Hard to believe all of this started with the two of us screwing around on our balcony overtop of a suspiciously still little bee on the patio table. What a wild ride it turned out to bee.
SPOILER ALERT - Listen to Zai Jian Taipei Pt 1 first, if you haven't already...
In a flash our whirlwind, one-year tour around the world comes to an abrupt close when some tragic family news is shared with Chris. We bid adieu to the parallel reality where we explored the beautiful island and culture of Taiwan for the following 3 weeks, pay an abhorrent amount for rushed plane tickets home, and decompress abruptly without any safety stops.. Pause for nitrogen bubbles in the blood (that's a little scuba joke). Thank you Taiwan for all of the beauty, even just a taste was enough to tell us you would have made a beautiful home. Onward to Canada.
This week we really grab Taiwan by the tapioca pearls. Strap in for getting gritty in and around the city of Taipei. So many hidden gem night markets and neighborhoods, some Michelin-recognized street food, the spectacular Taipei 101 building, and of course, the birth of Bubble Tea. For those who are interested, Chris gets super deep into the history of Taiwan from a nuanced & multilateral perspective as only Chris can.. And for those who aren't interested, dui bu qi!! Let's ready for some Mandarin Immersion!
Taipei is an amazing blend of Chinese & Japanese cultures, with a proud democratic culture and amaaaazing food. We're posted up in Ximen district of Taipei (not to be confused with NEW Taipei City) and are immediately blown away by how comfortable & clean the city is. It's so cool to get a view of the history of Taiwan outside of the official international narrative, visiting the monument of Chiang Kai-shek, and enjoying dim-sum with our fantastic AirBnB host Brad (who fortuitously also has a degree in cuisine from Paris and runs his own tour company in Taipei ;). This is shaping up to be an amazing and unexpected experience. Ni hao Taiwan!
After a couple weeks of pure focus, we way overcompensate & knock our last week in Koh Lanta out of the park before jetting to Taipei. Keywords that start with S: Scuba Diving, (Drunk) Scots, Stand-up Paddleboard, Spirited Away, Snickers Adventure, S-tiny naked boy. Suffice to say it's been magical. Until next time!
After three months of straight training, Jess interviews Chris the morning after his premier Muay Thai fight in Williams Stadium, Koh Lanta. Chris recounts the moments leading up to the match in grueling detail, as he faced a local Thai fighter with his terrified wife watching on. This may well be as good as it gets out here in the world. We may have just reached peak bees, with one week left in paradise to make the most of it. Stay tuned for the riveting conclusion of this earth-shattering evening. Round One: Fight!
In this powerful retrospective we reflect on the interplay of expectation, privilege and empathy. They say you learn more from your losses in life than your wins. True to form, after a rocky start Philippines turned out to be the place where we had the most to gain from the poise and wisdom of the community we stumbled upon. Sorry in advance for the audio quality, it took a lot of tweaking to get it to where it is. Sometimes the greatest lessons are the hardest to hear ;)
Salamat, Siargao.
Join us in the setting of 2017's Siargao, a love story about a hidden surfing paradise. We spill the tea on one of Southeast Asia's most storied surf spots with our lovely local guide Nina, before jetting off to (secret location redacted)!
Joined by our amazing and talented local host & guide to Philippine culture, this evening is one we'll remember forever. After a few tough weeks in Philippines, we finally find our community and have one hell of a big night out on the town. Amazing new dishes, hidden speakeasies, and one rocking outdoor club in torrential rain with a few streaking Brits among a sea of generic white faces. Thank you Nina! <3
DISCLAIMER: The views in this episode are those of our former selves and in no way represent the views of our current selves. Also, please forgive the sound quality, we recorded in a full coffee shop and if you put a seashell up to your ear you can hear a bit of glorious 90s rock. You're welcome.
We kick off our month on the only island in the Philippines that's in wet season and tut tut, it sure does look like rain. But this is also the surf capital of the Philippines, a glorious island full of natural features and beauty, and we're here for it. Just as soon as we get over the massive typhoon that destroyed all civilization.
Silly old bear.
Come ring in the Year of the Rabbit with a long-awaited food adventure across beautiful SINGAPOOOOORE! I've been telling Jess about this place since I visited in 2017 and we finally have a chance to explore it together at the most magical time of year. From the Marina Bay Sands, to the Avatar trees or whatever, to amazing food, amazing food, and amazing food. This is the first city in the world we could both imagine building a future in over Vancouver, which is really saying something. Come witness the beautiful harmony between east and west that the world needs right now. One delicious bite at a time.
