Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 292
October 1, 2015
Unexpected Gems of Bogota, Colombia
The Easiest Way to See Bogota, Colombia Bogota, Columbia has never been easy to get to. Until now! Avianca is offering a new direct flight, straight from Terminal 2 at LAX, all the way to Bogota, Colombia. This new direct flight is the easiest way to reach the unique city. Lisa Niver, Founder of We Said Go Travel, boarded her flight to Bogota and enjoyed incredibly fresh food on the plane.
When Lisa arrived in Bogota, it was raining, but that didn’t stop her excitement! She checked into her modern, sleek hotel room at the Hilton Bogota. The hotel offers many amenities, including a restaurant, bar and fitness center. The restaurant at the Hilton Bogota boasts delicious local treats, such as Arepa, a corn patty with quail egg. Breakfast is an elaborate buffet with endless options.
Thank you @avianca a lovely treat #bogota #direct #flight #lax #instatravel #travel under 7 hours!
A photo posted by Lisa Niver (@wesaidgotravel) on Aug 10, 2015 at 8:24pm PDT
La Candeleria and Monserrate: Historical Districts La Candeleria is one of the most historic districts in Colombia and has buildings dating back to the 1500s. This quirky neighborhood even hosts a juice stand, where you can borrow a phone and get charged by the minute, instead of adding minutes to your own phone. You can take a tour of Simon Bolivar’s house and his mistress’s house, whom they called “The Liberator of the Liberator.” Don’t miss the Temple de San Augustin, one of the most beautiful colonial churches in Bogota. Next, hop a cable car up to Monserrate and get your fill of nature while riding through the trees. While in Monserrate, have lunch at Casa de Santa Clara for a view of the entire city of Bogota and some beautiful local music. Order the Ajiaco, a traditional Colombian soup.
Marvelous views from #monserrate and delicious #colombia delights at #lunch #casasantaclara #cablecar #funicular #aviancateconecta #colombiaismagicalrealism #travel #bogota A photo posted by Lisa Niver (@wesaidgotravel) on Aug 11, 2015 at 9:06pm PDT
The Salt Cathedral To visit the Salt Cathedral in Bogota, prepare for a few surprises! You can taste the 100% pure salt right off the walls! An electric light system lights your way through dark tunnels, and shows the flags of every country!
The Salt Cathedral is the only cathedral in the world built inside a salt mine 590 feet deep. It has nine different spaces with capacities ranging from 14 to 3,000 people. The Cathedral also features a salt waterfall, stores and a coffee shop 180 meters underground! Lisa bought a new emerald ring–gems and shopping underground. And yes, you can also attend mass there! The Salt Cathedral of Bogota is a highly unique experience.
A photo posted by Lisa Niver (@wesaidgotravel) on Aug 14, 2015 at 9:23am PDT
Stay tuned for more exciting Colombian adventures, including the best destinations for art and food! Thank you to Procolombia the entity that promotes investment exports and tourism in Colombia.
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September 30, 2015
Recreational Activities in New York City
Have you ever thought to visit the New York City in your vacation? If you end up going there, you will find a whole lot of recreational activities in New York City. It is economically a very well-developed city with beautiful and picturesque natural view. It is highly developed in all terms of development like infrastructure, education system, roads and highways, high-rise buildings etc. The New York City activities make the tourist totally occupied in their tour.
The State of New York is well represented in the National Park System with 22 national parks, which receives million of visitors every year. One of the most famous landmarks in the New York City is the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a world famous symbol of freedom, given by France to the United States in celebration of friendship. Nearby Ellis Island was the first stop for millions of immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Popular for- The recreational activities in New York City are endless. Many things are there that makes the city famous. . The Statue of Liberty is a world famous symbol of freedom which makes the city famous. The there is the famous Niagara falls, which attracts millions of tourists every year.
Activities to do- The New York City activities tires you out, but it never ends! The list is so long. You can choose from variety of activities to do in New York. You can visit the numerous parks and museums located in the city and even take part in an array of activities such as Wednesday Night Skate, New York Outrigger, Bike Around Downtown, Central Park Activity Kits and lots more.
No wonder it is for sure that there are lots of reason which will keep you engaged in various recreational activities. The beautiful landscape and sky touching skyscrapers are the nice things to behold.
