Boarders DTS - The Beginning

Time flies while you're travelling abroad and it simply couldn't be anymore true here at Eagle Rock near Denver, Colorado. I've only been away for 9 days, yet it feels like months. Life here is good. Comfy beds in dormitories, three tasty meals a day, a beautiful location tucked in the Rockies, 22 other students all striving towards the same goal, and of course, two days a week living it up on the mountains of Colorado snowboarding.

The Beginning. 

It all started with one super sweaty airplane ride into Denver. Thankfully it was only two and a half hours! Meeting up with YWAM staff at the airport, I was quickly on my way into town to the Arvada base to sort out my registration.  Afterwards we loaded up a van and hit the mountain roads till we made it to the Eagle Rock base, my home for the next three months. 

Denver!

Testimonies

A week half full of lessons, introductions, rules, and awkward conversations getting to know each other led us to the start of sharing our testimonies. Our life stories. Full of laughs, smiles and tears. Everyone had their own story that makes them who they are and yet the similarities are evident. What seriously shocked me was the authenticity of everyone and how we ALL opened up completely. Tears welled up and fell from eyes cast down upon the carpeted floor. Voices shook with raw emotion as past wounds surfaced again. With an entire roomful of "strangers" listening, only two days into our time together. These life stories, these struggles, these open wounds brought us together. It stitched us together into one big broken family, and we all knew we were in this together for the long haul. 

Snowboarding.

Which leads us into THREE DAYS STRAIGHT 

of snowboarding! These mountains are huge! Comparable to Whistler and Blackcomb, Breckenridge blew me away with the fact that it has 5 peaks alone! Two days on Keystone and one day on Breck left me with a sore tailbone and an incredibly tired body. My throat was raw from yelling with joy as we tore up these mountains. The thing I love about riding with such a huge group is the range of skill level. I fit somewhere in the middle which leaves me with heaps of room to learn and grow. Already my 180's are getting pretty sick! Day 3 on Breck, we had our first day of helping out with the "Jesus Cookie" ministry. Splitting into teams, we grabbed HEAPS of homemade cookies from these lovely old ladies and hit the mountain, passing bags of cookies to lifties, pass scanners, ski patrol and really anyone we felt who needed a boost. The workers have dubbed the Sunday Cookies as "Jesus Cookies" and we simply just roll with it, blessing people left and right. 

Monday. 

It's been awhile since I've had a Monday, about 8 months in fact. Thus getting sat down after a drive into Denver and doing about 4 hours of lessons sucked. I just suck at sitting, taking notes and paying attention to one voice for so long. For the last 4.5 years and especially the last 2.5 I've been on my feet running. Literally and figuratively. 14 hour work days, outdoor adventures, and  travelling the world have all made it challenging for me to focus on one thing at a time for such a long time (even with breaks). Two more days of lessons have left me with a sore butt and a cramped wrist. Yet the things I've been learning have been mind-blowing. 

Vamos a la X-Games

However as we finished lessons today, I couldn't be more stoked to repack my bag, polish off my snowboard and load up into the vans to head off to ASPEN FOR THE WINTER X-GAMES! The Extreme Games are the apex of Snowboarding and Skiing competition. Drawing around 100,000 people from around the world, Aspen (a town of 3000) gets packed for 5 days straight. Music concerts, free gear, a day on the slopes and one intense competition are lined up for our time here. More importantly though, loving on the people here will be the priority. Whether it be the burly tattooed guy smoking cigarettes or the young teenage punks fighting for their friend's approval. We'll love them all. 

As we're driving out to Aspen, I couldn't be more excited. For the X-Games of course, for the next few months of schooling, for two months abroad on Outreach, and simply just for the future. 

More than anything though, I'm excited to get out of this tight bus, stretch my cramped legs out and have a slice of dirty, greasy pizza.

Channy

Instagram - itsnathanchan

January 21, 2015 - Somewhere along the way to Aspen

Take Off

Well I'm not going to lie, it's quite nice to start the new year surrounded by friends, family, and the knowledge that I'd be leaving again in 12 days! My time home has been short, sweet and definitely eye opening. With exactly two weeks at home, it has been quite a sprint running around for coffee dates, bouldering with friends and the usual shenanigans. 

