatiluwih ter- What makes dining in Bali so special, 70 metres above the sea. Be here
races in central Bali are just as beau- is the traditional architectural designs well before sunset to get a seat for the
tiful, as are the terraces at Belimbing of the restaurants, often located in Kecak dance performance.
to the southwest of Jatiluwih. While the most beautiful surroundings. You
any season is good, the greenest will never be too far from a vegetarian Best place for Bali’s stunning sunrises
time is around February to April. restaurant, or even pizza and burgers. is at the top of any volcano!
161
Photo Essay
URUGUAY
Warning: The identification of the vehicle brands, and

models in this article may not be 100% accurate.

Uruguay
Uruguay Vintage Cars
The ups and the downs of Uruguay’s economic welfare forced families to
T
be stuck in the past as proud owners of much-beloved vintage cars.
here are two countries that are many vintage cars, and the reason is very differ-
paradise to lovers of vintage cars. ent than in Cuba.
The most well known being Cuba
During the 1940’s and 50’s the people of
where a large proportion of the
Uruguay became prosperous due to their ex-
cars on the roads are classic cars
from the 50’s. ports of wool and beef, and with much dispos-
able income they imported many cars from Eu-
Cuba’s “love” for vintage cars was rope and the United States. However, a lengthy
forced on them when President Fidel Castro economic downturn brought their fortunes to a
banned the importation of foreign cars in 1959, halt by the late 50’s, and since then they have
and since then the island’s drivers have been been forced to keep, and maintain, whatever ve-
stuck with whatever vehicles they owned. Their hicles they had. After many years the Uruguay-
dependence on what they had was proliferated ans realized that they prefer old sturdy cars!
by trade embargoes imposed mainly by the
USA. Cuba’s ban has been relaxed since Fidel We took a ferry from Buenos Aires, Argenti-
retired, with new, often previously-owned cars na, to the small town of Colonia Del Sacramento
now arriving in the country, mainly from China. in Uruguay, and then drove 80 km northwest to
Carmelo, to check out the cars on the roads.
Lets fly 7,000 km southeast of Havana to
Uruguay, the second smallest country in South We found them. Many of them! Ford,
America and the third least poor on the con- Chevy, Plymouth, Studebaker, Opel, Austin,
tinent. All over this small country you will find DKW’s, tiny Fiats, and even horse carts!
Photo Essay l Uruguay | 163

Vintage Cars
Uruguay
1933 FORD PICKUP TRUCK

This is a Henry Ford steel body truck which is a work-horse
to many farmers. Most of those still on the roads have been
modified, in particular the back-hold.

Uruguay
Ford & Chevy
1942 CHEVROLET HALF TON PICKUP TRUCK

The 1942 Chevrolet trucks were essentially unchanged from
1941, but production was halted by the American government
in early 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II.

Vintage Cars
Uruguay
Double Horse Power

HORSE CART
Long before cars
arrived in Uruguay,
the horse cart was
the most reliable!
Nowadays, some
people still believe
in the reliability of
the ever-willing
horses.
1929 FORD MODEL A

TOWN SEDAN
Ford’s Model A
replaced the 18 year
reign of the success-
ful Model T. The “A”
was built between
1927 and 1931 and
became hugely
successful. A total of
4,858,644 have been
made in all body
Ford
styles. Its successor
was Model B.

Uruguay
Chevy Studebaker
CHEVROLET AK SERIES (1941-47) STUDEBAKER PICKUP TRUCK (1950’s)
The Chevrolet AK Series light truck production was Founded in 1852 in Indiana, USA, the Studebaker
from 1941 until 1947 when it was replaced with the Brothers Manufacturing Company (5 brothers
Advance-Design, Chevrolet’s first major redesign having 5 sisters) established a reputation for quality
post-World War II which was advertised as bigger, and reliability. Their pickup trucks were solid as the
stronger, and sleeker than the AK series. one in the photo can testify!
Opel
OPEL OLYMPIA
CABRIO-LIMOUSINE
(1950 - 1953)
Produced by the Ger-
man automaker Opel,
the 2-door “Limousine”
(sedan) “Cabrio-Limou-
sine” sold in very small
numbers. By July 1956
the 2-door limousine
was withdrawn due to
low sales. The few sur-
vivors are much prized
by enthusiasts and
collectors half a century
later!

Vintage Cars
Uruguay
Ford
FORD PICKUP TRUCK (1930’s)
Manufactured during the post-Depression years of the 1930’s, the Ford Motor Company
proved its ability to adapt to tough times. These solid-made trucks helped Ford to survive
the next few decades. The deluxe trim on these trucks included a stainless-steel radiator
and a chromed spare-tyre cover, which has been removed on this one in the photo.
1930 FORD
MODEL A
ROADSTER
This Ford Roadster
pickup truck is part
of Ford’s successful
line of Model A’s.
Several revamped
1930 Roadster pick-
up trucks have won
awards as “Amer-
ica’s Most Beautiful
Roadster” (AMBR),
an award given by
the Grand Nation-
al Roadster Show
since 1950.
Ford
Uruguay
1948 FORD
PREFECT SALOON
Produced by Ford in the
United Kingdom between
1938 and 1961, years
later the car became a
popular basis for a hot
rod, especially in Britain
due to its lightweight
structure and four-cylin-
der engines.
Ford
FORD PICKUP
TRUCK (1950’s)
This 1956 Ford truck
used to have red-rim
wheels with white edge
15 inch tyres. At the time
it was one of the coolest
pickup trucks in town!
FIAT 600
Made in Turin by the Italian manufac-
turer Fiat from 1955 to 1969, it meas-
ured only 3.22 m long and was the first
Ford
rear-engined Fiat. A total of 2,695,197
cars were manufactured and it was CHRYSLER WINDSOR (LATE 1940’s)
popular in Spain and Italy. It was nick- After the war this 1948 Windsor was put back into production
named Fitito, meaning small Fiat. and made up well over half of the company’s sales!
Fiat Chrysler Photo Essay l Uruguay | 169

13 Travel Tweeps to Follow
[a person who uses the Twitter message
service to send and receive tweets]
We are listing 13 of the more interesting travel tweeps we have come across, selected subjectively
from thousands of incredible travel Twitter accounts. Yes we do avoid those tweeps who only care
about a high following with many fake followers such as the eggheads. We also avoid tweeps who
don’t care to follow back fellow travellers, and those who tweet and retweet tons of useless boring
tweets about themselves. If we did not list your awesome account here, please forgive us. Maybe
next time.
Katherine, but feel free to call her Kate, In 2010 Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning Sandy is a Canadian freelance travel
started travelling in 2007 and has been left their home and business, even and lifestyle writer and believes she is
to over 50 countries. She is a mother gave away their doggy, and started to the “luckiest person on earth” though
with two grown up kids and she often travel full-time. They focus on writing she does not say why! Living in Ottawa,
travels the world all alone. Read more about “Travel Past 50”. Read more Sandy revealed many “fun facts” about
at whereintheworldiskate.com. about them at travelpast50.com. herself at canadianbloghouse.com.
Irishman Barry Denton was born in Nicole started a 30-day trip and even- Jen is a solo female traveller and
Dublin and luckily was bitten by the tually ended after 450 days. She then adventurer who is attempting 12 trips
travel bug in 2009. He has travelled was so inspired that she started blog- in 12 months while working full-time in
through over 70 countries, including ging and we thank her for that. Check Florida, USA. Check out her traveller
Somaliland and the Sudan. His excel- out her interesting Travelling Gypsies tips, stories, and great photos on her
lent blog is at canseeitall.com. Travel blog at thetravellinggypsies.com. website at jenonajetplane.com.

