Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 473

HuffPostBooks: Sharing the Secrets for Self-Mastery

In his book, Awakened Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery, Alan Shelton shares stories of his journey of transformation across decades and continents. His self-actualization to become an integrated awakened leader shines as an example of possibility to others. One of his gifts to leadership thinking is the new word: “intellectuality, the ability to be engaged in the shared intellect that permeates the heart. When practiced in the leadership context, it may be the largest paradigm shift in leadership thinking ever experienced.” Shelton is ready to reveal his gifts and assist you on your voyage.

Many people look outside themselves to figure out how to change their lives, they search for “happiness” when they seek “joy, peace, love, money, pleasure, and fulfillment.” Shelton’s key secrets are: “You already are what you are seeking. The secret here is to start where you are. You are enough — let your power come to you.” As he says, “Relatively few of us have the insight that the transformation required is primarily an inside job.”

Whether you are a “spiritual seeker looking for truth” or a “corporate type looking for authenticity,” Shelton has something for you. His early life included a close connection cut short with an intellectual grandfather, an absent father and an abusive step-father with a belt with a large buckle that he used against Shelton and his younger brother.

Full incorporation of all parts of himself was an early challenge and Shelton segmented himself with his family or his friends at school. His lifelong search for integration is shown from his school days through his term as a Mormon Missionary in Peru in 1972. Always rising to leadership whether as zone leader to 140 missionaries in Southern Peru or shielding his younger brother, he was led to his own mentors including his grandfather, his professor, Stephen Covey, and Osho.

To Shelton,

Osho’s accent and the occasional oddly placed word were no problem. It was as if my grandfather himself were speaking to me. I immediately knew that this man knew… Before I even finished hearing my first Osho discourse, I knew that I needed to go to India and ‘get experience.’

His connection with his grandfather and his search for more led him to India.

But experience in India is unsettling to all first timers, “Bicycles, taxis, motorcycles and scooters, motorized rickshaws, battered cars with mismatched colors and parts, and trucks of every size and description were jockeying for position on the road… Just about every vehicle I saw had more people stuffed into it or piled on top of it than you would think is humanly possible… Despite the obvious poverty and pain, I couldn’t help but see beauty everywhere.” Shelton perseveres and rises to the top at the Osho Pavilion as he did in Peru.

Although Osho and his methods have met with criticism, Shelton took what he liked and left the rest. He immediately found a way to receive a new name: “Anand Darpan,” meaning “blissful reflection.” Through his years in India and active seeking, he “had metamorphosed into a leader in organizational development with a strong foundation in the spiritual world.”

The last three chapters of his book share about “presence, service, and relationship… You will know which doorways to pass through if you let your intuition draw you to them.” Along your personal journey, you may find as Shelton did that: “Your thoughts and actions become creative responses to what is, rather than attempts to control it.” Rather than trying to do or force a situation, Shelton recommends surrendering to the idea that you are enough and breakthroughs will happen as you see more possibilities. “Awakened Leadership is the recognition that the only stable thread that weaves itself through your experience and that of the people you lead is the internal peace that you contribute to the fray. This sense of peace is not your possession.” Shelton states that the major problem for humans is believing we are in control of the “script in life.” Humans want to be the producer, director and writer without realizing that this is causing the problems and not the way to a solution.

Shelton’s book is an invitation and as he says, “Welcome to the mystery of your own journey. Are you ready to let life live you?”

His book is waiting to assist all who want to walk through the doorway:

My message to you is that your journey is authentic no matter where it takes place. If you’re a corporate animal, much like myself, then that is the arena in which your search unwinds. Everything you need to reach home is already within the world you inhabit, for Source is everywhere. And consciousness is all there is.

 

This article first appeared in Huffington Post Books.

More about Alan Shelton and Awakened Leadership: click here.

About the author of this review: Lisa Niver Rajna is a passionate writer, speaker and global citizen who has traveled to over one hundred countries and six continents. She and her husband, George, co-authors of Traveling in Sin, are spending a sabbatical year in Asia, follow their journey at We Said Go Travel.

