Rolf Potts's Blog, page 111

Special January 2012 fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

The start of a new year usually means resolutions. New beginnings. New goals. This is the time when many people finally take control of their lives and accomplish the things that they really want to accomplish in life. If one of those goals is to travel the world, then stop making excuses and do it. If you are sick of one week vacations and really want to get out and see the world, then it's time to realize that you can be one of the few who take the plunge.

There are plenty of myths about traveling the world. It's too expensive. It's too dangerous. Now isn't the right time. All these excuses are just that – excuses. You can always come up with an excuse not to do something that is challenging and difficult. No one said that deciding to go on a RTW trip is easy. It's not, which is why so few people do it. But those who do take the plunge and decide to travel around the world never regret it. I have yet to meet someone who has done it and wished they didn't. But I have met tons of people who dream and wish that they could travel the world but are too afraid to take the risk.

If you do decide to throw caution to the wind and travel the world, the first thing you'll want to look at is airfare. Your options are many, but be sure to keep your eye on different deals around the web. BootsnAll has monthly deals that can take you all over the world, so be sure to check out the following deals, which are good through January 31, 2012:

 

New York – Shanghai – Bangkok – Dubai – Johannesburg – Paris – New York from $1699+ plus taxes
Big Gap Year San Francisco – Hong Kong – Hanoi – OVERLAND – Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City – Bangkok – OVERLAND – Phuket – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – OVERLAND – Kuala Lumpur – Delhi – OVERLAND – Bombay / Mumbai – Dubai – Addis Ababa – Nairobi – OVERLAND – Johannesburg – Cairo – Istanbul – OVERLAND – London – Reykjavik – New York – San Francisco from $2999 + plus taxes
Equator-Hopper Circle Pacific Los Angeles – Beijing – Bangkok – OVERLAND – Singapore – Bali (Denpasar) – Perth – OVERLAND – Sydney – Nadi (Fiji) – Los Angeles from $1899 + taxes

 

 

If you are looking for something a little different in your round the world trip, then start planning your trip of a lifetime with our RTW trip planner And don't forget to sign up for BootsnAll's RTW newsletter, delivering special deals, RTW trip planning advice, and resources via email every single month. We also have a Facebook fan page and Twitter page, so be sure to like and follow those to keep up to date on all your RTW travel needs.

Original article can be found here: Special January 2012 fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

Backpacking goes mainstream in Lady Antebellum music video

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

When you look over your travel photos, do you linger more on the people shots more than the location pictures?  I know I do.  It's an experience that's happened to me over and over again.  I go to a place excited to see famous landmarks.  Yet after the trip, it's the new friends and fun memories that stay in my head.

The country music group Lady Antebellum put backpacking front and center in their music video for "Just a Kiss," the lead single for their album "Own the Night."  The concept is that two young travelers meet, then fall in love as they see the world together.  But like all backpackers, they're from different places and on different schedules.  Knowing their time together is limited, they try to live for the moment.

If you've backpacked around Europe, you'll have fun trying to identify the countries and cities the couple wanders through.  Watching the video triggered memories.  I once spent a magical day walking around Rome with a girl I'd met at my hostel.  We saw all the sights and took pictures together all over the city.  Later, she checked out of the hostel but wasn't able to reach me, so she wrote me a note and left it on my bed.  I was sad that I never got to say goodbye to her.

Have you ever had an experience like that?  Please share your stories in the comments.

"Behind the scenes" video from the official Lady Antebellum website:

P.S. I discovered "Just a Kiss" after watching this wonderful cover version by Ebony Day.

Original article can be found here: Backpacking goes mainstream in Lady Antebellum music video

Tourist idiosyncrasies are similar from culture to culture

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"Europeans may sneer at Chinese tourists who pursue Beethoven, Bordeaux and Hugo Boss with the same undiscriminating avidity. But Europeans used to tour their own continent in a similar way. The original Grand Tour was also a display of relative economic power, as the gilded youth of northern, industrializing Europe headed to France, Switzerland and Italy to pick up a veneer of continental 'polish' and crateloads of antique souvenirs (many of them fake). Those tourists, too, had less fun than they let on: they grumbled about the food, their rapacious guides and the discomforts of travel."