t u r e d
Fe a e e p JJ Yosh
e l T w The Adventurer
Trav
@jjyosh
JJ Yosh is on a mission to change the world through
media! According to his website “JJ has led countless
groups of people all over the world to explore some
of the most beautiful places on earth and now he pro-
duces engaging media to inspire people to get outside
and explore their backyards.” Check out his movie,
Ancient Tomorrow (2016). Website: www.jjyosh.com.
Nikki and Rebekah, married for 10 Greek natives Vasiliki and George are Chris and Laura, a couple of lifelong
years, are travelling the world with travellers, bloggers and airplane lovers New Englanders, maintain their full-
their two young daughters. Visit them who count memories rather than coun- time jobs while travelling the world
at www.bullsaroundtheworld.com and tries. Currently living in Athens, they when they can. Their photos of South
read about their experiences as they are originally from Crete. Read more Africa are worth checking out. Visit
make their way around the world. about them at yabatravellers.com. them at www.trailsunblazed.com.
Jennifer from Ozark in the US state Ale and Chris are a Canadian-Chilean Matthias and Mieke is a Belgian couple
of Missouri, is the talented photog- and Austrian-German couple who met with a very informative website and
rapher behind “Timeless Moments in 2008 in Australia. They promote great photos. Make sure to check out
Photography”. Her travel photography sustainable travel and environmentally their destination guides, their Youtube
is outstanding. Buy some prints at her friendly travel products. This is a must videos, and their Mongolia photos.
website: 5-jennifer-white.pixels.com. read blog at ecobackpacking.net. Visit them at packtolife.com.
Top Lists l Tweeps | 171

In Conversation...
Globerovers Magazine visits Rudolf Nägele and Jean Jaspersen-Naegele
who reside in Germany when they are not travelling. During their travels
they have built up an incredible collection of ethnographic items which
they proudly display throughout their home. Their collection would be the
envy of the world’s most prestigious museums!
R
Also see our interview with Rudi and Jean in Globerovers Magazine, July 2015.
udi, a German citizen, and

Jean, a US citizen, met on a
blind date in Newton, Kan-
sas in 1969. Since 1971, their home
base has been southern Germany.
First Munich, then Ulm, and now
Thalfingen in the county of Neu Ulm,
state of Bavaria. From these loca-
tions, they have explored the world
together for the past 48 years.
Rudi has visited all 193 United Na-
tions (UN) countries plus the Vatican,
Taiwan and Palestine, while Jean is
still short of Cuba, and the elusive
Libya.
Having a wonderful conversation
over a big mug of Bavarian beer,
we started by asking Rudi and Jean
about the number of countries they
have visited... “If all the pages with visas and stamps in our passports (688 pages) were
put together, it would stretch 62,5 m (205 feet) in length.”
Rudi: I have been to all 196 independent
countries of the world over the span of more
than 50 years. My serious travelling outside “We saved all our 35 passports” birds and animals, landscape, the won-
the European mainland began in 1963. The derful nature parks especially Peninsula
actual travelling time in foreign countries Rudi has 22 passports totalling 332
Valdes with its unique marine mammal life
totals to 15 years. My professional work- pages, 129 visas from 86 countries – watching Southern Right Whales, South-
ing time in 17 of those nations adds up to and 819 border stamps. ern Elephant-Seals, Magellan-Penguins and
another six years. We don’t count territories, beaching Orcas.
colonies or international areas like Antarctica Jean has 13 passports with 356
as separate countries. We include the 193 pages, 168 visas from 85 countries
recognized by the UN as well as the Vatican, Globerovers: You have an incredible
and 700 borders-stamps. Jean’s #11 collection of memorabilia in your home.
Taiwan and Palestine.
passport contains a “record-breaking” Many of these items are museum pieces and
Jean: I’m at 194 so I still have two in- certainly not your usual tourist junk and
dependent countries, Cuba and Libya, to do 102 pages with visas and stamps.
cheap souvenirs. When did you start your
as of November 2017. collection?
breathtaking landscapes, excellent birding, Rudi & Jean: Fortunately, we are both
Globerovers: Which is your most pre- good mountain trekking, and we loved the born collectors. When we met, Rudi was 30
ferred country for travel? seasonal Hippie-experience that was the and Jean 23. We realized then and even more
Rudi: Nepal, where we travelled during mode at that time. now, that we have collected items all our life,
1978 and 1979 over a five-month period Jean: Argentina. Its people, their polit- and we still are collecting special things when
on three different visits in our VW-camper. ical awareness and interest in world events, they pass as a collector’s item in our critical
Nepal has interesting traditional cultures, Tango dancing, gauchos, nature, and unusual understanding.
In Conversation
Memorabilia
Traveller
to envy
Globerovers: Tell us about your most
prized items and why you are proud to have
them in your collection.
Rudi: We are most proud of the ethno-
graphical items, photos, and movies Rudi
brought back from his two major visits to the
island of New Guinea: A nine-week exped-
ition in 1974 to Papua New Guinea with my
“New Guinea-Specialist Friend” Piet Bogner
and a three-week excursion to the Dani-tribe
in the Baliem Valley of West Irian (Irian Jaya)
Purpose of the 6 arrows on the left: in 1981.
1. For displaying at ceremonies and “sing-sings”. Without the New Guinea collection, we
2. For hunting smaller mammals and birds. wouldn’t have come up with the idea of creat-
3. Bamboo arrow head, for hunting wild boars and ing our own little museum.
other larger mammals.
4. Hard wood with barbs in the arrow head, for hunt- As we never intended to sell anything
ing human enemies. in our collection, we never had any serious
5. For shooting birds to temporarily numb them to be thoughts about their collector’s market value.
able to harvest some of the feathers for decorative We know that some of the authentic items I
headdresses etc. for “sing sings” i.e. Goroka Show. brought home from my expedition to Papua
6. This is a “modern” arrow head for tourists. We New Guinea in 1974 would get a good price
bought it at the Goroka-Show in 2014. in collector’s circles and museums looking
for original artefacts of rapidly disappearing
cultures.
Globerovers: What kind of items did you Guinea (399 items from the 1974 expedition,
collect? nine from our visit to Irian Jaya, and five
items from our 2014 visit). From the rest of Globerovers: What is your personal most
Rudi & Jean: We took almost anything, favourite item in your collection?
as long as the items were typical for a coun- the world, there are 733 items. The grand
try, culture or a tradition, unique in its own total is 1,333 items, though there are prob- Rudi: Without a doubt, it is the skull of a
way, funny or curious. ably some we missed in our counts. man who has been killed from behind with a
steel axe. A big chunk of bone is missing on
We have also been serious collectors of the right side of the skull. This skull and the
Globerovers: From how many countries
special things from the time of childhood on- smaller one brought back from his exped-
have you brought these items?
ward, not only after we started to sniff the air ition to Papua New Guinea in 1974, are his
Rudi & Jean: We brought our items from
of other cultures. We can say that earlier, 30 favourites.
108 countries, including Germany. In almost
plus years and more ago, most countries were
all the countries we gathered at least a stone, My expedition companion, Piet Bogner,
distinctly different from one another. We do
money bills and coins, though we didn’t and I stayed about ten days in a village near
enjoy relics that remind us of such distinctly
include those small items in our counts. If Mendi in the Southern Highlands south of
different societies.
we were to include them, we would come up Goroka. The nights we spent in our sleeping
We never collect items of a certain cat- with more than 190 countries. bags in a hut built from bamboo and palm
egory with the intention to eventually reach
a complete collection or increased monetary
value over time. Therefore, we never pur-
posefully go to flea-markets or an auction of
any kind – the whole world is our flea-mar-
ket. The items on display in our museum
collection purely represent mementos and
personal memories for both of us.
Globerovers: Roughly how many items