Coffee. 49th Parallel. Revolver. I don't think I've ever visited coffee shops this frequently and as often as I have in the past few days. The thing about South America is that they are a powerhouse in PRODUCING coffee. There really isn't a coffee culture for drinking here. They export almost all of their first grade beans leaving behind the imperfect beans to be burnt and charred before consumption. Roasted at high heat as to hide the low quaility taste. Besides their secound grade coffee they also drink heaps of instant coffee which produce an instant headache to those willing to drink it for its weak caffeine content. Being away from good coffee or so long, it was pleasant to have as much tasty coffee as I could before Denver. 

Wait, back to Vancouver. Ok so.  Bouldering. Climb rocks. Fall. Repeat. Dinner. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Vancouver Island. Workout. Elk Falls. Nap. Mean Girls. Dodgeball. Archery Tag. Flying Pig. Prospect Point. Phnom Penh. Craft beer. Lots of craft beer. 

Which brings me to last night. After a busy final day with friends and family I ended up packing for most of the night.  I finally zipped up my bags, shrugged my shoulders at the thought of a secound check and got ready for bee. Feeling like a snotty nosed 7 year old going to Disneyland though, I ended up getting about 1.5 hours of sleep instead of my potential 3. Being behind the wherl, we started the drive down to Seattle and it was going smoothy until we reached a bridge close to downtown Seattle. A big-rig started skidding out just in front of us to the right and that instantly turned into it drifting into our lane! Luckily my mom's scream saved the day and I managed to swerve around it and past harm's way. Thinking about it, there could have been a car coming up on my left, we could have skidded out and flipped, we could have smashed right into the truck.. seriously a close call for a casual drive at 8am. 

Which I guess brings me to right now. I'm in Seattle. Currently waiting for my 10:59 (not 11:00) direct flight to take off and bring me to Denver! I'm seriously stoked to be living and riding up in the mountains, excited to share my time with a big class of about 30 or so other rad chicos, and to be honest, most excited to finally have my own bed and space for the next three months! Oh, and obviously God and Jesus and the Bible and such.. Obviously. 

Hasta pronto amigos en seis meses! Estoy excitante para el futuro. See you soon friends in six months! I am excited for the future. 

Channy

Instagram - itsnathanchan

January 12, 2015 - SeaTac & Denver International Airport

A Finale & A New Beginning

South America. Usa, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Over 2000 photos, 10 new patches on my backpack, a half dozen stamped filled pages in my passport, and one Travelapse are all that I have left of my journey through 9 different countries over a period of 6 months. Cheering teams on at the FIFA World Cup, hiking through Patagonia, exploring Easter Island, driving through Salar de Uyuni, trekking to Machu Picchu, falling in love with the Galapagos Islands, battling mud and rain for Ciudad Perdida.. the list could go on and on but these are simply a few of the highlights. What more is there really to say about the subject?

South America. You've been good to me. I'll be back for you soon, I promise.

Which leads me to my new beginning. In four days I take off again for Denver, Colorado! In four months I take off overseas for Mexico, Indonesia or Nepal! In seven months I'll start a road trip heading for New York City in search of a job at one of the World's best restaurants! To think that I could end my year living in a new country on the other side of the continent is simply thrilling. Equal parts excitement and fear! All of this simply can't be achieved alone though. With all my friends and family who've been with my on every step of this journey here's another way to help out!

The real important information. How you can support me and my travels?

Do you like reading about my adventures on my blog? Do you like seeing my travel photos on instagram or facebook? Would you like to put a huge smile on my face? If you'd like it all to continue and you wish to support me then please feel free! Look to the right on my blog near the top where you'll see a big DONATE button sitting all neat and pretty up there. Your support will go directly to me and straight into my travel funds without any hiccups in between! A dollar, five or five hundred are all lovely numbers and I couldn't be more grateful for your support. Love you all and hope you're enjoying the new year as much as I am!

