Follow Your Hart

Currently out to sea off the coast of Japan.

I’m trying something a little different here with this post. Through the emails I receive from Navy recruits and people interested in the military, I understand that my website appears when people search different topics related to the U.S. Navy. Thus, I’d like to give a glimpse of what I actually do in the U.S. Navy when the ship I am on- USS Blue Ridge- is out at sea.

Mostly what I share on my website has to do with my travels- both solo and the ports I go to with my ship. I like separating my life in Navy as I would any other job. But these last few months, it’s been different. I can tell you that the friends I’ve made recently on the ship, the places we’ve gone to (eight countries to three months), and the experiences I’ve had have made this one of the best out to sea times I’ve had in the two and half years I’ve been aboard.

With the many places we’ve traveled to and the many opportunities I’ve had behind the camera, I’ve noticed my photography has gotten a lot better and my improvements at it have made me enjoy my work even more.

When you wake up at 5 a.m. every morning while out to sea, you never know what the day is going to bring. There are drills, cleaning, exercises and other “normal routines” that you know you’ll have to do. But it’s the unplanned things that make the days fun. Like a few days ago when I went up to the main deck to shoot the Marines during their weapons training. Or when I took pictures of a weapon that fires 100 round a minute (the Phalanx CIWS) and captured an image that Sailors in the rate community which handle that weapon shared around the world. It’s those moments which make me love my job. That’s why I am sharing them now. Hope you enjoy the following images that I took within the last few weeks aboard the USS Blue Ridge. Shout out to the Marines of FAST 3rd Platoon for allowing me to take their environmental portraits.

(All U.S. Navy photographs by Fidel C. Hart/Released)

They said it could not be done, well I did it. I, "got the fire!"

The sunsets out to sea are the most splendid I've seen.

The serenity I seek after a long day on the ship.

Thank you for taking the time to view this post. Now you see a little of what I do on the ship as a photographer in the U.S. Navy. If you would like to view more of my Navy images, you can check out my ship’s Facebook page. But don’t it before you like my Facebook page, ha ha.

My wonderful room at the Z Through.

The luxury and comfort at the Z Through By the Zign luxury hotel is understated on their website. The instant I entered the resort lobby, I was impressed with the warmth from the decor and the furniture that complimented the ambient light coming through.

Light could be the theme of the resort. The rooms are filled with large windows, letting in a light that reflected nicely off the red tones in the bathroom and living room. It’s a room that seems to be designed for daytime enjoyment. Not something I am use to getting in hotel rooms. This room wants you to stay in all day.

Staying at the room all day is no problem either: The resort swimming pool is just outside your patio. It is very convenient and quite spoiling to have a pool literally at your doorstep. Of course, the pool is inviting because you have a view of it right at your feet in your living room. I enjoyed the glass floor panel, having the pool right at my feet. I loved this feature, especially after finding out that I could swim underneath my room and see into it.

Glass view of the pool from the living room.

The Z Through’s location is excellent. A 15-minute drive from Central Pattaya Mall, the Z Through takes you far away from the non-stop party atmosphere that begins on Pattaya Beach Road and ends at Walking Street. Aside from your occasional baht bus driver, there aren’t many touts asking if you want to see a pu–y show or get a soapie massage. Your in an area that most travelers to Pattaya aren’t keenly aware of and that’s a benefit if you’ve been here before and want privacy and serenity.

The resort’s Spazio restaurant offers up great Thai and Italian cuisine. You can eat at the restaurant or order the room service. There is also an incredible coffee shop and bakery on location called Krumbz (how they spell it). Since it was the one location with a working wi-fi signal, I found myself there twice a day, but it was worth it because they served uber tasty frappes, fruit shakes and desserts. If the food is a little too pricey for Thailand for you, right next door to the Z Through, there is a very good restaurant for Indian and Thai cuisine. The place had the best tasting butter naan bread and tikka chicken I’ve tasted. Also, it’s a good place for a late-night sheesha.

As much as I love a comfortable bed, a comfortable bathroom is just as important. The bathroom in my room was spacious, colorful and cozy. The rain shower was a highlight, but the bathtub was also quite soothing. The soaps and body lotions the resort provides gave me the sense that I was bathing in a mango grove. To top it off, the bathroom includes a flat-screen television above the bathtub.

