Modern Gonzo - Robin Esrock - Travel Writer http://www.moderngonzo.com "Modern Gonzo, See the World Without The Bugs, Extreme Travel with Robin Esrock" Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:35:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Shamans and Guinea Pigs in Ecuador http://www.moderngonzo.com/shamans-and-guinea-pigs-in-ecuador/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/shamans-and-guinea-pigs-in-ecuador/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:37:25 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1450 It’s folly to spend just one week in a country as diverse as Ecuador, but what the hell! Shamans and guinea pigs, iguanas, bus parties, 300-year old haciendas, volcanic craters - I don’t get to the Galapagos, but between Otavalo, Quito and Gauyaquil, there’s plenty to keep me busy.

Read the Adventure (we all enjoy a good story)
Check out the Photos (evidence of the shenanigans)

News in my World

  • We’re coming to the end of the Winter Olympics, but whether you live in Vancouver or not, here’s a handy guide to the city I put together for the Vancouver Sun, and also a neat breakdown of Vancouver’s neighborhoods.
  • Meanwhile, at sympatico,ca, I investigate the connection between travel and tattoos, look at new travel trends, and pick new exotic getaways for lovers.
  • Carnaval in Brazil was an absolute spectacle, attracting three times as many people as the Winter Olympics. While you wait for the full Modern Gonzo report, read my article published last week in the National Post and Vancouver Sun.
  • Still in Brazil, here’s a fantastic photo essay in which I give you 10 Reasons To Love Brazil (as if you needed 10 reasons!).
  • The third and final season of Word Travels debuts in Canada on OLN on Sunday, 10pm. DON’T miss this fantastic new HD video of what you can expect this season. Or visit the website for more clips and info.
  • …and finally, catch me this weekend in Toronto, as guest speaker at the Outdoor Adventure Show. I’ll be talking on Saturday at 11:45am, and again at 2pm. Also Sunday at 2pm.


    • Next up: Inside the Sambadrome of Carnaval, the world’s largest wetlands, and some magic caves and rivers in Brazil.

    Yours in motion,
    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/shamans-and-guinea-pigs-in-ecuador/feed/     Science Fiction in Star City http://www.moderngonzo.com/science-fiction-in-star-city/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/science-fiction-in-star-city/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:47:53 +0000 robin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1430 Returning to Russia, I get an exclusive glimpse into the reality of modern space travel, visiting the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, poking my head into real-life rocket ships. From the Moscow Metro to the streets of St Petersburg, the Great Bear once again presents it challenges, but there is truly nowhere else on earth quite like it.

    Vee Hav Vays of Making You Read
    There’s Borscht on my Photo Gallery

    More from my World

    - Check out my kick-ass new video demo, filmed in over 25 countries!
    - My latest Sympatico.ca travel columns looks at the value of experiential gifts, and I pick out 8 of the Best Winter Getaways (whenever you can get away from Winter, that’s probably best no?)
    - My latest Thrillseeker column in Outpost magazine has me running with the bulls in the Azores.
    - Catch me in Word Travels, weekends on CityTV and OLN in Canada, or Nat Geo Adventure in Australia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, most of Asia and North Africa too. In Canada, you can watch full episodes online by visiting oln.ca and clicking on the Word Travels tab.
    - Save the Date: I’ll be a guest speaker at the 2010 Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show, on February 27/28 in Toronto, and April 4 in Vancouver.

    I’m currently en-route to Brazil, where I’ll be spending the next month exploring Rio state, catching up with the bugs in the Pantanal, meeting new and old friends, and going bananas at my first ever Carnival. Don’t worry, I’ll write, photograph and Youtube over your ticket.

    travel safe,
    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/science-fiction-in-star-city/feed/     Sweet As New Zealand’s South Island http://www.moderngonzo.com/sweet-as-new-zealands-south-island/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/sweet-as-new-zealands-south-island/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:41:36 +0000 robin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1416 Sweet As. It’s Kiwi slang, and I return to the South Island to find out what it means. Is it the wine, food, and dolphins in Marlborough? Or the extreme gonzo action of canyon swinging, bungy jumping and skydiving in Queenstown? From mansions to car eating parrots, join me on a road trip on the South Island, where we always aim for possums.

