Monday, May 17, 2010

Things I like

I was recently asked why I like to travel so much.  I don't have a concise answer to this question, but I was able to articulate that traveling gives you a chance to see the positive aspects of a different culture and time to think about your own lifestyle in comparison.  Like any other activity in life, when you see someone doing something a little bit better than you, it's nice to take note and maybe incorporate it into your own life.  Traveling highlights the humbling fact that our behavior and expectations are products of culture. 

Obviously there are deep cultural differences between me and the people in Bolivia.  I understand some of those differences, but not enough to be writing about them.  Instead I have just a few observations of things I like and things I don't like.

Something I like:  In Sucre, I settled into a nice daily rhythm of homework, Spanish class, going to the bar and then to a club until 3 or 4 in the morning.  It was easy to make friends on any given night.  Sucre is one place where I could show up to a club by myself on a Wednesday night and leave with six new friends to the next hot spot.  I don't think this kind of openness really exists back home.  Girls were happy to dance with me, guys were happy to pass me a beer.  I'm sure my "whiteness" had something to do with it, but everyone seemed to have a really friendly vibe.  Going out at home always feels like everyone is clustered with the 4 other people they came with and not interested in talking with anyone else.   

Something I like:  When phone/internet cafes don't have coins small enough to make the correct change, instead of rounding up the bill, they give you a piece of candy.

Something I don't like:  Like any city, Sucre has its fair share of beggars. But for some reason, all the beggars in Sucre seem to be elderly women.  For a city that is generally well off, it was really depressing coming across so many old, homeless women.  I don't understand what happened along the way that they would have no one to take care of them.

From Sucre I took a nice 12hr bus ride back to La Paz and immediately got on a not-so-nice 19hr bus to Rurrenabaque, a town on the edge of the Amazon basin.  Rurre is a small town with a tropical feel and dozens of tour operators that offer jungle excursions. 

Something I like:  I went to Rurrenabaque with Mimi, my couchsurfing friend from Korea.  While walking down the street, Mimi made friends with a 16 year old girl and her mom, who were just sitting outside of their house.  When I came walking down the street and saw them talking, they were really welcoming as well.  Next thing you know, Mimi and I are having dinner with the whole family.  It's a scenario that's hard to imagine back home.  It was also encouraging to see a healthy co-existence between local people and tourists in a town dominated by the tourism industry. 

Jungle pics!!

From Bolivia Pt III


From Bolivia Pt III


From Bolivia Pt III



Anaconda Hunting:  Walking around in chest-high grass and 6 inches of water hoping that you're lucky enough to disturb one of these snakes.
From Bolivia Pt III


Something I don't like:  Getting out of Rurrenabaque proved to be more difficult than I imagined.  Road blocks had been set up by protesters, for reasons which are still unclear to me.  After 4 days of no bus service I had to fly back to La Paz in order to catch a bus to Lima, where my flight to Taipei was booked.  The upside to the situation was experiencing Rurrenabaque's airport:  one room, no metal detectors, a grass runway, no service in the rain.  Instead of a harrowing, 19 hr bus ride, the prop plane made the journey in 40 minutes.  My bus to Lima (30 hrs) almost didn't happen because of more road blocks just outside of La Paz.  Our bus driver took matters into his own hands and maneuvered an offroad detour.  I remember looking out the window and thinking....yep, we are in a field right now, and the bus is driving through a stream.  Sweet. 

I had a quick two days in Lima and re-visited one of the cathedrals in the historical center.  I had been there in 2001 and took a tour of the catacombs where the bones of some 25,000 people lay resting.  I was really looking forward to properly photographing the catacombs because they had made such an impression on me the first time.  But things change over time, and now photography is prohibited.  Bummer.  I managed to sneak in this blurry shot:
From Lima


My plan to head to the Philippines got slightly sidetracked after I booked my flight and happened to have a layover in Taipei.  I met Emily, a couchsurfer from Taipei, a year ago when she was visiting DC.  After booking my flight, I sent Emily an email to see if she'd be able to meet up.  She suggested changing my flight so I could spend a few days in the city, which I did.  Emily was a great host and her friends and family really went out of their way to make me feel welcome.  So a big "Thank you" to Emily.  I think it something special to be able to share "hometown" experiences with someone from another country.  It's rare to be able to play both host and guest with the same person, so for that I've very grateful.

From Taipei


From Taipei


From Taipei


As is the case whenever I go somewhere new, I left Taipei feeling like I could spend a whole lot more time exploring the city, not to mention the rest of the country. 

It was Emily's friend who asked my why I liked to travel.  Emily asked the obvious follow-up question: What have I learned from Taiwan?  At the moment, I didn't have an answer.  But I've thought of two small things:  While riding the crowded metro, I noticed two people who were quick to give up their seat for someone else who needed it more than them.  There seemed to be a sense of conscientiousness that is different from home. The other example is food.  Don't get me wrong, a lot of Taiwanese food is disgusting. Stinky tofu (that's what Emily calls it) smells like the zoo and tastes even worse.
From Taipei

However, the sheer variety of food and the creative preparation methods are really impressive.  Walking down the street, I was completely overwhelmed by all the different foods available. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind.  Now I am in the northern Philippines........more to come.