Rolf Potts's Blog, page 32

What’s the best water purifier for traveling?

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Water is a huge deal when you’re traveling. Drinking contaminated water is the quickest way to sabotage your health. But water quality can vary greatly outside the United States, especially in developing countries.

You could stick exclusively to bottled water. But your budget (and the environment) would hate you.

But don’t worry — there’s a better way. You can purify the available water. This method eliminates the protozoa and bacteria so the water is safe to drink.

Perhaps you’ve done some research on water sanitizers. In your research, two words have popped up: purifier and filter. They seem to be used interchangeably. And they appear to both clean your water.

But they’re for two different functions and one is better for traveling than the other.

Difference between purifier and filters

Filters attack the visible gunk in your water. They transform muddy water to clear, pretty water.

Filters are commonly used when camping or hiking. Typically mountain streams are clean of the bacteria found in overpopulated areas. Instead, this water is laden with twigs, mud, and other debris. The filter separates all that out of your water.

Whereas, the purifier works on a microscopic level to cleanse your water of nasty bacteria. Water-related illnesses are linked to 1 of 3 types of pathogens (disease-carrying pests). Purifiers rid your water of all 3 pathogens.

Typically while traveling, you’re not worried about twigs in your drinking water. Instead, you’re worried about the bacteria that will make you sick. That’s why purifiers are best for international travel, so your water can be sterile and safe to drink.

Some devices offer an integrated filter and purification system. However, most of the devices on this list are strictly for water purification.

How to purify your water

You have three options to purify your water:

Iodine/chemicals
UV light
Boiling
High tech filters

Top three water purifiers for travel

Grayl

A water purifier that works like a french press and comes in its own handsome bottle. You simply fill up the bottle with water, press, and clean water fills up in the inner reservoir. It filters 16oz of water in 15 seconds. It’s G3 filter captures 99.999% of bacteria and protozoan cysts like Giardia and viruses like Hepatis A.

If that wasn’t enough, it’s stainless steel body is sleek and handsome. And, my favorite part: it doesn’t have a straw, but rather a snap lid. Perfect for the traveler who aims for minimalism and one-device-for-all.

Pros: It purifies in 15 seconds. The container is attractive and looks more like a to-go coffee mug than high tech water purifier.

Cons: It’s designed for one person’s use. So to fill up a Playpus or Nalgene for later, you’ll have to clean another bottle of water and wait 15 seconds.

Cost: Total cost, including filter: $70

Replacement purifier: $40

Lifespan of purifier: 150 L

Lifesaver Bottle

This is the only purifier and filtration combo device on this list. Resembling a biker’s water bottle, this device removes all bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, fungi and other microbiological waterborne pathogens without using any chemicals. And it doesn’t use any batteries, power or UV light. So it’s ideal for going totally off the grid.

Simply fill up the bottle with whatever water is available, swiftly pump two or three times, and drink clean water. When the cartridge is depleted, the bottle shuts down. All parts, including cartridges, carbon filters, and sponge pre-filter, can be replaced.

Perfect for the countries where you can’t count on clear water and need heavy-duty water purification, without relying on power.

Pros: I like the purifier and filtration combo. And that the water is clean quickly, without relying upon outside power or technology that could break down.

Cons: The initial cost is the priciest purifier on the list. Plus, parts and filters are expensive to replace.

Cost: Total cost: $170

Replacement parts: $100 per cartridge, $8 per carbon filter, $6 per pre-filter

Lifespan of bottle: 6,000 L

SteriPen Ultra

UV light kills 99.99% of waterborne bacteria in 16oz of water in 48 seconds. You simply put the upside-down pen into the water and stir the water to treat. You can use this UV light pen in any water container (like Nalgene bottles and store-bought bottles). The Water Quality Association awarded SteriPen with a Gold Seal, certifying its effectiveness.

Lightweight and slender, this little guy is a perfect match for the lightweight traveler.

No need for batteries as the SteriPen comes with a USB cable and you can easily charge it. You can even hook it up to a solar charger. You get about 40 treatments per charge.

Pros: The compact size and that you can purify any bottle of water in less than a minute. The geek in me loves the idea of the UV light killing bacteria. I also like that you can charge this device almost anywhere thanks to the USB charger.

