Welcome to the Urban Jungle

I've always wondered what a city of 27 million people would look like. Now I do. It's a zoo. Complete chaos at all hours of the day. Like an anthill where every ant has a horn and a complete disregard for personal space. It's been quite the experience. 

The Masjid district of Mumbai

In our last post we'd explored the more affluent British themed section of the city. We've since moved hostels and entered the Masjid district, a working class Muslim area of the city. In fact, it feels like the two districts are completely different cities (One could even argue we've somehow been beamed up by the starship Enterprise only to be dumped in some distant corner of a strange Galaxy). Hijabs and burkhas now replace saris, mosques dot street corners and a melodious call to prayer is heard throughout the day. 

In our daily wanderings around the city, we managed to stumble into the Crawford Market area, a grungy gigantic version of Granville Island Market but with more butchers and a wider spectrum of olfactory delicacies (we recommend all to experience firsthand this "Eau de Bombay". Really. It's a delight). Outside, the streets and alleys teem with more markets and stalls. Various alleys specialize in selling only hats, or ladies underwear, or mangoes, or...there is a street for everything. It is quite a sight. 

The fruit section of Crawford Market, just before being wisked away to the spice section by a polite yet insistent shop owner. 

One of the most interesting experiences in Mumbai has been riding the public trains. They are constantly filled with commuters at all hours of the day and offer some of the best people watching opportunities. Hand rails and a lack of doors always for some creative riding positions by some of the more experienced locals. Not to mention a ticket costs 10 rupees (20 cents). An excellent price for a great show

Paul "Kid Rock" Fijal runs the show on the night train 

Mumbai has been an incredible experience. We've been amazed at the friendliness of the locals, the deliciousness of the street food, and the compete cacophony of rush hour traffic. At times it has felt like a completely different planet. A city this size makes you gawk at the fact that 7 billion people exist on this earth. 

Tomorrow we leave the zoo of Mumbai for the desert zoo of Jaipur and our first experience on an overnight sleeper train in India. 

The adventure never stops here 

Jurgens Tuesday #2: Chai and Cricket, or "Jesus wears a Tilly Hat"

As promised, my column arrives at the end of our first exhilarating and dusty day in the financial capital of India and the home of 27 million people- Mumbai! Walking around the city this afternoon, I was immediately struck by how similar the infrastructure, buildings, and city planning is to London, England; and this makes sense- It was under British rule until the 1940s. Still, this place is essentially London on acid, and the feeling is incredible. A filling meal and some chai is under $2, and the locals at Shivaji park were more than happy to let us join in on some pick-up cricket. I picked up some points, Paul managed to bat a couple 4s and Alex was lethal in the outfield. Sports! My head-waggle still needs practice, as does my Hindi, but I have an incredible feeling about this country and I can't wait to spend the next 1-2 months guzzling tea and getting lost in bazaars, or drinking fresh squeezed sugar cane juice and chilling with locals. Next Tuesday (Wednesday for us) we might be in Jaisalmer, but who really knows. This place runs on magic, and schedules be damned! Until next time!

- Ryan 

Deuces Baby

Our time in Bali has come to an end, but what a time it has been. These past two weeks have been jammed packed with cultural activities, snorkelling with an array of colourful fish, mountain biking through remote jungle villages, earning a newfound respect for surfing, discovering the joys of scooter rides and climbing the spirit in the sky, Mt Agung, to name but a few. 

The vast majority of these experiences would not have been possible without help of Tim and Insook. They graciously opened their home to us and provided excellent local know how to this group of budding young travellers. We are extremely grateful for their hospitality. 

We biked down to the beach last night before sunset for a couple celebratory beers and enjoyed a quintessential Balinese scene. Surfers speckled the sea catching the last waves of the day, a photographer captured a silhouetted display of yoga poses performed by a young woman on a wind swept rock, local boys prepared their hooks for a dusk fishing session, men chain smoked on the black steps of an imposing nearby temple. The whole scene was bathed in an orange and red glow as the setting sun slipped slowly towards the horizon. We sat in silence, each sipping an ice cold $2 Bintang Pilsner from the comfort of a bean bag chair, and contemplated the scene. 

Bali had been amazing. 

The wonders of India now lay ahead. It was time for our next great adventure. 

Deuces baby

"Deuces Baby" written on a chalk board above a toilet. 