When to visit- The best time to visit New York is anytime. Each season in the Big Apple gives visitors good excuses to come. Early fall offers crisp breezes, bright sun and comfortable temperatures while late fall and winter make merry with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and holiday decorations. You can make your trip memorable by taking the expert guidance of Triphobo.com, a premier travel guide and one-stop solution to all your travel needs.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
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September 29, 2015
Zen of the Inner Explorer
It was a Monday morning, I was fourteen years old and the ink had yet to dry on my Japanese exchange student visa. Three things had just crystallized within my culture shocked skull. I was lost, not just a little locationally challenged, but honest to God, ‘which way is north’ confused. I was also utterly surrounded by sensory apocalypse, lost in a raging sea of signs, words, smells and habits that threatened to draw tears – I was wearing my host families toilet slippers. Likewise I knew that I had just taken my virgin hit of the drug called travel.
And I loved it.
It has been twenty-six years since I got lost going to my first day of school in Tokyo, but that instant in Ginza, vivid to this day, has become the pivot point around which my life has since revolved. On that monotone, overcast day, bowing like an autistic puppet to everyone I met, overwhelmed by fear, bewilderment and the desperate need for a cultural anchor, I had my epiphany. ‘Normal’ had just left the building and in its place waltzed opportunity and freedom; the intrepid explorer deep within had been unleashed, shouting, “Welcome to the deep end, now swim!”
The irrevocable and finite nature that is life and the misconception that drawing breath will continue forever is often withheld from youth. The sad, unassailable truth that wisdom and age are common bedfellows means my enlightenment on that day was special. I learnt that the doctrine of my middle-class background of education-occupation-rumination-expiration was an expectation, certainly not a motivation. I could, and would, go on to shatter the mold of the ‘norms’ my society had unwittingly placed upon me, indeed to fashion my own path seemed not only more attractive, but a path to better mental health. My spiritual home became the lack of a physical one.
Many people strive for the next promotion, a bigger house for their growing family or to be well respected among their friends. Noble and rewarding goals in themselves, but not mine. My goal is to again feel that quicksand beneath my esoteric feet; of fear of the unknown and the unbound optimism that comes with accepting a new challenge, more often that not, one that comes unbidden.
As I step out of Mumbai Airport and into the cloying cacophony and eager embrace of a hundred taxi-wallahs screaming for my custom, as I foil a pick-pocket in Kuala Lumpur in a crowded train station or get stopped on my overland bicycle by big men in big jewellery on the outskirts of a Romanian town at night, this is when I feel it again. It’s when I am forced to sleep in a bus shelter during a freak summer blizzard in Cumbria, when I am woken by tarantulas in nefarious hostels in Brazil or threatened with serious jail time in Turkey for having the wrong type of tobacco.
This is when I feel free – moments of pure clarity, to have nudged the boundaries of inquisitiveness into challenge, to pull upon my spiritual and mental resources in order to triumph. Sometimes these moments are pure chance, others, more planned encounters, my arrival to London with nothing more to my name than a bicycle, tent and 20 pence an example. A night enjoying the surprising hospitality of the homeless next to Victoria Street Station was a reward I claim to be genuine.
I will leave it up to others to call me irresponsible; my coin usually falls on ‘calculated’ rather than ‘risk’. If life is what you make it, then an existence lived without riding a motorbike around South America could be, in the words of Billy Connelly, ‘beige’. I thrive on change, movement and challenge, not motivated by ego or Facebook updates. ‘Normality’ leaves me dry of spirit, my creativity withered, my optimism confronted.
There are many reasons to travel, and many not to. The Greeks epitomized it with ‘know thyself’, an aphorism that is not born of travel, but fed by it. I know how to feed my soul. All I need to do is to listen to my inner explorer when I see a picture or read an article and I feel him jumping up and down, shouting ‘Vamos’!
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
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New for Sept at WSGT
September 2015 News from Lisa & We Said Go Travel:
L’Shana Tova from Los Angeles! It is going to be a great new year! Wondering how you can save someone’s life? Read Shari Schnall’s story about her Liver-versary!
Last week I was honored to be a speaker at the Fairmont Western Regional Marketing Conference. The Media and the Marketing Mavens were meeting at Fairmont Miramar !
Thank you to Cameryn Frost for her articles about my videos and visit to Desert Springs JW Marriott: Adventure Day, Destination Relaxation and Hot Spots Desert Springs.
Expect to read about Bogota, Colombia in the next newsletter. Can’t wait? Click here for the videos!
