Sunday, January 27, 2013

Zaventem to New York





FR: J'ai été au lit à 2h30 pour me lever à 4h30, prendre le train vers Bruxelles et je remercie N. de m'avoir déposé de Mérode à Zaventem. Finalement, aucun problème avec les Ricains concernant le contenu de mes bagages. Par contre, 30 minutes après le décollage, je regarde par le hublot et un avion à quasi même hauteur est venu comme un missile nous frôler. Bon, il devait être encore à 300m mais à la vitesse où il nous a croisé, cela m'a fortement interpelé. Le temps est superbe sur l'Atlantique, le Royaume Uni, l'Irlande et surtout le Nord Est du Canada. J'aurais bien voulu qu'on m'y dépose et tenter de revenir par mes propres moyens. Le temps d'arriver, j'ai vite pris mes marques dans le métro, visité Times Square et rejoint mon auberge. Rien de bien sexy pour un premier sauf sauf qu'il va durer 30h dont 26h éveillés :)

EN: I was in bed by 2.30 am, got up at 4.30 am and got the train to Brussels. N. (Chocolate Sherpa expedition) dropped me at the airport. And no problems at all with the border crossings and checking my gear, very friendly actually. Just after take-off, another plane went like a missile just passing 300m from us which was very scary for a second, I was like WTF? The weather in NYC and above the Atlantic, the UK, Ireland and Northern Canada was just superb. I even would have loved to be dropped in Canada and come back by my own means. On the ground, I quickly took my marks with the metro, visited Times Square and went to my hostel. Nothing really sexy for a first day apart it will last 30h  and 26h without sleep.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Into the Wild

"Into the Wild" is a film (Sean Penn) and book (John Krakauer) portraying young Christopher McCandless who left home to live experiences on his way to Alaska where he dies from starving. This was exactly 20 years ago in the bus 142 on the Stampede trail. Fortunately a lot of outdoor people do go into the wild and do return safely home often without leaving a trace of their passage. Although everyone does it for himself for various reasons, some do make a living out of their outdoor experiences. They write books, come back with photos or film, or post their journey online on personal blogs or in the local or national press and media.

I'm part of the second type as I did experience in 2007 very powerful feelings be for a long time alone in the wild. Sharing is a way to release a part of the stress accumulated in extreme places and brings also a lot of joy especially if it inspires people especially the young ones. My aim as adventurer and explorer is also to do this. My "Into the Wild" project is a return to long travel journey mixed with harder expeditions. Like McCandless says: "I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong". I like to feel strong but compared to much stronger nature, to measure myself against the elements, the hard way is a way I have found to grow and learn.

During 2013, I will thus try to get as much experiences I can being in the Wild but also traveling and meeting  the local culture and I also want to join expeditions and interview for MeetExplorers.com the ones who are like me or who are deeply connected to the environment and its protection or have found breakthrough technology to contribute to save the environment.

Every expedition needs a plan but sometimes adventure is about not having a plan. Also during my past 6 years of expeditions I have been under pressure of my biggest enemy: time. Having a time constraint to finish quick and go back to work gives perhaps a focus but doesn't help to enjoy the moment fully or document with photos and film the explored area. To have a plan and time I just set up several lists.

Why did I take Into the Wild as title for this year of experiences?