If you’re a world traveler, you’ll almost inevitably be asked “what is your favorite place?” when talking to people who don’t travel a lot. It’s a fair question for sure, but there are no easy answers. My answers are usually contextually based or tongue-in-cheek. That’s a tactic of mine which serves as a shortcut to really thinking about something in depth. If I had to think about my favorite place on earth, and answer honestly, I guess I haven’t been there yet. Maybe that’s what motivates me to keep exploring.

It’s not really about the places.

Travel is more about experiences and people. You meet the most interesting people while you’re traveling. Not that you don’t meet interesting people at home, but when you’re surrounded by the familiar, I believe you’re less likely to be open to the unfamiliar. My own story has become irreversibly entwined with the stories of others. Here’s a short list of some of the most interesting people I have met on the road.

• Guy

Airport and hotel bars are consistently good for meeting interesting people. A bar in a hotel that’s at the airport (I don’t always sleep in the terminal) is a veritable Petri dish full of interesting people. It was at the DFW Hyatt that I met a DEA agent named Guy.

At first, Guy sounded like a bit of a self-aggrandizing blowhard, someone who probably watched too many Mexican Narco films. Guy soon proved to be a wealth of knowledge on the drug trade in Mexico, how it works and what is being done. I couldn’t pull myself away from the conversation. My hunger for knowledge on a topic that seems so important, yet gets hardly any press coverage took over and I found myself asking questions, the answers to which prompted even more questions. It turned into a late night before an early flight, but was worth it for a free education on issues that matter.

• Bionic Russ

The Big Bend region of Texas is full of characters. It’s worth a trip to Terlingua just to meet the eccentric people who seem to gravitate there. Bionic Russ is a character among characters. I met Russ in a motel in Alpine, Texas. He and his wife had moved there to escape the cold of Wyoming winters. See, Russ had had knee replacement surgery. The way Russ told the story, one cold morning he was out feeding his cattle and his new titanium knees froze from the cold. His knees locked up and he was unable to walk. He crawled through the snow for more than a 1/4 mile. When he got to the house, he knocked on the door only to have his wife open the door and look right over him. He told her to look down, and rather than immediately help him in out of the cold, she demanded an explanation of what the hell he was doing. Russ added quite a bit of animation to the story, so it was much better to hear first hand than to read about second hand, but you get the idea.

• Jordan

Jordan was a would-be bone smuggler, and taught me that slowing down and not being in any particular hurry can pay huge dividends in friendship and camaraderie. She was carrying some turtle shells she had collected on a beach in Ecuador. On her trip south, Peruvian customs hadn’t given her any grief at all about them so she figured Chile would be as easy. She figured wrong. I shared a combi with Jordan (and three other people) from Tacna, Peru across the Chilean border to Arica, Chile. When Chilean customs shook her down because of the turtle shells, our combi driver wanted to leave her. At that point, Jordan’s problem wasn’t my problem and I wasn’t keen on waiting out the customs ordeal in the hot Atacama desert sun. For a brief moment, I considered acquiescing to the driver’s demands to get in the car and go, but then I applied a little bit of compassion to the situation. Having had my fair share of customs shake-downs over the years, it was easy to take a stand for what was right. The driver was willing to give up one fare, but not two, so he waited for Jordan. Jordan and I instantly became great friends, and this encounter, however brief is one of my most fond travel memories.

• Honorable mentions:

Elyse – my favorite bar tender in all of Taiwan. Your smile and lively spirit will be with me, always.
Bily – Formerly a Cruise ship bar tender, now bar owner in Huanchaco – your story is an inspiration!
Choco – A passionate and entertaining tour guide. Book him for your tour of any of the archaeological sites in Northern Peru.

Here are a few travel related sites that I have recently found. You’ll probably like them too, because I have good taste like that!

• Roy boldly goes where lots of people have probably gone before and writes about it on Cruisesurfingz

On May 15th, 2004, I left NZ for three months to go work on a special needs summer camp in USA. I’ve basically been traveling ever since.

I really like the site design and the writing. Humorous and informative. Check it out!

• Jack and Jill go around the world.

Volunteering and discovering along the way. Short story is they quit their jobs, liberated themselves of their material things and set off to explore the world around them. Great information.

• Another couple with no possessions & no plan take off to explore the world. They can be found at Hecktic Travels.

They have gotten some really cool house-sitting gigs which allows them to save money and remain in a place long enough to really get to know it.

