Category: General

admin
Going on vacation vs traveling

If when you move to another country you eat pizza, drink Coca-Cola, spend the day connected to social networks through your mobile device and at night you get drunk on Heineken with an Australian tourist, then you are taking a break and putting miles in between your everyday life, something that can be convenient and sometimes even necessary, but, from my point of view, you are not traveling, but rather you are going on vacation.

No, going on vacation is not the same as traveling.

My last expedition to Cambodia had a bittersweet taste, because despite enjoying an entire experience and discovering a wonderful country and people, it hurt me to see how tourism was completely transforming local society, and there are many who after visiting under-developed countries complain about social differences without realizing that with their consumerist and inconsiderate behavior they are contributing to the situation continuing like this and even getting worse. These tourists travel to disadvantaged countries motivated by a cheaper standard of living where they can live in all kinds of luxuries and enjoy an exotic riot economically. However, they do not care to inform themselves about local standards and often base their behavior on a sum of money that not only destabilizes local society, but also enhances their loss of identity.

If tourists pay $4 for a cheeseburger and leave tremendously satisfied for having eaten cheaply, with what motivation are local cooks going to continue preparing traditional dishes that they used to sell for a dollar while being able to prepare Western food? If taxi drivers and motorcyclists manage to charge tourists $10 for a trip, how are they going to accept transporting locals as they always did for a price ten times lower? If local girls earn the same amount in a weekend dancing on the counter of a bar crowded with tourists as they do in a month performing a common job…if clothing sellers manage to earn 5 times more selling ‘made in China’ products than that they make them by hand because tourists prefer to buy more and cheaper… and thus a long etcetera of actions that, despite being totally innocent, intrinsically have an extremely harmful effect on local communities.

Going to Asia and ordering Western food is a sign of "being on vacation" instead of "travelling"

"Cheaper than Mercadona!

Another aspect that occurs, especially in Asian countries, is that local sellers frequently take advantage of the opportunity to sell any type of items to tourists who, in the vast majority of cases, ignore them and even despise them, passing them off as if they were more, as if they were more. They were above, ignoring that they are actually offering and presenting their place, their home. Tourists miss the opportunity to interact and communicate with the native inhabitants and do not realize the efforts they make to capture their attention to the point that, despite being illiterate, they manage to manage a basic vocabulary of a wide variety of languages. languages. In the temples of Angkor Wat I even heard a cloth seller shout to a couple of Spanish tourists: “Buy! Cheaper than Mercadona! ”Although in this case the perplexed countrymen had no choice but to turn around, smile… and end up succumbing to the charms of the local saleswoman by purchasing one of her products.

Nietzsche talked about how sometimes without realizing it we are exerting an enormous influence on certain people with our words and/or behavior towards them. In the case of a traveler, you meet and discover many people and, except on exceptional occasions, someone we meet on the street will always be one more who, although he may make us smile, will not play a crucial influence on us. However, the way we act towards them can be unique and since we do not have so many experiences to compare with, our behavior can be really relevant. Especially if after trying to communicate with hundreds of tourists who not only ignore them but belittle them, we act positively, it will play a much greater influence than we can ever imagine, maybe even give them hopes and dreams, but surely self-esteem and a great pinch of joy that they will remember much longer than we will be able to keep in our memory the tourist location we are visiting.

Traveling is exploring, discovering, adventuring, and I believe that for this, direct contact with local culture and people is essential. When we push ourselves to live and experience other ways of life, as well as to communicate and relate to people who perceive life in a completely different way than ours, we can feel uncomfortable, but it is precisely thanks to that discomfort that we force ourselves to expand our cultural intelligence and to understand not only that our way of conceiving life is not the only one, but that sometimes it does not necessarily have to be optimal. Traveling is an exercise in self-exposure to what is different that has a direct impact on the way we respect and understand others, diluting stereotypes and breaking down unfounded prejudices.