 

The post HuffPostBooks: Sharing the Secrets for Self-Mastery appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Why Female Solo Travel is Safe, and Awesome

Female solo travelers are constantly being asked that age old question about how possible it really is for a woman to travel alone. I have been on both sides of that conversation, asking the question before I had ever really traveled, and responding to it now, after four years of being on the road, three of which were by myself.

I don’t blame people for asking that question; if you’ve not traveled much or just been away on vacation-style breaks from a full time job once or twice a year, women traveling alone can be a very alien concept. Furthermore, if you’re used to always having a partner by your side, it can be a pretty daunting prospect, too. In truth, I’ve personally found that traveling alone as a woman has been the single most liberating experience of my life, and has helped me to grow and develop in ways I would never have imagined.

How I came to be a female solo traveler

My first traveling experience was interrailing around Europe for two months with a friend when I was 20 years old. This trip was what really kicked off my life of travel, and I finished that trip eager, desperate, and hungry for more.

One of the very first people I met on that trip was an Australian woman who was traveling alone. I had never met a woman who had done such a thing, and over the course of the next few weeks and months when we bumped into each other I picked her brains about solo travel. She seemed like a completely free spirit to me – her plans were constantly changing depending on what she felt like doing or the people she met. The world and everything in it was hers. I wanted to be that girl. I was determined to be that girl.

I came back from that trip and planned my next great adventure; traveling to Canada alone. I figured it was an easy destination to start with as I shared the same language and felt like it wouldn’t be much of a culture shock. My first week in Canada alone was a bit shakey, and I continually doubted myself and my strength to be able to do this. I remember taking my first step out onto Granville Street in Vancouver, jet lagged to oblivion, and thinking to myself, ‘I’ve just flown 6,000 miles away from anyone I know on this planet. What on earth have I done?’

Having said that, it didn’t take me long to make plenty of new friends in my hostel, and once I got used to the whole idea I couldn’t get enough of traveling alone. The freedom was like nothing I’d ever experienced, and I really feel like solo travel has made me the person I am today.

Since then, I’ve lived in both Barcelona and Toronto, and traveled through the Balkans and South America, all of which have been solo adventures. I have been incredibly lucky to have stayed safe throughout all of these journeys, but at the same time I’ve kept my head screwed on, and remembered that’s my gut instinct is my most powerful weapon.

Some difficulties you might face traveling as a woman alone

I’ve always said that there is only really one difference between travel safety advice for men and for women. The normal safety tips apply for all – don’t go down sketchy-looking streets alone, make sure you keep an eye on your personal items at all times, and just keep your wits about you.

As a woman traveling alone, the one thing that might happen is you get unwanted advances from men, such as whistling, cat calling, hissing, etc. This all depends on the country you’re in; I had some unwanted attention from men in South America (I’m a redhead with pale skin – I stand out quite a bit there!) but for the most part it was harmless and I walked by with an air of confidence, ignoring them completely, an attitude which I have found to be te best defence.

Having experienced solo travel for so long, I can say that the rewards far outweigh the dangers. The best thing you can pack for a female solo trip abroad is a good sense of judgement. Know that you should, to a certain extent, have your guard up and not trust people immediately, but still travel with an open heart. Always remember that just because a place is far away, or has a very different culture to your own, doesn’t necessarily make it dangerous. Inform yourself with factual information about a country from government websites, not what you read in the newspapers.

Finally, know that the leap into traveling alone as a women will probably be one of the best leaps you ever take – I never knew how strong I could be until I took to the open road, just me and my backpack.

About the author: Emma Higgins has been writing/travelling on and off since 2009. Her blog, Gotta Keep Movin’, is full of stories and advice from her trips, which include Europe, India, Morocco, South America, USA and Canada. Her focuses are budget travel and volunteering, and she’s been involved in sustainable farming in Argentina, animal shelters in Peru, and making goat cheese in British Columbia. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

The post Why Female Solo Travel is Safe, and Awesome appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

From Flight Attendant to Travel Writer

An interview with author, Tiffany Hawk

How did you go from flight attendant to travel writer?

