After a month traveling through Sri Lanka, I learned quite a bit about the country.

There’s plenty of wildlife

Wildlife in Sri Lanka fairly abundant and apparently well-managed. There are wild elephants in great numbers in several national parks throughout the country. There are other species like leopards, sloth bears, cobras as well. Sri Lanka is an excellent place to go birding. Even from the bus and train I saw numerous species. These facts are especially remarkable considering there’s been human civilization on Sri Lanka for nearly 3,000 years and it’s been inhabited by humans for 30,000 years.

Transportation is arduous

Travel in Sri Lanka is time consuming and grueling. Roads are well surfaced, but usually winding. Most buses, even long distance ones, make frequent stops. Drivers generally drive like maniacs. It can take hours just to cover as little as 100 km. Sometimes they are standing room only.

Transportation is rewarding

Each bus and train trip, no matter how physically demanding, was a positive experience for me. Riding the bus or train gives the traveler great insight into Sri Lankan society. Public transport is affordable for most Sri Lankans (and extremely cheap for foreigners), so it allows contact with a wide swath of the population. I chatted with many Sri Lankans on the long journeys.

Electricity is expensive and frequently cuts out

Nearly every guesthouse I checked into, the proprietor was quick to remind me to turn off any lights or fans that I wasn’t using. In Arugam Bay I was told that electricity costs went up 60% in the past month and that was after several other rate increases. Most guesthouses even shut off their wireless internet routers at night.

Internet is slow and unreliable

Internet speed and reliability was the cause of much stress and frustration for me in Sri Lanka. I should note that I’m running an online-based business as I travel, so internet is probably more crucial for me compared with the average traveler. The typical backpacker might find the internet acceptable.

Clergy has reserved seating

You’ll notice the right front seat of every bus or train car is reserved for clergy. It’s clearly labeled in Sinhalese, Tamil, and English.

People are friendly and curious

Sri Lankans were really friendly to me and a lot of people were eager to chat. Their icebreaker is nearly always “Where from?” followed by “How long in Sri Lanka?”. Keep in mind that I’m a guy and that’s my perspective. I’ve heard different reports from solo female travelers who sometimes received too much attention and even aggressive and vulgar behavior from Sri Lankan men.

Tea country is large

Sri Lanka is the world’s second largest exporter of tea and the fourth largest producer. That’s pretty productive for an island the size of Ireland. Tea country is expansive and intensively planted. There are several towns in the hill country where you can tour tea factories and walk through plantations. Among them are Haputale, Ella, and Nuwara Eliya.

Hanging out of trains is a national pastime

Even when trains are not packed, people still like to hang out of the trains. The door generally remains open because it’s usually hot and the trains don’t move very fast. If you try it, you’ll see why everybody’s doing it.

Meat is best avoided

If I go a day without meat at home, I would notice. In Sri Lanka, several days passed without eating meat and I didn’t even realize it. The few times I did eat meat, it wasn’t fresh. Stick with the veg diet in Sri Lanka and you’ll be alright.

Food is not varied

I probably had dhal (lentils) twice a day for the whole month. That’s not to say the food is bad. I had a lot of nice meals—especially the Sri Lankan breakfast. But overall the food I sampled was not very diverse. I had a lot of roti and rice with a few different curries, but that’s more or less it.

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If shopping or eating doesn’t turn you on, don’t worry, there’s more to do in Singapore. But, believe me; you should eat lots while you’re there! And don’t listen to anyone who tells you Singapore is boring. Here’s a quick list of 14 things to do in Singapore:

Experience a great Airport

Changi Airport is always fighting it out with a couple other exclusive airports for tops in the world. It’s pretty much like everything else in Singapore: modern, well-designed, functional, clean, and well-connected by public transportation. Information is readily available and the Wi-Fi is fast and free. If I can get a layover in Southeast Asia, I try to make it happen at Changi.

Eat at a Hawker Center

For me, Hawker Centers are the epitome of contemporary Singaporean culture. This is where local people eat. Singaporeans appreciate good food, so the quality remains high. Hawker Centers are collections of different independent food stands and stalls with central seating. The prices are low and the food offered is usually a large variety.

Stay in style

There are lots of stylish places to stay in Singapore. I like Capri by Fraser. It’s an extended stay hotel that I lived at for 11 days. It’s located out toward the airport, but is well connected to the rest of Singapore by the MRT. Capri by Fraser kept me feeling comfortable, well-rested, and connected to its fast Wi-Fi while I zipped around to different city sights and worked on my internet-based projects.

Embrace the Mall

No matter what your inclinations, don’t fight the mall. Be one with the mall. Malls are an indispensable part of today’s Singapore, and you will end up in one or more whether you want to or not. And that’s OK, because they offer a break from the heat and humidity as well as a chance to try some of Singapore’s excellent cuisine at reasonable prices in their many food courts.

Southern Ridges

A surprising number of visitors go to Singapore without visiting or even knowing about the Southern Ridges. The Southern Ridges are a number of parks adjacent to one another that cover the area of a mountain ridge in the southwest of the city. It’s a great way to feel like you’re escaping the city and an opportunity to walk across the beautiful Henderson Waves Bridge.

