Living Large...in a 150-square-foot RV

Would You Dive With Sharks ?

Apparently lots of people are fascinated by sharks. Shark Week on Discovery Channel has been a great success for the past 24 years. Last year’s Shark Week brought in 30.8 million viewers. A Discovery rep says that the channel is stepping things up this year because “Shark Week” was frequently a trending topic on Twitter when it aired.



After watching sharks on television all week, if you should happen to find yourself inspired to see them in person, Discovery will give you the opportunity to have a shark experience of your own.

The network's adventure travel company Discovery Adventures offers four unique itineraries to the Galapagos Islands, where travelers will have the opportunity to see a variety of shark species –including Reef Sharks, Whale Sharks, and Hammerheads– in their natural environments.

I had my own up close and personal encounter with sand tiger sharks at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa Bay, but it was nothing comparing to diving in the Galapagos Islands.


A world class dive destination, Galapagos is listed as one of the seven underwater wonders of the world! With 27 species including hammerheads and the enormous whale shark diving with sharks is why people come to dive in the Galapagos Islands.

I put "Visiting/Diving the Galapagos " on my Bucket List. Have you ever wanted to dive with sharks ?

This Summer Try Jet Boating

Skippers Canyon is a scenic attraction located about 30 kilometres from Queenstown Town, in the back country of the Queenstown region of New Zealand.


Known in adventure circles as 'Skippers Grand Canyon' the area encompasses 20 acres and is home to a variety of adventures, and jet boating is one of the most popular ones.

When you think about it, how much fun can one possibly have riding in a boat on a river ? I don't know... see for yourself :

It looked so amazing that now I want to try jet boating in our own Snake Canyon this summer.

Visit Abandoned Rocket Factory in the Everglades

I came across this "attraction" while researching "things to do/see" in Everglades National Park.

While on the east side of Florida ( Daytona Beach ), I was really hoping to visit Kennedy Space Center, but this abandoned rocket factory in the Florida Everglades known as Aerojet-Dade, sounded a lot more appealing and mystique ( not to mention it's free ).

In the 1960s the Aerojet company was considered as the possible supplier of solid-fuel rocket motors to be used as primary power plants for the Saturn I space booster.

The short version is that NASA never did use Aerojet when the Apollo space mission decided to go with liquid fuel instead of the solid fuel. The Aerojet eventually gave up on its plant and sold the land to the State of Florida, which holds it to this day as a nature preserve. Most of the original buildings associated with the plant, and some of the machinery, appear to be still there, albeit in decrepit condition.



The factory is accessible, though the last couple of miles of the access road are closed to motor vehicles, so if you want to visit you have to bicycle or walk part of the way. There are a few houses nearby, and people come to bird watch or to fish in the canal that parallels the road, but the place is essentially deserted once you get past the no-motor-vehicles-beyond-this-point sign.

Horse-Powered ....Mountain Boarding

If you've been following my blog, you know what mountain boarding is all about: basically you take a snowboard-like deck with air-filled knobby tires ( mountain board ), find a dirt road or a grassy hill, and off you go...


But Daniel Fowler-Prime from UK, took mountain boarding a step further :

Thrill seekers are competing in Britain's latest extreme sports craze of 'horse boarding' - where participants are towed behind a horse at 35mph on an off-road skateboard.

Professional stuntman Daniel Fowler-Prime, 31, invented the sport five years ago after he strung a rope between his off-road 'mountain board' and a horse. Now he has developed the daredevil stunt into a fully fledged sport and is looking forward to hosting the UK's first ever horse boarding championships this summer.

According to Daniel :

"A lot of skill is involved and the horse rider and boarder have to work together because if they don't the boarder goes flying. And you have to be prepared to take a few knocks because falling off has been compared by one board rider to getting out of a car at 30mph."

What do you think ? Sounds like another case of "animal cruelty" ?

To me it looks awesome !

Want to learn more about mountain boarding ?
Check out this category !

Bike To Work ...with a stripper on your trailer

My bad. They are not strippers or even exotic dancers. As they say themselves: " Just because you have high heels and you're on a pole, it doesn't mean you're doing anything raunchy."

Let me introduce you- POLERIDERS, trained professionals on a mission "to promote bicycle safety, raise awareness of the immense potential of pedal power and to bring pole dancing to the streets where dancing belongs".


Till recently, I thought that the coolest bike jobs were bike messenger and bike guide. But working as a pole rider sounds way cooler !

As the name implies, Pole Riders, dance on poles attached to specially-designed cargo bikes.
Don't get it wrong. It's all legal. The cops can't really do anything - he is riding his bike and she's ...exercising.

