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If you had asked me any time in the last couple of years what word I associated with San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua—I’d have said surfing. With waves on my mind, the region was the highlight of the surf trip I was planning with my husband. Sure, I wanted to see more of the country. Right after I finished surfing.
But a recent trip to Nicaragua convinced me that I needed to expand my San Juan del Sur vocabulary.
A short distance from town, Rancho Chilamate is the place to go for an unforgettable horseback-riding experience. My group took off from the ranch, passed through a local village, down back roads, up across a ridgeline and through a dry tropical forest where napping howler monkeys dripped from tree branches. Finally, we reached Escamequita beach and lagoon—perfectly empty of people.
The best moment of the ride, though, happened after getting to the beach. No, not surfing. The few of us who wanted to were able to gallop on our horses back and forth across the beach at low tide. That was enough to remind me why I was so horse-crazy when I was a kid.
Half- and full-day rides are available, and include Western boots and hats, an English-speaking trail boss, and photos from your ride. To top it off, a portion of funds from each ride goes to Rancho Chilamate’s community development fund.
Yes, I’m still planning that surf trip, but I think I can definitely make time for more horseback riding at Rancho Chilamate.
I was a guest of the Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo during my time in Nicaragua.
Photo courtesy of Rancho Chilamate
Every year, as spring makes its slow way across Korea, the country is set upon by the phenomenon of “yellow dust”. You might draw the curtains in the morning and find the jaundiced haze thick over the city, or leave for work in the morning to find your bike, scooter, car covered in a thin grainy layer of the stuff.
What it is exactly is a question that yields several returns. Some say it is sand from China, carried to Korea on the strong spring winds every year. A look at Wikipedia backs up this theory. Some say it is intense pollen marking the start of Spring. Others take a more cynical approach and simply chalk it up to an inherent haze of an Asian sky.
I’m not precisely certain what it is, but I do know that I lost my voice completely and for several days last spring, and then rasped my way through the following months when the dust levels were high. If you’re planning to be in Korea during the spring, there are several measures you can take to avoid the irritating health problems that typically result from yellow dust.
In Korea, it is common to wear a small mask across the nose and mouth throughout the entire dusty spring, and even during the frigid winters. This filters the dust and keeps you from inhaling it and having it settle on your throat. Be sure to keep your windows closed over night, and try to pick up an air purifier for your home or office. These can be found easily at large retailers throughout the country, like Emart or Home Plus. They are also available in smaller grocery stores or night markets. Tiny desk-top purifiers can be purchased for around US$8, or you can find mammoth machines that will purify your entire house.
Yellow dust won’t make you horribly ill, but it may cause you to loose your voice or hack your way through a few weeks of a cold. It certainly is no reason to inhibit your travels to Korea, but taking a few precautions could make your time in the area a little more enjoyable.
Age: 28
Hometown: Palampur, Himachal, India
Quote: “I have learnt a lot, been out of my comfort zone and met people I would have never met otherwise.”
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southwestern Cambodia
In Paul Theroux’s Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town, he describes the journal entry made by a 19th-century visitor to an Egyptian temple. In the entry we read that an Arab man is taking measurements of the temple. We also read that while this is happening “a yellow cow, on the left, poked her head inside [the temple].” Theroux then adds the following commentary: “Without the yellow cow we see nothing; with it, the scene is vivid and complete.”
Often a detail will make such an imprint that we remember it clearly even when the larger event or place dulls in our recollection. In Cambodia once, while waiting for a ferry to take my vehicle across a river, I saw and photographed many things. In thinking back to that hour, however, I can’t remember what the ferry looked like (unless I look at the picture I took) or even my vehicle, but I remember well the splattering water and glistening wet skin of a baby as he reached to explore falling rain water from the safety of his mother’s arms. His face was alive with fascination at water while most everyone else’s was bored with the wait for the ferry.
Without yellow cows, curious children, and countless other small details that throw life into a scene, our travels wouldn’t be nearly so interesting.
