One of the things that I have found a love for over my years of travel is kayaking. It is fun being able to see certain places in the world from the perspective of these tiny boats as I go places where many people never see. Most of the time, I find a company that rents out their boats, show up, hop in a kayak, and spend the rest of the day floating on a lake or ocean. It might cost a little bit of money, but it is always worth the experience.
Though this experience is great, there is a certain amount of freedom to having access to your own kayak that changes what can happen while kayaking. When renting from a company, you are limited in the amount of time you can use the kayak, or you have a guide that will take you to the places where they want to go. There have been times when I have been to some amazing places, but steered away from places I wanted to see, and this can only happen if I have the freedom to go where I want to.
But there is a dark side to this that many people who own kayaks know about. These boats are not easy to get from one place to another. It always takes a considerable amount of time to load them on to a vehicle to take them to those far away places that would be fun to explore. There is also the stress of transporting them as well. Though I know I have always strapped them tightly to the car, I still worry about a gust of wind, or a lost strap, to see the kayak flopping about on the road causing an accident. It always forces me to keep one eye on the top of the car when I transport them.
This brings me to the Oru Kayak that I have been showing it being opened up to get ready for an afternoon of kayaking on Sparks Lake in Central Oregon. This is a new type of kayak that does not require all of the trouble that comes with the traditional types of kayaks. It is a kayak that folds up to a portable size roughly around the size of a large briefcase. It weighs less than 15 pounds, and can easily be thrown into the back of a car to be taken to your favorite spot to go kayaking. It only took me 15 minutes to put it together as well, and this was the first time that I did it while using the instructions to to get it seaworthy. I am sure that the more I put it together that I will get quicker at the process.
But here is the big question that I am sure many of you are asking right now: how well does it work? I will be honest that I was very skeptical of the capabilities of this kayak when I was putting it together. The material was sturdy enough, but I did not know how secure it would be when I put it out in the water. Surprisingly, it was a great boat. It worked just as well as any other kayak that I have used throughout the years I have been kayaking, and the lightweight of it made it even easier to get it in and out of the water. Now, I wouldn’t take it to any location where the water would be choppy like the ocean or a river, but for a nice relaxing row on a mountain lake, it worked perfectly. The only other complaint I would have would be the exposure my legs had to the sun, but this can be easily fixed with a towel over the bow.
Overall, it was a great experience, and I loved the fact that it took care of all of the grunt work that makes kayaking more of a chore than a fun experience. An Oru Kayak is a game changer in the world of kayaking, and I suspect to see more of them on the mountain lakes in the upcoming years.
It took me until later in life before I realized how lucky I was growing up. My family had a decent sized house that did well handling the seven of us: my parents, four siblings, and me. At times it felt cramped, and going back to it, it looks smaller than I remember it being. But what my childhood so great was the neighborhood that I grew up in. All up and down the block, there were families with other kids my age, and we would venture out of our homes all of the time to hang out and have fun. There were many events during the year where we would get together, and the neighborhood became an extension of an already large family.
As I grew up, and moved to my own places, the spirit of that neighborhood was something that I constantly would look for, but it eluded me. Of course, I had neighbor or two over the years who were great, and I have made some great friendships along the way, but the neighborhoods I found myself in had more closed doors and people keeping to themselves. They would not have the same atmosphere that could be found in my neighborhood as child.
I have found some things like this with becoming an international teacher. There was an instant group of people that had a common experience and they would form a quick community. But the international scene also has a revolving door of employees coming and going, looking for their next adventure. I do run into some of those people during the breaks I have, and in my travels, and I enjoy it. Still, it misses that history that is created by living in a neighborhood for a long time when I get to watch people grow up and this feeling of family that is created.
The other night, I got to experience that feeling from my childhood again. I went to an early Fourth of July celebration at my brother’s neighborhood. Families from all up and down the street came together to join in the festivities. There was a shared history among the people, and as they created new memories, they talked about old ones. They welcomed me in as one of the group, and I felt like I was in my childhood again. It made me excited to know that neighborhoods like this still exist in the world, and those who find themselves in such places need to recognize how lucky they are to be living in them. Not every neighborhood is like that, and if they do exist, it could be a short time before they fall apart as people come and go. I hope that they embrace the experience while it happens because they could spend the rest of their lives finding that same feeling again when they have realized what they have lost. I was lucky enough to embrace it for one more night this summer, and for that I am grateful.