• Kaitlin and Brian Travel Adventurously at Two Backpacks, One World

Outdoor educators turned world travelers. Always searching for adventure, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of our world. We both love adventuring off the beaten path, camping, seeing live music, exploring cities, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. We are trying to stay as open to whatever comes our way as we can.

photo: feline_dacat

Long term travel and saving money aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but depending on your situation, you may need to accept or adapt to being less comfortable than you would at home.

Something that’s definitely worth considering is sleeping at the airport from time to time.  Let’s face it, there are a few good reasons for doing this only one of which is saving money.

Early flights are the worst!  Any departure before 10AM is going to require waking up at some ungodly hour of the day just to get to the airport, get checked in, get through security and deal with any of the other hassles that crop up when traveling.  Buses and other public transport don’t tend to operate in the early hours of the morning, meaning if you have an early flight, you’ll probably be forced to hand over your beer money to a surly cab driver for the privilege of being scared half to death by his crazy antics while being assaulted by his odor.  That’s not something I’m prepared to deal with before my first gallon of coffee.

I know what you’re thinking: “Will I get any sleep at the airport?”.  I’d say: probably not, but will you get any sleep in the dorm room you’re sharing with the snorer, the partier and the overly amorous couple?  Especially considering you’re going to have to wake up at 4AM?  I’m thinking it’s an equal trade, and in fact, depending on the airport, you may actually do pretty well.

My Favorite Airports to Sleep in

I’ve slept in my fair share of airports.  In fact, once upon a time I set up housekeeping at London, Gatwick.  I felt a little bit like Tom Hanks in “Terminal”.  I wasn’t alone, I saw at least a half-dozen other people who spent multiple days at the airport…have you priced rooms in and around London?

1. Geneva Switzerland GVA

This Geneva airport is a great place to spend the night.  Way in the back, right next to the security office is a green sofa that I was able to stretch out on.  The airport closes at around 11PM, they turn out the lights and the annoying P.A. system announcements cease for the night.  Security still roams the airport, and didn’t bother me at all.  At the time, there were computers with free internet access, and in the morning espresso was available.  Sweet!

2. Santiago, Chile SCL

On the second level, back near all of the offices, a dark and silent corner exists.  I slept on the carpeted floor there.  Security did wake me up, but they didn’t run me off.  They just wanted to make sure that I knew to keep my bags secured.  Housekeeping also woke me up, but just so they could vacuum where I was.

Other Great Airports to Sleep in:

• Singapore: I’ve never been to Singapore, but I’ve heard that it’s the absolute world’s best airport, not only for sleeping in, but just the best airport in general.  Apparently there are reclining seats, free internet,  an entertainment deck with movie theater and xbox/Playstation consoles.
• Seoul/Inchon Korea: clean, quiet and comfortable with free wi-fi.
• Hong-Kong: New, clean, big & safe with free wi-fi.
• Amsterdam: Recliners!

What experiences do you have with sleeping at the airport?  Tell me about it in the comments!

Experienced world travelers will tell you: “You’ll never wish you had packed more stuff”. Luggage has the word “lug” right there at its beginning and can often be defined as “anything that has more weight than value”. It’s been many years since people traveled by steam ship and since you may be considering backpacking your way around the world, let me offer up some advice on keeping your luggage to a minimum and your fun to a maximum.

1. Excessive clothes

Decisions, decisions, decisions… I know, right! You may want to go to a nice restaurant, the theatre, an upscale bar. You may also be going to the beach and you’ll probably be doing a hiking tour. What if there is horse-riding or bungee jumping or..or…or… Pack clothes that are versatile and utilitarian. Merino wool shirts are heavenly, they keep you warm when it’s cool, cool when it’s warm. Wool is a miracle fabric in that it wicks moisture, maintains its insulating qualities when wet and doesn’t get stinky nearly as quickly synthetics or even cotton. Hell, it’s even naturally fire retardant. Enough about wool. The point here is to keep the clothes to an absolute minimum. Don’t bring something because you ‘might’ need it. Bear in mind that people all over the world wear clothes so you can likely purchase something if you do need it.

2. That Fancy Water Bottle

Seriously, this comes up in travel forums all the time – “what is the best water bottle to bring?” – My answer: None! Unless you’re in to adventure travel, e.g. mountaineering or something, you needn’t bring a water bottle. But, “what about the environment?” you ask Well, think about it. If you’re somewhere where the tap water isn’t safe to drink, you’ll be filling your fancy water bottle from a not so fancy water bottle. If you are where the water is safe, only buy one bottle of water and refill it from the tap. Easy! And you just saved room in your luggage.

