3 Lessons Learned from Walking 500 Miles across Spain | Camino de Santiago

When you have 33 days and 500 miles to walk…you have a lot of time to think and reflect. From personal reflection to group therapy—you may find that and more on the Camino. As they say, “the Camino provides.”

Why did I walk the Camino? To reflect on on life. To reflect on change as I I moved from California to the Netherlands. And to grieve for a passing friend. What did I come away with…500 miles and 33 days later?

As I entered Santiago after 33 days and 500 miles, an unexpected and underwhelming sense of completion filled my heart.

“Is this it?”

The end was anti-climatic, and I did not want it to end. It was truly the moments in-between, the process and journey itself, that was overwhelmingly fulfilling. They say the Camino truly starts once you arrive in Santiago, and they may be right. It’s been a few months post-Camino, and the lessons are starting to make sense and materialize.

“The people you meet shape the decisions you make. The decisions you make shape the story of your life.” - Day 12 Reflection

1. The importance of connection and community

   • Every day, the Camino was filled with new friendships, deep connections, and stories from people around the world. Whether it was a cafe stop, afternoon beer, or pilgrim’s dinner—the people were the most amazing part of the Camino.

2. The importance of time and being yourself

   • 1 month on the Camino felt like 1 year—yet we’ve all experienced 1 year passing by like 1 day. Life passes by in a blink of an eye if you don’t pay attention to it. Cherish your relationships and be grateful for what you have. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. “So don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” Go out there, be present, and live!

3. Walking and exploring

   • Not only can walking extend your lifespan, but it can also teach us to be more present and explore new places—better yet, do it with people.

As for me..the lessons are still materializing, but some questions that I am currently pondering…

1. How can I expand time? How can I make the next 1 month feel like 1 year?

2. How can I build more (deeper) connection in my life?

Preventing Human Elephant Conflict

Update (11/11/17)

It's been over 2 years since I first came into contact with human-elephant conflict in Zambia...and watching Netflix's The Ivory Game (Leonardo DiCaprio) last night just brought back me. And it's great to see the progress that's been made...with China announcing it will shut down its ivory market by the end of 2017.

It felt like yesterday when Sandy saved me from walking into a herd of elephants at night, and that was the start of my appreciation and love for elephants. While I grew up 3 blocks from the San Francisco zoo, it's something else when you see these gigantic mammals roaming in the wild. The last of the dinosaurs. 

And it really is sad to hear that there are only around 350,000 elephants left in Africa (compared with 10 million in 1900) with an annual decline of 27,000...which means that the extinction of the elephant may be possible during our lifetimes.

What many don't know is that human-elephant conflict in villages catalyzes poaching. As long as villagers continue growing up thinking elephants are the enemy, poaching is going to be accepted. There was a scene in the documentary where elephants were raiding a village (for food) at night, and the ravenous, weapon-wielding villagers gathered shouting:

"Today, this elephant, we will kill!"

Luckily, these animals were saved by the crew. The most viable solution right now is electric fences, but that is extremely costly. It will continue to be a long fight to come...but a much needed one. 

---

(May 2015)

Issue: 

In Africa, human populations are growing faster than elephant populations, leading to degradation of elephant habitats and increased conflict between elephants and small scale farmers. Elephants are being squeezed into smaller and smaller habitats, while farmers continue to plant crops that elephants like to eat. As a result, elephants have raided and destroyed 100% of the harvests for many subsistence farmers while contributing to increased violence between humans and elephants.

Why it matters?

Solving the issue between human elephant conflict can contribute to a resurgence of the African economy by increasing value in agricultural crop yields, while mitigating potential violent encounters between humans and elephants. And because elephants are vital to the ecological landscape, a solution can also yield environmental and wildlife benefits.

Background 

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Sandy Simpson's electric fences have improved the lives of thousands of Zambians by eliminating conflict between humans and elephants.

When Sandy Simpson read a National Geographic article in the early 2000s that stated the animal population had been decimated by 90% in the past century, he packed his bags, sold his business in Europe, and moved back to his hometown in Kenya to work in animal conservation. 

For the last 2 years, he’s been working to solve the human elephant conflict in Zambia with his NGO, Green Rural African Development (GRAD). If you zoom into where rural African villages are located on Google Earth, you will find that many villages are located on or near the premises of a national park or in other words, humans and animals cohabit. This has resulted in years and years of conflict between humans and elephants, a problem that remains unresolved.