It has been a family tradition for the last fifteen years. My siblings and their families pick a campsite somewhere in the state of Colorado, and we go camping over the weekend. Sometimes we are all able to attend, and on other occasions, only a few of us are able to go. It has led to some memorable moments over the last fifteen years as we have endured violent rain storms, wandering moose, hot sunny days, and strange neighbors. No matter what stories are created during these trips, it is always worth going on.
I was able to go this year, and the place we went was one that I had been to a couple of times, Reverend’s Ridge Campgrounds. It is a popular campground because it is less than an hour away from the western part of the Denver Metro Area, and its quick location to both Black Hawk, and Central City, two small mountain towns which offer casinos for people to play in. The campground is also an attraction to this area.
Other than the regular setting up a tent, and cooking meals, Reverend’s Ridge Campgrounds offers campers many other things that they can do while they are there. The campground’s center schedules many different people to come in to talk about the wildlife, flora, and night skies that can be seen around the sites. A little ways away are a couple of ponds that are always well stocked with fish offering a chance for anybody with a license to catch one. Also, a series of trails wind themselves through the wilderness that offers many levels of hikes. The most common one, Panorama Point, offers beautiful views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains, and it is common to see both hikers and mountain bikers on the trail.
Another trail, the coyote trail, hooks up with the Panorama Point trail, but it is better to take a short drive to hook up with it a little further down the mountain. It is the one that I enjoyed the most, and I would describe it as a moderate trek. Despite the challenge, it boasts two locations that are worth seeing. The first is an old cabin where bootleggers used to make what they called skunk whiskey during Prohibition. The other place is not as preserved as well. It is a homestead that was developed by a man named John Frazer, but was left to fall apart when he passed away.
It is a great place to go camping, but like any sites in Colorado, the campsites fill up quickly. If you are interested in coming here or any campsite in the state, you need to reserve your spot early. The spots usually open up for the next year in December, and I have applied to reserve spots the day they opened on Reserve America. They are usually gone within that first week especially for the weekends or the holiday periods. I know that means that you have to be on top of things during a busy holiday season, but it is worth the five minutes to make the reservation. It just means that you will have a perfect spot waiting for you when the summer months roll around.
Thank you for reading, and keep getting out there to have those adventures. Until next time.
It has been a while since I have gotten to walk around the mountains of Colorado. It is not like I had forgotten about the, but I could say I had taken them for granted. All of the time I spent stuck in a foreign country during the pandemic, unable to return home, I had thought about them. When I was able to make it back to Colorado and enjoy them again, my priority went over to visiting with family and friends I had not seen for a long time, and visiting the mountains had taken a back seat. So when my sister suggested that we go on a hike one morning to a place in the mountains, and not far from her home, I was once again acquainted with the majesty that is the Rocky Mountains.
The trailhead she took me to was for Mount Falcon which is perched close enough to the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater that there were many spots along the way where I was able to look over the Front Range. In fact to get to the trailhead, we had to drive through rural areas, dotted with numerous houses, barns, and fields of grazing horses. Still, it was far enough away that when we arrived and started hiking the trail, we put any semblance of society behind us. I was once agin out in the middle of nature, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of the forests outside of Denver.
There are two trailheads for the Mount Falcon trail. There is the east path and the west path. The east path is a more arduous hike as it takes people up the mountain; whereas, the west path is relatively flat and the easier choice. They both lead to the same spot, so it really depends on the hiker as to how much of a challenge they are up for. I elected to take the easier path, so we drove to the west trailhead.
The places where the paths take you are the real reason for finding these trailheads. John Brisben Walker owned much of the mountain in the early part of the twentieth century. He had two locations that any traveler can get to if they come out here. The first one is his homestead, a large sprawling estate where he used to live with his family and servants. Only the ruins to this building remain as it was struck by lightning in 1918 and burned to the ground. Because John Brisben Walker had endured the tragic death of his wife two years earlier, he abandoned the homestead and left the ruins for us to enjoy over a century later.
