Action In Relaxation

Fam,


Six weeks behind on posts and the French Riviera feels like some sort of passed-by whimsical dream.  A quite lovely dream that I don’t mind reliving…


As far as things go, work has been going gangbusters and I have been fortunate enough to be busting up gangs all over Europe.  In all honesty, I feel incredibly blessed with my current work situation and usually reply to the typical “What do you do?” with, “I talk.  I simply talk about what I love: travel, humanitarian service, experiences, developing countries, and the opportunity for transformation.”  These talks may be a full-on presentation to the student body of an international boarding school, a coffee meeting with a university headmaster or community service adviser, or even a nice dinner at an interested family’s home.  All in all, I talk.  The perks of my vagabond occupation (oxymoron?) include leisure evenings and weekends in unique places with chances to encounter interesting people, and discover.  Just discover.


Back to the point, the French Riv is beautiful and the weather was absolutely not un-incredible (triple negative = unbelievable = 24 degree centigrade days in early March).  Along my fortunate discovery (wow that sounds cheesy, too much Thoreau) I was accompanied by a few not un-lovely girls including Nicole and Megan (from previous post in Paris) and later by Rocio ‘Cio’ and Ana ‘Anago’ (also made a brief debut in Paris).


The pictures convey our enjoyment with much more accuracy and enjoyment than my written circles (did you catch that one?).  So please, as usual enjoy and send me a thought or post a comment.


> I am going to try something new to keep things so fresh and so clean for ya. As I go along I am constantly adding new music to the iPod and have acquired quite the Euro trip soundtrack.  Listening back takes me to a distinct place in time and location, so I figured I’d share a song at the top of each photo section for a little viewing music (at the risk of potentially being cheesy). *note: I am a huge hip hop head, but will keep the beats and rhymes to myself as I know many of you may not be the most keen on the Rock ‘n’ Roll of my generation. (click the play triangle icon in the little audio egg below)


That about says it for now.  Off to rent a bike in Berlin and see what Saturday has in store.


Ty.E




An evening in Monaco with Nicole and Megan.

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Weekend with Cio and Anago in Nice, Eze, and Monaco.

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I know you’re going to get sick of posts about Indonesia, especially Bali, but I had to come back for round 3. Shaun and Meggie came to Asia to meet up, so I knew if I was going to be a proper friend/tour guide/3rd wheel I’d have to take them to Bali. It has become my home in Asia; of my 5.5 months of travel, I spent almost half my time here.


I’ve never stayed in a hotel/villa/home as nice as our accommodation here; but don’t think for one second that our five star status stopped Shaun and I (and usually Meggie) from acting like wild Balinese five-year-olds. The three of us enjoyed spectacular views, infinity pools, and grandiose food while jumping through waterfalls, off of trees, and cruising the travelator (diagonal outdoor elevator). Dharma and Adi joined us at The Ayana for a good night at the Rock Bar and sushi; with the world famous delicacy of garlic clove, smothered in wasabi, and wrapped in ginger. I must again say thanks to Shaun for footing the bill, and to Amex for the hospitality upgrade.


Shaun and Meggie left way too soon (guess they’ll have to come back) and I was out of the entourage and back on the streets to fend for myself; this is when Dharma took me in and gave me a roof over my head. I was in awe at his garage which included a car, motorbikes, chickens, chicks, roosters, ducks, and his dog Chang (who supposedly has an STD *is that possible?). From Dharma’s house in Denpasar I headed back to Kuta to look into future possibilities for business, housing, long term visas, and had some great meetings with a general contractor/architect, beach soccer players, government officials, food/surfboard/beverage vendors, land owners, MBA travel guides, zoning officials, and the lovely staff at Kedin’s.


Time always flies in Bali and 2.5 weeks was a blur. Enjoy the pics.


Already back in the states for the holidays,


Tyler

Fri-amly,


I’m writing as I’m leaving Southern Thailand on the airplane to Macau; while the smile is fresh on my face and my heart still has that smirk of contentment. If I were still traveling with Ryan and Jason, they’d laugh at my repetitive self and quotable phrase of, “I could live HERE”.


