G'day! I'm Chris. I left my home in rural Australia back in 2007 to pursue a life less ordinary.
I specialize in ambitious travel - bucket list worthy journeys such as the Great US Road Trip, the ultimate African safari, and following the length of the Silk Road.
It’s well-known that for anyone looking to get into shape, there are few things better than taking up sport. It could involve being part of a team or just you doing whatever you fancy at your own accord, but as long as it’s physically challenging, it’s the right thing to do. In summer, there are plenty of options if you’re struggling to pick one, but what about winter?
While it might be harder to take up something like football or cross-country running when the ground is covered in snow and black ice, there are some sports which use the wintry climate to their advantage. Arguably the best of all winter sports is skiing, which is popular throughout the mountainous regions of Europe and North America, but can it keep you fit?
Slaloming towards slimness?
Skiing is ideal in a resort located somewhere like the Alps, Pyrenees or even somewhere in northern Scandinavia where the weather is reliably snowy from November to March. The slopes make it easier for you to ski, while some resorts offer further opportunities to get fit, detoxify and relax – Inghams have a range of resorts which have on-site or nearby spas where you can get all that done.
Skiing isn’t just a lot of fun, it’s also remarkably good for you. Photo by fiction300
If you decide to take up skiing, you might be surprised to learn of how it can benefit your health, especially if you’re intent on losing weight after piling on the pounds at Christmas. When skiing, your entire body is working, but most of the movement is around the abdominal area, which dictates the movement of your limbs. This extra work could lead to a flatter stomach as a result of weight loss.
Setting the tone
Another positive effect of skiing a few hours or so every day is that it can also help to make your physique look a little bit more toned. This is because many of the muscles in the body are being used regularly, which means that as they become accustomed to skiing on a regular basis, they become leaner and stronger, which will make you look much better than you did prior to hitting the slopes.
A toned, slim body will also help to boost flexibility. As your body becomes used to working around the contours of the mountainside, it will help to make movement less of a problem, especially as your skiing skills become that little bit more advanced. Cross-country skiing is perfect for you if it’s something more challenging you’re after.
Cross country skiing is some damned intensive cardio. Photo by propagandalf
On top of that, going on a skiing break, even if it’s just for a week, may help you to feel that little bit more relaxed. Being able to head back to the hotel, a spa, Jacuzzi or cabin and put your feet up will help the body to recover, preparing you for your next skiing session and helping you to make the most of your break.
Your Say
Have you done much skiing in your life? What effects have you noticed on your own physique?
While I’ve now been to Angkor Wat and been overawed by its majesty, I’m still about a year behind in my writing. So, while I wrap up last year’s trip to the United States, here’s a piece featuring a few choice tips on how to do Angkor Wat right.
5 Tips for Exploring the Magic of Angkor Wat
My first thought when I saw Angkor Wat was that I didn’t feel small when I looked at it, in the same way that one feels while looking out at the ocean. Instead, I only felt the greatness of humankind, and the magnificent capacity of man to build a temple complex such as Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple complex and religious monument in the world. It lies just outside the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. Angkor Wat extends over 400 square kilometres and consists of temples, structures, and communications routes. For those thinking of visiting Cambodia, Angkor Wat is a must see.
Angkor Wat is one of the most stunning places on earth.
Here are my top 5 tips for visiting this temple complex:
1) Travel with a small group
I think it is best to travel to Siem Reap with a group of 4 or less. This way, your group will always be able to fit into a tuk tuk, and there is a greater chance that your group will be able to walk around Angkor Wat at the same pace.
2) Stay at a youth hostel in Siem Reap
Youth hostels in the Siem Reap are reasonably priced, more centrally located than the majority of hotels, and the level of cleanliness is generally pretty good. Hotels are isolated and farther away from the city center. I recommend choosing a youth hostel that doesn’t get too loud, which is ideal for your trip to Siem Reap because you might be waking up early for a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. Also, the youth hostels are located close to the city’s nightlife, and you won’t need to do more then walk out the door to begin a night of food, drinks, and meeting other travelers.
3) Take a tuk tuk
It is best to do a tour of Siem Reap by tuk tuk. You can book this tour at your hostel; each hostel will have their own tuk tuk drivers that work only for them. Most hostels will generally arrange for a tuk tuk driver to take you to Angkor Wat, drive your group around the temples, and then drive you back to your hostel. Don’t be afraid to shop around, though. There is no shortage of tuk tuk drivers in Siem Reap.
