Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 30

Travel
Did you ever have any post-roll regrets?
The biggest regret I had was when I ended
up riding an ostrich in Chiang Rai. I failed to
do enough research. When I arrived, I was
sickened by the condition of the birds and the
idea of mounting one of them. However, as
always, I followed through.
The whole experience must have thrown
up some pretty bizarre moments for you?
Well, at one point, the dice served me up the
beating heart of a snake with a shot of snake-
blood vodka! But with the dice creating these
clear-cut decisions, there ended up being
a lot of strange moments where I thought,
none of this would have happened if I had
rolled a two yesterday instead of a six. The
whole thing plays into serendipity’s hands so
well that it’s hard to think of a single moment
that isn’t kind of bizarre.
Do you have a favorite country that you
visited?
Each held its own set of gem-like experiences
and opportunities, and these came into being
because of the people I met. In general, it’s
who you meet along the way that has a great-
er impact on your enjoyment of a country,
rather than the landscape itself. This is one of
the reasons why I was so willing to throw the
dice to decide on where I went — because
who knew who I’d meet?
For example, I encountered a former drug
addict who saved me from destroying my bike
in Laos. I met a Thai man who dug my bike
out of engine-deep mud. And I got to know
a nomad who built a giant Dhow sailing ship
and once attempted to walk through much of
Africa without even his passport. I met a whole
year’s worth of amazing people. It’s hard to do
any of them justice without telling at least a
large portion of their stories, which is why they
are much more qualified to tell them than I am.
In total, how far did you travel?
I have no idea. The dice weren’t very good
at keeping me on logical routes and travel
paths, so I ended up going all over the
place. I started in Thailand and ended in
Kenya. However, I sold the motorcycle to go
to Vietnam and then sold the Vietnamese
motorcycle to go to Kenya, where the bike
I ended up with didn’t have a working
odometer.
Once your adventure was over, how did
it feel not relying on dice to make your
decisions?
I still use the dice. I think their utility
remains. However, it’s been a great relief
not to have to document all of my thoughts,
feelings and actions any more. It’s nice to
be able to keep some things private. I’m
focusing on writing about my adventures
right now, and I’m not sure what will
happen after that. I guess there’s always a
chance I’ll let the dice decide.
FOLLOW ALONG
Track Isaac’s journey as he continues to roll out
in-depth blog posts complete with photos and
drone videos at www.dicetravels.com. You can
also follow and message him on Instagram,
Facebook, and Twitter @DiceTravels.
30 WANDERLUST
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