Traveling is being open to discover and experience

To go on vacation, it is essential to include a location that guarantees spectacular photographs and, if possible, with a gift of history that allows us to move with the conviction that we are carrying out a cultural activity. However, to travel, not only is it not necessary to visit a place of tourist interest, but sometimes it can even be harmful if what we are really looking for is a cultural and enriching experience, since tourism usually brings with it a consumerist and capitalist influence. which ends up deteriorating the authenticity and uniqueness of the local inhabitants, traditions and culture. Contrary to what many people think, traveling is not linked at all with moving far, but with finding some different cultural factor for ourselves from which we can learn and extract something that helps us grow, whether linked to the people, architectural styles. , gastronomy or any other, as long as we live it from within while respecting it from the outside.

Clarify that at no time am I criticizing or praising one modality or another, because while it is true that traveling is an exercise that is frequently exhausting and even, at times, frustrating, while going on vacation is just what some people need to break with monotony and achieving a long-awaited physical and emotional rest. I am only differentiating and describing both styles from a cultural perspective, since after traveling I have contemplated and come to differentiate these two very different modalities. Do you vacation or travel? Do you rest or discover? Being or going on vacation is not the same as traveling. Decide between suitcase or backpack…And let’s fly!

Leer más
admin
Sighs of Cambodia

I have just finished my trip to Cambodia and I am flooded with a flood of feelings and emotions to throw onto paper, a cocktail of delight with a syrupy touch of bitterness. I have spent a week visiting a country that is not the same as yesterday nor will it be the same as tomorrow. Tremendously beautiful as well as savagely devoured by the voracious appetite of tourists Cambodia is home to the spectacular Angkor Wat temple and is home to unique beaches and natural landscapes. But the unawareness of tourists and the greed of investors are rapidly devastating the natural charm of the country while destabilizing local society due to the impassiveness of local authorities. Thus, after seven days of fantastic adventure punctuated with outbursts of helplessness, I am going to share my sighs from Cambodia.

Poipet, border entry point to Cambodia from Thailand

I crossed from Thailand through the Poipet border crossing traveling by local bus, although the vast majority of passengers were foreigners. Five kilometers before reaching the border, the driver stops next to a restaurant and loudly announces that it is time to acquire the visa. Everyone gets out of the vehicle while I watch in amazement through the window as they hand their passports and a good wad of dollars to a couple of well-groomed locals behind a simple wooden table clearly placed improvised in the middle of the premises. After spending about thirty minutes exposed to the arteries of the locals, the travelers returned to the bus with passports in hand and pleasant smiles.

When talking to them, they told me that they had paid 40 dollars for the visa, when I had understood that it was only worth 20, but they had also paid an extra 3 dollars for the malaria test. ‘The malaria test?’ I asked strangely. It turns out that they had inserted a thermometer into their ears, ensuring that they needed to have a certificate proving that they did not carry the disease and that, of course, had its price. I had just discovered that there was a cutting-edge technology in a local restaurant in Cambodia that was capable of diagnosing malaria after inserting a thermometer in the ear, what things!

Flag and poster of the communist party of Cambodia

When we finally arrived at the border crossing, I soon realized that I was entering a commercial area. After crossing the border of Thailand and arriving at the border of Cambodia, where they had to stamp my passport (for those of us who had not ‘hired’ the improvised agency of the local restaurant), I found a window from which three police officers were leaning out and over which A sign read “Visa, $20.” I handed over my passport and a 20 dollar bill with a smile that was reciprocated with a cold look from the officers as they tapped their index finger on a sheet of paper taped to the counter: “20 dollars + 150 Baht” (150 Baht = 4 euros). My response was to lightly tap, still smiling, at the sign above them, “20 dollars.” As if it were a duel from the Wild West, they frowned and hit again, this time with more intensity, the little sign stuck on the counter that required a small added fee for no apparent justified reason. Thus, I responded by pointing to the sign that marked the ‘fair price’ with also a little more firmness, staring at them. After three or four rounds where the exaltation of repeated blows to signs that defended our respective interests was growing, an officer who was observing the scene from a distance approached, took me by the shoulder, said “OK, OK, OK” and made me pass. . I was convinced that 20 dollars was the price of my visa and 4 euros extra was a very high amount if it meant supporting and contributing to a system of corruption. I have no doubt that the answer lies within us, the revolution is played every day and we must accept our responsibility in each action.