Cons: Your water has to be clean (i.e. no floaties or sediment) to start with. According to some reviewers online, your water container has to be very, very clean. Beware, some Amazon reviewers reported faulty LED screens, the device has the tendency to turn on in your backpack and drain its battery.

Cost: Total cost: $99.95

Lifespan of UV light: 8,000 L

Which one would I pick?

Before this article, I would have chosen the SteriPen based on the compact design and ability to sterilize any bottle of water.

But now, it’s a toss up between the Grayl and the Lifesaver. I like to camp, and the purifier and filtration combo is very attractive because of that. Combined with the fact that the Lifesaver doesn’t rely on any outside power and seems perfect for any traveling situation.

However, the Grayl would be my choice for a traveling-only purifier. You can’t beat sterile water in 15 seconds and the low initial cost price.

But, keep in mind, I have not tried any of these devices and real life may alter my decision.

Laura blogs at Waiting To Be Read where she explores the benefits of reading and traveling, is forever making “best of” lists, and writes three-second book reviews with actors cast as the book’s main characters.

Laura blogs at www.lauralopuch.com where she explores the benefits of reading and traveling, makes tons of lists, and writes book reviews with actors cast as main characters. – See more at: http://www.vagablogging.net/how-to-co...

Original article can be found here: What’s the best water purifier for traveling?

Around the world in 80 hours of TV

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Photo Credit: alvaro tapia hidalgo via Compfight cc

PRELUDE

Day 5, Hour 77: 9:53 pm.

Twenty-three hotel floors above the gritty neon splendor of downtown Las Vegas, I am nearing the end of a bewildering travel experiment: For the past five days, I have been watching the Travel Channel for the entirety of my waking hours, without ever changing the station or (save a few key occasions) leaving my hotel room.

My goal has been to create an intensive, vicarious televisual adventure — to glean five days’ worth of travel experiences from the glowing parameters of a single TV set and figure out what the Travel Channel might be saying about how one should see the world.

In the 77 hours since my experiment began, I have witnessed many wonders. I have, for example, seen three grown men shriek like schoolgirls while locked overnight inside a dubiously haunted English inn. I have learned that ants in the Ecuadorian Amazon taste like lemons, that Gulf Coast raccoons taste like turkey, and that Andean guinea pigs taste like roast pork shoulder. I have learned that nachos are not authentic Mexican food, and that the Japanese have invented a toilet that can both wash and blow-dry your ass. I have seen two separate shows that sing the praises of deep-fried Twinkies, and I’ve heard the phrase “like a party in your mouth” used to describe the culinary merits of three separate food products. I have seen a restaurant full of Americans cheer like hockey fans while watching two guys devour a 10-pound pizza in less than an hour.

I have also watched commercials — more than 2000 of them in the course of five days. According to the tally marks in my notebook, I have been invited to visit Jamaica 16 times, been warned 51 times that my existing health insurance might not be adequate for my retirement needs, and thrice been asked to ponder how Cheez-It is able to bake so much cheesy goodness into such small bites.

I have left my hotel three times in the past five days, and been nearly robbed once.

In exactly 7 minutes (once the guy who ate the 10-pound pizza finishes eating a 4.5-pound steak), my TV marathon will culminate with two back-to-back episodes of a show called America’s Worst Driver, which — like many shows on the Travel Channel — doesn’t appear to be about travel.

Brandishing my notebook, I stare at the screen with a fatigued sense of resolve and ponder the events that brought me to this moment.

Read the rest of Rolf’s TV adventures on Gadling

Original article can be found here: Around the world in 80 hours of TV

Vagabonding Case Study: Diana Edelman

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Diana Edelman




 
dtravelsround.com

 
Age: 34

 
Hometown: Rockville, Md.

 
Quote: Life’s not about living happily ever after, it’s about living.


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

I found out about the site through Twitter. I actually did not use the site when I first left the country on my career break, but now as an expat who still travels (especially in SE Asia), I do refer to it for tips like street food in Bangkok and more.

 

How long were you on the road?

My longest leg of travel was around seven months.

