Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences.  Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.

Today's theme: Kindness
One of the greatest joys of travel can be the random acts of kindness you’ll receive from total strangers. Have you ever found kindness from strangers in unexpected places?

Kindness is something which can be expressed in many different ways, be it through a generous act, by showing empathy or support, or perhaps just pleasant demeanour. Because of it's diverse interpretations, and the abundance you can find in the world if you actually watch for it, I will just try to focus on one of the more exceptional examples that comes to mind from my travels. 

I remember, one of the most unique experiences I had, when I was travelling through Indonesia on the island of Java. I had stopped in the city Yogyakarta, a city heavily influenced by the arts, with loads of batik shops lining the streets and theatres around every corner. One day, while minding my own business, a boy just a year or two younger than myself, approached me on the street. At first I had my guard up, with the typical North American big city attitude of "They must want something, try to ignore them" (I hate that attitude by the way, yet sadly have fallen victim to it on several occasions). The boy broke the barrier down by calling to me "Hey.... Fred Durst?!". I laughed, as I was wearing a backwards ball cap and baggy jeans. It turns out he just wanted to see if I'd join his friends skateboarding just a couple blocks away. He thought I looked like I needed some friends in the city, since I had been walking by myself. We all had a great time, and shared some laughs, and they gave me a temporary tattoo of a dragon on my back. All in all, this would have been a great day as it was, but it was about to get much better. 

After the busy day, the original new friend said that he was from a small village close by, and that I should come meet his family. Throwing caution to the wind, I thought this would be an incredible experience not many would be able to share in. I packed up, and we were on the road. Close by turned in to a 9 hour train ride, followed by a bus up a hill, followed by some tuk tuks up some crazy switch-backs, only to find myself in a village that seemed lost in time. Very quickly I was welcomed by the family, who took me in for a couple days as if I was their son. I was fed well, helped around the house, and taken to some of the local attractions that only a local would know about (ie Jungle waterfalls, beautiful valleys, local buildings, etc). Their kindness to this unkown foreigner was only paralleled by their ear to ear smiles, seemingly a genetic feature of all the villagers.

A strong believer in Karma, to repay my gratitude, I took their son with me further across the island to climb Mt Bromo, an active volcano. I remember him telling me he didn't know his own country held such beauty. It was a simple thing to do, and cost nearly nothing on my behalf, but it was the experience which was priceless.. for both of us. This kindness was truly a risk on his behalf, taking a stranger in - yet I think it just came without any consideration. Something I found all over Indonesia, in fact. 

There's been many acts just like this, be it having a stranger I just met nurse me back to health from Malaria while stuck in a remote village in India, to the 4 day drive I was given by one person while hitchhiking across Canada, to being offered a place to sleep for the night in Bangkok because I stupidly misread my bus ticket, missing the last bus of the night. The occurrences are endless, and not all of them will be as grand scale as some of those, but they exist all around us. Often we just have to open our eyes, ears and hearts to what's happening around us, and others will do the same right back to you.  If you carry a shield, it will deflect good things that come your way - in fact, it may even attract more bad than if you didn't have it in the first place.

"Kindness in words creates confidence, Kindness in thinking creates profoundness, Kindness in giving creates love." ~ Lao Tzu

Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences.  Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.

Today's theme: Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. We forget to ask for Coke without ice in Mexico and spend the rest of the trip in the bathroom. Or we arrive at the airport for a 7pm flight only to realize the flight left at 7am. Tell us the story of your worst travel mistake.

Many time travelling you find yourself in situations where you may not know how to handle them due to either cultural differences, forgetfullness, or perhaps just that you've never been placed in a situation such as this before. The results of how you handle these situations dont always end up going as smoothly as one may have hoped. You could wind up sick, injured or even find yourself in a bit of trouble. This could be looked as as making a mistake, or as I prefer to see these situations: an opportunity to learn and to grow.