are in your collection?
Rudi & Jean: We always wanted to find
out the exact number of items, and now we
counted them. So far, we registered 187 items
from Germany, 413 from the Island of New
In Conversation | 173
Globerovers: Your walls are also adorned
with some of the most striking photographs
of native people I have ever seen. Did you
take these photos and where were they cap-
tured?
Rudi & Jean: Most of the pictures were
taken in New Guinea and Eastern Africa be-
cause of the stunning native cultures. Other
pictures are from the 1970 seven-month
sailing trip in the Caribbean and the three
longer camping car trips in Europe, Asia,
Africa and all the Americas. All the photo-
graphs were taken by either Jean or Rudi.
We both started photography at an early age.
Rudi using his own still and borrowed N8/
S8 cameras, Jean with her own small still
cameras. Rudi has carried a film camera, and
later video camcorders, into all 196 coun-
tries he visited, producing around 800 hours
of movies. We have no idea how many still
leaves. We shared this hut with boys from the stationed in the Pacific region, to include pictures we have captured during our many
village who had finished their initiation ritual the Philippines, during WWII. He sent or years of travel.
to manhood and consequently slept togeth- brought this hat back with him. It is an amaz-
er, separately from their respective families. ing work of art, in excellent condition, and
Other night guests were pigs. We did not mind reminds me of one of my favourite uncles. Globerovers: You also have a few model
sleeping with them but the lice, flees and espe- In the inserted picture is a fetish made aircraft on display. Who built these and
cially bedbugs were almost unbearable. And from the skull of a pig, chicken legs, feathers where are they from? Did any of them ever
the bites over our whole bodies stayed with us etc. It is also from the Philippines and was fly?
for a while causing their own problems. placed under the roof to protect the house Rudi: Both model aeroplanes were built
We were able to develop a warm rela- from evil spirits. by me in the 1950’s and they were flying
tionship with these very personable pleasant really well. Remote control was unimaginable
highland folks. Papa Sunkil, the very smart at that time, so I had to watch out not to lose
Globerovers: Which item was the most
and humorous clan leader, gave the skulls to them.
difficult to procure? Tell us the story behind it.
me as a friendly gesture. The glider I flew for the first time again in
Rudi & Jean: It might sound very funny,
I don’t know anything about the man and but the two legs of our coffee-table are the March 2017 after more than 60 years!
the circumstances of how he lost his life. items which cost us a lot of time and nerves, The biggest “winged trophy” in our
The smaller skull is from an 11 year old not to mention money. These legs, still “strong collections is that of a jet model aeroplane
boy, a member of the Papa Sunkil clan. enough” to support a coffee-table top, origin- that crashed at the 1st Jet World Masters in
ally failed to support our totally overloaded 1995 in Neu-Ulm, close to where we lived.
Jean: My favorite is a hand woven bam-
“Hanomag AL-28 4WD-truck”, nicknamed Due to this mishap, the German pilot and
boo rice field hat from the Philippines made
in approximately 1944. It was a gift to my “Hani”, during our trip through Eastern, Cen- the German team lost both the Vice World
tral and Southern Africa. No wonder, for 21 Championships. All the German pilots,
mother from one
of her brothers months (1985 to 1987) on 52,000 km of partly spouses, and officials signed the wing on the
indescribable African roads and dirt tracks, top and all of the international competitors
who was a soldier
eight fractures emerged in the chassis. Rudi on the bottom including the first three World
was able to shim and weld the broken parts Championship winners.
with our own equipment by the roadside, in
the desert, and in the bush. After our return
to Germany, we cut the chassis into pieces and
saved the two most “impressive repair jobs” as
legs for a coffee table.
Globerovers: Displayed in a circle

around the ceiling light of your living room
you have more than 100 arrows? Tell us
where do these come from.
Rudi & Jean: Rudi brought these 119 ar-
rows (see photos on previous page) back from
his Papua New Guinea expedition in 1974.
In Conversation
Globerovers: You also have an incredible in our collection. The people in this area, and friend Piet Bogner had to appear at the
collection of professionally mounted insects located in the northwestern part of Papua customs officials in Munich, Germany, upon
such as butterflies and other large scary bugs New Guinea are famous for this kind of carv- the arrival of three big boxes. They had been
with big horns. Where did you collect them ing art. These carvings have a strong ritual shipped from Papua New Guinea in 1974,
and how did you manage to transport them importance to the people. They keep the and finally arrived late in 1975. We already
without damaging these fragile critters? figures in the ghost house named the “House feared that the shipment had been lost. The
Rudi & Jean: Rudi grew up in a farm- Tamburan”, which are built like the famous Munich customs officers sensed our love for
ing community surrounded by unspoilt Toraja Houses in Sulawesi. On some of the the Papuans and their unique culture, so they
nature. As early as I can think of, middle of figures, you can still see the four typical treated us in a friendly way and let us go with
the 1940’s, I was interested in the abundant traditional colours: White from ash, black only paying a moderate Value Added Tax. If
insect life. During warm days there were from charcoal, yellow from ground-up dried we would have this same situation nowadays,
beetles, ants, bees, wasps, butterflies, and clay, and red from ground-up burnt clay. they would virtually confiscate everything for
dragonflies, everywhere. Now, 70 years later, They symbolize spiritualized human, birds, various reasons.
they have all virtually disappeared. As a boy I crocodiles, opossums, and other animals.
collected some of them but had no idea how The woodcarvings have different shapes.
to display or store them. Some are standing, others hanging on the
wall, and some are masks. The most import-
ant ones are big figures with a deep groove in
the back.
During the Yam Festival the starch-rich
yam tubers are laid horizontally on bench-
es and during the sacred ritual the figures
are placed on top of them and then carried
around. The groove in the back will keep
them in place.
Globerovers: Some of the items are quite

large. How did do you bring them back home
Collecting insects seriously started and have you ever had any items confiscated
during the expedition to Papua New Guin- by customs or have gotten into trouble for Globerovers: Are you still collecting
ea in 1974, assisting Piet Bogner with his shipping them? items as you travel, or have you come to the
collection. Around half of the insects in our Rudi & Jean: Many of the larger items we conclusion that you have no more space to
four display cases were taken during this brought back with our own camping vehicles display them in your home?
expedition. A grasshopper from Papua New with which we travelled in 84 countries. Rudi & Jean: Space was never a prob-
Guinea of enormous size was in our collec- When travelling with backpacks or suitcases, lem. Talking about living space, Rudi always
tion and we have never seen any grasshopper we shipped the larger articles. During all our jokingly says: “It is not the square metres that
this size in a museum. This specimen was trips, we were never bothered by customs count, only the available cubic metres!”
unfortunately lost in our storage fire in 2004. officers at country borders. After returning Our collecting spirit slowed down con-
home, we picked up the parcels at the cus- siderably after March 2004, while we were
After Papua New Guinea in 1974, we
toms offices, with no objections. still on our 3½-year trip in South America.
continued to collect insects during our trips
around the world. The insects were put into Nothing was ever confiscated, even There was a room fire in one of the three
a jar with potassium cyanide to kill them. To when Rudi and his “New-Guinea-Specialist” storage places in Germany and most of our
transport the fragile butterflies, they were
placed flat on waxed paper and put in special
purpose envelopes of different sizes.
We never attempted the complicated
mounting. It was done by the Bavarian Zoo-
logical State Collection in Munich and later
continued by a female company colleague in
Ulm who did this as a hobby.
Globerovers: You have several incredible

