Phil Harwood is the first man to canoe the Congo River. Photo taken by Phil Harwood

Folks often wonder where to travel for a slow, leisurely getaway for some rest and relaxation. Congo is not one of these places. Fortunately for humanity and the good of mankind, there are brave – if not slightly crazy – men like Phil Harwood, a British man who recently became the first person in history to do the entire 3,000 gauntlet that is the Congo River.

You might wonder why that feat was until recently something that had yet to be conquered. Well let’s see…crocodiles, really big snakes, men with machetes, really nasty insects, corruption and generally about a million ways to curl up and die. Not to mention the length of the river, which at 3,000 miles, is one of the longest rivers in the world.

His journey is as fascinating as the river he travelled. And, considering the troubled history of Congo, thanks in no small part to 18th century imperialism, the river itself tells a story, of the people of the region and the land to which it belongs. Harwood documented his record-breaking travel along the Congo River in his book Canoeing the Congo. There’s a video here that tells some of his story.

Good on ya Phil Harwood

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Aussies have surfing (grrrrrr). The UK has rugby. The Americans have damn well what ever they like. And us Canucks? Well we do one thing really well…we do cold like no other country on Earth. Heck, it’s actually below zero in BC right now. For the adventure travel junkie this means one thing…Ski slopes!! Canadians might find even more comfort knowing that, according to numerous polls by international ski buffs, and this one among them, Canadians do skiing so well that we’re on top of the list. Check out the Ten Best Ski Resorts on Earth. And the winner is…Whistler Blackcomb!!!

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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…

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In a world of complex and sometimes rocky relationships amongst us humans, is there anything more pure than the love between a dog and his master? This story brought me to tears.

Two weeks ago, a 68 year old Chinese man, Lao Pan, passed away. He lived alone with his little yellow dog in a small house in the village of Panjiatun, China. Upon his death, the villagers noticed his dog had mysteriously vanished. Well he hadn’t vanished…he’d just spent the past seven days by his master’s grave. Without food. The villagers noticed the dog’s loyalty and tried to coax him away from his master’s side so he could eat. But he wouldn’t budge. The villagers, so moved by the dog’s loyalty, are bringing him food at his vigil, and a permanent kennel is in the works, so he can remain with his master.

This isn’t the first dog to display such loyalty. Hachiko, an Akita owned by a Japanese professor, would faithfully greet his master at Shibuya train station in Tokyo in the 1930s. Then, when his master died at work, the dog showed up to meet his master, and returned every day for the next 14 years at the same time, faithfully waiting for his owner. His statue now stands just outside the spot where he waited each day, and Hachiko became an inspiration to the entire nation.

And Greyfriar’s Bobby was a little Skye Terrier in Edinburgh who valiantly stayed by John Gray, his master, also for 14 years after his master’s death. Gray was buried in an unmarked grave. Yet little Bobby found the spot where his master lay and left only for food. Gray’s friends and the kindly graveyard curator looked out for the pooch, feeding him and housing him on cold nights. But he’d always return to his master’s grave. And on his death, was buried close to his master.

If you’re a dog lover like me you’ll want a hanky when you watch this video. In closing, I leave you with the inscription on Bobby’s headstone:

“Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.”

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We’re still in November, but look at the shopping malls and it’s pretty evident we’re already in ‘Christmas mode’, and beyond that, the promise of a new year. And with that, thoughts of things to cross off your bucket list before checking out of this life. We’re talking skydiving here folks, as in Off Track Planet’s list of the top ten places on Planet Earth to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Interested? Better hurry up and get’er done – the Mayans claim the world is gonna end on December 12 of next year.

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The third in our triage of close encounters of the Marine kind off sunny California. And while we’ve seen some pretty funky sh*t on this blog, especially off the coast of California, I gotta say this one will make you soil yourself more than any other. The scene, a surfer lazily taking in a nice day off Santa Cruz, California. And then…watch. The third tag I’ve added to this post sums it up pretty nicely.

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