Cheers to Adventure

Salut to Photgraphy

Saúde to Exploration

Channy
Instagram - itsnathanchan
January 8th, 13th and Prince Edward St, Vancouver

Welcome to 2015

What better way to start 2015 off then to take a freezing cold plunge into the Canadian Pacific Ocean right?

With it being day two of the new year I would say that it's been fantastic already. English Bay was electric with the atmosphere of spectators, nervous newcomers and already drunken veterans for the 2015 Polar Bear Swim. I managed to convince Joel to come along to take the icy plunge with me. Having friends and family cheering us on before and after only made it that much better. One epic bowl of steaming hot extra pork, extra noodle shoyu ramen and I was about as content as one could be. 

Then I took off. On a short trip this time to Vancouver Island. Visiting one of my best friends Josiah as his Christmas break ended just as I landed back home. A weekend of adventure is definitely in store now that I've finally arrived!

Which leads to the future. 

In 10 days I'm off on my next big adventure bound for Denver, Colorado! Will be apart of a biblical training program with an organization called Youth With A Mission. Lecture and training phase will commence for three months with weekends spent snowboarding the epic mountains of Colorado. Following lectures It'll be off overseas for two months, either to Mexico, Indonesia or Nepal to volunteer on Outreach!

Then a quick roadtrip home through Yellowstone National Park. Then an even quicker two week stint back in Vancouver. Then a 1 or 2 month roadtrip across USA to The Big Apple. Then.. well, then unfortunately I think I'll be out of money. I plan to stage around NYC for a few weeks in hopes of landing my dream job and taking off on my next adventure in my culinary career!

Cheers to the future!

Channy

Instagram - itsnathanchan

January 2, Departure Bay Terminal, Nanaimo

Life's Hard As A Norweigian

With South America in the books, I finally got to start my travels back to Vancouver.. with a quick detour in the  Caribbean first! Landing in Fort Lauderdale, I was lucky enough to catch up with Vanessa for dinner who I had met 5 months ago in Brazil, as well as meet her friend Jennifer! It was definitely a highlight seeing an old friend, catching up as if we've known each other for years, and not for just for a few months. Good for the soul!

Ladies with accents..

Afterwards my parents picked me up and we had a big ole happy reunion! It was great seeing them after my trip and it couldn't have been a better reception stateside. Sitting in the car with them on the way to the hotel however, I realized I had just had one of the last conversations where I wouldn't have to explain any of the places, names or things that I've experience to the other person. Where they simply just understood what I was saying. I'm going to miss that.. a lot. Meeting up with the rest of the family in our hotel led to an epic exchange of personal belongings brought from Vancouver and a bag of presents from South America in return. Then after a short sleep we were off cruising!

Cruising!

The Norwegian Epic was my home for an entire week. Unpacking my bag into drawers and clothes hangers was definitely a huge change of pace for me. As was having catered food anytime 24/7, as was being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet.. as was having the same bed for more than four days, as were many many other things. Days were spent lounging on the sun deck, guzzling protein in between sets at the gym (ha), going to three hour dinners, drinking bottles with the cousins and sisters, and exploring three different ports of call! A hard life as a Norwegian indeed. 

La vida es duro

Three stops. Nassau, Bahamas. Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Cozumel, Mexico. 

Nassau! As we departed the cruise we got into a 15 passager bus and took off immediately. Or not. We ended up waiting for it to fill up to take off to Atlantis Waterpark when we were introduced to Sharky the Swiper. By that, I mean he literally convinced us to ditch the van and go into his air conditioned SUV to take off to Atlantis instead of waiting for more people. Service first right? Atlantis was beautiful, a "Mayan" temple had three slides built into it, two of which would shoot you through a glass tube filled with sharks! Many pools and and a few more rides dotted the park. A lazy river rapid on tubes ended up being the best ride of the day, full of laughs and smiles. A lunch date with a classmate of Rosalyn's led to a one really awkward handshake video and the dubbing of my "jobless travel bracelets". I definitely need to return. To get a real feel for the location. To get under the skin of some locals. To really discover it.. and obviously not just for a passport stamp and another patch on my backpack. Obviously. 

Mayan Temple. Discovered as is.