woodcarvings which would be highly prized
items for any reputable museum. Please tell
us more about these woodcarvings.
Rudi & Jean: There are a total of eight
wood carvings from the Sepik River area
collection from the 1977 to 1980 world trip books is 1,072! Only the items Rudi brought
was lost. back from his expedition to Papua New
Nowadays when we see something inter- Guinea in 1974 would surpass the import-
esting or curious, we still take it home and ance of these guestbooks.
add it to our collection.
Globerovers: What is the future of your
Globerovers: On your travels, you must incredible collection? How about opening a
have met many interesting people. Can you small museum or donating them to an estab-
show an example of an item in your collec- lished museum or several museums?
tion which is related to a special person or Rudi & Jean: This is one of the dilem-
family you have met? mas we are facing. We are seriously thinking
Rudi & Jean: In the National Geo- about one or more museums to donate our
graphic Magazine of January 1971 you will collection to. However, we want to live as
see Paulino Esteban and Thor Heyerdahl. long as possible in our “museum-apartment”.
Paulino is a member of the Aymaras people The preparation for the transfer to a mu-
from Titicaca Lake in Bolivia. Together with seum after both of us have passed away will
Travel Statistics three other family members, they built the

reed boat “Ra II” for the Norwegian explorer
be time-consuming. By taking our unique
museum apart, it would destroy this personal
Rudi Nägele & and adventurer, Thor Heyerdahl, with which life story collection and the “flair” would
Jean Jaspersen-Naegele he was able to cross the Atlantic from east to disappear!
west on his second attempt. We would prefer not to move the items
• Rudi has travelled to all 193 UN During our 3½-year trip through South but to rather have a qualified person or a
America, we were looking forward to meet- family to live in it as curators.
countries plus The Vatican, Taiwan,
ing this famous reed boat specialist. It finally
and Palestine.
happened on 8th November 2003. We had Globerovers: Have you ever thought
• Jean has done the same as Rudi ex- a wonderful time with Paulino Esteban and about publishing a glossy photo-book which
cept for Cuba and Libya. his family. All the family members signed catalogues all your items and displays the
our guestbook. Mrs. Paulino, being illiterate, story behind each item?
• Total number of passports owned: signed with both of her thumbs.
Rudi: 22 (332 pages with visas / stamps) Rudi & Jean: Fulfilling this kind of task is
a dream of ours. To do this tremendous work
Jean: 13 (356 pages with visas / stamps)
we are not yet prepared. While working on
• Jean‛s 11th passport contains a re- this interview with Globerovers Magazine,
cord breaking 102 pages with visas / the idea to one day realize this photo-book
stamps. came quite a bit closer.
As already mentioned, we have 399 items
• If all above passport pages (688) from the 1974 Papua New Guinea exped-
were put together, it would stretch ition. When counting the items, we listed
62.5 m (205 ft) in length. them under different categories. There are
for example eight different types of weapons,
• They have travelled with their own 4 eight types of axes, five types of arrows, eight
campers and 2 station wagons in 84 types of bilums (traditional carrying bags),
different countries. eight different musical instruments, 18 types
of head and wig decorations, 25 different
• Rudi has driven in 99 countries, and types of body decoration worn around the
84 of those with their own vehicles. neck, nine types of decorations worn on the
body itself, and five different arm decora-
• Jean drove in 66 countries herself, Globerovers: What would you miss the
tions.
59 of those with their own vehicles. most if this collection were to somehow get
lost? For a possible transfer to a museum, a
• Jean and Rudi captured about glossy photo-book which catalogues all of
Rudi & Jean: We both consider the seven
400,000 pictures (actually unknown) our items and displays the story behind each
guestbooks that we brought back from our
item would be of indispensable importance!
and Rudi made about 800 hours of big trips as the most important category of
films and videos. items. Many of the significant people we have
met with their words describing our time Globerovers: Rudi and Jean, it was great
• Observed around 3,800 different together are great memories. The books show talking with you. I wish you all the very best
species of birds in the wild in 172 the evolution of the trips, important events in your future travels and your photo book,
countries and around 400 wild mam- and encounters, unknown ahead of time, that and maybe most of all, the future of your in-
mals around the world. happened along the way on each journey. credible private museum. Now, may I please
The total number of pages in the seven guest- have another cold Bavarian beer? :)

In Conversation
Muldivo Calculator
This beautiful technical masterpiece is a
pinwheel calculator with the name “Muldivo”
and from the type labeled as “ME24675”. The
word “Patent” is written on the topside. On
the picture you can read all the letters and
numbers. The calculator has a 6-digit setting
register, a 5-digit revolution counter and a
10-digit accumulator register, so it is about
the smallest one of its kind.
Rudi inherited it from his father and it
is still functioning, but impracticable to use
now. His dad was a professional cheese and
butter maker and was the director of a co-op
of milk-producing farmers. He had to do a
lot of calculations and put the results into
tables to figure out data to produce butter
and three different types of cheeses. Near
the end of each month the machine hardly
ever stopped. Monthly payment for each of
the farmers had to be determined, based on
the daily delivery of milk and the percentage (which we are still listening to), is stuck in This pin-wheel type calculator was in-
of milk fat. Therefore, samples of milk were Rudi’s memory forever. vented in 1873 in Russia by a Swedish immi-
taken randomly four times a month from an Here are the research results from the grant named W.T. Odhner. A London based
independent lab. internet about the calculator. A Google company, founded by Allan Easton in 1912
Usually during six days a week, for sever- search for “Muldivo, Patent and ME24675”, and existing until 1971, sold those calcula-
al hours a day, the typical sound of rotating generated no direct link, but there were other tors, but they did not produce them, under
the pin-drum and shifting of the lower device interesting search results. These types of cal- the brand name “Muldivo”. The first ones they
was a sound familiar to Rudi early in his life. culators can be found in auction houses and imported from France and later also from
This sound, together with the zither-playing eBay. For most of their offers, they cannot “Walther” in Germany. Rudi guesses, that his
of his father, who also taught this instru- name the original manufacturer and the time father’s calculator was originally a “Walther”.
ment, the cuckoo-clock and every half-hour of production. They are sold from around The age is also unknown though Rudi’s father
bell-like sound from the living-room clock, €100 up to several hundred €uros. must have bought it around 1939.
More about Rudi and Jean
“During our 3½- Rudolf (Rudi) Nägele was born on July 29, 1938 in
Ichenhausen, Bavaria, Germany. Rudi studied “High
year trip through South Frequency and Telecommunication Technology”
America, we were look- and worked as a radio communications engineer in
ing forward to meeting Germany and in 16 other countries and in the USA
this famous reed boat as a technician for ”remote control and metering”
specialist. in a power utility company in Kansas.
It finally happened
on 8th November 2003. Jean Kathleen Jaspersen-Naegele was born on
We had a wonder- August 18, 1945 in Oakland, Nebraska, USA. Jean
ful time with Paulino considers herself a super nomad. To-date she has
Esteban and his family. changed residential addresses 23 times. Jean
All the family members has a Master‛s degree in Social Work from a US
signed our guestbook. university and worked in the field of social work in
Mrs. Paulino, not the USA and Germany.
able to read or write,
signed with both of her
thumb prints (see top
For more information, contact Rudi and Jean
left of guestbook page).”
directly at jeanundrudi@yahoo.de
Tips from World Animal Protection to reduce the harmful impact of wildlife selfies
Who’s dying for a wildlife selfie?

