Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

What do you think about whitewater rafting? Exhilarating? Exciting? Adrenaline-pumping? Or all of the above?

My first whitewater rafting trip was five years ago. It was a family adventure trip to the Padas River (a.k.a. Sungai Padas) in Beaufort, Sabah. Two months ago, I had the opportunity to go for my second whitewater rafting adventure with Miles at the Penobscot River in Maine, U.S.A.

The Penobscot River is known as the most technical whitewater rafting river in the Eastern United States. Residing under the Mt. Katahdin and flowing along the banks of Baxter State Park, it offers rafters a breathtaking view of the scenic surroundings. It’s overall a Class 4 river (on a scale of 1-6) with rapids range from Class 3-5 (on a 1-6 scale).

It was a two day/one night trip with a group of 20. The package was offered by the North Country River. It was about a three-hour drive from Fredericton to the camping ground at Big Moose Inn, on a Friday evening.

We started our adventure the next morning. Brr…it was only 6 degree Celsius! To my surprise, the air was colder than the water. We were lucky to have wet suit provided for us. Even with the wet suit, we had to try our best to stay under the sun as soon as we got out of the water. It was a chilly day! I won’t mind a warmer day for whitewater rafting. Nonetheless, with nine of us in the raft (including our guide), we had a blast!

Armoured with a PDF (personal floating device), helmet, and paddle, we were all set to face the challenge!

The Falls. Water was flowing ferociously.

Here we were, on the raft.

We survived the first challenge. Hooray! We rafted along the river (Class 3 & 4) for about two hours before break time.

Oops… a raft that came behind us wasn’t so lucky… All the rafters were plunged into the river!

The Ripogenus Gorge. We were here after our lunch break, for another two hours of rafting.

A nice and steady rafting at the gorge.

This must have been a Class 5! We made it without losing anyone :)

It was simply thrilling! The worst case scenario during whitewater rafting, as you might have already expected, is raft capsize. Staying calm is the key. Knowing that you’re equipped with helmet and PFD, try to stay close to the raft to the best of your ability. The guide will then re-position the raft, hop back into the raft, and extend help to his crew.

Will I do it again? Yes, I will. For those who haven’t yet experienced it, it’s certainly worth a try!

Fishing is my new found hobby this past summer. Fishing in the province of New Brunswick requires a seasonal fishing licence. There are specific areas that mapped for fishing. Depending on the area and type of fish, the fishing season varies. It’s important to keep in mind that a special licence is needed for catching salmons. On top of that, the size and amount of fish that can be caught per day is regulated. Trout, Pickerel, Muskellunge, Burbot, White perch, and yellow perch have to be at least 10cm in length to be kept.

More information about fishing licence can be obtained here. A regular seasonal fishing licence, or sometimes known as trout licence can be purchased from Department of Natural Resources offices, Service New Brunswick Centres, and licence vendors (e.g. Canadian Tire and Home Hardware) throughout the province. It’s offered for $20, with $5 fish stocking fee and $5 conservation fee included.

Over the fishing season, Miles and I have learned that artificial bait doesn’t work very well. We have also came to a conclusion that it’s easier to catch a fish earlier in the season, since fishes live and learn; they will nibble on the bait, but smart enough not to be caught.

During the summer months, we went fishing in several places; mainly Killarney Lake in Fredericton and Lily Lake in Saint John.

Placing an earthworm on the hook was challenging the very first time.

Patience is the key for fishing.

Sunfish:” Poor me…I’ll be put on the supper table tonight.”

Yellow perch:” Oopsy…I shouldn’t be greedy to take another bite of the yummy worm! Too late now…”

Another Sunfish:” Posing for my last shot…”

Catfish:” Alamak! He caught me! I failed to escape this time lah…:(“

Most of the fishing we did, was catch and release. It was too sad to kill the fish. Furthermore, some fishes were small. Catch and release worked well for us, as we got to enjoy the fun of fishing while fishes munched on their snacks.

Biking is one of the summer activities I enjoy a lot. Once the “white stuff (a.k.a. snow)” is no where to be seen on the biking trail, weather is warming up, and flowers are blooming. It’s a clear indication that the spring is here and biking season begins!