My first image upon entering Cambodia was of a girl, visibly underage, handing out cards for her erotic services with her phone number printed on them. It was just a preview of what I was waiting to see in Siem Reap, the city that is home to the majestic Angkor Wat temple.

Getting up early was worth it to see the temples of Angkor Wat at dawn

What surprised me most was the lack of care and respect for the facilities and ruins, both on the part of tourists and those responsible for managing and protecting the temple. They were the ruins of temples that dated back more than 1,000 years and housed 800,000 people, making Angkor Wat (by far) the most populated city of antiquity. However, now there was a huge mass of tourists climbing the rocks, touching all the sculptures, sitting to eat and drink in rooms of the temples and other various atrocities that it was impossible for me to understand that local management would allow on its heritage. And in fact it was not like that, because after investigating a little later I discovered that the Government of Cambodia had transferred the concession to an oil company that billed 25 million dollars annually for the management of Angkor Wat and paid only 1 million annually to the Government. from the country. Obviously, the conservation of the ruins is not among their priorities.

The place itself is prodigious, extraordinary and it is difficult to conceive that such a beautiful and captivating place was built more than 1,000 years ago. One of the most notable aspects is the way it integrates over the years with the forest that now floods the entire area. The circuit to visit the most relevant temples is 20 kilometers, the vast majority of visitors travel by tuc-tuc (local motorized transport) and a few by bicycle. I did it walking. Although the main temples were overcrowded, that did not prevent us from contemplating its extreme beauty. I also enjoyed walking through the forest of the enclosure, even discovering small villages of cabins and temples camouflaged in the density of the trees where there was not a single visitor.

The temples of Angkor Wat are full of stone art

"Cheaper than Mercadona hears!"

A common factor could be seen with the rest of the tourist attractions in Asia; the local street vendors stubborn in convincing you to purchase any type of item. However, in this case there was an astonishing circumstance and that is that many of them managed a basic vocabulary in a large number of languages. Thus, if you stopped to observe a seller for a moment, you could see him offer his product in English and then, after trying to find out the origin of the specific tourist, ask him how it is in French, Chinese, Japanese or even Spanish, to the point that I witnessed how some Spanish tourists passed by the stall of a seller of art prints and when answering “Spanish” to their question about their origin, she exclaimed “buy! Cheaper than Mercadona!” In this case, the perplexed countrymen had no choice but to turn around, smile… and end up succumbing to the charms of the local seller by purchasing one of her works.

The visit to the temples was an unforgettable experience, but not so rewarding was my first walk the next day through the city that houses them, Siem Reap, as it is completely commercialized and full of tourists who miss such a wonderful opportunity to discover. a new gastronomy and local traditions indulging in establishments where they eat Western food, drink European beer and just interact with other tourists.

After a short walk, I realized that having already visited the temples of Angkor Wat my time in Siem Reap would end the next day, but first I wanted to explore a little and discover the authentic aspect of a Cambodian village, so I prepared to walk in direction opposite to the two streets designed for tourism, a decision that turned out to be a great success.

The shock that the occupation carried out by Western influence in the center of the city had caused in me soon faded as I walked along dirt roads surrounded by wooden and reed cabins, observing the elders peacefully talking in groups while the children played. and they did their thing as they pleased.

Boy selling snakes to tourists

After a while, I arrived at what at first glance seemed like an abandoned temple, but as I approached I discovered a group of people dressed in white sitting listening to the sermon of two Buddhist monks. I approached stealthily so as not to disturb the ceremony, although I soon perceived a festive and jovial atmosphere, so I began to graphically document the scene. I continued getting closer and to my amazement, after seeing a small wreath of flowers next to a photograph, I understood that it was a funeral. Looking around, I discovered a cremation pyre, where the body of the deceased was being cremated while the ceremony was taking place. How can I be sure of this? Minutes later I was fortunate to meet someone very special who carefully explained to me the details and philosophy behind the rite I had just witnessed.