The harmful impact of illegal
wildlife tourist entertainment
Article written by Beth Sharpe, Toronto, Canada
Wildlife and the selfie phenomenon
World Animal Protection commissioned
Beth is the Communications Director for World Animal Pro- cutting-edge ‘social listening’ research to
tection Canada. An avid traveller, she is always looking for gain stronger insights into the growing
animal-friendly ways to see wildlife. Top trips include whale worldwide trend on social media for wildlife
watching on two of Canada’s coasts, snorkeling in Tahiti, selfies. Using image recognition software,
Belize and the Caribbean, supporting a dog vaccination they analyzed the prevalence of both good
clinic in the Philippines, and bird watching in Costa Rica. and bad wildlife selfies across popular social
media platforms – Facebook, Twitter and
PHOTO CREDIT: World Animal Protection / Nando Machado with an in-depth look into Instagram, one
of the largest platforms for this social selfie
For more information and tips on how to be an animal-friendly phenomenon.
traveller, visit us at worldanimalprotection.ca
W
Through this social listening they discov-
ered:
ildlife tourism, when properly wild much harder. • 292% increase in the number of wildlife
managed, can be good for the Behind the scenes these animals are often selfies posted on Instagram between 2014
environment and wild animals: beaten into submission, taken from their to present
it can support the protection mothers as babies and secretly kept in filthy, • Over 40% are ‘bad’ wildlife selfies – some-
of natural areas, improve animal welfare and cramped conditions or repeatedly baited one hugging, holding or inappropriately
alleviate poverty. But sadly, some tour opera- with food that can have a long term negative interacting with a wild animal
tors exploit wildlife for profit in ways that impact on their biology and behaviour.
lead to great cruelty and suffering. • Users are more likely to upload ‘good’
All too often, to the unsuspecting tourist, wildlife selfies when they have been edu-
One of the biggest culprits is the growing the cruelty that makes these animals submis- cated or exposed to information or cam-
popularity of wildlife selfies where tourists, sive and available is entirely invisible. A new paign messages about the cruelty inflicted
with the help of tour operators, capture and ground-breaking report from World Animal on animals in tourist entertainment
share images of themselves with wild animals Protection charts the rapidly increasing trend
– exploiting them as photo props. Instagram does not currently include any
of selfies with wild animals on Instagram. It animal cruelty or welfare language in their
Using a wild animal as a photo prop in a also unveils concerns regarding the commer-
community guidelines. We believe it’s time
wildlife selfie can inflict stress and suffering cial exploitation and abuse of wild animals for that to change.
on the animal, robbing them of their freedom across the Latin America region – with an
and encouraging contact with humans that investigatory focus on the Amazon and its
makes their chances of survival back in the iconic wildlife. Follow us:
WorldAnimalProtectionCanada
@MoveTheWorldCA

Wildlife tourism in Latin America In addition to World Animal Protec- used for tourist selfies don’t survive even six
World Animal Protection has also tion’s welfare concerns, 61% of the species months of this treatment.
conducted the first comprehensive review identified during this desktop review are To start tackling this problem, World
of wildlife tourist attractions offering close classified as needing international legal Animal Protection are calling on the rel-
encounters with wild animals across Latin protection by the Convention on the Trade evant governments to enforce the law, and to
America. Their research raises concerns that of Endangered Species (CITES), and 21% ensure that travel companies and individuals
many operators and facilities are cruelly of them are classified as “Threatened” by who are exploiting these wild animals for
exploiting and injuring wildlife, and breaking the International Union for the Conserva- commercial purposes in the Amazon abide
animal protection laws in the process, to pro- tion of Nature (IUCN). All this highlights by the existing laws.
vide harmful wild animal selfie opportunities that there are also concerning conserva-
tion implications for these types of wildlife The use of animals as photo props for
for tourists. wildlife selfies are an increasingly alarming
tourist attractions in Latin America.
Desktop research uncovered new infor- source of animal welfare concern. The preva-
mation about the scale of the problem in In public view and behind the scenes, lence of these images on social media is al-
Latin America: during these investigations World Ani- most certainly driving up the interest in this
mal Protection uncovered the following activity, with much of the cruelty involved
• 54% of the 249 attractions we found online evidence of cruelty being inflicted on these kept hidden behind the scenes.
offered direct contact, such as holding the wild animals:
wild animals for photos or selfies We all have the power to positively
• Sloths captured from the wild, tied to trees change the future for these animals.
• 35% of the attractions used food to attract with rope
the wild animals
• Birds such as Toucans with severe abscess- Top tips for tourists:
• 11% offered the opportunity to swim with es on their feet
wild animals Tourists should enjoy seeing wild animals
• Caiman crocodiles restrained with rubber in the wild or the next best place, a sanctuary
Together we can ensure a better future for bands around their jaws or rescue centre that provides proper protec-
animals around the world, and help make • An ocelot (a type of wild cat) kept in a tion for animals that survive the cruelty of
sure wildlife tourism globally becomes, and small barren cage the tourism industry.
remains, cruelty-free.
• Green anacondas showing signs of dehy-
dration and wounds A few very simple tips for anyone
• A manatee held in a tiny tank in the fore- travelling and wanting to know that
court of a local hotel their wildlife encounter is good for
• A giant anteater, manhandled and beaten the animals:
by its owner
1. Sign World Animal Protection’s
They are particularly concerned about Wildlife Selfie Code and commit to
the use of sloths as photo props for selfies keeping wild animals in the wild.
and the extreme negative impact on their 1. worldanimalprotection.org/wildlife-selfie-code
welfare caused by the wildlife tourism indus-
try. Several aspects of their biology and be- 2. If you can hug, hold or have a selfie
haviour make sloths particularly vulnerable with a wild animal, the chances are
to these types of human interactions. There is that it’s enduring ongoing cruelty. You
good reason to believe that most sloths being may be approached to pay for your
picture with a wild animal. Don’t do it.
3. Don’t chase or capture wild animals
for a selfie.
4. Don’t feed or lure wild animals with
food or bait so they come closer to
you for a photo.
5. Ask your tour operator whether they
allow direct contact with wild animals.
If the answer is no, the chances are
they are a responsible operator.
6. Report any concerns you have about
the welfare of wild animals in tourist
attractions via online platforms such
as TripAdvisor and your social media
channels – this helps to make others
aware of the cruelty so they also
choose wildlife experiences that are
good for the animals.
Contribution l Animal Friendly Traveller | 179

Postcards
Hola Mom,
This is my very first postcard to
you while I am travelling around
the word so I hope you will like
all of them.
Yesterday I arrived in the world’s
most southern town and then
headed straight to the famous
Martial Glacier, Ushuaia,
ARGENTINA. The glacier lies
at 1,050m above the sea which
I can see from here. The view
over the islands of the Beagel
Channel is stunning.
Many more postcards to come!
Love, Lizzy
Ässalamu läykum Mom,

I’m travelling in Central Asia
and today I’m about 196
km southwest of Kashgar
in CHINA’s Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous
Region. I’m now at
Karakul Lake (or Karakuli
“black lake”). Wow, this is
a very remote but beautiful
part of the world. Pakistan
is not far to the south.
Love ya, Lizzy
Hola Mom,
I’m at Upsala Glacier
near El Calafate
in ARGENTINA’s
Patagonia region.
The glacier’s terminus
is at the beautiful Lago
Argentino. You know I
have seen many glaciers
around the world, but this
one is the best!
Love, Lizzy

to Mom
Salâm Mom, Selamat-siang Mom,

I’m at the Kaluts in Ker- At last, I made it for sunrise at Borobudur temple, Central
man Province, IRAN. Java, INDONESIA. Read about this 9th-century Mahayana
Buddhist temple in the July 2018 issue of Globerovers Magazine.
Those rocks are called
the “yardangs” (sand Love, Lizzy
castles) and are 5 to 10
storeys high! That is my
new Iranian friend sitting
on the sand.
Love, Lizzy
Hola Mom,
Look at these Charapa
Turtles in the Oriente
region of the ECUA-
DORIAN Amazon
Jungle. There were 4
on the log but just before
I took the photo, 2 fell off
and sank to the bottom
of the pond. So sad...
Love, Lizzy
Postcards to Mom | 181

Postcards to Mom
Barev Mom,
This is the 13th-century Saghmosavank Monas-
Marhaba Mom,
tery near Ashtarak, ARMENIA. Gotta run Mom!!
I am camping in a Bedouin Love, Lizzy
tent in the red desert of
Wadi Rum, JORDAN.
The locals call it “The
Valley of the Moon” and
it is a good name because
the moon and stars are so
bright at night. Some of
your favourite movies were
filmed here like “Lawrence
of Arabia” and “The Mar-
tian” with Matt Damon.
Love ya tons, Lizzy
Kon’nichiwa Mom,
I’m at one of the greatest
festivals, the Tachineputa
Matsuri in Goshogawara,
Tohoku Region, JAPAN.
“Matsuri” means festival.
Several towns in the region
have their own harvest
festival during July and
August. All are spectacular.
Love, Lizzy