I'm sure I've found myself in countless of these situations, though thankfully have never found myself in 'too much' trouble as a result. Be it getting sick, mugged, or just plain lost, I've taken each of these situations with stride and only tried to further my understanding and awareness of the world around me. Let's take a look at some examples.

Wildlife

As per the name, wildlife is just that... wild. Many people travelling to an area which has an abundance of wildlife, some which may even find themselves in parks or other public areas, often forget that simple element. Familiarizing yourself with safe practices of how to treat the wildlife is extremely important. The animals may often be accustomed to having tourists tramping around them, they still have their own natural defence instincts in tact, and may burst out at an unsuspecting tourist trying to take pictures or get close to them. I had a very good learning experience, which actually put my life in jeopardy, while travelling to Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada. The park is teeming with wild Elk, who migrate through the city due to the abundance of fresh cut grass to graze on in the parks there. Many visitors to the park assume the animals have been domesticated because of their presence there. Though in this situation, I did not approach the animals, nor do anything to aggravate them, other tourists had been taunting a particular pair, mother and baby, throughout the day. At one point I found myself laying in the park, face to face with the protective mother, who had already reached a breaking point from the earlier taunting. With the wrong movement of my own part, the elk turned on me, chasing me down and tackling me from behind. Luckily, this life threatening situation was quickly diffused by many locals who had been watching the situation unfold, and chasing it off once the attack had begun. I was quite fortunate, but should have been more apprehensive as the majestic animal approached. This situation could have been averted entirely had I been more aware of the threat that approached me. For a more detailed account of this story, check out my blog entry here. 

Children

Seemingly the most innocent, our hearts often go out to seeing children who live on the streets in many countries around the world. This is not always the case, however. Often children who have been living on the streets for a while end up falling into street gangs, or working for larger crime rings, just as a means of survival. Be it on the crowded beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the busy streets of Berlin, or in the slums of India, this is something which happens all over the world. One of the most classic examples would be the children, sometimes referred to as "cardboard kids", who circulate popular landmarks throughout Europe, such as the Colosseum in Rome, who will send one child face to face with an unsuspecting tourist. With their hand outreached holding a piece of cardboard, they will confront the tourist pushing the cardboard against their chest, crying and yelling in their local language. While this distraction is happening, a group of other children will run behind the tourist, pickpocketing them for all their worth. By the time the confused tourist realizes that something isn't quite right, and that they're being mugged, the group of children will have disbanded in all different directions, making it impossible to chase them all down - at most only catching up to one of them. 

Something similar started happening to me in Barcelona, Spain, while walking back from a bar late one night with a small group of travellers I had met at my hostel. A child, no more than 10 years old, approached and kept asking me to "Dance mister, dance with me". He would attempt to push himself up to me. Luckily, my old baggy pants had deep pockets with closed buttons at the top, and I very quickly realized what was happening, and shoed the child away. Relentless, however, he kept insisting, right up to the point that I felt their little hands trying to open my pockets. Pushing the child hard on to the ground, I heard a scream from behind me, as the desperate children took a more aggressive approach and jumped on one of the Australian girls I had been walking back with, attempting to snatch her purse away! We fended the children off showing our superior strength while huddling together. Thankfully the children did not come baring arms, but the lesson learned here was to walk in greater numbers late at night when passing through areas which may have this as a problem. Ask your hostel or hotel which areas are safe and which are known more for this type of threat,  before venturing out at night. 

Sickness

It seems like something almost inherent with travelling, though it can often be avoided, or at least set to a minimum, if you practice preventative measures. I have spent several vacations where for a few days, the only sites I saw were my bedroom ceiling, and the porcelain throne. This is often caused by eating food which was poorly prepared, or grown in unsanitary conditions. Eating vegetables which grow on the ground in countries with very basic farming practices can bring with them many diseases and viruses which will make you sick. It's best to stick to eating fruit which grows up in trees, as there is much less of a risk of having the contaminants, such as diseased manure, coming in contact with the fruits. Eating a street stalls is also one of the best parts of travelling, but can bring with it the worst outcomes if not cooked properly. Make sure that you can see your vendor properly heating the food in front of you. If it comes out luke warm, it's probably going to make you sick. Another trick I've learned is to keep my nails cut quite short. This lessons the possibility of getting dirt and germs stuck under your nails, reducing the risk of those entering your body through contact with your mouth, or face. Insect repellant, of course, is also a key factor in keeping away the pesky, disease carrying mosquitoes which are prominent in most warm climates around the globe. Having had my share of sicknesses, these have become staple rules to follow when travelling abroad.

