If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
– John D. Rockefeller
Thursday, December 12, 2013 (DAYS 647 - 655)
Often when I meet fellow travelers and they learn that I have been living out of a backpack for almost two-years, there is an expression of romanticism in the excessive freedom and experiences I’ve had, but there is no big secret to the art of travel. Throughout my time in the various countries I’ve been had the pleasure of calling home, I’ve met travelers of all ages and backgrounds. Vagabonding is not only reserved for the gap year students or post college graduates, as I’ve met middle-aged former career professionals–doctors, lawyers, police officers, engineers, Wall Street brokers–that have either quit their jobs or negotiated sabbaticals for extended time away. I’ve met bar tenders, truck drivers, musicians, soldiers, journalists, and the recently unemployed that are between work and have realized that there is more than the twenty square miles most people live within for their entire lives. Some of the more experienced travelers I’ve met are the seasonal workers–teachers, resort workers, tour operators, fishermen, carpenters–that have the freedom to spend their winters in warmer climates and exotic locations around the globe. I’ve had long conversations with Christian missionaries, Buddhist monks, Muslims, Atheists, and a variety of other religious backgrounds. I’ve had people invite me into their homes to share a meal after brief conversations or even been given a place to sleep. I have more stories than I could possibly recall and feel more blessed in the people that I have come to call lifelong friends. “Wanting to travel reflects a positive attitude. You want to see, to grow in experience, and presumably to become more whole as a human being. Vagabonding takes this a step further: It promotes the chances of sustaining and strengthening this positive attitude. As a vagabond, you begin to face your fears now and then instead of continuously sidestepping them in the name of convenience. You build an attitude that makes life more rewarding, which in turn makes it easier to keep doing it. It’s called positive feedback and it works.” This was a quote from Ed Buryn, and I’d have to agree that I have been challenged more in my life and faced more fears head on, because often you have no other choice–it’s sink or swim. As most backpackers would agree, one the most difficult parts of traveling is saying goodbye to the new friends you tend to make on a daily basis. Connecting with people in such a short amount of time and in ways that are almost impossible to convey over a conversation with friends or family back home.
Often when I meet fellow travelers and they learn that I have been living out of a backpack for almost two-years, there is an expression of romanticism in the excessive freedom and experiences I’ve had, but there is no big secret to the art of travel. Throughout my time in the various countries I’ve been had the pleasure of calling home, I’ve met travelers of all ages and backgrounds. Vagabonding is not only reserved for the gap year students or post college graduates, as I’ve met middle-aged former career professionals–doctors, lawyers, police officers, engineers, Wall Street brokers–that have either quit their jobs or negotiated sabbaticals for extended time away. I’ve met bar tenders, truck drivers, musicians, soldiers, journalists, and the recently unemployed that are between work and have realized that there is more than the twenty square miles most people live within for their entire lives. Some of the more experienced travelers I’ve met are the seasonal workers–teachers, resort workers, tour operators, fishermen, carpenters–that have the freedom to spend their winters in warmer climates and exotic locations around the globe. I’ve had long conversations with Christian missionaries, Buddhist monks, Muslims, Atheists, and a variety of other religious backgrounds. I’ve had people invite me into their homes to share a meal after brief conversations or even been given a place to sleep. I have more stories than I could possibly recall and feel more blessed in the people that I have come to call lifelong friends. “Wanting to travel reflects a positive attitude. You want to see, to grow in experience, and presumably to become more whole as a human being. Vagabonding takes this a step further: It promotes the chances of sustaining and strengthening this positive attitude. As a vagabond, you begin to face your fears now and then instead of continuously sidestepping them in the name of convenience. You build an attitude that makes life more rewarding, which in turn makes it easier to keep doing it. It’s called positive feedback and it works.” This was a quote from Ed Buryn, and I’d have to agree that I have been challenged more in my life and faced more fears head on, because often you have no other choice–it’s sink or swim. As most backpackers would agree, one the most difficult parts of traveling is saying goodbye to the new friends you tend to make on a daily basis. Connecting with people in such a short amount of time and in ways that are almost impossible to convey over a conversation with friends or family back home.
MY RTW PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
After such a long and tumultuous journey from Vang Vieng to Si Phan Don that was an hour short of traveling continuously for twenty-four-hours, I have taken the first day to catch up on much needed sleep by lounging around in the hammock that sits just outside the door to my bungalow. Swinging from side-to-side, laying there shirtless and barefoot, the engine hums of long tail boats moving up and down the Mekong River tend to wake me from my slumber as I would often fall asleep while reading, and each time this would occur I found myself smiling before dozing back off.