Eat chicken rice

There are couple other places to eat chicken rice at its best (namely Melaka, Malaysia), but Singapore’s is among them. The chicken is either steamed or fried and served with rice that is cooked in chicken broth. The dish has subtle flavors, but it’s very delicious. Chicken rice is best tried at one of Singapore’s many hawker centers.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s newest attractions. It’s built on a gigantic piece of reclaimed land. You may have seen photos of the Super Trees. The photogenic Super Trees, as well as the rest of the park, are free to walk around. Admission is charged for the impressive Flower Dome and Cloud Forest as well as walking across the skyway. Gardens by the Bay is also a good vantage point to gaze up at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Eat Kaya Toast

A simple, but fun and very Singaporean thing to do is go for kaya toast and tea or coffee in the morning. Kaya toast is a toasted bread sandwich with butter and kaya, a type of sweet coconut custard jam. Kaya toast is served at a lot of coffee shops, but two famous spots are the original Ya Kun or Killiney Kopitiam.

Walk through Little India

Little India is a colorful and vibrant neighborhood in Singapore and likely the cleanest and least chaotic little India you’ll visit anywhere. The area is packed with good shopping, great eating, and lots of budget accommodation. Sunday afternoon sees Little India Singapore at its best.

Eat Char Kway Teow

Char kway teow are flat rice noodles stir-fried with lard, dark and light soy sauce, chili, cockles, sliced Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, chives and occasionally prawns and egg. The trick to getting this dish right is cooking on a wok using a high enough heat. But you don’t have to worry about that; char kway teow is best tried at a hawker center. Be sure to have the dish again when you get to Penang, Malaysia, where it’s also excellent.

See the Birds at Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park is home to some 5,000 birds—380 species in all, 30 of them endangered. Jurong one of the most renowned bird sanctuaries with some of the largest free-flying aviaries in the world. You can stroll through themed enclosures along 1.7km worth of trails. Don’t miss the feeding sessions. As an alternative, try the night Safari or the Singapore Zoo.

Eat Carrot Cake

This is probably not what you’re thinking. What’s Singaporeans eat and love is actually “carrot” cake made from a white radish (daikon). Rice flour and grated radish is mixed and steamed into large slabs or cakes. These are cut up into little pieces and fried with preserved turnip, soy sauce, fish sauce, eggs, garlic and spring onions. It’s also known as friend carrot cake and you can find it around the city at nearly all hawker centers.

Visit Chinatown

Chinatown is Singapore’s cultural heart, with its various temples, merchants, shops and activity. Regrettably, much of Chinatown has been redeveloped over the past 30 years, but it’s still a worthwhile place to investigate.

Don’t be scared

Sure Singapore is famous for levying huge fines for things as trivial as chewing gum, but don’t let that distract you from enjoying yourself. As long as you act with common sense, you shouldn’t have any problems. It’s not like there’s a police presence everywhere waiting to take you to jail if you jaywalk. Just act normally and don’t litter, chew gum in public, import drugs, or eat on public transport.

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Tourists don’t normally enter the Dambulla wholesale produce market. There isn’t anything there to buy. It’s just a bunch of guys loading and unloading fruit and vegetables from different regions of Sri Lanka. Others, in shirts and ties, sit in the one-room offices located to the side. The whole place is unattractive, resembling three aircraft hangers butted up together.

This is exactly why I went there.

I like sights and tourist attractions, don’t get me wrong. But occasionally, I leave with an empty feeling—the feeling that I made no personal connection.

Wholesalers trading produce at a market in Sri Lanka.

I like normal (consumer) markets a lot. Even if I don’t need to buy anything, they are still a worthwhile place to look around and learn about a place. Buying fruit and other food is a necessity for travelers and a good way to interact with vendors and try your hand at bargaining.

Wholesale markets are different. There’s nothing for sale for regular consumers.

Enter the Dambulla wholesale market

One serious-looking buyer (or seller) stopped what he was doing and approached me. After asking where I was from he posed this question to me: “What is different about this wholesale market from one in your country?”

Unloading vegetables from a truck.

“Well, umm, I don’t really go to wholesale produce markets in my own country. So I don’t know what they’re like.”

But I said I thought that everything was packaged into boxes and loaded into bigger trucks.

He admitted that was one of their problems. Produce here gets damaged because it’s not shipped properly.

Lots of bananas were sitting around, along with piles of coconuts, truckloads of sweet potatoes, crates of tomatoes, papayas, and even dried fish. We were several hours from the coast.

“Where is it from?” I asked the man, who was happy to lift up a few of the salted fish to show me.

“From Jaffna, in the north.” Jaffna is a Tamil-majority city, which suffered much during the civil war.

A man shows me dried fish from Jaffna.

Inquiring about the origin of each product was typically my ice-breaker with these buyers, sellers, drivers, and unloaders. Not that I needed one. An American and a Korean walking into a market create enough attention simply by their being. Even people who were occupied, stopped what they were doing to inquire who we were and where we were from.

The problem with typical tourism

A tourist typically only interacts with those in the tourism industry—hoteliers, tuk-tuk drivers, servers in restaurants—all people in the service industry. Many of these people are friendly. Most want your business. A few—mostly the tuk-tuk drivers—are annoying, and occasionally aggressive and dishonest. These interactions may leave the foreigner with a tired outlook of the country.

