Geo-political crap tends make things more difficult than they need to be.. and also more time-consuming as well.
Today, I'd like to share my strangest border crossing experience yet.
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
November 8, 2015
March 18, 2015
Be Careful When Camping In Oahu
The great thing about being a vagabond with no obligations is being able to have a flexible schedule and flying on whatever day is cheapest. I was able to find a special deal to Oahu, Hawaii for $192 one way from San Diego! the only condition was that I had to leave on a Monday in November(it was October at the time)and that was no problem for me. Hawaii is in the middle of ocean and for such a big distance that was a cheap flight.
I had actually originally planned on going toward Europe, however, It didn't matter exactly where I go to me and I decided to take the flight deal to Hawaii.
I was wondering if someone would put those flower necklace things around my neck when I excited the plane but no one did. :(
Oahu is a very touristy island. It is sometimes called The Gathering Place because that island has the most people on it compared to the other Hawaiian islands. I flew there with no reservations and my plan was to camp to save money.
It seemed like a good idea since the island has a lot of nature and beach, however, I had quite a bit of trouble with it at first. It can be done and be enjoyable, however, there are a few things to keep in mind especially in Oahu.
1. Territorial
Practically everywhere I looked in Oahu had some type of No Trespassing signs. I have never seen so many No Trespassing signs anywhere else in my life! Every house and even forests seemed to Always have one of those damn signs. Certain public parks were also forbidden to be in after a certain time at night.
But I wasn't hurting anything and I camped in that spot for the next 4 days.
But as I was laying in my tent one morning, something terrible happened.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside and a voice said "hello".
I poked my head out the tent door. It was a man who worked for the government. He seemed angry and told me he that if I wasn't in my tent he had a right to take my stuff because I was camping on government property. He asked for my I.D. and I didn't argue with him.
He seemed mean at first but somehow I was able to have a friendly conversation. I started asking him questions about his job and he seemed to enjoy hunting down campers like he was some kind of badass bounty hunter or something. When I told him I had been there for 4 days already he was surprised that he had not found me for so long.
The reason he did find me was because he could see the blue of my tent through the trees while driving on a back road through those government owned woods.
Before I left home to go travelling I bought a cheap tent from a Walmart. I didn't care or put any thought on the color. But now I know that it's super important to always Get a green tent! not a blue one!
I had actually originally planned on going toward Europe, however, It didn't matter exactly where I go to me and I decided to take the flight deal to Hawaii.
I was wondering if someone would put those flower necklace things around my neck when I excited the plane but no one did. :(
It seemed like a good idea since the island has a lot of nature and beach, however, I had quite a bit of trouble with it at first. It can be done and be enjoyable, however, there are a few things to keep in mind especially in Oahu.
1. Territorial
Practically everywhere I looked in Oahu had some type of No Trespassing signs. I have never seen so many No Trespassing signs anywhere else in my life! Every house and even forests seemed to Always have one of those damn signs. Certain public parks were also forbidden to be in after a certain time at night.
2. Mountains may be further than they appear
I had a terrible first day in Hawaii. I wasn't even going to write about it on this blog because I'm a little bit embarrassed but I just now changed my mind.
I made a spontaneous decision after getting off the plane to walk to some mountains I saw in the distance. Those mountains were a lot further away than I expected.
I thought that because I could see the nature in the distance that it couldn't be TOO far away and also that I was tough and could walk a far distance and was in the mood for a long walk anyway.
I felt like I was so cool to be wandering around without a plan because I was a Real traveler! but then I eventually felt stupid and frustrated. It took me all day to get over there. I was also carrying my backpack and it was hot. I finally arrived where the nature was but there was one problem.. I was unable to get to it. Along those hills were houses everywhere and although the place I needed to be was right in front of me, I couldn't get there without going through someones backyard first! I would definitely be seen or heard if I climbed over someone's backyard fence! I looked for a path or opening of some kind but it was a long hopeless road of houses, fences and No Trespassing signs.
I was exhausted and shortly before the sun started to set, I was able to find a decent spot to sleep. It was near a bridge and a stream, however, I could not find anywhere that wasn't within eyesight of someone's house. I stayed quiet and hidden within the trees, bushes, and darkness.