Biking in the cool spring, hot summer, scenic fall; misty morning, hot afternoon, or warm evening. I’m loving it! It keeps adrenaline going, heart pumping, and body muscles working.

I still remember bits and pieces of how I learned riding a bike when I was little. A big thank you to Dad who patiently taught me how to bike. Have I had bike accidents before?You bet! Surprisingly, some of the bad falls I’ve had, happened after I’m proficient in biking skills.

Biking to work 14 km a day has become part of my routine; leaving for work in crisp and breezy morning, and going home in sunny afternoon. Weather can vary from warm, hot, sunny, to overcast, rainy, chilly, windy etc. As long as there’s no pouring rain, I’d go biking almost anytime during the day.

Watching the blooming flowers in the spring, appreciate the warm sunshine in the summer, and admire the stunning vibrant colours in the fall. Together with my loved one, we’re in love with this city. Miles who once told himself that he’d never wanted to bike again after his unpleasant learning process, convinced himself to relearn how to ride a bike in the spring.

On the Old Train Bridge at dawn.

Odell Park is my favourite park for biking.

One of the many trails in the park.

It has been a memorable and rewarding experience. The hiking trip was absolutely beyond my imagination. It didn’t turn out as expected, nor as planned. The trip wasn’t only a physical challenge, but also a practice of hope, faith, and trust.

I was glad to be able to remain calm when challenges arose, knowing that frustration and disappointment wouldn’t get me anywhere. I was delighted when the trials over the weekend had finally come to an end.

Every move I made was a step of faith, and every heart beat was a sign of hope. I was happy to be home just before 3 a.m. on Monday. My body was sore and aching. Emotionally, I was on cloud nine. I thought “this was too good to be true.”

Just as we thought we were out of troubles…

I was backing up the car in a pitch black environment. Nothing came into sight from the rear and side mirrors. I had to make my judgement based on the white sign that read “Dobson Trail 58 km” at the corner of the dirt road. Just as I thought I had the car backup far enough and turned the wheels, all of a sudden, “BAM!!”

The car was sitting at a 45-degree angle, with both rear wheels in the ditch. With my trembling hand, I pulled the hand break instantaneously. I was terrified. Trying my very best to stay calm, I approached Garth who just got out of his brother’s car. He was in shock.

No blame. No question asked. The guilt in me was kicking hard. I was afraid that Garth was going to blow up at me, since his car could have been wrecked from the accident. Instead, Garth tried to find a solution…

It was 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday night. The next day was a public holiday. We were on a dirt road with no reception on cellphones. It was dark. We were exhausted and helpless. What were the chances of us finding some help? A tow truck might take a while to come to our rescue,  if we ever managed to get hold of one. Hence, we decided to work things out without ruining the group’s initial plan (making it home for Monday morning).

I hopped into the car and started the engine. It was working fine. While Garth was pushing the car by the driver’s door, I slammed on the accelerator in first gear and hoped to get the car out of the ditch. We didn’t succeed… The car moved forward a little, but the force wasn’t strong enough. Worse still, the driver’s door was jammed on the gravel. With his sharp-wittedness, Garth jacked up the front wheel and managed to keep the door closed with enormous effort (kicking, pushing etc.). One problem solved…

Next, we filled up the gap between the bottom of ditch and the rear left wheel that was hanging in the mid-air, with rocks that we found along the dirt road. One good thing was that the rear right wheel landed on the gravel in the ditch. Here was the challenge…. With the front wheels on road and rear wheels in the ditch, Garth did an amazing “stunt” by backing up the car onto the road. He made it!!

I was keeping my fingers crossed the whole way when he did it. I was actually afraid that the situation might be worse… Sure enough, he proved me wrong. I was glad that he did.

The exterior of the car looked fine, as far as we could tell. Off we went; we drove along the dirt road for about 30 minutes. We asked for direction to get to Prosser Brook Rd. A young couple was kind enough to guide us all the way there.