2 much excitement for one episode! Straddling Thailand and Singapore (with a seamless mid-episode transition) your exhausted but fulfilled bees reflect on their last week in Koh Lanta. And it was an action packed adventure from start to finish. We say goodbye to all of our new friends, get a crash course in Thai medicine, and with no small contribution from Jess earning her scooter level intermediate we all live happily ever after!
Thailand achievement unlocked. See you soon, Paradise.
Part one of what turned out to be a two-part wrap-up is chock full.. (chalk full? wtf...) of living in the moment, from swimming through a pirate cave and touching profound humanity to watching someone butcher Pink Floyd and getting molested by a 12 year old.. We can't make this stuff up. Catch us next time for part deuce where we cover our last days in tropical utopia. Peas~
Get ready for a healthy dose of nirvana in the heart of tropical Thailand, as close to Neverland as you could possibly encounter on earth. It has been a week full of magic, adventure, friendship and a lot of peace, spending the holidays in that place between sleep and awake, that place where you can still remember your dreams. We watched a fire-show, finally saw a live Muay Thai match, and built our own little tropical escape on New Year's Eve. My only unmet happy thought is getting my caffeine dosage just right. That would be effing bangarang.
It's Christmas Eve in gorgeous Koh Lanta, and all through the house, Chris is groaning about his brittle ankles from Muay Thai! We make some new friends, we get ready for three weeks of "straight" partying, and Jess gets her scooter level Beginner. A beautiful end to what has been an incredible calendar year. What a ride it has been.
Sawasdee krup! After 8 months of searching, your traveling bees have found the promised land. It's like Jurassic Park had a love-child with The Garden of Eden and that child turned out to be Tommy Chong. That's Koh Lanta. So glad we decided to forgo the run around all over the damn country and instead just plant ourselves in what has turned out be the closest place to paradise we have found in the whole world. Get ready for 6 straight weeks of good food, fun & freedom.. and Jean Claude van Damme quotes. Let's get it on!
As a storied destination for travelers, I've got to say Cambodia left us with a mixed impression. Incredible historical sites & significance juxtaposed with a pretty bleak reality for the locals serving the booming tourism industry. Definitely a profound experience, no matter which way you slice it. Leahaey Cambodia, and good luck. Next stop, Thailand!
Move over Lara Croft, get ready for the Tomb Raider reboot.. this time with more bees.
In the heart of Phnom Penh, Chris and Jess, are drawn into a world of danger and intrigue. As they journey north to Siem Reap, they are pursued by shadowy figures with their own agendas. Despite the scorching heat, Chris and Jess refuse to back down, determined to uncover the truth.
As they navigate the treacherous landscape of Cambodia, they are joined by a diverse group of allies, each with their own secrets to hide. From the bustling streets of the city to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Chris and Jess fight to stay one step ahead of their enemies.
But in the end, their bravery and resilience pay off, as they retire to a life of luxury with a lavish three-hour, eight course meal.
As the sun rises over the majestic Angkor Wat, Chris and Jess can finally rest easy, knowing that they have saved the day and thwarted the forces of evil.
(Credit to ChatGPT for helping with the script rewrite - in the voice of a James Bond trailer ;)
We've crossed the great divide into Cambodia; the land of the Khmer Rouge, Angkor Wat and what appears to be a bizarre purgatory for all the lost traveling souls of the world. Join our noble adventurers as they venture through the upside-down-yesterday seeking a thread of spark (isn't that called a fuse?) to lead them back into the present. With the help of a benevolent Canadian spirit who manifests from the aether and in spite of some ungodly ATM fees, they may just persevere. Welcome to the heart of darkness.
Moving around literally once every 2.5 days on average for a full month (that's about 12 different sleeping locations) is a lot, and now it's time to enjoy our last Vietnamese stop, the culinary and cultural heart of Saigon! AKA Ho Chi Minh City, but not if you're basically local.. like we obviously are at this point. We wrap up our secret agent sleeper thread with an exciting clandestine rendezvous with our Saigon contact, and go on one hell of an epic food journey t'boot. Also, since great things come in threes, here's the link to the Hanoi newspaper article featuring your two favorite Travelling Bees! Weeeee're kind of a big deal in Vietnam. https://m.thanhnien.vn/du-khach-nuoc-ngoai-van-keo-den-pho-ca-phe-duong-tau-ha-noi-post1514174.html