The Iron Horse and the Borneo Bucket Brigade - Episode 11
The Gentrification of Mi Barrio, Echo Park - Episode 13

  • Brilliant!
    December 15, 2018 by thebigtravelpodcast from United Kingdom

    I'm a fellow travel podcaster and journalist (The Big Travel Podcast) and came across this podcast when reviewing other travel podcasts for an article I'm writing. Eric has such a lovely way of telling a story and a brilliant voice. Love it.

  • Amazing travel podcast!
    September 26, 2018 by Great Historic Show! from United States

    This is exactly what I've been looking for and sounds amazing. Can't stress how great this show sounds enough. Great show + great host = Home Run Podcast. Subscribed!

  • Chuck Jonkey
    May 21, 2018 by susanshane from United States

    Fascinating! Love indigenous music and listening to Chuck’s vivid descriptions were as close to being there as possible. I am so intrigued with these off the beaten path places and this podcast offers a glimpse into realities otherwise unknown. He really captures the “spirit” and Eric, your podcast connects us to that world. Wonderful!

  • Mark Eagle
    February 4, 2018 by Tallmarkone from United States

    e-travels with e. trules is a very informative and entertaining podcast about Mr. Trules travels across our planet over the past many years. But it's more than just that. It's also about his life beginning in New York and how he created a life for himself, his wife and now their adopted son in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles. What's especially enjoyable about his accounts of his life is not just what's going on in the present but also the historical knowledge he imparts with a sense of humor. He probably remembers Gene Shepard from many many years ago on WOR A.M. Radio in New York City and I as a young child back then would listen to him on the equivalent of podcasts back then. Younger people may recall the movie "A Christmas Story" and the famous saying about not getting a Bebe gun because he will shoot his eye out. Well that was written by and voice overhead by Gene Shepard. Mr. Trules has a similar ability to tell a good story and to do so in such a way as to bring you right there. I only recently discovered podcasts and this has got to be one of the best ones out there!

  • Great show, if you love travel, you will love this
    July 5, 2017 by Young free and coupled from United Kingdom

    Well worth a sub, DO IT NOW, i did!

  • A mind-expanding guide of the world
    June 30, 2017 by Keltonboy1755 from United States

    Listen to this podcast and the man who makes it. He will rekindle your desire for adventure, knowledge, and just maybe teach you how to catch a ride on the train of opportunity.

  • A truly unique travel podcast
    May 27, 2017 by fevkalade11 from United States

    I love travel and foreign cultures, and it was great to find a podcast that adds an entertaining, offbeat angle to a genre that can quickly become stale. Highly recommended.

  • Amazing!
    May 9, 2017 by Karileed from United States

    If you love travel you will certainly love this podcast! Eric is an amazing story teller and he will transport you to another world every time. I definitely recommend this podcast to all travel lovers.

  • Impressive and addicting!
    February 14, 2017 by JenniferRendel12 from United States

    This podcast transports me evey episode to a entertaining adventure that lets me leave my current reality and allows me to see this crazy world as told by the euthusiastic, talented, and engaging storyteller, Eric Trules. I find his travel stories enlightening and very relaxing to sit back and listen to. Besides Trules mastery of telling his stories, the podcast is well-produced with excellent audio and sounds that help in making this such an addictive listen. Can't wait for more!

  • Love and the Devil's Nose
    February 10, 2017 by Angelesgirl from United States

    This was a delightful and entertaining narrative. I tuned in thinking it was a podcast about one of Eric's wild travels only to find out that this was a piece about marriage, and a damned good one at that.

  • Crafted with a love of travel
    February 6, 2017 by jinki1 from United States

    Love the story telling aspect of the early episodes: the score, the performance. It's really engaging. As a podcaster, I love the behind the scenes episodes as well. Looking forward to where this show will go!