To our surprise… Our friends weren’t there! After thanking the young couple, we drove to the top of the hill, hoping to get cellphone reception. It was about 11 p.m. They left us a voice message. Apparently, they were invited to wait for us in an older couple’s home, instead of idling along the dark road.

We met up with the rest of our group 10 minutes later… It had been a long day for everyone… I was grateful that they waited patiently for close to six hours, and never gave up their hope on Garth and I….

* Adapted from Google Map

The route travelled during hitchhiking, from Prosser Brook Rd. to Fundy National Park.

* Adapted from Parks Canada

The driving route (in pink) from Chignecto campground to Laverty Falls trail; and hiking route (in black) of Laverty Falls and Dobson Link.

Comfortably slipping my feet into clean sandals, I put aside my hiking shoes that were still soaking wet. Carrying my IDs, a bottle of water, a few granola bars, some cash, a cellphone, as well as a camera; I went on a journey of hitchhiking. It was totally random. There wasn’t much time for second thought. If I could help to get the rest of the group out of our dilemma, why not?

It’s still hard to believe that I actually hitchhiked. At that moment, we had no choice…

The journey began around 1:30 p.m…. Garth and I were walking along this one-lane highway under the scorching hot sun, with some occasional warm breeze. We didn’t have much luck finding a ride for the first hour.

A quiet highway with barely any cars on a Sunday afternoon.

Prosser Brook Rd. We agreed to meet up with the rest of the group here with the cars, sometime….someday….hopefully on the same day….

We didn’t give up asking for a drive. Finally, an older couple stopped for us, after they made a turn onto the highway from the housing area. It turned out that they were trying to find their way to the Moncton exit, which coincidentally, heading towards the same direction as we wanted for at least a good 30-minute drive.

At 3 p.m., we were dropped off at Hillsborough. Comparatively, this highway was a lot busier. We started walking along the busy highway.

Overlooking the Chignecto Bay.

We stopped at an ice-cream shack for a cold treat. Enjoy while we could…

After 40 minutes of wandering along the highway, we decided to seek help at the gas station.

Bingo! A middle-age couple who were on their way to the Hopewell Rocks to pick up their daughter from work, offered a drive. Hopewell Rocks, off we went!

From 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., we were busy approaching visitors who were leaving, at the parking lot. I was hoping that someone would visit the Fundy National Park after Hopewell Rocks on the same day; meanwhile, Garth was trying to find someone who was heading towards the park for camping.

Cars either had full wheels, headed towards the opposite direction (Moncton), or traveled a short distance. The construction on the way to the park didn’t either much either. People were avoiding that route due to potential slow traffic.

Finally, we decided to seek help from the help line. We might be able to get some assistance from the volunteers of the Dobson trail. Unfortunately, they could only offer some advice. “Try to approach homeowners along the highway. Chip in some money for gas, and they might offer you a drive there.” Hmm…that wasn’t much of a help.

At the same time, I contacted Miles who was spending his weekend in Grand Bay. He was worried and offered help by driving up to get us. Realizing that it was going to be a 3-hour drive for him, I kindly turned down the offer, hoping that we could work our way around it.

At the entrance of Hopewell Rocks.

The exit to Hopewell Rocks from the highway.

Eventually, we were given a ride back to the highway by a young couple from Ontario. We walked aimlessly along the highway and something caught our eyes. There was a sign that said “painter” at the lawn of a house. There was a van parked on a driveway. Just as we walked by, the homeowner stepped out of his house. I looked at Garth and asked:”Do we want to ask for help?” Since there wasn’t any harm asking, we approached the homeowner. Coincidentally, he was going to pick up his wife and was willing to offer us a drive.

“Great!” I thought. It must have been about a 35-minute drive. Instead of Riverside-Albert, he drove us all the way past Alma, to the Fundy National Park lookout area. As a token of appreciation, we chipped in $30 for gas. It was very kind of him to extend help.

At the lookout area.

We walked uphill along the road, and felt so lost.

We couldn’t get any car that went towards our way, to stop for us. It was rather disappointing. At last, we arrived at the Chignecto campground around 7 p.m. and sought for assistance. At 7:20 p.m., we were given a ride to the starting point of Laverty Falls hiking trail. We were there 30 minutes later.

