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In which I return to the warm islands of the Philippines exploring Cebu City, Bohol, Malapascua Island and Bicol, jumping into unusual landscapes, whacky primates, thrilling activities and one very large python.

If you like reading, here’s the REPORT
If you like photos, here’s the GALLERY
If you like videos, here’s the VIDEO as well as the SHARK DIVING clip

Major Announcements

I GOT A BOOK DEAL - Over the next 12 months, I’m turning my attention to Canada to compile the Great Canadian Bucket List, a book to published by Thomas Allen in spring 2013. I’ll be travelling around Canada, polling celebrities, and coming up with the definitive list of things to do in Canada before you die. Watch this space!

I’M MC at the EXPLORER’S CLUB DINNER GALA IN NEW YORK - The Explorer’s Club brings together the world’s top scientists, adventurers and explorers. You might have heard of some of them - Neil Armstrong, Edmund Hillary, Jane Goodall Taking place in March at the Waldorf Hotel, this famous black-tie event is famous for unusual dinner fare (scorpions, anyone) and the members who gather. Keynote is documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

New Stories

The World’s Top 10 Hot Springs (Sympatico.ca)
The World’s Best (and Worst) Airports (Sympatico.ca)
Top 8 Movie Locations You Can Visit (Sympatico.ca)
Wowed by Iceland (Globe & Mail)
Finland’s Smoking Hot Saunas (Globe & Mail)

Word Travels

In Canada, you can now watch Word Travels Saturdays and 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM ET, and Sundays 10:00 AM and 5:30 PM on CityTV. Or watch full episodes online.

This is my last post for a while as I get busy researching and writing my book. It’s been a 6th bumper year of Modern Gonzo - Papua New Guinea, Israel, Cook Islands, Philippines, Iceland, Alaska, New Brunswick, South Africa. As always, it’s been an honour sharing my words, photos and video with you.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, inspired and prosperous 2012,

Robin

Find me on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube

This Month: Cook Islands

Bush pubs and emerald lagoons, deep sea fishing, hammocks, and the fresh sea breeze in my hair. Take one dose of the Cook Islands, and you won’t need to call anyone in the morning.

Read the Report,
Gaze longingly at the Gallery,
and share the excitement of my first catch here

In Other News:

Stories from the Globe & Mail

More Science, Less Fiction at Moscow’s Star City
Blindfolded Walking Tours in Lisbon
A Visit to China’s Sacred Mountains

Stories from Sympatico.ca

10 European Destinations You’ve Never Heard Of
A Celebration of Green Scenery Around the World

New Videos

My kick-ass new demo - shorter, punchier, with all the juicy moments.
The Scuba Diver Girls (and me) rock this final clip from Papua New Guinea, because diving should always have a funky soundtrack.

I connected with the Cook Islands way more than I expected to. Great people, stunning islands, amazing food, and plenty of characters. Rocketing by scooter around the Clockwise road on Rarotonga at 3am in the morning, the sea breeze in my hair, was a perfect reminder that this is living my friends, this is living.

A Peace On all Your Houses,
Robin

This month’s Gonzo: Israel

From the packed nightclubs in Tel Aviv to the modern vineyards in the Galilee, the temples, churches and mosques of Old Jerusalem to the receding shores of the Dead Sea, there’s a reason why this tiny country dominates the headlines, and our imagination.

Click here to Read the Report
Click here to See the Pictures
Click here to See the Video

In Other News:

New Videos:

Inside the Sambadrome (now this is a party!)
The Exclusive Black Tie Ball at the Copacabana Palace
My First Ever Scuba Dive (a taste of the Papua New Guinea goodness to come…)
A Culinary Taste of Prince Edward Island (one scoop of ooey gooey)

Stories from the Globe & Mail

A Dream Honeymoon in the Maldives (all by myself)
Planet Salt: Crossing the Salar de Uyuni
Inside Rio’s Sambadrome!
and of course: Dispatch from the Holy Land

Stories from Sympatico.ca

The World’s Top 10 City Beaches
What Type of a Traveller Are You?