Sept Road Trip USA included my first hot air ballon ride, my first time in Yellowstone National Park, my first visit to South Dakota and my first state fair in Minnesota! Click here to see my 14 videos of our adventures.
Enjoy my latest article on Wharton Business Magazine: Being A Social Influencer Means….A Road Trip?
The #LGG4 phone takes ridiculously fantastic photos and video. See them on all my social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
We Said Go Travel has a new LOOK! What do you think of it? I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.
Curious about where I am going next? Look for me in Dallas at the Texas State Fair, in Fort Lauderdale kayaking and in Hamburg, Germany for Oktoberfest.
I hope that your fall is full of freedom and fun. Thank you for your support of We Said Go Travel! Lisa
The Fall Gratitude Travel Writing Contest began on September 11, 2015. Have you been a rainbow in someone else’s cloud? I love how Oprah talks about this saying from Dr. Maya Angelou. Share your story of how you found your rainbow or helped someone else. More details: click here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Winter 2015 Inspiration contest. The winners can be seen here. I am currently publishing the entries from the Summer 2015 Independence Writing Contest. I expect to announce the winners in early October.
YouTube is at 362,139 views!
Thank you for watching my WSGT YouTube channel which is now over 362,139 views! Enjoy movies from Los Angeles, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Palau, Guam, Hawaii, India as well as Bali and Lombok Indonesia, Southern Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Nepal. To find all 381 Videos: click here for the WSGT YouTube Channel. I am over 1000 followers on Pinterest, and up to 700+ subscribers on YouTube!
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September 28, 2015
Thailand—Wet Heat and Independence
There is an unkempt park just down from the morning market near my place in Amnat Charoen in eastern Thailand. A paved outer walk is partially shaded by an African Tulip tree in eye-popping orange bloom and by two ancient pink shower trees. In the middle is a man-made pond full of catfish and murky greenish-water with plastic bags and straws eddying in one corner. The pond is bisected by a walkway leading to an island with two unused gazebos.
Most mornings before heading off to teach English at Amnat Charoen High School, I walk for half an hour, then swing into the park for a loop or two, before making my way to the island, where I stand in the shade of the shower trees, facing east, and do a series of moon salutations. What I notice is the quiet way my breath eventually synchronizes with my movement and the way the night’s residual stiffness works its way out. How after ten to fifteen minutes, I feel mentally and physically supple, pliable in a way I have not known for years.
In 2011 a series of unreasonable aches and pains, coupled with an ever-increasing mental rigidity, had settled in. For too many years I had been on autopilot, doing what I thought I should be doing—raising the children, which required ever-ratcheting standards. Being the good wife whose spent penny languished in the dresser jar. Being the industrious employee trusted to over-deliver month after month. Being the steadfast, always-there-for-you friend. I felt buffeted by life, as if I had no say in my overall trajectory through it. And in spite of fastidious fitness and nutrition, my ability to function day-to-day was plummeting. Then late in 2013, a string of loss—my dear friend in November, my mother in April, my beloved mother-in-law July—brought me to a complete stand-still.
The seed of this journey sprouted then. After thirty-four years of marriage, two kids, three dogs and a white cat all cradled in American middle-class values, I craved the one thing I had never had—independence. The who of me, separate of family, was a question I had been puzzling on weeklong writing retreats over the years, but time away only led to an insatiable desire for more time away and increased dissatisfaction with life at home. After the trifecta of death, the thought of divorce was a knee-jerk reaction, although I knew it was no solution because wherever I go, there I am, steamer trunks full of baggage, enough for a cruise on the Titanic.
So I did the next best thing. My husband and I agreed that I would take six months to a year, step out of our life in Portland, Oregon and teach English overseas. During these first 60 days facing east, I’ve experienced fresh wonder at the kindness of strangers, and conversely, despair-laden fear. At my arrival, when the job I had so carefully lined up was gone and the placement agency with whom I had contracted said they had nothing else, I was on my own. Stranger in a strange land with nothing but a cheap room, a cell phone and a laptop. Adrift. I regretted putting my fate in the recruiter’s hands, considered going home and decided I had come too far to turn back. At that moment, the fear I had been schlepping for decades vanished.
