As we take a lap around the world, we’re lucky to experience the impact of different people from all walks of life and backgrounds. I’ll attempt to introduce some of them and describe our interaction. Typically these are people who are stepping out against the grain, left an indelible mark, or are simply interesting. (Scroll to bottom to see most recent update)

Bonifacio “El Bony” Avila

El Bony is the proprietor of the beachside seafood shack in Cartagena, Colombia named after him – Kiosco El Bony. He was a highly respected prize-fighter in the 1970’s and a local legend as he represented Colombia at the 1972 Olympics – losing to the eventual gold medalist. Faded posters, news articles, fight programs, and pictures of El Bony wearing his boxing garb are posted inside the airy and casual restaurant. After enjoying a great meal at a good price at El Bony’s restaurant, we were treated to a quick introduction as he stopped by. According to BoxRec, he posted a 17-9-3 record, having fought all over the world – South Africa, Denmark, Canada, Argentina, the US, and his native Colombia. For a kid from Cartagena to get that much exposure internationally in the ‘70s means a couple of things. First, he was a very good fighter, a professional capable of beating anyone at any time. He would put on a good show for the paying audience, and (after he suffered a few losses) he would challenge and test those younger fighters on their way up. He lost to two eventual world champions, Carlos De Leon and Ayub Kalule, as well as the infamous Eddie Melo. If you make it to Cartagena, you need to stop by Kiosco El Bony for an enjoyable meal and maybe a quick handshake.

Sam Bass

Sam and I have known each other for years (we were stationed together in England) and have recently reconnected via social media. He is a man pursuing his passion for acting. He’s successfully making a name for himself because he’s committed to following his vision, driven, and eager to learn. I guarantee you’ll see more of him on TV (Hawaii 5-0) and the big screen (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) in the coming months and years. We spent a day together at a beautiful Oahu beach in Hawaii at the beginning of our trip. I can’t thank him enough for taking time to hang out with us and for teachingmy three oldest kids how to surf. He also recently competed in his first bodybuilding contest, the Shawn Ray Classic in Hawaii, placing third. Be sure to follow him on instagram at @sambassofficial, check out his IMDB page and visit his website.

Paul Jayilian

2017 World Champion bodybuilder and Arnold Classic winner Paul Jayilian shares his passion for fitness at his new facility in Rosebud, Victoria, Australia. I found Paul’s gym when looking for a place to work out during our extended stay in Rosebud. His gym was less than a year old and offered 24/7 access to members. When I first met Paul, we had an engaging conversation where we talked more about our kids, we each have four, than anything else. I enjoy his friendly nature and demeanor, and am glad we remain in touch. The day after we met he won Mr. Victoria and the next week he won Mr. Australia, as he was prepping for the 2018 world championships. Next up for Paul is the qualifying meet for 2019’s Arnold Classic. Check out his gym’s website.

 

Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins

I do not normally watch reality TV. However, when we first arrived in Australia our family got hooked on the Australian Bachelor TV program. He was the bachelor and seems like a heck of a nice guy who was put in a tough situation. Apparently he was supposed to fall in love with and marry one of a selected group of contestants – crazy idea for a show. Anyway, for whatever reason (oddly, it is somewhat intriguing entertainment) this is the show that we watched. Fast forward a couple of weeks beyond the show’s conclusion. I’m pacing in the Cairns airport, on the phone with my sister in the States. Family is sitting off to the side waiting for our counter to open. The terminal’s check-in area is otherwise empty of people expect for me … and Nick Cummins. He was strolling toward me wearing his Aussie bush hat, tank top, board shorts, and thongs (flip flops), with a bag over his shoulder. Our interaction was a quick head nod of recognition and “Hey” from me as we crossed paths. He replied with a friendly “G’day” and smile as he continued on to the ticket counter. I include him in this list because of all the TV shows out there and of all the places in Australia, what are the odds that he’s the one guy with whom I cross paths? The guy from the one TV show I watched? He also played rugby for the Wallabies (represented Australia in international matches) – so he’s good by me. Best of luck to Nick. Check him out at his website.