Taking a tuk tuk is a great way to see Angkor Wat in relative comfort. Especially in summer!
4) Do a sunrise tour
It is a must-see to be at Angkor Wat at sunrise. Your tuk tuk driver will take you out to Siem Reap just before sunrise, and then you will be able to see the sun rise over the temples, and see the reflection in the moat around the main temple. Similarly, you can also do a sunset tour. In both cases, it’s best to get there as early as possible to avoid jostling for prime positions.
5) Eat local food
As far as food goes, try to eat at restaurants that serve traditional Cambodian food, rather then westernized food. The food will be better priced, tastier, and more authentic. I ate two meals at western restaurants, a Mexican restaurant, and an Irish pub- but the food was overpriced at both places, and I preferred the food at the Cambodian restaurants. You’re also more likely to meet and strike up conversations with locals at Cambodian restaurants, which is never a bad thing.
About the Author
Peggy Olson is a keen traveler and adventurer, and considers Asia to be her favourite destination. She writes for InsureandGo.com.au – Australia’s travel insurance specialists. Read more about Peggy’s travel adventures here at www.insureandgo.com.au
Your Say
Do you have any tips for making a visit to Angkor Wat extra special? I’ll chime in with my own real soon!
I’ll be up front and say that Nigel and Franklin from Adventure Underwear approached me about trying out a pair of their new Adventure Underwear and doing a little promotion, but I’ve not been paid any money and the opinions below are entirely my own. Check out the Adventure Underwear Kickstarter here.
My Money Belt Story
November 24th, 2007
Sydney airport is crowded but I’m on my own little island of nerves and sadness. My mother, father, and youngest brother are huddled around me as the sea of people going about their lives washes around us. We’re a rock in the encroaching tide and every bit as unaware of the goings on around us.
With the security check-point just behind me, I’m becoming keenly aware that I am the same kid (albeit older, fatter, and hairier) than the one who used to call home from a sleepover at midnight to have my Mum come and get me. And here I am about to relocate to South Korea for a year of ESL Teaching.
Mum is crying. Izaak is crying. I am crying. Dad is… looking decidedly awkward at all the tears on such public display.
Izaak and I on my last morning in Australia. I remember it hadn’t really set in that I was about to leave for a year.
Wrapped firmly around my waist is the ugly as hell, virginity protecting money belt that my mother insisted I take with me. Like so many people – her idea of South Korea (and Asia in general) is perhaps a little naive. It’s not the den of thieves, pick-pockets, and criminals that Australia started as.
My passport, wallet, and a wad of South Korean won are all crammed in there and it’s decidedly uncomfortable. Despite being determined to tear it off as soon as I am beyond my mother’s site, I wear it not only for the entire 17 hours of the flight – but also for the three hour bus ride from Seoul to Gwangju and for the commute to my apartment.
In fact, it doesn’t come off until my shirt and pants do in time for a much needed post-arrival shower.
I never wore the ugly thing again.
The Value of a Money Belt
Don’t get me wrong, I understand full well the value of a money belt. While I’ve been lucky enough to have so far avoided being pick-pocketed or otherwise liberated of my goods, I know it’s a very real threat when you travel. And not even my awesome and intimidating ginger beard will scare away those who are desperate enough to resort to picking pockets.
But as important to me as my wallet and its contents are; my diginity is more important. A money belt is part chastity belt and part Hey! Look at me! I’ve never traveled before!and for a hip cat such as myself, I just can’t afford to be embarrassed while on the road.
Dignity is something I take very seriously, obviously.
As you can see from the above picture (and the countless photos of me in drag, photos of me humping things, and photos of me generally being a bell-end): I’m a man who can’t afford to be embarrassed while I’m on the road.
Enter Adventure Underwear
When Nigel from Adventure Underwear contacted me to offer me the opportunity to take the product for a spin, I was on board right away. One extra pair of underwear I can wear before laundry day? You bet!
But when they arrived, I realized just how neat these undergarments really are. Made from superfine Aussie Marino wool, they feel comfortable regardless of the temperature. No more swamp crotch in summer or shrinkage in the winter!
On top of that, they dry quite quickly, which is super handy if you’re going for an impromptu swim or end up being upended out of your canoe by an over-exciting Thai tour guide. Oh wait, I haven’t shared that story yet.
