Albert's Travel Stories: The Adventure Trio

Opening of Naadam Festival.  Photo credit:  Albert Chan Mongolia is a land of superlatives — one of the least densely populated countries on Earth, where nearly a third of people still live as nomads, moving with the seasons much as their ancestors did during the days of Genghis Khan. Travelling there feels like stepping back in time, where life is measured by the turning of the seasons.  Two experiences capture this essence more than any others: the Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s annual celebration of strength and skill, and the chance to camp alongside a nomadic family on the endless steppe. Naadam is often called the “Three Manly Sports” festival, yet it is more than sports.  It is part national holiday, part cultural showcase, and part spiritual ritual.  Ulaanbaatar offers grandeur as you can see in the above photo with the impressive display of the Great Nine White Banners at the opening ceremony in the National Sports Stadium. Mongolian wrestling.  ...

Okavango Delta from Above.  Photo credit:  Albert Chan The Okavango Delta is the kind of wilderness that refuses to be tamed. You can observe it from the comfort of a luxury lodge with hot showers or from a scenic flight like me when I took the above photo, but that is only scratching the surface. To feel it—really feel it—you need to strip everything away and sleep in the bush, expose to the sounds and rhythms of Africa at its rawest.  Bush camping in the Okavango is the purest test of nerves I have ever faced in Africa. Getting there was half of the adventure.  We arrived by mokoros, the dugout canoes that slip silently through reed channels no wider than the boats themselves.  Our polers guided us across shallow waters thick with lilies, dragonflies hovering above like flecks of glass catching the light. By the afternoon, we reached our island camp: a patch of high ground in a sea of wetlands, our base for the nights to come. Upon arriving, the sense of ...

Camping in Antarctica.  Photo credit:  Albert Chan Most travellers to Antarctica sleep in well-furnished rooms on the expedition ships, yet few lucky ones in selected departures (approximately 2,500 people a year) got to camp on Antarctic ice for a night.  I was among them during my visit to Antarctica. Many expedition departures may include one night of camping.  However, the wind and ice conditions change all the time.  There was no guarantee that camping can actually happen as everything is weather dependent.  The weather co-operated and we got the announcement from the crew that our camping could go ahead as planned. After dinner, we gathered for our zodiac transport to Ronge Island.  No food of any kind was allowed and we could only bring water with us.  Pursuant to regulations stipulated by the Antarctic Treaty, visitors could not take or leave anything whatsoever during our visit.  Our group brought along a couple of buckets for toilet...