WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

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Take a profound and distant journey. Call it Deep Travel, Immersive Travel, Slow Travel, or Vagabonding. Francis Tapon guides you to the intersection of travel, technology, and transformation. The podcast will compel you to go beyond your comfort zone. Occasionally, you‘ll also delve into the misunderstood world of cryptocurrencies.

Episodes

Monday Jul 27, 2020

Reflections on COVID-19's 650,000 Deaths Worldwide

Monday Jul 27, 2020

Today, we passed a grim milestone: 650,000 COVID-19 deaths worldwide.

I advise you to watch this on YouTube so you can see the graphs and other visuals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7TSueZPF_I

I predicted 1.5 million deaths. You can get the latest Coronavirus data at John Hopkins.

I compare the 650,000 coronavirus deaths with annual worldwide influenza (flu) deaths.

I also compare it with a virus that slapped humanity 100 years ago.

Lastly, I compare it with the Black Death (the Bubonic Plague) that ravaged the planet in the 14th century.

What do you think about the Coronapocolypse?

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

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Rewards start at just $2/month!

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Friday Jul 24, 2020

Travel By Living Abroad with Traveling Mitch

Friday Jul 24, 2020

Traveling Mitch is, a bit unexpectedly, really called Christopher Mitchell.

He's lived in the center of the world: Istanbul. For centuries, Istanbul was the world's biggest city. It was the center of the Old World. Today, it's still the 3rd most populous city and straddles two continents.

Traveling Mitch and I also discuss:

Ataturk - The Modern Founder of Turkey
Traveling Mitch's travel style, which is traveling overseas
Why he has tattoos
Dealing with relationships while living abroad
Living in Oslo, Norway
Scandinavian stereotypes
The biggest weakness of democracy
Living in South Korea
K-Pop
Will the Koreas unite in the next 40 years?
How can you live abroad?
His future plans.

He runs Ultimate Ontario.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Friday Jul 17, 2020

Hunting Myths - Brittany Longoria Explains

Friday Jul 17, 2020

Last year, I interviewed Brittany Hosmer Longoria about the leopard she shot in Nambia.

In 2020, I met her again to discuss:

Does she still get heat for her leopard photo?
What impact does banning trophy hunting have?
What are the biggest myths people have about hunters that she would like to dispel?
What was she doing in Pakistan?

You can follow her on Instagram.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Friday Jul 10, 2020

Peer-to-peer lending with Constant

Friday Jul 10, 2020

Want more money to travel or hike?

Although being a frugal traveler is half the battle, the other half is making money.

There are three ways to make money:

Getting paid to do a job
Investing it
Stealing it

Since we're all boy scouts, we'll skip the third option.

Most people focus on option #1 (e.g., your salary).

We often ignore the second option: investing it wisely.

After traveling for 3 years in Eastern Europe, I returned to the United States with more money than I left with! And no, I didn't work for those three years.

How did I pull that off?

Smart investments.

I'm not a financial adviser, but after learning about Constant and peer-to-peer lending, I believe it's something everyone ought to be aware of. Now be careful because it's risky, but if you tread lightly and do well, you might want to up your investment.

Start with $100 and then go up from there.

I had a video call with the Communications Manager at Constant, Chris Roper.

Chris Roper and I discuss:

What is peer-to-peer lending?
What kind of interest rates can you earn?
What is a loan that has a 150% collateral?
Why is cryptocurrency good collateral?
What does "top-up" mean?
What are the risks?
How big of a loan can you get (or offer)?

In the unlikely event that your loan defaults, Constant liquidates the collateral and repays you in USD, not in cryptocurrency. Therefore, if you're doing this with the hope of getting some bitcoin, this is not the way to do it.

Have you tried Constant? Share your experience with me.

Have you tried peer-to-peer lending elsewhere? How did it go?

