I’m not a pot smoker, but when in Rome…or in the case of Amsterdam, you know what the tourists do. They go to a local, er, coffee store, buy a pre-rolled J and light that puppy up. Yours truly did that back in 1999 and spent the rest of the afternoon at the Bulldog cafe watching Michael Bay’s classic Armageddon with some really *mellow* dutch folks…let’s just say that the end of the world never felt so relaxed.

No more. In accordance with a right-wing movement in Holland – for better or worse – in 2013 in will be illegal for non-Dutch peoples to light up in Holland. And that includes Europe’s favorite vice sink. Ever wanted to smoke weed in Amsterdam? You’ve got less than nine months…

But before you run off to the hills and promptly light anything resembling a marijuana plant with your Bic lighter, a suggestion from those crazy off track folks at OffTrack Planet that Amsterdam’s heir apparent is already groomed and ready to toke off as the new it place to spark up in a cloud of pot smoke. Grab your nachos and leave your inhibitions at the front door folks. The new Amsterdam is none other than…Vancouver Canada!

Being a BC native, that doesn’t surprise me at all. There have been rumours of decriminalizing marijuana in Canada for years. Check out Off Track Planet’s reasoning why Vancouver is the definitive place to light up and check out.

We’re near that time folks, where old man 2011 gets old and gray and eventually croaks. And in his place, 2012, and the promise of another exciting year to cross stuff off your bucket list and venture forth across the globe. Yup, you know where I’m goin’ with this…Wondering where to travel? Cue the crazy cats at Off Track Planet, it’s their list of the Top Backpacking Destinations for 2012!

Partying, adventure, sweet foods, name your pleasure, there’s a little something for everyone on this list. True to form, Off Track Planet gets off that beaten path, mostly, with a list of places that most of us have only heard in passing…Cricova, Moldova, anyone? Just the same, some great ideas here for backpackers and like-minded adventurers to trek across this crazy old planet and do it up in style next year. My money’s on Croatia. Hurry up, it won’t be a secret much longer. And you know what the Mayans say…everything shuts down on December 12, 2012! Yikes, I better hurry up and drive a Ferrari while I still can…

Pacific Rim National Park isn’t the most forgiving of places along the coast of Vancouver Island, and this week a Canadian family learned that the hard way, in the form of a cougar attack on their 18 month old boy.

The good news is that the little guy is OK. Authorities have been tracking the cougar in the days since the incident and have closed off that section of the park, at Kennedy Lake, near Ucluelet.

Hopefully this won’t dissuade hikers from what’s arguably one of the top five trekking destinations on Earth. As harrowing as this incident was, remember that cougar attacks are extremely rare, and as harrowing as it was, any time you enter nature, you enter the natural habitat of the extraordinary creatures that call it home.

Wait for the collective “awwwww”. This is one of most heartwarming travel tales you’ve heard for a while. Simply put, a man and his girlfriend, Guillaume and Laetita, decided to walk from North America to Argentina. Along the way they encountered Kitty, a friendly cat in the streets of Louisiana. Kitty took a shying to the couple and joined them on their epic, 9,000 mile, three year walk from North to South America. Now they’re inseparable – though I think Kitty’s more of a hitcher than a walker. Too cute. The website is www.turnoftheworld.com. Watch the video!

Kitty takes a snooze. Photo is copyrighted by turnoftheworld.com. I'm just usin' it cause it's too cool to pass up.

The promise of another year and the opportunities to do awesome things.  Like backpacking, the best way to see the world and meet the people that call it home.  Forget hotels with concierge service and heated pools.  Grab your backpack, your money belt and an open mind.  Then check out Off Track Planet’s Top 10 Backpacking Travel Destinations For 2011, and get your ass out there and enjoy life!

As promised, five cool things to do in dangerous places, part two, courtesy of those crazy, highly disturbed, certifiable, and the best part, like-minded, people at Off Track Planet. Old man 2010 is on his death bed, and with this comes the promise of a new, exciting year to attain scars, infections, probably Malaria and a host of other pleasantries in our ongoing efforts to do stupid and highly enjoyable things in places where we definitely shouldn’t go. In other words, the kind of thing that I would do.

Let’s go fly a kite in Pakistan!!!

God bless you, Off Track Planet.

Old man 2010 is nearing the end of his lifespan, and with that comes the promise of a new year.  Granted we still have a month called December to get through first.  I don’t know about you, but I need a vacation already.  Here are some ideas: Five Fun Things to Do in Dangerous Places (Part 1), courtesy of our off-track friends at Off Track Planet.  Skydiving in Iraq anyone?  Sign me up!

There’s a time and place for everything, but who wants to spend a week sitting on the beach drinking pina coladas when they’re so many other cool things you can do for a vacation?  Guysim’s Seven Vacations That Might Get You Killed comes from the school of thought that, if it isn’t hardcore, it’s not worth doin’.  God bless’em!  I don’t agree with hunting, but you have to admit that this list looks pretty darn awesome.  I’d tip-toe around the issue of health insurance with your travel agent on this one.

With camping season just around the corner, let’s take this opportunity to go over some of the basics of the wild.  First rule, if you encounter a bear, don’t play dead, don’t reach for the bear repellant.  Just sick Garfield on him!  Listen to the women cackle as the poor bear gets the worst of this encounter.

Adrenaline junkies in BC have reason to feel hardcore once again. Raid the North Extreme, a 500 km wilderness race held every year in Canada is coming to the Kootenays in September. The race comprises of teams of four and takes teams across some of Canada’s toughest wilderness by kayak, canoe, fixed rope, mountain bike and on foot. Or to put it another way for us city folks, it’s like The Amazing Race in the boonies. This is not a race for the Sheraton crowd!