Southern Thailand is incredibly beautiful, and has some of the best beaches in the world (without surf). Please go there sometime in your life if you like sun/beaches/food/relaxing/islands/scuba/fresh fruit/all other likeable things that exist in this world. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. If I have a list for Southern Thailand it’s people:


1. Lee: Emily (from my chronologically previous Indonesia & KL post *that are yet to come) and I flew directly from KL to Krabi and happened to sit with a proper-nice English gent, Lee, who had spent the previous 9 months in Ao Nang. He had recently landed a job as an underwater plant life surveyor (1 part scuba, 1 part biology, 1 part note taking, 3 parts fun) and was now moving back for at least a year. Lee and I talked the whole flight (I’m not flight talker either); and this convo eventually lead to a connection and introduction to Ismail.


2. Ismail: is an overly hospitable Moroccan soccer player with the best crackup-cackle-giggle. He ended up in Ao Nang after bouts in France, San Francisco, and Hawaii and is now established with a local wife, 2 kids, and his bungalows/touring business. Ismail booked us on trips, treated us like family, and after Emily headed home to SD from Bangkok there was only one place to go: back to Ismail’s Anawin Bungalows. (


3. Longtail Boat Crew: Captain Snoop, Dan the Man, Cokai, and the nick-name-less rest of the crew. During a 4 island tour with another finicky/gabby/uptight guide, Emily and I were totally drawn to make friends with the boat crew because 1.Emily noticed Capt Snoop’s dashing good looks; 2.I noticed how dashingly amazing it was that Capt Snoop was handling a full-size straight 6 engine with little effort on his thin frame. So we did, we became great friends; and when I later returned to Ao Nang, we shared more laughs, meals, the Liverpool victory over Man U (where they were the only locals at the Irish Rover *classic), and plenty of coffee which he kept coming as a sign of his bright personality and hospitality.


4. Olivia and Aubren: are my friends that date back to the highschool days and are now flight attendants/stewardesses/stewardii/seatbelt buckling gesturers/silver cart pushers/avionic serving engineers/whatever the pc term is, who get to fly for next to nothing and make this travel thing a career and a breeze. I’m slightly jealous, although I don’t think I’d look too good in the uniform, or would I? The four of us toured Ko Phi Phi and caught an incredible sunset via boat. They continued to tour Thailand and had a wonderful time with tigers, elephants, tuk tuks and all the fascinations Thailand has to offer (except ping pong).


5. Pad Thai crew.: Cha, Ma, Nam, and more food carters who have names like Un, Ing, Um, and Am, seriously became my sole source of food for lunch and dinner. I rotated the street-cart offerings of: BBQ chicken & corn, chicken & rice, beef & noodles soup, fruit smoothies, pancakes, mangoes and rice, and of course Pad Thai. Gritty street price for these entrée’s is typically around 40-60 baht or $1.20-$2. My frequent visits, guitar seranades, and Emily’s charm quickly established a fun friendship that later lead to betting on Premier League games, assuring other tourists of their food’s cleanliness, learning how to cook, ice creams, and business proposals from Cha who wants to come to the US and run a Pad Thai cart.


6. The footy fellas: big-whiney Drogba, quick-feet-no-teeth, the two sissy twins, clumsy tank the fullback, 1 touch skinny, the technical center mid friends, and so many more. Ismail mentioned playing soccer every day at a local “stadium”, which was a field with goals nestled in the greenery of the limestone mountains. Motivated to play some good soccer I purchased a used pair of Adidas cleats and a soccer ball for less than $40 in Bangkok. I then joined the locally committed players for some of the most physical, challenging, and technical soccer I’ve played in a while; an entertaining challenge and great fun with these guys.


Time to fill out my immigration card and health declaration.


I’ll be back in the US of A in less than a month so I can genuinely say…


I’ll see you soon,


Tyler

K.


