Category: Places
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Bikes, Boards, Boats and getting your ground game on
The bike is a modern day horse, the right bike can be a workhorse, and if you add a skateboard, you now have an urban, tactical ground transport system (your ground game). Bikes sometimes go on buses, and often on trains but many times you don’t want to have to deal with the bike at…
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Veteran Palm Trees of War
São Paulo is the dynamic result of the demolition and reconstruction of successive cities in just over a century. In that short time, the citadel with 30 000 inhabitants has become a metropolis with 20 million inhabitants, and its nature has practically disappeared. Originally very rich in biodiversity, São Paulo showed extensive forests of the…
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The Power of Love!
As the suns sets on Sampa, I reflect back on my beginning with this Big Pineapple, as it’s perhaps the sweetest and certainly the most poignant memories of all my dozen years living here. It was the power of love that brought me. The single most powerful force known to mankind. Back-story: A girl from…
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Sugar Cane Cutters
Once upon a time, in my “young ‘n feerless” days, way back in my early 20’s, I was hitching across Queensland looking for work and boy did I find it. Just outside of Port Douglas, in northern Queensland I met a young dude who’s family owned a sugar plantation, every day they took newbies out…
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Escape Artist Extraordinaire
Without a doubt, the oldest and most well-recognized brand in the “Expat” niche is Escape Artist (see: EscapeArtist.com). I moved to South America in 2004, prior to that I lived in South Florida and Miami for 12 years, from where my career took me all over the Bahamas, Central America and the Caribbean. Back in…
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Big Rock Brazil
Pedra Grande is actually the name of this magical place I discovered about 100km from Sao Paulo. Big Rock Brazil was a brand idea for creating a mountain bike resort on a private property in Pedra Grande. Btw: (by the way) Pedra translates to English as stone or rock and grande is large or big,…
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Santa Catarina, Brazil
Santa Catarina (Portuguese pronunciation for: Saint Catherine) is a state in southern Brazil with the perfect climate year round for mountain bike riding and action sports. The very best of the Floresta Atlantica, beside the largest natural preserves and huge state parks bursting with rivers and waterfalls. Aside from the natural beauty, according to the…
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Protect the Jumbo Valley
The Jumbo Valley, located deep in the wilds of British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, has long been revered for its spiritual significance and beauty. To the Ktunaxa Nation, it is known as Qat’muk, home of the grizzly bear spirit. Part of a crucial international wildlife corridor, the Jumbo Valley is one of only two remaining areas…
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I’m Alive Brasil
On the first day the Rainforest Alliance released “I’m Alive” it became the theme song for Wild Orchid Brazil. Our minds were blown by Gisele Bündchen saying; “the time for sustainable forestry in Brazil has arrived”. We felt as though she was speaking directly to us and we feel compelled to answer back – we…
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Resilient Community Planning
Resilient communities are capable of bouncing back from adverse situations. They can do this by actively influencing and preparing for economic, social and environmental change. When times are bad they can call upon the myriad of resources that make them a healthy community. A high level of social capital means that they have access to…