Guys having a laugh at Dambulla wholesale market in Sri Lanka.

Stepping into a wholesale market puts the traveler in contact with a bunch of ordinary people—workers on the job—who have no agenda except making a new friend and some brief conversation.

Except…a few of these traders and workers went beyond that. They gave us a free sample of whatever it was they were dealing. They were proud of their produce and were happy to meet us. And we could say the same about them. It was a refreshing change of pace from the typical tourist trail.

We returned back to our guesthouse with a random assortment of fruit and veggies.

Unloading bananas.

Bunches of bananas wait to be sold off.

A pile of coconuts.

A vendor with cauliflower.

A cart of papayas at the Dambulla wholesale market.

Showing off their tomatoes, before giving us a couple to try.

The post Why visiting a wholesale produce market is better than a tourist attraction appeared first on Bohemian Traveler.

Elephants and Sri Lankan civilization have been associated for thousands of years. Killing an elephant was once a capital offense. The animals are still revered and there are a surprising number of them still in the wild here.

There are several national parks across Sri Lanka with healthy numbers of elephants and other wildlife. While visiting the cave temples of Dambulla we decided to try to see the elephants of Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks. The month was late May. At this time many of the elephants are in nearby Habarana Eco Park.

If you are here in late summer, be sure to visit Minneriya, which hosts one of the most famous wildlife spectacles in Asia. Known as “the Gathering” over 200 elephants come together at Minneriya Tank (an ancient reservoir) to socialize and drink.

While our safari wasn’t quite as spectacular, we were pretty satisfied with the number of elephants we saw. And since it was the first time I saw an elephant in the wild, it remains a special experience for me.

The photo essay will take you through our afternoon searching for elephants in Habarana Eco Park:

At the beginning of our safari through Habarana Eco Park.

Our driver spotted this Imperial Pigeon.

A beautiful rose-ringed parakeet. But no elephants yet.

Our jeep.

Lots of elephant poop. But no elephants, yet! Starting to get nervous.

Our driver taking us through Habarana Eco Park. Still on the lookout for an elephant.

Finally we spot our first elephant! He’s hiding behind some brush.

The male elephant is cautious of us.

Male elephants tend to stick to themselves most of the time.

Elephants can smell food up to 15 km away. Here he is smelling us.

Driving away from our first elephant.

Look carefully. It’s our second elephant of the afternoon.

Enjoying the safari.

Getting a little bit closer to elephant number two.

Other jeeps below and a panorama of Habarana Eco Park.

Another jeep looking for elephants on the side of the highway.

Our final two elephants–a mother and child–along the roadside on the way home.

More Info: We hired a jeep through our guesthouse (Healy’s) in Dambulla. $50 got us a 4 x 4 and driver for four hours in the late afternoon. The elephants are most active and dawn and dusk. The entrance ticket and additional fees to the Eco Park was an additional $15 per person.

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The railway is a classic way to explore Sri Lanka and a beautiful way to just feel like you’re part of the Sri Lankan populace. In many countries, I stand out as an obvious foreigner. Doing something as simple as riding the train, (as long as it’s 2^nd or 3^rd class) makes me feel more accepted—makes me feel like I’m blending in. Of course I’m not—I’ve got my oversized, clumsy backpack and the obvious physical features that set me apart from the average Sri Lankan.

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 We board the 10am train to Anuradhapura. The train originates here in Colombo so there’s no crush to get on and secure a seat. Colombo Fort station has ten platforms, some nice old iron work, and gets really crowded during the rush hours. Getting to the station is a different matter—that’s nearly always difficult in the traffic-choked streets.

The 318 km journey is scheduled to pull in at 15:45, 5 hours and 45 minutes from now. If you do the math, that’s an average of 55 km/hour—not exactly fast. If you saw the age and shape of the trains, you’d understand why it couldn’t go much faster and why you wouldn’t want it going any faster. Not to say the railway isn’t maintained properly; it’s just old.

We still consider ourselves fortunate to get a seat. Our first rail journey, down the coast to Galle, we had to stand much of the 2 ½ hours. A ticket here, even if it’s second class does not guarantee a seat. Predictably, third class is even more crowded. One thing is certain: ticket prices are outrageously cheap. Today’s journey cost 290 Sri Lankan Rupees ($ 2.30 US) in 2^nd class. 3^rd class is even cheaper.

Twenty minutes late the train pulls out, and when it does, the first 20 kilometers or so really drag on. I know this is not a good sign.

After an hour or two we seem to finally be rolling at full speed. The windows are all lowered and every door is open. Warm air blasts in, not quite drying our constantly sweating body. Sri Lankan guys hang out the side of the train from the doors. It doesn’t matter whether the train is packed or not, it’s just something they like to do.

Rice paddies and small towns distract us from the assortment of mobile vendors making their way down the central aisle. Cold drinks, hot drinks, as well as newspapers, children’s books and balloons were all being sold. Not sure what good a balloon can do us on a long ride, but it gives us a smile.

We ignore most until the sound of “vah-dey, vah-dey, vah-dey, vah-dey” gets our attention for the deep fried lentil patties garnished with onion and whole chilies.