So I was going to keep the posts coming on a weekly or bi monthly basis and make sure they were all spic-n-span polished with well thought dialogue photo galleries and video, professional style. But. I still have quite a bit of catching up to do for the past month or so (Indo #2, Kuala Lumpur, and Southern Thailand).


I am currently scrapping the professionalism and posting videos, thoughts, and whatever else real time to keep you on your toes.


This is a formal and legally enforceable contract I {Tyler} owe U {The Reader} Three (3) posts on 1.Indonesia Round Two, 2.Kuala Lumpur, and 3.Southern Thailand. These defined “Posts” will be pictorial and narrative representations of my first hand experiences in previously stated locations; and such Posts will be postdated to their appropriate and most accurate happening times. I sincerely promise to notify you of their posting upon individual completion of each Post, concordantly, vis-a-vis, ergo…


Enjoy the videos, I couldn’t wait any longer to show you all.

Monkeying Around (Ao Nang, Thailand) from Tyler Elick on Vimeo.


Just playing with the monkeys on Ao Nang Beach, Southern Thailand. I say Ao Nang, Vietnam, but I’m wrong, that’s my song.

Hey all,


Indonesia round 2, the throwback post.


I’m currently writing this from Indonesia (round 3) before headed back to the States of America that are United under the pursuit of life, love and happiness. Home. I realize “home is where the heart is”; but every time I come back to Indonesia I feel my right atrium being more and more full of Indo blood. The US of A will always have my left ventricle though.


Indo round 2 was a fleeting month from mid-September to mid-October. I parted ways with Ryan in KL, shed some tears on the flight, and was then comforted by a beautiful view of “Airport Lefts” surf spot while landing in Denpasar (Kuta Beach).


Directly from Kuta, I headed to the island of Lombok to meet up with Matt “Abacabar Pop Star” Rowland, a soon to be lifelong friend and STN connection who charges waves, charges life, and charges his soon-to-happen shoulder surgery on his credit card (no thanks insurance). Matt and I were going to spend a couple weeks in Banko Banko (Desert Point), where he was previously doing humanitarian work. To make a long story entertaining to read, he tore his shoulder (badly), and was now staying with Howie Antrang and Co. Matt and I spent a week with the Antrang family where we relaxed, ate tempe (my new favorite), ate fish curry, ate, ate, and had a jubilee time. The Antrang’s were extremely hospitable! (that is an understatement) I can’t wait to go back. From Lombok, Matt flew home to Hawaii, Howie stayed home, and I headed back to Kuta solo.


My solo-dolo time was spent around Kuta beach and Uluwatu, where I experimented with being (semi)productive while in a vacationer’s paradise. The result was the creation of this blog, as well as the pursuit of other business ideas (yet to come, God willing). Through my frequent trips down Poppies One Street (on my way to “the office” a.k.a. free Wifi and 20 cent ice cream cones at McDonalds) I was able to establish and affirm some great relationships with the ever smiling, greeting, and friendly locals. This helped ease any thought of loneliness as well as continue to hone my skills in Bahasa (Indonesian language).


Personal highlights from this time are:


1. The MBA crew: “Bagus” Agoos, Loy “the Lobster”, “Hulk” Hogan, Dekrit “Schwartzeneggar”, “Casi”Opik“ia”, “Luca” Toni, and more


2. My McD basketball friends: Dharma and Adi


3. The Beach Boys: Patty, Sigala, Simba, Tom, Waves, Reef, and Sand


4. The 5 o’clock Footballers: names never matter (or get remembered) here, just faces, feet, shouts, and playing styles


5. The Fruit Ladies: Pudu, Putri, Dia, Kaka, and Ade


6. Thomas’ Family


My last week was shared with Emily, who arrived unbeknown to Indonesia, ready for adventure, psyched for the beach, carpe-ing the deim, smashing volleyballs, scootering lazily, and smiling the whole way. I’ve had a few questions from people about “the girl in the photos”, so I figured I’d give you all the details:


Emily Lyn Carle
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 130 lbs
DOB: 6/22/87
SSN: 526-39-6234


The rest is just pictures so please enjoy.


Love and Friendship,


Tyler