3. That DSLR Camera

You aspire to be a National Geographic photographer right? Here’s a tip: We ALL want to be a National Geographic Photographer. Here’s another tip: You aren’t going to be famous by posting to facebook all of those candids from the foam party at the hostel that you took with your DSLR. A fancy camera WON”T make you a better photographer. Unless your photography is already paying your bills, you probably don’t want to be lugging a huge-ass camera around with you.

4. Soap, Shampoo, Deodorant

Believe it or not and with the exception of France, people around the world use soap, shampoo and deodorant and it can be purchased at local stores wherever you go. Brilliant, right?! Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t bring any at all with you, but if you’re traveling for 3 months or 6 months, you don’t need to bring a 3 or 6 month supply with you.

5. More Than One Pair of Shoes

In the same vein as clothes, you might think you need special shoes for special activities. It just ain’t so. Again, pick something utilitarian and versatile. Since I’m talking here specifically about packing, I’ll clarify, I allow myself two pairs of shoes total. One packed, the other worn. You might be able to get away with only one. I personally wear a pair of jungle boots (good for hiking, walking, dancing, etc) and pack a pair of Teva sandals (good for damn near everything).

So, that’s it. I’d love to hear about anything you packed but didn’t need – put it in the comments!

You may or may not know that I recently spent a year in Taiwan, living & working in Kaohsiung. I went there not really knowing much about the island nation, and had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised and really fell in love with the place. Here are 10 things that I really loved about Taiwan:

1. The People:

My previous experiences traveling in Asia, especially India, had my guard up. You know the deal, thousands of touts & hustlers all descending upon you at once.

People in Taiwan are extremely helpful and friendly with no underlying agenda.

2. The Public Transportation:

Taipei to Kaohsiung in an hour and a half! Love it! Cruising around the city in a CLEAN subway. Love it! Train ride along the scenic east coast. Love it!

3. Taxis:

Am I really saying I love taxis? Absolutely! They’re inexpensive, metered, and almost everywhere. It was often more economical to take a taxi than to pay to park, and without the burden of a car while out on the town you’re free to drink!

4. The Haircuts:

Heavenly. Seems an odd thing to love, but seriously, if you haven’t had a haircut in Taiwan, get your ass on a plane NOW!

5. Technology:

I love my gadgets and they were readily available in Taiwan. I also love to roll my own gadgets and there’s an entire district in Kaohsiung devoted to selling electronic components. It’s as if radio shack has a farm (but you don’t have to give your phone number to buy a resistor).

6. The Liquor Laws:

Eager to get out the door but don’t want to leave your beer? No worries, just take it with you. It’s like Las Vegas in that regard. Want a beer at 7AM on Sunday? No need to drive to the next county or state where the churchies haven’t ruined it for you yet – just go to the store, damn near any store and grab a cold one ANYTIME. Going home from a hard day’s work but don’t



A typical scene at the betlenut girl stand Photo Credit - Tobie Openshaw

want to go through the ordeal of finding parking so you can buy a beer? Just pull over to the betle nut girl stand and a negligee adorned beauty will RUN with a beer to your window. You can do this while stopped for a red light. Awesome!

7. Taroko Gorge:

This is Taiwan’s National Natural treasure. I’ll be writing about it at some point in the future with photos and the whole bit. For now, take my word for it. It’s GORGE-ous!

8. Love Hotels:

This was one of those things I figured I had to experience before I left Taiwan (by ‘I’, I do mean ‘we’ – I didn’t go to the love hotel by myself). Drive-thru check in, parking garage right by your door and ‘Batman’ themed room? How romantic is all of that! Really! I expected it to feel sleazy in that run down hotel on the interstate frontage road kind of way. The place was quite surprisingly classy.

9. 7-11:

Pay your parking (there are no meters in Taiwan – they use a different system), pay your utility bills, buy concert tickets, airline tickets, cassette tapes, scotch, wine, Bailey’s & beer, even get a tea egg or some salty squid bits. Taiwan 7-11 redefines convenience. And they’re everywhere.

10. The Low Crime Rate:

Ever left something in a taxi? When it happens, you usually figure you didn’t need it that bad anyhow, or you figure that you’re never going to get it back so why bother. Lost cause right? I left an iPhone in a taxi in Taiwan. I got it back – took a couple of days of tracking it down, but I got it back. We had another phone – one of those $10 throw-away phones pretty much. It also got left in a cab. Got that one back too – from the bar where we had caught the taxi from.

Violent crime is almost unheard of in Taiwan.

The parking garage in the 'Batman' themed room

A room in a Taiwan Love Hotel

So that’s the short list. There’s so much more to say about my life in Taiwan – Use one of the follow along buttons below to keep up with what’s new.