 
Where did you go? 
During that time, I went to: London, Ireland (Dublin and Galway), Spain (Madrid, Toldeo, Segovia, Monfrague, Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, San Ambrosio, Tenerife, Granada, Sevilla, Benidorm), Portugal (Lisbon, Sintra, Lagos, Faro), Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Turkey (Istanbul, Cannakale, Fethiye, Kusadasi, Olympos, Goreme), Romania (Brasov, Cluj-Napoca), Bulgaria (Varna, Sunny Beach, Veliko Tarnovo), Morocco (Chefchauen, Fez, Casablanca, Marrakesh), Budapest, Krakow, Croatia (Zagreb, Split, Zadar, Solta, Dubrovnik, Trogir, Brela), Bosnia (Sarajevo, Mostar), and Rwanda.


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

During this time, I was using my savings and also funding travel via freelance writing. Now, I fund travels via freelance writing and my Web site.

 

Did you work or volunteer on the road?

On that trip, I volunteered to teach English twice with Vaughantown in Spain. I also worked (very briefly) at a hostel in Kusadasi. I have gone on volunteer trips as well, just not on the most recent long term trip.

 

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

Madrid and Berlin.

 

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

I very much disliked Kusadasi. It was a tourist town and the men who worked in that industry were quite disrespectful of western women there. I was molested, threatened and challenged every moment I was there.


 
Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

My backpack was by far the most useful. The least useful was my neck rest, which I eventually shipped home.

 

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

There is something so magical about waking up in a place and deciding to strap the backpack on and go somewhere entirely different. Traveling like that gives you complete control of the places you go and (for the most part) the experiences you have.

 

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

The biggest challenge would be that not everything goes as planned. Travel snarls, local customs, random moments of misfortune — they are all a part of the lifestyle and you have to be able to roll with it. In terms of sacrifices, being able to say “goodbye” to security and routine is a big thing. And, of course, leaving your loved ones.


 
What lessons did you learn on the road?

I learned that I can do anything I put my mind to. That I am strong, brave and can handle challenges thrown my way.


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

I grew more and more relaxed and able to roll with the punches.


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

Trust your gut and always trust your gut.


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

Do it. Do it now. Take that leap, that chance, and live your dreams.


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




I actually leave for a month in a few days to head to Europe and Israel.



 

Read more about Diana on her blog, D Travels ‘Round, or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Website: D Travels ‘Round
Twitter: @DTravelsRound







 

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: Diana Edelman

Easter Island with miles

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

In 2012 it only cost 40,000 British Airways miles (now Avios) to fly from the US to Easter Island and back. A roundtrip ticket to Easter Island for only 40,000 miles. And British Airways offered unlimited stopovers for award tickets.

Of course my husband and I took advantage of that and made a trip from the U.S. to Chile hitting both Valporaiso and Santiago before then flying to Easter Island for almost a week, then on to Peru to finish up with a visit to Machu Picchu.

It was an incredible trip. Easter Island has a mysterious mood that hovers around the place like luminous gray clouds, eerie and beautiful at the same time. But if I ever want to include Easter Island in my travels again, I would need a totally different strategy. Why? Because the rules have changed.

How the rules have changed:

British Airways changed their program a few years ago so that it now bases its award prices on distance rather than zones. Back when we made our trip, Easter Island was such a good price because it was considered to be part of the same pricing zone as Chile, despite being quite a bit farther. Now instead a ticket’s award price increases if the distance increases.
“Unlimited stopovers” is a great perk for a zone-based award chart. Under the new pricing model, you basically pay per leg of the trip. So a new stop creates a new leg and that is how your price accumulates to its total. There are some cases where this isn’t true, which you can read about in Drew’s post about booking stopovers to save Avios. But in general, adding a stop will increase the distance and thus also increase the price.


Other Airline Mileage programs now also include Easter Island in a different pricing zone than Chile, despite its technically being part of Chile. For example American Airlines considers it part of the same pricing zone as the  South Pacific Islands like New Zealand. Geographically that makes more sense but it’s a bummer for anyone hoping to get to Easter Island on the cheap!

Why I recommend Easter Island:

Even though part of our motivation for visiting Easter Island had to do with the great deal we recognized in its only costing 20,000 miles, I still definitely recommend visiting it at least once. And here’s why.

