Current location: Florida, USA A big welcome to the 68 new subscribers who recently signed up! |
Hello
It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter! from my life Surgery, complete. I had my arthroscopic hip surgery on February 22nd. It was very successful although the surgeon had to do more work on my hip than he had anticipated. I'm currently using crutches but I feel great, and with every passing day, I have more and more movement in my hip. There hasn't really been any pain at all and I'm amazed at how quickly I've been able to do things on my own, such as put on my shoes! But it does look like I'll need another 3 weeks before I'll be moving around like normal, which certainly isn't terrible. Istanbul. Unfortunately, due to the extra work the surgeon needed to do during the operation, my recovery is a little longer than expected. As a result, I was very bummed to learn that I would no longer be in good enough shape to lead my Wandering Earl Tour to Istanbul that begins later this week. The tour is still going to be unbelievable and my replacement tour leader, along with my local guide, are going to be awesome. But having to stay in the US when I was supposed to be in Istanbul, is difficult. Ukraine. Of course, this is certainly not nearly as difficult as what people are currently facing in Ukraine. I've been glued to my phone for many days now, mostly in disbelief at the situation as I read more and more, and as I communicate with my friends in the region. I have friends in Ukraine, Russia and almost every neighboring country and I've been in touch with them all as often as possible. I can't speak for everyone in these countries but all of the people I'm in touch with want this invasion to end and are desperate for peace. I'm heartbroken and angry over the disregard for human life. Perhaps it's my connection to the region - I've been to Ukraine several times, lived in Romania and my ancestors are from Ukraine and Romania - but I find myself deeply affected. I keep illogically thinking that if I check my phone one more time, this will suddenly all be over and peace will have returned. I absolutely cannot imagine what Ukrainians are feeling and they have my full support. Following the advice of my Ukrainian friends, I've been donating to these trusted organizations where the money is going directly to the people. And I've also been watching my Romanian friends come together in a pure display of humanity. Mainly through the United for Ukraine FB group (it's in Romanian but with translations of everything), tens of thousands of Romanians have opened their homes, hotels, restaurants, medical centers, transportation and more to Ukrainian refugees, all for free. Such unity and empathy is what the world needs to survive and it's certainly forced me to re-evaluate my own priorities. Matcha. And, since it's one of those crazy periods, my cat, Matcha, also disappeared 12 days ago. For those who aren't familiar with Matcha, here's the story of how we rescued her in Bali when she was a few days old during the pandemic. After quite an adventure bringing her back to the US, my sister welcomed the opportunity to take care of Matcha. Things have been going very well but Matcha just ran outside the other day when my sister was leaving for work, and she's been missing ever since. Naturally, I hired a special cat-tracking dog team that came to my sister's house two days ago. After using the special dog to search for Matcha, the team is convinced she's nearby, probably just enjoying some time outdoors. Cameras are now set up and hopefully she will be found soon. It's been an intense time, with many sleepless nights, wondering where she is and just wanting her to be safe again. Fingers crossed that I have better news next week. travel games GeoGuessr: I absolutely dare you to play the GeoGuessr game and not get hooked in. A friend sent it to me last week and I've played every day since. You are shown a very random image from Google Street View and you have to guess where in the world it is located. The closer you are to the actual location, the more points you get. [You need to create a free account to play.] Geo Memorizer: This is another addictive game that makes it very easy to fine tune your geography skills and learn every country's flag. There's no sign up, you just visit the site and start playing instantly. for the travel playlist Given the intense couple of weeks, I needed a song that would instantly put my mind at ease. The following song does just that and it would work anytime we're traveling and having a rough period (which happens!): Toad Lick by East Forest travel words
"Be curious, not judgmental."
As soon as we discover that we don't know much about a group of people or a different culture or a particular place, we have an immediate choice to make. Make the right choice and always be curious. The more a person travels, the clearer it becomes that this really is the only option worth choosing. around the globe
Zaouli Dance
Watch this remarkable, seductive dance that's performed by the Guro people in the Ivory Coast. I personally have never seen feet move like this before and would never have believed it was possible. Remote Himalayas
In Nepal, way up in the Himalayas, sits the 700-year old fortified village of Lo Manthang. It's one of the last traditional Tibetan communities and it's so remote that electricity and food remain scarce. Visitors must obtain a 400€ permit from the Nepal government in order to visit. Aboriginal Australia
Australia Tourism's website provides a very helpful section on how to experience indigenous culture while in the country, with a long list of experiences, activities and ideas for travelers. Tallinn, Estonia
This short, to the point local guide to Estonia's capital city focuses on food, art, green spaces and nightlife. Buddhist Temple in Pakistan
A 2,000 year old Buddhist temple was recently unearthed in Pakistan's Swat Valley, making it one of the oldest in the country.
Flight Subscriptions
Are airline subscription plans the future of air travel? Alaska Airlines has introduced a "Flight Pass" subscription plan where a monthly fee gets you a certain number of roundtrip flights per year. A Beer-brewing German Nun
Sister Doris Engelhard, a Franciscan nun in Bavaria, believes she is the world's last nun brewmaster. She's been making beer for 50 years.
A big congratulations to Francis for guessing the country and an even bigger congratulations to Ben and Monica for guessing the exact location of last week's photo!
The image is of Wat Prabaromathat Chedi Srinakarindra Satismahasantikiri in Mae Salong, Thailand. With a significant population of hill tribe and Chinese people, this quiet town nestled in the mountains to the north of Chiang Rai has always been one of my favorite spots in Thailand. It just feels different than the rest of the country. It's an excellent place to learn about various cultures within Thailand and to also enjoy the surrounding nature. Walking up to this temple every day is also a good workout! And now... This week's photo Where in the world is it? The Rules
1. Try to figure out where the above photo was taken. 2. Reply to this email with your guess.
3. The more specific the guess, the better!
4. The location will be revealed in next week's newsletter.
Good luck :) |
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: |
|
|
