Rolf Potts's Blog, page 131

As we turn the calendar over to another page (and quietly wonder how three months of the year can already be behind us), many of us will be moving ever closer to our next trip. For some, that will simply mean finally clicking the "buy" button on those airline tickets to Mexico that we've had our eye on, while for others it will mean completing yet another task on our RTW travel checklist.

Planning a RTW trip is definitely a bigger undertaking than planning a week-long trip to Mexico, but in both cases there are to-do lists to be made and items to be checked off. Even travelers who aren't traditionally list-makers usually benefit from that kind of planning strategy with a RTW trip, given how many variables there are to take into consideration, but many people still find that on the day they board their first flight there are a few things they didn't have time to deal with.

Chances are pretty good that thing you skipped won't be something major, but just in case – after you make that to-do list, you might want to prioritize it, too.

If buying your RTW ticket is next on your list, then here are this month's ticket deals to inspire you into action. Perhaps one of these itineraries will be exactly what you were looking for – and if not, you can tailor your very own trip with a few mouse clicks.

Here are the new special deals on multi-stop airline tickets available through BootsnAll – these deals are good through April 30, 2011:

RTW from Canada: Vancouver – Beijing – Delhi – OVERLAND – Bombay / Mumbai – London – Rome – OVERLAND – Paris – Vancouver, from CAD$1599 plus taxes

Around the World Special: New York – Vancouver – Shanghai – OVERLAND – Kunming – Chiang Mai – OVERLAND – Kuala Lumpur – Cochin / Kochi – OVERLAND – Goa – Delhi – London – New York, from US$1645 plus taxes

Circle Pacific Special: Los Angeles – Sydney – OVERLAND – Perth – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – OVERLAND – Bangkok – Los Angeles, from US$1395 plus taxes

If none of these sample itineraries is what you're looking for in your round the world trip, then start planning the trip that suits you with our RTW trip planner And don't forget to sign up for BootsnAll's RTW newsletter, delivering RTW trip planning advice and resources via email every single month.

Using the Batchbook for iPhone. Photo: AJ Leon / Flickr

Lots of people want to travel, right?  Who wouldn't?  However, precise numbers are hard to come by.  Gallup, a polling organization, spent 2007-2010 asking this question to young people in 148 countries: "If you could move permanently to another country, to which country would you move?"

To see their answers, check out this cool infographic: Youth Movement.  The researchers specifically targeted people aged 15-29 and educated adults.

It won't surprise anyone to know that Europe is still popular.  According to the statistics, France and Spain were seen as attractive places to live.  Singapore crushes the competition though, with numbers far higher than its competitors.

This issue goes beyond travel.  A young, educated workforce is a key driver of economic growth.  Whether governments realize it or not, they're competing with each other in a global talent war.  As this unfolds, some countries will see a brain drain; others a brain gain.

TechCrunch had a story called Why Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are returning home.  The writer commented on an NBC news report where startup founders were having trouble getting visas to stay in the United States.  The videos are also included.  In a revealing roundtable discussion, several of these young CEOs talked about the enticing incentives offered by their home countries.  The Canadian provincial government of Ontario will reimburse 50% of staff salaries.  Singapore will match any capital raised by an entrepreneur to the tune of $4 for every $1 of investment.  If these innovators go somewhere, they will take the jobs with them.

Have you ever wanted to window-shop for a new country to live in?  Here's a great tool: If It Were My Home is a web app that pulls up statistics for two countries and compares them directly.  You can pick your home and your dream destination, then see how they stack up on your employment prospects, life expectancy, wealth and more.  Many of the figures are compiled from the CIA Factbook, so take that as you may.

Have you ever been to a place that you fell in love with?  What's your ideal location?

If you had asked me any time in the last couple of years what word I associated with San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua—I'd have said surfing. With waves on my mind, the region was the highlight of the surf trip I was planning with my husband. Sure, I wanted to see more of the country. Right after I finished surfing.

But a recent trip to Nicaragua convinced me that I needed to expand my San Juan del Sur vocabulary.

A short distance from town, Rancho Chilamate is the place to go for an unforgettable horseback-riding experience. My group took off from the ranch, passed through a local village, down back roads, up across a ridgeline and through a dry tropical forest where napping howler monkeys dripped from tree branches. Finally, we reached Escamequita beach and lagoon—perfectly empty of people.

The best moment of the ride, though, happened after getting to the beach. No, not surfing.  The few of us who wanted to were able to gallop on our horses back and forth across the beach at low tide. That was enough to remind me why I was so horse-crazy when I was a kid.

Half- and full-day rides are available, and include Western boots and hats, an English-speaking trail boss, and photos from your ride. To top it off, a portion of funds from each ride goes to Rancho Chilamate's community development fund.

Yes, I'm still planning that surf trip, but I think I can definitely make time for more horseback riding at Rancho Chilamate.