Z Through By the Zign is designed with L.O.V.E. in mind. All 80 rooms are divided into four concepts: Light, Ozone, Viva and Emotion. The Ozone and Emotion room concepts are the only that are at the pool level.

If you want to spoil and comfort yourself in a city that is becoming more family and couple friendly, I recommend you Follow Your Hart and book your stay in Pattaya at Z Through By the Zign. I loved it so much there, that along with hanging out at the Hilton Hotel’s bars, would be the reasons I’d return to Pattaya. Enjoy the photographs below of the Z Through By the Zign luxury hotel.

"It's a lifestyle."

This was not a sponsored post. Through my research and knowing what I wanted in a hotel stay in Pattaya, I discovered Z Through. You can book your room through the hotel’s website, on Agoda or Asia Web Direct. Each of the three may have a different price, so definitely research before you book. The hotel is located in the Naklua district of Pattaya, which is a 15-minute drive from Central Pattaya Festival. A private baht bus or taxi ride should be no more than 200 baht to get from the hotel to Beach Road and Walking Street.

Follow Your Hart- “It’s a lifestyle.”

Current location: Somewhere in the Java Sea

The obvious choice for the Picture of the Week- perhaps Picture of a Lifetime- is the one you see above. About an hour before I took the photograph, I was standing on the main deck of the ship. The water was calm as a swimming pool and most of the clouds were low laying in the horizon. The sun was bright, full, with a powerful glow. The ripe conditions for a beautiful sunset.

I waited and waited. With my camera, I walked around taking various pictures of Sailors, objects, and the horizon in a variety of aperture and shutter speeds. As the sun began to set, I readied myself and got in the right position to capture what was developing right in front of me.

It’s hard to say something is the most beautiful of anything, but what I saw for about 15 solid minutes last night could only be described that way. I had been shooting most of the sunset with a 24-70mm lens but it was at a certain point where I decided to attach my 70-200mm and really zoom in on the horizon. That is what you see above. No Photoshop required except for the watermark. Nature at it’s most glorious, life at its most beautiful. Moments like the one I saw last night stay with you forever and it is why I love photography; because it can stay forever even long after I am not remembered.

The following photographs were also taken last night, along with a few of my favorites from the two days I spent in Singapore over the weekend.

My friend, Michael, doing what he loves when we travel- smoking sheesha.

Yours truly finally getting to see the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

One of our helicopters silhouetted in the sunset.

Singapore's bayside skyline and an even brighter smile.

The Marina Bay Sands in black and white.

Trying my best to capture the elusive "green glow."

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On my first visit to Siem Reap a year ago, I was on a budget. A tight budget to be honest. The visit to home of Angkor Historical Park was in-between a four-day stay in Hanoi and three days in Phuket, Thailand. With these being my first solo adventures across SE Asia, I was not sure how much to budget for and when and where I could splurge. Thus, when it was time to book a room in Siem Reap, I went with the best option I could find on Hostel World.

For a little more than $10 a night, I gotta admit that I was very surprised with how nice, clean, friendly, attentive and accommodating my stay at Golden Mango was. At the time, I even considered staying there again if and when I’d visit Siem Reap again.

Fast forward a year later and the unexpected opportunity to visit Siem Reap again. This time though, as a more seasoned SE Asian traveler, I knew exactly how far money would go and what I wanted from a stay.

After doing a lot of research; reading reviews and looking at websites, my friends and I decided to get rooms at the Borei Angkor Resort and Spa.

We arrived in Siem Reap after 8pm, after driving for nearly six hours from Phnom Penh. It was a long, scary drive, but I hardly noticed it as I was knee deep in reading the final book of the ‘Hunger Games Trilogy.’ Lost in the book, the drive didn’t seem as long as six hours should feel, but every 10 or minutes, I’d be jolted by the sudden stopping power of our driver’s brakes as he avoided crashing into livestock or a truck.