Hmm…here came the big challenge. Could we make it through the woods and get to the cars before the night kicked in? We started our hike at 8 p.m. With our sandals, we literally jogged and ran along the trail. It was a 2.5 km trail to the falls. There were some wet and muddy patches along the trail, but nothing compared to what we’ve gone through on Dobson Trail.

The beginning of the Laverty Falls trail.

A steep, rocky, and rooty part of the trail. We wanted to be quick, and tried not to hurt ourselves at the same time.

We got to the falls about 8:40 p.m…

The Laverty Falls.

What was next? We waded through the falls to get to the Dobson Link trail. It was another 2.6 km of hiking. As the warm sunshine replaced by the cool evening breeze, we were afraid that we won’t be able to make it to our destination before it was dark. I was panting heavily and gasping for breath. My legs were getting tired and sore. Nonetheless, I refused to take breaks as I didn’t want us to end up stranded in the woods, and had to spend a night here.

The Dobson Link trail.

Finally…. We completed the hike just before it was completely dark, at 9:15 p.m. Just as we thought everything was about to come to an end, problems arose…

It was a hot, sunny Sunday. I had to wear a pair of sunglasses of protect my eyes from the glaring sun. There was a long stretch of dirt road that we had to hike through. It turned out to be a nice change, since we got to stay away from the muddy trail for a bit. In other words, we managed to keep the mosquitoes away from us for a while ^v^

At the time, I didn’t mind the sunshine at all, even though I felt rather warm walking under the sun for long hours. I was happy as long as the bugs stay away from me.

A big puddle in the middle of the road. Wading through it?

No. At least I hope not. There was a dry spot that we could walk along, beside the trees.

Our destination was no where to be seen. Every stride we made, was a step of faith.

23 km….

2 km more!

We came to a junction that has a “Dobson Trail” marker pointing where we came from.

We had our lunch around 12:30 p.m., when we were about half way through the entire trail. Considering the slow hiking progress we’ve been making and that some of us from the group had to be back to Fredericton by Monday due to personal commitments, we decided to abort the hike; knowing that we won’t be able to complete the hike by the end of the day.

Here came the problem… How are we supposed to leave here with our cars miles away from us? It’d be another good 30 km hike through the trail, or about 100 km hike on the road…..

Upon mutual agreement, six of us would hike for another 8 km, while Garth and I would go on a hitchhiking (known to be illegal in the province) adventure; and hopefully, we would drive the cars and pick up the rest of the group from Prosser Brook Rd. We had no clue what has laid in front of us.

In order to fulfil this great mission, we had to abandon our backpacks and hid them in the woods. We’d come back for them when we managed to drive back here with the cars. After biding goodbye to the rest of our buddies, we started our journey–a journey that knows no future. Nonetheless, I knew deep down in my heart that we’d be able to make it through…

Ben (left) and Arturo continued their hike with the rest of the group.

Water in the river was flowing steadily, sun was shining brightly. Life has to continue…

Some wild raspberries in the bushes. They were tasty and juicy. A nice treat!

My sore muscles were protesting after the long hike; 3 km on Friday night and another 15 km on Saturday. I tried to lay still while sleeping. It turned out that I had sore shoulders and arms for sleeping sideways. I didn’t get up till around 8:30 a.m. It was a good 11-hour sleep! I couldn’t believe that I slept in that late…

My hands, arms, legs… literally my entire body felt so itchy. Guess what?? The worst, and I mean the very worst mosquito bites I’ve ever gotten in my life!

There must have been at least 20 mosquito bites on the back on my hand! ITCHY!!!

I applied some “After Bite” (essentially liquid ammonia) to soothe the swelling. Thanks to Justin.

After we had everything packed up and a quick breakfast, we started our hike around 10 a.m.

19 km… Yeah!

Trees that collapsed and lied across the trail.

A unique “wooden” bridge with a tree trunk connecting one end to the other. It was quite a challenge walking on it!

