Rolf Potts's Blog, page 83

What are your favorite/least favorite airports?

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Sleeping at Hong Kong HKG airport. Photo: Rolling Okie / Flickr Creative Commons

Tony Wheeler, co-founder of the Lonely Planet guidebook empire, wrote a post titled Airports – love them/hate them. Very often, the airport is your first impression of a country. You start setting expectations. Is dealing with officials painless or painful? You’ll get more of the same out of the airport. Does the place feel clean and efficient? You can wager for the same conditions once in-town.

For least-favorite airport, I’d have to put Los Angeles LAX at the top of my list. Partly because familiarity breeds contempt. When I attended a college in southern Califorina, so I’d have to pass through LAX a few times a year. Once had to sprint across a whole concourse to catch a connecting flight. Whoever thought to have connecting flights arrive and depart from opposite ends of airport was crazy.

As for favorite airport, the hands-down winner is Hong Kong HKG. The fastest, easiest landings I’ve ever experienced. Nearly every time, my luggage has appeared by the time I’ve passed through immigration. The Airport Express is a wonder; I wish all airports had a dedicated high-speed train to go to the city center. A big bonus is how many magazine shops and bookshops HKG has. If you’re living in Asia and starved for English-language reading material, definitely load up before flying out.

What airports do you love and hate? Please share your stories in the comments.

Original article can be found here: What are your favorite/least favorite airports?

The best journeys explore spiritual (as well as physical) territory

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“A journey can become a sacred thing:

Make sure, before you go,

To take the time

To bless your going forth,

To free your heart of ballast

So that the compass of your soul

Might direct you toward

The territories of spirit

Where you will discover

More of your hidden life,

And the urgencies

That deserve to claim you.”

–John O’Donohue, “For the Traveler” (2008)

Original article can be found here: The best journeys explore spiritual (as well as physical) territory

Vagabonding Field Report: Returning home to Toronto to refuel

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Cost/day: $50

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

The BCE building in downtown Toronto

Returning home means that “strangeness” is more in the unfamiliar than in the bizarre. Having been on the road for the past eight months, returning home presented a lot of familiar sights which masked themselves in the unfamiliar. Even before I left, Toronto had been undergoing one of the single greatest physical transformations of any city in North America. Condos were going up left, right and center. On my return, there were some neighborhoods where I used to live that had made some remarkable changes even in just the eight months that I had been away. Walking along King street west for example, I find I can only vaguely remember half of the buildings that now occupy the sky. The city has grown up so much since I last saw it.

Describe a typical day:

Again, having been away for 8 months, my daily life has been mostly filled with going to dinner with friends, spending time with the family, getting a new passport (mine actually filled up completely), uploading photos to share and doing some refueling for the second leg of the trip. On one recent evening, I managed to get out onto the ice and played some summer hockey. You can’t get more Canadian than that – even in the summer. A nearly daily experience, especially in the summer, is that of the bbq dinner. Fish, steak, potato, veggies. Everything can and does get cooked on the bbq during the summer and walking down any random street in Toronto during the summer is bound to provide a melody of bbq cooking smells and sounds.

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local:

Most of my conversations have tended to revolve around my experience on the trip. Mostly, the conversations follow a predictable pattern of “where did you go?/What did you like best?/Did you have anything stolen?”. In one particular conversation, we dove deeper and talked at length about how disorienting (in a good way) long term travel can be and how it changes your “life taste buds” and in some ways creates a bit of a distance between you and the friends and family that you left behind. In some ways, the conversations I have had have been frustrating; despite my best efforts, I can’t properly express the depth of the experiences and personal changes I have felt over the course of the last eight months.

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

Besides the obvious (I like Toronto because my family and close friends are here), I am reminded about Toronto’s other strengths. It’s very safe, clean and full of friendly if conservative people. It’s an intensely diverse city and offers visitors the chance to tour the world by walking it’s streets.