These are just some of the lessons learned from making these simple 'mistakes' in my journeys, though for the most part, I was quite fortunate, and came out unscathed and with some good stories to tell, but one may not always be so lucky. Use common sense, and learn from these situations - and then post a blog about it so the rest of us can learn too ;)

Kinkaku-Ji, also known as The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is one of Japan's most visited historic sites. Originally built in the Shogun era in 1397, this ancient temple has remained an important Zen Buddhist temple for the past 600 years. However, due to an accident by a monk in the mid 1950's, the temple was burned to the ground. It has since been rebuilt with efforts to be an identical replica of the original, though critics may argue about minor details which were not mirrored perfectly. The temple remains a beautiful site to visit, in a very peaceful setting surrounded by forest and a large pond teaming with coy and other fish. Definitely worth a visit when travelling through Kyoto.

Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences.  Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.

Today's theme: Music
Music and travel memories often go hand in hand. A song can inspire our explorations, or it can take us back to a specific place and time. Tell us about your travel playlist and what it means to you.

Music plays a big part in many people's lives, and of course can trigger an emotional or nostalgia when associated with a certain event or time in your life where the song had some relevance or significant value. When looking at it from the perspective of travel, a song can bring you back to a place and time, as mentioned quite accurately in this theme. It has almost more power to trigger certain memories and feelings than a photograph can. 

For me, music has always played a big part in my travels. Be it listening to my walkman (I might be dating myself with that statement) while wandering the rainy streets of Amsterdam, to going to a massive Samba party in Rio De Janeiro, to having a large group sing-a-long to the Toto song, Africa while cruising past Mt Kilimanjaro on an Overland vehicle. There are so many memories associated with songs and genres of music which will always take me back to those places when I hear that music again.

I remember the first time really experiencing it, and I mean like full on taking me right back, was when I was about 20 years old, sitting in a bungalow overlooking the ocean on Koh Pangang, Thailand. I had been on the road for about 4 months at this point and still had most of a year to go. Though I was in somewhere most would consider paradise, I was in the process of going through a little bit of homesickness. So many amazing friends met along the way, even right there in Thailand, at those bungalows, but almost all of which I had said goodbye to, knowing we would probably not see each other again. Right after the sun had set and the moon was glistening over the water, I heard a familiar chanting coming from a couple bungalows down. It was a Hare Krishna chant I had heard repeatedly while at a festival just outside Varanasi, India, only a few months back. It's familiarity was comforting, and brought me back to that village where 100+ travellers and locals alike were celebrating a full moon at a Rainbow Gathering - a monthly festival which travels around India. It's memories brought me to this place where I was surrounded by friendly faces and everyone worked together as a single unit, preparing the food, gathering wood for the campfires, and singing songs. That feeling of solitude slowly crept away as I lay in my bed listening to the nearby chants from the neighbouring bungalow. This is just one instance of many which have occurred since where music has provided comfort and triggered emotion and nostalgia. 

On my own personal playlist, there is a ritualistic song I have listened to since my first international flight, whenever the plane has taken off and is soaring above the clouds. It's the Gangstarr song "Above the Clouds". It can bring me back to the excitement I felt during my first flight, as I set forth on a journey into the unkown, while looking down at the world passing by 30,000 ft below. 

Music will always play a large part in my travels and life, be it through triggering old memories or creating new ones. An inspirational video which was sent to me by a member of our Global Guild, Mittie Roger, discusses how life is a song and to fully appreciate it, we are intended to sing and dance along with it: 

Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences.  Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.

