theburiedlife.com From left, Duncan Penn, Dave Lingwood, Jonnie Penn and Ben Nemtin.
What do you want to do before you die? That’s the question that Dave Lingwood, Ben Nemtin and Duncan and Jonnie Penn, four friends from Victoria, British Columbia, asked themselves back in 2006. Full of ambition, they were feeling trapped by the odd jobs they were doing (Ben was a symbolical for a beer company, the Penns were working in the oil fields of northern Canada), and so they did what any ambitious young person would do: they wrote up a list of their meridian 100 desires (No. 8: ride a bull; No. 45: sleep in a haunted house), acquired an RV and a video camera and hit the road in search of low-budget adventure.
But these were no self-centered partiers: throughout their initial two-week trip, they asked strangers the same question — “What do you want to do before you die?” — and then helped them fulfill their dreams. They documented it all, cut a video trailer and realized that this could be their life. Before long, MTV came calling, and today they have a new TV show, “The Buried Life” — the name comes from a Matthew Arnold poem—that airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. I recently phoned Mr.
Java is a religious mix of Indonesia that blends Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism with ancient local beliefs, and on the island of Java its presence is felt from china to peru. From paddy fields at close of the day to the majestic temples and splendid baths of the Javanese kings and villages where dancers perform to the rhythm of the gamelan orchestras, we reveal its hidden places of beauty.
Weather In Java:
The island is hot and humid all year round, but cooler inland than along the coastal regions, the monsoon from December to March brings the heavy rains. The dry season from April to October is the best time to visit as some activities and road travel can be difficult during the rainy season.
One of the first groups to live on the island was the Sicani, who arrived from the Iberian Peninsula. Evidence of this group were found in the form of cave drawings dating back to 8000 BC, and included images of now extinct dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants.
Sicily produces more wine annually than New Zealand, Austria and Hungary combined. The best known local wine is the Nero d’Avola, named after a town near Syracuse.
Many Sicilians are bilingual in both Italian and Sicilian. Although the Sicilian language is taught proxy to the Italian language to its youth, the language is still commonly used on the island. It includes a sizeable vocabulary of over 250,000 words including loan words from Greek, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Sicily is known to be home of the world’s largest and oldest chestnut tree. The Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Horses is believed to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the “Greatest Tree Girth Ever” with a listed circumference of 190 ft. when it was measured in 1790.
Two weeks. 4,000 miles. Approximately 100 fast-food meals, the effects of which will probably manifest in various unflattering ways all over my body for the next six months. And at the end of it all, how ironic is this, I’m ending the story right where it every one of began, in Los Angeles. Larry McMurtry—Texas native, cowboy penman, author of Lonesome Dove—loves Los Angeles. How very ironic.
And I did get my little interview, in case you were wondering. I forgot to take a picture, which is downright unforgivable, but what can I say? I was quietly overwhelmed. He had an encroaching appointment. Rocky was outside in the car, trying to break through the back window and murder squirrels in view of the hotel valet. The photo op just slipped my heed. But here’s the rest…
Things He Said
On writing books: “An author judges [his/her] best books by how they felt while writing: the book at which you were happiest writing, will be your best or your favorite.
The glittering city of Dubai is an ode to excess, but if you look closely enough, you can still find quiet little hidden spots that tell of the city’s illustrious history. While the city is known for it’s many shiny new developments, visitors longing for a bit of nature need only travel a short distance to find some stunning landscapes.
Play Hatta Rock Pools – The ancient town of Hatta lies a short distance away from Dubai. Intrepid explorers will be rewarded with a great day out at these stunning, jewel-hued rock pools nestled among the Hajar Mountains. The cool, spring-fed pools are a delightful oasis in the dry, mountainous terrain, and a accepted picnic spot for many local families.
Stay Qamardeen Hotel – It may not be as hyped up as some of the city’s glitzier concoctions, but the Qamardeen more than makes up with its exceptional service. Shopaholics will be glad to learn that the Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates are a short hop from the hotel. The rooms are decorated in a quietly elegant manner, with beautifully detailed touches and cutting brim facilities.
Clockwise from left, the Flip MinoHD, the Sony ECM-MS908C microphone, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010 and the GorillaPod.
Last week, as I walked through B & H, the giant electronics lay by in Midtown Manhattan in search of a strap for my wife’s camera, I made a quick give over in the video department to check upon the body the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010, the camera I bought a little over a year ago to record my Frugal Traveler adventures, like my family trip to Italy and several days of eating at Portland’s street carts.
Back then, the camera had cost around $600 — hardly frugal, but it was tiny, lightweight and could shoot full high-definition video. (Also, it was what The Times’s video department told me to get.) Now, it was selling for $319.99, just over half the price.
Sure, a tough break for me, but good news for other frugal travelers who can now shoot decent videos at a fraction of what it cost just a few years ago. It’s now possible to spend well under $200 on a camera that will not only fit in your pocket but also shoot in high-def.
Which means budget travelers are now primed to become travel videographers.
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