With evening upon us when we arrived in Siem Reap, we were all very excited. I was excited because it would be my friends first time seeing Angkor and that gave me the opportunity to play travel expert. All over the ship people now call me Hart’s All Over the World or Follow Your Hart and it feels great. As we pulled into the Borei Angkor Resort and Spa, our mouths collectively dropped in astonishment. We each dapped one another up, for we knew we chose the right place.

We were welcomed with an arrival tea and desserts in the exquisite lobby as we waited for our check-in process to complete. The host asked us about our travels and our plans in Siem Reap, offering to book our tuk tuk driver for the early morning sunrise at Angkor Wat, as well as giving us great itinerary suggestions.

The location of the resort is great. Only a 5 minute tuk tuk ride from the hotel to Pub Street and the Siem Reap Night Market. It’s also on the main road in Siem Reap.

Once our check-in was complete, it was time to get in our rooms. I wanted a room with a pool view but I wasn’t that fortunate on this occasion. No complaining though because I was awed by the beautiful decor and spaciousness of the room immediately as the lights came on.

One of the first things I look at when I check in to any room is the bathroom. I love a good rain shower and the bathroom here had every touch. There was one of those old-fashion looking tubs that have shiny legs. According to my friends, the bath tubs in their rooms came with a packet of rose petals to sprinkle in it. I am no sure about mine because I only showered. The bathroom was huge though and the selection of soaps and shampoos were very nice.

Although it was too hot in the day to enjoy it, the balcony was a nice feature and I was impressed with the local woodwork used for the balcony and room furniture. On the television there were a wide array of English language channels and, most importantly, at least four channels dedicated to football from across the world.

The pool was very inviting and I accepted the invitation after a long morning spent touring Angkor Historical Park. As my friend opted for the spa, I decided to take a nice, long dip in the pool. It was awesome there because the jacuzzi is connected to it, so after a few laps, I didn’t have to leave the pool to relax and soak my tired muscles. The following day is when I decided to enjoy the spa portion of the resort.

I got the two-hour gentlemen’s package at the spa which included a body scrub; neck, back and shoulder massage; scalp massage treatment; and a health facial. I’ve never treated myself to a package like that before. It was great! I felt very invigorated, relaxed and new.

The only negative thing I have to say about Borei are the prices for drinks and food there. When you can get a delicious meal and drink out in town for less than $5 USD, it’s hard justifying paying $10 USD for a beer and $20 USD for an entree.

Aside from that, I’d rate this wonderful resort and spa a 4.5 out of 5. I’d definitely stay here again and for the price per night (less than $70) it was a steal. Each person working there made you feel welcomed and wanted. Every one greets you with smiles and that is exactly how you leave.

I am currently in: Jakarta, Indonesia

If there really is a place called Hell and another called Heaven, and if getting to Heaven means I have to give up the things that could get me in Hell… well… I hope melanin and dark skin work in the afterlife.

When I travel, my morals still travel with me, but there is something about traveling that frees me; I live a few weeks of excess that I normally don’t partake in during my routine day-to-day life of work.

The Seven Deadly Sins are a Christian classification of objectionable vices, used since early times to educate Christian’s on mankind’s tendency to sin. My Seven Deadly Travel Sins are the sins I often always commit when I travel. Damn me to hell!

Definitions from Wikipedia

1. Gluttony

Derived from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste- in particular, food.

When I travel, my taste buds travel too. If there is anything I can attest to over-indulging in, it is local food. Usually when I am planning my travel budget, I set aside almost 30% of it for food. I’ll try my best to get by on street food and small bites, but that usually last only a few days before I am inside of some nice restaurant taking advantage of the inexpensive, locally caught prawns, crab and fish. In Sihanoukville, Cambodia for instance, you could get prawns the size of Kimbo Slice’s fists for less than $10 for a dozen. Like his UFC career, those prawns did not last too long when they were placed on my table.

I am very gluttonous when it comes to sashimi as you can see.

2. Pride

Pride is considered the most original and serious sin. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self.