Easter Island is incredibly mysterious and unlike any other island I’ve visited. It is so defined the mysterious Moai statues that cover whole fields and stare inward towards the islanders with blank, un-telling faces. Unlike Fiji or The Cook Islands or Phi Phi Island, it’s not necessarily the landscape that draws guests here. It is the blatant sign of some incredible yet inaccessible past. It’s like no other place.
Once you get to Easter Island, it is not impossible to experience it on a budget. To see the various Moai sites you will need some form of transportation but car rentals are reasonable (somewhere around $20 for the day) and actually the island is small enough for a bike rental to be sufficient if weather allows. And for accommodations, there are home-stay options as well as cheap camp-sites with some of the best weather-proof camping gear I’ve ever seen.

How to go about it now:

So now that you can’t fly roundtrip to Easter Island on a meager 40,000 British Airways miles (Avios), here are your other mileage options. (Note that all of these options will require a layover or stopover of some kind in South America, but the price will still be as noted below.)

75,000 American Airline miles will get you a roundtrip ticket from North America to Easter Island
80,000 US Airways miles will get you a roundtrip ticket from North America to Easter Island
75,000 British Airways Avios is the current estimation for a roundtrip ticket from North America to Easter Island. (For this estimation I used Wandr.me’s Avios Calculator tool.
95,000-105,000 Alaska Airline miles (low season/high season) will get you a roundtrip ticket from North America to Easter Island and back. (Their award chart is a bit more confusing but basically it must be booked as two separate award tickets- one to South America and then one from South America to Easter Island.)

 

Original article can be found here: Easter Island with miles

Vagabonding Case Study: Mariellen Ward

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Mariellen Ward

breathedreamgo.com

Age: 54

Hometown: Toronto

Quote: Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. Joseph Campbell

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

I did not know about Vagabonding before my first big trip. I didn’t know anything about traveling, or traveler’s, or resources. I just went.

How long were you on the road?
On my first trip, I went to India for six months. I left in December 2005 and my return ticket was for June 2006. I had no idea what would happen during those six months, whether I would make it to June, or whether I would even survive at all! Since then, I’ve been back to India bout six times, and have spent about 17 months’ altogether traveling in India, most of it by myself.



Where did you go? 
On my first trip, I had planned out a couple of things, but most of my itinerary was open. I was enrolled in a yoga studies program in Chennai, south India, for one month and accepted as a volunteer for one or two months in a program for Tibetan refugee children in Dharamsala, in north India. Otherwise, I had no fixed plans and just want to explore the subcontinent.

 



What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?
While I was trying to recover from grief and depression over the deaths of my parents and the break-up with my fiance, I decided to follow a dream and become a yoga teacher. During the intense training process, with a teacher who had trained in India, I suddenly felt compelled to go to India. It felt like the thing I had to do to save my life from a downward spiral. So, even with doubt and apprehension looming in my mind, I started saving and planning. I sold 1/3 of my belongings, gave up my apartment, and moved to a small room in someone’s house. I saved $10,000, it took nine months, and then I left.


 

Did you work or volunteer on the road?

During the one-year planning process, I found out about several volunteer opportunities, and applied. The one I wanted most was to volunteer with Art Refuge, a U.K. based program that offers art therapy to Tibetan refugee children newly arrived in Dharamsala. After lengthy interviews, they accepted me. So that gig was scheduled about a year in advance. I stayed for one month in Dharamsala and loved the volunteer assignment — though I was sick practically the entire time I was there. Apparently the town had received a bad water shipment. I wrote about in Butterflies are Free: http://breathedreamgo.com/2009/05/butterflies-are-free/

 

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

Everyone always asks me what’s my favorite place in India! I find it a very hard question to answer. India is so varied, with some of the world’s highest mountains, one of the biggest deserts, and thousands of miles of ocean coast lines! However, if pressed, I will admit to loving the desert of Rajasthan, the mountain hill stations,  Sikkim, the Rishikesh area, Delhi, Mumbai and the beaches of Kerala. Sorry, can’t narrow it down further!

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

I was appalled at the conditions in Agra, home to the Taj Mahal — the world’s most beautiful building. There must be so much money pouring into that city, and yet none of it is spent on infrastructure or tourism. Thanks goodness they are at least preserving the Taj, the fort and Fatephur Sikri. But it does make you shake your head.