Ocho Rios! Ya maaaaan! No problems in Jamaica, only situations! Some of the friendliest people live here in Jamaica, also some of the best salesmen! We got a chance to explore Dunn's River Falls just outside the town. It's essentially a series of small waterfalls connecting into a river running down the course of some 600 feet to the ocean. Climbing/hiking/swimming up it from the bottom with my family including mom, dad, uncle, and aunt was awesome. Thankful that I was able to share an experience like that with the generation above. Definitely was a bit of a balancing act carrying my camera up it but well worth it in the end. A little jerk chicken later, a few snaps at a decent mirador and quite a lot of coffee bags later and off we were! Proximo?!

Dunn's River Falls

Cozumel! Palancar reef is suppose to be one of the world's best dive sites. I had tried to sign up with a seperate dive shop prior to the trip but a lack of wifi, 4 other people to deal with and a dive center on vacation crushed those hopes. Signing up for the cruise's diving excursion with equipment to Palancar and then a secound dive spot afterwards had me quite excited! Up until I got off the boat and saw the meeting place. Seeing all the people, filling out all the disclaimers and paperwork with "Sergio" left me feeling like I was just another person being shoved along the conveyor belt. It was to be expected and that wasn't a problem. What I didn't expect was the extra 12$ wetsuit rental fee (apparently a wetsuit doesn't count as equipment in Mexico), the impersonal divemasters and the fact that we didn't even go to Palancar! While the first dive site was pretty enough and the visibility 40m+, it wasn't enough to compensate for the piss poor secound dive, the lack of care and not going to Palancar! Seriously what the heck! With a serious bitter taste in my mouth I went in search of tacos, of course. I found the local marketplace off the tourist strip and replaced my bitterness with delicious tacos and iced horchata, a rice drink made with orange and cinnamon. Food can solve all problems in the world. Try it. 

Problem Solver

All three were beautiful, all three were serene, and all three were filled with tourists. Really I knew that and had prepared myself to brace for the worst. Landing in a cruise ship next to 2-3 other cruise ships who are all there at the same time for the same hours leads to my least favourite type of travelling. The obnoxious, waterproof passport sleeve around the neck, fanny pack & socks and sandals wearing type of travelling. It's simply not for me. Air conditioned buses jammed with people high on their horses, artisanal markets where every vendor has the exact same thing for the exact same prices, and 20$ plates of Jerk Chicken. Maybe it's something I'll grow into. Maybe I'm just not mature enough to understand it. Or maybe I'm just too adventurous for my own good. Wandering through the gritty parts of town where homeless orphans sleep in the street and shifty characters try to sell stolen goods. Eating at the local markets and grimy street carts even if I might get salmonella from the 2$ skewer of beef hearts sizzling over a charcoal fire. Too risky for my own good. 

But there's safety and security in travelling like this. You know that if you book a tour that you're not going to get swindled 100$. Three appetizers, a main course and two desserts topped off with a show afterwards is quite the norm. Doing nothing but sleeping in till noon and lying on a sundeck until sunset is far from abnormal. Anyway, I have no idea what kind of point I'm trying to make with this post so.. Highlights?!

High Lights

I got to see my family for an entire week after 6 months on the road. Awesome. 

I got to spend an entire week on Caribbean time, and not having to deal with any of the annoyances of being a short on time. backpacker. Fantastic. 

I'll be home in Vancouver in a few hours and can FINALLY eat all the asian food I can stomach. Entonces bueno. 

Finally, I'll be off again on my next adventure in two weeks. Can't wait!

Channy

Instagram - itsnathanchan

December 28th, Gate A12, PDX, USA

Time´s Up

Conclusions. Some adventures have proper ones, while some simply have a giant cliff hanger. This is just a brief interlude between adventures. This is simply just the end of one adventure. This is simply just the beginning of the wanderlust. This is just the beginning to it all.

I'll be home in Vancouver in just over a week and it's a bit of a bittersweet prospect. I'm utterly excited to see all my friends back home, and yet I'll miss the randomness of meeting people in hostels. I'm too stoked to eat some proper Asian food as anyone whose spent more than 2 hours with me in the last month should know, however I'll miss the tasty pollo a la broaster that's simply everywhere, all the sketchy street food that may or may not give me the runs for a week, and most definitely the freshest fruit juices on this planet with a little yappa/extra served on the top. I'm honestly excited for the weather, for the snow, rain and cold. In all honesty while I sweat like a pig in this 30 degree sunny weather, I already know that I'm taking it for granted, but I seriously just miss wearing jeans, my winterjacket and a toque!