I’ve spent most of my life trying to travel for free or even get paid to travel. After college, some of my friends did the whole backpacking through Europe thing, but I didn’t have anything resembling a savings account let alone a trust fund, so I became a flight attendant. I got to live abroad, travel to almost every state and to dozens of countries, and I had an unlimited stash of free write-your-own tickets that would get me anywhere I wanted on my days off. It was unbelievable to have that kind of freedom.

Then after 9/11, I got laid off. I was based in London and my work visa was voided, so in a pretty ironic twist, they sent my broke, unemployed ass back to the U.S. – in first class. I desperately didn’t want to leave London or my flat or my friends or my job, so I sat in that first class sleeper suite crying into my Dom Perignon and gourmet cheese plate.

Seriously, though. I was 24 and thought I would die if I had to go back to a gray cubicle. So I spent the entire 10-hour flight working through the What Color is Your Parachute career guide. And I had a brilliant idea. “I know…I’m going to be a travel writer!”

I was so naïve. I didn’t know anything about the media and publishing industries, but I read everything I could and talked to everyone I could and spent every last penny of disposable income on classes. And now I’ve written for the publications I dreamed of, worked as a magazine travel editor, and have a book out.

How did your novel come about?

Honestly, I think I just couldn’t let go of the past. I wrote a lot of short stories and essays about my time at United, partly to process my grief about 9/11, and partly to relive the glory days. But then as those pieces accumulated and gradually started morphing into a novel, I was on a mission to bring the world an authentic, emotional look at the flight attendant life, something more than the caricatures we usually see – the perky bimbo, the battleaxe, the catty gay man. I wanted to really explore what it means to live everywhere and nowhere.

Love Me Anyway doesn’t stick to the glamorous side of travel. Was that deliberate?

I was completely committed to showing a deeper side of the airline world – funny, serious, good, bad, ugly, sexy, lonely. That said, if I had written this book before 9/11, it probably would have been more glamorous, not just because the industry has changed so much, but because I have. Being a flight attendant really does mean living in this incredible world where anything seems possible, and every day brings something new. But as anyone who travels a lot knows, it’s not always like being on vacation. The thing is, though, the most extraordinary, most life-changing moments usually happen when we’re pushed past our comfort zones.

In the opening pages of your book, you say flight attendants are running away from something. How true is that?

Most of the time, when you get hired as a flight attendant you have to be wiling to relocate to any base the company chooses. It definitely takes a unique kind of person to be able up and leave everything you know. From what I saw, within a few months of starting work, people usually ended up quitting the job or walking away from whatever ties they had. Some people straddled two worlds, but shortly after my class graduated, we had divorces (including mine, lovely story) and girls who quit the moment their boyfriends proposed.

Do you have any other stories from your flight attendant life that didn’t make it in the book?

So many stories just didn’t fit. I would have loved to have included one of my more touching flights. It was Thanksgiving 2000, and a series of long delays and repeated cancellations had put my Albuquerque-bound passengers through the ringer. They had spent hours on the tarmac only to be sent back to the gate, more than once. They’d missed the holiday, and they were pissed, enraged even. It was the kind of fiasco that can turn into death threats and fist fights, truly. But at some point, these people just let go of the anger, decided to make the best of it and bonded with each other and with the crew. To this day it warms my heart that as I was saying “buy-bye,” I was invited to several belated family dinners. Unfortunately, I had to fly on.

Do you have any advice for budding travel writers?

This is not revolutionary, but it’s so often overlooked – study the publications you want to write for as if you were studying for the bar exam. When I was a magazine editor, I can’t tell you how many pitches I got that were wildly off-base. Also, don’t limit yourself to travel magazines or “travel” topics. You can just as easily get a travel story in a food magazine or a food story in a travel magazine. (Hint: Get creative and replace food with fitness or spa or fashion or science.) Almost any topic can be turned into a trip. So go hit the road and tell us about it!

More about Tiffany Hawk: Tiffany Hawk is a former flight attendant and the author of Love Me Anyway, a darkly funny novel about life at 35,000 feet. She has an MFA in creative writing from UC Riverside and her work can be seen in such places as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler, and NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Lisa’s review of Love Me Anyway on Huffington Post.