I was disappointed by some of the sacred places in India turning into “traveler’s haunts” and catering to foreign tourists, mostly backpackers. I understand that tourism is good for the economy, and I see the efficacy in serving pancakes at the Pink Floyd Cafe in Pushkar … but it’s still disappointing. Especially when you see foreigners drinking beer in Pushkar, which is a sacred city and supposed to be alcohol free. There is a dark side to tourism.

India is itself quite challenging, and it challenges you on every level of your being. However, if you go with a certain attitude, the attitude of the seeker, and see everything that happens as a lesson, you can turn difficult circumstances into transformative experiences. Personally, that’s how I approach India, and it works for me.

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

Haha, I brought a whole bunch of stuff that proved ridiculously un-useful the first time I went. The Indian family I was staying with laughed at my large medical kit that included syringes, portable mosquito net, and stack of pills for preventing things like malaria and diarrhea. Unfortunately, the travel medical clinic I visited in Canada scared me into thinking I was heading into a dangerous and wild place.

Of course I discovered that India has modern medical facilities and I soon realized I didn’t need half the stuff I brought.

After several trips and thousands of miles, I’ve changed priorities. Nowadays, it’s things like a smart phone, good walking sandals, a small thermos with a tight seal, an LED headlamp, and a large selection of Indian “suits” and scarves that I consider most useful. The only thing from the medical kit that I now carry is the rehydration drink packs. They are useful if you get Delhi-belly. I wrote a post about my Top 10 Essential Things to Pack for India http://breathedreamgo.com/2012/10/top-10-essential-things-to-pack-for-india/

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

The rewards are probably different for everyone, but for me, I feel that I am doing what I was put on earth to do; I am following my “bliss,” my unique path. Traveling, especially in India and South Asia, makes me feel totally alive. It inspires my creativity and satisfies my adventurous spirit.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

You have to give up being bored.

What lessons did you learn on the road?

This is a big topic, a book really — and one that I want to write. But to summarize briefly, I would group what I learned into three broad categories:

1. Personal. I gained an enormous amount of much-needed confidence and a much broader perspective.

2. Global. I became a “citizen of the world,” and gained a much better understanding of my place in the world, and about how                               perspective plays such a huge role in how we see things.

3. Spiritual. I consider myself a seeker, and have immersed myself into the spiritual ideas and traditions of India, especially yoga.                        Most westerners don’t realize that yoga is a complete system, an art and science, and a way of being in the world. The west has                      reduced yoga to a system of exercises, but it is much, much more. So opening myself up to the spiritual teachings of yoga has been                  a huge part of my journey.

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

I didn’t really have a notion of vagabonding when I first started traveling. I was trying to save my life from an entrenched depression. Then I fell in love with India, and began a love affair, with all the typical stages of drama. Now I see myself as a cultural explorer.

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

Don’t worry. Enjoy the trip, every moment, even the difficult ones. Everything always works out the way it is supposed to.

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

My advice is don’t go on a similar adventure. Go on YOUR adventure. Follow YOUR bliss. Listen to YOUR heart.

When King Arthur sent the grail knights into the forest to search for the Holy Grail, he instructed them to enter the forest at the darkest spot, the place where there is no path. You have to find your own path to win the Holy Grail, and whatever that represents to you.

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

I was given an Explorer’s Grant by Kensington Tours to undertake a cultural expedition to India. I am going in October to follow in the footsteps of a 16th century mystic poet named Mirabai — a woman who escaped three attempts on her life to follow her calling, and write ecstatic poems and songs. She traveled widely across Rajasthan and Gujurat, and I am going to visit many sites associated with her. There’s more details about this fascinating woman here, in Tracing the Myth of Mirabaihttp://breathedreamgo.com/2014/02/mirabai-myth/

After that, I will probably travel in South Asia for several more months. I published a travel wish list, which also includes plans to help support the women of India: My travel wish list in India and South Asia http://breathedreamgo.com/2014/02/travel-wish-list-india-south-asia/

I’m hoping to get enough support to conduct training sessions with groups of women and teach them how to use the Internet. The company that makes the Aakash, the world’s cheapest computer tablet, has agreed to donate some so I can hand them out.