More fallen tree trunks blocking the path, in a swampy area.

These brittle trunks had the tendency to break easily. Cross the swamp at your own risk!

The treacherous trail has slowed us down a lot. It was a slow progress treading along the trail; with mud, slush, puddles, and swamps. It was my wettest and muddiest outdoor adventure, as far as I can recall.

Regardless, we had a great time throughout the hike; wading through the woods, dodging tree trunks, hurdling tree roots, working through weeds and broken branches. Having said that, we didn’t feel very comfy hiking with our muddy and soaking wet hiking shoes. Oh well, we had to bear with them for the time being. Changing into a pair of clean, dry socks wouldn’t help much, as our shoes are too wet to begin with, and the same thing would happen–wet socks again.

It was a cool morning, after a rainy day on Friday. This was the perfect weather for mosquitoes and flies to go “hunting” around. Apparently, I’ve such tender skin and juicy blood that the mosquitoes couldn’t let go for me, not even a split second! Even the insect repellent that I’ve sprayed all over my body didn’t help much. As a matter of fact, mosquitoes love me too much! Unfortunately, I hated them!!

I had no choice but to put on my rain jacket and splash pants to minimize my exposure of skin areas for mosquitoes. Just as I thought I already had myself well-bundled up, they started attacking  my face! Oh no… leave me alone, you evil bugs!

Mosquitoes find their victims by tracing exhaled carbon dioxide. Hiking along the trail with my backpack that weighed at least 15 lbs, huffing and puffing was necessary during the cardiovascular activity; replacing exhaled air with fresh air.

She was penetrating my skin. Ouch!!

A slug was hanging in the mid-air from a tree branch with its slime.

…And trying to attack my backpack!!

At a crossroad, trying to find our way back to the trail.

The 17 km marker. We were getting close to the campsite.

Garth, Justin, and Ben didn’t have a good night sleep last night. The rain seeped through the top of their tent and caused a flood. They had barely any sleep, perhaps 3 hours of nap during the night. We decided to call it a day as we got closer to the potential campsite, around 5:30 p.m.

Just before that, there was a “big mess” that we first had to get over with…

A muddy stream!

We found this decent site for…

A campfire!

Robbie fixed his torn shirt with duct tape and ropes (by the sides). It was quite impressive! 

My wet, muddy, stinky pair of socks and hiking shoes by the end of the day :( 

“Watch out, water is entering your tent!” I heard the voice of Robbie as the clock struck 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. Guess what? The water from the brook overflew and flooded the surrounding areas. My tent was set right beside it!

As soon as I have all my gears packed up, I literally fled from the tent to keep my backpack and myself dry. It won’t be pleasant to get everything wet at the beginning of a hike. Fortunately, there wasn’t too much water in the tent. We managed to save it from drifting away. Pheww….

After our breakfast, we started hiking around 8:30 a.m.

Following the blue markers along the trail.

There were puddles everywhere. Wet!

Arturo is trying to keep himself balance on the log, while crossing the swamp. Justin was ahead of him.

I was behind Ben, hiking through the muddy patch.

Muddy and yucky!

Robbie and Susan were fetching us some drinking water by a running stream, with filter pumps.

There was water everywhere, owe to the large amount of rain we’ve received since the beginning of spring.

My backpack for the hiking trip.

Green ice tea? Nope. It was drinking water that filtered from the stream. It did look like ice tea though :)

Sun was shining, birds were chirping, and bugs were bugging… :(

One of the better-looking bridges.

Taking a break under the tree.

My hiking experience has been fun and rewarding thus far. My passion for outdoor activities was developed since my first mountain climbing adventure at the Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia. It was challenging, exciting, and nerve-wrecking at times.

There are numerous spectacular sites and trails across the Maritimes. I enjoy exploring the trails on hiking/camping trips. For the past few summers, I’ve been on hiking trips to Cape Chignecto and Fundy Footpath. My attempt to climb Mt. Katahdin in Maine, U.S. was tempered by the inclement weather (hailing in August) two summers ago.