  • An auditory treat
    January 30, 2017 by phillytonicaragua from United States

    Trules' voice and the sound design make E-travels with E-trules a lovely soundtrack when working. His stories will transport you to another world while you tap away at your cubicle. I hope he post more and more often! Highly recommend.

  • Truley Great
    January 19, 2017 by Rain17 from United States

    Love the interplay between discovering new places in the world that are ancient and making new personal discoveries. Yes, he's crazy to be taking some of these trips, but what else is new? He's being truly Trules. His inner clown is always smiling. Thanks a bunch. Mark Berger and Rain Worthington

  • An aural E-venture
    January 8, 2017 by Soulfulwon from United States

    A great listen. Transported me. Looking forward to more!

  • This show rocks!
    January 2, 2017 by craigcbrown from United States

    I love it! 5+

  • The Voice
    December 20, 2016 by TravelwithGrace from United Kingdom

    I was lucky enough to be in Echo Park, Los Angeles this November and heard some of Eric's podcasts before they were even available on itunes. He has the perfect pitch and tone of the seasoned traveller and raconteur, I slipped comfortably away and was lost in distant lands and times.

  • Storytelling at its finest
    December 20, 2016 by i save a lot from United States

    A real treat to hear Eric's voice among hoards of podcasts out there. His point-of-view, cadence, and energy makes for trascendent listening. LOVE it!

  • Got Me Yearning to Backpack Again
    December 15, 2016 by Speaking247 from United States

    Trules has such a great radio voice. Truly enjoyed the podcast, as it got me yearning to backpack again. Really high-quality production, with great music (and I dig the whistling at the end).

  • Wonderful storytelling from an incredible, iconoclastic, ramblin professor.
    December 12, 2016 by Trevor M Davis from United States

    Eric Trules is a natural born storyteller. He also happens to be an ever-searching, wonderfully curious, thoughtful and profound individual, with a unique perspective on the wide world -- a world which he's circumnavigated far more than I could even imagine. Though, after listening to his podcast, it's inspiring me to attempt to catch up someday and ramp up the timeline on my exploration of this mysterious, beautiful world. As much as the travel adventures are wonderful to hear on their own though, the real treasure here comes in his thoughtful reflection on humanity in its many garments and idiosyncracies. He certainly could have been a cultural anthropologist if he didn't become a theatre professor...but I'm glad he went toward the stage; now we get the benefits of his runminations on humanity through the vessel of a uniquely gifted, entertaining storyteller. I've seen him perform many times, but this podcast is a great reminder of how much character and warmth his voice carries with every phrase as a trained performer. Trules is a cultural treasure, and I can't wait to hear more installments of this powerful travelogue.

  • Tules trancends travel triumphantly
    December 12, 2016 by gijjiu from United States

    The podcast is a delightful medley of travel, history, and Trules! His voice over the music and sound makes it easy to picture the fantastic stories.

  • Deeply Immersing
    December 9, 2016 by Billyhc from United States

    The storytelling is as hypnotic as the music.

  • If you love traveling, this is your jam!
    December 6, 2016 by MMMMM12345MMMMM from United States

    For those who love traveling but don't get to do so as often as you wish, this is the go-to podcast!

  • Great Podcast!
    December 5, 2016 by SirScottMullin from United States

    Eric creates a sense of place like no one else. I felt like I was right there alongside him on all these amazing journeys. What an experience!

  • Love it
    December 5, 2016 by PouxDawg from United States

    Love, love, LOVE this! Inspires me to keep exploring the world with our new little family addition. Great first episode.

  • Emerging show!
    December 5, 2016 by SF1994yes from United States

    Trules has a natural knack for storytelling, and exploration. Looking forward to the new show!

  • Well-produced, personal insights about the world
    December 2, 2016 by S. Wedeking from United States

    The widely traveled Trules is also a gifted writer, performer and teacher — and this podcast benefits from all those talents

  • He tells it "Trully..."
    December 2, 2016 by MoondogMulv from United States

    Trulles is a unique, funny, and intelligent guide in the world of travel, life, and love.

