A Life of Travel: Seeing the world with our own eyes...and destination inspiration!
Derek Baron
April 30, 2024
A big welcome to the 42 new subscribers who recently signed up!
It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter...
update
Today’s email is coming to you from London. I’m here for a quick 4 day visit after having spent the past two weeks leading my third Wandering Earl small group tour to Iraq!
And that trip to Iraq was another huge success, with such a kind, curious and extremely fun group of travelers that had signed up for this unique and life-changing experience.
In fact, these Iraq trips are so incredible every time I run them that it makes we want to offer even more of them. As I can often be heard saying, the experience of actually traveling in Iraq is completely different than you might imagine!
Recently someone asked me to describe what really gets to me on a deeper level.
My answer was interaction and human connection.
The idea that a simple conversation with a stranger can create a cross-cultural connection that steps over any of the stereotypes, perceptions, biases and other made up barriers that tend to exist, is a concept so powerful that I feel it deep inside. It fascinates and affects me, all the time.
This is why I don’t miss an opportunity to wave, say hello, smile or shake hands when I’m traveling. I’ve seen how important this type of connection can be, even if it appears minimal. Far from actually being minimal, a quick interaction can have a profound effect on those involved.
If I look back on my 23 years of nonstop travel, I can probably create a longer list of memorable interactions than I can of actual sights that I’ve visited. These interactions have altered my life as they have proven to me over and over again that I cannot trust anything but my own eyes.
Without actually being in a place, meeting people and learning what’s going on directly, it can be dangerous to create strong opinions and views based on the limited and biased news and social media posts that appear before us.
I fall for it all the time. We all do. Suddenly a powerful sounding headline appears on our feed and we immediately take it as real proof of something. It’s unfortunate but it’s hard to avoid without real conscious effort.
The solution is to remind ourselves as often as possible that we are only receiving a limited view. And then we need to do the work to try and understand a situation, issue or people in other ways that provide a more accurate perspective. It’s not easy, which is why we often default to the catchy headlines that algorithmically appear on our social media feeds.
Travel does wonders. Proper research works. Making sure we hear a wide range of viewpoints is important. Talking to people actually involved with a situation is vital. The more we see with our own eyes, the better.
My Iraq trips are perhaps one of the best examples for me personally. By focusing only on the experience of actually being in Iraq, it quickly becomes clear that reality is not quite what we think it to be. It only takes a few days of being in Baghdad to make such a realization.
Well, tomorrow I fly to the US for a quick visit with family, followed by some time in Lisbon. At the end of May, I’m off to Turkey to lead one of our tours around that beautiful country!
Lots of travel coming up this month but travel is my life in the end :)
recommendations
Empire Podcast - Hosted by William Dalrymple (historian and author) and Anita Anand (journalist and author), these fascinating episodes explore the “stories, personalities and events of empire over the course of history.”
Hermanos Gutierrez - A friend recently introduced me to this excellent Latin instrumental band led by two brothers, Alejandro and Estevan. Their music has been described as otherworldly, and with a “hallucinogenic energy”.
2024/2025 wandering earl tours!
Wandering Earl Tours are designed for curious travelers looking to understand the world through their own eyes. They focus on being super fun, unique and excellent value and all ages are welcome!
2024
Romania (September 1st - 12th)
- It’s one of my favorite countries in the world. This itinerary is packed with off-the-beaten path locations that will not disappoint!
Mexico (November 8th - 17th)
- Covering the wonderful destinations of Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca, this fun-focused and carefully created cultural journey is not to be missed!
*All other tours - Vietnam, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan, Jordan, South Africa, Surprise Tours - are sold out!
2025
Mauritania (January 15th - 28th)
- A true adventure that dives deep into this remote desert nation, with magical landscapes, local interactions and awe-inspiring activities throughout!
Cuba (Feb 25th - March 5th)
- This specially curated trip brings you up close and personal with all kinds of people and places that few travelers get to see, all thanks to our amazing local team!
Vietnam (Feb) / Vietnam (March)
- Our Vietnam trips take you from south to north of this spectacular country, covering the diversity of cities, villages, nature, food, history and more every step of the way!
Iraq (April 3rd - 15th)
- Be prepared for an eye-opening trip that will completely change how you view the world. This trip is bound to surprise you every single day!
Jordan (April 25th - May 5th)
- With rewarding activities that only our local contacts can offer, this is the only way to experience the endless wonders of Jordan!
Surprise Tour (September 5th - 16th)
- Yes, it’s all a surprise. You sign up and that’s it. You won’t know where we’re going until the trip actually happens :)
As always, simply get in touch if you have any questions at all!
travel trick: choosing a seat for free
This one surprised me quite a bit but it worked twice in the past week. I used it on Turkish Airlines and American Airlines.
I always try to choose my seat for a flight in advance as I’m very picky about where I like to sit. So I opened my laptop and went to choose a seat for my flight from Istanbul to London. It wanted to charge me 18 Euros for my choice.
But then I suddenly got distracted and didn’t follow through. About an hour later I went back to choosing my seat but for some reason, instead of using my laptop, I opened the Turkish Airlines app on my phone instead.
I chose my seat and this time, it was free. No charge of 18 Euros.
At first, I thought I was just lucky and there was some kind of glitch.
But then the exact same thing happened when I was choosing my seat for my flight to the US tomorrow, on American Airlines. It wanted to charge me on the website so I opened the app instead and sure enough, I was able to choose my seat for free.
I’m not sure if this is a real thing but since it’s happened twice in the past week, it might be worth checking out the next time you fly!
around the globe
UNESCO Geoparks
With 18 new geological sites added, UNESCO now has a list of 213 protected geoparks around the world. Here’s the full list of these special locations.
All the Best Food and Drink
Take a look at the 2024 Food & Wine Global Tastemakers, a list of the best culinary experiences around the world (restaurants, bars, markets and more!).
Destination Inspiration
Try reading this article without drastically increasing the number of destinations on your bucket list! Republic of Congo and New Caledonia here I come!
No Phone, Free Wine
One restaurant in Verona, Italy offers free bottles of wine to customers that hand in their phones for the duration of their meal. The phones are locked up in a box in order to encourage actual chatting.
Flying with Pets
Welcome to Bark Air, where you can take flight in a luxurious private plane designed specifically for passengers and their pets.
Surreal Locations
This X thread contains a lengthy list of places around the world that simply don’t look real!
Second Passport
For US citizens (and perhaps others as well) you might be eligible for a second passport book, making travel a little easier if you need to get around certain visa or entry restrictions.
Adventure in Mali
Read about one man’s memorable trip across Mali, his hike to the summit of the country’s highest peak and everything he learned about the country and its people along the way.
where in the world?
A big congratulations to Kevan and Steve as they were the only two that correctly guessed the location of the photo in my previous newsletter!
The photo is of the stunning Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon in southeast Iceland, just one of many spectacular natural locations in that country of course!
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!
This newsletter is always free but it does take time and money to put together. If you wish to help support it, kindly forward it to people you know, shop for my favorite travel gear (I receive a small cut), make a donation or join one of my unique small group trips to some spectacular destinations.
Thank you so much for reading!
Derek
(my middle name is Earl)
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