After such a long and tumultuous journey from Vang Vieng to Si Phan Don that was an hour short of traveling continuously for twenty-four-hours, I have taken the first day to catch up on much needed sleep by lounging around in the hammock that sits just outside the door to my bungalow. Swinging from side-to-side, laying there shirtless and barefoot, the engine hums of long tail boats moving up and down the Mekong River tend to wake me from my slumber as I would often fall asleep while reading, and each time this would occur I found myself smiling before dozing back off.
Since the small island of Don Det has only received electricity in the past decade or so, Wi-Fi tends to be an inconsistency. This, however, is no longer viewed as an inconvenience, but a welcomed change to unplug. Taking long walks around the island down narrow dirt paths that occasionally have short stretches of a concrete before returning to dirt, the only interruptions tend to come from the horns of motorbikes or ringing bells from bicycles that come up from behind me seeking to pass. The absence of cars reminds me a bit of mixture of the islands of Utila in Honduras and Caye Caulker in Belize. I pass a variety of shops and restaurants, which are also the homes of the owners, where women greet you with warm smiles as they call out “sa bai di,” (hello) and children are swimming or bathing in the river along the banks, while most of the men are trolling the waters fishing. It is a simple life that these people live, but the happiness that is conveyed in their faces demonstrates that while they may not have much, they are rich in the happiness and the quality of life they lead. When I think back to the stress of daily life in the States, I feel that there is much that can be learned by living with less to gain more and appreciate all of life’s miracles by just slowing down.
One evening I strike up a conversation with my neighbor in the bungalow next to mine where we share the same balcony. She invites me to join her in the hammock next to hers and as we are both stretched out I learn that she is from China and she gives me a great tip about crossing the bridge to the larger island of Don Khon. She tells me that the fee is 25,000₭N ($3.12), but if I cross before 8am there is no one there to collect. This is just one example of how I’ve been able to travel the world on a frugal budget, because every money saving tip helps. The next morning I rent a bicycle for a mere 10,000₭N ($1.25) for the entire day from Mama Piang and just after 7:30am I am riding across the bridge, where I can’t help but let my imagination run wild and wonder if I will be confronted with a giant troll that will demand a secret password to be allowed to cross. Success. There is no troll and no money collector as I follow the trail to the southern most part of the island.
Peddling slowly, I pass rice several fields where the sun is shining bright and am thankful to reach areas where large shade trees provide some relief from the heat. When I reach what is labeled THE BEACH, which is a sand bar on the riverbank I’m hoping to get a glimpse of the rare river dolphins, which can only be found in a few places on the planet. Digging my toes into the sand as I stare out at the water in front of me, just across the water is the country of Cambodia, and for a brief second I contemplate if I could swim across. This is only a passing thought as the water is extremely merky and I have no idea how strong the current may be, so I just continue to watch the water for any type of movement. Unsuccessful in my quest, I suppose I will have to save this for a trip to the Amazon in the future.
Riding back and opting to take a different path, I wind through dense jungle and passed a waterfall before reaching the bridge back to Don Det. By this point in the day it is either late morning or early afternoon and there is a woman that is collecting money for crossing the bridge, but my Chinese friend had assured me that there is no fee to return to Don Det, it is only when crossing over to Don Khon, which was true. Covered in sweat and dirt from my morning adventure, I head back to my bungalow and enjoy a cold shower, since hot water is not an option. Feeling more refreshed, I enjoy a lunch of fried spring rolls with chicken and a cold coke for 24,000₭N ($2.99), I can’t think of any place in the States where a single meal would be almost double the price of the cost of accommodation. Laos, you have found a special place in my heart and wallet.
After refueling with some delicious food, I head back out on my bicycle and am taken back to childhood memories of riding around with neighborhood friends. Since Don Det is only 4km long, I cycle the entire island in the afternoon and enjoy a spectacular sunset. The next few days, however, are overcast and rainy where temperatures dropped quite a bit in the evening bringing a cold breeze that had me in a long sleeve shirt for one night. I know friends in Colorado are loving me at the moment as I’m complaining about having to wear a thin long sleeve shirt while still wearing shorts in December. The weather tends to be perfect for long afternoon naps and watching the previously downloaded Denver Broncos at Kansas City game from December 1st. In the end, Don Det, became a special place as I got to know the Piang family and their two-year-old son, before the long journey back to Thailand and chaos and noise of Bangkok.
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