  • Rich and Textured Storytelling
    December 1, 2016 by Irma Gerd from United States

    Between the music, sound design, and pleasant low rumble of Trules' voice, this is a podcast that will satisfy that craving for a story that lets you live by your mind's eye. In the introduction of the podcast, Trules begins laying down the different stories and inspirations that he has quilted together over his life. From his natural curiosity in history to his appreciation for the unforeseen, you get the sense that Trules has a narrative that bridges his personal discoveries with the shifts the world has undergone throughout his life. I'm looking forward to seeing how these stories flesh out. I can tell that we're in for a treat.

  • Great Podcast
    November 30, 2016 by Tucci1776 from United States

    Really great and entertaining podcast. Hooks you from the first episode.

  • Great Travel Podcast
    November 30, 2016 by PodcastJunkies.com from United States

    I'm very impressed with the content in this first episode and can't wait to hear more of Eric's stories.

  • Travel for All!
    November 30, 2016 by deanesullivan18 from United States

    I am thrilled that I came upon this podcast. Trules has a wonderful quality for engaging his listeners, and will transcend you from your living room couches to vast corners of the world. The podcast's professional quality, coupled with Trules' creativity and natural skill for storytelling, will keep you coming back for more. It's a must - can't wait for more!

  • Impressive and Entertaining!
    November 29, 2016 by SpeedwayCJ from United States

    Based on the promo episode of this show, I've subscribed and am definitely looking forward to more! This podcast is extremely well-produced, with audio that excites and amuses. I love the concept of unique, personal and engaging travel stories from the host's real-life experiences, combined with audio scapes that bring listeners directly into the story. I have a feeling this show will be one to keep an eye on, as it holds a great deal of promise for future success. Can't wait to hear the many places Eric Trules will take us!

  • Amazing voice amazing podcast!!!
    October 4, 2024 by Tangana Wellness from United States

    Ooooookaeeeeeeeeey! Amazing podcast. It’s so great to hear travel stories and really unique histoires from Eric Trules life.

Listen Now

Who’s the Who?

So you think you’re well-traveled, Matey? Or you know someone who thinks he, or she, is? Well… have you ever, or have they ever, grown up on an Israeli kibbutz? Worked at the U.N.? Lived for years in Paris, Rome, Helsinki, and Jerusalem?

Well my guest, Raphael Morav, has. And I am lucky enough to have visited him in all those places above… except the U.N.

“The kibbutz is a very good school for life.”

“Our friendship is a testament to bonds that can be made across cultures and borders.”

–Raphael Morav, Israeli diplomat and Episode 12’s guest on “e-travels with e. trules”

I first met “Raphy”, as his friends like to call him, and his family, in Rome in 1998, when he was the Israeli economic diplomat there for 4 years. I met him through an international organization dedicated to world peace and cultural exchange… called SERVAS. What that means in practical terms is that voluntary travelers can stay in the homes of voluntary hosts, for 2 nights, for FREE… all over the world. Personally, I have seen much of our lonely and inter-connected planet through the “open doors” of SERVAS. Please check it out.

The very next year, 1999, I visited Raphy in Jerusalem, where I saw his older son, Liran, Bar Mitzvah-ed,  and where I was… the videographer. Two years later, I visited him and his family in Helsinki, Finland; then in 2014, I brought my wife, Surya, to visit him at the end of his post in Paris, France. And now, in April of 2017, Raphy and his younger son, Eilon, have come to visit ME, for the first time, here in LALA Land.

Welcome to Episode 12, “Behind The Scenes with with Israel Diplomat, Raphael Morav” on the “e- travels with e. trules” Podcast.

Listen HERE – to hear about traveling the world as a professional diplomat.

In case you’d like to catch up with any of the previous 11 episodes, please go HERE.

And in particular, to listen to the last Episode, “The Iron Horse and the Bucket Brigade, about a life-affirming, international diplomatic effort with blue plastic buckets… aboard a broken down British colonial steam engine on the island of Borneo, please go HERE.

