Did the title catch your attention? It shouldn’t be taken too literally. If you’re going backpacking in Asia or Africa, or wherever far-away, great! And, yes, you should probably fly there because it’s quick and not that expensive, but once you’re there, stay grounded.
This is partly due to the debate surrounding the damage air travel causes to the environment. But besides that, it’s also going to give you a far better experience to travel by land, especially through countries that are radically different than your own. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Travel Tips.
That is a question many travelers ask themselves before they set-out. Keeping a journal during your travels has pros and cons. I have read a few opinions on the matter and would like to add my own.
I enjoyed keeping a journal during my travels through Asia and Europe. I kept rather detailed journals of my trips. This was not an easy task. At times I allowed for periods of procrastination. These are the most difficult things to get out of once you’re a few days in. (I wrote about three pages in Asia per day. Three x four (days) = 12 pages of catch-up! That’s a lot of writing.) It requires a certain discipline and therefore is not for everyone. But needing discipline is not the only discouraging aspect of the matter. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Travel Tips.
The actual act of traveling, that is moving from a to b, can be a drag. For many who are doing the particular route for the first time it can even be a nightmare because they have to figure things out while they go, i.e. Which gate and where? How long will it take? What happens when I don’t make my connection? et cetera. One misconception that many people have is that it helps to act frustrated or angry because you will be helped more quickly.
Acting or even being frustrated or angry with the way things are going is not an efficient reaction for two reasons. The first reason for this has to do with the people whom you are affecting, that being the people helping you because it is their job to help you. Because it is their job, they deal with problems every day, and your problem is no exception. Added stress will not encourage them to help you more quickly or professionally. Your problem is rarely unique in their eyes, so unless you help them help you, you’re just another grump that better sit down, please. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Travel Tips.
One of the more difficult aspects of traveling through developing nations is the politics and economics of bargaining. The verdict on the ethics of bargaining is still not in. Some believe it to be insensitive to bargain with poor people when you, in relation, are rather wealthy. That debate has going on since traveling became affordable. Putting that aside, let us consider the following quote by J.M. Coetzee, one of my personal favorite writers:
Shopkeepers cheat […] when they can, justifying themselves on the ground that foreigners have too much money and are stupid anyway.
This is, in my mind, a relatively apt description of some of the attitudes I have found on my travels. Let as assume for now that you want to bargain. Bargaining is difficult for most westerners. It is something that you might not be accustomed to because you are used to the comfort of having fixed prices. Moreover, it is impossible to write an article that clearly defines a “how-to” strategy on the, dare I say, art of bargaining because situations and cultures vary enormously. But let us consider a few pointers. Click here to keep reading…
Filed under Travel Tips.