To learn more, go to: https://www.myconstant.com/sign-up?r=ftapon

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Friday Jul 03, 2020

How Anti-Poaching Is Different Than Counter-Poaching

Friday Jul 03, 2020

I interviewed three men regarding South Africa's Greater Balepye Nature Reserve:

Prince Dipati Benjamin Maenetja of the Greater Balepye Nature Reserve.
Louis B. Ebersöhn, CEO of African Wildlife Services.
Dr. T. Wayne Schwertner of Tarleton State University.

Louis started guiding safaris in 1994. Freelancing at first but soon started his own Outfitting company called Footsoo Safaris which was changed to Ebersöhn Safaris. He briefly stepped out of the industry in 2012 but in 2014 he stepped back in as African Wildlife Services, AWS (Pty) Ltd trading as:

AWS: Aerial Wildlife Services
AWS: African Wilderness Safaris
AWS: African Wildlife Security

The AWS business model is based upon the guiding principles as described in “The Conservation Game: Saving Africa’s Biodiversity. By Gerhard R. Damm

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Friday Jun 26, 2020

Our Future Brains and Countries

Friday Jun 26, 2020

Ladan Jiracek and I talk about:

Our world's future. Will the USA be screwed or on top? What about the rest of the world?
Our brain's future. Will we get neural implants?

Ladan is getting his Ph.D. to help develop technology that augments our brains.

He's also traveled to over 100 countries.

He hosts the Travel Wisdom podcast and the Neuro Implant Podcast.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Saturday Jun 13, 2020

Debating UFOs, Aliens, Crop Circles, and the Supernatural

Saturday Jun 13, 2020

Do aliens exist? Have they visited (or are they visiting) our planet? Are all crop circles manmade?

In this civil debate, Derek Loudermilk and I discuss these topics.

Derek argues that these metaphysical things are real.

I am extremely skeptical.

Listen to both sides and comment on what you think.

The one thing I forgot to mention was string theory, which argues that we don't live in a 4-dimensional world, but rather one that has 10, 11, or more dimensions.

The string theory hypothesis is that these extra dimensions may be curled up in such a microscopic way that we don't have the instruments that are able to see them at this point. Perhaps in a few decades or centuries, we will be able to see these extra dimensions.

The point is that string theory could, perhaps, one day explain some metaphysical and "supernatural" phenomena.

Watch the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTK2P_82FGw

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Monday Jun 08, 2020

Forrest Fenn's Treasure FOUND in the Rocky Mountains!

Monday Jun 08, 2020

Around 2010, Forrest Fenn hid a multimillion-dollar treasure in the Rocky Mountains.

Gold, gems, and other precious items are packed in a portable 12th-century bronze chest.

Nearly half a million people have searched for it in vain.

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke two hours with one of the foremost experts on Forrest Fenn's treasure, Dal Nietzel. It was a fascinating and fun conversation.

Right before I planned to release the podcast, a man from the Eastern United States found Forrest Fenn's treasure!

That's right. Around June 6, 2020, Forrest Fenn said the chase is over.

Therefore, this podcast is divided into two parts.

The first part, which is 90% of the podcast, was recorded a couple of weeks ago before the treasure had been found.

The second part is an addendum, where I interviewed Dal again to capture his thoughts now that the treasure hunt is over.

We don't know where the treasure was found yet. Therefore, just to be able to say "I told you so," I will list the places I had planned to search. And I will ask Dal the same question. This exercise will either make us feel good (that we were wrong) or make us feel bad (that we would have found it had we not delayed our search).