We didn’t meet the following three people, but we benefited by their passions, drive, and vision. All three have passed on but have left enduring legacies to positively impact generations.

Jim Thompson (1906-1967)

I had never heard of Jim Thompson until we were planning our trip to Bangkok, Thailand. A friend advised us to check out Jim Thompson’s house when visiting Bangkok and we’re glad we did. The hook was that he had disappeared under mysterious circumstances while visiting friends in Malaysia in 1967 – a cold case that remains unresolved. Jim Thompson, known as the “Thai Silk King,” was an American expatriate living in Bangkok who has an interesting backstory – originally from Delaware, 1928 Olympian, joined the Army, member of the OSS, and eventually fell in love with Bangkok. As a businessman and industrialist, he is credited for revitalizing the Thai silk industry. Also an art lover and architect, he planned, built, and lived in a fabulous multi-building homestead that featured his Asian art collection. Now a museum, the dark-wood compound honors him, his story, and the Thai silk industry. If visiting Bangkok, I recommend visiting the “Jim Thompson House,” a unique and peaceful oasis in the middle of Bangkok. Tours are given in five languages.

Duke Paola Kahanamoku (1890-1968)

Hawaii’s most famous citizen, the “Ambassador of Aloha,” and “The Father of International Surfing” lived an incredible life. Based on a friend’s recommendation, we went to ‘Duke’s on Waikiki’ for drinks and snacks, and were impressed with the relaxed, albeit a bit tourist-y, atmosphere. I was aware of The Big Kahuna’s reputation as the world’s most famous surfer, but it wasn’t until we visited his restaurant that I began to learn of his impact in and out of the water. He set world records in swimming, participated in the 1912, 1920, and 1924 Olympics as a swimmer and in the 1932 Olympics as an alternate member of the Water Polo team – at 42 years old! He appeared in 28 Hollywood films, invented the flutter kick, served as Sheriff of Honolulu for 13 consecutive terms, and displayed heroic effort to save eight drowning men as a result of a capsized fishing boat. He was the first person to be inducted into both the swimming and surfing Halls of Fame. Statues honoring him can be found in California, Hawaii, Australia, and France. There are six Duke’s Restaurants in Hawaii and California. His legacy, and the way he lived his life, is much more than the Hawaiian-themed restaurants.

Sir Les Hutchins

The founder of New Zealand’s ‘Real Journeys’ touring company, he was a conservationist, visionary, and advocate of New Zealand’s fjordland. We were introduced to the Hutchins’ family legacy while enjoying a fantastic day-trip, via the Real Journeys touring company, to and through the Doubtful Sound by boat, bus, and then boat to get to the ocean. The terrain was absolutely rugged and shear – impossibly thick and steep. The fjords featured flat-faced rock walls hundreds of meters high containing water that is hundreds of meters deep. We enjoyed dolphins, seals, penguins, waterfalls, and were amazed by foliage flourishing while somehow sticking to vertical rock walls. I was blown away to learn that back in the ‘50s and ‘60s Sir Les escorted travelers through this unforgiving region by foot on 18km treks. He must’ve been a tough SOB to navigate this natural wilderness. He also had to navigate New Zealand’s political landscape to support maintaining the pristine region. He and his wife Olive formed the company, still owned by the family, in 1954. Like all things great, it took time, perseverance, and commitment before the company began to realize its potential. For travelers going to New Zealand’s South Island, if your schedule permits, I highly recommend a trip with ‘Real Journeys.’