Annyeong-haseyo Mom, Salâm Mom,
Sorry I did not tell you I was coming to Mansudae Grand Monument, What a spectacular place! This is the Mohammad Helal Ibn
Pyongyang, NORTH KOREA. This is such a weird place!! I know Ali mausoleum, in Aran, Kashan, IRAN. He was a son
already this postcard won’t reach you, but I’m sending it anyhow. of Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad.
Love you and hope I can safely leave this country, Lizzy Love, Lizzy
Salom Mom,
Oh, I did it to you again!
Sorry for not telling I was
coming to the tiny village of
Shughnan, AFGHANISTAN.
I walked several km along
the small river from the
international bridge from
Tajikistan to get here. No
place to sleep and they say
the Taliban is not far away.
People are very tradition-
al and speak their own
Shughni language. No place
to eat or sleep.
Love, brave Lizzy
Postcards to Mom | 183

SUPER
TRAVELLERS in the SPOTLIGHT
A Globerovers Q&A with adventure travellers from Australia
Alesha (Lesh) GR: If you could spend the rest of your life somewhere other than
+ your current home country, which country would that be?
Jarryd (Jazza) L+J: Probably in Revelstoke, Canada or Phong Nha, Vietnam. Both
places completely captured our hearts when we lived there. Amazing
Lesh and Jazza travelled solo until they people, so many things to do and beautiful landscapes.
met in a Vancouver hostel in 2008.
Since then they have conquered the
world. Born in Australia (Lesh in a tiny GR: In about 50 words, please tell us about the most incredible and
farming community in Western Austra- memorable experience you have ever had while travelling?
lia and Jazza in Sydney) together they L+J: Sea kayaking in Antarctica was an experience that we’ll never
are a formidable travel team! forget. Paddling amongst gigantic icebergs on a bluebird day,
All photos by Lesh + Jazza
surrounded by lenticular clouds, penguins and sea lions meant we
couldn’t wipe the smile off of our faces.
GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend

the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which
Globerovers (GR): What is the main focus of your travels? place would that be, and why?
Lesh and Jazza (L+J): The main focus of our travels is exploring new L+J: Kyrgyzstan, due to the offbeat nature of the country and the
destinations, adventure travel, culture and photography. growing list of adventurous things to do. If you’re into trekking,
horse riding, mountain biking, rafting, cultural immersion and out-
GR: How many countries have you been to? of-this-world landscapes, it’s the place to be.
L+J: Absolutely no idea. Honestly, we’ve never counted. While we
don’t have an issue with people who count countries, we have just
never seen the need to. We’ve been travelling for almost 10 years.
Personally we’d rather travel to fewer places for longer, than more
places faster.
GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?

L+J: Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Canada, Chile, Turkey
GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?

L+J: At the moment, Kyrgyzstan. It has it all - amazing culture,
friendly people, sensational landscapes, great food, adventurous
activities and cheap prices. It’s also still off the radar for most typical
tourists, so it’s easy to get off the beaten path there.
GR: Where do you wish you were right now? If you’ve ever wanted to stay in a yurt, then it’s time to come to Kyrgyzstan.
L+J: Perhaps in the Arctic. Having explored Antarctica earlier this

GR: Which people by nationality or subgroup would you say have
year we fell in love with the polar region, and want to see what the
been the most hospitable during your travels and why do you say
northern part of the world has to offer.
so?
L+J: The Burmese. When we travelled through Myanmar every-
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones body went out of their way to make us feel welcome and enjoy their
are at the top of your “must do” list? country. We were welcomed into people’s houses, given private tours
L+J: India as it’s always been a sense of fascination for us, Philippines by strangers and looked after without any expectation of payment in
for beautiful islands, Kenya for the wildlife, Bhutan for culture and return. The country is excellent, but the people made it truly special
North Korea for curiosity. for us.

GR: How do you think travelling around the world for independ- GR: And where was the worst food during your travels?
ent travellers has changed over the past 20 years? L+J: Chicken feet and chilli in China. No meat and no flavour other
L+J: Obviously with the internet, independent travel is now much than having your mouth on fire.
easier and more accessible. Now you can sit in a guesthouse in rural
Mongolia and search the web for buses, flights, accommodation and
GR: What is the strangest or weirdest place you have ever spent a
things to do anywhere else in the world.
night?
L+J: Two places - in a bivy sack on the continent of Antarctica, and
inside a watch tower on the Great Wall of China.
GR: Based on all your travel experiences, what is the best tip you

can offer to new travellers?
L+J: Travel slow! You’ll appreciate every destination so much more
if you have enough time to enjoy it, and you won’t get burnt out as
quickly.
Kyrgyzstan is filled with Silk Road history and ancient burial sites,
like the amazing Burana Tower.
GR: Lets get a bit more personal. Do you have any “must take”

items which you travel with that you think most travelers don’t
have?
L+J: We always travel with camping gear, a Leatherman and Kath-
mandu clothing for any weather, as we live on the road full-time and
need to make sure we’re prepared for any situation.
Sunrise over Machu Picchu, Peru.

GR: What is your favourite travel resource on the Internet?
L+J: TripAdvisor and Booking.com for looking up accommodation, GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the
Google Flights for finding cheap airfares to anywhere and of course world during your travels around the world?
travel blogs for relevant, updated information on destinations. L+J: People the world over are 99.99% good.
GR: Lets talk about food. Which one country that you visited has GR: Do you have any strange, weird, or even bizarre travel rituals
the best food in the world? which you can share with us?
L+J: Thailand for sure! Can’t beat the curries there. L+J: We don’t have any weird rituals actually, although we do fist
bump each other when we have a win (just making the bus, finding
good street food, etc), which gets weird looks from people.
Puerto Varas, Chile. It’s a nation filled with crazy volcanoes. Grey Glacier, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
GR: Where was the best meal you have ever had during your Follow Lesh + Jazza
travels?
L+J: We’re not really foodies, so don’t tend to remember the best Find NOMADasaurus on:
meal ever, but all of the food at EcoCamp in Patagonia was amongst Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
the best we’ve ever had.
Website: www.nomadasaurus.com
185
A Globerovers Q&A with two long-term travellers
GR: Where do you wish you were right now and why?
Jack Watson & J&A: We are currently in New Zealand, but we are working at the
Aimee Loughlin moment. We wish we were in a camper van touring around the rest
of the country!
Lincoln, United Kingdom
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones
are at the top of your “must do” list?
Jack and Aimee who are currently travelling around New Zea- Jack: Japan. Their cultural and religious history is so different from
land and planning on travelling for at least the next 2 to 3 years. ours in the UK and I find that fascinating.
Aimee: Does South America count? I’ve wanted to do everywhere
Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to? in the continent for as long as I can remember!
Jack and Aimee (J&A): To date we’ve been to 20 countries in total.
GR: Please tell us about the most incredible and memorable
Hoping to double that over the next couple of years!
experience you have ever had while travelling?
J&A: While Interrailing this year we had our first go at Couchsurf-
ing in Petershausen, just outside Munich, with a wonderful couple
J&A: Our top five countries for leisure and travel are (in no par- called Dardan and Maria. We stayed 5 nights and really got to know
ticular order): two of the most hospitable and genuine people you could ever wish
1. Austria – we’ve visited Innsbruck and Vienna and have so far to meet. It’s the first time we’ve really delved into the lives of locals
found this to be a beautiful and relaxing country. The vineyards while travelling and we loved it.
make for an unforgettable day away from city life.
2. Croatia – Croatia’s variety and cultural history are staggering. GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend
the one most amazing destina-
Zagreb has a very cultural,
tion for intrepid travellers,
Western European feel,
which place would that be, and
Dubrovnik and Split (both
why?
so pretty) cater really well
J&A: Somewhere that often
for historical tourism and
falls under the radar is Austria.
Hvar is the perfect place to
People know of Vienna, Inns-
wind down and enjoy some bruck and even Halstatt now,
sunshine. but there’s so much more to see.
3. Italy – Italian people are all Try the Wachau Valley and its
so fun and laid back! There’s vineyards and villages. Although
so much incredible food in it’s fairly popular, you’ll really feel like you’re exploring somewhere
Italy and their beautiful historical landmarks make it a fascinat- secret.
ing place to go. We’d like to see more of the coast though!
4. Slovenia – it’s only small but every inch of it is gorgeous. The GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the
lakes are some of the most magical places we’ve ever seen and it world during your travels around the world?
is such a peaceful place to relax and soak in the countryside. Jack: Learn not to let things bother you too much and focus on
5. USA – we’ve only done one state (Jack went to Florida) but it’s enjoying your adventure.
Aimee: Try not to build up your expectations too highly and enjoy a
unbelievable how a country really can have everything.
place for what it is.
GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why? Follow Jack & Aimee
J&A: Austria has it all. The cities are among the prettiest we’ve been Facebook: @covertocovertravel
to, there’s always tons to do and their countryside really is some- Instagram: @covertocovertravel
thing else. We love to hike and there’s nowhere better for it. Twitter: @covertocover123
www.covertocovertravel.com