Want more to read about travel? Lisa and George’s memoir, Traveling in Sin, is on Amazon.com.

Travel Writing Road Tiffany Hawk

You could be writing from an exotic destination as a travel writer.
Get started with @tiffanyhawk’s online course: Click here to view more details

The post From Flight Attendant to Travel Writer appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Travel Spot: The Fairmont San Francisco

For your trip to “the Golden Gate city”, embark on a world-class travel destination by staying or visiting The Fairmont San Francisco. People often say it is a “hotel so grand they built a city around it”, and that they did. Resembling a European palace it proudly resides at the corner of California and Mason street, situated in the epicenter of famous cable car lines, and minutes away from the Financial District, Union Square, China Town, Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.
Since 1907, The Fairmont has stood as a piece of history that stands atop Nob Hill overlooking rich culture and breathtaking scenery.For the Fairmont’s beauty and “terra cotta façade” has withstood The Great Earthquake and watched international dignitaries, heads of state and celebrities grace its walls.

Today the hotel stands proudly as a legendary tourist destination and a global host to thousands of people each year. The rich history of both San Francisco and the Fairmont San Francisco go back as far as the California Gold Rush of 1849 when James Graham Fair, a miner who made his fortune from silver, staked his claim in the summit of Nob Hill.  Flash forward today, it’s captured Hollywood’s eye in Aaron Spelling’s Television series “Hotel” who commemorated the famous hotel lobby. The popular destination houses 591 guest rooms, 62 luxurious suites and 55,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, thus it is no wonder this structure of vintage and modern luxury is known as the “west coast White House.”
Committed to protecting the environment the Fairmont hotel installed four honeybee hives atop their 1,000 square foot rooftop garden. Along with the already local and organic cuisine the sweet concoction can be found in the hotel’s afternoon tea service or on draft fittingly titled the Honey Saison served in the Laurel Court Restaurant and bar.

The Heart of Luxury
One can enjoy the lap of luxury in the hotels world famous Penthouse suite. Newly restored by Champalimaud Design from its original creation by American archeologist and art historian, Arthur Upham Pope, the suite itself is valued at $20 million dollars. The charming interior is reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties, and depicts a time period of America’s wealth and opulence. The suite spans 6,000 square feet across the entire eighth floor of the historic Man Building within the Fairmont. The Penthouse is home to icons such as President John F. Kennedy, Prince Charles of Wales, Tony Bennett & Mick Jagger, to name a few. With a price tag of $15,000 a night, the living quarters include three large bedrooms, a living room featuring a grand piano, a formal dining room, a professional-grade kitchen, a two-story circular library, a billiard room (covered in handcrafted Persian tile from floor to vaulted ceiling) and an open terrace with extensive views of San Francisco. Furthermore, amenities include dedicated personal “at your service”- should you desire a butler, housekeeper, a chef, massage therapist or personal trainer.  The gourmet kitchen comes stocked with Ferry Building Farmer’s Market’s selection of fine wines, and organic produce. From Bvlgari bath products to personalized robes and 1,000 percent cotton or silk linen, fresh flowers and more.  The Penthouse is the ideal destination for the ultimate extraordinaire and a must see on your visit to San Francisco.



About the Author: Amy Apodaca is a content specialist and style editor for HealthBeautyLife.com, a national publication that celebrates lives well-lived and admirable lifestyles through celebrity, health, beauty & fashion, food and travel. 

The post Travel Spot: The Fairmont San Francisco appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Okefenokee Swamp: A wetland of intrigue

The Okefenokee Swamp is one of Mother Nature’s mysterious places. Straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States, this 438,000-acre wetland offers intriguing landscapes, abundant wildlife and a glimpse into the past.