So, next time you are in NYC, skip Hustler, and rent your own stripcycle. This way you'll combine "adult entertainment" with a few hours of sightseeing.







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Radioactive tourism: Chernobyl is open for tours

People will pay money to see "weird things" like : bearded woman, half-man/half-alligator, Auschwitz,abundant prisons, swamps, catacombs/caves, cult/occult places, and even the world's most notorious nuclear power plant, Chernobyl.

I've read about "unofficial tours" of land surrounding the Chernobyl plant long time ago, and knew that some day it would eventually become "an attractive tourist destination".

At first it was mostly people looking for "mutants". In fact some animals and foliage have passed on some traits of genetic mutation caused by the incident, but according to the scientists they never resembled the monsters described in the media and all died out quickly.

Now it is one of Ukraine's most visited sites. Roughly 6,000 tourists—most of them Europeans—stream through this area annually on private tours unsanctioned by the authorities. But starting this year, the government is also looking to cash in on the plant's notoriety, with plans to open up the zone to official tours, as well as boost its safety by building a giant concrete shell to encase the reactor by 2015.


The Ukrainian town of Pripyat, which is just miles from the nuclear power plant, is The Ghost Town and the highlight of the tour. The town is an eerily mundane time capsule, buried in dust and left almost exactly as it was when its roughly 50,000 inhabitants were forced to flee in 1986. The long aluminum fence and barbed wire surrounds the town and opens its doors only to workers and to small groups of tourists interested in how the world would look like if all people would have disappeared in one moment.


After the four-hour tour and a prison-style meal, visitors stand on a contraption that looks like a time machine. If it flashes green—no radiation—then you are good to go. On your way out of the exclusion zone, you (and your vehicle) must go through a similar radiation x-ray of sorts.


But the radiation is still here : invisible, odorless, tasteless, it permeates the buried buildings, cars and cattle, the earth that covers them, the rivers that flow nearby. And it will do so for a long time to come...

Interested ? Have fun ! - Chernobyl and Pripyat tours

Deploy or die : Helmet-Cam Footage of an Airbag Deployment

As you might know one of my goals for this winter was "to get into backcountry", to go either skiing or snowshoeing. "Almost made it happen" , but due to "government shutdown" our trip to Hurricane Ridge was canceled.

Right before the tip I was looking for "backcountry essentials" ( beacon, probe and shovel ) at REI , when I saw something called "Avalung".



Since recently, it's considered to be an important part of backcountry essentials. A story in Adventure Journal, this January, "convinced" us of its effectiveness. The video below shows a backcountry skier buried in an avalanche for almost 5 minutes while wearing a Black Diamond Avalung:


Recently, on Elevation Outdoors I came across another cool video, this time it was helmet-cam footage of another "backcountry gadget" - Float 30 Avalanche Airbag:

Videos like this one make me doubt if I really want to venture into backcountry at all...

Kayaking with a basking shark

When a basking shark opens its jaws, try not to find yourself in this situation:


Basking sharks, that can measure 40 feet long and weigh 8,600 pounds ( even larger in the Atlantic ), are the planet's second-largest sharks ( only the whale shark is larger ).

Did you know that Puget Sound is home to an impressive array of sharks ? At least six species of sharks have been reported in local waters. But only three species - spiny dogfish, sixgill sharks AND basking sharks - have been encountered with any regularity.

But don't worry, basking sharks are harmless creatures. They feed exclusively on massive quantities of microscopic plankton.

Kayak Over a Waterfall : Not on my Bucket List

In 2009 Tyler Bradt, a professional whitewater kayaker, established the unofficial world record for the highest waterfall successfully run in a kayak. He ran the 186 ft (nearly 60-meter) Palouse Falls in Eastern Washington.

His motivating factor for this epic stunt was : " because I can ".

I think that every great adventure starts with just one goal in mind - " Can I do it ? "
And just for those chosen few, the answer is always : " Yes, you can " :

Fun with icebergs : Skiing

Millions of people are concerned about global warming and global climate change. Thousands of brave scientists travel to the frozen wasteland of Antarctica in hopes of learning more about our planet and how the global earth system works.

But there are a few adventurers who, apparently, don't care that much about "global warming", and all they want is just to have a little fun...

I already wrote about a couple Red Bull athletes ice climbing and wakeboarding icebergs in the middle of the Labrador Sea.

Recently, Andrew McLean, 48, became the first person to ever ski down a moving iceberg. Andrew climbed the mammoth iceberg - which topped 80 feet - before skiing down several times.

Just a few years ago, trips to Antarctica for general public were not only rare, but also expensive. I am sure that soon, skiing and mountaineering will be among " things to do in Antarctica ".