On the negative side, for obvious and personal reasons, it has the disadvantage of familiarity. Also, and this doesn’t particularly affect me as I have access to a vehicle here, but Toronto transit is lacking. To really get around the city takes a lot of time (it’s a big place) and patience (the public transit is slow and lacking).

Describe a challenge you faced:

Any challenges I have had since being back in Toronto are mostly emotional. Our travels are not over – we will be traveling for at least another 5 months – and returning home has meant a welcome reunion with family and friends. But it also means another goodbye and one that is very close to the initial “hello”. The other challenge I’ve faced, as mentioned above, is in the growing divide that separates you, as a long term traveler, from your friends and family. Returning home for a short while really reminds you of how your paths have diverged in some ways while you have been traveling.

What new lesson did you learn?

I’ve accepted that, no matter how much I try, a lot of stories that have shaped me and changed me while traveling, are either not interesting to others or really don’t translate well and that this is not a bad thing. Just because one can’t communicate the impact of travel moments doesn’t lessen the original experience in any way. Don’t hit others over the head with your travel tales or new life outlook; tell them as well as you can and anticipate that a lot of the shine may not come through in the re-telling.

Where next?

We’re are off to South America, landing in Bogota, Colombia.

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Field Report: Returning home to Toronto to refuel

Learning While Traveling

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

One of our core values over at BootsnAll is to love learning.  It’s something we like to focus on when it comes to work and our daily lives.  The learning experiences when it comes to traveling are immense as well, and whenever we have a chance to promote the idea of learning while on the road, we jump at it.

There are tons of options for learning something new when on the road, as experiential vacations allow travelers to immerse themselves in a culture while learning about that culture.  Whether it’s a cooking class, a language course, photography classes, learning to surf or how to do yoga, the opportunities for bringing a new skill back home with you are endless.  While souvenirs are nice, bringing back something that you can continue to implement into your daily life will have you remembering your trip forever.

For those of us who are out of school or perhaps traveling on a gap year, taking classes to learn about the culture we’re visiting is a great way to really connect with that country and its people.  But learning and travel can come even earlier.  Many families are now yanking their kids out of school for a few weeks, months, and even year(s) to teach them a new kind of curriculum that you simply can’t get within the walls of a school building.

In Educational Travel:  How to Get Permission and Justify the Experience to Your Local School, the author offers tips for “selling” it to your child’s school and also gives tips for how to make the most out of combining travel with education.  It’s possible to make it a learning experience for classmates back home as well.

For us, travel is more than just getting away from home and the daily grind.  While relaxing and lounging on the beach is always nice, there’s so much more to indie travel, and adding some type of learning experience, if only for one day, will add so much more value to that trip.

Have you ever taken a trip where learning was the focus?  Have you brought a new skill home from a trip?  Comment below and share your story.

 

Original article can be found here: Learning While Traveling

Lake Tahoe: Mountain Climbs and Cold Water Plunges

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Cost: $20/day

For those unwilling to travel all the way to Scotland to see a famed lake monster, Lake Tahoe should be the top of your end of summer travel plans. Although most come for the hiking and the lake, the rumors of Tahoe Tessie persist around the world’s second deepest lake. I once even commandeered an unattended rowboat and went searching myself, results were inconclusive…

There only constant between all days in Tahoe is that they will revolve around being outdoors. Whether you decide to spend the whole day at the beach, on the water, or in the mountains your morning starts bright and early.

For those opting for the mountains, Tallac is a perennial favorite. Hikers hit the trailhead in Desolation Wilderness early, usually around seven, for the twelve-mile roundtrip to the summit. The early morning affords cooler temperatures, before the beating sun of the afternoon, and protects hikers from lightning storms that can kick up around the summit in the afternoons.

The hike is relatively moderate until the last mile and push for the summit. The final, gasping, heart-pounding steps conclude with a rock scramble and a positively breathtaking panorama of Tahoe. If you don’t dawdle too long on top of the world, a late lunch is in order around 2. The scamper down Mt. Tallac is considerably easier than the trudge up, with most budding mountaineers back at the trailhead in a couple of hours.