 

Land of the Trembling Earth

According to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, the swamp bottom “is sand, covered with peat. Methane gas deep in the peat propels large clumps of peat to “blow up” (rise or float) to the surface. Over time, these peat masses sprout plants and attract wildlife. They look like islands – but they’re not solid, and they’re not anchored to the swamp bottom. If a person or a large animal (like a bear) walks on peat blow-up, the ground trembles and the trees shake. Native Americans called these places ‘O-ki-fin-o-ke,’ Land of the Trembling Earth.”

 

Boating on tannin-dark water

It is easy to explore the Okefenokee Swamp because it is crisscrossed by more than 120 miles of water trails. Bring your own canoe, kayak or motor boat, or sign up for one of Okefenokee Adventures’ guided boat tours.

Their 90-minute tours on 24-foot Carolina Skiffs travel along the historic Suwannee Canal, which is lined with cypress, pine and bay trees.

The tour includes a visit to the Chesser Prairie, an open wetland area covered with water lilies and other water plants.

One of the first things you might notice about the swamp water is that is dark, tea colored due to the tannic acid released from decaying plants. The water crisply reflects the sky and surrounding landscape.

Wildlife galore

One of the great things about exploring the swamp with professional guides is that they are able to point out and identify wildlife. They can also identify plants and answer questions about the region’s cultural and natural history.

Odds are high that you will see American alligators, egrets and herons. Depending on factors such as the season, time of day and water levels, you also may see otters, wood storks, deer, raccoons, bobcats and bears, and birds such as ibis, sandhill cranes and red-shouldered hawks, American alligators.

 

Chesser Island Homestead

While you are in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, make sure to visit the Chesser Island Homestead, built by Tom Chesser and his wife Iva in 1927. As their family grew to include seven children, they lived off the land — growing, catching and shooting what they needed. They also produced sugar cane, tobacco and turpentine to sell.

Just as the Chesser family kept it, the yard is still kept as a barren yard of sand to reduce fire hazards and to make it easier to see snakes.

 

About the author

Kristine K. Stevens is the author of If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It Isn’t Big Enough: A Solo Journey Around the World. This nonfiction book tells the story of what happened when she sold her house, quit her job and traveled solo around the world.

 

 

 

 

The post Okefenokee Swamp: A wetland of intrigue appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Lost Ring in Oahu!

Lost Ring in Oahu!

The day just started off on a bad note.  My father in law let the dogs out in the front yard by accident…again.  Leina, my fiancé, dragged herself out of bed early to watch the dogs.  Sasha, our oldest dog, was not the problem.  It was Pa’a, the one year old puppy, who was trouble.  He had a history of chasing anything he could hump.

By the time I woke up to greet my future wife, she looked like a crab surrounded by a tornado of hormones and moodiness.  There was only one way to reclaim the day at this point.  “We’re going out for breakfast,” I said.

 We took the high energy dogs with us, being sure to give them a long walk before going to the diner.  Then we planned to go  hike to the Lighthouse at Makapu’u. But we only made it ¾ around the block before she turned around and gasped.  Her look of panic hit me like a flash flood.  It only took half a second for me to read her mind.  I sprung into action, retracing our steps as she muttered the dreaded words, “My ring!”

It was gone. Leina walked like a stunned zombie, bare finger in tow.  Before I turned the corner, I said, “I have a feeling that it’s back at the house, but I’m going to circle back just in case”.  My heart pounded as I knew we only had a matter of minutes before someone else could pick up the ring.

Thoughts pounded in my head.  “What do we do if it’s not at home?  Does this mean I need to buy her a new ring?  I can’t afford a new ring.  My poor baby…I hope she’s OK.”  Through the high speed flow of mental notes, an image of the chestnut dresser next to our bed floated into my mind.  A wave of calm came over me as the feeling in my gut told me that the ring is by that dresser.  But there was only one way to find out for sure.

Thoughts pounded in her head.  “How did this happen?  What is he going to think of me?  Is he mad at me? The thought of going to work without my ring makes me feel ashamed.  Where is it?!” I felt her fear all the way around the block.

By the time we reconnected, I had already sprinted around the block with Pa’a.  No luck. I ushered the family back to the car.  “We’re going home to look for the ring,” I said with urgency.  Once Leina hit the passenger seat, the tears poured down her face.  “I’m so sorry!” she sobbed.