    READ the REPORT:
    SEE the GALLERY:
    or
    WATCH the HD MOVIES: The Road Trip / Extreme Gonzo Action

    Meanwhile:
    - Matador Travel Network’s Portrait of a Travel Writer features a familiar face, although I’m not sure about that beard…
    - Westworld Magazine call me the Father of Modern Journey-ism, in this terrific profile that starts off with: “I Hate Robin Esrock.” Me too! Flip to page 19.
    - It is Better to go All Inclusive, or Travel on your Own? What are the Sporting Events to See Before you Die? Check out my new columns on Sympatico.ca
    - Yes, that’s me sledding down an active volcano for my Thrillseeker column in the latest issue of Outpost Magazine.
    - Catch me in Word Travels on CityTV and OLN in Canada, or Nat Geo Adventure in Australia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, most of Asia and North Africa too! In Canada, you can finally watch full episodes online by visiting oln.ca and clicking on the Word Travels tab!

    It’s going to be a very big 2010, and I’m opening it with a cracker at the Carnival in Brazil. Wherever you find yourself this festive season, travel safe, open your heart, and relish the world we have.

    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/sweet-as-new-zealands-south-island/feed/     Helsinki, Lapland & the Midnight Sun http://www.moderngonzo.com/helsinki-lapland-the-midnight-sun/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/helsinki-lapland-the-midnight-sun/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:46:34 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1350 Trying to do Helsinki on just 20 euros a day is a roller coaster, but things really get hot when I look into the living tradition of sauna. In Lapland, I avoid Santa’s lap on the Arctic Circle, but do meet huskies, reindeer, and giant mosquitoes, buzzing about beneath the glare of the midnight sun.
    Read the Story / Check out the Photos


    My latest columns from Sympatico:
    The World’s Creepiest Places (just in time for Halloween)
    Different Ways to See a City:

    Word Travels

    - Canadians can now watch Season 2 of Word Travels online! Visit OLN’s website, click on the Word Travels tab at the top right of the screen, and select your episode. No more “I don’t have cable excuses!” Sorry non-Canadians, we’re working on it!
    - We’ve officially wrapped principle filming for season 3 of Word Travels! In Canada, you’ll be able to watch the new episodes in March 2010, on Nat Geo Adventure later.
    - Tonic, the place where good news lives, discovered Modern Gonzo and the People Chain

    In Other News

    - I’ve signed on to speak at the 2010 Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto, February 28, and Vancouver in May. New adventures, new surprises, same old schmuck at the microphone.
    - You may notice the Matador Travel Writing University ads on my website. For those interested in learning about my job, how it works, how to pitch, how to write, travel and get paid, I endorse these folks because they know their stuff, got great reviews on the course, and I personally know they’re 100% legit, and 100% at the forefront of the future of travel writing.

    Next Report: From Russia, with love, where I boldly visit the heart of Space Tourism
    Next Journey: November in New Zealand, where I hit the South Island to investigate if it’s possible to bungee, skydive, balloon, jet boat and spelunk in style. Glamping’s never been so good.

    Peace…. earthlings, Peace.

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/helsinki-lapland-the-midnight-sun/feed/     Blindfolded and Bullfighting in Portugal http://www.moderngonzo.com/portugal-whatsnew/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/portugal-whatsnew/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:52:28 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1304 A Tail of Two Parts? First I head to Terceira, an emerald island in the Azores, for the main summer festivities, and a lot of angry charging bulls. Then I fly back over the North Atlantic to Lisbon, the San Francisco of Europe, to investigate alternative city tours, including a remarkable sightseeing walking tour that offers no sight at all.


    Travel without moving with the full REPORT
    Check out the photos in the GALLERY

    IN OTHER NEWS

    My latest columns from the always fascinating Sympatico
    The 5 Biggest Fears of Modern Travel
    Where to Find the World’s Best Coffee
    Virtual road rage with the World’s Worst Traffic

    Word Travels
    Word Travels is now being broadcast in Canada nationwide on CityTV. You’ll still find us on OLN, but with CityTV on basic cable, it means we’re seen by hundreds of thousands of new viewers for the show!. Catch us each weekend.
    Nat Geo Adventure airs the 3rd episode of Season 2 around the world this week.
    You’ll find me diving in the Philippines.
    Read Behind the Scenes stories on our website, and here’s a short clip of me getting
    my butt kicked     from our Mexico episode!