I was a guest of the Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo during my time in Nicaragua.

Photo courtesy of Rancho Chilamate

Every year, as spring makes its slow way across Korea, the country is set upon by the phenomenon of "yellow dust". You might draw the curtains in the morning and find the jaundiced haze thick over the city, or leave for work in the morning to find your bike, scooter, car covered in a thin grainy layer of the stuff.

What it is exactly is a question that yields several returns. Some say it is sand from China, carried to Korea on the strong spring winds every year. A look at Wikipedia backs up this theory. Some say it is intense pollen marking the start of Spring. Others take a more cynical approach and simply chalk it up to an inherent haze of an Asian sky.

I'm not precisely certain what it is, but I do know that I lost my voice completely and for several days last spring, and then rasped my way through the following months when the dust levels were high. If you're planning to be in Korea during the spring, there are several measures you can take to avoid the irritating health problems that typically result from yellow dust.

In Korea, it is common to wear a small mask across the nose and mouth throughout the entire dusty spring, and even during the frigid winters. This filters the dust and keeps you from inhaling it and having it settle on your throat. Be sure to keep your windows closed over night, and try to pick up an air purifier for your home or office. These can be found easily at large retailers throughout the country, like Emart or Home Plus. They are also available in smaller grocery stores or night markets. Tiny desk-top purifiers can be purchased for around US$8, or you can find mammoth machines that will purify your entire house.

Yellow dust won't make you horribly ill, but it may cause you to loose your voice or hack your way through a few weeks of a cold. It certainly is no reason to inhibit your travels to Korea, but taking a few precautions could make your time in the area a little more enjoyable.

Shalabh

http://www.trekhimachal.com

Age: 28

Hometown: Palampur, Himachal, India

Quote: "I have learnt a lot, been out of my comfort zone and met people I would have never met otherwise."



How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip? Found Vagabonding on a Google search. It was a constant source of inspiration and information before the trip. Some of the articles gave great insight on challenges of travelling alone.

How long were you on the road? About 18 months

Where all did you go? Himalayas, mostly Western except one month in the Nepal Himalayas.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? I worked for a bank before I quit and decided to take this break. Savings from my job funded the journey.

Did you work or volunteer on the road? Yes, volunteered for The Mountain Cleaners (http://mountaincleaners.org/), an informal group cleaning trash from mountain sides.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite? Difficult to pick just one but Zanskar (in Kashmir), Lahaul and Pangi in Himachal were the top. Apart from that, an unknown glacial lake in Chamba was fantastic too.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging? Challenging? Yes, but not least favourite. Most of my solo treks were quite challenging, as were the ones for which I had no decent maps. The unknown glacial lake (mentioned above) and Kang La glacier were amongst the most challenging.

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true?  Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn't anticipated? I was lucky enough to never get injured in the mountains but was snowed-in a few times. Weather was a constant worry and the last summer was uncharacteristic with lots of rains. I narrowly avoided being in Leh during the cloud burst. Overall, nothing serious but had to sleep with wet clothes in a wet tent and sleeping bag for days on end at times. Also had to cross quite a few waist/chest deep ice cold streams and made a few stupid mistakes. That I am writing this means I did not really pay for them.

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful? Good hiking shoes, a 0 degree Fahrenheit sleeping bag and a good down jacket proved most useful. I think I never really carried enough to have something which would not be useful.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle? I have learnt a lot, been out of my comfort zone and met people I would have never met otherwise. It also teaches one to survive in different and difficult circumstances, helps develop a deeper appreciation of other cultures.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle? For me, the biggest challenge was the 'alone' factor. To be in the mountains alone was not always as much fun. It was scary sometimes. Even when I was with a guide, I was effectively alone with almost no one to talk to. Sometimes, the solitude can get to you. It started off being well but at some stage, I did feel the need to have company. I am still only getting back from my travel, so will figure in the next few months the sacrifices I have had to make.

Apart from that, getting used to a new lifestyle – of having to get out of your tent every morning and make a move, walk a long distance, sometimes in freezing cold on boulders and snow, then finding a place to pitch the tent, getting a fire going, making the food, not having the luxury to just order what you want, eat meagre food and then repeat the sequence for days on end. All this was a new experience and very enjoyable too. After a while, once the muscles had stopped hurting, I slept like a baby every night for many months.

What lessons did you learn on the road? Loads, like never try to cross a stream without a bag on your back, you could be washed away! On a serious note, I learnt a lot about outdoors, survival, wild life, plant life and in a personal sense, more about myself, handling unforeseen situations, making conversation with people in the deepest villages, about remote cultures.