3. It rains.. A Lot
I made a spontaneous decision after getting off the plane to walk to some mountains I saw in the distance. Those mountains were a lot further away than I expected.
I thought that because I could see the nature in the distance that it couldn't be TOO far away and also that I was tough and could walk a far distance and was in the mood for a long walk anyway.
I felt like I was so cool to be wandering around without a plan because I was a Real traveler! but then I eventually felt stupid and frustrated. It took me all day to get over there. I was also carrying my backpack and it was hot. I finally arrived where the nature was but there was one problem.. I was unable to get to it. Along those hills were houses everywhere and although the place I needed to be was right in front of me, I couldn't get there without going through someones backyard first! I would definitely be seen or heard if I climbed over someone's backyard fence! I looked for a path or opening of some kind but it was a long hopeless road of houses, fences and No Trespassing signs.
I was exhausted and shortly before the sun started to set, I was able to find a decent spot to sleep. It was near a bridge and a stream, however, I could not find anywhere that wasn't within eyesight of someone's house. I stayed quiet and hidden within the trees, bushes, and darkness.
The next morning I woke up early and decided to go back to the airport and pretend that I had just arrived.
3. It rains.. A Lot
I took a few buses around the island and learned where they go and how to get around. I decided to take a bus to a beach and explore and find a good camping spot. I got off the bus in a small surfing town called Haleiwa. I thought it was funny that it had an organic health food store and a McDonalds right next to it. It was a nice town with a big park and many surfers. There was plenty of woods and nature around to hide my backpack in and I took a very long walk along that beach.
It was a great beach to explore. I walked very far away from the town and also saw a few sea turtles along the way.
Also I came across giant bubbles!
Oh, yeah. now about the rain part.
I wandered far along that beach. I was surprised that I didn't make it to another town. Finally, the sun started to down as I was walking back towards Haleiwa. I was still probably 1 mile away from the town when I came across some sorta survival hut that someone built from wood and palm branches. Nobody was in it and it looked a little worn down.
There was nobody around me. I was alone in the dark and listened to the waves. I felt so free. The temperature was comfortable and there was a cool breeze. I laid on the soft sand and began to drift asleep.
Later in the night, I was awakened by a sudden downpour of rain! I hadn't yet pitched my tent in that area. I quickly went inside that structure that was near me but it didn't help much. The rain was heavy and easily passed through the leaves. In hardly anytime at all, I was soaked. That was a long terrible night of being wet and cold.. Fuck!
I quickly learned that it rains a lot there. It rained every night for at least some amount of time while I was on Oahu except in Waikiki for some reason? but everywhere else on that island It always rained sometime in the night.
Also I came across giant bubbles!
Oh, yeah. now about the rain part.
I wandered far along that beach. I was surprised that I didn't make it to another town. Finally, the sun started to down as I was walking back towards Haleiwa. I was still probably 1 mile away from the town when I came across some sorta survival hut that someone built from wood and palm branches. Nobody was in it and it looked a little worn down.
There was nobody around me. I was alone in the dark and listened to the waves. I felt so free. The temperature was comfortable and there was a cool breeze. I laid on the soft sand and began to drift asleep.
Later in the night, I was awakened by a sudden downpour of rain! I hadn't yet pitched my tent in that area. I quickly went inside that structure that was near me but it didn't help much. The rain was heavy and easily passed through the leaves. In hardly anytime at all, I was soaked. That was a long terrible night of being wet and cold.. Fuck!
I quickly learned that it rains a lot there. It rained every night for at least some amount of time while I was on Oahu except in Waikiki for some reason? but everywhere else on that island It always rained sometime in the night.
4. Hide!
When I first arrived to Hawaii, I was still very early in my travels and had a lot to learn. OK, the mountains and the rain incidents were tough lessons but now everything is going to great! .. well, so I thought but yet again I made another mistake. -____-
Well, actually I did pretty good, almost. the next few days were great.