I continued walking and entering that mysterious location until I reached a small town of wooden houses where I saw the orange cloths typical of Buddhist monks hanging from several ropes. After walking around, I found a young monk playing with some puppies and I approached him to talk. Amazingly, he communicated perfectly in English and I was able to enjoy an interesting and enriching conversation with him.

Rathana Asous, Tibetan Buddhist monk, student of life

His name is Rathana Asous and he is 22 years old, 10 of the last ones working as a Buddhist monk. He told me that this small village is called Wat Bo and there live 148 monks who attend a Buddhist school and spend practically all the rest of their time studying. Rathana shares his room with two other monks and explains to me that they live very humbly here, but he is tremendously grateful to the people who, through his donations, make it possible for this village to exist. In a certain way, people contribute so that the monks have decent living conditions and can study and train, while on the other hand, they are rewarded by being able to consult and ask for advice from the monks, chat with them and have their tutelage. in rites and ceremonies.

His family lives in a very humble village and they sent him to this town so that he would have the opportunity to study and learn, although he only has the opportunity to visit them once a year. When talking about the rite that he had just witnessed, he confirmed to me that it was a funeral and that they actually cremate the body of the deceased while the ceremony is being held and then deposit the remains in one of the pagodas. When I asked him how it was possible that all the attendees were dressed in white and there was an air of joviality to say goodbye to a young man who had died, he smiled at me and said that for them death is not the end, but the beginning of a new beginning. , of another new life, part of a process that is repeated indefinitely until reaching Nirvana.

After Siem Reap, I wanted to discover what the Cambodian coast looked like, so I drove to Sihanoukville, where I stayed in a local hostel and rented a motorbike from a bar owner to discover uninhabited beaches beyond civilisation. Once again the feeling was bittersweet, because despite being a beautiful place that housed virgin beaches of fine sand and turquoise waters, one could also perceive the breath of a crushing imperialism that advanced without any complexes. A clear example of this was the bridge that leads to Kohpuos Island. Since I arrived, its spectacular presence caught my attention, so I went there with the intention of crossing it and discovering something else. To my surprise, the bridge, despite being completely completed, was closed to traffic, a fact that aroused my suspicions. I had to find out more about it.

Bridge to Kohpuos Island

I went to the place that always works when a deep and sagacious investigation is required: the bar. After sharing a couple of beers with locals and senior foreigners settled in the city, I dropped the topic and they shared with me the history of the bridge and the island that I was later able to verify from reliable sources.

The beaches of Otres are spectacular

Kohpuos Island, to which the bridge leads from Sihanoukville, turns out to be a true paradise on earth, combining a dense tropical forest and rich animal life with dreamlike virgin beaches…unfortunately a panorama too beautiful to last. A Russian investment group obtained the concession of the island for 99 years with the promise of “developing” the area. Well, basically what they have done has been to build a luxurious and modernist bridge to close it to the public while they build and destroy the natural habitat at will with the aim of preparing an island full of pompous and opulent restaurants, resorts and shopping centers to attract to high-end tourism. And I wonder, if they destroy and transform a natural paradise that was previously enjoyed by locals into a tourist location where all the businesses will be controlled by Russian magnates, from what point of view can this be called “development” for Cambodia? But in addition, the main investor of the group that obtained the concession of the island, Alexander Trofimov, was found guilty of sexually abusing no less than 17 minors, for which he was sentenced to as many years in prison of which only He has served 3 of them before being granted a ‘Royal Pardon’ and deported to Seoul.

After discovering how natural beauty and controversy dance hand in hand in Sihanoukville, I traveled to Kampot, rented a motorcycle and entered a natural park looking for an abandoned French ghost town of which barely anything remains.

I was lucky enough to visit the ghost town of Kampot...covered in fog!

Finally, before returning to Thailand, I spent the night in Battambang, rented a motorcycle again, drove for almost an hour and asked locals until I finally found the home of the largest species of the only flying mammal: the bat fruit giant or as it is commonly called, megabat. It was one of those moments in which despite creating high expectations, they were far exceeded.