The more I travel, the more my interest in travel shifts from ‘what’s in it for me?’ to ‘what can I do for others?’ I think that’s probably typical. You see how big the world is and how small you are, and it has a profound impact. Which is ultimately probably the biggest gift of travel.

 

Read more about Mariellen on her blog, Breathe Dream Go, or follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Website: Breathe Dream Go
Twitter: @breathedreamgo

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: Mariellen Ward

Vagabonding book club: Chapter 11: Coming home

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“Of all the adventures and challenges that wait on the vagabonding road, the most difficult can be the act of coming home. On a certain level, coming home will be a drag because it signals the end of all the fun, freedom and serendipity that you enjoyed on the road. But on a less tangible level, returning home after a vivd experience overseas can be just plain weird and unsettling. Every aspect of home will look more or less like it did when you left, but it will feel completely different.”

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, Chapter 11 by Rolf Potts

Of all of the journeys we make the journey home is often the most displacing. 

When we take off from everything we know and dive, head long, into the great and glorious unknown, we do so knowing that there will be discomforts, things will shock us and we’ll be confused. We are mentally and emotionally prepared for the culture shock and the disparity between everything we are, everything we know, and the new realities that will engulf us.

In coming home, we often don’t take into account that, after an extended time away, living in an entirely different reality, we’re doing the very same thing in reverse. We hit the ground taking for granted that everything will be the same, assuming that we know what to expect, feeling as if it should all be easy. Except it’s not.

For me, the hard things aren’t what one would expect to be difficult: Big box stores completely overwhelm me, after a year of shopping in markets and corner stores. The onslaught of language on my senses: In my second and subsequent languages, I can choose what to make the effort to read and filter what I don’t want to bother with. In English, I can’t help but read every single word. I can listen to one conversation at a time, and let the background chatter in a foreign language rush by me. In English, I hear the guy three rows behind me in the bus complaining about his girlfriend’s mother and it drives me batty. It’s having to make a choice between twenty brands of ketchup. It’s Fox New’s trite treatment of a country no one can find on a map. It’s the sudden lack of Kinder Eggs.

It never fails, I hit the ground expecting “home” in all of it’s warm and comforting glory, and instead I find that I’m once again an alien in a strange land. It only helps marginally to remember that it’s me, not “them.” On seven levels, re-entry is wonderful. On seven more, it’s unsettling, and hard to navigate without weirding out the people who love us most. I’ve learned three things that seem to help somewhat:

Talk less. (I love Walt Whitman’s admonition to, “leave the best untold.”)
Listen more. (This is our approach abroad, when we’re trying to learn, why not at home?)
Give it time. (In time you’ll find the ways in which the you you’ve become will integrate and enrich everything you rediscover at home.)

What about you? What are your experiences with re-entry and coming home? What have you learned? How has it changed you?

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding book club: Chapter 11: Coming home

Maximilian I on the journey of life

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“Live, don’t know how long,

And die, don’t know when;

Must go, don’t know where;

I am astonished I am so cheerful.”

–Inscribed with chalk (circa 1500) on a cellar wall of Schloss Tratzberg by Maximilian I; quoted in Patrick Leigh Fermor’s A Time of Gifts

Original article can be found here: Maximilian I on the journey of life

Enlightening Self-inflicted Ruin Travel

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

The air is unbreathable, hot, and terribly humid. The air conditioner perched at the top of the wall at my right is just an empty plastic shell that reminds me that there could be some extra comfort, if someone had cared to replace the wiring. Instead, rivulets of sweat pour down my forehead and temples, sliding down my spine and flowing over the small of my back, soaking into the elastic of my underwear. I had to take my shirt off to endure this first Indonesian live test.

               “Cut the set short, I can’t breathe…” Sam screams from behind the drums, his man-boobs twitch, lucid with sweat.

               “Why man? They are loving it!” I answer screaming on top of amplifier white noise between two songs.

               “I said cut it fucker, I can’t fucking breathe! I am feeling sick! There’s no air!”

OK then, roger.

This is the best travel I have done recently, hands down.

