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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
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Friday Oct 27, 2023
A subscriber wants to know: what is the ideal writing space?
It takes me 5-10 years to pump out a book, so I'm a lousy author to answer this question, but I'll try.
I answer the question in a three-minute video.
This house in California's Trinity Alps was nearly perfect because it lacked mobile phone coverage.
However, it had Internet.
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Avalanche expert Robert Hahn appeared on an earlier WanderLearn episode.
In last week's show, he and his Malagasy wife discussed the difference between Malagasy and American culture.
This week, we talk about:
Pakistan Culture
00:00 Why Pakistan?
01:30 Where Robert went
04:30 Safety
07:00 India relations
12:12 Surprises
Watch Video on YouTube!
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Avalanche expert Robert Hahn appeared on an earlier WanderLearn episode. Back then, he was single.
Now, he's brought this Malagasy wife to join him in one of the two episodes below. After we recorded, she preferred that I not share her name.
Madagascar vs. USA Culture
00:00 How they met
00:30 What shocked her
02:15 What shocked Robert
05:45 Couples in the USA vs. Madagascar
08:40 Fady = Forbidden Taboo
11:30 Body shape preferences
15:00 Madagascar's Future
Watch Video on YouTube!
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Friday Oct 06, 2023
A WanderLearn listener asked me:
"Why do people come to the United States to escape racism if there is systemic racism in the USA?"
In this show, I answer that question in 6 minutes.
Watch the Video on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKc2nQ4HXmg
Podcast
For more on racism in the USA, hear what Rejoice Tapon says.
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Friday Sep 29, 2023
NJ Ayuk has written a provocative book called A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix.
Akuk sums up his book in 6 words: "Gas First. Solar and Wind Later."
Here are some memorable parts of the book:
- 16% of the world is African, but they produce 3% of emissions.
- "Africa has supplied oil and gas to the world--while neglecting its own needs."
- Carbon emits "nearly twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as natural gas per unit of energy."
- More than 600 million people in the Sub-Sahara have no access to electricity.
- "The dignity of work goes a long, long way in building a strong, sustainable community."
- "Africa has 40% of the world's solar energy potential."
He sums up his book in a sentence: "We cannot ignore the needs of millions in our zeal to prevent climate change."
Africa shouldn't have to be energy poor
I'm not a climate doomsday activist. Most doom-and-gloom apocalyptic scenarios that many environmentalists forecast are overly negative.
Yes, the world is warming.
Yes, it's primarily human-made.
However, just as the Netherlands thrives despite being below sea level, most coastal metropolises will use technology to deal with sea level rise.
Farmers will grow different crops. Canadians will grow what farmers in Nebraska grow, and Nebraskans may grow tropical fruits.
In short, humanity will do what it's always done: adapt.
It won't be fun; we wish we were wiser; maybe 1 billion will die or get displaced, but we'll survive.
And yes, thousands of plant & animal species will suffer. It may be the sixth mass extinction event. But humans will survive it.
In short, part of me is fine with Ayuk's idea of Africa blasting tons of natural gas into the atmosphere because you must consume energy to get rich.
Ayuk suggests that humanity's ship is sinking, and Africa should be able to drink the alcohol with everyone else while the ship goes down.
Indeed, why does the rest of the world get to spew out greenhouse gases while Africans have to refrain or use solar/wind, which aren't 100% competitive yet?
I understand.
However, there are three problems
1. Africa will suffer more than any other continent from global warming since it is already the hottest continent. Therefore, they are shooting themselves in the foot by increasing greenhouse cases.
Ayuk cites that gas emits half the greenhouse gases of coal, but that's not a big difference. If it were 10x, I'd be impressed. But since Africans are growing from 1.1 billion to 4.4 billion this century, they need something better than gas.
2. As Ayuk rightly observes, Africa has abundant wind/solar capacity. Africa could lead in renewable, clean energy just like they leapfrogged others when they skipped landlines and went straight to mobile. Africans innovated on mobile money because they were early adopters.
Instead, Ayuk wants to copy the energy dinosaurs in the rich world who are already innovating in wind & solar. Africans will again be forced to buy wind & solar tech from abroad since they didn't invent it when they could because they were too busy burning their gas.
3. Ayuk has deep financial interests in African natural gas companies and apparently nothing in wind & solar. On August 1, 2023, his LinkedIn profile states:
"Mr. Ayuk concentrates particularly on the structuring, local content, documentation and negotiation of oil, gas and petrochemical transactions. His clients include oil and gas producers, operators, petrochemical manufacturers, oil field services companies and financing parties in the energy industry. He has played a key role in negotiating and documenting the purchase and sale of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets, farmins, farmouts, volumetric production payments and other drilling fund and development dollar investment arrangements, as well as petrochemical project development, asset acquisition and divestiture and joint venture investments. The Oil and Gas Year Publication recognized him as "a shrewd, street-smart, savvy dealmaker and major asset" and Chambers and Partners recognized him as an "important player" and a "tremendous resource"-an acknowledgement bestowed upon him by his peers in the industry."
