Born Singaporean | live on Mother Earth | Enjoy great food, wine, good conversation + company.
Independent Adventure Traveler | Aspiring Ph•t○journalist| Xprexxionist Artist | Food Culturist | Dyslзxic Wяitзr |

A bohemian-ish interest in early human migration led to some really off-beat studies in sociopolitical anthropology, human history, linguistic phylogenies, genographic, plate tectonics, geomagnetism, and quaternary climate.....hence, I travel.

Trades on anything that is liquid, moving but legal to fund my interests

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

Well, I've kinda "surfed" into it.

I was lying on my couch, surfing the net one evening, looking for the next short wave in SP500 futures to surf, while at the same time, scouting for gem destinations to put in my ever growing bucket list of "must travel". Found this interesting community, called Couchsurfing, where there are like minded travellers.

I've been backpacking and trekking since i was a kid in the 60's. Back then, independent backpacking travel was like "shot-in-the-dark" as information on destinations were non-existence, but travellers and locals alike, whom I met along the way, were warm and helpful, providing info for my next destination. We, travellers, recognise our own "kind".....you know what I mean?

Then came Lonely Planet in 70's - 90's, which was great...and later, the internet was heaven sent, with explosion of information and gems destinations. The downside is that travellers tend to be "glued" to their devises in hostels planning their next destination, instead of interacting with fellow travellers like pre-Internet days.

So Couchsurfing is just what travellers, like me, need... more real time info and interactions .... only thing is that most travellers here are 30 years younger than me. I mean, I belong to the Tony Wheeler's era! So juz after I joined CS, I went for my first CSers meet up. I was glad to find that the passion for travel and cultural exchange in this community knows no age barrier.

So I'll continue to surf/search/research/explore + exchange info on travelling, epicure, rural culture, particularly those interesting off-the-beaten tracks adventure destinations and gems where only the locals know.

I love travelling to, and living with rural tribal communities, where traditional way of life are still relatively intact, and the villages I enjoy travelling to, are those that have no more than a single road/track leading to it. Better still, if they are accessible only by foot or canoe.

When I'm in cities, my focus will be food, wine, going local and meeting locals and travelers. Cities are usually transit points to my rural destinations. I avoid places that are infested by tourists and tour buses.

Interessen

Indigenous culture, anthropology, photography, trekking, scuba diving, skiing, golf, painting/drawing....still working on my surfing.

Travel Bucket list:
1) Mursi, Suri; Me'en tribes, Omo, Ark of the Convenant, Ethiopia - tribal culture and Old religion
2) Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina - indigenous cultures
3) Nenet reindeer migration in Yamalo, Siberia, Russia.

Musik, Filme und Bücher

Music: Blues, Reggae & all that Jazz
Movies: Comedy, Documentaries - biz/economic/markets/politics/indigenous cultures/OTBT travels/epicure/photography/videography
Books: Watz that?

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

Backpacking/trekking done:

Did my first solo trip at 18, in the early 70's, hitchhiked from Singapore to Penang thru Kedah which was then infested by communist insurgences battling the royal army. Met a couple in Kampar who offered to host me for a couple of nites and showed me around their quaint town .... and food, of course. In Penang, I negotiated with a school keeper to bunk in the school since it was a school holz. Met a pretty girl there who offered to show me her charming town on her Honda bike.

Now, who said that couchsurfing culture started in 2003?

Balkan circuit-Turkey (stayed in Cappadocia caves)-Bulgaria (Shiroko Laka mountains/Plovdiv/Sofia)-Romania(Bucharest-Baia Mare- Sighetu Marmetiei-Maramuresului mountains)-Hungary(Budapest)-Serbia(Belgrade)-Bosnia(Sarajevo-Mostar)-Croatia(Dubrovnik)-Montenegro(Podgorica)-Albania(Tirana)

N Africa/Andalusia circuit- Casablanca-Marrakesh-Amizmiz-Imilchil-Atlas mountains-Erg Chebbi-Fez-Tangier-ferry border crossing-Spain-Tarifa-Cadiz-Jerez-Arcos dela Frontera-LaLinea de la Concepcion-Gibraltar

Himalayas/Mahalangur circuit- Guangzhou-Tibet-Lhasa-Sera monastery-Yamzho Yumco-Gyantse-Sakya monastery, Shigatse-Tingri-Ringbuk-Everest base camp(Chomolungama/Everest northface)-Zgangmu-overland bordercrossing to Kodari Nepal-Tengboche (Sagarmatha/Everest southface)