“Don’t apologize.  I think I know where it is.”

Believe it or not, this is not the first time I have recovered a wedding ring.  My mom lost her ring once in our garden.  The acrobatic ring jack knifed into the 3 inches of fresh soil she had just laid down.  I have the distinct memory of my deceased great grandmother over my shoulder, guiding my hand to the pin point location of the ring’s burial ground.  My mom smiled at the news that Great Grandma Kennedy was watching over us.  The presence of my deceased Grandma Kennedy continues to be a comfort to me, something that many people experience in our Bloodline Healing workshop, where I put my intuition to work to help others feel their ancestors.  Great Grandma helped us recover my mom’s ring.  I look forward to seeing how ancestors help the participants at our next workshop at Brandeis-Bardin (near LA, California) on October 10th-13th of this year.

But, Leina never took off her ring.  Her rude awakening this morning made her frazzled, so she lost track of the ring on her finger.  Damn her low-carb diet! Her fingers had obviously shrunk, making the ring easy to lose.

I barged through the door to our apartment, and stood in front of the chestnut dresser.  I tossed the top drawers like scrambled eggs.  Nothing.  Had I lost my mojo? Despite the calming vision, another surge of anxiety surfaced when the ring didn’t immediately turn up.  The zombie arrived in the room, fussing with the little corners where she stored jewelry.  Nothing.

“I keep seeing this corner of the room, babe.”  She helped me toss the pile of laundry at the foot of the dresser.  Our comforter had oozed off our bed during the night to attack the laundry pile, making it a huge lump of cloth.  3 layers later, Leina’s hand retrieved the hiding engagement ring.  She held the ring in a waterfall of tears.  The shock, the pent up drama, and her gratitude poured through her eyes.  I held her, feeling relieved that my intuition had helped me in another heart wrenching situation.  It turns out that sleeping with a psychic has its benefits.  “I’m so glad that you have ninja skills, babe,” she said.  “You were so confident that we would find it here. I’m so lucky to have you.”

Leina looked at me with relief.  “You know, there must be a lesson in all this,” she said.  “Yea.  Life is telling us to do the laundry,” I replied.

  For more information about the Upcoming Bloodline Healing Workshop at Brandeis-Bardin on Oct. 10th-13th, please go to gkhunter.com

The post Lost Ring in Oahu! appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

India: The Mechanical Sea Creature of Fort Cochin

I walked toward the grey-eyed fisher, crossing two brown and white cats sprawled out on the wooden platform. Beneath my feet the wooden boards made a creaking sound. Were they safe, I wondered? I took the worn rope from the fisher’s hand, and for a moment, my body stiffened. We were about to reel in something huge. I could tell by the way the other men held to their ropes. Their legs positioned sturdily, their feet bare. I should have taken off my sandals, I thought. But it was too late. The pulling began.

“Hija la! Hija la! Hija la!”

The men chanted the old fisherfolk song — a song for hard work, the grey-eyed fisher told me — as we reeled in Cheena vala (the famous Chinese fishing net). I bent my legs and employed my upper body strength, pulling down on the rope. It squealed and groaned as we tugged faster. Harder. ‘Hija la! Hija la!”

There she is. From the coast of the Arabian Sea, the mechanical sea creature of Fort Cochin emerged. Held by bamboo and teak poles, the massive shore operated fishing net stretched about 20 meters wide over the water. The net slowly revealed as we raised it higher and higher.

“Step back!” motioned the grey-eyed fisher. The large heavy rocks that hung from ropes on the contraption were coming in fast, just above my head. I stepped backwards quickly, onto the creaky platform. And then, as suddenly as it all began, the pulling stopped. The large rocks rested calmly on the platform and just a few feet in front of us was the whole of the Chinese fishing net, suspended midair at nearly 10 meters high. Her slimy trap drooled back into the sea.