The train bumps and rattles and goes absurdly slow at times for reasons we can’t figure. It’s a hot and difficult journey. But it’s worth it. This whole railway experience is a step back in time. Cars are old, stations are old-fashioned, even the thick cardboard tickets look antique.

Four hours later, about 50 meters short of Kurrunegala station, the train comes to a premature rest. There is no announcement about the unscheduled stop, so we are left wondering what has happened. Luckily, the fans above us inside our car provide a little relief from the heat and humidity.

Men begin working outside on the track and passengers slowly disembark the steep steps. It soon becomes clear that this train won’t be moving on.

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As long-term travelers, we encounter many difficulties and challenges along the road. We may often be testing our comfort zone while enduring long and arduous journeys. So we savor the magic moments that travel throws at us and remember those times to keep us going through the difficult ones.

I experienced such moments recently while walking on the old fort walls in Galle, Sri Lanka. Galle is a colonial city established by the Dutch on the southwest of the island. The fort juts out on a peninsula into the Indian Ocean. Its large resilient building blocks reveal bits of seashell and coral when examined closely.

Every night, an hour or two before sunset, people gather high on the walls and along the shoreline below. Locals, domestic tourists, souvenir salesmen, and foreign travelers ramble, converse, or just sit and look out to the passing cargo ships.

On a Thursday evening at about 5pm, we headed out from the small room we were renting in a family’s house. We walked toward the tall, well-maintained and still-functioning light house. Underneath it, we came across two couples getting their wedding photos taken.

Further along the wall, men hawked bracelets and other trinkets. By this hour, the snake charmer and his leashed monkey, who we had seen earlier in the day, had already left.

On a high battlement, where a swivel canon had once been attached, we ran into a large group. They were wearing white school uniforms and their teachers accompanied them.

“We’ve traveled 10 hours by bus to get here.” One teacher told us. Both they and their students were shy, but curious, and had huge smiles on their faces.

My smile was just as big. Despite traveling in Sri Lanka for four days, I hadn’t really met any Sri Lankans. I know that sounds odd, but all the people I had had interactions with up until this point, I had conducted some kind of business with: buying food or renting a room, etc. This interaction was between people who had nothing to gain from one another.

“We’re farmer’s daughters.” She told us, probably trying to explain that they were from a rural town or village.

We told them where we were from and took some photos together.

Soon after that, the sun made its way into the Indian Ocean, the reflection glaring off the rough ocean.

Photos from Galle Fort at Sunset

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I visited the Cameron Highlands for one simple reason: tea. The region, discovered in 1885 by an English-led mapping unit, is one of Malaysia’s favorite getaways. Others go for the refreshing climate, which averages out to a cool 18 °C (64 °F) and some for the wealth of hiking trails in the region.

My four days in the Cameron Highlands revolved around visiting the two tea plantations and sipping a cup at the source. At Cameron Valley [Bharat Group], four kilometers south of Tanah Rata, you can wander through the rows of neatly planted tea, so long as you don’t pick the leaves. Malaysian couples and families make their way on the four-hour trip from Kuala Lumpur to enjoy the cool temps and enjoy a cup of tea overlooking a vast view of the plantation. There is also plenty of packaged tea available for purchase.

I also ventured by public bus north of Tanah Rata to the Sungai Palace Tea Estate. This is owned by Boh Tea—the largest and most well-known producer in Malaysia. From the main road, where the bus left us off, we walked the 40 minutes in by foot. The winding road yielded good views of the plantation.

Although the Cameron Highlands were explored in the late 19^th century, tea wasn’t planted until the 1930’s. Today, Boh Tea [at Sungai Palace] offer tours of their factory. Not too much has changed since then. You’ll see some of the original equipment from the early 20^th century still plugging away. The tour outlines the four major steps to producing black tea: withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying.

After the tour you can order tea and sit at the tables overlooking the tea fields, seeing the beginning of the long process that leads to your brilliant cup of tea.

Photos from the Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations

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Many of these 14 things to do in Penang involve eating. Eating is a primary attraction in Penang. If fact, I would throw Penang up there with Singapore and Hong Kong as tops for eats in Southeast Asia. My three days there were planned around my meals.

There’s more to Penang than just food—its historic city of George Town is a UNESCO world Heritage city. Its cultural melee of centuries of immigrant settlers has given the city a unique ethnic makeup. This gives the visitor to Penang a peek at Chinese, Indian, Peranakan, and Malay religions, customs, and cuisine. The British colonial legacy is also apparent in the architecture.

Here are 14 things to do in Penang Malaysia to give you a great appreciation and introduction to the city:

Eat samosas in little India

Find one of the street carts in Little India which fry up a variety of Indian treats. Beside the delicious veggie samosas you’ll find vadai, kesari, green beans, and halwa. These will keep you energized for your walk around George Town.

Walk around George Town

Penang is best explored by foot. Follow a walking tour from the colonial civic buildings near Fort Cornwallis past the Peranakan Mansion, through Little India, to the temples and mosques beyond that.

Eat at Hawker Stalls

This is the true Penang experience—and where you’ll find the best food. There are hawker stalls set up around the old city. Some are right out on the street and others are just outside permanent cafes. Some classic dishes to look for are curry mee, char kway teow, wan tan mee, Penang laksa, and cendol.