How did your personal definition of "vagabonding" develop over the course of the trip? My first treks were not all that adventurous. On the first one, I had a guide and someone had even convinced me to take a porter. I was only carrying 7 kgs and was on much used route. As I completed the first month, I decided on no porter and slowly trained myself to carry all my stuff (by just doing it right away). Over the next few months, I also undertook solo treks and even when I had a 'guide', we always went to routes the guide himself had never been to. So, the initial familiarity of the trail was replaced by a lot more adventure and discovery.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be? 'In the mountains, never make concrete plans' is what it would be. I had to change so many of them owing to weather or natural reasons and to begin with, I had issues adapting to changing plans everyday though after a while, it became the way of life. Not knowing where the next stop would be was part of the fun.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure? Don't make concrete plans, go with the flow, try and learn about vegetation so your food can be richer and tastier than just noodles, do not stay put in your tent and use every opportunity to maximize your interaction with locals in villages, try village food (it is mostly organic) and drink, interact with shepherds and other nomadic people. They can be the biggest source of learning and sometimes, of meat as well.

When and where do you think you'll take your next long-term journey? No concrete plans as yet. This could be the one and only but I do hope to travel in Latin America and Spain one day.

Website: www.trekhimachal.com

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at [email protected] and tell us a little about yourself.

southwestern Cambodia

 

In Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town, he describes the journal entry made by a 19th-century visitor to an Egyptian temple. In the entry we read that an Arab man is taking measurements of the temple. We also read that while this is happening "a yellow cow, on the left, poked her head inside [the temple]." Theroux then adds the following commentary: "Without the yellow cow we see nothing; with it, the scene is vivid and complete."

Often a detail will make such an imprint that we remember it clearly even when the larger event or place dulls in our recollection. In Cambodia once, while waiting for a ferry to take my vehicle across a river, I saw and photographed many things. In thinking back to that hour, however, I can't remember what the ferry looked like (unless I look at the picture I took) or even my vehicle, but I remember well the splattering water and glistening wet skin of a baby as he reached to explore falling rain water from the safety of his mother's arms. His face was alive with fascination at water while most everyone else's was bored with the wait for the ferry.

Without yellow cows, curious children, and countless other small details that throw life into a scene, our travels wouldn't be nearly so interesting.

Please share a life-giving and/or memory-making travel detail of your own in the comment section.

"If 19th-century travel writing was principally about place — about filling in the blanks of the map and describing remote places that few had seen — the best 21st-century travel writing is almost always about people: exploring the extraordinary diversity that still exists in the world beneath the veneer of globalization."

–William Dalrymple, from the introduction to The Best Travel Writing 2010

Two pagodas in Guilin, China. Photo: Cyril Bèle / Flickr Creative Commons

The New York Times travel section is recently dedicated to covering the Far East: 37 Asian Odysseys. Although the media is dominated by coverage of Japan's natural and nuclear disaster, the rest of the continent is humming along as usual.

With booming economies and traditional cultures, Asia has long had a special place in the traveler's imagination. Tourist infrastructure is well developed, and can make for a softer landing.  Southeast Asia in particular has a well-worn (overworn?) backpacker scene that makes it easy to navigate and get what you need.

Here's a slideshow to whet your appetite: Asia Up Close.

Have you traveled or lived in Asia?  What are some of your most memorable experiences?  Please share them in the comments.

When you travel frequently, you become very familiar with the airline game: which days of the week are more likely to have lower fares, which airlines charge extra for checked baggage—even which airlines still give out free snacks. But when it comes down to booking your airline tickets, are low fares or airline loyalty perks more important to you?

Certainly, if money is your biggest concern, then you're looking for the deals regardless of carrier. And if you have time to do the nitty-gritty comparisons, you'll know that often the lowest fare isn't really the lowest because of all the extra fees added on.

But if you travel a lot, especially in a particular region, being faithful to one carrier (and its list of friendly allies) can pay off. When the price is relatively comparable to the competition, being an "elite" or "premier" member can not only get your checked baggage fees waived, but also get you upgraded seats, extra miles, admission into those comfortable airline club rooms and free tickets for companions.

This recent Lifehacker article compares eight frequent-flyer programs, based on reader nominations. Did yours make the list?

What about you? Do you skip right to the lowest price, or do you think that some airline loyalty perks are worth doing the price comparison when you travel?

As someone living a mere ferry ride from the coast of Japan, I've been hearing a lot of debate among ESL teachers as to whether they should leave the area or not. Italy has offered a free flight home to their citizens living in the area, and other countries have issued warnings to leave at one's own discretion.

It takes a certain amount of planning and effort to find and secure a job overseas, move your things there, and get settled. Some people would think it mad to leave when there is no direct threat looming. However those closer to the disaster may think differently. Ultimately, however, whatever you decide is the best choice for you.

Are you an English teacher living in Japan and thinking of leaving? Or have you left your job in a different foreign country due to a local disaster or crisis? Tell us your story.