Questions I asked Dal (pronounced "Dale")

In 60 seconds, tell us the story behind Fenn’s Treasure.
In 60 seconds, what do you say to those who say that “there is no treasure” because either (a) it’s already been found or (b) it never was there in the first place?
What’s one of the funniest/absurd solves you have ever heard? For instance, on the roof of the visitor center by Old Faithful.
Most treasure hunters are information takers. Why are you an information giver?
For a decade, nearly half a million people have searched in vain for the treasure. Do you think it will be found this century? How about this decade? How about this year or next?
Fenn gave an unsatisfying answer when he was asked about the legal ramifications of finding his treasure. What’s your opinion?
To find the treasure, you have to have one or more of these qualities: intelligence, persistence, or luck. Given all the people who have searched, it’s remarkable that nobody has found it. What’s the percentage chance that someone finds it and doesn’t announce it in some fashion?
Fenn believes that the person who will find the treasure will walk with resolve and certainty. But many times people stumble on treasures or dead bodies by accident. What do you think?
I imagine that most times, you approach your solves with some skepticism. But a few times, you probably went somewhere with 95%+ confidence that you were walking to the treasure, exactly as Fenn said the treasure finder would walk. Where were those spots and what went wrong?
Do you often wonder if you were one of the people who got within 200 ft of the treasure?
Describe the type of person or group that will find the treasure.
Do you think those who have been searching for years have an advantage or a disadvantage over newbies? Overthinking the riddle?
Do you think if Fenn’s doctor tells him that he’s terminally ill, that Fenn will reveal a juicy clue? Or does he hope it stays a mystery for decades?
I know it’s probably unimportant, but has there ever been a poll that indicates where most people think the treasure lies? My guess is that there’s a 60% chance that it’s in or near Yellowstone, 30% chance of being in New Mexico, and 10% of being elsewhere. What do most people think? How about you?
You’re one of the few who have had significant contact with Fenn. If you find the treasure, do you worry that many will accuse you of having inside information even though your lack of success after many years of searching proves that you don’t have an advantage?
What would you do if you found the treasure?
You’ve heard every possible theory about “where the warm waters halt.” Which hypotheses sound the most plausible to you?
Is there something that Fenn communicated that you think is significant, but that few talk about?
He said there are a couple of “hints” in his book. What are the leading candidates?
Have you read Flywater or the Journal of a Trapper?
Assuming someone else discovers the treasure in your lifetime, how will that news make you feel?

There are nine clues in Fenn's poem. The first clue is "Begin it where warms waters halt." It's unclear what the other eight clues are.

Forrest Fenn's Treasure Poem

As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.

Bonus clues

CLUE 10
Above 5,000 feet and below 10,200 feet

CLUE 11
At least 8.25 miles north of Santa Fe

CLUE 12
Not in a graveyard

CLUE 13
Not in an outhouse, or associated with a structure

CLUE 14
Not in a tunnel, cave, or mine

CLUE 15
Where warm waters halt is not a dam

CLUE 16
In Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, or New Mexico

CLUE 17
Not underwater

CLUE 18
Not near the Rio Grande

CLUE 19
Not necessary to move large rocks or climb up or down a steep precipice

CLUE 20
Not under a man-made object

What’s (almost) certain

The key is knowing “where the warm waters halt.” Because the subsequent clues “get progressively easier after you discover where the first clue is.”
Pine trees and sagebrush must be nearby.
It’s probably above 7000 feet because: (1) he stumbled when he announced his 5,000 ft clue, (2) the poem says it’s “cold,” (3) the poem implies that the treasure overlooks a marvelous view (4) and high places usually have less traffic than low places.
A stream/creek must be nearby too--that might attract the animals that he says are around there.
The bronze treasure chest is wet. That could be because it’s next to a bumbling spring or it’s getting constant spray from a nearby waterfall. However, because waterfalls attract humans, I doubt it’s right next to a waterfall, even a small one. That would attract too much attention. Instead, it’s probably wet because there’s usually morning dew in that zone (FF said, “Physics tells me that it’s wet”). However, perhaps he said it’s wet because they asked the question during the winter/spring and he figured the chest was covered in snow.
It’s not underwater. Fenn talked about hiding a can of Dr. Pepper “under a rock in the cooling waters of a rivulet.” If it’s resting on water, it would have to be held very securely, perhaps sandwiched firmly between solid boulders and the water would have to be extremely calm. Otherwise, there’s too high of a risk that the treasure will wash away after decades of sitting there. Therefore, it’s extremely unlikely that it’s touching water. Whatever wetness it has must be from condensation or dew (i.e., “physics”).
It’s probably not buried, but it’s almost certain that it’s covered by either vegetation and/or (more likely) a jumble of small rocks--like a mini-sepulcher. It’s unlikely that it’s sitting out in the open.