Stay in the old Town

Penang is popular for Backpackers in its own right, but also for those coming from Thailand to renew their Thai visas. Guesthouses and hostels have sprung up in recent years. I stayed at Ryokan Chic Hostel which describes itself as the accommodation for flashpackers. It has a fantastic location on Muntri Street from which to explore George Town and is quite comfortable as well.

Eat Char Kway Teow

Hands down my favorite dish in Penang, char kway teow is best at one of the many hawker stalls around the city. Char kway teow is flat rice noodles fried in a wok over high heat with minced garlic, prawns, soy sauce, bean sprouts, chives, and lastly cockles. Delicious.

Tour the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Popularly known as the “Blue Mansion”, Cheong Fatt Tze built this multi-room house which won a UNESCO award for its fine restoration. Cheong Fatt Tze, originally from China, was a self-made man. His business was initially based on agricultural products such as rubber, coffee and tea, but he branched out to the financial sector by acquiring a bank, a move which led him to be dubbed “the Rockefeller of the East”.

Visit Kapitan Keling Mosque

Kapitan Keling Mosque was built in 1801 by Indian Muslim traders. It is the largest historic mosque in Goerge Town and incorporates Islamic, Mughal, and Moorish architecture. Take your shoes off, wash your hands, and go inside.

Eat Nasi Kandar

Nasi Kandar originates from Penang and is an Indian-Muslim dish. It is basically rice served with a variety of curries. You can usually choose from chicken, fish, prawn, squid, beef, and occasionally crab. Nasi Kandar is halal. One of the best places to try it is called Clear Line Nasi Kandar.

Admire City Hall and Town Hall

These are two of Penang’s most handsome colonial buildings. City Hall is, as it sounds, is a municipal building, but Town Hall is actually a social one, which plays host to a variety of high society events.

Pass Queen Victoria’s Clock Tower

Located near Fort Cornwallis, the Clock Tower was built in 1897 to commemorate the 60^th year of Queen Victoria’s reign. The tower is 60 feet tall, each foot representing a year of the Queen’s reign. Regrettably, she never visited Penang, nor did she ever live long enough to see her clock tower completed in 1902.

Eat Cendal

Cendol is a refreshing icy desert that is popular all over Malaysia, but the variant from Penang is especially adored. Cendol is made with shaved ice, green-grass jelly, palm sugar syrup, red beans, and is buried in coconut milk. Find one of the most famous from the street cart outside Joo Hooi Café.

Visit Goddess of Mercy Temple

Chinese historically make up a large portion of George Town’s population. Chinese settlers in the 1800’s built the Goddess of Mercy Temple, or Kuan Yin, the earliest of the temples ever built in Georgetown, Penang. There are nearly always huge incense sticks burning outside and worshipers paying their respects inside.

Tour the Peranakan Mansion

The Peranakans, also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, or Straits Chinese, are a group of intermarried Malay and Chinese found in Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. This mansion is an excellent example of a typical home of a wealthy Baba from over a century ago. Over a thousand antiques are displayed inside.

Find the Street Art Installations

One of the lesser-known and newer attractions of Penang are the street art installations scattered throughout the city. The most popular are the boy and girl on a bicycle, the boy on a motorcycle, and the boy reaching up. Look for them in the blocks south of Little India.

The post 14 Things to do in Penang Malaysia appeared first on Bohemian Traveler.

I thought my Facebook campaign for Japan was quite successful and I wanted to compile all those highlights and micro-updates into a single post. Hopefully this best illustrates the hospitality I received from strangers, the delicious food I ate, the quirks of Japanese culture, and gives you a general idea of my route through Japan. These 17 days were some of most fulfilling travel experiences of my career.

If you’re not already following me on Facebook, you can do so here: Bohemian Traveler on Facebook

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I befriended a old Japanese guy on the ferry. He talked to me for 25 minutes but the only thing we communicated properly is that he is 63 and from Fukuoka and I am 33. He bought me an Asahi Super Dry from the vending machine! Finally made it to Japan!

Tonight is experimental accommodation night. I’m sleeping in a capsule hotel!

They’re going to be filming the Japanese version of Downton Abbey here. Just kidding. I made that up.

Just had a $10 bowl of ramen.

These heated toilet seats are something I could get used to!

Does this mean it’s spring?

Today’s Hero(s) (pun intended)–the two guys who picked me up hitchhiking. We ended having a little adventure driving into the world’s biggest caldera and to a waterfall. Thanks Hiro and Daisuke!!

Not a bad natural mineral bath to spend the day soaking in. At Kurokawa Onsen (in Kyushu, Japan) you can buy a mineral bath “passport” and visit any three of the village’s several baths in one afternoon for only 1,200 yen (about $13)

Arrived at the hot spring capital of Japan: Beppu. Even the Hostel here has an onsen (natural mineral bath)! Yeah Khaosan Beppu!

One of the highlights of an epic food and drink night was this plate of mackerel sashimi, definitely the freshest I’ve ever had. Thanks Khaosan Beppu for showing me the best of Beppu’s cuisine.

The night was going fairly normal…until we stepped into this Anime-themed bar. Here is the “master” behind his bar.

