Have You Heard of the Beautiful Uvac River or Yangykala Canyon?

Have You Heard of the Beautiful Uvac River or Yangykala Canyon?
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Hey,
 
During this insane year, I've actually been working on an exciting new project. That project is now ready to be shared to the world.
 
Let me introduce you to... 
 
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RemoteClub helps remote workers figure out how to take advantage of their newly found freedom. We provide detailed and useful information on where to live, work and connect with like-minded people all over the world.
 
Please check it out and if you have any feedback at all, let me know!
 

 

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On the health front, I'm feeling so much better at this point and my bout with Covid seems to be behind me. I still have some brain fog that takes over every now and then, leaving me quite useless for a few hours at a time, but apart from that, I'm doing well.
 
I'm back to walking on the beach in the evenings, working from my favorite cafes (I'm at my favorite - Bajo Cafe - right now) and slowly socializing with a handful of people. The temperature has thankfully dropped a few degrees as well, so I'm not completely drenched in sweat every time I step out of my apartment.
 
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And I'm happy to announce that Matcha is finally being spayed...today! After her third round of being in heat and far too many sleepless nights for both of us, this is a big day that should help with all of that.
 
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A huge thank you to everyone who offered their advice about which phone I should buy to replace my falling apart Google Pixel 2XL. In the end, I went with the new iPhone 12 Pro. The two main reasons are:
 
1. Several friends involved with online security have increased their warnings to me about Google's tracking and usage of personal data.
 
2. My Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is offering a 50% point bonus on all Apple products. So, the $999 iPhone 12 Pro only cost me 65,000 points (and $0 dollars) making it an excellent deal since it was free.
 
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Cat lesson of the week: If you hire someone to build a cat tower, make sure they don't paint the rope on the scratch posts. If they do, the cat won't scratch the posts and you'll need to rub off all the paint.

 

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Travel-related (usually) tidbits that appeared in my inboxes this past week.
  • Human Earth: Ben Randall is the Australian behind Human Earth, a project dedicated to ending human trafficking. It's personal for Ben as several of his friends in Vietnam were abducted and sold into trafficking in China. He's made it his life mission to find his friends (he found two already) and put an end to this horrific practice.
     
  • Hello Future: My friend Charlie Grosso has been working hard on Hello Future, her nonprofit that helps teenage refugees suffering from poverty and inequality. This summer, they hosted an online summer camp for teens from Syria, Afghanistan, Somaliland, Canada and the US. The result was a collaborative film - I See You - full of the teens' ideas, hopes and stories.
     
  • Airbnb in Europe: I was informed of this piece of Airbnb news - apparently various cities in Europe have met with the European Commission to try and work on new, far-reaching regulations for short-term accommodations services. Changes will definitely be coming to how we find accommodation while traveling, especially apartments.
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CAMELS IN THE SEA
In a region of Gujarat, India, the kharai breed of camel actually swims through the sea in order to find drinkable water. I had never heard of this before and the photos/videos are indeed surprising!
 
PINK PLACES
I could spend an entire year visiting only these mesmerizingly pink destinations across the globe.
 
BUDDHIST TEMPLES
These 20 beautiful Buddhist temples are calming to see in photos. Imagine standing in front of them. My favorite on the list is the remote Kye Gompa in northern India. I still remember the day I hitchhiked across the mountains with some soldiers to visit this surreal temple.
 
AROUND THE WORLD
I came across the abandoned and spooky Alaskan island village of Ukivok, with its inconceivable stilt houses and brutal location. For a more serene experience, check out the gorgeous meanders of the Uvac River in Serbia. Finally, if you want remote and beautiful, you can do no better than the wild Yangykala Canyon in the middle of nowhere Turkmenistan.
 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Dominican Republic is now providing free health insurance for all visitors to cover any potential Covid related costs.
 
MALDIVES
The Indian Ocean island nation is the first country to offer a travel loyalty program where you gain points and benefits based on the number of times you visit and the length of your stays. Could this catch on to other countries?
 
AMUSEMENT PARK OFFICE
An amusement park in Tokyo needed new ways to lure visitors during the pandemic. So they started offering daily packages for remote workers, complete with a portable wifi router, a work booth next to the pool and a ride on the ferris wheel.
 
And finally....
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In 1951, a 66-year old Swedish man named Gustaf Hakansson was denied entry into an 1100-mile bicycle race across Sweden due to his age. But he showed up to the starting line anyway and eventually (although unofficially) won the race and the hearts of an entire country. This story is for the underdogs!
As always, please send over any questions or comments!
 
Regards,
Derek
(my middle name is Earl)
 

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Travel Insurance - Be sure to check out Safety Wing, my personal favorite for incredibly affordable travel insurance.
 
Cruise ship jobs - While cruise lines are not hiring right now, they will be hiring thousands of new crew members once they start up again. My popular e-Guide How to Work on a Cruise Ship will help you get a rewarding job on board a cruise ship once the time is right.
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