But the real selling point to these bad boys are the pockets on the inside.
Pocket #1 is for easy access, and is a great place to keep your wallet or some loose cash. The added layer of protection that is your pants means that only the most committed (or perverted) thief is likely to find your valuables while you’re out and about.
And really, if you’re getting robbed from a pocket in your underwear, at least you’re getting a happy ending to your misadventure.
Pocket #2 is waterproof; something I tested when I stripped off and showered with one of my student’s homework crammed into my underpants. You know, the kind of real life travel situation we find ourselves in on a near daily basis.
(I’m pleased to say my student’s homework survived unscathed, which is probably a blow to the English language).
No more worrying about your passport or your iPhone when you’re stuck in torrential South-East Asian rain! Heck, no more worrying about having to leave the iPhone hidden underneath the towel on a beach, either.
In fact, the pocket has been certified waterproof up to 200ft – so my passport and phone will survive my inevitable drunken drowning on some windswept beach. Or, you know, scuba diving. It’s probably good for scuba diving too. The dedicated chaps behind Adventure Underwear have even had them verified as food safe by the FDA. Now, that’s commitment to a project!
That isn’t actually me above. It’s actually a very good bit of PhotoShop editing. Shh!
I tried to get somebody to take a photo of me wearing them, but it’s surprisingly difficult to convince a heterosexual male to come around to my apartment and take photos of me in my underwear. Maybe I need to buy them more wine?
In case I haven’t made it clear from my commentary so far, I really love the Adventure Underwear. In fact; Mum, if you’re reading, I would like more pairs for Christmas.
Enough Talk, Chris! How Can I Get Some?
I’m glad you asked, anonymous reader who totally just asked me that.
Adventure Underwear are currently on Kickstarter with a view towards raising $30,000 to fund production of these bad boys. The beauty is, you’re not being asked to chip in money for nothing. You buy some underwear and help these two industrious lads get their business up and running at the same time.
It’s a great product and it’s two guys working their asses off to put something out there specifically for we travel minded folk. Get out and support them, and get yourself a stylish piece of adventure attire at the same time. You know you want to.
It’s true what you hear about we Australians and Vegemite. We have it on our sandwiches, we lather it thickly upon cakes at birthdays, we make soups from it, and have even been known to use it in foreplay when the mood takes us.
I jest, of course.
In truth, while Vegemite is a feature in many Australian diets, it’s far from a national dish. It’s a pleasant addition to a bit of toast, goes great with strips of cheese (tiger toast), and is fun to squeeze little black worms of from between crackers.
But it’s certainly an acquired taste, and I’ve yet to met a non native who hasn’t grimaced through their first sampling of the delectable delight. Hell, I’ve not met somebody who was game to even try it a second time.
The Test
I’d sent some Vegemite to Nomadic American way back when I lived in Australia, and was surprised/horrified to find that not only did she still have some left after four or five months- she hadn’t tried any at all!
This would not stand!
I sat the pretty young lady down, popped some bread into the toaster, and prepared to sit back and watch as she was hit by wave after wave of Vegemite induced mouthgasm.
Ah, Portland. If ever there was a city custom built to house this Aussie on the Road, it would have to be the jewel of Oregon.
Amazing microbrew beer? Check
Laid back, hipster vibe? Check
Cool weather? Check
Fantastic food? Check
Short drive from the ocean, mountains, and beautiful forests? Check
Full of cool people? Check
Yeah, it goes without saying that Portland is far and away my favourite city in the United States. So, when Nomadic American and I were planning our US road trip – Portland had to get a spot on the itinerary.
Me? I was most excited about catching up with my good friends Cody and Dez, who I hadn’t seen since my last visit to the States in 2009. I think Heather was perhaps more excited about the promise of Voodoo Donuts, the beer festival, and the visit with her own friends in Seattle.
Getting Lucky
It was happy circumstance that my visit to Portland just so happened to coincide with the annual Oregon Brewers Festival. After my 2009 visit had featured plenty of beer and our very own Portland brewery tour, I couldn’t wait to sink a few ice cold beers in the sun on Portland’s picturesque waterfront.
The luck being in my favour didn’t end there; I was also invited to come along to the festival for free complete with complimentary beers, shiny Media tag, and the chance to shoot a few questions to the event’s organiser, Chris.
