Indonesia Tatler Traveller - Cover Story (1st Issue)

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from

North to

South

Retired businessman Edward Lang and his two sons get their feet wet in the Arctic and Antarctica and capture their coldest moments, writes Tyara P. Hansel

edward lang is a Chief Executive Officer of an investment company in Singapore, also a diving instructor.

He is married to Inna Lang and has two sons, Ryan Bradley Lang and Dylan Eamon Lang. He is a true globetrotter in that he's been roaming the globe, exploring the most exotic spots the planet has to offer.

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I enjoy travel just like most people do. But as much as I love travel, I must say I am not so keen on flying “An avid traveller” may sound a little bit

of an understatement in describing Edward Lang. When we interviewed him, he had just come back from a safari trip in Africa. Edward is a self-proclaimed “more-than just-an-average traveller” who loves exploring little-known destinations; his passion for taking scenic photos and scuba diving has upped the ante even further, as he’s gone to some of the world’s exotic places, including Botswana, uncharted islands, Raja Ampat, and Alaska. “I enjoy travel just like most people do. But as much as I love travel, I must say I am not so keen on flying,” he says, with a laugh.

Young Edward served in the U.S. army and spent four years in the Vietnam War. Then, he went back to university to obtain a degree in Engineering. In 1995, he landed in Sumatera with an Australian construction company and did some construction work for Caltex. With the acquired know-how and skill, Edward then ended up managing a construction operation in Balikpapan for six years. After he got married, Edward and his wife, Inna Lang, decided to start their own business. “We started a coal company because I saw a good opportunity in the industry.

We also have some coal concessions up in Kalimantan,” he adds.

In 2006, Edward decided to retire young and spend more quality time with his two children, Ryan Bradley Lang and Dylan Eamon Lang. “Now I have two good partners running the business, one doing the operation, the other one dealing with the commercial, and my wife is involved in the business as well. So I’m basically retired.”

And he spends his retirement days globetrotting. “I do two trips every year with my boys­—a regular two-week trip during Christmas holidays, and a longer trip—around four weeks or so—between June and July.”

Edward always plans his trips ahead. “I can get on a plane tomorrow and go for a week to 10 days when I travel alone. The thing is that I want to take the kids, so I have to cope with their holiday break,” says Edward, who greatly enjoys

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magical vistas Edward Lang takes his passion for photography to the next level when he travels.

Penguns are native to the southern hemisphere, especially Antarctica

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I know there are a lot of people who leave their kids at home when travelling, but my wife and I never did that. We take them everywhere

victory boat clockwise from above

Edward's younger son, Dylan, who earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest person to have ever been in the North Pole; An ice formation floating on the Arctic seas; Dylan and his brother, Ryan, on a boat trip in the Antarctic

their company. “They’re good kids, great travellers, and they have positive attitude. It’s been a really good opportunity for me to take them to places that I think in 40 years may no longer exist.”

Edward dislikes short junkets, staying at one place in a short period of time. For instance, some people visit Europe for 10 days, spending two days in one city, and another two in a village. But for Edward, that’s a waste of time. If he has 10 days to spend a holiday, then he has to spend all those in one spot. “I think that’s the only way I can get to know the place better and decide whether I like it or not.”

With or without his wife, Edward says he enjoys travelling to incredible places with the boys. He has travelled with them since they were little. “I know there are a lot of people who leave their kids at home when travelling, but my wife and I never did that. We take them everywhere.”

A couple years ago, Edward took his sons to the North and South Poles.

In terms of preparation, Edward selected indonesia tatler tr aveller

several operators that could transport him there.

He contacted some people in Singapore that could provide the flights and logistics, and a group in the U.S. specialising in Arctic and Antarctic expedition. “To me, I’m not worried about the expenses because obviously, we have to think about that. To be honest, I am more willing to do and see things that are not many people have the chance to,” he says.

So off he went to the Arctic with the boys. He says there are several ways to get there. Generally, people will fly to the Svalbard archipelago, which is halfway between the top of Norway and the North Pole, and then continue to the Barneo ice station in which they’ll take a helicopter for the final 60-odd miles to the Geographic North Pole.

In his case, he took the North Pole: 90 Degrees North cruise and started the journey from Helsinki, Finland. From there, he and the boys took a charter flight to Murmansk, Russia, and transferred to a quayside to board the world’s largest icebreaker, 50 Years of Victory.