Mission accomplished: found the hidden onsen (hot springs) up in the hills above Beppu! Met a guy there who, after learning I was writing a story about Beppu’s hot springs, got inspired to drive me around to the other two natural hot springs. Met a bunch of old men soaking at the last onsen, many who actually knew English pretty well. Another day of meeting super-friendly strangers in Japan.

I’m pretty certain this means winter is over.

Huge shout out to the staff of Khaosan Beppu for their hospitality in Beppu, Japan. Thanks for being patient with all my sightseeing and transportation questions, thanks for your awesome food recommendations, and thanks for being a fun place to hang for four days…not to mention being the only hostel I’ve ever stayed at with a real onsen (natural hot mineral bath). Arigatou gozaimasu!

Saying bye to Kyushu, hello to Shikoku, and thanks for 800 likes!

I don’t usually eat this well when I’m traveling alone, but a person can only eat so many triangles of rice from the convenience store. There are all sorts of interesting stuff on that plate, from seaweed salad, to sashimi, to squid (or maybe octopus) tempura.

Left Matsuyama City this morning. One of the highlights there was bathing at the Dogo Onsen Honkan—the oldest hot springs in Japan. The present building, shown here, was built in 1894. (apologies for the lack of inside pictures…due to all the nakedness, photography was prohibited.) But you’ll just have to believe me, the Kami-no-yu “Hot water of the Gods” was gorgeous—two identical stone baths decorated with mosaics of heron.

I’m noticing that standing in the convenience store reading magazines and comics for a lengthy time for free is a national pastime in Japan.

…and 7-11 continuously plays an instrumental version of Daydream Believer, non-stop.

first time I ever got a hand-drawn map and instructions for a bus ride.

Spending a night on Naoshima Island, in the Seto Inland Sea, which has a number of contemporary art museums and art installations. Even the public bathhouse here is an art installation.

Get your udon on! Arrived in Takamatsu—known throughout Japan for having the best udon noodle. The woman was so excited that I was a beginner udon eater and showed me the steps of the self-service udon café: Order noodles. Put into strainer. Dip a few times in hot water. Select extras (I got fish cake and egg tempura). Add broth. Pay. (cheap meal: only 420 yen (about $5) Add more free toppings (scallions, radish, ginger, and seaweed). Then photograph the udon crew! Rock on, udon crew!

Experimental accommodation night, part II: Internet cafe. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Actually, it’s a legit accommodation here in Japan. There are traditional seats at the PC or you can pay a little more and have your own cubicle. Each cube has its own PC and a mat or seat for stretching out. Pros: free soft drinks all night long. Cons: a) it’s actually not much cheaper than a capsule b) lots of cigarette smoke

Burnt another paycheck at the tea shop.

About to fly out of Osaka. It’s been an amazing two weeks. I’ve seen some cool temples, castles, gardens, soaked in plenty of hot springs; but this trip has proven once again that the most meaningful aspect of travel are the personal connections: sharing a laugh, learning something new about the country, or just discovering similarities or differences with someone. Thanks for the good memories, Japan.

Alas, my raw fish eating streak comes to an end at 17 days.

The post Facebooking Japan [a photo essay] appeared first on Bohemian Traveler.

Reader’s Favorite colomns:

1)     Photos from the Road

Travel Stories

3)     Travel Advice or Recommendations

4)     Articles about Location Independence

5)     Philosophy of Travel

6)     Food articles

Keep in mind this may not be the true representation of Bohemian Traveler’s readership. It just represents the readers who were cool enough (or had enough free time) to take the survey. Thanks for your participation!

Below I address some specific questions and comments that readers had.

What do you most want to see from Bohemian Traveler in the future?

Reader: About elder travelers he has met & their insights & tricks

There are quite a decent number of elder travelers, but I don’t get into extensive enough conversations with them to learn their insights & tricks. I have made one very good friendship with a 73-year-old Swiss woman while walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Here is my interview with her: http://gomadnomad.com/2010/01/18/interview-with-a-retired-traveler/

Additionally check out My Itchy Travel Feet: A Guide to Travel for Baby Boomers

Reader: About how he assists those he meets & stays with

If I ever stay with anyone, I try to be as courteous a guest as possible. I try to cook something for them if given the opportunity and leave the place cleaner than I found it. And of course, I’m always willing to offer any travel advice.

Reader: About any regrets of location independence & nomad lifestyle

I understand there isn’t any permanent lifestyle choice. We always have to remain open-minded for change. Eventually I will have different priorities in my life. Not having regrets is a conscious decision I made long ago. I make thoughtful decisions for myself and understand there are consequences to every choice I make. Every one of us wakes up in the morning and makes decisions based on what we think will make us the most happy.

Reader: Creative aspects of money flow-earning, spending little, saving, barter, trade

I make enough money now from blogging and freelance writing to keep traveling (at least in cheap countries). Occasional I trade media exposure on my blog for accommodation stays.

Reader: Misunderstandings & misinterpretations when there is no common oral language

Believe it or not, there are very seldom any issues with miscommunications due to language. If a person doesn’t know at least a little bit of English, someone nearby will know some. Many things are easily communicable without oral language.