Dal mentioned Jenny’s site, Mysterious Writings, and Cynthia’s site, Chasing Fenn’s Treasure.

Video summary of what's in the treasure chest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbc8LwZIr6U

My solution

Since Forrest Fenn's treasure has been found and yet we still don't know where it was found, I'll share how I interpreted the poem and where I was planning to look.

Once we learn the location, it will be fun to see if I was right or wrong.

At the end of the interview, Dal shared where he expected to find it.

I'll feel like I genius and an idiot if I am right. A genius for figuring it out. An idiot for not getting there in time.

My interpretation of each line

As I have gone alone in there

I went alone to my hiding place

And with my treasures bold,

Making little effort to hide my treasures since nobody was around

I can keep my secret where,

This place gets few visitors

And hint of riches new and old.

It’s near a place with historical significance (e.g., old trade route or mining operation)

Begin it where warm waters halt

[See several interpretations in the next section]

And take it in the canyon down,

Follow the canyon downstream

Not far, but too far to walk.

Drive the road for 2-10 miles, probably closer to 2 miles since he said those who solved the first two clues went right by the treasure.

Put in below the home of Brown.

Park your car. Since Brown is capitalized, perhaps it refers to a proper name (e.g., the Brown Corporation which owns the land), but that seems unlikely since Fenn said that it’s hard to skip clues. Despite the capitalization, Brown is probably poetic: the north face of a mountain (where most brown/grizzly bears hibernate) or below a brown trout spawning lake or simply below the treeline (above the treeline is mostly brown). Or all the above!

From there it’s no place for the meek,

Break off the trail & start hiking uphill off-trail and perhaps on private property. Joseph Meek spent time in Yellowstone, so perhaps it’s saying that you’re not in Yellowstone.

The end is ever drawing nigh;

You’re within 200 feet; keep looking to the right side of the creek you’re climbing next to

There’ll be no paddle up your creek,

Ford the stream which is too shallow for a boat or it’s dry and perplexing situation

Just heavy loads and water high.

Get your feet wet and cold as you cross the knee-high stream while looking for a cairn or the water is high above you.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,

The blaze will be either a stack of rocks, a mark on a tree, or anything a bit remarkable.

Look quickly down, your quest to cease,

Look down and you’ll find the chest hidden under a pile of rocks and/or vegetation

But tarry scant with marvel gaze,

Don’t linger too long at this marvelous site

Just take the chest and go in peace.

Haul your ass out of there

So why is it that I must go

And leave my trove for all to seek?

The answers I already know

I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

So hear me all and listen good,

Look up the definition of every word in this poem

Your effort will be worth the cold.

Cold from the altitude and/or cold creek crossing

If you are brave and in the wood

It’s in the high country among bears and snakes, but below the treeline

I give you title to the gold

There’s a legal document in the chest that helps you win the impending legal fight

My Ideas of Where the Warm Waters Halt

Someplace mentioned in Flywater or maybe Journal of a Trapper
Either in NM or near/in Yellowstone
Where warm fishing waters become cold.
Where a hot spring merges with a cold stream.
The top or bottom of a waterfall
Where a warm stream becomes a sink
Warm water ends in a lake or pond.
A mountain ridge or pass (which gives access to at least 2 canyons).

Where to look

This is where I planned to look. I sharing this to see if, after the true location is revealed, I was smart or not.