Zambian Wildlife Authority’s (ZAWA) response to this problem? Issue fireworks to local farmers to scare away the elephants. However, this created another set of problems – fireworks were dangerous and only a temporary fix. Thus, Mr. Simpson thought the best solution was prevention. His first project involved a local farmer, Robby, whose farm had been devastated by elephants for the past 10 years, leading to starvation and his family’s departure from farming in Livingstone, leaving him to solely end to the farm. Mr. Simpson started with simple string and reflective tape surrounding Robby’s farm, which provided instant results – elephants saw the reflective tape and string at night and immediately turned back. This is Robby’s story…

Sandy & Gift

Gift explaining how elephants have raided this nearby community's crops

Electric Fence

Reflective tape has thus far been effective in preventing elephants from encroaching into farmland

Sandy Simpson

Almost every day, Mr. Simpson drives around Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park to check potential elephant sightings near human communities

Robby’s Story          

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Robby (left) and his uncle in front of their new banana tree

Robby’s family started a career in farming 30 years ago in Maloni Village, a community of 6,000 people within Livingstone. The first 10 years proved to be successful with limited conflict between humans and animals – the harvests were successful. Then, the elephants started coming. And for the next 20 years, they raided and destroyed the village crops every night. The maize. The okra. The tomatoes. Everything was gone even before the harvesting season began, forcing farmers to harvest long before crops were ripe for picking.

As a result, Robby’s family and most farmers in Maloni Village, never had a successful harvest in the past 20 years. And because most of these farmers are subsistence farmers, lack of crops also meant starvation at times. Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) could only do so much as to provide fireworks to scare off the elephants. However, according to Robby, fireworks never solved the problem and only scared off the elephants temporarily. In fact, fireworks were extremely dangerous. Robby’s brother attempt to scare off the elephants one night with fireworks was disastrous – the fireworks blew up in his hand and caused serious injury. In addition, elephants entering human settlement has also caused for serious danger stemming from human elephant conflict. While elephants are peaceful animals at heart, when taunted to an extent, they can become violent and have caused serious injuries and even human deaths.

 This forced Robby’s family to abandon the farming business 7 years ago to find greener pastures elsewhere, leaving Robby to independently take over the farm. He continued to struggle until 2014, when Green Rural African Development (GRAD) Founder, Sandy Simpson, decided the best solution was the prevention of human elephant encounters. Mr. Simpson decided to fence off Robby’s farm with string and lights, which produced immediate results as elephants saw the tape at night as a warning sign. While effective, there was still a big problem – villagers continued to steal the lights. Thus, Mr. Simpson decided it was most effective to install an electric fence system around Maloni Village to block out the elephants. The results were effective and incredible. Elephants would come at night but stop at the sight of the reflector tape and electric fence. So far in 2015, there have been no human elephant encounters in Maloni Village.

 With the elephants gone, Robby’s family decided to move back into the farm. And with newfound confidence, they decided to expand the farm to include a chicken house, pig house, and new varieties of crops. Previously, they had only focused on maize, acra, and tomato. However, they have now expanded to include eggplants, bananas, guavas, and sunflower to name a few. Robbie says the market demand is there but the supply is not, so they even have plans to acquire new farmland to meet the demand. In addition to feeding their family, they are now selling their crops in the village market and town, generating revenues of over $150 per month (vs. $0 same period last year). With newfound confidence now that their crops are safe from elephants, they have a target of $550 per month by year-end.

Why Is It Important?

Her house was constantly under attack by elephants due to her mango trees. With Mr. Simpson's help, she no longer has to worry about elephants raiding her crops.

Mr. Simpson’s work in human elephant conflict has directly and indirectly helped and benefitted thousands of people in Livingstone. Subsistence farmers are now not only able to feed and support their families but create a living off selling their crops, resulting in a boost to the local economy.  

Who else benefits? Large supermarkets no longer have to import vegetables and fruits from hundreds of miles away, potentially saving them thousands of dollars in transportation costs – they can now buy directly from the local farmers for a cheaper price in addition to fresher produce. Buying locally also mitigates the risk of potential losses or lag time from transportation. Locals and tourists also benefit – supermarkets may pass on the savings in lower produce costs and fresher produce. Finally, a reduction in human elephant conflict means less potential violence, which may lead to a revival of the elephant population stemming from a better relationship amongst humans and elephants.

What are the Challenges?

Mr. Simpson is currently a one-man team with the help of several volunteers. While human elephant conflict is a major problem in Africa, efforts to resolve the problem are minimal; Mr. Simpson is currently the only known person in Africa fully dedicated at resolving the problem.