“In summer time, the average thickness of the ice in the Arctic is about eight to 12 metres, so the ships can get on there. In winter time, it increases from 14 to 16 metres, and there will be no ship on the planet that can go there. So you can only go in summer,” he adds. It took four days to break the ice and reach the North Pole. However, he continues, watching the 50 Years of Victory break through the formidable packs of ice was such a memorable sight.

On the ninth day, they arrived in the North Pole. “Just as soon as we got there, we put the ship’s gangway down, unloaded the gear, and set up a barbecue party on the ice. It sounds stupid, but that was actually a really cool experience!”

Edward’s still quite amazed by the amazing moment. Having done with the barbecue, they packed up and sailed back, but of course there were still more astonishing things to see. As 50 Years of Victory took them back southward, near the Franz Josef land, they witnessed some animals they didn’t get to see every day, like walruses, arctic foxes, seals, and polar bears. On the fourteenth day, they crossed the Barents Sea to

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It’s just one of the tick inthe-box of places to see before we die

voyaging through clockwise from left

50 Years of Victory traversing through a vast land of ice; The quayside where family departs to the North Pole by way of the world's largest icebreaker

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Murmansk to board the charter flight back to Helsinki.

Edward honestly says he’s glad that he did the expedition with the boys, but considering that there was really nothing much to do or to see there, he thinks he would never do it again. “It’s just one of the tick in-the-box of places to see before we die,” he says. On a brighter note, the trip has earned his youngest son, Dylan, a Guinness record holder as the youngest person who has ever visited the North Pole.

His expedition to Antarctica is another story of its own, the expedition of which, through Edward’s eyes, seems to be much better than that of the Arctic. Most people who visit Antarctica will be more likely to remain aboard cruise ships or coastal camps.

Getting to the South Pole, though, requires either skiing from the coast or flying in via a private helicopter. From the U.S., there are several flights that can transport you to Santiago, Chile, and then farther down south to Punta Arenas. Edward, on the other hand, flew from Jakarta to Singapore via Singapore Airlines, continued the trip to Vancouver, and got on an Air Canada’s direct flight from Montreal to Santiago, Chile.

From Santiago, they took another flight to a departure port in Ushuaia, Argentina, which took another 11 hours, before they got picked up by a ship to the Antarctica Peninsula. There are special entry forms and permits required to enter Antarctica, but no passport or visa is needed, since no single government in the world owns the continent. The entry permits are often arranged by guide services or travel agents. Also, note that there are no facilities for travellers at the Pole, except the only human settlement, that is, the U.S Amundsen-Scott South Pole research station, which usually doesn’t house tourists, unless they’re in emergency situations.

“The most exciting part in Antarctica is the fact that the weather could change extremely and dramatically fast. There’s no place on this planet where you can have blue skies and take great photos, but within 20 minutes, all the beautiful vistas are gone.

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daylight forever The Antarctic during the summer, the time when most of the ice melts, and when 24 hours of daylight occur

The most exciting part in Antarctica is the fact that the weather could change extremely and dramatically fast

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You go from wearing a T-shirt and long pants to the four-layers, being unable to stroll around because it’s literally minus four degrees outside,” says Edward excitedly.

Edward also shares a story about the Antarctic storm. “It was just an hour after I took a picture of a really beautiful, crystal-clear blue sky. We were in the middle of a group photo shoot, and then I heard a crack. I looked at the boys, and I thought, ‘Okay, that’s obviously an ice-break.’ We were literally in deep snow, so I told the boys to get back onboard. I always tried to be careful, especially when I got my kids with me, so we were climbing the ladder and heading back to the ship.”

For the adventurous gentleman who loves to capture great moments, his trip to Antarctica was a great opportunity to get amazing photos of wild animals there. “If you’re a bird-person, which I’m not, you have to shoot the penguins. Two of my most favourite Antarctic animals are leopards and leopard seals. I took a lot of lucky shoots of leopard seals when we were there,” he says proudly.

“Part of the idea of travelling is that I love the adventure; I love the business in travelling, and in particular, I love travelling with my kids, but it’s the priceless moment like that I mentioned before--that’s what you go for,” Edward concludes.

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Two of my most favourite Antarctic animals are leopards and leopard seals coldest continents clockwise from above

Edward and his two children standing next to 50 Years of Victory; The family decked in winter gear; A polar bear resting

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