Reader: Advice from single women that he’s met, since solo women are not culturally understood in the world

There are a lot of solo-women travelers out there and I respect them a lot. Some of them are bloggers. Check out Solo Traveler, OttsWorld, Travel Reportage, SoloFriendly and Twenty-SomethingTravel

Reader: Include other independent traveler’s blogs & websites, as that’s how I uncovered this one.

My favorite travel blogs at the moment are Wandering Earl, Migrationology, Time Travel Turtle, and GoSeeWrite.

Reader: Contests

I can try to run some contests in the future maybe for accommodation or some travel products. I’ll put it on the list.

Reader: Bohemian Traveler should be a television show.

A nice idea! But I’ve done a few videos (see my YouTube channel) and trust me I’m much better behind the pen and camera than in front of the video recorder. I just think I lack the charisma of a TV personality.

Reader: Photo illustrated stories about life and interesting destinations off the tourist sites. Also comments about the tourist attractions.

I’m trying my best to do this right now!

Reader: Some stories from the South Pacific.

Believe me, I’d love to go to the South Pacific. It is just remote and I haven’t been to that part of the world, yet. Also it’s a bit expensive. It’s on my list, though!

Reader: I like seeing pictures of Stephen on his travels! Because I am a friend I like it’s always a personal update and like to see what he’s doing personally!

You make a good point. I should try to incorporate more pictures of myself into the blogs. I haven’t done this to any extent except for the time I learned to surf.

Reader: Once in a while throw in some info directed for the older individual.

Great idea. But the forum for that would be in my travel magazine GoMad Nomad. But I’m kind of dependent on older freelance writers to write that potential article for me.

Reader: Something like short videos of people answering questions that are of common interest globally, such as “what is peace for you?” (silly question, just to show an example)

That is not a silly question and your idea is a fantastic one. I should do this.

Reader: Prices, safety issues (I’m older).

On GoMad Nomad I publish a column dedicated to prices and budgets in countries around the world.

Reader: More of how you decide where to go, and why. Also how do you make advance arrangements to satisfy your being able to support your nomadic journeys? Why not write a quick course on the subject for those who are interested?

I guess I could write a whole post on this. To simplify, I go to countries that are most interesting to me. But there’s more to it than that.

Reader: More European travel.

Noted! I love Europe. I was there for 3 1/2 months last autumn. Read some posts from Europe: http://bohemiantraveler.com/category/destinations/europe/ and http://gomadnomad.com/category/destinations/europe/

Reader: More writers (including me if I can get my act together and get some blogs finished!!!)

I generally only accept submission to GoMad Nomad. Here are the writer’s guidelines: http://gomadnomad.com/submissions/

Bohemian Traveler is my personal Blog, so I like to keep it mostly my own writing.

Reader: More photographs

I try to publish a “Photos from the Road” post every week. You can visit the archive here: http://bohemiantraveler.com/category/experience-more/photos-experience-more/

I also have a photo archives on my Flickr pages: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52442953@N05/collections/

Reader: I would like if possible to see more photos. Also, most months I only rely on the monthly newsletter and its links, so if you can pack it as much as you can.

I do my best with the monthly newsletter. Thanks for reading it!

Reader: Tips on how to make $ while writing and traveling!

I’ll try to cover that in a future post. Good idea.

Reader: Surprise me

You’re right. I should do more unexpected and unorthodox posts. I’ll be thinking of new ideas.

Reader: What essential resources/information hubs do you tap into while traveling?

If I’m not carrying a Moon Handbook, Rough Guide, or Lonely Planet, I’m relying very much on WikiTravel. It’s very much accurate and up-to-date for nearly every location I go. I also use travel blogs. GoBackpacking.com is a good resource for around the world travel.

Reader: Keep going, no requirements, maybe write just a bit longer texts

In theory that is a good idea and occasionally I do write longer text. But I am informed that internet-era attention spans are about 2 ½ minutes.

Reader: I like hearing about off the beaten path things to do

I like to write about off the beaten path things to do!

Reader: Nudie pictures of Stephen’s shank. More mustache pics (see question 4) More travel to dangerous locales like North Korea, Pakistan, Iraq (go big or go home).

BT: Definitely inappropriate! (At least the first one.) Can’t believe I’m even acknowledging your comment!

Reader:  It might be cool to interview people on the road. I’ve seen you get a shave or haircut in town, what’s the life of a barber like where you’re traveling. i.e. a day in the life of. It might also be neat to add some sort of charitable component to your travels. i.e. traveling, but making the world a better place as you do it.

Excellent observation. I appreciate that suggestion—both great ideas.

A good friend of mine has a column like that. He calls it “Chat with a local” Chek it out. There are some good ones there.

As for the charitable component, I’ll make that a challenge to myself. For the rest of the year, I’ll dedicate five days to volunteering or helping anyone. It may be part of an organized event; or it may be something impromptu I do on my own. It’s your job to hold me accountable. I will write my charitable days in the comments and number them. If I don’t have five days (four or more hours each day) of charity by December 31, 2013 I will write a check for $100 to the charity of your choice. I promise.

Reader: More more and more travel.

Got it! But I’m already on the road for about 11 months a year. I actually need to plan more down time!

Reader: Girls of Ibiza pictures.