“It’s a very simple solution, anyone can do this. But we need money and support.” 

Mr. Simpson has been currently funding the project with his personal savings, having spent over an estimated $250,000 in personal savings in the past several years. What are the costs? It takes an estimated $1,000 per kilometer of electric fence. Take into account the thousands of kilometers surrounding conflict farms, and you will get an amount surpassing the millions.

Final Thoughts

The problem between humans and elephants in Africa is clear and a big one. However, it is a big problem with a simple solution. While educating the public about the importance of ecological sustainability is a much bigger issue, a practical and implementable solution right now is prevention as there is no barrier separating elephants and farms. One risk is the possibility of snaring, but it is trivial in the overarching problem between humans and elephants. Furthermore, electric fence voltage is only high enough to shock the elephants from entering and is not lethal; elephants are also trained to steer away from fences.

Solutions in Africa have to be simple. Mr. Simpson has proved this to be true and has effectively improved the lives of thousands of people in Zambia. He has plans to develop additional preventative measures, such as buzzing infrasound devices on the fences (elephants hate bees). But he needs money and more importantly, support. This is a problem that affects thousands of farmers directly and millions of people indirectly. The perfect solution may not exist but the best solution at the moment is prevention.

If you would like to find out more about Mr. Simpson and GRAD’s efforts, please visit www.gradinternational.org

30 Days in Vietnam

Vietnam

It's been a while but thought I'd scrap together some mental notes of the 30-day adventure that took me from southern to northern Vietnam.

My original dreams of doing a motorcycle trip from one tip of the country to the other dissipated the moment I arrived in Saigon. I had my fair share of experiences on a bike with the occasional bruise here and there, but I was caught off guard by the sheer number of bikes on the road. Or...what I tell people is that I didn't have the time. Excuses.

Looking back, Vietnam is one of my favorite countries in the world due to its world-class street cuisine combined with its rich culture and eclectic mix of things to do from eating to caving to eating some more. Not to mention you could get all that on $10/day...let's relive some memories and start from the South!

 

SAIGON

Call it Saigon or Ho Chi Minh but one thing is for sure, there is no shortage of people, bikes, and good food. Besides getting a bad haircut for $5, Saigon was everything I could ask for. My friend, Johnson, was studying Vietnamese in Saigon, so I mostly hung out with him and some new local friends. We just ate and ate and ate. It just so happened these new friends were tour guides for Saigon Hotpot, a group of young people who give local tours in exchange for English practice (this is huge in Vietnam!). Another afternoon was spent tunneling the infamous Cu Chi tunnels, a vast network of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong.

And because my full-scale motorbike tour was no longer viable, I decided to take the next best option...Vietnamese sleeper buses. On to...Da Lat!

DA LAT

$3/night dorm room with a free breakfast and Vietnamese coffee...one of the highlights of my life! Da Lat is probably one of the most affordable places I've been to and the best part? It's beautiful! A whole week in Saigon for the average introvert can be draining, and my first experience with the Vietnamese sleeper bus was the first of many horror rides. But the mountain city of Da Lat was the perfect getaway.

Again, thanks to my new friends in Saigon, I was introduced to a few other friends in Da Lat. We met for dinner the first night for some local cuisine and traversed the city streets, as there was a huge parade with lion dancing and music to commemorate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The following morning, I rented a motorbike and explored the countryside for the day, stopping here and there to traverse a waterfall or two and appreciating the local culture. There's no freer feeling than riding through green pastures with the wind gliding past your face with absolutely no obligations at all but to explore.

 

HOI AN

Probably my favorite and the most scenic city in all of Vietnam (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). There's nothing like waking up for sunrise and exploring silence of Old Town before the city awakes. A visit to the famous Central Market right after is a good idea to see the locals at work, buying and selling anything and everything from seafood to greens. 

Old Town is photography heaven. It's also a different view at day and night. And heaven isn't complete without banh mi. Anthony Bourdain once declared Banh Mi Phuong's banh mi as the "best Vietnamese sandwich in the world." Needless to say, I came back 3 more times.

I ended up spending a few extra days in Hoi An biking and exploring nearby villages and spending a beach day because I loved it so much. Many people do as well, and I can't wait to get back. 

 

PHONG NHA

Adventure. Caving. Karst mountains. Wait, no one told me ever about this part of Vietnam. If there were a hidden secret, this is it. As of now? Just backpackers and caving enthusiasts huddle together on a one-block street of empty guest houses that's referred to as "town."