Enjoying a (free) beer at the Oregon Brewers Festival with my shiny media pass
I was beyond excited. My first real media trip coupled with icy cold microbrew beers and some of my bestest buds in the world? Fuck, I’m a lucky bastard.
Getting Ready
After a late arrival into Portland and an even later bedtime following some much needed catching up with our friends (and dealing with their entirely too affectionate cat), we were up relatively bright but not entirely early to make our way down to Portland’s waterfront to have a few brews.
Our late start meant missing out on the opportunity to catch up with my former travel partner, Fallon, but Adam from Idaho was on hand to fly the flag for his state.
First stop? A bite to eat at the Portland Saturday Market which was, sadly, missing the giant evil clown that had tormented poor Dez in 2009. What it wasn’t missing was a good selection of cheap food cart goodness, so we tucked into that and did a little people watching and shopping along the way.
In hindsight, it was a bad idea. Beer, like all good things, cannot last forever.
Showing my… ahem… assets at the Portland Saturday MarketGetting some free hugs at the Portland Saturday Market. I totes also paid for a deluxe huge. It wasn’t any different.
Getting Boozy at the Oregon Brewers Festival
The Oregon Brewers Festival. It’s like I’ve died and gone to heaven.
After collecting my shiny media pass and grabbing a few tokens, it was time to hit the beer tents. What wondrous ales, heffs, lagers, and porters would we be delighting in on this bright and sunny day?
Well, not a great many.
You see, through no fault of the organisers, the majority of the good beer had already run out. That’ll happen when you have great beer, a hot day, and people with entirely too much disposable income. The variety was severely diminished and IPAs seemed to be the only thing in ready supply. Not really the kind of beer you want to be throwing back in quantity on a hot day. A nice summery ale? Sure. A heavy IPA? Not so much.
Adam, Cody, Dez, Heather, and I enjoying some suds and sunHeather and I being terribly sophisticated
I wouldn’t be Australian if I couldn’t make the most of free beer and sunshine. I sank a good few brews, soaked in the ambience, and generally had a good time as I wandered around and became my socially lubricated self.
There was live music playing, ingenious guys selling pretzels from long hooks to avoid having to pay a vendors’ fee, and plenty of people just having a good time.
That’s the spirit! This inventive chap found a way around not having a vendor’s license.
My time at the Oregon Brewers Festival wasn’t what I’d dreamed it would be – but a lot of that is on us for making such a damned slow start to the day. Had we been there earlier, I don’t doubt I’d have been shit-faced and happy as a fat kid with cake with my day.
I do think that it was a bit of a pain in the ass that the ‘back up beers’ for most of the popular beers tended to be IPAs – not exactly a light drink for a hot and sunny day. Hopefully in future, the organisers can have a better line on demand and either get more of the popular beers in – or have substitutes that aren’t all of the same variety.
As it was, I left pleasantly buzzed but a little disappointed. The dream of a completely shit-faced had died, but the day was still young.
Voodoo, Powell’s, and the Raccoon Lodge
With daylight remaining and our hunger whet by a few beers in our belly, we stopped by Portland icon, Voodoo Donuts, for some post beer repaste. As always, the line to get into Portland’s most famous non-alcoholic export was huge, but there were a pair of crack-heads popping pimples on one another’s backs to lighten the mood some. Surprisingly, I still had an appetite when it came my turn to order.
Nothing custard filled for me.
Lots and lots of Voodoo Donuts. Don’t judge us. There were five mouths to feed.Heather is ecstatic to be holding the titular ‘voodoo’ donut. Delish!
Cody with the insanely decadent Memphis Mafia. Peanut butter, chocolate, and banana.
Full of carbs and on a sugar high, it was off to another Portland institution, Powell’s Books. The largest independent bookstore in the United States also happens to be one of my favourite places in the city. Books for an entire city block? Yes, please!
As always, I spent about ninety minutes not buying a single thing. There’s too many options!
Our last port of call before retiring for an evening of microwave burritos and friendship-straining Munchkin was the always awesome Raccoon Lodge, which I’d sampled the food (and beer) of previously in 2012. I’d thoroughly recommend a visit.
Your Say
Have you been to a beer festival before? How did you like it?
What’s your favourite US city? If it’s Portland, why do you love it? If it’s not, what is it?
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