The other site is not as interesting to look at, but it has a more interesting story behind it. There is a stone wall that would have been the foundation to a majestic building out in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. On top of it, there is one marble brick that hints at the material that would have been used to eventually make this building. John Brisben Walker wanted to make a palace for the presidents of the United States that would have called the White House of the West. He was able to put in that one marble brick, and the rest of the project was abandoned. Though it is not as exciting as the ruins, it was still an interesting place to visit.
It was fun to be able to venture off into the mountains of Colorado again, even if it was just in the foothills. I hope it opens the floodgates for me to explore more of these mountains in the future, and not to take so long between visits. I was raised by going into these mountains, and I need to return to those moments of my youth to remember how much is offered by the Rocky Mountains.
Beer Gardens are places where you can go and meet your friends while sitting outside on a nice summer evening. Instead of having a waiter that comes around to help you with food and drink selections, you need to go up to the bar or the counter to get service. It is a nice time in a fun atmosphere.
It seems to be the trend in America to have more of these types of places pop up. I have been to places like this now in Oregon, and Minnesota so far, and I recently found one in Denver, the Lowry Beer Garden.
A long time ago in Denver, there was a place called the Lowry Air Force Base. It was eventually shut down as the city grew, but the hangers have remained in place. Some of them have been turned into museums and other businesses, but one of them was turned into a beer garden. It has turned into the go to place in this gentrified neighborhood in Denver. People can walk there, or ride their bikes on the large streets to enjoy the evening out with their neighbors. The place even has entertainment to keep bringing people in. The night that I was there, they were playing bar trivia, but we were sitting in the outside area and could not really hear the questions or participate in the game.
The beer is also really good. They do not brew their own beer, but they are in Colorado where great beer can be found everywhere. The establishment partners with the local breweries to rotate beers in and out, and there will always be one that you can find that adheres to your tastes.
The food was decent too. It was all made there; whereas, a lot of the other places like this just have food trucks come out to take care of this part of the experience. They really didn’t serve anything fancy, your basic pub fare of burgers, brats, and fried appetizers. They were reasonably priced, and it did not take that long to get the food.
Overall, I love this trend that is happening in America. It is a unique experience that I have not come across in many other places in the world. I do believe that it works better during the summer time, and I wonder how well these places do when things get colder outside, but I am out here during those hot months right so I will continue to seek these places out.
There are people in this world who are in the know. They usually live in the southwest part of the United States, and they enjoy a certain brand of Mexican food that can only be found in that part of the world. Of course, these people enjoy all kinds of Mexican food, whether it is authentic Mexican, the Cali blend, or the famous Tex-Mex. But to those in the know, the best type of Mexican can only be found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. This is because a certain kind of Mexican delight can only be found in this part of the world for some reason.
This delicacy is known as Green Chili. For those in the know, they already knew where I was headed. If they were already residing in one of those three states, they might start thinking about having come green chili for dinner, and for those living outside of these three states went through an odd rollercoaster ride with their emotions. At first, they would be excited as they would be brought back to memories of when they were able to enjoy this entree, but then they would get sad because they would not be able to find any place where they could have some. Even if they had a recipe for this simple meal, they would be discouraged because the place where they were living might not have the right kind of chilis to make this for themselves.
For those not in the know, green chili is a simple pork based sauce that is made with chilis, flour and a little water. Some people have made it with chicken and there are some wonderful vegetarian versions out there as well. Mexican restaurants in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona usually keep a batch heated up in the kitchen, and they will smoother any dish that you want with it. This simple added feature turns any Mexican dish into something distinct and unforgettable. It is the dish that is the one that anybody visiting the region should look for. Those who have come out here, and have tried it, know what I am talking about.
It is surprising to me that it only resides in this part of the world, and I do not know why it has not been brought to other places. I have had kimchi in Jordan, hummus in Japan, and Pho in America, so I don’t understand why this dish is impossible find outside of where I grew up. Finding Mexican food around the world is not hard, and most of the time it does a pretty good job. Still, it misses that one thing that makes it Mexican for me. So I ask those owners of these Mexican restaurants around the world to add green chili to their menu. It might not sell right away because there are not many people in the know, but after people try it, the word would spread, and they would have a hard time keeping it around. Also, I would be able to enjoy this dish outside of the United States which would be the thing that would excite me the most.