My definition of pride is different than what I posted above. For me, pride as a travel sin comes when I finally see or accomplish something that I dreamed of. For instance, the moment in 2009 when I stepped out of the Paris Metro station at Notre Dame, looked across the Seine River and saw the Eiffel Tower with my own eyes (a memory that still makes me smile). That was a prideful moment and since that day, I’ve had many of them. It is definitely a love of self- of self accomplishment. For many people, myself including, traveling gives us a sense of accomplishment, whether we save months for a trip or get sponsored. It is good to feel pride and being proud of the goals you achieve.

The exact moment when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

3. Greed

Greed is a sin of excess, characterized by a very excessive desire to pursue wealth, status and power.

I may not make anything close to a million, but I sure know how to look and act like a millionaire when I travel. You know what’s great about five-star hotels in third world countries? They cost about as much as a Best Western in the USA, only they don’t realize that and they treat you like a millionaire, especially when you have a million dollar swag. Get me in a suit, walking in pressing buttons on my iPhone and flashing a white smile, and I have them molded like puddy in my hands. It’s all about attitude and I’ve found that having the right attitude in many hotels and restaurants will get you a lot of free things. Greed is good.

Have suit, will travel well.

4. Sloth

Defined as having spiritual or emotional apathy, and being physically or emotionally inactive. In other words, sloth mean laziness.

Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t traveling and being lazy go hand-in-hand? At least when I am near a beach it does.

Turn the alarms off, matter of fact, don’t even let me see the time. When I’m vacationing where a beach is involved, sloth is the word of the week. I’m chillaxing on a beach sofa, umbrella above me, cerveza beside me and the sounds of the sea surrounding me. I love closing my eyes to the sounds of the waves and birds and waking up to the sun beginning to set. Come evenings, the beaches of Asia always seem to come alive with lively night markets and parties that don’t require the sloth in me to move much.

Yea, this is the definition of sloth right here. Koh Ngai, Thailand.

5. Envy

Those who commit the sin of envy not only resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, but also wish the other person to be deprived of it.

The envy I feel when I travel is directed at the locals. Many of them lack what we Westerners consider material wealth. Yet although they may be poor in the monetary sense, a lot of people I come across and meet on my travels appear to be full of emotional and spiritual wealth. Not only that, but they love living in the places that I only get to visit. I envy them for that.

A life of peace and tranquility.

6. Wrath

Wrath may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger.

I feel wrath when I travel, when I look and learn about the injustice that local people have had to endure. In particular, I have strong feelings of wrath when I visit areas of Australia where the aborigines have a strong presence. Seeing how they have been mistreated for over a century upsets me, especially when it is so obvious. I also have felt strong feelings of wrath when visiting Cambodia and Vietnam. Anger at the treatment millions of innocent locals had to endure with decades of war.

Enough to make any person feel wrath at the injustices of fellow men.

7. Lust

Lust is usually thought of as excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature.

As much as some of you may want to read about sex here, unfortunately for you, that’s not what I am going to do. Lust for me when I travel is my lust for life and adventure.

I have a lust for happiness and I get that lust fulfilled every day that I am able to see somewhere new, meet local people, try new foods and simply take in every thing that surrounds me. I love being a part of this world in this day. Lust for life. Lust for love. Lust for adventure.

Lust for life!

These are my seven deadly travel sins. Hope you enjoyed reading and please share this post or subscribe to my updates to keep this page moving up

“Mister, mister, you have money for me?”

“Chocolate man, you buy a bracelet from me?”

“Damn you, chocolate man, why you so mean? You buy from me Obama man.”

I admit that at times I cracked a smile at the ways the kids in Phnom Penh and other parts of Cambodia would approach me to buy things or simply give them a dollar. I smiled at their inventiveness and charm, but was careful not to mock their predicament.

You can Google the numbers. They are staggering. In Phnom Penh alone, there are estimated to be anywhere between 2,000-10,000 children as young as four, working on the streets rather than attending schools. Children as young as 10 have been observed (not by myself) shooting heroin or sniffing glue. Some estimates I read said that over 70% of the street children reported to have had sex with tourists. Tragic statistics for a country trying hard to separate itself from a tragic history.

On my last night in Sihanoukville, Cambodia last weekend, as our tuk tuk driver took us back to the ship, I saw a young Cambodian boy asleep on the sidewalk; no pillow, blanket, not even a jacket for cushioning.