The grey-eyed fisher wanted me to follow him again, to the mouth of Cheena vala. He must be mad? Even still, my curiosity forced me to trail him across the narrow wooden planks, even more rickety than the platform. I moved steadily. One wrong step could send me flailing through the air and into the murky waters. When I reached the mouth I saw clearly a small cluster of fish flopping about, wanting to be released. But only jelly fish received such luxury. The grey-eyed fisher pointed into the net. There, a tiger fish. And there, cat fish. A team of fishers at the next platform over had just caught a red snapper. He looked longingly at their Cheena vala, hoping his would be so kind the next time. Another fisher holding a blue net scooped the fish from the mechanical sea creature’s mouth, before descending her back into the water.

Her appetite is low this time of year, he told us. The month was August.

If you’re ever in Fort Cochin, you may want to see this unusual way of fishing yourself as Chinese fishing nets are mostly found in Kerala. If so, you would be wise to buy the day’s catch and have it cooked just a short distance up the street at a local food stall. It should only cost you 450 rupees for one fish — or around there. I hear it’s good. Or you can do as my husband and I and stay on the wooden platform a bit longer with the fishers. Get to know them. And every four or five minutes, when the mechanical sea creature has had it’s modest fill, you’ll help raise her up high and see what she had a taste for this time. Red snapper perhaps? If you’re lucky.

The post India: The Mechanical Sea Creature of Fort Cochin appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Thailand: Why pick Koh Samui? (video)

 

Wondering which Thai island to choose for your vacation in paradise? Matt from SamuiWebCam prepares you with actual live footage and can show you several “Secrets of Samui!”

Enjoy the beautiful white sands of Bangpor beach on the Northern coast, which faces Koh Phangan, home of the full moon party. On Koh Samui, you can find calm shallow waters for snorkelling and windy areas ready for the adventure of both windsurfing and kite surfing.

 

In the evening, check out Starz Cabaret to enjoy entertainment Thai style with a cabaret of Kathoey’s or Ladyboys. “These fascinating and highly artistic performers captivate audiences with their charm, unique creativity and flawless female impersonations. The show promises an evening of polished and most enjoyable entertainment for the whole family.” The show changes every day so many guests return again and again.

WATCH: Crystal Bay, Koh Samui, Thailand

Do your travel companions worry about what they will eat? Take them to Bubba’s American Bar & Grill for lunch or dinner with classic American food with portion sizes you recognize. This child-friendly restaurant has highchairs, smoked pork ribs and live music as well as screens to see American and European sports. Everyone will be happy you came!

For the fit on your trip, the ultimate Ultra Bodies Gym for a two-story fitness extravaganza is the place. An extensive range of high quality weight training equipment is available on the ground floor including many specialty machines like a Cable Cross Over, Hack Squat and a Triceps Dip Machine. There are showers, changing rooms, a warm-up areas as well as a fully air-conditioned cardiovascular area with elliptical cross trainers, upright and recumbent bikes as well as a rowing machine and treadmills.

Personally I recommend relaxing on the beach near Crystal Bay, something everyone can enjoy!

Take a look at our new Timelapse videos to see what a full day on Koh Samui looks like in 2 minutes.

Don’t forget your favourite new book and plenty of sunscreen. Enjoy the Land of Smiles, I am sure you will have a truly memorable stay on Koh Samui.

About the Author: Matt Cinderey worked as an IT Professional for over 15 years and gained valuable experience working for companies such as ICI, IBM and Uniqema. He founded Bluechip IT Samui in January 2008. Striving to deliver the latest technology to his clients, he is currently working on IP-CCTV, VOIP and IPTV solutions alongside constantly improving and developing his existing wireless and IT services. Matt lives on the island of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.  In his spare time he enjoys mixed martial arts and writing about himself in the third person.

The post Thailand: Why pick Koh Samui? (video) appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Chile: My Worst Food in the World

This is the story of my experience with the Worst Food in the World. Do you have a story (video, print or photos) about your worst food experience? Tell us about it and we’ll publish the best right here!  

On the way to the headwaters of the Bio-Bio River in Chile, where we hoped to make the first descent, we stopped at a Mapuche Indian farm house and asked if we might camp in an untilled field.

Yes, Yaco, the owner, replied, but only if we joined for dinner.