Unnamed Burmese hawker lady

Every now and then we are lucky enough to have surprising, effortless, and real interactions with other humans that leave an impact – maybe they make us smile, laugh, or reflect in some unexpected manner. This was the case for me as I was exiting a Burmese temple in the countryside outside Bagan, Myanmar (a new favorite of mine). My family and I were loosely making our way out of the temple area, shoes back on, sidestepping hawkers, meandering to where we were to meet our driver when, at a distance – maybe 25 yards, I noticed a woman holding up a white, shortsleeved, linen shirt with a collar and buttons. She was holding it by the top edges of the shoulders and pulling it to show its size. It was huge. Must’ve been made by a tentmaker. As I continued moving forward, lost in my thoughts, the distance between us narrowed. The lady was directly in front of me, now maybe ten yards, so I veered my direction of travel to the side to go around her when she stepped deliberately right into my path. The true and exact thought in my head in that moment was “what kind of fat … can wear that shirt?” I raised my eyes from the shirt to her eyes as they were peeking over the top, like looking over a laundry line. She was holding the shirt to show how big it was. I looked back at the shirt, back at her twinkling eyes – then it hit me – she was showing the shirt to ME! I’m the fat … she’s targeting. The obvious realization must’ve swept over my expression as I mentally shifted to the here and now and I erupted with a spontaneous belly laugh that startled my kids. This was the kind of laugh we don’t get to experience nearly often enough. And what made it better was she responded with an equally loud and long cackle. We just stood there laughing together for several seconds. I hope I never forget the moment. I had to buy the shirt. She probably doesn’t get too many customers who could fit into that shirt. So, with some half-hearted haggling, attempts at communication using our entire Burmese vocabulary, and in the midst of a growing crowd, we struck a deal. I’m now the proud owner of a white, shortsleeved linen shirt made by a tent maker. Funny thing is, the shirt is too small. 

Steve Czaban

I’ve listed to Steve Czaban on DC’s sports radio for years. Despite the market, channel, format, partner, and management changes, I still seek out Czabe. He’s opinionated, funny, personable and makes me think about the DC sports community and the teams I adopted. So, there I was, standing in line at the Johannesburg airport. Heard a distinct North American accent and started chatting with a couple who were also from the DMV. It was such a treat to have an engaging discussion with some great folks with whom we shared a common background. I learned that they were in South Africa as part of the Ronnie Mervis safari trip (heck, you know who he is – from Mervis Diamond Importers). No way! I always heard the safari announcements over the radio. Not only that, Steve Czaban was on the trip. What!!!??? No way. So within a minute, my new friend introduced me to Mr. Czaban. We enjoyed a quick introduction and handshake. I told him that I enjoyed his work and shared what we were up to – taking the lap around the world. You never know who you’ll meet standing in line at the airport. Keep up the good work Czabe! You can find him on Twitter, his website, or on Facebook. 

Dylan Fussell

Owner, Head Coach, and MMA fighter at Team Quest Thailand. During our awesome stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we engaged in many new adventures and experiences. When we first moved into our Airbnb house, we noticed fit and buff ladies and gents running around our neighborhood. Sure enough, just around the corner was the Team Quest Thailand’s Muay Thai and MMA camp. Team Quest is a Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai Training facility  founded by Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland. As part of their growth and expansion they put a camp in Thailand. It’s a great community for those in the area or for those who want to lift their game by visiting Thailand for a few months for intense training, coaching, sparring and maybe fighting. A fan of combat sports, I walked into the open-air compound to check it out. I started casually chatting with an engaging gent who looked about ready to start his workout – Coach Dylan. Through our conversation, he introduced himself, explained a little about the place, invited me to come for a workout if I was interested, and shared that since it was Christmas week that there was a fairly relaxed vibe. As people walked by and offered Coach Dylan a greeting, he had something positive to say to everyone. Not only coaching, but still active in the ring, he has a professional MMA record of 13-3 and his pro Muay Thai record is 10-2-1. My son and I ended up training at Team Quest Thailand and had a great experience with the other athletes and coaches. If you’re serious about improving your MMA, fitness, BJJ, or Muay Thai,  I’d find a way to get to Chiang Mai, Thailand and train at Team Quest Thailand with Coach Dylan and his team. The town is amazing, money goes a long way, the food is great, and Team Quest Thailand has a great culture with world-class coaching. @teamquestthailand