To say that this journey has changed me would be quite cliche and a huge understatement. It's broadened my perspectives, awoken new passions in my life, made me more open to constant change, and simply made me learn about myself and who Nathan Chan really is. I realized that you seriously don't need a ton of money to travel and that it's simply a luxury travelling with it. I found out that I'm quite in love with Scuba Diving and Photography, two things that I would seriously consider as a career in the potential future. Last minute change of plans? Waste a little bit of money to stay another night somewhere? Roads washed out so you need to figure out a new path somewhere? No worries anymore! I started this trip with set dates of when and where I wanted to be in places and as time went on and on, it slowly dawned on me little to late that sometimes, or most of the time, it just doesn't matter.

Todos es possible, nada es seguro/Everything is possible, nothing is certain. 

Never say no just because you're scared or uncertain. I've ended up doing so many random and brilliant things that I hadn't thought of doing simply on other people's suggestions. Tango shows in Buenos Aires, going to Easter/Galapagos islands, horseback riding in Salento, trekking for 4 days in rainstorms and mud to the Lost City and countless other things. Looking back I would've actually had a somewhat boring trip had I stuck with "The Plan". At the start of the day you simply should just ask yourself - Por que no?/Why not? Push yourself to try something new and you'll constantly surprise yourself. 

This was my first big trip alone. 6 months on my own except for a 3 week visit from my sis Ros. While I always say you're never really alone while you travel, a lot of the time you seriously are. Hundreds of hours of bussing and very little of that has been with a friend next to me to pass the hours away. Many days in different countries that I've had no one to talk to all day and explored on my own. An unfortunate amount of meals that I've sat on my own with just a book to keep my company. As sad as that all sounds there's quite definitelty a silver lining. If I want to go rafting this morning, I'm going to go rafting. If I want to make quinoa with asparagus, mushrooms and broccoli, well that's what I'll make. If I desire to fly off to Easter Island, I'm going to book a flight that night. It's awesome. How often do you really get to be THAT in control of your own life?? Think about it. Have a job? Why 5 days a week instead of 3? Go to school? Do you get to choose your exam dates? Have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Don't even get me started on picking a movie to watch. 

New people. I've made the best of friends on several different continents and I simply want to visit you all. I want you all to come visit me so I can show off my beautiful city Vancouver! We've stared dumbstruck standing on top of Pico de Papaggaio in Brazil, grunted in pleasure over the first bite of an Argentine steak or struggled up and over Dead Woman's Pass, together. We've lounged on white sand beaches in Colombia, sat on 18 hour buses in Peru eating grapes and figs or simply bumped into each other in 5 different country, together. We've had countless birthday (everyday) meals that I've had the privilege (or not) to cook for all over the continent, built one giant pillowfort to share stories in at 5am in Milhouse and cycled down Death Road in Bolivia, together. We've done a lot, laughed a lot and I'll miss each and every single one of you dearly. Please keep in touch!

As for me? Well in a few hours I'll be boarding a flight to Miami from Cartagena where I'll be reunited with an old friend from Brazil and my family I´ll ultimately be putting an end to my South American adventures. I'll be trading dirty buses and 10 bed dorms for an awful week onboard a cruise bound for the Carribean, where every single one of my smallest whims will be catered to and cared for. All I get to do is workout, eat my weight in bacon, scuba dive Cozumel, explore Jamaica and run around Atlantis Waterpark for an entire stressful full week. After I have about two weeks home in Vancouver filled with snowboarding, eating at all my favourite restaurants and drinking pounds of coffee with various mates. Then I'm off on my next adventure! More on that soon enough. Life's hard ain't it?