Loose Bits

Limite Magazine wanted to know what I keep inside my bag, which incidentally, is a new Tilleys Intrepid that looks like it fell off the hip of Indiana Jones. So I told them.

In the latest issue of Outside Magazine, there’s a full page advert for Word Travels, which is now airing on OutsideTV. Now if I could only get them to buy one of my stories! You can watch a couple of full episodes online too!

Anyone with a passion for diving will enjoy checking out the Scuba Diver Girls, who introduced me the wonders of the ocean deep in Papua New Guinea. What I found there is for next month’s update, so in the meantime:

Word Travels is now airing in 3000 countries on 51 planets, and in 1200 languages! I always knew that show had universal appeal.

Safe travels,
Robin

Almost a year to the day, I’m unleashing my report from Tunisia. It’s painfully honest, looking back at what happens when jet set travel can become a frustrating job - the real truth behind the byline Word Travels couldn’t always show. I’ve held onto it because nobody likes velvet tears, but it’s as accurate a glimpse into the world of travel writing as you’re likely to read.

Read the Report from Tunisia:
Check out the Gallery
And a clip from the Word Travels in Tunisia episode

IN OTHER NEWS:

* I’m now writing a weekly column for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest and best national newspaper! This week I ran with unicorns in the meadows of Slovenia. Catch me every Thursday in the Life section, or online.

* Join me on an expedition and writing workshop to Mount Everest! The 21 day trip leaves in April, and is more affordable than you might think. Plus you can win a trip to Maccu Piccu. Hope you can make it!

* My Burning Man Report was posted, and reposted, until it got the attention of the organizers, who posted it on their Facebook and Twitter channels. Over a two day period, my fool’s attempt to describe the festival had been read over 30,000 times, with over 100 comments on Facebook. The feedback was amazing, and very humbling. See you on the Playa next year folks…

* On Matador Travel, here’s my thoughts on How to Travel in India and NOT Get Sick

* With Halloween coming up, here’s my World’s Creepiest Places on Sympatico, and watch out for my Best Places to Spot Monsters. Click here to read more of my Sympatico columns.

* Word Travels will soon be airing in the USA on OutsideTV and Halogen TV. It’s also been picked up by MTV Finland. You can watch it on Travel Channel and Nat Geo Adventure, or weekends on CityTV and OLN in Canada. On November 2nd it’s up for Canada’s most illustrious doc award at the Geminis in Toronto. I’ll be there hunting drink tickets.

As always, travel safe,
Robin

It took me five years to make it to Black Rock City, and the world’s most incredible arts, culture, music and spiritual festival. They say it’s impossible to describe it to those who haven’t been, but that’s never stopped me before.

READ THE REPORT (come taste the Playa dust)
SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY

IN OTHER NEWS

Ken Hegan’s hilarious column about our gonzo experience together in Cuba continues to go viral on the interwebs. And chalkboards outside random homes

Breaking Free is an exciting new project from Matador which has me roaming Central America in search of inspirational people. Watch the awesome 7-minute demo to see who I found.

My 3-week hike to Everest has been postponed to April. This means: No Excuses! I’m fully expecting you to join me on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yes, I did get engaged recently! You can read all about it in this cute little story I wrote for the Globe & Mail

New Sympatico columns: RV’ing in the Rockies, Festivals to See Before You Die, Great Places to Travel in the Fall and my Confessions of a Cruise Virgin

Word Travels, now airing on Travel Channel International in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East, was recently nominated in the illustrious Best Documentary Category at the Gemini Awards

Snap this photo, taken outside someone’s house in New Westminister, BC.

News this month:

1. My TV show Word Travels begins broadcasting across Europe (in multiple languages), New Zealand, South Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere on Travel Channel. Here’s a preview and episode guide

2. Join in me on a trek to Mount Everest, and you could win a free trip to Maccu Piccu! Come November we’re embarking on a 23-day epic journey into the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp. It’s just what you need to recharge your batteries, and you can join from anywhere. Click here for more info:

3. New columns let you read about the World’s Spiciest Food, Confessions of a Cruise Virgin, 15 Things To Do Before You Die, and 6 Things to Do in Costa Rica

4. “This is the moment I’ve officially lost my mind!” Travel + Leisure feature my journey to Mount Huashan in their this story about the World’s Deadliest Hikes.

Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, or at an airport, somewhere…

Cheers and Beers,
Robin

The months are whizzing by as fast as the career of last year’s American Idol, so before it’s too late, this month’s report takes us to Brazil for my adventures in the world’s largest wetland, along the coast on a beach-fuelled road trip, and into the VIP balconies and Black Tie Ball of Carnaval. It’s hot, it’s sticky, it’s beautiful, it’s Brazil.

Read the Story
Experience the Images
Watch the Video

IN OTHER NEWS:

Catch my “Confessions of a Travel Writer” on Saturday, April 24th at the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre. I’ll be talking at 1:15pm, and then you can walk around and get inspired by over 300 vendors exhibiting travel and outdoorsy-goodness.

My Thrillseeker columns from Outpost Magazine are now available online. Like the time I got set on fire in Taiwan, or did that crazy death hike in China!

Read about my investigation into the 10 Best Restaurants in Vegas, or watch my Vegas Youtube clip from a week where sleep was little and the bling was much!

New episodes of Word Travels airs in Canada on OLN, Sundays at 7pm and 11pm PT/10pm ET. You can also catch us on CityTV on Saturdays at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET and Sundays at 12:30pm PT / 3:30pm ET. In Asia, you can also now see our episodes on National Geographic’s main channel!
Read my Behind the Scenes stories and blog at www.wordtravels.tv.

In November, I’ll be embarking on a three week journey to Mount Everest. And this time, you’ll be able to join me! World Expeditions are offering a special departure to join my group on the adventure of a lifetime. Space is limited! Details to follow, but email me if you’re interested.

A shout out to my friend Sean Aiken, who has just released a book in Canada and the USA about his One Week Job project, in which he worked 52 jobs in 52 weeks seeking his passion. Among the many lessons he learned: It’s never too late to follow your dreams.

With a stubborn volcano causing havoc for Europe, it’s a reminder how much we’ve come to rely on air travel. Perhaps we are taking our ability to hop on a plane and go virtually anywhere for granted. To which I say: If you’ve always wanted to go somewhere exotic, what are you waiting for? Money comes and goes, but time has a habit of running out.

Be Inspired!
Robin

This Month’s Adventure: Barbados

Into the West Indies we go, aboard submarines and supersonic jets, playing polo (with the Queen’s approval), cooking up barracuda ceviche after attempting to kitesurf turquoise waves with a genuine Bajan legend. I might suck at watersports, but when it comes to island adventure, Esrock says “Yes Please!”
Read the Story
See the Photos

Esrocking the World:

New columns from Sympatico,ca
- In the last 3 years, I’ve had the opportunity to stay in some of the world’s best hotels.. Not cheap, but free to look.
- The Vancouver Olympics have come and gone. But if you’re ever visiting the city, or are hosting anyone who is, here’s my handy neighborhood guide.
- Last word on Rio’s Carnaval: A Photo Gallery from inside the Samabadrome

Outpost Magazine
My Thrillseeker columns are now posted online. You can now read about:
The time I sandboarded off an active volcano
The time I went canyoneering in Costa Rica

Esrock Speaks
Catch me live discussing “Confessions of a Travel Writer” at the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show in Vancouver, April 24/25. Mantracker will also be there. Mantracker. Even Chuck Norris quivers when he hears the name:

Youtube
- Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland. Here’s my Youtube take as I discover wildlife, waterfalls, and some incredible underwater adventures (trust me).
- And you know what they say…what goes on in Vegas, stays on Youtube.

That’s this month’s update. Next report comes from Egypt, where I dirt bike in the Sinai (not quite as my people did 4000 years ago).

Wander safe,
Robin

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

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