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Nov. 15, 2013
Canada, from far and wide
Robin Esrock’s one-of-a-kind bucket list offers unique travels.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
There are so many reasons to be proud to be Canadian, and scenic views are not nearly the only reason to travel across our magnificent and diverse country. If you’ve ever thought about doing so, but not followed through, Robin Esrock’s The Great Canadian Bucket List: One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences should motivate you to finally take that trip – or at least venture outside of Vancouver.
The Jewish Independent spoke with Esrock about how he made it to our fair city, and how the renowned TV host and travel writer came to create his comprehensive bucket list.
JI: You’re originally from Johannesburg, but came to Vancouver in 1999. Why did you leave South Africa, and how did you and your family end up in Vancouver?
RE: I left South Africa in 1997, worked in the U.K. for Reuters, BBC and other media companies for a couple years. My brother immigrated to Vancouver and kept sending photos of his life at the beach in Kitsilano. Compared to drab London and sprawling Johannesburg, it looked like paradise. I put in my papers and landed as an immigrant without ever visiting North America. And never looked back. My mom, dad and younger brother arrived a few years later when they saw we were staying put. Some other school friends arrived, and their families came later, too. My parents bought a business, Luxcious Upholstery on Main Street, and retired earlier this year.
JI: What languages do you speak?
RE: English, a smattering of Portuguese (my wife is Brazilian), some Hebrew (it returns when I’m in Israel) and a definite fluency in Drunkanese, which, fortunately, is understood worldwide.
JI: You mention in your book the accident that set you off around the world. What were you doing professionally before then, and how did you become a travel writer?
RE: It was a scooter accident. It took place on the corner of Alberni and Bidwell downtown. I’d bought a scooter for the summer. Every day I’d ride up Alberni Street (I was living on Alberni and Chilco at the time) and think “that’s a sketchy intersection.” One day, a car didn’t stop at the stop sign. I braked hard but crashed harder. I broke my kneecap, which to this day, I call the luckiest break of my life. The next day, I was sworn in as a Canadian citizen, completely zonked on painkillers, my leg in a brace. The judge respected my commitment to the country! I received the $20K settlement nine months later, with help from my immigration lawyer, South African ex-pat Des Friedland. During that time, I had moved from a job working for Sam Feldman’s music agency to working for a technology company that turned into a total sham. It seemed like the universe was trying to tell me something. “That accident could have been game over! Get out there and start doing the things you’ve always wanted to do.” I’d backpacked quite a bit after university and when I worked in London: Israel, Scandinavia, western Europe ... but it was time to take it to a new level. I ended up solo traveling to 24 countries in 12 months, and evolved into a travel writer along the way.
JI: You dedicate The Great Canadian Bucket List to your grandfather and father. Why?
RE: My grandfather once told me he’d always wanted to see the world, and figured he would one day if he worked hard. By the time he could retire, his health had suffered, and he no longer had the energy. He inspired me to act now. Not tomorrow. Now, while our dreams are fresh, our legs are strong, and our minds are awake. My dad joined me for a number of experiences in this book. He’s been a hardworking family man all his life. His work ethic inspired me, and he constantly reminded me how lucky I am to do what I do.
JI: What was the process of writing the book?
RE: The book was inspired by a 2011 column in the Globe and Mail. On Canada Day, I thought it would be fun to write a list of things to do in Canada before you die. I’d traveled to so many other places, and Canada felt somewhat neglected. A publisher approached me about turning that column into a book, and I spent the next two years traveling to every province and territory to find the best experiences one should do, and can only do, in Canada. Some of the items I’d covered while filming my TV show Word Travels or on other assignments, but most were ticked off in the two-year research period. I couldn’t believe nobody had written such a book before! There are so many experiences unique to Canada, and that can be found nowhere else. After visiting 109 countries, I know!
JI: The Great Canadian Bucket List is not only comprehensive, but there are all the web links, the social media aspects, the connections with advertisers. Can you please talk a little about the breadth of the project and it being a type of living document?
RE: I had no interest writing a guidebook. They go out of date quickly, and it’s so dry. It doesn’t explain why these experiences belong on the list. There’s no context, no story, no voice. But I respect that information is important if I want others to follow in my footsteps, so I wrote an inspirational book, and built a comprehensive informational companion website. The website – canadianbucketlist.com – turned out to be more work than the book! Each experience has all the practical info, videos, galleries, reading guides, maps and social media. I can update the information easily, keep the info relevant and easily add new experiences (there’s 20 new experiences already on the site). The book, on the other hand, is fun to read, full of useful trivia, inspired ideas, and a wonderful celebration of the country.
Since I filed the book copy, I’ve discovered so many more items that belong on the list, and expect I’ll continue to do so. With the help of sponsors like Ford Canada, Via Rail, Destination B.C. and Parks Canada, I’ve turned the book into an ongoing national conversation, in multiple media.
JI: To compile this book, you ventured far and wide, and took some risks (heli-skiing, walking off a mountain, etc.). Now that you have a daughter, will you be taking fewer such risks? Has your attitude toward traveling (i.e. being away from home) changed at all?
RE: My wife, daughter and parents joined me on the 17-city national speaking tour, driving in Ford-sponsored cars from Vancouver to Ottawa. I learned long ago that an experience is only as special as the people you share it with, and it’s wonderful to share this one with my family. That being said, I’ve slept 42 minutes in three weeks! My seven-month-old daughter Raquel loves the car, the hotels not so much. It’s been very tiring, but worth it. I’ve got a reputation for doing crazy stuff, but for this book, I wanted every experience to be something anyone can actually do. Nothing fantastical, nothing dangerous. Heli-skiing, scuba diving and CN Tower’s Edgewalk were a little scary, but you’d have to be dreadfully unlucky for something bad to happen. In 109 countries, I’ve never been robbed, attacked or violently sick. Thrills are fun, but being safe and healthy is better.
JI: You had an Oct. 15 speaking engagement here and you have, among others, one in Victoria on Nov. 19. Any other local public engagements planned?
RE: My talk in Vancouver was mostly attended by family and friends. I can’t wait to give it to the group at the JFSA’s [Jewish Family Service Agency’s] lunch program, where I’ve volunteered as a driver for years. If there’s a demand, I’d happily present another talk in Vancouver. There are so many great stories to share, from Canada and beyond.
JI: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
RE: There’s a wonderful prize package for anyone who registers on the Bucket List website. VIA Rail are offering two tickets for a private sleeper cabin on their “Canadian” train journey from Vancouver to Toronto. The winner also gets free nights at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and Toronto’s Royal York, and experience passes from Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Toronto. It’s a fantastic prize, and definitely one for the bucket list. That four-day train journey, featured in the book, ended up changing my life. My wife joined me for the trip and, nine months later, our daughter was born!
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