I knew they were large animals, but when I was able to witness them up close, their appearance was truly striking. It is intimidating to see them fly 3 or 4 meters above, accompanying their flight with an imposing shadow beneath them. Their wingspan ranges between 1.20 and 1.80 meters and, as their name indicates, they feed on fruit. Furthermore, the peculiarity of this place is that although there are hundreds of trees in the area, all the bats are distributed in the three that are located at the entrance to the Buddhist temple of Wat Baydamram, a fact that fuels the local myth about monks. and megabats protecting each other.

Megabat!

Without a doubt, the adventure through Cambodia has been a pleasant and enriching experience in which, above all, I have enjoyed contact with the friendly and smiling local inhabitants, as well as, as soon as I managed to escape the city a little, pure and wild nature. However, the feeling of rage and helplessness is inescapable after witnessing how once again the ambition and greed of a few is capable of having such a devastating influence on the culture, traditions, way of life and, ultimately, the home of a number. so big of people. But I am left with the most important part of the reflection, and that is that there are only a few and at the end of the day I am certain that the way in which we direct our consumption and way of doing tourism is what sustains or discredits this type of imperialist investments and behaviors. Witnessing these realities motivates and inspires me to convey the message that everything is changing, because if they are a few, we are many and we are increasingly aware of our responsibility, we are realizing that a better world is possible and that the answer is in us.

Leer más
admin
What if I told you "I love you"?

Yes to you, what if I told you that I love you?

With your virtues and defects that make you unique and different, with your quirks and inconsistencies, I don’t care, because I see in you hundreds of qualities and attributes that I admire and make you special. Sometimes you make me angry, often you make me excited. Today because it’s Friday, tomorrow because the sun shines, the day after that because the light rises again. I appreciate you and you build my life, it doesn’t hurt or bother me to tell you, rather it makes me proud; I love you.

 


Why do we constantly highlight their few flaws and foibles even in our family members and lifelong friends that we love so much over all the other positive attributes? Why do we label and judge strangers at first sight? Why don’t we openly and honestly show and transmit our feelings and affections? Why is it so complicated to say ‘I love you’?

When you travel to remote or underdeveloped areas, one of the characteristics that most impacts when contacting the local inhabitants is innocence. No one is going to judge you for the way you dress, speak or your haircut, but you will usually be treated from the first moment with respect and admiration. Normally, the less contact a given community has with civilization, the purer the hearts of its members. They don’t usually hide their feelings, whether good or bad, and they often offer you what they have, no more, no less.

That brutal honesty is in itself a true revolution, as it causes an impact that pushes you to reflect and rethink the way we value our peers and express our emotions, as well as to discover the power that our way of acting around us has as a weapon. suggestive of positive evocations.

This simple, innocent and at the same time moving behavior of humble communities located one step away clearly denotes that human beings are good and positive by nature, but that this competitive society ends up restricting and limiting our emotional capacities.

Saying 'I love you' is therapeutic for both the one who says it and the one who receives it.

If you believe in a better world, in peace, in human beings and in the inspiring messages on Facebook images that your friends post and that you click ‘like’ on, I don’t believe that it would be so difficult for you to look at today stare into the eyes of one of your friends or family and tell them. Why don’t you try and contemplate the powerful impact that beautiful and honest words have? What’s the worst that can happen? May the person you tell smile openly? What hugs you? What does ‘I love you’ return?

I think it’s worth trying, today can be a wonderful day to start highlighting the positive facets of those around us, let them know and observe how life is suddenly flooded with smiles and color. Being able to carry out an authentic revolution every day with just two words, that my friend, that is magic.

Children, not having developed pride, have an easier time saying I love you. Let's learn from them!

Leer más
admin
Lone Traveler Syndrome

In recent years I have lived 3 months in London, 7 in Greece, 3 in Peru, I returned to Seville where I said goodbye to my colleagues and friends, after which I lived 9 months in Croatia, 6 in Canada, 8 in Indonesia, 4 months in Thailand, I spent 2 years traveling the world with a cycling team and now live between Berlin, Zurich and Madrid.

