Travel Literature Makes My Heart Beat Faster.. discussion
Bucket List or Life List
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Yes. My list is LONG....Ill have to think about what books....but I know what I want to do! My bucket list is here: http://www.aroundtheworldineightyyear...
Jim wrote: "Yes. My list is LONG....Ill have to think about what books....but I know what I want to do! My bucket list is here: http://www.aroundtheworldineightyyear..."
Cool!
Jim wrote: "Yes. My list is LONG....Ill have to think about what books....but I know what I want to do! My bucket list is here: http://www.aroundtheworldineightyyear..."
Jim, to join the goodreads author program, go to this page:
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Thanks Lesley. Fun to dream. I'm working on them tho!
I tend to feel that a "life" list is too big in scope: how can I possibly define everything I want to do in my whole life? And what would I do when I finished??But I wanted some sort of list, so I made a list of things to attempt before I'm 30. I made the list at 27; I'm about to have my 29th birthday.
In terms of travel, I kept it fairly broad:
* get to a total of 30 countries visited
* go to Greenland
* visit the southern hemisphere
I put the whole list on my blog, if you're interested
http://blog.rachelcotterill.com/2010/...
Rachel wrote: "I tend to feel that a "life" list is too big in scope: how can I possibly define everything I want to do in my whole life? And what would I do when I finished??But I wanted some sort of list, so ..."
You don't finish it, you keep adding to it. Maybe I just see the list differently and I'm already past 30. I also list things I've already done. I don't make deadlines, but you can have subsets on a list. I don't have a full list online, but I'm working on putting part of it here: http://pinterest.com/debsanswers/
Deborah, I totally like your response. The list is always a work in progress. Every changing and ever expanding!
Deborah,I think Peter Hessler's "Oracle Bones" is perhaps the best travel narrative I've read--it definitely inspired me to go to China. I also love the fascinating trivia Bill Bryson weaves into his books.
In terms of a bucket list, I would think of experiences instead of just crossing countries off your list. After all, if you go to 50 countries and stay at a Marriott resort in each one, you might have essentially the same experience in each one. Some of the best resources are immigrants. Ask them: what do you most miss from home? What is a typical Ethiopian/Mexican/Argentine/Taiwanese hobby? How does your average Japanese/Tongan/Australian like to spend his or her weekends?
Here are some of my recommended travel experiences:
1. Hiking between the Cinque Terre along the Italian Riviera
2. Bathing in a Turkish hammam
3. Visiting a Bolivian prison
4. Soaking up the spray from Iguazu Falls along the Argentine-Brazil border
5. Hiking the 26-mile Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, stopping at ancient Inca rest stops along the way, and finishing with a well-deserved soak in the hot springs at the end
6. Walking along the Great Wall
7. Visiting Mt. Etna with an Italian vulcanologist, scampering through lava tubes, and clambering over the ruins from the latest eruption
8. Dancing with the locals (no two individual's experience will be the same, but my personal favorites have been salsa dancing in the ruins of Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia; polkaing to a travelling German oom-pah-pah band at Plitvice National Park in Croatia; and doing the hokey-pokey for some astonished villagers outside of Agra, India)
9. (Respectfully) observing religious pilgrimages and rites that are unfamiliar to you--My husband and I enjoyed visiting the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Sarnath, India, and visiting Hindu and Jain temples in India. Never hesitate to ask questions about their faith--most people are very willing to share if you express genuine interest. We spent about an hour chatting with a charming Jain priest in broken English! Varanasi is the holy city of Hindus and is impressive (although overwhelming--I suggest visiting with a group) at sunset or sunrise. The most impressive Jewish sites I have visited are in Prague (but then, again, I haven't been to Israel). Holy Week celebrations in Spain are very impressive, and Westminster Abbey is fascinating for its ancient tombstones written in Latin.
10. Visiting prehistoric sites in Europe. The caves in Altamira, Spain, are incredible--covered in crimson murals of prehistoric buffalo that gently undulate with the crags of the cave. The stone circles in Scotland (especially on the remote island of Orkney) radiate an unbelievable spiritual energy and--unlike Stonehenge--you are the only one there! When in Orkney, be sure to check out the neolithic villages and the Viking graffiti!
Happy travels!
Maureen Klovers
Author of "In the Shadow of the Volcano: One Ex-Intelligence Official's Journey through Slums, Prisons, and Leper Colonies to the Heart of Latin America"
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
Fabulous list Deborah! I may have to borrow a few!
Thanks,
Deborah