Boretide SUP Surfing In Alaska

I have a strong feeling that Alaska might be the next surfing and stand up paddling destination in US. If not, surfing and SUPing in Alaska will be another great outdoor activity/adventure along with sea kayaking, heli-skiing, mountaineering and general cruising everybody should try.

As I wrote in my previous post, surfing in Alaska can bring a sense of nirvana that few boarders ever get a chance to experience in places like Hawaii and California.

The Cook Inlet on Alaska's south coast is one of three places in North America where tidal bores have been observed. The bores that vary in sizes from just six inches to six feet high, allow surfers to ride from 20 seconds to a few minutes.

But the size of the Turnagain Arm, a 43 mile long and 1000 feet deep channel of water, gave surfers a unique opportunity to ride the roaring waves for up to half-an-hour.

If you haven't had a chance to visit SurfAlaska.net, I strongly recommend. Even if you are not into surfing or any other board/extreme sports, just looking at these amazing pictures makes you realize that there is still some wild frontier left in the world.

You might also like "Extreme Glacier Surfing In Alaska Video"

Learn how to fly a Wingsuit

I mostly write about sports and adventures that I personally get to try. I've already dropped like a rock ( tandem skydiving ), soared like an eagle ( paragliding ) and floated like a butterfly (or sailed like a ship ? parasailing ). Now, I want to fly (?) like a bird...

OK, not to confuse you anymore, I am talking about wingsuit flying here. And unlike speed riding ( which won't be available to general public in US for sometime), there is a pretty good chance for anybody to try wingsuit flying...as soon as you get minimum ... 200 sky diving jumps. After that you can fly like a bird ( or like Superman, if you're a nerd with adrenaline addiction ).

A number of skydiving companies in US offer wingsuit classes. They can take you through all the steps. From rigging up a suit, to all pre-flight and in-flight procedures, in accordance with the international standards for wingsuit training. Also they'll fly along on your first jump and will shoot a cool video of you wingsuit flying !

Even if you've never jumped out of a plane before, if you commit to the goal of flying ( or as I try to emphasize in this blog - ANY GOAL IN YOUR LIFE ), you can make it happen !

When I was doing my search for how and where to learn to fly a wingsuit, I came across this site Fly Like Brick , and their best advice to anyone wanting to fly a wingsuit would be... jump and have fun! I think it's a great advice !

Until then, watch this beautiful video

Never too young to learn to snowboard ! She's one (!), and she's awesome !

What's the appropriate age for your kid to start learning to snowboard ? 4...6...7...? At the Summit of Snoqualmie they offer group snowboard lessons for kids 7 years old and up.

Many parents feel more comfortable with their kids learning how to ski first, because they can "judge" whats going on and can give some "guidance"...

...but really there is no minimum age to start snowboarding:

Great mancation idea : Shooting real fully automatic machine guns in Las Vegas

For many guys, Las Vegas is already # 1 destination to blow off some steam partying, drinking and gambling. The downside of all that is ....you won't remember shit drinking your face off for five days straight. But I guarantee you that no matter how drunk you are, you'll never forget this:

The Gun Store offers people the opportunity to shoot fully-automatic machine guns as well as handguns, rifles and shotguns...

I mean, we are talking about fully automatic M16, AK47, Uzi, M1A1 Tompson, M 249 Saw...



My suggestion, visit the store before you piss your money away on booze and hookers...because starting your story with : " I shot a fully automatic AK47..." beats " I got so wasted and almost hooked up with a fat chick..."


The Gun Store Las Vegas from nicholas Larralde on Vimeo.

Every time you go camping , a bunch of marshmallows die...

a brutal, long and slow, screaming-enhanced agonized death.

Next time you go camping in the woods, stop and think before you eat. You might be hurting an innocent, adorable, fun loving marshmallow who has feelings, friends and family.

What is trials riding/biking ?

Last year, a short video shot by an amateur videographer made the sensation on Youtube not just among bike riders, but everybody who came across it (it’s currently been viewed by over 21 million people).

It takes more than just skills to give such extraordinary bike performance. It takes creativity, talent, persistence and dedication ( he actually quit his job as a mechanic to pursue his dream of riding full time ).

This year, Edinburgh native Danny MacAskill , was noticed by Red Bull ( fat cats of extreme sports ) who created a new video called " “Way Back Home,” that follows Danny from Edinburgh in the U.K. to his hometown, Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skyle.



While watching the video, I couldn't stop admiring Danny's skills, beautiful landscape and music, also, was wondering what kind of bike would allow to do something like that.