While walking along Pub Street in Siem Reap, a young girl approached my friends and I asking for milk for her sister. She was carrying her baby sister in a sling and said that she did not want money, she just needed milk for her sister. When I told her that I didn’t have money to get her milk, she said to me, “No money, no honey. No dollar, no boom boom.” I nearly broke down and cried at that moment. I couldn’t even stay out that night, opting to return to my hotel.

I saw these things not more than two days after visiting on of the sights where the Khmer Rouge had their killing fields outside of Phnom Penh. As I listened to the audio guide during my tour, I learned the different methods the Khmer Rouge used to kill innocent Cambodians from 1975-1979. At one point, they became conservative with their bullets and decided it would be more cost effective to beat people to death. There was a tree at the killing field and on that tree were 100′s of bracelets. Those bracelets were in memory of the 100′s of children who were beaten to death at the tree.

Tree at the killing fields where children were taken to and beaten against by the Khmer Rouge.

They were not beaten to death at the tree; they were beaten to death against the tree.

I can no longer contemplate the cruelty of man. I can’t imagine that scene actually happening. How are people who commit such crimes even allowed to live? There are men and women- free men and women- walking around Cambodia right now who committed these acts.

I cannot put into written or oral words how heart wrenching it is hearing about and seeing what children in Cambodia endure. They are not only being exploited by their families, but also by tourists. I hope Cambodia has the death penalty for any foreigner caught engaging in sexual acts with a minor. If they don’t, maybe they can send the tourists over the border into Thailand with a pound of weed strapped to them.

When is society as a whole going to protect our children? What drives people to exploit and commit crimes against children? I know it happens in cities and countries all around the world. It’s just that for myself, I’ve never seen it so in my face before. We’d be stopped at a gas station and the instant we got out of the car, kids would approach us. If we gave money, we’d see the kid go around the corner and then more kids would come from that area like puppets on a string. It was as if there were someone directing them on what to say and do when they approached us.

Photos of children taken prisoner and tortured at the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

I think about that sleeping boy. Can’t get him out of my mind. No shoes on his feet. Nothing to lay his head on. His future is already written for him. The little girl with the baby. Does she have a chance? Or will she wind up working at a hostess bar at an age where she isn’t legally old enough to drink?

What will become of these street children? Is Cambodia doing anything to lessen their numbers and educate them and the adults surrounding them?

In future posts, I will tell you how great the food is in Cambodia or how amazing my hotels were. But why should I entice anyone to visit a country that does not take care of its people and improve their lot, not the livelihood of the tourists flooding in from China with their new money.

The street children of Phnom Penh are the children that the gods have forgotten. No way any higher power would allow children to be exploited to the extent they are now. Come to think of it, no way any man should allow children to be exploited as they are now.

This twisted tree at the killing fields speaks to me. It tells me about the twisted lives that it saw daily during the reign of terror the Khmer Rouge imposed upon the Cambodian people.

I have to admit, keeping a blog like this can be frustrating at times. Despite how much of it may be personal and may be my way of keeping a record of my life, sometimes I want to feel like people care. When you spend hours editing photos, writing and rewriting your thoughts, hit that post button and smile, all you want is to see a like, a share or even a comment. When it seems like no one cares, it can be a let down.

“Do people not like me?” “Am I not good enough?” “Do I need to be funnier?” “What does that person do that I’m not doing?” Those are things I honestly ask myself when I’m wondering why I don’t see more likes or shares. Not only on here but also on Facebook, Instagram and other places. Then I read travel bloggers giving advice on how they amass thousands of readers and fans and I realize that it takes a lot more than just telling a good story and sharing great pictures to be considered a “successful travel blogger.” It seems to take a lot of work, lol.

I like letting my writing do the work, but that isn’t always good enough. You really have to sell yourself. I don’t mean sell yourself as in selling out, but sell yourself as in hitting the online pavement and networking like crazy. I don’t have the luxury of time to do that, so I suppose I’ll just keep doing what I have been- building an audience one person at a time.

I do commend those friends who the talent and have built great audiences. I definitely admire them and love how humble they stay.