I was shocked when I learned of the strict camping rules in Hawaii! Camping on the beach is not allowed. Also camping in the woods is not allowed. The only way to legally camp in Oahu is to pay $ at a campground or the sidewalk. Yes, it was technically legal to camp on the sidewalk. But I'll save my thoughts on all the homeless politics for another blog post. The point is I needed to be hidden.
In the daytime there was sometimes a few people walking on the beach and I wanted to stay out of sight from everyone. I was about 1 mile away from the town and around nothing but nature. Behind the beach was a vast forest.
here's some pics of those woods and the area I was camping in..
It was beautiful and I found a great secret camping spot in those woods. But of course the whole forest was Government Property and I wasn't even suppose to be in them.Well, actually I did pretty good, almost. the next few days were great.
I was shocked when I learned of the strict camping rules in Hawaii! Camping on the beach is not allowed. Also camping in the woods is not allowed. The only way to legally camp in Oahu is to pay $ at a campground or the sidewalk. Yes, it was technically legal to camp on the sidewalk. But I'll save my thoughts on all the homeless politics for another blog post. The point is I needed to be hidden.
In the daytime there was sometimes a few people walking on the beach and I wanted to stay out of sight from everyone. I was about 1 mile away from the town and around nothing but nature. Behind the beach was a vast forest.
here's some pics of those woods and the area I was camping in..
But I wasn't hurting anything and I camped in that spot for the next 4 days.
 |
| I bought Virgil's Root beer from the health food store. I like Virgil's Root beer.. A lot |
 |
Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside and a voice said "hello".
I poked my head out the tent door. It was a man who worked for the government. He seemed angry and told me he that if I wasn't in my tent he had a right to take my stuff because I was camping on government property. He asked for my I.D. and I didn't argue with him.
He seemed mean at first but somehow I was able to have a friendly conversation. I started asking him questions about his job and he seemed to enjoy hunting down campers like he was some kind of badass bounty hunter or something. When I told him I had been there for 4 days already he was surprised that he had not found me for so long.
The reason he did find me was because he could see the blue of my tent through the trees while driving on a back road through those government owned woods.
Before I left home to go travelling I bought a cheap tent from a Walmart. I didn't care or put any thought on the color. But now I know that it's super important to always Get a green tent! not a blue one!
This picture isn't of the spot I was caught in but I'm using it to emphasize the importance of a green tent. This was my tent that I had on the early part of my journey.
That government guy also told me that the survival structure someone built from wood and leaves would get torn down because sleeping in any type of structure is considered Camping. The beach however is public and is perfectly legal to be on it and at any time of the night or day.. just can't put up a structure. That pisses me off!
The government and the very frequent rain make makes it very difficult to sleep anywhere without a tent or a structure of some kind.
The man put my information from my I.D. into a computer and took a picture of me. He said I would get fined if caught again.
He also said that I could sleep there 1 more night and to leave by the morning.
I was surprised to have been found and also that people get paid to stop people from camping. As I walk along that beach sometimes I see a few other people camping too, like couples for example but I was farther from the town and more hidden than other campers I saw.
A few minutes after the government guy left, he came back and asked "hey, you're not gay are you?" It seemed like a strange and random question to ask. "no" I said. He then told me that someone was on the beach looking for some gay guy. His eyes opened wider and he said "he don't like gay people". Then he told me that he came back to make sure I wasn't gay for safety and he left again..
Well it sucked that I could no longer stay at my special camping spot. I enjoyed it for 1 last day.
I had mixed feelings toward him. I thought that guy seemed alright and appreciate that he let me stay another night and came back to check if I was gay but I really don't know why it's such a big deal to lay on the ground with a structure over my head.
I felt discouraged and defeated but I realized the mistakes I had made.
Also, another thing to keep in mind is that if I had taken the tent down in the daytime and pitched only in the darkness of night, then I know I wouldn't have been caught. At least not in the woods surrounded by trees.
I didn't camp for a few days after that. But eventually I regained my confidence and determination and was super cautious. Even if that meant digging a giant hole. I camped several more times in different spots around that island and did not get caught again.
By the way, hostels in Hawaii are about $30 a night!
that's expensive for a hostel.
I probably should have sent couch requests on Couchsurfing.org before going to Oahu but I didn't expect camping to be so damn difficult! It was easy when I was at Niagara Falls.