A Globerovers Q&A with two travelling “ultra endurance cyclists”
YH: India, Japan, Peru, Ecuador, and South Africa.

Christian Wulle &
Yvonne Hafner GR: Please tell us about the most incredible and memorable
experience you have ever had while travelling?
Zurich, Switzerland CW & YH: The most memorable experience is our latest trip: 22
countries, 18,000 km by bicycle: From Switzerland to New Zealand.
Few people would ever visit places like Turkmenistan or Tajikistan
I met Christian and Yvonne in Murghab, Tajikistan, while they
for a holiday – but it’s worth your while. Touching encounters with
were cycling from Switzerland to New Zealand! Amazing people!
people and cultures you could never book from a travel brochure.
True moments of closeness to nature that just blow your mind.
Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to?
Christian Wulle (CW): It’s been many countries on past trips
GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend
including the Americas, most European countries, northern Africa
the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which
and some parts of Asia. On our recent bicycle tour, we crossed 22
place would that be, and why?
countries from Europe to Asia and down to New Zealand.
CW: Spend a relaxing afternoon at the Wángyé temple in Zìgòng,
Yvonne Hafner (YH): Our very first bike tour, by the way, went
Sichuan Province, China. Once you have chosen your tea, you’ll get
through beautiful Croatia, the second was in hilly Laos, the third in
infinite refills of hot water – perfect for staying a few hours while
the extremely hot Morocco. After that we thought we are ready to
admiring the Fŭxī river and watching the locals playing cards. Also,
cycle the world.
visit the famous Cappadocia region near Kayseri, Turkey, in winter.
The impressive and unique scenery of pillar rocks will look even
more magical with a white cap on
CW: There might be a huge difference
top. If you’re into adventure jour-
in the definition of “leisure travel” if you neys, head to Tajikistan and explore
ask someone who prefers package tours the wild and rugged mountains in
or a touring cyclist. Countries that fit the autonomous region of Gorno-
both scenarios are Argentina, Thailand, Badakhshan. It’s the home of the leg-
Turkey, Italy, and the USA. endary Pamir Highway. Despite the
YH: Thailand, Italy, Greece, Croatia, name, don’t expect much more than
and Switzerland. a poor dirt and dust road, if at all.
You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking
GR: Which is your most preferred views into neighboring Afghanistan,
country for travel and why? deep blue lakes and vistas of the
CW & YH: Thailand with its immense majestic Transalai mountains.
diversity, friendly people, wonderful YH: I have just this one recommen-
monasteries, and gorgeous food. dation: Pack your trekking backpack
and head to the Dolomites, Italy.
GR: Where do you wish you were right now and why? Pick one of the 10 official high routes (“Alte Vie”) and hike from hut
CW: It would be great to be on the road again – just travelling day to hut. Wonder at the ever-changing views, steep trails and magic
by day somewhere off the beaten track. sunsets: Priceless!
YH: On my bike! One of the things that gets you addicted to bike
travelling is the immense freedom. GR: What will be the next country you will tick off your list?
CW & YH: No idea!
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones
are at the top of your “must do” list? Christian & Yvonne’s Website
CW: Nepal, Peru, Greenland, and Oman. www.furt.ch
187
BOOK REVIEW
Aussie Loos With Views
by Marion Halliday
Marion’s blog is at www.redzaustralia.com.

Follow her as RedNomadOz on Twitter, 3. How did your blog series become a book?
Google+, Pinterest, LinkdIn, and Flickr. After my blog was a finalist in an Explore Australia competi-
www.facebook.com/RedzAustralia tion, I was interviewed on their website where I explained my taste
for top Aussie toilets.
So when a loo book was suggested to one of the managing edi-
tors by her parents after they’d spotted a scenic loo on their travels,
Aussie Loos With Views! who else were they going to call?
But really, writing Aussie Loos with Views! was a logical pro-
is available at
gression for a toilet tragic like me with a genetic reading addiction,
Amazon.com, eBay, and at the
incurable OZ
publisher’s online bookshop:
travel habit –
www.exploreaustralia.net.au and a blog full
of scenic dun-
nies just crying
out for a wider
Marion Halliday is Red Nomad OZ, author, blogger and Aus- audience!
sie traveller who loves discovering nature based attractions So now I’m
and activities – and scenic loos – all over Australia. the poster girl
for Aussie Loos!
Her Aussie travel expertise and the storytelling skills she de- Whether or not
veloped in corporate life come together in her Aussie travel I’m insulted or flattered by that doesn’t matter – because either way
blog where the highlights (and lowlights) of her many years I got to publish my book.
of travel downunder provide inspiration for other travellers in
Australia.
4. Where will your outhouse obsession take you next?
So far, it’s been very rewarding introducing Aussie loos to the
world. I’ve got a lot more loos that didn’t make the book and I’m
1. What’s your book “Aussie Loos With Views!” all about? finding more every time I hit the road downunder, so one day I
Doing your ‘business’ is a real pleasure in my light-hearted might follow up with Aussie Loos – Number Two!
virtual tour of over 60 of Australia’s most scenic public amenities! But in the meantime, I’d like to get more involved with inter-
Loos near Australia’s best known landmarks often have amaz- national loo-based movements such as World Toilet Day and Toilet
ing views or spectacular settings – and sometimes the loo itself Twinning. Watch this space!
IS the view. With full colour photos representing the best Aussie
dunnies and nearby attractions from all around the country, it’s also
Australia’s quirkiest travel guide.
2. How did you become interested in Scenic Loos?

I’ve been a dunny detective ever since I visited the Kata Tjuta
(Olgas) conveniences near Uluru over 13 years ago. From the door,
I saw Central Australia’s distinctive red rock domes, blue outback
sky and green desert vegetation. I immediately took a photo – my
first Aussie Scenic Loo!
After becoming a loo lover, I started seeing scenic toilets wher-
ever I went. That added an element of excitement to my travels –
just you try photographing a loo with other people around!
When I started blogging seven years ago, I almost immediately
featured the amazing amenities I’d found in my Scenic Public Toi-
lets of Australia series. Now that category has over 50 downunder
dunnies – complete with attractions – and weirdly, they’re some of
my most viewed blog posts!