We are at the back of Khansa Studio’s rehearsal room in Pamulang, somewhere in the sprawling suburbs of Jakarta, nestled between a row of halfstacks and a small melee of young Indonesian hardcore punk believers. They are probably twenty, but the room’s so cramped it feels like they are hundreds, all blowing hot air in our faces. One has just finished walking up the wall to my right, supported by a bunch of other lunatics pushing him at the small of his back. From my perspective, I believe for a moment that the room is rolling sideways, and this guy’s trying to run with it. When Sam hits the last of four strokes with his sticks, we launch into the last song of the night, and I wonder if this still makes sense. Looking at how the kids spin and jump and crawl on top of each other, forcing me to step back against the amps, I am tempted to say “yes”. But reflecting on the fact that I am sweating as if I were playing guitar inside of a Finnish sauna, our drummer is having a respiratory crisis, and tonight – and for the rest of this tour – we will never get paid a single rupiah, my European heritage materializes with a hammer to smash the bubble of underground dedication right before my eyes. Why are you doing this, Marco?

I don’t know. Probably because these days I only conceive traveling as a concoction of brutal anthropology, self-inflicted ruin and mind-numbing exploration of the weirdest fringes available in the world. But it does indeed make me feel good, for I know that I’m probably not the only one, but certainly one of the few, to have had this vision and this cross. Suddenly all of the problematic divides among travelers and tourists disappear, because they are not important anymore. I’m only trying to make my time on Earth meaningful to my own self, I guess. Is there anything wrong with it?

MARCO FERRARESE is a metalpunk guitarist who travelled extensively and lived in Italy, the United States, China, Australia and Malaysia. Since 2009 he’s been based in Southeast Asia as a writer, hardcore punk musician and researcher. He travelled from Mongolia to Australia in 2009, and hitchhiked from Singapore to Milano through Silk Road routes and the Middle East in 2012. He blogs at monkeyrockworld.com. Marco’s first Asian pulp novel Nazi Goreng  was published in November 2013 on Monsoon Books. Follow him @monkeyrockworld

Original article can be found here: Enlightening Self-inflicted Ruin Travel

Thank you, Victoria Falls.

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Day 63 of our year long ‘round the world honeymoon will be forever etched in our memory. In October 2009, my husband and I had just concluded a three-week G Adventures tour of southern Africa and had a few days to spend in Livingstone, Zambia. The falls called to us. Knowing only it’s mammoth size, endless supply of rainbows and something called Devil’s Pool; we went in search of adventure but what we found was both a literal and metaphorical ‘jump’. The water rushed past us with its continual flow symbolizing the twists, turns and sometimes, jagged edges of life. How on earth did we get here?

Devil’s Pool is a natural rock pool cresting on the edge of the Zambian side of Victoria Falls (also known as The Smoke that Thunders). During the dry season, the Zambian side of the falls is low enough for visitors to attempt the adrenaline rush of Devil’s Pool. “Climb up this way” our guide David said as he gestured to a large rock that placed us just above the small pool. At the far edge of the natural pool lay the actual edge of Victoria Falls. My heart jumped. The falls rumbled. How did we get here and now what was I supposed to do?

For so long, I’d lived a sheltered life in Long Island, NY. During university I took my first international trip and each year ventured further in my travels. I found that traveling allowed me to find my true self. My comfort zone was grew and my fears lessened, but this was a jump on a totally different level. Moving in together was a risk worth taking, getting married was a leap of faith, taking a year off from a career I’d been in for over ten years was scary but this was on a much greater scale! At the time, I’m not sure I truly knew what it meant, but it was the beginning of a complete shift in attitude, confidence and total life balance.

We watched a group of travelers in front of us and they lived. “Are we really doing this?” I asked my husband of nearly two months. “Absolutely-there’s no turning back now!” David (the guide) stood on the rocks on the left, the cliff’s edge was in front of us with another guide standing ready to catch our hands if necessary and we waited our turn. These guys literally walked on the world’s edge every day-I wonder what their mothers said about their job? I imagine their life was as balanced as could be. Water was everywhere. David said ‘jump’, and insanely, I listened. Landing safely in the pool my smile may have actually surpassed my ears! The rush was inexplicable. Mathew and I sat, as so many did before us, on the edge leaning back to see the falls rushing over the side and watched as a double rainbow appeared before our eyes. Incredible doesn’t do it justice!