The afternoon is an ideal time to enjoy the beach and get your day’s fill of Vitamin D. Temperatures are usually in the low 80′s and there are a bevy of great beaches to choose from, regardless of which side of the lake you’re on. The ubiquitous presence of docks and rafts makes plunging into the lake the ultimate Tahoe diversion. This is after all why everyone is here, correct?

Around five, the sun starts to dip behind the peaks of the Sierras and the beach set trades their swimsuits for khakis and flannels. The bonfires spark to life and twilight in Tahoe sets in. The evenings are reminiscent of mountains everywhere, with strong scents of pine and everyone huddled around the fire grilling dinner on the beach.

The locals are mostly folks who’ve given up the faster-paced life in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved a few hours over to live, “Where the angels come to breathe,” as Mark Twain described his beloved Lake Tahoe. Locals are ecstatic to recommend the best secret hike (not very well-kept secrets) or the cheapest aquatic gas station to fill up a boat.

There’s nothing to dislike about Tahoe if you’re an outdoor-enthusiast or relish the sunshine. However, if what you’re looking for is thumping clubs or lots of nightlife options, Tahoe is not the place to find it.

 

The challenges in Tahoe are mostly of the physical sort, altitude is certainly a factor for those coming up from sea level, with many hikes finishing around 10,000 feet.

Every time I go to Tahoe, I’m reminded of the same lesson, to slow down and enjoy nature at its finest. Modernity and progress are wonderful in a myriad of respects, but there is something soothing and primal about watching the stars come out over Lake Tahoe with your legs hanging over the dock.

 

Original article can be found here: Lake Tahoe: Mountain Climbs and Cold Water Plunges

Volunteering in Bangladesh at Rishilpi

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

When travelling for extended periods of time, it is easy to reach a point of tiredness, when everything seems a bit jaded. The joy of zipping from one place to the other across the travel maps becomes increasingly less exciting, and we may be craving for something more, something “different”.

When this happened to me, I decided to dedicate some of my travel time to others in need: this year, as I was exploring the Indian subcontinent, I brought along a guitar which I used to entertain street children and the disabled. But for as much as this sounds interesting in writing, it was not easy to earn the trust of the many NGOs I contacted proposing my project. I actually have to say that the response was so small and disheartening that what started as my main objective had to be tuned down and reconsidered because of the overwhelmingly distrust I found all around.

However, all of the hours I spent sending emails to NGOs offices were not completely wasted: at least, I had the chance to visit the incredible Rishilpi project in Shatkira, Southwestern Bangladesh, a mere 70 km from Kolkata. Vincenzo Falcone, the always smiling Italian project manager, came to Bangladesh 35 years ago as a missionary in nearby Khulna. After having studied the language and served in Khulna for several years, he decided to get more involved and set the foundations for today’s impressive Rishilpi: a space where, besides providing free education for the poor and physiotherapy for disabled children, Vincenzo has developed a leather factory – giving work to many otherwise unemployed people – and a center for the purification of waters. Many years of hard work have configured Rishilpi as a little oasis outside busy Bengali small town Shatkira, a place you would probably not consider visiting in such a less visited country: but Rishilpi is the reason why you should, and you can.

During my brief one week stay, I managed to participate to the art class performing in front of children with special needs, and also organized a lecture about my travels in the Subcontinent for the older students. You may not believe it, but in Bangladesh travelling is perceived as a very dangerous past time: it was therefore very interesting to see how these kids reacted to the images of India, Nepal and the ethnically different Southeastern Bangladesh I showed them.

There are many departments and activities at Rishilpi, and volunteers are welcome to join bringing in their expertise: if you have a volunteering idea, Vincenzo would be happy to listen to it and welcome you if you can help. As he told me, “everybody can bring in their own thing, as long as they do it with their hearts, and are dedicated in bringing some help to the people of Shatkira’s division”.