Volcanoes, surfing, clubbing and how

Salamat Ciang travel fans! Paul-o checking in on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The crew of intrepid explorers are taking a well deserved break after a weekend that has seen little sleep and much fun.

Here on the island of the Gods, the days have been jam packed. After returning from our first solo trip on Lembongan, we decided to take another crack at surfing; this time using boards with a little more sex appeal than the chunky blue foam monstrosities from before. But even though we looked like chiseled effigies of Poseidon himself, we have all gained a deeper appreciation of the phrase "can't catch a break"

To make up for getting tossed around by the waves all afternoon, we headed to Bali's famed party district, Kuta. When in Bali, right? RAP ft HRLN tore it up on the dance floor much to the amazement of the roaming packs of ladies who did not dare approach us for fear of interrupting the visual experience of the decade. Im sure we'll be asked back soon.

Ryan shielding himself from the hordes

Finally, the weekend was capped off with a night ascent of mighty Gunug Agung, the largest volcano on Bali towering over the island at more than 3000m. The gruelling 30 deg pitch was no match for this tough gang and we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the sunrise, hot beverages supplied by our guide, and delectable treats affectionately named "coffee flavoured mouth boners".

545 AM summit time

Steeling ourselves for the descent 

View of Agung from the temple gates

So after all this adventuring, it's almost time to bid adieu to this magical island. RAP will soon leave cousins Harlan, JJ, and Ben behind as well as our amazing hosts Tim and Insook as we prepare to head to India.

Catch you on the flip side

Vlog #1

--Underneath Tegenungan waterfall, near Ubud (Bali)

Jurgens Tuesday: Edition 1

Day 8

Om Swastiastu! Welcome to Jurgens Tuesday, my weekly column.

We have been busy!! Mountain biking from the ridge of an old volcanic crater down into rice-paddy villages with no road access. Swinging through tree tops on fixed ropes and zip lines. Feeding monkeys in the monkey forest. Life doesn't get much better for Bulés (tourists) like us! We have spend the last 3 days mopedding and snorkelling on the island of Lombongan, with occasional Bintang breaks to refresh ourselves. Soon after our arrival here we met up with Alex's friend Therese, who has provided some much-appreciated female balance to our adventures! The cuisine has been affordable and incredible- Last night we enjoyed freshly caught fire-roasted jacketfish at sunset, with banana milkshakes for dessert. As I type this on my old banged up iPod on our guest house's questionable wifi connection, I am preparing for my last day of lounging and beaching on Lombongan. We are bound once again for Bali this afternoon-- the ticket includes an ascent of the volcano Agung, gardening at Greenschool (the school you wish you attended - essentially a giant outdoor treehouse of learning), and more surfing as we attempt to graduate from our giant blue soft-top longboards to something a little sexier.

My next "Jurgens Tuesdays" blog post will (hopefully) reach you once we have touched down in Mumbai. Until then... Happy living! Salamat malam! Dada! Micasi!

The Good Life

P.Fij singing in:

We've managed to accomplish quite a bit in our limited time in Bali so far. Here's a quick recap. 

On our first day we drove out to a Balinese wedding. One of Uncle Tim's (UT for short) colleagues was getting married and he graciously brought us along for the cultural experience. None of us had thought of packing a suit, but thankfully there were spare outfits to prevent us from sticking out of the crowd too much. Walking into the wedding we were greeted by "om suastiastu", a respectful greeting in balinese. Also the only words we know in balinese.  

Traditional Balinese dress. Can you spot the tourists?

After the wedding, we made our way to our hosts favourite snorkelling spot - a quick motorized canoe ride brought us to a set of reefs not too different from the one in finding nemo. Clown fish, puffer fish, giant clams, anemones, and more!

After a quick cup of ginger tea and some delicious street food (rice and tuna bbq in banana leaves) we found our way back to UTs for some well deserved R&R.

Little did we know the fun wasn't over yet. Because up next was renting mopeds. So fun. Throttle is touchy. Capped off our first day with a sunset ride through rice paddies with road lined with banana trees. No MAJOR crashes yet :)

Day 2 had us beach exploring on the mopeds with Harlan, my cousin from distant cowtown. Without getting too lost (surprisingly) we found a volcanic rock beach ft. a spontaneous bocci game on the sand with rocks. More gnarly back road scootering led to a picturesque temple by the sea, more rice paddies and scores of smiling locals enjoying the sight of 4 white boys crouched over their mopeds. 