UPDATE:

Kasper Damkier, and McBrikett

Our plane touched down in Hanoi, Vietnam at night where we then went through our normal rituals when arriving in a new country: clear customs, visit the bathrooms, pick up luggage, withdraw a small amount of local currency, etc. To secure transportation to our hotel, I departed the terminal and ventured out to the shuttle and taxi pavilion. An abundance of vehicle exhaust and cigarette smoke illuminated by the pale overhead lighting added a visual effect that matched the feel of the dense and sticky night air. Perhaps because it was obvious that I was a westerner, I was immediately surrounded by chain-smoking drivers who were cackling and shouting nonstop offers and bids at me. I quickly and calmly worked out a deal with the driver of a good sized van that would fit us. As it was a shared van, already positioned in the front seat was a man from Munich. We naturally started up a conversation with our touring

companion and learned of his interesting profession, he recycles bamboo and coconut waste by transforming it into high quality, long burning, 100% natural charcoal – made up of only two ingredients. He regularly visits SE Asia for business, specifically scouting out, visiting, and selecting suppliers. His company, McBrikett, is omni-present at BBQ competitions in Germany and throughout Europe. They even sponsor professional barbecue craftsmen who compete all over the world in barbecue competitions. Kasper was intrigued by our trip and offered to give us a tour of Munich should we ever make it there. Sure enough, a few months later we stayed in Munich and reconnected with Kasper. He escorted us on a wonderful tour of some of the local highlights – the glockenspiel, Frauenkirche, Isar River, trendy neighborhoods, markets, and scenic walking areas. We concluded our afternoon by visiting a beer garden where we all enjoyed a fantastically simple, but hearty and delicious dinner and drinks. Kasper and his company are a great example of how to reuse biodegradable materials. Learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/mcbrikett/ @mcbrikett or https://www.mcbrikett.de/

Glenn Medeiros

This name may ring familiar to pop music fans. So, there we were in Hawaii at a luau. Fantastic evening all around. Tasty food, fun entertainment, beautiful night. Dancers performed different numbers unique to the different Pacific islands – Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, etc. More singing, skits, the whole thing. Our MC that evening was a gent named Glenn Medeiros. As part of the show, he had all the couples stand and slow-dance (much to our kids’ embarrassment) while he did a great job serenading us to his international smash hit “Nothing’s Going to Change my Love for You.” (He had another chart topper with Bobby Brown called “She Ain’t Worth it). But the story doesn’t end there. It seems the song followed us during our trip so much so that it became our unofficial trip song. We heard it on the car radio in New Zealand. We heard it while shopping in the underground mall in Singapore, and we heard it again in Europe. Mr. Medeiros now works as the President of a school in Hawaii. Congrats to him and thanks for a great memory that will live on.

Amphol “Petch” Suriyo

Champion boxer and fighter from Thailand. We had a short return to Bangkok, now one of our favorite cities, in order to take advantage of inexpensive and direct flights out of Asia. This time we scored a fantastic apartment, 3 beds and 3 baths, in a happening part of town. The bottom floor of our building housed a boxing/workout gym too. The manager of the building, Petch, welcomed us and helped us settle in. H and I later met him downstairs in the gym where H got in a workout. We learned that Petch is a former Muay Thai All-Thailand champion and professional boxer. Digging further, he’s held various WBC Asian, WBA, Asian Boxing Federation, and Thai championship titles and fought in headliner bouts for Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation belts. When we met him, he had just returned from Japan having suffered an upset loss to a Japanese up-and-comer. He was still healing from a nasty head butt that likely contributed to the result. Fighting is a tough way to see the world. I also showed him episode two of Frank Grillo’s documentary series “Fightworld” that featured Muay Thai fighting. Petch knew of the locations and fighters who were featured. Mr. Grillo’s “Fightworld” can be found on Netflix – it’s a fantastic series. Some of his Petch’s most recent fights can be found on YouTube and his boxing history is on Boxrec.com.