I received an email today that reminded me that no matter how frustrating I may feel sometimes, that I started this travel blog for a reason. It’s an email like I get every so often and the message to me is to keep doing what I am doing, because no matter how few seem to “like” it, at least there are people who I am inspiring. With that said, allow me to say thank you to all of you who stop by and read. I love seeing all the countries that visited my site in the week. From the USA to UAE, Saudi Arabia to Switzerland, this site is allowing me to reach people in places I haven’t been yet. Thank you!

Here are three recent emails I’ve received from readers that make me happy to have this page:

Hey Fidel,

My name is James, I really enjoy your blog posts and rich photography. I was contemplating joining the navy for a long time and when I was researching jobs I stumbled upon your web site. Anyhow, not to sound like a fanboy or a kisass but- you seemingly have the things I want out of life- travel, simplicity, and a cool career. I just signed my contract for an MC in the navy and feel super blessed. I was wondering if you had any advice or insight into navy life, the job, and any other wisdom.

I will be sure to pass your site along to any like minded people. You are an inspiration for your travel excursions and service to our country.

Keep up the travels,

James-

Hi,

I just came across your blog, please allow me to commend you on the beautiful pictures and of course the valuable and entertaining stories of your travels.  Anyway I came across the blog as I was looking for information on Japanese travel, I live in England, and for 3weeks in the summer I will be travelling in Japan.  I am going to a 2week summer school in Hiroshima and then have an extra 5 days to tour, I really would love some ideas for those extra five days, excuse! if I am assuming that you are well seasoned for Japan travel advise but I am sure you might be able to offer me some good value ideas on how I can see a bit of Japan.  I am usually the ‘cultural, monuments’ tourist and I will also be travelling on a tight budget, I plan to travel in and out from Osaka, in Hiroshima I will be staying with a Japanese family and then I need to make my own plans after the summer school.  The days are from the 29/07-15/08, I am not so fussed about Tokyo but would really love some ideas on Kyoto (lovely! lovely pics, btw), Osaka and any other interesting places within the vicinity of Osaka.

I hope I  made some kind of sense and would really love to hear your ideas, and I would appreciate your kind assistance.  Thank you again for sharing your stories and life experiences.

Kind regards,

Sellina

Hi Fidel,

I came across your blog and really enjoyed reading through you entries. I recently decided to join the navy and met with a recruiter who told me about the opportunities to be had in the navy. I have about two days to decide whether i want to sign up or not and i feel very conflicted about it, i really hope to get some insider information from you.

I happen to be a very bored professional accountant (stuck in a cubicle) who has a BS and masters degree, i love to travel and have been to 13 countries so far and one of the main reason i was interested in the navy was the travel opportunity. I understand i will have to take a pay cut if i was to join the navy and being 32 yrs old i feel i may be too old to fit in. Is joining the navy out of the need to switch careers and travel worth it especially at my age? Any tips or insight would be greatly appreciated, i hope to hear back from you. Thanks.

Thank all of you! And if you’re a reader with any questions about life in the Navy, life in Japan or just travel in general, I am always happy to answer and assist you. hartsallovertheworld@gmail.com or facebook.com/ihartravel is how you can reach me. Happy travels!

Hello friends! Back on the ship after four wonderful days off in Cambodia. Went from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and back. It was quite the adventure but that’s one thing I live for. Stay tuned for posts about my thoughts on Cambodia’s street children, returning to Angkor, where to stay in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, plus more from Hoi An and the sakura season in Japan. I know I am behind on my posts, but please be patient with me. Lots of things going on on the ship and it isn’t easy writing personal things when I have superiors constantly over my shoulder. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite pictures from the great week I had in Cambodia.

(not actual color of the sky) Photo edited in Photoshop CS5.

A young Cambodian dress as an Aspara dancer poses at Angkor Wat.

Young Buddhist walking through Bayon temple.

Yea, I know exactly what you're thinking.

Horroring reminders of man's injustice to fellow man at the Killing Fields.

Posing with Khmer dancers at Angkor Wat.

A woman prays in front of a Buddhist monk in Phnom Penh.

The faces at Bayon temple.

Racing through the streets of Siem Reap in a tuk tuk.

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