Today's theme: Embracing Change
Change can be exciting and bring new joys into our lives. But it can present challenges that frustrate or annoy us. How has travel changed you in the last year? Did you welcome these changes or resist them at the time, and how do you feel about them now?

As mentioned in my previous entry, Goals, everything in my life has changed over the past year. From my employment of 6 years ending, to my housing situation changing, from a long term relationship ending, to a new interest currently budding. To try and communicate some of these life changes in to how it affected my travels, many of these changes were all happening simultaneously in conjunction with some of my travels. Antarctica was peaceful - it cleared my mind, in a meditative state it allowed me to reconnect with nature, the Earth and it's raw energy. Argentina was life - from food, to dance, to architecture and music, everything was built out of passion. That was good for my body, and for my heart. India, as always, allows one to explore spirituality on different levels. Be it getting in tune with nature, people, or just finding peace within your self, this seems to be something inherent with travelling to India. For me, it was the soul I was able to reconnect with - always a welcome change of character. 

Those trips just happened to coincide with some of the biggest changes in my recent life, so to that respect all the changes happening during these trips were welcomed - changes of mind, body and soul. 

I think now, however, is a time when I am fully at peace. I am about to embark on a new journey, one which will bring MUCH change. Much more than any of the aforementioned trips. Again, as mentioned in yesterday's Goals post, I am about to leave for Thailand to Volunteer with a small NGO, Penny's for Papa Foundation. With this,  will be undergoing changes I can't even fathom yet. All these changes will be welcomed. Of course, I expect some of them to be challenging, but the whole reason for doing this is for a change - in my own life, and to create positive change for those I'm helping. 

Stay tuned for updates about these changes right here!

Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences.  Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.

Today's theme: Goals
What were your travel goals last year? Did you accomplish them? What travel goals do you hope to accomplish this year?

It's interesting to reflect on goals in travel. Some of us who may be a little more travelled than others sometimes can take the action of travel itself a bit for granted. In the past year I was very fortunate to have been able to travel to some incredible places: India, Peru, Argentina and Antarctica. I must say that one of the main travel goals I have had for the past 5 years was to get to Antarctica, as for many, this was my last continent. In retrospect, that's not much of a reason to visit one of the worlds most pristine, beautiful and fragile places. I did accomplish this goal, of course, but with it came so much more. Things I couldn't have brought goals down to challenge myself with - intangible accomplishments. Be it just the feeling the first time you sit on the continent and have a baby penguin come to investigate, peck at the strings on your jacket, and nestled down next to you, or to bum-sled your way down a giant Antarctic hill soaring at tremendous speeds, to listening to the tranquility at night while watching the moonlight reflect off the iceberg riddled seas. 

Perhaps a goal which I had which was a little more focused on self-development was my goal of learning to SCUBA dive. Having been to some of the world's best dive spots, and only gone as far as some snorkelling, it was a long time dream that I'd find myself somewhere long enough to be able to complete the 4 day course. I made this happen while in Goa, India. I had several options, and was quite close to touring around when I stopped myself and said - "it's now or never! You've been putting this off too long!". It was such a good feeling of accomplishment to have gone through the course, and now having that knowledge that I can dive anywhere in the world only makes it that much better. Not only that, as with many activities which are of a unique niche, you meet some great people who are also experiencing what you are - be it first timers like myself and my new friend Shatru, or be it the well experienced, who are often very keen to share their stories and knowledge.

My outlook on travel (and life in general) have been undergoing some heavy transformations over the past year. Essentially everything about my life is different than it was even at the beginning of this year. With these changes, new perspectives have been created, and this has lead to new goals, coincidentally involving travel. A couple months back I decided I'm going to travel with more purpose - both for my own development, but also for those around me. Something I have never done, but always wanted to, is to volunteer abroad. I have made a commitment to a small, start-up NGO in Northern Thailand, Penny's for Papa Foundation, to volunteer teaching English and Computers, assisting with construction, and providing caregiving in families with a member in need. I'll be doing this for 3 months, after which, I may choose to stay on board and continue working with the foundation. It's a big life changer, on many parts, as I've given up everything at home - from my apt, and all it's contents, to even finding a new home for my cat. In giving everything up, you are able to find what's truly important. It's been a slow process, but I've had an excellent support group, one friend in particular who has been one of the most inspirational, as her family lost everything to a natural disaster, and had to start a new life. To put it in perspective, I was choosing to do this - imagine not having that choice. 

