Travel Adventures

Traveling is quite a treat. There are the obvious differences between ourselves. The best discovery I have made is the similarities between us. Sometimes they are harder to see, but they are many. These similarities are a great base to learn more and pass on more of our varied cultures.

It's also helpful to go in with eyes open and assumptions left at home.

With the exception of travel to the bordering states and provinces and Maui when I was growing up, this was my first International trip.
It was 1998 with the Sandemons Sculpting Team
This event was part of Dubai Summer Suprises a shopping festival to draw tourists to Dubai in what is the height of summer. The temperatures are "HOT". Normally tourism is slow at this time of year because of the heat, but Dubai being very western friendly, has begun to diversify their economy from oil. They are becoming an incredible international mecca. This and many other events throughout the year have helped in this effort.

Feb 1 to 18, 2001 - I participated in two snow sculpture events on the island of Hokkaido Japan.
The 28th International Sapporo Snow Festival and
The Japan Cup Five-Continents Snow Sculpture Competition in Nayoro.

Hokkaido reminded me a lot of home. Although an island it has many of the familiar elements that I encounter in Canada. From the mountains, skiing and fishing like the west coast, where I currently live. To the plains landscape, that provides the land for the regions many crops, like the prairie where I grew up.

Well this is a place I came to with assumptions. I assumed more English would be spoken and I assumed a less diverse population. With such a diverse population I mostly forgot about the English thing. There is a lot of great architecture and the whole history. This is also the country in which an uncle from the 18th century Johann Balthasar Neumann was a noted baroque architect. One of the buildings he designed is UN historic site.

This was the starting place of the Belgium adventure. 2002 was the first year of many. I got to travel throughout a lot of the country from the coast to the Ardennes, including a few festivals.
There are also the historical ties with Canada from the war years.

Korea was a wonderful trip and I would like to spend more time here. The weather didn't entirely cooperate with us during the times we were to be sculpting. However our time off was great.

October 10 to 15, 2001 - A solo sand sculpting competition.
This was a most eventful trip I made with Craig Mutch. With sculpting taking place on a rainy Friday, Saturday, and a Saturday that saw tornado forces sweep through town and the tide being pushed over the beach swamping many sculptures, and Sunday.