Well obviously my final South American post in South America has to be completely scatterbrained and emotional. I'm not going to lie. I'm quite sad to leave this continent that I don't want to leave. Quite emotional to say my final goodbyes to people who I don't want to be away from. Quite disbelieving that my long long six months has finally now come to an end. I made a snappy jest about how it must be so, so sad to be closing in on the end directed at my British friend Vanessa weeks into my trip when her 9 month trip was coming to a close. She replied with "only people on the start of their trip say shit like that, you'll know exactly how it feels your times up as well." Well.. I know how it feels now, Time´s up eh. Hasta luego America del sul. Mucho gracias, muito obrigado por todos.

The Sun Sets Eventually

Channy

Instagram - itsnathanchan

December 20th, Cartagena, the Final Stop

Catch Up

Lately I've just been a bit of a slob in all aspects. Forgetting to shower every day, missing out on a few key postcards for friends, keeping my life/backpack organized, and most noticeably having a very insignificant online presence. But I'm back on track-ish. This is going to be a whirlwind post updating you all on what I´ve been up to since Banos, which is quite a bit.

Quito, Ecuador

Bought hiking boots for the first time as my FiveFingers finally died after a good 3 years worth of service. Went go karting in the rain instead of taking the Teleferico to the top of Quito. Had my first camp fire/hostel rooftop bar fire in ages. Did a handstand over the (fake) equator line. Spend a friend's birthday dinner smashing out an entire roast chicken together. 

Quite a few meters off the actual equator line

Quilotoa, Ecuador

An awesome inactive volcano that turned into a lake a bit off the well worn path in Ecuador. Took a bus and a taxi there. Walked to the edge. Walked down. Walked around. Struggled up. Took a bus back to Quito. Got some snaps. 

Volcan Quilotoa

Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Unfortunately only had two days here. Such an epic little hostel/lodge tucked away in the countryside near Volcan Cotopaxi. Hiked to some decent waterfalls as well as up to Pasochoa! Didn't actually touch Cotopaxi which was the original plan.. But then again I didn't do a lot of things I planned to do and did a bunch that I hadn't planned!

Straight out of Lord Of The Rings

Cali, Colombia

1 hour long public bus, 5 hour bus to the border, 15 minute taxi to the actual border, 30 minutes stamping through both sides, another 5 minute taxi and finally a 10 hour bus ride took me from Quito to Cali. I stayed with David, Juan's brother and had him as a personal tour guide for a full two days. Through the eyes of a local, perspectives definitely change and I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did without the local insight. We also flew back to Rio de Janerio for the a day. Just because. 

Christ the Redeemer. Colombian style

Salento

Coffee country. Gorgeous landscapes and sunsets. Was able to meet up with Jason and Claire again from the Inca Trail! Hiked Valle de Cocora or Corona depending on how much I want a beer at the time. Coffee tours, coffee tasting, my first horseback ride and a tasty birthday dinner that I had the privilege to cook for with the help of my two sous chefs were what made Salento quite epic.

Valle de Cocora

Bogota

Changed my plans a bit to meet up with Eva and Bianca (also Inca Trail) and send off Eva on her way home back to Amsterdam!  Graffiti tour. SO MUCH GRAFFITI. I love graffiti and everything about it. Proper street art makes me happy and Bogota is at the forefront of it. Crepes & Waffles (a Colombian chain of you guessed.. Crepes and waffles), a kilo or four of street food, one bottle of red wine, perhaps a beer or two and three lovely dutch girls made for one fantastic time in the city!

View from the Telefrico

Medellin

Real City Walking Tour. The best tour I've been on in 6 months. Insightful, deep, and quite personal. Followed up by a night out watching the Nacional vs River Plate game with a good group of boys and girls! A quite monotone filled Pablo Escobar tour left my sleeping through most of the afternoon until I smashed a literal mountain of Ribs and Chips. Food Coma. Hiked up Piedra del Peñol. Here are some pictures, because it happened. 

Classic Photo

Guatape

Literally came here just for this view.

Piedra del Penol

Final two weeks on the Caribbean coast of Colombia before I end my backpacking journey and fly off.. To meet my family in Miami for a week long Caribbean cruise. Very muy bien!

Channy
Instagram - itsnathanchan

December 6, 2014, Dreamer Hostel, Santa Marta