However, empty as it may seem, Phong Nha has one of the biggest caving systems in the world - ripe for adventure. Not only will you witness some of the most spectacular caves in the world, but it's an adventure seeker's paradise. Highlight of the trip was the Dark Cave, which combines ziplining, kayaking, swimming (in the darkness!), and caving until you reach the mud pits. Probably one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done. Not a fan of caves? Explore the park by motorbike...it'll just be you and the karst landscapes.

 

NINH BINH

Another hidden gem filled with some of the most impressive landscapes Southeast Asia has to offer. Getting to my guest house was an adventure through multiple rice fields but well worth it to arrive to a breathtaking "hostel" nestled between several rice fields and karst mountains.

Ninh Binh is known for its karst scenery, and everyone usually comes here to explore and explore Trang An on a boat. Beautiful place but it was also where I experienced the best of human kind...the type of experience that just awes you. While biking throughout the rice fields, I was caught in a thunder storm with nothing but my sun hat for protection. Shivering and huddled against a tree, a local couple kindly invited me in for shelter. They ended up feeding me and conversed with me through universal hand gestures. These were moments of kindness (one of many) that I experienced on the road and have touched me immensely.

 

CAT BA ISLAND

Forget Ha Long Bay...go to Cat Ba! Scenery wise, it's all the same. People and price wise? That's where you will win!

Countless travelers told us to skip Ha Long Bay (tourist trap) and head to Cat Ba. It was the right choice. And for $5 a night, we got a million dollar roof-top view that matches those on Ha Long Bay. A few of us who had met from Phong Nha decided to go motorbiking the next day and a boat cruise the following. Cat Ba island...what steal...we probably ended up spending 1/10th the cost of a traditional Ha Long Bay experience and received what we wanted in return...freedom, flexibility, and less people. 

 

HANOI

If Saigon was crazy packed, Hanoi seemed double that. Tired and weary, I was picked up by my Couchsurfing host as soon I got off the bus and taken to my new home to rest. My host owned an English language learning center, and I taught for the next few days. It was invigorating to work with students again, who were also my tour guides and food buddies. 

Hanoi as a city itself seems much more traditional and conservative compared to Saigon. If I were to use China as a comparison, I'd compare Hanoi to Beijing and Saigon to Shanghai. The dialect was a bit different and so was the food. Luckily, there is no shortage of good food anywhere in Vietnam.

SA PA

The last stop!

Trekking through rice paddies? Learning about Vietnam's ethnic minority groups? Yes and yes! I didn't want to stay in touristy Sa Pa, so I trekked a few miles towards Tavan village, where I found a homestay overlooking a valley of rice paddies. Throwing down my backpack, I plopped myself down on a chair at with a view, ordered a nice, cold Saigon beer, and equipped myself with some mosquito repellent to relax...life is good.

Trekking the next day brought me through Tavan's Hmong villages, where I bumped into quite a few locals and their water buffalo friends. My trail runners failed me here as I got stuck in quite a few muddy patches of the trail. But if there is such a thing as a cultural-adventurous hike, this would be it. 

 

REFLections

While I didn't get to do my motorcycle tour (yet), 30 days in Vietnam were a godsend. Vietnam is not only a culturally rich and gastronomical food hub, but it's also a country that has room for both adventure-seekers and urban coffee snobs alike. It still ceases to amaze me how much you can see and do in a country smaller than the size of California. At the same time, I've been humbled by meeting and hearing the stories of so many new friends. I'm yearning a banh mi at this very moment, and I just can't wait to get back.

Egyptian Pyramids, Camels, and Terrorism

Ever since I was a little boy learning about ancient pharaohs in my Social Studies class, I’ve become fascinated with somehow visiting Egypt one day. In fact, as far as my ill-informed 13-year old self knew at that point in time, the world was created by the Pharaohs and the first human they created was a chick named “Lucy.”

This fervor to reach the center of my so-called universe was further fueled after reading The Alchemist for possibly the 2nd time in my life when it actually mattered. I believe I read or rather Spark-noted it for the first time in high school for summer reading, but it was when I actually read it during a complex time in my adulthood that it truly made sense to me. In the book, the boy desperately seeks to reach the Egyptian Pyramids in search of his treasure or Personal Legend only to find out at the end that it was the journey that mattered.