BOOK REVIEW The Photographing Tourist
A Storyteller’s Guide to Travel and Photography
by David Noyes
David’s website is NoyesTravels.com and 4. Do you have a favourite travel destination?

you can follow David on Facebook
(facebook.com/dnoyes1), and on Twitter I enjoy traveling to places that take me outside of my comfort
and Instagram @noyestravels. zone and challenge my understanding of the world, but the one
place that continues to fascinate me and draw me back is East
Africa. I love the tribal cultures and going on safari in Kenya and
The Photographing Tourist: Tanzania.
A Storyteller’s Guide to Travel
and Photography 5. What is your favourite story in the book?
is available at
Amazon.com and at: I think it is The Sacred City of Shiva. It is about my experience
noyestravels.com. Outside of in Varanasi, India one of the most intensely spiritual places I have
the USA, contact David directly ever visited. I was most
at david@noyestravels.com certainly outside of my
for shipping options. comfort zone.
6. What’s up next for you?

As a travel writer and photographer, David Noyes has been
A couple of years ago,
fortunate to visit some of the world’s great places and has
I launched Innocent Eyes
been touched by both the beauty and tragedy of the human
Project, a US-based nonprofit
condition.
charity to support grassroots
child education programs in
His first book, The Photographing Tourist has received 18
developing countries, where
international book awards for Travel Writing, Photography,
small amounts of money can
and Design.
make a real difference in the
lives of children.
With this project, I have
joined the global initiative
1. What’s your book “The Photographing Tourist” all about? to help children of the world
The book is beautifully illustrated with more than 300 photo- receive a quality education.
graphs from around the world and features twelve magazine-style I am no longer just a
travel narratives. Through a blend of tips, techniques, advice, storyteller, I am a part of the
anecdotes, and stories The Photographing Tourist takes you on a story. A portion of book sales
journey to remote corners of our fascinating world and will help goes to support Innocent Eyes Project. (www.innocenteyesproject.org)
you develop the well-trained eye of a travel photographer.
2. What inspired you to write this book?

Today, we are all photographers all the time with our various
gadgets. I wanted to contribute some advice on how we as tourists
and travelers can respectfully navigate our increasingly accessible
world, with a camera in our hands. I also hope to give readers the
confidence to use their cameras as a tool to enrich their travel expe-
riences and as a bridge across cultures.
3. How are the stories in your book different from articles on

your website?
In the book, I have tried to create a “magazine-style” reading
experience with a blend of short technical information, design and
compositional techniques, travel anecdotes, and magazine length
feature stories that will hopefully inspire readers to think differently
about their travel and engage their photography.
189
In a future issue...
Indonesia
We explore the mystic 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple of Borobudur and
other temples of central Java Island in Indonesia. Borobudur is one of the largest
temples on earth! We explore Java’s Dieng Plateau with its many smaller temples and
active volcanoes surrounded by veggie terraces and then move on to Bali, the “Island
of the Gods”, and the idyllic beaches and islands around the Island of Lombok. We
go further east to Flores Island in search of the fearless Komodo Dragons!
Argentina
Stretching almost 3,700 km from north to south, Argentina has red deserts in the
north and massive glaciers in the south. Let’s travel from the most southern town
of Ushuaia all the way to the Bolivia border in the very far north. Along the way
we drop in at the massive Perito Moreno Glacier, the wildlife at Valdés Peninsula,
we tango in Buenos Aires and then move north to the Iguazú Waterfalls, Mendoza
wine region, historic Córdoba, and the cactus town of Humahuaca near Bolivia.
Sapa, Vietnam
The region around Sapa in northern Vietnam is known for its fine, rugged scenery
rich in cultural diversity. Many colourful hill tribes and ethnic minorities live in the
area such as the H’mong, Dao, Tay, and the Giay people. Put on your hiking boots
as we head into the mountains to meet these tribes and spend some quality time
with them. From the fog-enshrouded village of Sapa we hike past rice paddies and
waterfalls as we disappear into the unknown!
Europe’s smallest
Europe’s smallest independent nations are most likely the least touristy destina-
tions in Europe. Nevertheless, they certainly have no shortage of excitement for
the intrepid traveller. We will visit the ten smallest European nations: Luxembourg,
Andorra, Malta, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Montenegro, Kosovo, Cyprus
and the smallest of them all, The Vatican City. So come along as we explore the off-
the-beaten-track places in Europe’s smallest countries.
Belarus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been described by U.S. Secretary
of State, Condoleezza Rice, as “Europe’s last dictator”. Walking around the capital,
Minsk, you can understand the impact his rule is having on this country. While
travel can be restricted and eyes could be focussed on a lone travelling foreigner, this
is no North Korea. Get on the train and travel far west to Grodno, or to the incred-
ible Mir Castle to the southwest of Minsk. Do attend a real old-school circus.
Laos
One of the few single-party communist countries left on this planet, the Lao
People’s Democratic Republic has a politburo dominated by military generals.
Forget the politics and head up to the little village of Vang Vieng for some caving
and cycling among the endless rice paddies separated by massive limestone rocks.
Don’t miss out on the town of Luang Prabang known for its many monasteries and
saffron-clad monks, as well as the hill tribes living in the surrounding hills.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has no shortage of intrepid destinations. Around every corner is excite-
ment! Come along as we explore the Osa Peninsula, home to the Corcovado Nation-
al Park. We start in Golfito on the east side of Pavon Bay, cross by boat to the small
town of Puerto Jiménez from where we sit on the back of a mini-truck down a small
jungle road to Carate on the Pacific Coast. Here the fun starts as we trek 7 km on the
beach and through the jungle to our base at the secluded Sirena Ranger Station.

Indonesia
e
In th e
t i s s u
nex
Off-the-beaten-track
191

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Droits d'auteur :

GlobeRovers Magazine Dec 2017

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Droits d'auteur :

VOL. 5 · NO.

2, December 2017 Journal of Globerovers Productions · GR

10 A Glimpse into the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea

ARTICLES + PHOTOS REGULAR SECTIONS

132 Bali - The Island of the Gods TOP LISTS

2 Globerovers · December 2017

THE FRONT COVER

Janet-Lynn Vorster, Cape Town, South Africa (page 92)

Beth Sharpe, Toronto, Canada (page 178)

Jonathan Maister, Toronto, Canada (page 64)

Vanessa Anderson, Living Around The World (page 130)

Rudolf Nägele and Jean Jaspersen-Naegele, Thalﬁngen,

Afghanistan El Salvador Macau Serbia

Don’t hesitate to follow us to some incredible

Use a QR reader on your

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SOUTH AFRICA BALI, INDONESIA

A Glimpse into the

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The “Snow Falls” dancing women

MIRAE UNHA TOWER

Mirae Unha Tower (53-story) on Mirae Scientists Street.

Murals inside the Pyongyang metro trains.

Propaganda at apartment blocks.

The monuments show the Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Struggle

At the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge,

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The Train Journey

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The Pyongyang Metro Other attractions

Three Revolutions Exhibition

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Between 1953 when the armistice was

Standing on the southern side of the

The buildings on the North Korea side

Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National

Entrance gate at the Korean War Museum. Apartment building.

Kim Il-sung Square.

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38 Globerovers · December 2017

For more photos of North Korea, visit:

Getting There Getting Around Photography

When to Go Where to Stay Packing

Dining Out Train Journeys Cost of Travel

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When travelling around Pyongyang, there are no

Fact is: Pyongyang is not representative of North

Why are Sharks Vulnerable to Exploitation?

Why Oppose Shark Finning?

46 Globerovers · December 2017

Lets start by exploring Alaska by car and stay on the road

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Bear Glacier in the Kenai Mountains

Holgate Glacier, Kenai Fjords National

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Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park.

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Steller sea lions near Whittier.

Steller sea lions, Kenai Fjords National Park.