Wyoming

Boiling River, which is on the WY border. Hot spring pours into cold water.
Where the Madison River meets Firehole Canyon/Falls (blaze). In his book, he mentions Osborne Russell traveling the Madison River in 1835, which is described in Journal of a Trapper. To get there, you could start next to Old Faithful (WWWH) and then follow the canyon down to
Red Canyon Creek (blaze canyon) is near and also mentioned in his book. It’s near Sage Mt (“if you’ve been wise”) and Redstreak Peak and Red Mountain whose summits are brown and blazing red. He went down Red Canyon with a horse called Lightning. Horses have a white blaze on their face. This is “not too far, but too far to walk” from the Warm River.
Madison River or Hebgen Lake or Stinking Creek
In between Richel Lodge and Keyser Brown Lake.
Downstream of the Brown Mountain Campground off of the Wood River
Brown Creek and Wood River
Firehole Falls
Thermopolis (Hot Springs State Park)?
Somewhere around Boat Mt, where he and his bro got lost
Sinks Canyon (where water “halts” by going underground for a few km) - near Lander
Sunlight Basin
Medicine Hot Springs below Trapper Peak in Montana (may lack sagebrush).
Under Mount Hayes off of the Madison River (e.g., Barnes Hole Dr.)
Nine Mile Hole near Madison Junction
44.663947, -110.965462 parking lot, there is a small trail parallel to the river
44.649735, -110.949696
Watkins Creek
A few more ideas
Ojo Caliente Spring and nearby Firehole Spring

New Mexico

Consider these 8 creeks where “warm waters halt” in NM

As you can see, I did not believe it was in Colorado or far from Yellowstone.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com

If you prefer giving me Bitcoin, then please send BTC to my tip jar: 3EiSBC2bv2bYtYEXAKTkgqZohjF27DGjnV

Monday Jun 01, 2020

Is the Widespread Destruction and Theft Justified? #GeorgeFloyd

Monday Jun 01, 2020

On Facebook, I wrote regarding the George Floyd riots, "I understand why people are angry, but does anyone think that widespread destruction and theft is justified?

To my surprise, most people answered "Yes."

Perhaps I was unclear, so Rejoice and I made this video/podcast to clarify my question.

It's best to see the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwDt5s6WLo

However, the audio-only version makes sense.

About privilege

Many white people love to tell other white people to shut because white people can't talk because of white privilege. These white people never seem to see the hypocrisy of their statements.

We all forget that all Americans are EXTREMELY PRIVILEGED. Yes, even brown Americans.

If you disagree, I'll invite any American to spend a year in Rejoice's village. Oh, wait. It was destroyed by Boko Haram. Fine, in a nearby village.

Most humans would do anything to switch places with ANY American, even one with a lot of melanin is in their skin or a tiny bank account. Most Americans are in the world's top 10%.

Americans have no sense of perspective. We're spoiled brats.

I'm all in favor of progress and I know protests can help get us there.

But violence on innocent people is never justified.

But some people think seem to think it is.

Let's how you feel when Boko Haram burns down your village in the name of some higher cause.

Saturday May 30, 2020

Riots in Minneapolis - Gary Arndt reports from his hometown

Saturday May 30, 2020

Gary Arndt, a famous world-traveler, has been to chaotic places, but this week, chaos came to his hometown, Minneapolis.

We talked last night while we heard rioting outside his window. On this recording, you'll hear sirens, honking horns, and helicopters.

George Floyd's death sparked riots throughout the USA, but the epicenter is in Gary's backyard.

In the second half of the interview, we switch topics to talk about his diet.

I've had 2 vegans on my podcast (Sym and Gehn), so Gary will provide a different perspective since his diet is the antithesis of veganism.

ABOUT THE AUDIO: Before recording, I was experimenting with my audio setup and I forgot to reset. As a result, my audio is poor. Sorry about that. Luckily, Gary does most of the talking and he sounds fine.

More info

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!

On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on:

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

The best reward is the $25 reward, which entitles you to $300 of gifts for the holidays! It's the best win-win reward out there!

If you prefer to do a one-time contribution, you can send it to my PayPal at FT@FrancisTapon.com