I am excited about this new venture, and that I will be living out one of my goals! Though I've come a long way, I know this is only the beginning of the journey.  

There are many ways you can choose to appreciate what is considered one of the most holiest rivers in the world. Activities which take place along the river banks include bathing to purify oneself before the daily happenings begin, participate in Ganga Aarti - the nightly act of placing candles with flowers in the river (as pictured above) as part of the worship, or  attending one of the hundreds of festivals such as Kumbh Mela held every 4 years, a Sadu festival where millions make pilgrimage to bathe in the river and partake in Ganga Aarti - meaning you will see the river appear as if it were lit on fire as millions of candles float past. 

Many children use this opportunity to make some extra money for their family, by selling the candles and flowers to locals and tourists alike. It is an excellent source of income for their families, and keeps the children from begging and stealing. If you choose to participate, you may want to consider buying from one of the children, as opposed to the shops (which may be overpriced anyway). 

The Ganges river is a quintessential part of anyone's visit to India. There is definitely a special feeling from being there, even if you don't participate in any of the blessings of the river.

The Valleys of the Kings and Queens are both located a short felluca ride across the Nile from the city of Luxor, Egypt. This is where the Royal family members had their mummified bodies enclosed in sarcophaguses, with the stories of their lives and their dynasties inscribed on the walls leading down to their final resting place. It is a place of incredible sacred significance, for Egyptians, historians and archeologists alike. 

Pictured above is the tomb of king Ramses IV. His tomb is one of the most well preserved in all the valley, as it was not found by tomb raiders over the past centuries. Most artifacts have been relocated to museums by the Egyptian government, though the paint on the walls and the tomb still have a preserved fresh appearance as if they were done yesterday (don't worry, it's authentic). 

*Please Note: You will not be allowed to take flash photography in this tomb, as the brightness of the flash can cause the paint to fade. That would be a real bummer, after 2000 years of preservation, to have a few flashes ruin it for visitors in the next 2000!

One of the most sought after ruins for explorers of the beautiful planet, Machu Picchu is nestled high in the mountains of the Urubamba Valley in Peru. There are several methods in which one can get here, the most popular of which is the 4 day hike up the Inca Trail. It is a difficult hike, even with the assistance of porters, and over the past decade has become increasingly popular. With the increased popularity, the government had to restrict the number of people (including porters) who could enter the trail at any one time to a mere 500 to aid in preserving this heritage site! Yup, that means a total of 2000 on the trail on any given day... and this is with the imposed restriction. It is advised to buy your permits several months before planning on going, as they do sell out quite far in advance. If they do sell out, or you just don't feel like doing a 4 day hike uphill, another option is taking a train to the base of the mountain, and then a shuttle bus up switchbacks to the entrance of the ruins. This is a good, fast alternative for many people. 

Whichever way you choose to get there, the prize at the top of the mountain is still the same. Machu Picchu is truly one of the most incredible, and mystical ruins I've ever encountered.

Victoria Falls outlines the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, along the Zambezi River. It is amongst the largest waterfalls in the world, and creates an immense thunderous sound when near. The view is best from the Zambian side, as you can face the falls directly, as seen above in this photo. When close, the mist from the falls is so great, it will cause sheets of water to collect and crash down almost as if in a rain downpour which continuously starts and stops again. Rainbows are commonplace here, and make for some wonderful photo ops as well. At the bottom of the falls, are some of the greatest rapids in the world, which makes for an incredible white water rafting experience. Please note, however, that if in rainy season, the water coming over the falls may be too powerful for the rafting.