I started traveling when I was 21 and at 33 I have visited more than 80 countries. I always started each of my trips alone and always ended them accompanied. Every adventure has had its challenges but each experience has made me stronger. After several years on the road I have managed to identify my symptoms and be able to self-diagnose myself: I suffer from Lone Traveler Syndrome.

Human beings are social by nature, they seek support and refuge in groups among which they find an affinity to feel stronger. Civilization is evolving towards a mass society, where the global behavior of the population is regulated by fashions and standards of conduct that govern 90% of our time; what time to get up, what time to go to work, what time to have breakfast, lunch and dinner, what time to go to bed…and even how to dress, what music to listen to and what technologies to use so as not to feel excluded.

Traveling alone is the best way to travel accompanied

Our human relationships and behavioral habits build our comfort zone for years. If we are sad, having friends or family by our side will lift our spirits; If we wake up euphoric and extremely happy, the fact that the rest of our loved ones are not happy will calm our emotion; If we think something different, the general opinion of the people around us will make us think that we are wrong and we will end up accepting that what is established is correct.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Oman

Thus, these social and human factors that constantly surround us offer emotional stability as well as emotional comfort that relaxes our senses and focuses our human progress in a peaceful way. However, when you travel alone you stop having those references and your emotional functions end up functioning more independently and autonomously, which has its positive and negative aspects.

Constantly getting to know different people and cultures is an undoubtedly enriching fact; You broaden your horizons and perspectives, coming to understand that the vast majority of things in this life are relative. You meet wonderful and sometimes extraordinary people, inspiring human beings who simply with their behavior, way of life and respect for their human principles and values change the people around them.

I have always thought that we are born as empty bottles and that the influence of the people around us fills that bottle that makes up our person, having the possibility of learning to decide how much we want to add of each person in our bottle.

Traveling alone offers the flexibility and opportunity to end up working on amazing projects

When you spend a lot of time alone, without references or opinions that you consider reliable, you run the risk of elevating your opinion and judgment above that of others. The internal fight against the ego is the greatest battle that a traveler has to fight. Everyone has something to teach us and it is in the ability to listen to and appreciate our surroundings that the key to success lies, defining ‘success’ of course as a process of constant human development and learning.

When traveling, discovering and working in new cultures, we often encounter situations that we are not used to, behaviors that seem strange, irrational and sometimes even unfair. But it is precisely in those moments when we have the opportunity to maximize our learning if we are able to relax and expand our mind.

Traveling alone is a way to get to know and discover yourself

In my case, I have spent enough time in many places to build great friendships…just before having to leave for another place.

I dilute the nostalgia and longing for so many loved ones scattered around the world with whom I cannot share as much as I would like in syrup of pure life that new adventures and teachings offer me every day.

Without having a community to regulate your emotions, you often come to think that you have thousands of friends, that everyone is great and that life is wonderful, but sometimes you feel that you are completely alone in a huge world full of selfish individuals. Inevitably, we need much more time to make friends than to lose them and as the years go by and you continue walking, sometimes you end up having the feeling that there are many people accompanying you in your steps, but very few by your side.

Sometimes you face loneliness, but it also teaches you

Thus, Lone Traveler Syndrome is characterized by emotional instability and an alteration in the perception of time and space by resetting the conception of them and reconnecting with the basic and fundamental, with the origin. It is a mix of the adrenaline of uncertainty with the improvisation of the moment. It’s not knowing if life goes very fast or there is time for everything, if you have thousands of friends or just a few real ones, if the world is an enormously large place or a small place.

As with any syndrome, the first step is to identify it, the second is to accept it and the third is to look for a remedy. In my case, I believe that the syndrome I suffer from is the gift that I am fortunate to experience every day and that there is no better way to face it than to take advantage of each of the seconds and people around me to continue learning.

La vida es hoy, aquí y ahora, allá donde esté y cuando quiera que sea. Sonreír es la forma más efectiva de cambiar el mundo y tengo decidido continuar mi revolución.

Aunque viaje solo sé que mi camino lo recorren conmigo todos aquellos que caminan a mi lado.

Lone traveler syndrome

Leer más