Please share a life-giving and/or memory-making travel detail of your own in the comment section.
“If 19th-century travel writing was principally about place — about filling in the blanks of the map and describing remote places that few had seen — the best 21st-century travel writing is almost always about people: exploring the extraordinary diversity that still exists in the world beneath the veneer of globalization.”
–William Dalrymple, from the introduction to The Best Travel Writing 2010
Two pagodas in Guilin, China. Photo: Cyril Bèle / Flickr Creative Commons
The New York Times travel section is recently dedicated to covering the Far East: 37 Asian Odysseys. Although the media is dominated by coverage of Japan’s natural and nuclear disaster, the rest of the continent is humming along as usual.
With booming economies and traditional cultures, Asia has long had a special place in the traveler’s imagination. Tourist infrastructure is well developed, and can make for a softer landing. Southeast Asia in particular has a well-worn (overworn?) backpacker scene that makes it easy to navigate and get what you need.
Here’s a slideshow to whet your appetite: Asia Up Close.
Have you traveled or lived in Asia? What are some of your most memorable experiences? Please share them in the comments.
When you travel frequently, you become very familiar with the airline game: which days of the week are more likely to have lower fares, which airlines charge extra for checked baggage—even which airlines still give out free snacks. But when it comes down to booking your airline tickets, are low fares or airline loyalty perks more important to you?
Certainly, if money is your biggest concern, then you’re looking for the deals regardless of carrier. And if you have time to do the nitty-gritty comparisons, you’ll know that often the lowest fare isn’t really the lowest because of all the extra fees added on.
But if you travel a lot, especially in a particular region, being faithful to one carrier (and its list of friendly allies) can pay off. When the price is relatively comparable to the competition, being an “elite” or “premier” member can not only get your checked baggage fees waived, but also get you upgraded seats, extra miles, admission into those comfortable airline club rooms and free tickets for companions.
This recent Lifehacker article compares eight frequent-flyer programs, based on reader nominations. Did yours make the list?
What about you? Do you skip right to the lowest price, or do you think that some airline loyalty perks are worth doing the price comparison when you travel?
As someone living a mere ferry ride from the coast of Japan, I’ve been hearing a lot of debate among ESL teachers as to whether they should leave the area or not. Italy has offered a free flight home to their citizens living in the area, and other countries have issued warnings to leave at one’s own discretion.
It takes a certain amount of planning and effort to find and secure a job overseas, move your things there, and get settled. Some people would think it mad to leave when there is no direct threat looming. However those closer to the disaster may think differently. Ultimately, however, whatever you decide is the best choice for you.
Are you an English teacher living in Japan and thinking of leaving? Or have you left your job in a different foreign country due to a local disaster or crisis? Tell us your story.
http://GaryMisner.com
http://Peoples-Bailout.com
Age: 24
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Quote: “Vagabonding taught me how to act, gave me an open mind to expect the unexpected.”
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Nigel Marsh, the author of Fat, Forty and Fired, gave a great talk at the TED Sydney conference that addresses something many long term travelers deal with — how do you balance your life and the need to work and earn money?
As Marsh notes, “I found it quite easy to balance work and life when I wasn’t working.” That’s a sentiment almost any long term traveler can relate to. But what happens when you come home? When you’re no longer on the road, even if it’s only between trips, it’s easy to get trapped into thinking that life is nothing but work and drudgery and only travel is real living.
Travel becomes your escape from a life out of balance.
It works; travel can be a very effective escape. In fact, many people work very hard to turn their traveling into a full-time experience, but that usually involves working on the road, which often has mixed results — turns out it’s hard to earn money on the road. Chances are your travel blog isn’t going to earn you enough money to travel, there are exceptions, but the odds of you becoming one are slim. Even if you’re lucky enough to work in a field that allows you to be on the road and still earning money, you’re still working. You’re stilling going to have to find a balance between work and your life.
Marsh argues, that it isn’t some radical upheaval — another long trip, another new place — that we need but that “with the smallest investment in the right places you can radically transform your life.”
