Ever since I started as boyscout 40 years ago, I have been fascinated passionately with nature and the fun, challenges, experiences, peace and beauty it has to offer. Always used every available moment to get out there explore and learn new things. It started by learning about the basics in bushcraft, how to make fire, how to cook, how to make knots, tracking animals, building traps and sheltering in the wild. As time progressed I got more and more interested to learn how to, not just survive, but to thrive and have fun in the wild with nothing but a knife. I went very minimalistic.
But as years went by, I probably just grew old, but I realized that just because you CAN make fire with a bow drill, and just because you CAN sleep with the bugs under open sky, then it does not have to be like that all the time. It is hard work, very hard work, and so I started to go more towards comfort. Using tents, cooking utensils, lighter, gps. I had become an expert in the Scandinavian forests, vegetation and animals, where to find it, how to identify it, what to use it for.
But then in 2005 I moved to Northern Thailand. A dream coming true for a survivalist. Only one glitch in the matrix. The jungle is nothing like the Scandinavian forest. I was back to square one. Knew absolutely nothing, and honestly, I just could not be bothered starting over. So for many years I just went with what I had. But not matter what you do, if you are indeed passionate with nature, you will end up learning anyway, and now the time has come to finally get the hang of what is and what is not out there in terms of plants and animals.
I have been hiking, kayaking, camping alone and with friends, in the mountains, on rivers and in the jungles. Very interesting and fascinating, and 3 years ago I did a halfhearted attempt to share this on YouTube. But it require so much effort, and took som much away from the core pleasure of being out there, that it has been too little. But being a photographer ever since I was deployed in Croatia in 1993 under UNPROFOR, the camera is always with me, and that is so much easier to combine with a blog.
So, my plan with this blog, is to show you the beauty of the Asian part of the world, in particular Northern Thailand, where I have been living now for 15 years. Hope to bring you on hikes, camping trips, kayaking, and everything that goes with it.