As for right now, I am back in Colorado, and am enjoying it again. I will have to have as much as I possibly can while I am out here, and try to find a way to make it when I move back to Jordan. Until then, please give me a scoop of that green chili on my Mexican and I will be in heaven.
Until next time, keep on finding those local treasures, and having great adventures.
The lights went out on our side of the road; We had to pack our devices away And live according to an older code About how we come together to play. We converge around a different glow That flickers from a central candle’s wick; Neighbors become our television show Which we will find to be the better pick. Laughter will be heard around the table As we gather around a deck of cards, A more traditional kind of cable That has more channels than the sky has stars. You will realize that it’s a pity When we live through our electricity.
There needs to be a pulse in my city To get the feeling of being alive. Give me skyscrapers, looming and gritty With snooty cocktail bars next to a dive. I can lose myself in the crowded streets Though my head hangs above the common man. I find that the anonymity greets Me with a cool evening without a plan. I will just follow the arc of the moon As it ticks away the hours of the night. Somewhere out there waits my eternal boon Which gives my adventure its starting flight. For tonight, these Asian pathways are mine, On its hospitable meal I will dine.
I knew I was in a different country when I was riding in the bus from the airport to my hotel, and our tour guide started to point out some of the landmarks that give the people of this country great pride. The first was the grave sight of Ho Chi Minh, sitting behind a large field of grass where he first declared independence of his people from their oppressors, the French. The second one was a statue of Lenin as he proudly strode out to bring the people of this world the idea that would once and for all destroy the class system that kept people in poverty all around the world. I was no longer in the Capitalistic societies of the West. I was in Vietnam, the bastion of the Communist people that would eventually topple other great Democracies of the East. Or at least that was the lesson I learned when I was back in high school. I am wondering if that is that same story holds up today.
Those lessons always had me picturing a war torn country filled with grimy streets, and hot treks through dangerous jungles. It was a place that nobody in their right mind would want to go to visit. There was some truth to those images that I conjured up in my mind during my high school days. Vietnam had been ravaged by war for over 50 years, and at that time was just getting over a conflict with China in order to maintain their independence. It was in economic ruin, and had a long way to build back the country that got displaced during these conflicts.
But the Vietnamese people are resilient, and they put together a plan to put their country back on track. It involved a Communist view of the world around them that was closer to what China was doing rather than the Soviet Union, even though they built their country with the help of both of these superpowers. It meant returning to a simpler kind of life, but one where the people were in control of their destiny, and not some foreign government making bigger decisions for this smaller country. It didn’t look impressive at first, but it was a move in the right direction.
Vietnam also had a rich traditional history to fall back on. Though this is rooted in the principles of Confucianism, it has its own take on it. The deep rooted belief in Buddhism was repressed during these years, but hints of it can still be found around the country, and the practice is starting to appear again in the more remote parts of the country.
And let’s not forget about the food. I was sitting in a meeting once, and somebody who never had eaten the food before was trying to describe it. They claimed that it was very similar to Chinese food, and that is not at all correct. Though it does have this feel, there is a big French influence to it as well. And then it uses these spices that you cannot really find anywhere else in the world. It creates its own cuisine that you can only find in Vietnam, and its influence is spreading to many places around the world. It is becoming almost as ubiquitous as Thai, or Korean food, and it just adds to another choice for those of us who love meals from this part of the world.
All of these things combined together to punch a hole in the philosophical understand that guided the economic vision of this developing country, and opened them up for the wonderful world of tourism. And for those of us who have traveled anywhere in the world, it is impossible to prevent Capitalism sneaking into the mix when a place is opened up for tourism. There are sights that need to charge people to visit them. There are stores that need to sell souvenirs for those visitors to take back home with them. There are restaurants needed to feed them, and transportation experts to get them to all of these things. This only can run on the principles of Capitalism.