Under the shower trees my mind is quiet. Peaceful. In this simple ritual of morning yoga on new ground, I have become acutely aware of the vastness of space and my body’s relationship to it. So close to the Equator, heat makes the physicality of life in Thailand that much more immediate. Sweat rolling down my spine during morning assembly still takes me by surprise. Wet heat bends color and shape at the periphery where conversations overheard in a language not understood, become white noise easily tuned out. The smell of rain, carried always by thunder, is fresh until it hits hot pavement where it steams, releasing the fetid smell of animals and people living too close.
Rarely have I felt more alive. In Thailand I am free to be myself because there’s no one else to be—no preconceived roles or life-long expectations, imagined or otherwise. This growing independence of making my way in the world solo is tempered by a humbling dependence on strangers for help with the simplest things—directions, transportation, getting a hair cut—a self-sufficiency I take for granted at home. Yet, only by stripping away the familiar, saying yes in spite of fear, then stepping over some invisible line, Northern Hemisphere to Southern, have I gained the latitude and freedom to better know and be myself.
About the Author: Burky Achilles was raised on the South Shore of Kauai and has traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Western Europe, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. Thailand is her first foray in to Southeast Asia. Burky was the winner of the 2015 Tucson Festival of Books Poetry Contest and has recently been published online in VoiceCatcher—a journal of women’s voices and visions.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
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September 27, 2015
The last $1000 in Malaysia.
“If there is no joy, ease, or lightness in what you are doing, it does not necessarily mean that you need to change what you are doing. It may be sufficient to change the how. “How” is always more important than “what”. See if you can give much more attention to the doing than to the result that you want to achieve through it.”
-Eckart Tolle, The Power of Now
It has taken me realizing that the amount of money I have left in my bank account equals exactly what I owe on my credit card to ring the alarm. I am broke. The travel fund is empty.
The first realization was that I could not keep traveling on my own the way I had been as a couple the last year and a half; the second, that I possibly couldn’t keep traveling at all. I had no plan B to begin with, no safety net. For the last few months, I have been sustaining myself by volunteering at a guesthouse in Malaysia for accommodation and eating free food at a Sikh Temple while I come up with a new plan. I had to borrow $1000 while I turn myself back around. It is great time to rethink the how.
It’s unfortunate. But sometimes, it takes me hitting rock bottom to realize that I need to take measures to change a situation. And this is what is happening now. I am not desperate, don’t get me wrong. In fact, I feel a sense of calm. The thing that I dreaded happening when it hadn’t happened has happened. So now, I am rising to its challenge. I am seeing a great opportunity for change through this, and it’s exciting to have but no choice to do something about it. One thing I am asking myself a lot right now is: how much does one really need to be happy? As I am finding out, the answer is: not a lot. And so, rather than buying a flight home with the last $1000 and come home defeated, I have decided to dare myself to grow. I am feeling humbled by poverty and thirsty for adventure – and it’s a good combination.
“Security is mostly a superstition. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
-Helen Keller
I have fundamentally always been a conformist. A cog in the machine. I defined myself by my job, by what I did, what I looked like, what I bought. I worked not only to define this mind-made self more clearly, but also to maintain some form of security for the future – most of it material – and to save enough to allow me to travel – also in the future. We’re all guilty on different levels of building our lives for the future, along the way forgetting that we live in the now. But does seeking security for the future bring us happiness in the present?
Everything is impermanent, even security. At one point, we are bound to lose everything: our family, our partner, our money, our job, our own life. What will there be left when everything else goes? The world is not a safe and comfortable place. It is full of challenges and hurts – and to think that we can ride it unharmed is a misconception.
So I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I have done just enough work in the last couple of months to sustain myself for a little while. I am going on a bicycle adventure, all by myself. I have decided to let go, look at all this uncertainty right in the eyes and accept that the only certainty is that everything in uncertain. It’s sounds scary and crazy, and in some regards it kind of is, but it was one of the simplest decisions I ever made. There is no plan B, there never was. I will succeed or I will fail, and either way it will be great, because I will learn and I will grow. I want to live with less, challenge myself, see what I am made of, feel the wind of independence on my cheeks and live so fully that it will hurt me to leave when it’s all over. I want to show myself that nothing really matters as much as I used to believe and that I am an infinitely small part of a much greater whole. The universe has got my back. Our hours are counted and the best we can do is to stop worrying and ride this great big wave called life.
About the author
Amelie is an adventurous graphic designer, photographer, travel writer and yoga enthusiast who’s recently ditched the backpack she’d been carrying around South East Asia for the last year and a half for a bicycle.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
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