Enjoy the podcast with some good earbuds or headphones. Subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes HERE, and please tell ALL your friends!

If you liked ANY of the shows, please leave your COMMENTS HERE under each Episode on my home page.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST
We’re approaching the end of SEASON 1. And we’re still looking for funding for SEASON 2.
So if you feel so inclined, or you know anybody who would like to support the podcast, I would greatly and sincerely appreciate it.

HERE is the link to donate.

Best from Echo Park,

And Happy Trails…..

Now officially retired………………………….

Trules

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The Podcast is made possible with a USC Capstone grant, with generous support from Professor Phil Allen and the Sound Design Program at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. With original music by Amanda Nicole Yamate and sound design by Alysha Bermudez. This episode was recorded by Scott Barber at the Barber Shop Recording Studio, also right here in in Echo Park, LA, CA. Produced by Harry Duran at FullCast.
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What We Covered

0:01 – Podcast Intro with Weekly Theme Music by Amanda Yamate

0:25 – Episode Intro with welcome of guest, Raphael Morav (RM)

1:30 – Trules discusses SERVAS, an international organization dedicated to world peace and cultural exchange through a free and voluntary traveler & host program that first connected Trules and Morav

3:09 – “Raphy’s” French and Israeli background that led him him to being a career diplomat

5:00 – Raphy talks about growing up on an Israeli kibbutz for 20 years

9:21 – Raphy talks about serving in the Israeli army and then separating from the kibbutz and going his own way in Jerusalem

10:36 – RM talks about his 1st post abroad in Liberia in West Africa

14:08 – RM talks about the Israeli diplomatic presence worldwide

16:21 – Morav talks about family, marriage, and serving abroad. Trules talks about the many years he has seen Morav’s sons grow from childhood to adulthood, in many different countries and cultures

19:53 – RM talks about the benefits of hosting and how traveler-guests give natives tips on what to see and where to go in their own country

20:45 – RM talks about his 2nd post in Brussels in 1990 and his short mission as a cadet diplomat at the United Nations 

22:45 – Raphy talks about his post in Rome

24:40 – Helsinki, Finland: its nature, beauty, ethnicity, and culture

26:50 – RM on being back in Jerusalem for 5 years, then to Paris for the next 5 years. On diplomats having the ability to “seek out” posts abroad, as opposed to staying home at headquarters in Jerusalem

29:51 – time for the Trules Travel Quiz

Some interesting revelations:

RM was actually born in the Ivory Coast, not France

“My favorite place is… the world itself.”

“To be a traveler is to… discover yourself.”

31:55 – on Ethiopia and Its Jewish history, the destruction of Israel’s 1st and 2nd Temples

35:55 – On Jerusalem… and LaLa Land

37:33 – on the Alps, traveling by foot, and “the road of love and justice”

39:00 – the wrap up, thank yous, and final credits

Tweetables

Support the Podcast

Please subscribe, rate, and review the Podcast on iTunes, by clicking the iTunes logo on the top right of this page. It really helps establish the podcast with Apple. Thanks so much! Any trouble navigating iTunes? Please go HERE for an easy-to follow VIDEO.

Also enjoy on Stitcher!

We’re coming up on the end of SEASON 1. And we’re still looking for funding for SEASON 2.
So if you feel so inclined, or you know anybody who would like to support the podcast, I would greatly and sincerely appreciate it.

HERE is the link to donate.

And please contact me with any questions or comments HERE:

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Production Credits

Sound design by Alysha Bermudez.

Music composed by Amanda Yamate.

Recorded by Scott Barber at the Barbershop Sound Studio in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California

Produced by Harry Duran at Fullcast. Thanks to Addy Saucedo  and The Team.

The Iron Horse and the Borneo Bucket Brigade - Episode 11
The Gentrification of Mi Barrio, Echo Park - Episode 13