Verdict
Ayuk is deep in bed with the oil and gas industry. He's made millions from that industry. Of course, he will champion Africa exploiting all their natural gas resources even if it leads to worse global warming. Ayuk has enough money to buy a few mansions in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Russia to escape the heat.
As Upton Sinclair said, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
1/10 stars.
#AJustTransitionMakingEnergyPovertyHistorywithanEnergyMix
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Sym Blanchard & I look into our crystal balls to assess global politics. Sym listens to countless political podcasts during his long hikes. I love to debate his reflections.
00:00 Presidential Election 2024
02:40 Ukraine War
04:00 Israel & Palestine
09:50 Taiwan
Watch the Video
Previous episodes featuring Sym
Listen to my first interview with Sym.
Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook and Instagram.
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Sep 15, 2023
Friday Sep 15, 2023
Sym Blanchard is a 70-year-old thru-hiker who completed America's Triple Crown hike in 2023! He's section-hiked all the sections of the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail!
Sym Blanchard has been a vegan for the last 10 years. He just got diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Although I still encourage veganism and vegetarianism, his tale emphasizes the importance of carefully watching your nutrition.
Timeline
00:00 Vegan gets osteoporosis
02:50 Diet changes
05:50 Long-term decline
13:13 Plans for 2024
Watch the Video
Previous episodes featuring Sym
Listen to my first interview with Sym.
Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook and Instagram.
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Sym Blanchard is a 70-year-old thru-hiker who completed America's Triple Crown hike in 2023! He's section-hiked all the sections of the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail!
Sorry that the audio quality is mediocre. Future episodes are better!
00:00 Finishing the Triple Crown
01:30 Israeli Trail
04:20 When age slows your hiking down
11:20 Rating trails
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTp-5znY5I
Previous episodes featuring Sym
Listen to my first interview with Sym.
Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook and Instagram.
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Terry Repak has written an expat memoir, Circling Home: What I Learned by Living Elsewhere.
Candid, thoughtful, and instructive, Circling Home explores the notion of “home” and how our bonds with people from other countries and cultures can profoundly change us.
I ask her:
- Which countries have you lived in?
- What were the hardest lessons to learn?
- What are the pros and cons of raising kids abroad?
- What tips do you have for living overseas?
- What surprised you about Africa?
- Any regrets?
- Who should we read your book?
Watch the YouTube Video
Podcast
HIV/AIDS Transmission
At the 4:45 mark of the show, I said, "You could have sex hundreds of times with an HIV-positive person and not get HIV."
That sounds like misinformation. Few know this dirty little secret. However, Perplexity.ai (a ChatGPT variant) and Terry's husband (who specializes in HIV) agreed with me.
Perplexity generated:
The odds of HIV transmission can vary depending on the type of sexual activity and other factors. Here are some estimates of the risk of HIV transmission per exposure:
1. **Vaginal Sex**:
- Female-to-male transmission: Approximately 0.04% (1 in 2380) [6].
- Male-to-female transmission: Approximately 0.08% (1 in 1234) [6].
2. **Anal Sex**:
- Receptive anal sex (receiving partner): Approximately 0.82% (1 in 122) [1].
- Insertive anal sex (inserting partner): Approximately 0.06% (1 in 1666) [1].
3. **Oral Sex**:
- Receptive oral sex (receiving partner): Very low risk, but not zero[3].
- Insertive oral sex (inserting partner): Very low risk, but not zero[3].
It is important to note that these estimates are based on averages and can vary depending on individual factors such as viral load, presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and use of preventive measures like condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) [6]. Additionally, the risk of transmission can be higher during acute HIV infection or if there are open sores or bleeding gums[2].
It is always recommended to practice safe sex by using condoms consistently and correctly, getting tested regularly for HIV and other STIs, and discussing HIV prevention options with a healthcare provider[6].
Citations:
[1] https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/preventing-hiv/odds-hiv-transmission-rank/
[2] https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive-health/hiv-aids/causes/risk-of-exposure.html
[3] https://www.ihv.org/news/2022-News/TheBody-What-Are-the-Chances-of-Getting-HIV-from-One-Exposure.html
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1881672/
[5] https://www.insti.com/chances-of-getting-hiv/
[6] https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/estimated-hiv-risk-exposure
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Two of my business school classmates, Brad Graff & Sam Sliman, have a spreadsheet listing the top 40 Global Hikes. On that list is South Africa's 205-km Drakensberg Traverse.
Since Sym Blanchard & I hiked the Grand Traverse, Brad & Sam wanted to pick my brain on the experience.
Timeline
00:00 Brad & Sam's hiking experience
03:30 Drakensberg Traverse Safety
10:00 When to go
10:40 Trail GPS GPX Tracks
15:00 Section hiking & logistics
If you've hiked the Drakensberg Traverse in the 2020s, comment below!
Watch Video on YouTube
More info
To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon
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. Connect with 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!
Affiliate links
Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!
In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.
Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!
For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.