If you feel inclined to do something for the needful, and keen in dedicating some of your time to a country that, despite a worldwide reputation as a disaster-zone, has a lot of incredible secrets to unveil, you should consider Bangladesh, and you should contact Rishilpi. It is rare to receive such a warm welcome and feel as useful and respected as it happened to me in Shatkira…

Original article can be found here: Volunteering in Bangladesh at Rishilpi

Loco2:europe by train

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Loco2 launched not long ago. A site dedicated to train travel throughout Europe. I’ve exchanged emails with its founder, and “the team” has the vision of creating a source of online train booking “as easy as flight booking”—it appears to be well on its way. The site has a video short that explains how to find, book and share itinerary with friends. It also features a blog that covers things like watching the Tour de France by train, photography by Steve McCurry, and interviews with The Man in Seat61.

If you are not privy to that last mention; the man in Seat61 site was created by former railway engineer Mark Smith in 2001, and received many cudos in 2007 (including a blog post on this site.) That site alone is a plethora of information about world-wide train travel.

survey results image credit loco2.com

However, it doesn’t have the unique Engine Room forum which Loco2 has created to offer advice broken down easily by country with the latest information about areas. If you’re considering Europe by train; check into this site. If you’ve travelled the area recently and have suggestions, they are open to building a better, more useful community…

Original article can be found here: Loco2:europe by train

How has travel pushed you out of your comfort zone?

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Yellow danger sign. Photo: flattop341 / Flickr

You get into some crazy situations when you travel. The food you eat, the people you meet and the things you see. Yet on later reflection, those are the same things that build character and allow you to evolve as a person. Derek Sivers described this well in his blog post: Push, push, push. Expanding your comfort zone.

Sivers delivers a rapid-fire blast of outrageous experiences: from diplomacy in Mongolia to being 40 feet underwater with an overzealous diving instructor. These are the kinds of war stories that travelers love to collect and share with each other.

In what ways has going abroad pushed you out of your comfort zone? Please share your stories in the comments.

Original article can be found here: How has travel pushed you out of your comfort zone?

Too much advance knowledge can compromise your travel experience

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“I was glad I hadn’t known about this beforehand. If I’d stuck to my usual method of over-preparation, I would have read all the details about [Montmartre and its] view. I would have seen professional photos. I would have heard the dissenting voices bemoaning the crowds and those pesky kids with their soccer ball. I would have been, I am sure, disappointed. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, especially in travel, where surprise and wonder and discovering the new are pretty much the entire reason for the endeavor.”

–Doug Mack, Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day (2012)

Original article can be found here: Too much advance knowledge can compromise your travel experience

Vagabonding Field Reports: 10 Airports in 28 Days

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Cost/day: FREE (airfare not included – ha!)

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

As I write this, it is now 3:40am and I’m bunking in the San Francisco Airport after 16 hours of flight changes, delays and one emergency turn-around. Some of the things I’ve seen tonight include:

Watching the pilots pack their bags and walk out of our just-boarded flight. Since 9/11, I’ve never seen a cockpit fully open and exposed.
Several otherwise calm passengers breaking into yelling fits, after several hours of “we’ll board in 15 minutes”. Security guards were called and I wasn’t sure how far it was going to escalate.
A couple hundred people lined up at customer care like refugees to get blankets and rations (sodas, potato chips and cookies).
Small groups of us doing jumping jacks and sprints at 3am, to combat the near-arctic air conditioning.
One gentleman being carried out of the plane because of a hastily-ingested Ambien.

All that – just tonight. So, in celebration of airports, delays and the hassles that we endure due to our love of travel – I’m dedicating this post to the 10 airports that I have visited in the last 28 days.


Describe a typical day:

We all know the drill. Get up too early and scramble to the airport (usually a bit late). Rush through ticketing and get mired up in security (especially in the US). Slowly dribble into the aircraft and find a seat. Spend several uncomfortable hours trying to find new and varied ways to stretch out our aching joints, while not intruding into the space of the guy next to us. Hopefully spark up an interesting conversation, while saving the “I’ve got a book to read” maneuver in case they are exceedingly dull. Slowly dribble out of the aircraft and speed walk through the terminal — only to get mired up in customs. Rush to grab some cash and the catch the taxi/bus/train. Find our hotel. Seek an adventure. Rinse and repeat.