Well, Actually I'm grateful for these experiences.
February 1, 2015
Why Travel In The Navy Was Not Good Enough For Me
Well, I've already written 14 posts on this blog and some of you may have been wondering what I did in the past to prepare for my travel. So, I decided to make this a prelude post and explain some of previous travel and life experiences.
This is where I lived in Texas as a teenager.
Out in the country near a small town. I hated school and before I got out of high school, I knew one thing for sure... I didn't want to go to college.
So, I decided to join the Navy. The main reasons were: to be successful without a degree; I had no idea what else i wanted to do with my life; I wanted to do something adventurous; and of course I had always wanted to travel the world and I thought that the Navy would be best for that. I thought of the Air-force but then I thought well, Navy has ships And aircraft. Also the idea of sailing to different ports around the world sounded interesting.
Many people join the Navy to see the world and I definitely did get see the world... from the boat.
Well, there were a few places we went. I went on a 9 month deployment but most of that time was spent on the ocean. We left August 27th and our first port visit was December 20- something. It was in Oman and for a few days.
This post isn't about me complaining about the Navy and I'm not trying to bring discredit to the military. It's about why travel with the Navy did not give me a completely legitimate overseas experience. I imagine it might be just as illegitimate when travelling with a company. Also, that doesn't mean there are not some parts of it I enjoyed and am grateful for.
Here are the main reasons I don't like travel with the Navy:
1. You have a curfew and have to come back to the ship by a certain time.
We had to work every single day whenever the ship is out to sea and people go crazy whenever we finally pull in somewhere and have some time off. After exploring the city in Oman, I came back to the ship and found puke spots all over the ramp leading into the ship. Everyone gets drunk, some people got in fights, and one guy got married to a stripper. Whenever people acted bad, they would make the curfew earlier.
2. You are not allowed to explore alone.
It is required to have a liberty buddy. Which is fine if you have a friend on the ship you are compatible with. I had trouble sometimes finding someone as adventurous as me and was surprised how many people just wanted go to a bar and drink or something that can be done anywhere. Sometimes some of the friends that I used to hang out with got out of the Navy or stationed somewhere else and then I had to try to find another person to leave the ship with.
3. If your liberty buddy does something bad you will also get punished.
Another thing about the liberty buddy system is you have to stay with your liberty buddy and come back to the ship together. If someone from the ship sees you without your buddy, you can get in trouble. Your buddy is also your responsibility, so if they break rules or act stupid you can also get punished.
4. Duty every third day
The ship has something called Duty sections. You have to stay on the ship every third day in a foreign port. There has to be people on the boat all the time and also for security reasons. So let's say you do have a friend on the ship who is an adventurous travel buddy. That friend may not be in the same duty section which means that one of the days he or she is off is also your day to work and vice versa. You might have to ask someone you don't know too well in order to go out if your friends have duty on your off day since you are not allowed to leave the ship alone.
5. Not always much time
We were in Spain for 3 days, one of those days I was on duty, so I spent a grand total of 2 days in Spain. 2 days that I had to come back to ship each night by a certain time. It was a nice 2 days but I don't count Spain as a country I visited.
So those are the major things I have problems with. Another thing is that you are not allowed to wear a T-shirt in a foreign port. It has to have a collar. I guess that's not a big deal but travelling independently and being able to wear and do whatever I want is much better for me.
On my 9 month deployment most of that time was spent on the ocean and we pulled into 3 ports. Oman, Italy, and Spain. We only pulled into Italy because something broke on the ship, however, I had a great time during that port visit in Italy. It was one port visit I was able to have a legitimate overseas experiences because I had friends who I was compatible with. I climbed a volcano, got a little lost and had a search party sent out but we found our way back before they could find us. We were late coming back to the ship but fortunately my boss was too drunk to care. A couple weeks later that volcano erupted.
Also, sometimes people will sell tours on the ship and you don't need a liberty buddy to go because you will be on the tour with a group. Those tours can help to experience some of the country.