South west China circuit- Kunming-Lijiang-Lugu, Chengdu-Songpan-HuangLong-Jiuzhaigou-Zoige-Ruergai-Tangkexiang-Aba Mountains-Hongyuan-Se'erguxiang

North Korea & NE China circuit- Shenyang-Changchun-Songyuan-Jilin-Changbaishan Mountains-Yanbian-overland bordercrossing to North Korea-Rason-Chongjin-Kyongsong-Tumangang-Harbin-Helongjiang-Dalian-Qingdao

Japan - Osaka, Kyoto, Fujikawaguchi, Kamakura, Tokyo, Kawagoe, Sapporo, Kiroro, Otaru, Rusutsu.

Fujian circuit- Xiamen-Sun Ancestral village, TongAn-Longyan-Yongding-Chengqilou

North East India - Kolkata-Jorhat-Majuli-Sonari-Mon-Longwa-Mokokchung-Kigwema-Khonoma.

North ASEAN circuit- Yangoon-Bagan-Inle lake-Kengtung-Tachileik(Myanmar) overland bordercrossing at Golden Triangle-MaiSai-Changrai-Chiang Khong (Thailand)-Namtha-Muang Sing-Prabang(Laos) overland bordercrossing-Sapa-Lao Cai-BacHa(Vietnam)-overland bordercrossing-Hekou (China)-Hanoi

South Asean circuit - Thailand(Krabi-Phang Nga-Phuket-Ranong)-Myanmar (Kawthoung). Bangkok-Pattaya-Rayong-Koh Chang-Trat-Ban Hat Lek-Cambodia (Koh Kong).

Borneo - submitted Mount Kinabalu, dive in Gaya; golf @ Sutera Harbour Resort, Tawau, Sempourna - Bajau water villages, Kadut, Belud | Kuching-Bidayuh; Iban tribes longhouses, Batang Ai - Lebok Antu - Tebedu - Pontianak - Singkawang

Indonesia Ring of Fire - Selatpanjang- Bogor-Bali (Munduk-Tenganan)-Flores(Komodo-Wae Rebo, Bajawa, Maumere)-Sulawesi (Manado, Bunaken, Tomohon, Lake Tondano)-West Papua (Raja Ampat, Sorong, Jayapura, Sentani, Wamena)

Europe circuit - London - Norway (Oslo - Lofoten - Senja -Tenevoll) - Finland (Riksgränsen) - Latvia (Riga) - Lithuania (Kryžių kalnas -Trakai Island Castle) - Romania (Timișoara - Poiana Pelegii), Budapest - Austria (Vienna-Slazburg-Hallsatt) - Czechia ( Český Krumlov-Prague) - Germany (Franfurt-Freiburg) - France (Paris-Brittany-Nice-Marseille-Monaco-Cassis-Avignon-Lyon-Colmar-Hultehouse-Strasburg), Monaco, Italy (Genoa, La Spezia), Spain (Madrid,Fraga, Saville, Valiadolid, Bilbao, Santurtzi, San Sebastian, Logrono, Barcelona)-Portugal (Porto, Averio).

Dived: Similan/Ko Surin (liveonboard), Manado Sulawesi(wall dive/drift dive/wreck dive/night dive), Nusa Penida Bali (Mola Mola/Manta), Ticao Island Philippines (Whale Shark/Manta), Bay of Islands NZ (Whales/Dolphins/Sunfish), Maldives, Hawaii, Raja Ampat.

Surfed: Bali

Skied: Hokkaido (Kiroro/Rusutsu)

Golfed: (Malaysia) Johor, Melaka, KL, NS - (Indonesia) Bintan, Batam - (Thailand) Phuket, Bangkok, Changmai - (Vietnam) Da Nang, Hanoi - (China) Xiamen, Qingdao, Kunming, Hong Kong - (OZ) Perth - (NZ) Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, Queenstown, Napier, Whangarei,

Lehren, lernen, teilen

Share Culture and Travelling notes.

Was ich mit Gastgebern teilen kann

Tips on travelling, history, culture and food in Singapore and the places that I've been.
As a foodie, I'll be glad to show foodies explore the cuisines Singapore has to offer.
As a natural light portrait photographer, I will be glad to do photo shoot for you or to show you Instagrammable location for photoshoot.

Länder, die ich besucht habe

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Länder, in denen ich gelebt habe

Singapore