In the afternoon, cousins JJ and Ben brought us to the beginner surfing beach, where the waves were as big as houses, everybody had a chiseled 6-pack and all the boards had been half chewed by sharks. Well, that's what we saw but JJ might tell you otherwise. Regardless of who you choose to believe, the fact is we suck. Everything hurts. Ryan burnt to a crisp. But through patient coaching, tenacity of spirit and shear force of will we all managed to stand on our boards and ride out a handful of gnarly waves. Shredding. Hang loose. 

Bali is so much fun. 

Welcome to Bali

"Ladies and gentlemen we have just landed in Bali. We thank you for flying Eva Air and wish you a pleasant trip". I huge ear to ear grin grows over my face. I catch Paul's eye and we exchange a distance high five. The hot humid air hits you the moment you step off the plane, a faint odour of flowers accompanying it. Welcome to the tropics. We grab our bags, clear customs and are greeted by Paul's cousin JJ. He's wearing jeans and seems completely unfazed by the incredible weather. Exiting the airport we're mobbed by taxi drivers offering rides, mushrooms or both. JJ opens up the cooler he's been carrying, revealing ice cold Bintang pilsners and a set of matching singlets. Best welcoming party ever! We hit the road, surrounded at all times by a constant brouhaha of horns and zippy mopeds. The traffic rules are essentially non-existent here, as long as everyone can eventually get by its allowed. We drive past bustling intersections with packed streets and make our way towards rice paddies and small winding country roads. The sun is setting as we arrive at Paul's uncle Tim's house. The place is incredibly gorgeous and the faint smell of teak pervades every room. We are greeted by a Korean-Indonesian fusion feast and discuss at length all the possibilities this island has to offer. As I write this watching the sun rise over the palm trees to a morning cacophony of roosters, crickets and cicadas, I know this leg of the trip will be an incredible experience. 

Blastoff

Tonight what we've been talking about for years is about to become a reality. In less than 40 minutes we board a Boeing 747 which will take us to Taipei to start off the grand adventure. It's a surreal moment- excitement mixed with nervousness, as the clock hand ticks slowly forward. The thought of a 12 hour cross-Pacific flight sits about as well as the Wendy's frosty Ryan and I slurped down an hour earlier, but the end result is more than worth it. 

Bali, the island of yoga and Australians, awaits 

---

Jurgens logging in- last week I finished a year of 6pm-6am shifts. I lived nocturnally, and this past week I switched back to normal people hours. Now I am switching back to nocturnal hours but for a much better reason. We're goin surfing!!! Shout out to Grace Face for seeing us off. Namaste 

T-Minus 5

On May 11th we finally set out to begin a trip which has been casually discussed for just over 4 years. The idea first came up in the midsts of a severe bout of "exam crazies" during our first year at UBC. The plan was simple; finish an undergrad degree and go explore the world free of responsibilities and exams. A more complete picture emerged following the purchase of a world map, and a few beers later a general route was formed. Casually drawn lines on the map would have us crossing the Indian subcontinent, travelling across China by road, navigating the vast expanses of the Kazakh steppes and trekking into valleys watched over by himalayan giants. Over the next few months this blog will showcase the struggles in getting from point A to point B, but more importantly the absurd, ridiculous and unbelievable stories which undoubtedly go hand in hand with travelling.

A loose itinerary is shown below.
May 11 - May 27 : Indonesia, specifically the island of Bali
May 27 - June 24 : India, moving north from Mumbai to the Himalayas
June 24 - July 21 : Nepal and Mt. Everest base camp (highly dependant on the humanitarian crisis)
July 21 - Aug. 4 : China, from Xi'an to Urumqi
Aug. 4 - Sept. 1 : Kazakhstan
Sept. 1 - Sept. 19 : Russia, going from Omsk to Moscow to St-Petersburg and anywhere in between
Sept. 19 - Early Oct. : Oktoberfest, a responsible celebration of fine malts, hops and spring water
Oct. - Dec. : Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe...you name it, we'll be there

Due to our severely limited communication skills in the vast majority of these countries, if you know anyone who'd be willing to show us around for a day or two please let us know! An authentic hand-written and autographed post card could be yours.

Enjoy the show!

The responsible trio of Alex (dog), Paul (carrot) and Ryan (flower)