I made 3 months of another deployment before it was time for me to get out. Sometimes my friends got stationed somewhere else or got out of the Navy and I was stuck with many people who just wanted to bang hookers or get drunk. Partying with people from the ship can be fun, but I would rather explore while in a foreign place. It really bothers me to have physically gone to another part of the Earth far from home and not have really experienced it properly or to not have even had much time. In my opinion, It would have been better to have never went.
It's completely possible to have great travel experiences while in the Navy but it is limited and it depends on what ship you are on or where you are stationed and who you happen to meet. This was my experience. It is government and there will be rules and restrictions when travelling with a government organization. After getting out of the Navy, I started to travel on my own and found it was a lot more real.
I made a lot of good friends and had some good experiences and I don't regret joining. While spending many months on the ocean I had no bills. Food, a place to sleep, etc. everything is covered so, whenever I got a paycheck I got to keep all of it and didn't have anything to spend it on except maybe food from vending machines on the ship. It's kind of like a floating prison, except people don't get butt raped. Well, not usually anyway.
Many people who spent the same amount of time in the Navy didn't save nearly as much as me. I decided the last couple years in that I wanted to be a vagabond and to save as much as possible. Even whenever we weren't on deployment, I didn't buy a car like many people or spend as much on going out to eat or alcohol or going to movies or on material possessions.
Here some pics of my time in the Navy.
After I got out of the Navy I had managed to save $30,000! :) My plan was to make it last at least 2 years while travelling but first I went home for a few months to see my family.
I left my home in Texas to go and travel the world ,however, America is so huge of a country that going to a different part of it is considered as a different area of the planet.
If you traveled from Maine to Hawaii you would still technically have traveled in 1 country but that's a lot of distance!
My intention was to travel the world and although I would spend most of my trip outside of my own country; but I visited some friends in other states first. I had several friends I met in the Navy who were in other states.
I met up with my friend Cody when he was also visiting New York City.
Unfortunately, I didn't find out that a friend I knew in the Navy had moved to Buffalo until after I had already visited Niagara Falls. :( I could have contacted him if I had known.
After I visited New Orleans, I took a train to visit a friend in Jackson, Mississippi. After hanging out there, I took a bus to San Diego where I had 2 friends living at.
Although the Navy didn't satisfy my wanderlust, I was able to save money for traveling and also get some friends and a place to stay around the vast country of America.
This is where I lived in Texas as a teenager.
So, I decided to join the Navy. The main reasons were: to be successful without a degree; I had no idea what else i wanted to do with my life; I wanted to do something adventurous; and of course I had always wanted to travel the world and I thought that the Navy would be best for that. I thought of the Air-force but then I thought well, Navy has ships And aircraft. Also the idea of sailing to different ports around the world sounded interesting.
Many people join the Navy to see the world and I definitely did get see the world... from the boat.
Well, there were a few places we went. I went on a 9 month deployment but most of that time was spent on the ocean. We left August 27th and our first port visit was December 20- something. It was in Oman and for a few days.
This post isn't about me complaining about the Navy and I'm not trying to bring discredit to the military. It's about why travel with the Navy did not give me a completely legitimate overseas experience. I imagine it might be just as illegitimate when travelling with a company. Also, that doesn't mean there are not some parts of it I enjoyed and am grateful for.
Here are the main reasons I don't like travel with the Navy:
1. You have a curfew and have to come back to the ship by a certain time.
We had to work every single day whenever the ship is out to sea and people go crazy whenever we finally pull in somewhere and have some time off. After exploring the city in Oman, I came back to the ship and found puke spots all over the ramp leading into the ship. Everyone gets drunk, some people got in fights, and one guy got married to a stripper. Whenever people acted bad, they would make the curfew earlier.
2. You are not allowed to explore alone.
It is required to have a liberty buddy. Which is fine if you have a friend on the ship you are compatible with. I had trouble sometimes finding someone as adventurous as me and was surprised how many people just wanted go to a bar and drink or something that can be done anywhere. Sometimes some of the friends that I used to hang out with got out of the Navy or stationed somewhere else and then I had to try to find another person to leave the ship with.