But it has also created one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. There is so much to see and so much to do in Vietnam that it is taking over as the number one destination sight in southeast Asia. Even the small villages are taking advantage of this fact by creating homestays where visitors can find a comfortable place to lay their head, eat wonderful home-cooked meals, and enjoy some of the local traditions. The last time I was in Vietnam, I went to one of these homestays where I was given a bed hidden by a curtain, and asked to join the family’s evening ramen meal. They have since grown into more elaborate experiences where it gets harder and harder to book during the busy tourist months because of the increased desire to stay there.
There are also natural wonders to explore. The one that attracts more visitors is Ha Long Bay in the north. In this cove among the various islands, people can be found enjoying cruises, hiking to the top of the islands, exploring caves, fishing for squid, and kayaking between the islands. They also harvest pearls in specific locations, and have many docks built so people can stop by to enjoy a quick bite to eat, or find a souvenir to bring back home with them. Even though this is a natural wonder, there is always a place where you can see money be exchanged.
It is in the heart of the cities that this really becomes evident. The last time I was in Hanoi, tourists flocked to the Old Quarter to learn about the history of the country at one of the various museums there, and to eat while sitting on a small plastic stool at one of the many restaurants that inhabited its labyrinth. The Old Quarter is still at the heart of Hanoi, but after coming back, those restaurants have upgraded their furniture, and raised their prices. Some of them have even extended their offerings by teaching visitors how to make some of Vietnam’s signature dishes by offering cooking classes. All they ask is that those tourist bring their money so they can enjoy these experiences.
Vietnam is still a developing country, and is still run by a Communist government. It is pulling from the spirit of its people, and a rich cultural heritage to pull itself into the realm of being a developed first world country, and I do believe that it will happen in my lifetime. I think back to those history lessons of my youth that talked about the dangers of Communism, and how it would eventually bring about the destruction of the world. My teachers told me the story about how the United States involvement in Vietnam was key to making sure that this did not happen though they do not like to admit that we lost the war. Communism won, but it did not spread to the rest of the world like it had been predicted. At the same time, I do not believe that the growth of Vietnam is dependent on Communism. It is its bizarre blend of economic policies between Communism and Capitalism that has turned it into the country that it is today. It is this strange blend that will allow it to continue to grow into what it will eventually become. I can’t wait for my next visit out here to see what that will look like.
Until next time, keep on finding those experiences.
If it is not on your bucket list, it should be added to it. Ha Long Bay is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I have liked it so much that when I was given an opportunity to make it back there again, I jumped on that chance. It was just as amazing as it was the first time, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to go back.
Ha Long Bay is an expanse of water coming out of northern Vietnam over 600 square miles in area. The main feature of the bay is the collection of islands. I am told that there are 1963 of these limestone giants jutting out all over the bay. Some of them are large, and hold caves that you can explore; whereas others as tiny little rocks that could hold maybe ten people if you were lucky enough to put that many folks on one of them. Each of them is a marvel to look at which makes this one of the places that many people travel to every year.
There are many different way to enjoy the bay. You can hang out in the city along the shore, relaxing on one of the beaches, but you are better off getting on a boat. There are many different kinds of cruises that you can take. Their is a one day cruise that will show you some beautiful places, but won’t get you very far into the bay. You can also take a large boat with fifty cabins that will take you far through the islands, and provide a variety of activities to enjoy. They also have smaller boats that have eight cabins per boat that will allow you to plan your trip with the people running the ship. Both of the cruises can take place either with two or three nights.
The first time I went out, I enjoy a two night cruise and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. This time, I just did the one day cruise. It was still a lot of fun, but I did not get to see a lot of the bay. I was taken to a cave close to shore that I got to explore with a bunch of other people.
We also got to get out on kayaks for about an hour. This is a must do if you find yourself in Ha Long Bay. This is the only way to explore some of the more exciting islands. It will take you under caves, and around tight corners that the bigger boats will never be able to make it around.
It only scratched the surface of what can be done in this bay. I would recommend spending the money to stay a couple of nights out there, but if you can only stay for one afternoon, the day cruises are still a wonderful way to experience the bay. I am glad that I have gotten to experience this place twice in my lifetime, and if given the opportunity to go back, I will easily take it. I hope you do the same.
Until next time, keep on having those experiences.
John Collings 