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It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter! update Biggest lesson from the past week: Using a very sharp knife to remove the pit of an avocado is not as brilliant of an idea as I had thought. One slip and that knife went right into my index finger, creating a puncture wound that required a visit to the nearby Urgent Care center. This week's book: Speaking of the body, I'm now reading The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson. I'm only on the first chapter but I can't get over the fact that if you lined up all of the blood vessels in just one body it would stretch 2.5 times around the Earth. Consider my mind blown. Most eye-opening conversation: On Sunday, I took an Uber back to my apartment and started talking with the driver. It turns out he's from a small city in Afghanistan and he made it to the US two years ago with his wife's family. His own family lives in a European capital city and one of his relatives is the Afghan ambassador to that country. However, I learned that there are several, if not more, Afghan embassies in the world right now that are still operating under the previous government. The one that his family is associated with is one of these particular embassies. These embassies have no ties to the Taliban and are basically operating as if the they never took control. It's obviously a very tricky, and dangerous, situation. But this young man was so proud of the work that was being done to try and create a better future for the country despite the current situation. the people
I've said it before: If I traveled only to see the sights, I would have stopped after a year. The reason I continued traveling for 23 years is the people I've met and the interactions I've had along the way. One of those fascinating interactions was with Vasily, while in Ukraine. He's one of the 100+ people that chose not to relocate after the Chernobyl disaster. Instead, he lived with his wife in a tiny, remote village of mostly abandoned homes, right inside the Chernobyl zone. When I visited this area we spent a morning with Vasily and it was the most memorable part of the trip. Our local guide knew him personally and that's how the connection was made. Vasily told us all about their simple and quiet life, he showed us how they grew their own food and made their own vodka. They even laid out a wonderful breakfast spread for us to enjoy. Vasily walked us around the village and even showed us an abandoned ferry boat, from where we had views of Belarus across the river. We learned about the government officials that would visit twice per year to test the soil and water, to thoroughly check their health and to ensure that living in this region remained safe. Vasily was so kind to us and genuinely appreciated having visitors. Again, this kind of interaction is why I travel. (Side note: I'm trying to find out where Vasily and his wife are these days but so far, unfortunately, I haven't been able to get much information from my contacts.)
Hanging out with Vasily while visiting Chernobyl.
📶 Holafly - As I mention often, I now use e-SIMs in order to stay connected while traveling and Holafly is an excellent e-SIM provider. Here's how it works: I simply download a country-specific or regional e-SIM to my phone, choose a data package and then activate it as soon as I land in my destination. It's super easy, reliable and I don't need to worry about pricey international phone plans or getting a local SIM card everywhere I go. 📘 Finding Katya: How I Quit Everything to Backpack the Former Soviet States - My friend and fellow traveler, Katie Aune, just released an exciting book! On her 35th birthday she left everything behind to embark on a one-way journey to the former Soviet States. And this book - part travelogue and part memoir - details the unique and life-changing adventures that followed that decision. around the globe
✈️ Japan Airlines Rents ClothesIn an attempt to lower the weight of passengers' luggage, Japan Airlines wants you to keep your clothes at home. With their new "Any Wear, Anywhere" service, you can now rent sets of clothes for $25 - $50 each to use during your stay in Japan. The clothes will be delivered to your hotel once you arrive. 🇮🇳 The City with Gold SewageFirozabad, India is known as the City of Bangles. And the traditional process used to create these glass bracelets often left gold residue flowing through the sewage pipes. Only a handful of artisans have the knowledge and skills to extract this gold 'trash' in order to sell it to jewelers. 🎉 All the FestivalsA frequently updated list of over 100 festivals that take place in all corners of the globe. I find myself checking this list out every few months for additional inspiration! 🇦🇶 The Antarctic SunYup, Antarctica has its own online newspaper - The Antarctic Sun. If the article "Female leopard seals are way, way bigger than their male counterparts" catches your attention, this might be the publication for you! 🗺️ Other Side of the WorldAre you ready for a map that shows the precise location of the 'other side of the world' from any other location you enter? It's basically where you would end up if you dug a hole straight through the Earth. It's more addictive than you might think! where in the world?
A big congratulations to Orit, Todd, William, Matt C, Kathy, David S, Elizabeth, David W, Faye, Shilpam, Ethan, Steve, Jen, Lauren, Mel and Matt G for correctly guessing the photo location in the last newsletter. This photo is from the small town of Aguas Calientes, Peru, the main base for visiting Machu Picchu!
This week's photo:
It's time to guess...where was the below photo taken?
If you have a guess (the more specific the better), click reply and let me know. Anyone who guesses correctly will be mentioned in next week's newsletter! |
Thank you so much for reading!
Derek
(my middle name is Earl) *If you received this email from someone else and want to sign up to A Life of Travel, simply click the button below: |
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