3. If your liberty buddy does something bad you will also get punished.
Another thing about the liberty buddy system is you have to stay with your liberty buddy and come back to the ship together. If someone from the ship sees you without your buddy, you can get in trouble. Your buddy is also your responsibility, so if they break rules or act stupid you can also get punished.
4. Duty every third day
The ship has something called Duty sections. You have to stay on the ship every third day in a foreign port. There has to be people on the boat all the time and also for security reasons. So let's say you do have a friend on the ship who is an adventurous travel buddy. That friend may not be in the same duty section which means that one of the days he or she is off is also your day to work and vice versa. You might have to ask someone you don't know too well in order to go out if your friends have duty on your off day since you are not allowed to leave the ship alone.
5. Not always much time
We were in Spain for 3 days, one of those days I was on duty, so I spent a grand total of 2 days in Spain. 2 days that I had to come back to ship each night by a certain time. It was a nice 2 days but I don't count Spain as a country I visited.
So those are the major things I have problems with. Another thing is that you are not allowed to wear a T-shirt in a foreign port. It has to have a collar. I guess that's not a big deal but travelling independently and being able to wear and do whatever I want is much better for me.
On my 9 month deployment most of that time was spent on the ocean and we pulled into 3 ports. Oman, Italy, and Spain. We only pulled into Italy because something broke on the ship, however, I had a great time during that port visit in Italy. It was one port visit I was able to have a legitimate overseas experiences because I had friends who I was compatible with. I climbed a volcano, got a little lost and had a search party sent out but we found our way back before they could find us. We were late coming back to the ship but fortunately my boss was too drunk to care. A couple weeks later that volcano erupted.
Also, sometimes people will sell tours on the ship and you don't need a liberty buddy to go because you will be on the tour with a group. Those tours can help to experience some of the country.
I made 3 months of another deployment before it was time for me to get out. Sometimes my friends got stationed somewhere else or got out of the Navy and I was stuck with many people who just wanted to bang hookers or get drunk. Partying with people from the ship can be fun, but I would rather explore while in a foreign place. It really bothers me to have physically gone to another part of the Earth far from home and not have really experienced it properly or to not have even had much time. In my opinion, It would have been better to have never went.
It's completely possible to have great travel experiences while in the Navy but it is limited and it depends on what ship you are on or where you are stationed and who you happen to meet. This was my experience. It is government and there will be rules and restrictions when travelling with a government organization. After getting out of the Navy, I started to travel on my own and found it was a lot more real.
I made a lot of good friends and had some good experiences and I don't regret joining. While spending many months on the ocean I had no bills. Food, a place to sleep, etc. everything is covered so, whenever I got a paycheck I got to keep all of it and didn't have anything to spend it on except maybe food from vending machines on the ship. It's kind of like a floating prison, except people don't get butt raped. Well, not usually anyway.
Many people who spent the same amount of time in the Navy didn't save nearly as much as me. I decided the last couple years in that I wanted to be a vagabond and to save as much as possible. Even whenever we weren't on deployment, I didn't buy a car like many people or spend as much on going out to eat or alcohol or going to movies or on material possessions.
Here some pics of my time in the Navy.
 |
| Drunk Sailor |
 |
| Drunk Sailor |
 |
| On the Ship at Night |
After I got out of the Navy I had managed to save $30,000! :) My plan was to make it last at least 2 years while travelling but first I went home for a few months to see my family.
I left my home in Texas to go and travel the world ,however, America is so huge of a country that going to a different part of it is considered as a different area of the planet.
If you traveled from Maine to Hawaii you would still technically have traveled in 1 country but that's a lot of distance!
My intention was to travel the world and although I would spend most of my trip outside of my own country; but I visited some friends in other states first. I had several friends I met in the Navy who were in other states.
I met up with my friend Cody when he was also visiting New York City.
Unfortunately, I didn't find out that a friend I knew in the Navy had moved to Buffalo until after I had already visited Niagara Falls. :( I could have contacted him if I had known.
After I visited New Orleans, I took a train to visit a friend in Jackson, Mississippi. After hanging out there, I took a bus to San Diego where I had 2 friends living at.
Although the Navy didn't satisfy my wanderlust, I was able to save money for traveling and also get some friends and a place to stay around the vast country of America.
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