100 Travel Stories
In Search of Adventure, Romance and Enlightenment
Why We Travel
The Excitement
Some of the most thrilling moments of travelling happen when you first arrive in a new country, especially when everything around you is so different from what you are used to. Pico Iyer calls it The Shock of Arrival. For me was Rush Hour in Kathmandu.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
Kathmandu, Nepal
The Discovery
The sights, the sounds, the smells – what makes one place different from another?
Cities: The craziness of Tokyo, the tranquility of Luang Prabang and the 1950’s atmosphere of Havana.
History: The temples of Thailand, the palaces of India, the Great Wall of China and Angkor Wat.
Architecture: The modernism of Japan, the skyscrapers of New York and Gaudi’s Barcelona.
Nature: The heights of the Himalayas, the wilderness of the Carpathians, the slow-moving life along the Mekong and the solitude of Okinawa’s beaches.
People: The smile of Thais, the devotion of Tibetans, the friendliness of Romanians, the politeness of Japanese people and the cultural diversity of Canadians.
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
Oasis 21, Nagoya, Japan
The Adventure
Facing dangers and overcoming challenges are part of the journey. Getting lost in unfamiliar places or getting lost in translation happens all the time.
I have nearly drowned in the South China Sea, had a motorbike accident on Koh Chang, been injured by firecrackers in Varanasi, struggled to breathe at high altitude in the Himalayas, been stranded in Havana without cash, and, of course, got sick more times than I care to remember.
“Everything that kills me, makes me feel alive.” – Counting Stars, OneRepublic
Varanasi, India
Escaping from Our Lives
Sometimes we need to escape from our everyday lives. Sometimes we need to escape from our past. We want to break away from routine, challenge the rules and question the perceptions and misconceptions of the societies we live in.
“We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope.” – Edward Abbey
Iriomote Jima, Okinawa, Japan
Searching for Enlightenment
According to Buddhist traditions, life is part of a cycle of rebirth, with our actions influencing future lives through karma. Perhaps one of the most spiritual destinations I have visited is Tibet. It is a place that leaves a lasting impression and, in my opinion, a journey worth making at least once in a lifetime.
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama
Sera Monastery, Tibet
Finding Love
What if you find love in another country? How far would you go for it?
The farthest I have travelled in pursuit of romance was a 40-hour journey from Bangkok to Banjul, in West Africa, with stopovers in Cairo and Lagos. That’s quite a distance for a date!
“The story of life is quicker than the blink of an eye, the story of love is hello, goodbye.” – Jimi Hendrix
Finding Love
Meeting New People
When you travel, meeting new people is easy. A simple question – “Where do you come from?” – and a smile are often enough to start a conversation.
People are friendly everywhere, even when they don’t always show it. Some of the best memories of travelling come from the people we meet along the way.
“A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles.” – Tim Cahill
Happy Smiles from India
Learning New Things
Attending a traditional tea ceremony in Japan, learning a few basic Japanese phrases or discovering how to roll a cigar in Cuba – these are all unique experiences that make travelling fun.
I also learned photography by doing it while travelling. Exploring new places through a camera has become one of my favourite ways of experiencing the world.
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” – Dorothea Lange
Sensōji Temple, Tokyo
Trying New Things
Travelling is also about stepping outside your comfort zone. Skydiving in Toronto, trying cannabis in Amsterdam, smoking cigars in Cuba, experiencing an onsen and staying in a ryokan in Japan, having a fish massage in Chiang Mai, riding a camel in Tunisia or taking a motorbike trip in Thailand.
Some experiences are unforgettable. Others are perhaps best left as stories!
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Amsterdam Coffee Shop
Eating New Food, Enjoying New Drinks
And then there is food. Being adventurous sometimes means trying things you would never consider eating at home: snake soup in Taiwan, crocodile meat in Cuba, frogs’ legs in Vietnam, puffer fish in Japan, goat brains in India, tortoise soup in Hong Kong.
The drinks can be just as fascinating: snake wine and palm beer in Cambodia, hot beer in Kathmandu, homemade raksi in Pokhara, awamori in Okinawa, yak butter tea in Tibet and bitter melon beer in China.
Not everything becomes a favourite, but you certainly collect some interesting dinner-table stories!
“A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou.” – Omar Khayyam
Frog Legs, Hanoi, Vietnam
Memories
In the end, what do we take away from our travels? Memories.
Make them beautiful. Collect experiences, meet interesting people, take photographs and gather stories worth telling. Long after the journey is over, these are the things that remain.
“It’s sad to know I’m done. But looking back, I’ve got a lot of great memories.” – Bonnie Blair
Ryōan-ji Temple Zen Garden, Kyoto
Travel Philosophy
“Me: Where are we?
Traveller: I don’t know.
Me: Where are you going?
Traveller: Nowhere.
Me: Let’s go nowhere!”
– Ovi
So, why do we travel? For adventure, discovery, love, freedom, friendship, food, new experiences or simply the pleasure of getting lost somewhere unfamiliar.
Perhaps there is no single answer. We all travel for different reasons, and sometimes we don’t even know what we are looking for until we find it.
Why do you travel?
- Pico Iyer: “’What am I afraid of ?’ I asked myself not long ago. Not many things. A traveller can’t afford to carry fears with him, leaping into the unknown on every trip.”
- Xue Feng: “Traveling is addictive. The spontaneous and the unstable nature of traveling attracts me. Traveling is a process of learning. Learning about different world, and about oneself. Travelling is about training oneself to minimize the fear in one’s heart, to jump out of the comfort zone and to embrace the unknown.”