For the past four weeks, I’ve been traveling for my business – which basically means: many miles in very few days. While I’ve seen more airports, hotels and conference rooms than I care to recant, it has given me a chance to plot out sights for my next “fun-time, all-for-me” trips.

Okay, put your seat backs up, stow your personal items and ensure your seat-belts are buckled:

Rapid City - RAP

RAP is my home-town airport now and I love it. Small and efficient, I leave my house, blaze through security and board the plane within 50 minutes.

Denver - DEN

DEN is a hub that I’m always running through, but is rarely a destination. I don’t know it as well as Chicago (ORD), but it does the job. They used to have a local chile, raspberry and sugar candy in one of the shops, but I can’t find it anymore. That makes Plough a sad boy.

Los Angeles - LAX

LAX – I typically avoid this airport like the plague – preferring SNA, but if you’re going to Australia – this is a likely stop.

Sydney - SYD

SYD – Now we’re talking! We’re finally getting to airports that are interesting (or maybe I just feel that way because of how much I love Australia). Customs have always been decently fast for me and quick access to the city train is a win.

Melbourne - MEL

MEL – This is the airport I usually fly into, though I once flew into Avalon Airport (AVV). I don’t know if it has changed, but at the time AVV wasn’t much more than a steel building and a dirt parking lot. It’s a must if you’re going to fly Jetstar, though.

Perth - PER

PER – This was my first time in this airport and I didn’t know what to expect. I remember thinking that it was much smaller than I expected. I was dead tired and didn’t explore much. Perth, however, seems to offer a plenty of interests — especially if you’re willing to drive several hours.

Singapore - SIN

SIN – Otherwise known as Changi Airport, this is one of my absolutely favorite airports. Clean, great architecture and design, plenty of things to eat and see.  (If you’re a shopper, you’ll LOVE it.) Plus, they have a quiet little sleeping section with wave-like lounge chairs. Oh, how I wish SFO had a few of these! I would rank SIN in my top 2, with Seoul being the other contender.

Hong Kong - HKG

HKG – This was another rush-through, unfortunately. I really want to do more exploring the next time I’m stuck there. I can say that the express train from Hong Kong is fantastic — especially with the in-terminal check-in and baggage services. Just remember that you may need to do special planning for flying through Hong Kong. For instance, I went from here to Taipei and needed to have both my flights into and out of Taipei documented in order to check in at HKG.

Taipei - TPE

TPE – This airport was exceptionally clean on the inside, and much smaller than I expected on the outside. It has a bit of the TARDIS effect going on.

San Francisco - SFO

SFO – The airport is okay, but being so close to San Francisco is the real draw. If only I had known that I would be stuck here for nearly 24-hours, I would have taken BART into town. Fresh seafood anyone? I never seem to have enough free time to spend in in San Francisco. I’m going to spend some serious time here soon.

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

I love the fact that airports are synonymous with new destinations, new experiences and new vistas.

I only wish I could drive everywhere. Road-trips are nearly spiritual, while air travel feels like riding in a cattle car.

Describe a challenge you faced:

Read the intro again. Today has been one of those days. Not to say this is the worst experience that any of us have had — just another war story to throw in the chest.

What new lesson did you learn?

I try damn hard to remember that breakdowns are the result of organizations and circumstances — not the customer rep in front of me. Besides – I’ve had more interesting conversations tonight than in the rest of the airports combined. Take what you can from each experience.

Where next?

Next up – I’m going to bunk up and get a couple hours of shut-eye. Tomorrow I’ll hopefully catch a flight that takes me on to the next… airport.

Sleeping Arrangements

 

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Field Reports: 10 Airports in 28 Days