I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.

– Jack Kerouac

The Dream -

Traveling around the world has been a dream for me since I was laid off from my first post-college job in March 2002. It has taken me over 5 years to make it happen, and I am at once ridiculously excited about the possibilities, and a bit uneasy about this whole lack of a job and income idea that goes along with it.

Dare Me! Activity -

Dare me to do something funny, embarrassing, strange, adventurous or pedestrian.

Tell me about it by leaving a comment, or sending me a message, along with a suggested donation amount (and web address if you have one). If I accept, then I’ll write about it, post pictures and/or video on the blog, and show my thanks by adding you to the Dare Me! page.

Here are a few ideas…

• Visit a certain monument (beach, park, etc.)
• Eat a strange food (insects, birds, brains, etc.)
• Spend a day trying to get the phone number of a Parisian woman (note: this is hard enough when you speak the language!)
• Obtain and mail a souvenir
• Go 5 days without a shower (warning: this might happen without the dare)

Submit your dares any time you feel like throwing down a challenge. If it is location-specific, I’ll simply list it as “pending” until I make it to the appropriate part of the world. If a dare is completed, donations can easily be made via PayPal or credit/debit card using the “Make a Donation” button on the left sidebar or below.

The Payoff -

To give you a sense of what things cost…

• $1 – a beer in Bali, Indonesia
• $6 – 1 night in a hut on a Thai beach
• $10 – 1 day/night in India
• $30 – 1 day/night in Peru
• $60 – 1 day/night on a Greek island
• $90 – 111 meter/333 foot bungee jump from Victoria Falls Bridge in Zambia (gulp!)

All donors, regardless of whether you dare me to do something, will be recognized on the site as a way to “thank you” for your support.

Day Trekker Club ($1-14)

• Stu
• Justin
• Christine

Sleepover Club ($15-49)

• Erica
• Stefan
• Jeff and Michelle
• Dan
• Sara
• Chris
• Amy
• Daniel

Jack Kerouac Club ($50+)

• Mark
• Bill
• Steve
  
• Patrick
• Chris and Rocio
• Mom and Dad
• Phil
• Grandma W (if she only knew)

The Dares -

#1 – From Justin: I would come up with a sweet dare for you, except that, like you are soon to feel, my bank account has been poured into a not-too-narrow funnel. But if you pick your nose in front of the Sky Tower, I’ll buy you a beer.

Reward: a tasty beer in New Zealand

Status: Completed

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#2 – From RBL: I dare you to convince single women (aged 18-35) to have their photo taken with their hand on your shoulder.

Reward: $5 per woman. No limit.

Status: Completed

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#3 – From Kango Suz: If you can post any pictures of you with more than 6 single women with their hands on your one shoulder I’ll give you $10 per pic!

Reward: $10 per pic.

Status: Completed

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#4 – From Stu: I dare you to get a hamburger with the lot in Australia from a real fish and chip shop (that encompasses the following ingredients)

- fried egg (hard yolk/soft yolk optional)
- bacon
- lettuce
- tomato
- beetroot
- grilled onion
- cheese
- grilled pineapple ring

Must include two steamed dim sims with soy sauce as a side. Must include photo.

Reward: $10

Status: Completed

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#5 – From Bob:

Hey, Dave, great job doing this trip!

However, now that you’ve mentioned topless Bondi Beach, I can’t resist but dare you to get a nice, clear photo of you with a pretty topless young lady, with her bosom clearly visible.

Hopefully with the $100 I will give you, you can enjoy a dinner together afterwards. Or maybe just some liquor!

Happy Trippin’!

Reward: $100

Status: Failed

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#6 – From Sara:

I have a good first dare for ya. After seeing your picture with the fluffy koala bear, and reading about the monkey forests full of gray monkeys in Bali, I’ve decided that your dare is the following:

I dare you to load your day pack with bananas and head into one of the monkey forests. (Sengeh, Jalan, Ubud?) Once there get the help of someone nice to hold your camera and take pictures. Then, quickly peel and hold two handfuls of bananas and extend your arms like a tree.

I’ll contribute a donation of 20$ for each monkey on your body in one single photograph. From what i read those monkeys can be fast so you have to be too! And very brave! I would think the more bananas you pack up, the better chance you have of attracting mucho monkeys, and therefor getting the very best and busy single shot… I also suggest leaving a trail of nuts to your final photo spot as a pre-banana warm up, but that part is entirely up to you.

(Bananas and nuts should be sold at the entrance to the park.)

Good luck….

Reward: $20 per monkey on my body

Status: Completed

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#7 – Overland Travel

OK Dave, I think I have a particularly unoriginal dare that will nonetheless get you out of your comfort zone! When you get there, I dare you to get your picture taken with one of Thailand’s finest ladyboys… And no cheating – we need evidence of a prominent Adam’s apple and manly hands! (As you know, get someone reliable to take it for you… don’t want anyone running off with your camera!)

Since you will need to get your running shoes on shortly after the pic has been taken – straight to a chemical shower no doubt – I will stick the amount at $50 which should get you a reasonably decent hotel in Thailand for a night.

Enjoy!

Reward: $50 (to go toward a nice night in a Thai hotel)

Status: Completed

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#8 – From Tim:

I’ll pay you $30 to eat a scorpion on a stick from a street vendor in China and describe the experience, either that or $15 for fried pigeon head from a restaurant. They were available all over the place when I was there in May. Good Luck!

Reward: $30 (scorpion), $15 (fried pigeon head)

Status: Failed

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#9 – From Dan:

Looks like you’re running low on dares. Now that you’re in China I dare you to ride a scooter (as a passenger or driver) down a ridiculously crowded street. Just like in the pictures.

Seems to me you could do this in either China or India, but you can do it where ever you have time/motivation.

Provide photographic evidence and your compensation will be $25 plus rental fee if you have to rent to complete your task. I’ll up the winnings if the street is REALLY crowded.

Reward: $25+

Status: Completed

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#10 – From Jon (brother):

I’d put up $200 to see you get a tattoo, maybe a mandala or something all buddhasty. You know you want one, so what better story than ‘this one time in Nepal I …’

Reward: $200

Status:  Failed

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#11 – From Stefan:

Heres a new dare for $20…take a ride on the roof of a train in India.

Reward: $20

Status: Failed

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#12 – From Jeff:

I dare you to eat an Indian dish called Vindaloo in India.

Reward: $10

Status: Completed

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#13 – From Stefan:

Go to an underground Muai Thai fight in Thailand, Cambodia or Laos. Any bare knuckle competition that is not sanctioned will do.

I guess I’ve been watching too many fight videos lately =)

Reward: $20

Status: Completed

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#14 – From Erica:

You knew someone would dare you to eat dog while you were in Vietnam, didn’t you?

Reward $20

Status: Completed

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#15 – From Jay:

I dare you to take a Walk In Muay Thai class for one day. It will be the best workout of your life, and it is fairly cheap! Since you are in Phuket, may I suggest Rawai Muay Thai, or Tiger Muay Thai? They are the most Americanized. I’ll buy ya a beer.

Reward: A beer

Status: Completed

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#16 – From Chris:

Cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa.

Reward: $100

Status: Completed

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#17 – From Matthew:

Ok here’s one for South Africa. Try an apparent South African delicacy called Skop:

“Skop. Head of a cow, sheep or goat. The head is first scrubbed with a sharp instrument like a razor to remove skin and unwanted parts like ears and the nose are then cut out. The head is then boiled and allowed to simmer. Favored by African men.”  — SouthAfrica.info

Reward: $20

Status: Completed

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