After the jump, excitement replaced fear and our appetites returned. It wasn’t just the desire to devour the delicious eggs benedict and scones offered to jumpers after their plunge. Now, after successfully looking fear in the eye, jumping and more than just surviving-I wanted more. This wasn’t just an incredible day or travel story to retell; this was a life-changing experience whose effect was far greater than I ever could have imagined.

Three years after that jump, the feelings hadn’t lessened. We’d returned, gone through a hurricane that nearly decimated our community and the desire for more was still there. The entire jump from the giant rock into the pool at the top of Victoria Falls took all of ten seconds. The journey to reach the top of that rock took well over thirty years and was comprised of as many bumps, tumbles and magic as the waterfall herself. The interesting thing was that the magnitude of the jump was not in those ten seconds as I had first thought but instead it was the aftermath that held the greatest significance.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined spending time traveling the world or ever having the courage to take that leap at one of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls. That leap led to more as I finally began to believe that some form of net truly would appear. Perhaps those first few nets of my family, my husband and the pool at the top of the Victoria Falls led to finally believing that even I could be my own net. By four years after the jump, we’d taken more time off from work and gone traveling again facing new challenges and taking greater risks than I ever before would take. I finally felt that I could be my travel self, that true self at home or abroad. The ‘world’s greatest sheet of falling water’ (according to UNESCO) taught me about courage, fear, wonder, risk, encouragement, balance and joy.

I’m no longer afraid to jump. In fact, there are times that I look forward to those jumps and find them far more exciting than nerve-wracking; the complete opposite of life prior to Day 63. I’m not sure she knows what she gave me in those ten seconds but because of her, I know that the possibilities are endless and that the risk is without question, worth the reward.

Thank you, Victoria Falls.

To see more of Stacey’s travels check out her website at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com.

 

 

 

Original article can be found here: Thank you, Victoria Falls.

Lost in the crowd when traveling?

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

(Lost in a Crowd – photo by Keoni Cabral)

This week I’m in San Francisco, after riding my motorcycle from Washington. First, I have to say – the ride down the PCH was in-damn-credible! Thanks to a friend’s suggestions, I got off the PCH near Fortuna and took the Avenue of the Giants scenic route. Who would have thought that there was a scenic route to an already incredible scenic route? I’ll write more about this another time. Take my recommendation, though, if you are ever in southern Oregon, take 199 West and to 101 South, then just take that as far as you’re able. Here’s a couple pictures to wet your appetite.

(Trinity and I at the Pacific Ocean)

(Avenue of the Giants)

Now – this week, I wanted to ask a question. When you travel to busy, vibrant locations (big cities and such) – do you feel a bit lost? A bit secluded?

The other night, I was talking with my friend Boris, who I met when trekking through Siberia (a real awesome guy, btw). Anyway – we were discussing what it was like to visit a large city like San Francisco when you’re traveling solo. We both felt that if you don’t already know someone there, it’s easy to feel a bit alone. It’s the reason he gave me some things to do in SF; recommendations that would get me started and he also introduced me to some of his friends.

Truth is – often when I’m traveling solo, I feel the need to some alone time to acclimate. I remember going to Göteborg, Sweden a few years ago. It was a great place to hang out with a vibrant night life. Before I could venture out, though, I had to spend about a day alone in the hotel to absorb the new environment. Only after that did I feel comfortable in going out to explore the city. Yet, on every adventure I’ve been on, I’m often traveling as part of a small group. In those instances, I felt comfortable in most situations (well – except for some really sketchy ones). I was able to jump right in and explore the surroundings.

I noticed the same thing at World Domination Summit a few weeks ago. I was fortunate to have a lot of friends to hang out with and springboard from; but, it’s something that I would have struggled with otherwise. I find that with small, intimate destinations it’s much easier for me to get involved and to be a vibrant part. Once there’s too many people, I tend to step back and observe, rather than participating.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts – is this just part of my introvert tendencies – or is this a more common feeling?

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Chris Plough writes and podcasts at oznog.com, where he shares stories and advice from his adventures and from the incredible people that he’s met along the way. You can also follow him on twitter: @chrisplough.

Original article can be found here: Lost in the crowd when traveling?