So Egypt had always been on my mind but of course, the media had portrayed Egypt to be this so-called dangerous place to visit due to the uprising and violence in the recent decade. However, it was this same exact and incorrect representation of Africa that the media has wrongfully placed upon western minds that had troubled me before coming to Africa. Be careful of Ebola and Malaria! Be safe! But the funny thing is...I was thinking how stupid these comments and thoughts were while jammed in a minibus down the Zambian countryside while being offered bananas by the gregarious locals sitting beside me.

So as my days came to an end in Zanzibar, I booked a one-way ticket to Cairo.

I arrived in Cairo to throngs of hijabs and spoken Arabic surrounding my every corner, it was still a bit of a shocker to finally be in this so called danger zone. It was also Ramadan and my fat American stomach was upset at how every single shop was closed and the only lunch I was able to find on Day 1 was some biscuits. 

Cairo during Ramadan...no food...no drink...poor me WAHHH

A few hours later in Cairo, I already yearned to leave. It was over a 100 degrees and with the entire country fasting, I had nothing to do in Cairo (I was also waiting for some Canadian friends to arrive to visit the Pyramids). And so I took an overnight bus across Southern Sinai into Dahab, one of the beach resorts on the Red Sea. And a magnificent next 10 days it would be. Snorkeling. Diving. Buffet breakfasts. Reaching the top of Mount Sinai. All for the cheapest prices you can find…just because there were no tourists around.

One afternoon after a session of snorkeling, I waddled and plopped my dripping body onto a sofa bed at Yalla Bar. I must’ve stood out as any Asian would in Egypt, as a worker came up to me to strike a conversation.

“Where you from? Japan? China?”

Today I felt like being Japanese so I yawned and replied, “Japan.”

“Japan! We like Japan here. Welcome, welcome!”

We proceeded to talk about his life and tourism in Dahab, which had been decimated by “America’s War” in the Middle East.

“You know why no tourists here? The American Government! They say bad things about countries behind their backs and spread lies.”

And so from that point on, I was definitely not American in Egypt. Besides, it was simply too much work and money for me to deny that I was Japanese or Chinese.

Dahab...near deserted beach resort in the desert

Dahab was a relaxing, fun-filled, and much needed vacation as I was still recovering from Kilimanjaro. But it was time to leave back to Cairo to tour the long-awaited Pyramids. I was more than thrilled to discover my Personal Legend…

Fast-forward a few days later and a few hundred dollars poorer, and I am on the hump of a camel marveling at the Pyramids of Giza on my right hand side. As we approached our first stopping point to take jumping pictures, I carefully dismounted myself, as my squished balls slowly began re-inflating themselves. A few squats here, a few stretches there, and I was finally able to stare down the Pyramids with a deep breath of the sweltering Egyptian air and secretly proclaim…I am here!

Looking up at Abu Simbel

My Camel and Me

Where's Waldo Wen?

Abu Simbel

Karnak Temples

Nile River

Holy shit...it is completely empty. Those were my initial and recurring thoughts, as I stared wearily into the Egyptian desert. We were then informed that in its heyday, the Pyramids received over 10,000 people in a single day. I counted no more than 40 unique tourists that morning. But hey, I wasn’t complaining because we literally had the Pyramids to ourselves. And that was the recurring theme wherever I went in Egypt…the vacant temples and monuments of Luxor and Aswan albeit filled with those oh-so-annoying touts vying for your business. No damnit, I do not want to see a secret room in the temple nor do I want your expensive papyrus paper.

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Italian Embassy Car Bombing

While much oohing and aahing can be said about ancient Egypt, there are still many problems plaguing the country. Unemployment. Politics. Your terrorist threats and attacks here and there. While the entire country of Egypt lives on as a whole, these are some things one should still take into account when visiting (which you should!). I never expected to be so close to one of those terrorist attacks you always hear about in the news, but I woke up one morning to my building shaking and windows rattling only to find it later it was a fatal car bombing at the Italian Embasy, which was only 10 minutes away from where I was staying. 

Oh Egypt...I love and hate you

And as my time in Egypt came to an end, I couldn’t help but question myself whether this trip up North was really what I wanted it to be. The magic of being alone with the Pyramids. The ridiculously cheap vacation in Dahab. In contrast...the endless police checkpoints all over Egypt. The infinite number of touts and tour guides vying for your business. The not-so-far-away car bomb. But is it wrong for me to admit that I thought those police checkpoints were actually really interesting? And that I was bit more amped to check out the sight of the bombing than seeing the Pyramids? I did not retrieve any treasure or discover my Personal Legend, but it was quite an experience. An experience that educated me on a personal level about how life goes down in Egypt.