–"Chinese Tourists: The New Grand Tour," The Economist, December 16, 2010

Original article can be found here: Tourist idiosyncrasies are similar from culture to culture

Travel writing is one of the world's oldest forms of literature

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"In the years after Edward Said's Orientalism, the exploration of the East — its peoples, habits, customs and past — by travelers from the West has become a target for scholarly bombardment. Travel writers have often come to be seen as outriders of colonialism, attempting to demonstrate the superiority of Western ways by 'imagining' the East as decayed and degenerate. This has always seemed to me to be a narrow and prescriptive way of looking at what is, after all, one of the world's oldest and most universal forms of literature: it takes us right back to man's deepest literary roots, to the Epic of Gilgamesh, the wanderings of Abraham in the Old Testament, and the journeyings of the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata. Over time, like poetry, but unlike the novel, the travel book has appeared in almost all the world's cultures, from the wanderings of Li Po in Japan, through to the medieval topographies of Marco Polo, Hiuen Tsang, Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Battuta. Only with the multi-volume travelogues of the Victorians do we enter colonial territory, and hence arrive at the birth of the modern comic books of travel, invented two generations later by such writers as Peter Fleming and Evelyn Waugh — bright young things who passed lightly through a colonial world mapped, subdued and opened up by their Victorian grandparents with their Gatling guns and survey equipment. But the attitudes of today's travel writers are hardly those of the Brideshead generation, and as Colin Thubron has pointed out, it is ridiculously simplistic to see all attempts at studying, observing and empathizing with another culture necessarily 'as an act of domination'."

–William Dalrymple, "Home truths abroad," The Guardian, September 18, 2009

Original article can be found here: Travel writing is one of the world's oldest forms of literature

Laugh around the world with vlogger Natalie Tran

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Here's a story: a university student posts up funny videos of her random observations on life.  She builds up a huge audience with a million subscribers on YouTube. Now she's a popular vlogger. She's about to graduate and unsure of what to do next.  So she calls up Lonely Planet and asks if they would sponsor her on an around-the-world trip. The deal is that she keeps making videos along the way.

Sound too good to be true?  It happened for Australian vlogger Natalie Tran.  Her YouTube channel, "communitychannel," has clocked over 400 million views.  That's serious exposure any business would be interested in tapping into.

You can watch her adventures on a dedicated Lonely Planet page: Natalie Tran's travel videos.

Are you a vlogger?  What equipment do you use?  Have you shot travel videos and shared them on YouTube?  Please share your experiences in the comments.

 

Original article can be found here: Laugh around the world with vlogger Natalie Tran

Vagabonding Case Study: Matthew Karsten

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Matthew Karsten

expertvagabond.com

Age: 30

Hometown: Campton, New Hampshire, USA

Quote: "Every day is completely new & different. You have absolutely no idea what will happen to you. I love that feeling."

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?

I first learned about the book Vagabonding through a traveling photographer friend, Ferenc Ecseki. He insisted I check it out before starting my backpacking trip. Once I began reading it, I couldn't stop! Finished the whole thing in one sitting. It gave me a great idea of what long-term travel could be like, further enticing me to do everything possible to turn my dream into a reality.

I also took advantage of the many great tips & resources the book contained. For example: Spending the first few hours in a new town purposefully getting myself lost. Still one of my favorite things to do!

How long were you on the road?

I've been traveling for the last 12 months, and don't have plans to stop anytime soon.

Where all did you go?

My backpacking adventures began in Mexico, and I've slowly worked my way South through the countries of Central America. It didn't take long for me to see that slower travel was definitely much more enjoyable, providing a stronger connection to both the people and the country.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?

To pay for this trip I began by saving money like crazy, cutting down on some excessiveness in my lifestyle, while also working nights to build up a small online business creating websites. I continue to earn income online selling information products in addition to some advertising on my travel blog.

Did you work or volunteer on the road?

I've volunteered in a few different places so far. My favorite experience was building ovens out of manure for poor families in rural Nicaragua. The people are incredibly friendly and I really enjoyed living with them. They have absolutely nothing, yet seem to be happier than many Americans I know. The village we stayed in had no electricity, no running water, and everyone got around by horse. It was an eye-opening experience. Plus, who knew poop-ovens were capable of producing such tasty pizza!

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?

That's always a tough question, and I really haven't been to many countries yet due to my pretty slow travel style. But I definitely have favorite experiences that stand out from the rest.  Camping on the top of an exploding volcano outside of Xela, Guatemala & trekking through the rainforest in Panama's notorious Darien Gap were both ridiculous adventures that will be hard to top.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?

The La Chureca landfill in Managua, Nicaragua was a very sad place. A few thousand people live and work on the landfill, searching for glass & plastic to sell for recycling. Their homes are made of garbage, the living conditions are horrible, and children are forced to work in the dump too. That was difficult to witness, but I'm still glad I went.

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true?  Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn't anticipated?

After a solid year of travel throughout Central America, just a single crime was committed against me. My laptop computer was stolen by hookers while I was visiting a bar in Panama City. It's a long and embarrassing story. After a year of travel, I got lazy with my normal precautions. My tip for others? Don't bring expensive stuff to bars after dark…

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

For anyone who loves to camp a lot, a Hennesy camping hammock is a great way to always have a lightweight, comfortable, and bug-free place to sleep. Other items that receive regular use include earplugs, a Moleskin notebook, and my Kindle.

I used to have one of those wire-mesh things to lock-up my backpack, but ended up giving that away pretty quick. It was heavy & I never used it.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

There are many. For starters, every day is completely new & different. You have absolutely no idea what will happen to you. I love that feeling.

Long-term travel has taught me to be more patient with annoying situations that may present themselves in life. Riding on the roof of a school bus with no shocks over a washed-out road for 3 hours in the blazing sun while simultaneously dodging giant tree branches makes all other problems seem pretty trivial!

I've also enjoyed living out of a backpack, with the complete freedom to go wherever I felt like, do whatever sounded interesting.

I know these rewards wouldn't have been as drastic had I only been on a 2 week vacation.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

It's tough to create really deep friendships or relationships on the road. It's not impossible, but it's hard. One of you is always leaving.

What lessons did you learn on the road?

Our planet is not a dangerous place.
People are generally the same all over the world.
You really don't need a lot to be happy.
We shouldn't believe everything we hear in the media
First-hand experience is the best teacher.
I don't know as much as I thought I did, and still have plenty to learn.

 

How did your personal definition of "vagabonding" develop over the course of the trip?

In the beginning, I thought "vagabonding" just meant visiting as many locations as possible, checking them off my list.

But these days my definition has changed to mean slow, deliberate travel from place to place, learning from people and growing with all the challenging new experiences you encounter along the way.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?

Pack less, and spend more time practicing the local language.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?

Don't over-think it too much, or you'll never go. Make sure you save enough money, but the amount will be less than you think. You don't necessarily need to travel for many months to get a taste of vagabonding though.  I began my journey with a 5 week practice trip to Mexico before I started traveling long-term. Feel free to test the waters a bit first, see what it's like.

When and where do you think you'll take your next long-term journey?

I'll soon be heading to South Africa for a few weeks, finally making my way to a new continent. But South America is still calling my name too, and I should be spending much of 2012 getting myself into crazy adventures there. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from the book Vagabonding is to keep my travel plans flexible! It's much more fun to wing-it most of the time and just see what happens. So who knows what the future will hold…

Website: expertvagabond.com
Twitter: ExpertVagabond

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Case Study: Matthew Karsten

Foreign language hacking with Benny Lewis

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

A top goal if you're living abroad as an expat is to pick up a new foreign language.  Benny Lewis from Fluentin3Months.com came on an interview with the Expert Enough podcast show.  He explained his rapid-fire approach to learning new languages.

Lewis makes the point that you should avoid being too "academic" when studying.  He stresses the importance of getting out on the street, conversing with locals, and finding out how natives really use the language.  This makes a lot of sense, as foreign language textbooks can sometimes be outdated by the time they're published.

Do you think dating a local would boost your language skills?  I've heard a lot of people arguing for and against.  For example, I've met lots of newly-arrived expats in Taiwan who say things like, "I'll just learn Chinese off my girlfriend."  A year later, the girl's English is a lot better, while his Mandarin is still nonexistent.  More than any magic method, your attitude will be the most decisive factor.  If you really apply yourself, I think you can't go too far wrong.

What was interesting was that a lot of the barriers (excuses?) that people make for not studying new tongues can apply to other new year's resolutions that fall by the wayside.  Things like being too busy, not having enough money, etc.  Lewis demolishes these arguments and challenges viewers to really unleash their true potential.

I couldn't help but noticing that he hasn't picked up any Asian languages yet.  Would Mandarin Chinese or Japanese be similarly compatible with his methods?

What do you think?  Have you become fluent in a foreign language?  How long did it take?  What techniques did you use?  Please share your experiences in the comments.

Original article can be found here: Foreign language hacking with Benny Lewis

The "travel industry" tends to offer generic experiences

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"There is nothing exclusive about tourism. Quite the contrary: it is primarily inclusive. It is an industry determined to embrace you. It wants you to check in to the right hotels; it wants you to spend as much as you can on fatuous souvenirs; it wants you to do Machu Picchu or the Taj Mahal; it wants you to have the Rainforest experience or the Mysterious East experience or the Rose Red City Half as Old as Time experience and it doesn't terribly mind if you also have the fleeced-by-muggers-on-Copacabana-Beach experience. And when your fifteen days are up it wants you to bugger off, taking with you no local currency and maybe the odd disgusting parasite or two."

–James Hamilton-Paterson, "The End of Travel," Granta #94 (2006)

Original article can be found here: The "travel industry" tends to offer generic experiences

Paul Theroux on how travel can come to resemble home

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"When a person says, in a foreign place, "I feel right at home here," he is making a statement about the nature of travel, not in the texture of the place he's in. …I don't belittle this sort of travel, which I regard as Traveling As A Version Of Being At Home; but it is wrong to mistake it as the sort of travel that allows a person to make discoveries. Many people travel in order to feel at home, or to have an idealized experience of home: Spain is Home-plus-Sunshine; India is Home-plus-Servants; Africa is Home-plus-Elephants-and-Lions; Ecuador is Home-plus-Volcanoes. It is not possible for people to travel in large numbers and have it any other way. In order to process and package travelers in great numbers, a system has to be arrived at. This system, in an orderly way, defeats the traditional methods of travel and has made true travel almost obsolete. In order for large numbers of Americans to visit Bangkok, Bangkok must become somewhat like America. The change in China, since the arrival of foreign travelers, has been enormous; and the result has been some very un-Chinese-looking hotels, food, buses, and so forth. It seemed to me in China that these holiday-makers would, in the end, bring about a different sort of cultural revolution."

–Paul Theroux, Sunrise with Seamonsters (1984)

Original article can be found here: Paul Theroux on how travel can come to resemble home

Building Community Through Travel

Every vagabonder travels for different reasons. Some like to visit the most famous museums the world has to offer. Some want to hike the tallest mountains and deepest canyons. Others hope to experience cultures completely different than their own. Then there are the foodies hoping to taste that next bite of Heaven, the gap-year students looking to party and have a good time, and the quarter-life crisis travelers hitting the open road instead of settling down.

There are countless different types of travelers out there. Even though everyone has different priorities when it comes to travel, one thing usually remains constant for any vagabonder. We are all part of a unique community. Anyone who puts a priority on indie travel can easily reach out – through blogs, forums, facebook, and twitter – and find an entire community of like-minded people looking to share, help, and simply talk about what we love – traveling.

This feeling of camaraderie is one of the biggest reasons I sought out a job in the field of travel. I love the people I meet on the road. I love interacting with bloggers. I love seeing what's going on with my travel friends around the world on Facebook and Twitter. I was fortunate enough to jump on board with BootsnAll, where one of our core values as a company to is make meaningful connections, which is what I think travel is all about. Sure the sites and the food and the beautiful scenery are all great, but the connections I have made because of travel are what I love most about it.

And now I get to do it on a daily basis as my job. When researching a recent article about round the world travel budgets, I was ecstatic that so many people came forward to help. Complete strangers were willing to share personal, financial details with me and the rest of the interwebs. When the story published, more people came forward to offer their opinion in the comments. And even though the comments were conflicting, having a nice, healthy debate and hearing other's perspectives is part of what travel is all about. We know that we all travel differently, and experiences like these help drive that point home. The great thing is that we all get the opportunity to share our experiences with one another. I plan on writing a follow-up to the budget article, so if you have traveled long-term before and want to help out, leave a comment below, and I will get in touch.

Another feature we are rolling out soon are traveler profiles. The purpose behind this project is to feature other travelers – who they are, where they are from, what type of trips they have taken and would like to take. The goal is to build a database of travelers who are hoping to talk, share, and help each other out. Most travel lovers can't get enough travel talk, and this is just another way to connect with each other, so if any of you Vagabonding readers want to join in, just leave a comment below.

The travel community is mostly comprised of open-minded, outgoing individuals who have a zest for life that may be a bit different than others. Many of us have different life priorities, and hooking up with others who have similar interests and goals is always a positive.

What is your favorite part of the travel community? Do you make an effort to join in? Comment below to share your thoughts.