That's when I first heard about trials biking/riding. During my visit to Colonnade Bike Park in Seattle, I saw an elevated structure section ( called Zeb's Grotto ), but just couldn't figure out what it was for. Watching Danny's video was my introduction to a new street/mountain biking discipline.

Never too old for adventures

In my post " Too old for adventure ? " I wrote about Doris Matyasovich, a competitive MTB ( mountain biking ) racer, who started racing at age 45, and continued way into her late 60 ( she was 67 at the time of the article)...

This post on Biking Bis shows amazing stats !:

According to The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa online survey ( summer 2010), 7% of the RAGBRAI cyclists were 65 or older. The average age of the Adventure Cycling Association's members is the mid-40s, with a spread of ages from the 20s to the 70s and occasionally the 80s. Although the Outdoor Industry Foundation reports that 27% of the bike riders in the US are 45 or older...

OK, we get it, old folks love biking. But what about something more extreme ?

Meet Poul Rasmussen from Denmark. His passion - kiteboarding. And his only ...85 ! He learned to kiteboard early in his 80's and absolutely loved it. He is so passionate about this sport that he can be found kiteboarding in below-freezing weather, and actively encourages other seniors to try it. He states in his interview that "50 - 60 years of age is nothing! Go live your life and I bet that you'll live longer and have more fun."




There aren’t too many 80+ surfer dudes in the world. But since 1940, John Zabotocky has been riding Hawaiian waves in Waikiki, and at 89, he was still a regular beachboy surfer.

It's not unusual to see people skiing or snowboarding in their late 50's , but skateboarding ?
Donna Vano, 56, holds three Guinness World Records as the Oldest Inline Vert Skater in the World, the Most Gold Medals in the USASA in all 5 disciplines, and the Oldest Female Amateur Snowboarder Competing in Pro Tours in the Superpipe. When Donna is not competing, you can find her at home, skating on the 11-foot ramp in her backyard.

Is climbing Everest on your Bucket List ? Don't be discouraged by the danger of climbing this mountain ( and the price you'll have to pay to climb it). The oldest person to have climbed Mount Everest is a Nepalese Sherpa called Min Bahadur Sherchan. He was 76 years and 340 days old when he reached the summit.

Still trying to find courage to take that leap of faith and try skydiving ? Frank Moody was 101 when he did it !



Young adults dominate the thrill seekers, but older people are jumping in as well. Skydiving, hang gliding, rock climbing, mountaineering, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, scuba diving and other extreme sports have all shown huge increases in participation.

Just because your body is starting to make funny noises and your kids have their own kids, it does not mean you are getting old. You still have plenty to do before the nursing home comes to claim you. Just don’t let that term life insurance agent know !

Are there any "extreme adventures" you think you are too old for ? Other than age ( and fear) is there anything else that stops you from trying something adventurous ?

Bike RVing/bike campers

When I wrote " RVing just got a whole new meaning " post, I thought those inventions ( camper bike, bike motorhome, bike trailer house ) were very creative, amusing and somewhat practical. Though, if you read the post, you'll realize that motorhome and bike trailer house were created out of necessity rather than for recreational purposes.

But reading a post on Daylife, I've realized that very soon we will see those " bike campers " all around us ( and they won't be paddled by homeless and poor people).

The mini travel trailer study by German producer Dethleffs weighs 80 kg and includes a bed and a small kitchen and is the most eco-friendly camper.

Though, on the picture, the bike is electric assist comfort bike, I am sure it can be towed behind a human powered mountain/road bike.

In my opinion, this is a brilliant idea ...when you find yourself in a desperate, "Apocalypses" situation : no money, lost your job, your home....( well, only if you bought it before all that happened to you).

For recreational purposes ? I can't even picture myself biking with that camper behind on city roads. Can you ?

The most beautiful freediving video

Wiki:

Freediving is any of various aquatic activities that share the practice of breath-hold underwater diving.

You needn’t be an athlete to enjoy freediving because the sport is more about mind-set, technique and correct weighting than strength. Your goal is to join the water, rolling with the gentle sea surface, never fighting it.

While recreational freediving is very exciting, it can also be a dangerous sport if one does not have proper training.

An interesting fact that I found out about training:

An important part of the training is in invoking the mammalian dive reflex, one that every human inherited from their evolutionary ancestors. This reflex allows one to significantly lower their heart rate (bradycardia), shift their blood flow to the core (blood shunt) and even reduce lung compression effects at great depths (thoracic filling). In addition, the training emphasizes significant physical, physiological and psychological tolerance as well as physical conditioning.

The video below literally put my breath on hold. To read more about it, please visit ExtremeSports4u.com

But for now, please enjoy this beautiful video: