Montreal man nears end of 11-year walk around the world

by Stephen Greenwood on
After nearly 4,000 days, 53 pairs of shoes and over 46,600 miles across 64 countries on 6 continents, Jean Béliveau is nearing the end of an 11-year trek around the world.

What started as a journey of self-discovery during a mid-life crisis, eventually became a mission to call attention to peace & nonviolence, especially for children around the world.

Setting off with a three-wheeled stroller that carried a “few fundamentals”, Béliveau began by walking through America, Mexico, Latin America, before venturing to Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania and finishing by crossing Canada; from Vancouver to Montreal. Starting with just $4,000, he survived by receiving yearly installments of about the same sum from his wife and depended greatly on the kindness of strangers. The trip will officially come to a close when Béliveau is expected to arrive in Montreal on October 16th, where his wife & two grown sons will be awaiting his return.

Looking ahead, Béliveau says that he plans to write a book with the help of his wife although he will look back on this experience with nostalgia, is excited to have a bed forever. To learn more about his journey, visit Jean’s website.

5k zombie infested obstacle course comes to the United States

by Jessica Festa on

Adventure-lovers and zombie-enthusiasts will be excited to hear about a new zombie infested obstacle course coming to the United States this Fall. Like any other obstacle course event, such as Warrior Dash or Spartan Race, Run for Your Lives will include man-made challenges (12, to be exact) as well as tests of physical fitness. This obstacle course in particular will involve mud, water, climbing, crawling, ducking, diving, running, and maybe even blood, as you navigate through sewage systems and conquer uphill climbs to reach the finish line.

However, unlike your usual obstacle course race, there is a scary twist here. Participants will be given a flag belt that will hold flags that represent their health during the course. While making your way through the event, zombies will be attacking and trying to grab these flags. Don’t worry too much if you lose a flag, however, as there are “health bonuses” hidden throughout the course. If you lose all your health flags, you die and the zombies win.

This video game come to life has different possible routes to the finish line, so runners should be aware that while Run for Your Lives is called a 5K it could end up being longer. Participants are encouraged to dress up however they would like, as the living or the dead. There will also be an Apocalypse Party after the event so you can celebrate your survival (or drink with the rest of your new zombie friends).

Just in time for Halloween, the first Run For Your Lives event will take place on October 22, 2011, in Baltimore, Maryland. Other dates and locations include:

Destination spotlight: the Volta Region, Ghana, Africa

by Jessica Festa on

When people think of where they want to go on vacation, Ghana isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind. There are actually many good reasons to visit this African country, including an excellent exchange rate on the dollar, an experience rich in culture, and areas of untouched, natural beauty. These things and more can be found in the Volta Region in Ghana.

While many areas in Ghana have a chaotic, diesel-fueled city feeling, that all goes away as you experience the natural wonders and peaceful calm of the Volta Region. A great home-base to explore this area is Wli-Afegame, a small village outside of HoHoe, which can reached by tro-tro (think small, packed out mini van). From HoHoe, take a taxi to your hotel in Wli-Afegame. Some good ones are the Wli-Water Heights Hotel and the Wli Waterfall Lodge, which is right next to the Wli Waterfalls. For the rustic traveler, there is a hut-type accommodation with outdoor showers and toilets called Ras Madesko’s, which you can reach by having your taxi driver stay on the main road of town and drive up a mile past the waterfalls. Ras’s Rastafasian-style accommodation will be on your right, with a red, yellow, and green wooden guitar sign out front.To explore the sites of the Volta Region you have a few options in terms of transportation. Your first and cheapest option is the tro-tro, which will save you money, but will also add hours to your itinerary and can be unreliable in this area. Your second option, and the most expensive choice, is to have a taxi drive you around. While this is convenient, it may end up costing you quite a bit (although don’t forget to bargain the price, as foreigners are often charged 3 to 4 times what locals pay). Your third option, and the one I would recommend, is to hire Ras Madesko (his real name is Stephan) to drive you around. Whether you are staying at his hostel or not, he will give you an affordable deal and will take you to all the major sites of the area. For example, I stayed at the Wli-Water Heights Hotel, and he charged three friends and I 40 Ghana Cedis total (about $25) for a few hours of touring.