Last weekend was the New Brunswick Day long weekend. I was eager to go on a little expedition with seven other friends, on a 3-day hiking trip at Dobson Trail. It’s a trail that stretches 58 km in length, and runs from Riverview to Fundy National Park, in southeast New Brunswick.

We arrived there around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Six of us from the group hiked in about 3 km to the campsite. Garth and I drove the cars and parked them at the end of the trail. David, who wasn’t on the hiking trip gave us a drive back to the starting point.

It wasn’t until 11 p.m. that we started our hike. It was pitch black and rain was pouring down heavily. After 45 minutes of adventure in the dark with a compact size LED flashlight, we managed to find our group at the camp site.

As soon as I changed into dry clothing, I was ready to hit the sack. I heard the steady stream flowing beside the tent and rain drops beating furiously on the tent. I couldn’t care less. I was sleep deprived. I finally dozed off around 12:15 a.m…..

The entire TreeGO activity takes about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the weather, one’s fitness level and personal experience. It is definitely a great outdoor activity and a high adrenaline adventure. It is not for the faint-hearted!

Not only does TreeGO offer challenging aerial adventures, but it also offers the opportunity for exercising self-discipline, developing will power, and building teamwork among the group.

The wood used for platform construction is either cedar or larch, and it is free of chemical. Trees are not harmed, and the nature is preserved to the best of the management’s ability.

Do you get a guide to accompany you? Not really. Participants explore the field in groups, under the supervision of TreeGO staff at a distance from the ground. They are there to offer advice, and also to provide help during an emergency.

Swing on a Tarzan rope to the opposite site where a cargo net is set up. Hang on to the net with your feet and arms, and make your way to the platform.

A long bridge arranged with longitudinal planks.

The wooden swings. Again?!

Hmm…only logs on the bridge?

Rectangular and round planks. These are all you’ll get for walking in the air.

Here is the beginning of the black course, which also known to be the one with highest level of difficulty.

These swings can be extremely wobbly if you’re not well-balanced and paying full attention.

There are a few zip-line adventures throughout the activity, one of which is a reverse zip-line, with your back facing the landing point. Those I enjoyed the most though, are the two zip-lines that run across the water.

How does a zip-line work? First of all, attach the pulley onto a cable that stretches across trees or water. It is crucial to make sure that it is securely suspended on the cable. Next, attach a carabiner to the pulley. Participants are asked to grab onto the carabiner with both hands during the zip-line activity. And…off you go!

Zip-line across the water. I felt as if I was flying in the air!

Crossing the suspended bridge on uniform planks.

These wobbly logs are intimidating. The gap between them isn’t helping any. It’s especially challenging to cross from one to the other.

Use the monkey bars and walk across a steel cable.

Hanging logs in between a steel cable. An exciting attempt to walk from one tree to the other.

How was the TreeGO experience after all? Some said it was nerve-wracking and some said it was intimidating (mostly due to the height). I’d say that it was a challenging and exciting outdoor activity. Additionally, TreeGO gave us a great workout on a Saturday morning, by keeping our hearts pumping and leg & arm muscles stretching.

Reservations are required. Be sure to call in advance to check for availability. TreeGO, an exciting activity for family and friends. Hope you enjoy it! I’m looking forward to my next visit.

A scenic view of sailing boats on the water.

It turned out to be a gorgeous day when we were there. The rain from the day before helped to keep the air cool and the ground moist. The sun was shining and it felt nice to breathe in the fresh air.

“Life is good; exploring adventures with loved one and friends is great.” I thought to myself as I made my way out from TreeGO.

Looking for some fun activities near the Fredericton area? Longing to get your adrenaline pumping? Try TreeGO!

Now, you may ask: “What is TreeGO?”

“Fun, freedom and personal reward are what TreeGO is all about. These serial adventure courses offer a diverse and exciting experience within the comfort of knowing you’re attached to continuous safety cables. No matter what your age or fitness level, our courses are designed for your pleasure in a unique outdoor environment.”