Of course! We would be delighted.

As we sat at a long wooden table, Yaco served up Mudai, maize chicha, made by cooking ground corn in water, adding masticated maize meal, and allowing the mixture to ferment. It was a refreshing, milky and slightly sour drink, not at all unpleasant. But after a few glasses, Yaco asked that I follow him outside, to a small pen out back. “You are an honored guest. You will have Ñachi.”

There he grabbed a tethered goat, and cutting the line, circled the rope tight around the animals’ back legs, and with another rope, hung the goat by its hindquarters from an Araucanía tree branch. Then, with one hand, he grabbed a large wooden bowl, one of several on a low table, and with the other hand he picked up a machete. In a flash he slit the throat of the hanging goat.

As the hot blood poured out he captured it in the bowl, and then another bowl, and another, until we had enough for the place settings. We carried them inside, and there he added coriander and salt, and squeezed lemon juice into the steaming broth, which made the blood coagulate, turning it into a hot pudding. Then, the bowls were placed in front of the guests.

“Salud,” I said feebly, and lifted the heavy bowl to my mouth. The smell niffed my nose as the bowl reached my lips. I closed my eyes; I held my breath. I took a sip.

Before I could register my mouth was full, cheeks bulging with body-heat gore the texture of custard, silky and vital and forcing open my constricted throat. I swallowed. Great visceral chugs. It poured, velvety and unctuous, down my gullet, and I kept envisioning the goat, bleating in its last moments.

Then my throat seized, and the blood began to move backwards, upwards. I quickly excused myself, and ran out the backdoor, and there expelled all traces of the poor goat.

Despite attempts to assuage the host with niceties, it was the worst meal in the world.

##

The post Chile: My Worst Food in the World appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

News from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

Hello from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

After three and a half months in Thailand, we crossed the border during Hari Raya into Malaysia. The end of Ramadan meant the streets and hotels were crowded in Penang. We found space at Hotel Hong Ping, which we would recommend to travelers in the area. The staff was very helpful and interested in our journey!

We met up again with fellow writers from California, Russell and Asia from http://www.ourfirst100days.com/ to celebrate launching our memoir. The Festival of the Pacific began by munching on Indian fare at the famous Line Clear Nasi Kandar. (see photo below).

We enjoyed seeing the sights of Penang that we had visited five years earlier and learning that our perceptions were different as we were in a different place in our relationship. More posts and photos of Penang and Cameron Highlands(see Boh Tea Plantation above) will be published soon.

The winners to our Independence Travel Writing Contest will be announced in the early days of September. Our Gratitude Travel Writing Contest will begin on September 11 and close on November 28 with the beginning of Chanukah and Thankgiving.

We appreciate all of you who read our newsletters, articles, website and BOOK! Thank you to everyone for your support of our journey and all our writing. We are participating intravel events in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Guam, Oahu and Los Angeles! Connect with us on Facebook,  Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest,  SlideShare ,  Twitter, and YouTube.

We will send our next news from the Philippines! Happy and Safe Travels!

Lisa and George (Click here to sign up for this newsletter. )

Recent posts to enjoy: George was recently published in About.com Top Five things to do in Myanmar and I had another article in Women’s Adventure Magazine. I called it Sobbing While Snorkeling but the title became: When Relationships are Challenged by Extreme Travel!  We appreciate all our editors assistance and for sharing our stories! Jonny Blair interviewed us on his site: Don’t Stop Living.

Our Memoir is available: Traveling in Sin

We left last July for Indonesia for this one year journey and five years ago in July for our first one year sabbatical! Read our memoir, Traveling in Sin, to learn how we met online, and chose to meander from Indonesia to Mongolia. Along the way, I lost over fifty pounds and we got engaged underwater. This book is NOT a collection of blog posts. We have never published this story before! Enjoy all the colorful characters we met and the tears and triumphs of a Peace Corps Worker and a Princess (cruises employee) finding their way together in Asia.

 

This was originally posted as Newsletter #32: Click here for  the entire newsletter.

The post News from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! appeared first on We Said Go Travel.