    Hairy Boiled Spiders?
    Here’s my fun interview about the World’s Grossest Food on Breakfast TV
    Here’s an article about Going Tribal in Ethiopia from the Toronto Star.
    My good mate Val has launched a hop on-hop off bus in South America. He took great care of me in Central America, I’m sure his Green Toad Bus will do the same for you.
    Any teens out there? There’s a great profile about me in the latest Faze Magazine, Canada’s #1 Teen Mag.

    Sharp Sharp
    I got a new Gonzo Hat! The last one barely survived 51 countries, glowing with Chernobyl dust and warped by distance. It now abides in the Museum of Modern Gonzo (ie, my storage locker). Thanks to Edie Hats for my Stetson Explorer - may it also go the distance!

    Next up: A wee bit of a rollercoaster in Finland! Stick around for the ride!

    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/portugal-whatsnew/feed/     Speed, Power, and a Taste of Balsamic Bliss http://www.moderngonzo.com/speed-power-and-a-taste-of-balsamic-bliss/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/speed-power-and-a-taste-of-balsamic-bliss/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:35:30 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1281 What goes around doesn’t exactly come around, as my return to Italy, 18 years later, takes place in the cockpit of a Lamborghini and Ferrari rather than a tour bus. In Modena I visit the Cradle of the Engine, with time out to learn about traditional Balsamic Vinegar, the other black gold. Sooner or later, the dream trip finds its dream machines.

    Strap Yourself in for the Report
    Race to the Photo Gallery

    In Other News:

    Where to Find the World’s Most Beautiful Women (hoo boy, did I get a lot of heat for this one)
    My Top 10 Most Striking Landscapes
    9 Destinations Kind To Your Budget

    Santa sends his regards from the Arctic Circle, and although I tried, I just could not
    convince the Russian Space Federation to blast me into space as the world’s first
    off-world travel writer. But new adventures await next month in Chile, and first time
    visits to Barbados and Ecuador.
    Season 2 of Word Travels starts Sept 7 on Nat Geo Adventure,
    with repeats airing on OLN in Canada.
    If you’ve always wanted to know more about me, you can
    now visit www.robinesrock.com

    My next update comes to you from Portugal, where
    I really take the bull by the horns.

    Pedal to the Metal,
    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/speed-power-and-a-taste-of-balsamic-bliss/feed/     Wine and Weapons in the other Georgia http://www.moderngonzo.com/wine-and-weapons-in-the-other-georgia/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/wine-and-weapons-in-the-other-georgia/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:19:26 +0000 robin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1247 Just when you thought it was safe…a New Report!

    Not to be confused with the other Georgia, this Trans-Caucasian country has a rich medieval history, and I literally wore it. Learning from warriors in 200 year old uniforms, toasting their sweet traditional wine, getting soaked and scrubbed in an ancient bathhouse - the past, present and future clash swords in Tbilisi, and the ring sounds true.

  • There’s no battle reading the uncensored Report
  • See if my aim was true with the Photos
    …that pic with me shooting a bow and arrow over the city is priceless!

    • MORE NEWS

    Canada Day was July 1st, and to celebrate with my new-found countrymen and women, check out:
    My Love Letter to Canada, especially the amazing comments at the bottom!
    12 Things to Do in Canada Before You Die
    The Canadian lovefest continues, as I compare Canada to other countries in my latest Chill Magazine column

    And if you’re thinking about learning a new language, and have heard about the Rosetta Stone language software, here’s how it translated for me.

    In the latest Outpost Magazine, you can read my column about canyoneering (dangling like a tick on a piece of dental floss) in Costa Rica. The second season of Word Travels starts on Nat Geo Adventure worldwide on September 7th, so those folks in Italy, Dubai, Australia, India and China can finally get to watch all the craziness I got up to last summer (as opposed to reading about it here). Meanwhile, Brave New Traveler has posted some fantastic Behind the Scenes photos from Word Travels in Georgia, Italy and Portugal, because its founder Ian Mackenzie joined us on the road!

    I’m off to Finland and Russia, where I hope to learn about sauna and space tourism right at the source, but the next report will is about Italy, where I had the ridiculous opportunity to visit the Lamborghini and Ferrari headquarters on the same day, and race around in jawdropping 324 km/hr super cars! In the meantime, you’re always welcome to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Any wikiheads out there? Visit out my wiki entry, and feel free to add to it with truth and other lies.