So what should you see while in the Volta Region? Here are the top picks:

  • Volta Lake– This is what the entire region is known for, so it should definitely be on your to-do list. It is the largest reservoir by surface area in the world, and the fourth largest by water volume. Behind the lake are mountains that make for a great photo backdrop, while in front of the lake there are many tiny fishing boats along the shore. There is also a large market here that sells food, drinks, clothing, jewelery, and more.
  • Tafi-Atome Monkey Sanctuary– For a small fee (discounts for students and volunteers) you will be taken on a guided trek into the jungle and will learn about the monkeys that live there as well as the nearby cultural villages and how they value these monkeys. The best part is that once you find a pack of monkeys in the forest, the tour guide will give you bananas to feed to them. What they do not warn you about is that the monkeys will literally jump down from the trees onto your head to get the bananas. While it takes a few minutes to get used to, the monkeys are really sweet and it’s fun to get them to come to you.
  • Wli-Waterfalls– This is my top pick for Volta Region activities, as there are so many options of how you can spend your day here. For those who aren’t really into hiking and just want to see the waterfalls up-close, a guide can take you along a flat road for about 30-40 minutes right up to the falls (you can even swim in the water!). For those who want a challenge, there is an option to hike to the upper-falls that takes about 3 hours (or more, depending on your fitness level). The entire trek goes up an extremely steep, rocky path and, while they give you a walking stick, can be dangerous at times, especially on the way down. There are many look-out points and photo opportunities along the way, as well. This option is great for those who want to experience a challenge in the outdoors. When you are leaving the falls, you will be able to walk through the forest and see the various fruits and plants of the region in their natural habitat. Visitors can also explore a market filled with carvings, paintings, jewelery, and food at the entrance.
  • Mount Afadjato– This is a must-see, as it is the tallest mountain in Ghana. Visitors are not allowed to trek it alone, but may hire a guide to take them to the top. An information center with exhibits and photos are also at the base of the mountain.
  • Cultural Villages– There are many cultural villages bordering Wli-Afegame, and it is worthwhile to explore some of them just to get a sense the architecture and lifestyle of the people. If you see any hawkers selling fruit, make sure to get some bananas, as they are native to the area, and an evo, a large-green fruit a little bigger than a mango that you break open with your hands. The inside is sweet and fizzy, kind of like a candy-flavored root-beer.

Are we losing the art of going feral?

by Kyle Ellison on


Not familiar? That’s ok. Not a lot of people are anymore. In this increasingly fast-paced, technology fueled, globalizing world full of high speed travel options and hassle-free packaged tours, the art of going feral may slowly be disappearing.

A term that’s stolen from the surf-world, the concept of going feral essentially encompasses anyone who sets off into the marginally known with minimalist packing for an extended period of time with virtually nothing that resembles a plan. It’s embracing unforeseen challenges and making uncertainty your number one travel companion in the quest for an ambiguous goal.

As many who go feral will admit, many times the greatest rewards from an excursion are different than those they originally set out hoping to find.

For anyone itching to go feral sometime soon, this recent feature from Surfline outlines the basic necessities of surviving a feral excursion. Sometimes, as they are keen to point out, this can mean burying your passport, paying off anyone you have to, or protecting your camp with monkey’s skulls purchased from a local witch doctor to fend off would-be robbers.

While this style of travel is not for everyone, for others, it’s everything they live for. Surfers who hire a fishing boat captain to drop them on a remote island and pick them up two weeks later are examples of those who have gone feral. So are kayakers who engage in 1,800 miles of self-sustained paddling through grizzly country, or hardy trekkers who undertake an effort such as thru-hiking the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail, all in an effort to leave this fast-paced world behind and reconnect with nature. It’s all very transcendental, really.

Why not just hop in the RV and drive to the nearest lake then, you might ask? Because for those who go feral, there is a certain sweetness and adrenaline that lies in the quest. To undertake their own personal Hero’s Journey, and to come back having conquered the elements, their fears, uncertainty, dangerous situations, foreign lands, and most importantly, those who said it couldn’t be done.

What are your thoughts on going feral? Irresponsible? Inspiring? Appealing? Disgusting? We all travel in our own way for our own reasons, and for some, going feral is simply the best way there will ever be.

$200 discount on tickets to St. Lucia’s Health and Wellness Retreat

by Jessica Festa on

For those craving some nutritious and active fun, St. Lucia will be hosting a Health and Wellness Retreat from November 17-November 20, 2011. While tickets are priced at $1,000, attendees can receive a $200 discount if they buy their ticket before October 15th.

Taking place in the “Eden of the Caribbean”, Soufriere, the retreat will bring together experts in yoga, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching.

So what can you expect at the Health and Wellness Retreat? Yoga and feng-shui workshops, classes on art, pottery and photography, lectures by experts in the field, and active adventures such as hiking, climbing the nearby Piton Mountains, cycling, snorkeling, bird-watching, and more. Spa treatments, including a local therapy favorite using Soufriere’s mineral and mud baths, is also an option. Even lunch becomes a learning experience as chefs give participants demonstrations on nutritious cooking.

Make sure to buy your ticket while you can still get the early bird special. To book a room at a participating hotel, click here.