"Dear all,
My name is Gonzalo from Chile, as
a general information I can tell that my profession is Industrial Engineer and
currently I am 30 years old. Now a days,
I Just came back to Chile after one year from a lifetime trip throughout Asia,
basically from Indonesia and East Timor
up to Mongolia. Over here I am writing a book about my experience.
An engineer writing a Book? At
least to me sounds weird, and I had never suspected that I will end up doing
this. When I was a child I grew up watching documentaries of National
Geographic Channel and Jacqes Cousteau,
one of my super heros. I remember It was my favourite time during the day,
until my mother who is PE Teacher, put me in a Squash court, as she couldnt
stand that I was spending long hours watching TV. At the gym, I meet Iván, and
we became fierce enemies in the court ,
but very good friends out of it. Fortunately, I made very good relationships
with my peers in general and also I learnt lessons for life: hard work, in
every aspect mentally and phisically as a clue of success. Since then, that
philosophy has led my life.
Over the years, I commenced my
studies at Uni at Engineering school. For me, it was a good challenge for my
mind. But, because it was really hard to follow the squash level of Iván - who
is an incredible player by the way –and the rest of the team and at the same
time Uni was so demanding, I decided to step out of the game. I didnt want to
play without proper training, and the distance and Schedule didnt fit to my new
student life. But my body was used to hard routines, so I got into martial
arts. As a southamerican, Capoeira was the one. Thanks to it, I traveled to Rio
de Janeiro . Brazil, where I was living in the “favelas” (slums) while training. Incredible experience and
encouraged my extreme curiosity of the world. I continue with my studies and I
became engineer. I moved to Santiago de Chile to work. This city is not very
different to the rest of the major cities of the world, except for one thing:
it is surronded of amazing summits of the Andes. Here was my first time where I
reached the top, and my first time where I took my camera. Since then I havent
stopped. Every weekend was a different expedition, sleeping under the snow or
dealing with intense hot weather at the mountains in summer time. I was adicted
to the movement itself, and the beautiful moments that I could catch in my
camera.
But weekends wasnt enough, and
during my holidays, I made my trip to
Peru and Bolivia. Ancient cultures and amazing markets blew my mind. Moreover, the
pulse of the mountains were constantly in my chest and in 17 days, I manage to
explore part to Patagonia. Torres del Paine, Fitz Roy, and the amazing wind of
the Pampas were my favourites by far. I finished that trip in Ushuaia.
According to argentinians, the end of the world. To my believe and
geographically talking is in Chile, Puerto Willians!
I came back to Santiago and I sat
in my desk, wishing and praying for my curiosity finally would have stopped. But
it was imposible to cope with the office lifestyle, suffering in the desk,
calculating risks for insurance companies and realizing that the most exiciting
moment of the day was when we had to decide what to lunch and where. It was
something that told me that I was in the wrong place.
I talked to my boss, quit my job,
sold my motorbike and moved to New Zealand. As the subprime crisis affect me
directly due to my fund saving where in stocks, I travelled with a really
little money. Working at the orchards test my body, persistence and patience. I
won the battle. I bought a car and lived in it. Surfing down South Island and
living in constantly movement was my
daily routine. A routine that I didnt want to stop. I decided to create my own
National Geographic Channel, and I wrote the world as I saw, with words and
also with light, which means... photographies.
Lately I have been extremely
lucky, and in that ocassion I performanced in some ads for TV, so I could make
an extra money. It wasnt big money, but I decided to travel throughout Asia.
Iniatially for 2 months. Ended up in 5 months. How come? Eating in local
markets, sleeping in cheapest places, on the street sometimes. Looking for
alternatives, talking to the locals and exchanging transportation and for good
pictures and conversations.
While in New Zealand, all these
money things happened really fast, and in just one week I bought a flight ticket
to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Without any plan I followed my dreams. See
orangutans, so Sumatra was the place. Then diving in Thailand as Jacques Cousteau
and crossing to Myanmar, to another planet. Amazing culture, incredible markets
and extraordinary people. Cambodia and its dolphings on the Mekong River was a
great relax to the next adventure. But the final destination and big challenge
had a name: Mongolia. Flight to Beijing explore the great wall and then train,
jeep and even hickjacking to Ulan Bator –
Capital of Mongolia. The Gobi dessert, their camels, nomads, wrestlers,
archery,wild horses, wolves, and eagles. All that I wanted to see since a I was
a little child. Closing the tour in Dili, East Timor. Guerrilas and tough faces
which reflected that, too much to do in order to help, playing capoeira with
the youth in an NGO – an experience for my soul. I wish I could have stayed
longer.
My blog and my camera became my
very good friends. The former, is way popular that I have ever expected. A
journalist contact me and I am working to convert this web project in a book.
Just amazed about life. I still havent finished to write in my blog though. It is
keeping me busy, learning and enjoying
the process. (http://www.onthelivingroad.com/)
Watching the Project that you guys
are filming is something that I have
always dreamt, when Iván told me that my name was on the list, just didnt
believe that it was happening. Be part of the team would it fantastic and
extraordinary. It seems to me like a tale story with happy ending (not like the
happy ending in Thai massage! Dont give me wrong!).
Sincerely,
Gonzalo Díaz Valdés."
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