    Yours perpetually in motion
    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/wine-and-weapons-in-the-other-georgia/feed/     Modern Gonzo Returns to Nicaragua http://www.moderngonzo.com/modern-gonzo-returns-to-nicaragua/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/modern-gonzo-returns-to-nicaragua/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:23:41 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1200 A New Report!

    “I was drinking rum at a bar after sandboarding down an active volcano for the second time, as one does, and decided it was the perfect time to reflect on real-estate, backpacker trends, eco-tourism, and the ethics behind Poverty Tourism. See-sawing between crater lakes, volcanoes, fun and despair, Nicaragua remains off the beaten path, but not probably not for much longer.”

    As always, you can Read the Report
    As always, you can See the Photos

    In Other News:
    This update comes to you from Tbilisi, where I’m getting my medieval warrior on in the shadow of a 4th century fort. That’s a story for next time, but in the meantime, I DARE you to read my Sympatico MSN column about the World’s Grossest Food. You can also see how I dealt with my Nicaragua dilemma, in a more serious column I call Human Zoos vs Poverty Tourism. Or, for lighter fodder, my picks for the Best Islands in the World. And here’s some tips for travelling in China.

    We’re 3 episodes into filming the third season of Word Travels, and judging by the crazy adventures so far, it’s going to be the best one yet. My Tweet will keep you updated on the daily progress, and I’ll post some behind the scenes photos to my Facebook for those who just can’t wait for the Modern Gonzo updates.

    Ah, modern technology. As I make my way through the world yet again (humbled as ever) feel free to join the ride.

    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/modern-gonzo-returns-to-nicaragua/feed/     Feeling the Alberta Love http://www.moderngonzo.com/feeling-the-alberta-love/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/feeling-the-alberta-love/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 17:54:24 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1184

    Feeling the Love in Alberta

    Experience the Esrock love in Alberta!

    The summer’s gonzo shenanigans begin in Alberta, where I strap on a new Gonzo Hat at a working cowboy ranch, patrolling for cougars, roping up steer, and penetrating Triple AAA Alberta Beefcake. Shining with afterglow, I head to the Rockies with the help of a couple helicopters, rocking the downward dog with an unforgettable class of heli-yoga! Heli-yeah!

    Read the Report
    See the Photos

    In other news:
    Anyone in Hong Kong catch my SCMP magazine feature about the Bulletproof Tailor of Bogota? On Sympatico MSN, check out 5 Places to Teach Abroad, 10 Tips for Healthy Travel, 10 Places for Kids Under 10, and my latest column: The World’s Best Islands. If you missed it, read about Colombia’s Mud Volcano in the Toronto Star. Tune into OLN and Nat Geo Adventure for Word Travels! And should you read about Transylvania in Australian newspapers, the nameless Associated Press reporter is none other than yours unruly.

    As for the Swine Flu, you better get yourself checked out if you:
    Have a fever.
    Have a sore throat, hacking cough, nausea
    Have An uncontrollable urge to have sex in the mud.

    Next up:
    Return to Nicaragua, followed by Portugal, Italy and Georgia
    (if the Ruskies don’t invade!)
    Catch me on Twitter / Befriend me on Facebook

    Having a cow,
    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/feeling-the-alberta-love/feed/     New Articles Online http://www.moderngonzo.com/new-articles-online/ http://www.moderngonzo.com/new-articles-online/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:17:42 +0000 admin http://www.moderngonzo.com/?p=1092

    If you’re looking for some of my stories online, look no further!
    Here’s some recent columns of mine, published on Sympatico MSN.

    Are you a Traveller or a Tourist
    …in which I wax on, wax off lyrically about the differences between the two.

    8 Exotic Places to Take Your Lover
    …in which I deftly title a column that should be titled: 8 Places I Really Did Not Want To Be Travelling Single

    10 Tourist Traps to get Caught In
    …in which I review those attractions that trap you, gleefully, like Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors

    10 of the World’s Best Beaches
    …in which I get sunburned, and far too much sand in my crack.

    How to Travel When Money is Tight
    …in which I offer useful tips for the economically savvy, poor.

    Surfing You CA
    …in which I put forward the argument that Canada is a surfing destination, and I suck in a wetsuit.

    That’s all for now!

    Robin

    ]]>     http://www.moderngonzo.com/new-articles-online/feed/