~ TreeGO Mactaquac

The TreeGO in Mactaquac is opened since summer of 2008. It takes about 30 minutes to drive from downtown Fredericton. Besides the winter months, they are open throughout the year (usually May till October), rain or shine. TreeGO has been established for over a decade in Europe. Currently, there are a few TreeGO sites across North America. In Canada, there is one in Nanaimo, British Columbia, nine in Quebec, and two in New Brunswick (Moncton and Mactaquac). On top of that, there is one site situated in the New York State.

The starting point of TreeGO adventure.

TreeGO is a progressively challenging course. There are four levels of difficulty, and each of them bears a colour code: green, blue, red, and black, respectively.

A briefing session is conducted by a TreeGO staff. Participants have the opportunity to get some practice before the adventure begins.

Get a feel of the swinging motion with two carabiners attached to the safety cable.

Always, always… have the red coded carabiners (two of them) attached to the safety cable, throughout the course of activity.

A safety harness is provided. Each participant carries a pulley and three carabiners. What are they for? Two of the carabiners (red coded) are used to hook onto the safety cables, whereas a pair of pulley and carabiner (yellow coded) comes into play when the participant is going through a zip-line. Safety cables can be seen everywhere in the TreeGO field, be it on the tree trunks for climbing up and down the trees, across the tree trunks while adventuring from one tree to the other on suspended logs, or on a Tarzan rope for swinging from one end to the other.

Use the red coded carabiners at all times when climbing.

Keep your body balance while walking on the wooden planks arranged across two trees.

The wooden swings can be tricky, especially crossing from one to the other.

A log bridge across the trees!

It’s getting more challenging… The wooden planks are far apart from each other! I had to stretch my legs to reach the planks, and be sure not to miss any…

The zig-zag log bridge. Fun!

Taking a view of the ground from the bridge. I was walking in the air!

Walking on a steel cable. A circus stunt?

The group of TreeGO adventurers: (From left) Marie & Paul, John, Miles & Adeline (myself).

Spring is my favourite time of the year for traveling. Nice and cool weather without having to put on thick winter clothing is wonderful. Furthermore, it’s the perfect time to beat the crowd before summer kicks in. The lower cost of flight ticket and accommodation during the off-peak season is another added bonus!

I’ve travelled to the major cities in Canada in the past; Vancouver and Victoria (British Columbia), Calgary and Edmonton (Alberta), Toronto and Ottawa (Ontario), Quebec city and Montreal (Quebec), Halifax (Nova Scotia) etc. How about the United States? Piscataquis County (Maine),  St. Louis (Missouri), New York City (New York), and Boston (Massachusetts), are among the places I’ve been to before my recent trip.

The West Coast of United States is somewhere I’ve been longing to visit. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, famous Hollywood in Los Angeles, beautiful beaches in San Diego, the gamblers’ paradise of Las Vegas, mighty Grand Canyon & Colorado River in Arizona…..

My dreams came true, at the end of my two-week backpacking trip to the West Coast of United States. Together with my brother, we got the most out of our trip by traveling to various cities in a short period of time. We walked from one street to the other, hopped on and off buses, took the subway train one after another, travelled from one city to the other… It was certainly an enjoyable and fulfilling one. By overcoming the ups and downs throughout the trip as a team, we savoured the excitement of traveling. Things are made possible, when two are together. Thank you for the laughter and help, my little bro. The trip would not be as fun without you.

What other exciting winter activities can you think of, besides downhill skiing and cross-country skiing that I previously blogged about? How about skating? It can be enjoyed even in some warm countries such as Malaysia! I’m glad to be given the opportunity to learn skating at a young age with my siblings, at an indoor skating rink inside a shopping mall, in Malaysia.

The thrill of gliding on ice gracefully is fascinating! Falling is part of the learning process, just like skiing. Gloves are highly recommended for skaters; not only to keep you warm, but also to protect your hands from injuries when you happen to fall (hard ice surface and blades on other skaters).

In north America, you get to enjoy outdoor skating as well! In Fredericton, outdoor rinks can be found at various parks. Here are some interesting skating spots I visited:

Rockefellar Center Ice Rink in New York City.

Skating rink at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta. The largest mall in north America!

Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton that offers free skating during noon hours, in the winter.