BT: Again, not appropriate for my blog. But that might increase page views.

Reader: Keep up the good posts!

BT: I will try!

Reader: More intriguing travel experiences.

Always trying to do that.

Reader: I enjoy it the way it is now.

Thanks!

Reader: The specific information about the place you travel. (information that we can’t usually get from a normal guide book)

This is one of my ultimate goals—to be providing readers with insightful practical information. I want to be a resource for you to get information like this. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a more in-depth explanation about what exactly you are looking for, please let me know in the comment section below and I will try to incorporate that into future posts.

Please give me any other feedback. I have no other way of knowing what you think, so please let me know. Don’t worry about being too nice or too mean.

Reader: I like how the language used is very simple English so that someone whose second (or third) language is English may read it…but sometimes it lacks poetry…that’s where good photos help.

Thanks for the feedback.

Reader: Fine as it is.

Thanks.

Reader: Short stories work out well. Longer ones don’t get the critical reading that short ones do. Sometimes two short stories about one topic is better than one long one.

I’ll keep trying to mix up long and short stories.

Reader: I enjoy your travel comments and photos and usually find interesting links for further exploration.

Thanks

Reader: I like the monthly newsletter and the stories. I really enjoy the style of writing.

Thanks. I’ll be continuing the monthly newsletter.

Reader: Enjoy reading about your travels. Unfortunately, I never seem to have the time to do each email justice- hence don’t feel I can fairly make judgments.

You made time to do the survey. Thanks!

Reader: Your texts could be a bit shorter and more comprehensive. I like your pictures a lot but when it’s about to read the texts, I am getting a bit bored.

Thanks for your honest feedback. It’s always my goal to be interesting. Effective writing should captivate the reader.

Reader: opportunities for English speakers to earn a little pin money (free lodging, meals drinks for barter).

You mean like what can you do as an English speaker while traveling? Many hostels offer free lodging if you work for them part time. I suppose I could write a whole post on this.

Reader: While I like your photos in general, some are less than appealing and not of the highest quality you have usually done. Please be more selective.

I’ve been working on improving my photography for the last couple years. Some photos I use to illustrate a point or use to explain something about a culture or place and may not be the most appealing. But all the photos should add something to the article.

Reader: I don’t know how to explain this, but I’ll try…When you arrive to the homepage, it can be hard to understand exactly what you’re trying to do or be. (That is what friends or readers of my blogs have said to me). Independent Online Travel Magazine…so is the focus on well-written articles, being a reference for people looking to travel, or what. I think the “about” section explains it quite well. I don’t really have a suggestion as to what would help that, so I guess its just a criticism that I’ve heard from other people. Otherwise, the site is great. I like it a lot. One day I will finish the articles I’ve got half written and try to get them on.

Thanks for pointing this out. I think what you might be suggesting is for me to add a “Start Here” which woold explain the things you mention.

Reader: As friend of the Stephen and his family it is a wonderful tool to keep in touch with Stephen and also enjoy his wonderful stories and magnificent pictures. Reading Stephen’s blogs is like being on the trip with him. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Thank you! I’ll try my best

Reader: Keep up the good work. U’r living my dream:)

Thanks for that! But, really, I encourage you to live your own dream. Right? Let me know what I can do to help you follow your dreams. I’m serious. Write me an email.

Reader: Keep doing what you’re doing.

BT: Thanks

Reader: You are an honest person and writer, I am interested in your insights.

Thanks. I’m always trying to keep it real.

Reader: I think we need to team up on a travel experience

Write me an email. I’m open to traveling with new people.

Reader: Continue with the down and dirty, the pain and glory, the peoples and cultures. Expand and capture as much as possible. I very much enjoy the intimacy of some of the articles. What could be said to the negative? I’ll allow yourself to divine this.

Thanks for your comments. I guess I am always interested in the real and common life experiences and just plain and simple how people live in different places.

Reader: It would be cool to do a “where’s waldo” or “where in the world is Matt Lauer”. It’s neat when you share something about a location and we have to guess the whereabouts. Also, do you track your mileage? I think your US cross country statistics were neat. i.e. how many states you were in, miles traveled, etc.

Good ideas…I should keep these things in mind in the future.

Reader: Keep Going !!!

Will do! Thanks for the encouragement!

Reader: Continue doing what you are doing. You are headed in the right direction. Whichever direction that is.

I’ll try!

Reader: I don’t think that Bugno visits Connecticut enough, particularly Hamden, CT.

What’s in Hamden? Ha! Just kidding. I’d love to come visit.

Reader: I think you can find something that sets you more apart from other travel bloggers.

I hope you’re right. I’d like to find something that sets me apart. I hope it can be in the way I share insights into a culture or place with my readers.

Reader: Your blog was one of the first I started following and I enjoy it ever since so I guess you do a right job keep it going!

Thanks!

Reader:  I think a regular update scheduling would help for your readers. Your writing skill is the biggest asset, in my opinion, would love to see more of your writing on other publications also.

You’re right. I’m been trying to publish on a regular schedule.

Hope you’re enjoyed the reader’s comments and my responses. Please feel free to leave additional comments below:

The post Bohemian Traveler Survey Results [uncensored!] appeared first on Bohemian Traveler.