Getting to mainland Yemen and Socotra Island, the Tim Burton inspired natural wonderland 380 kilometers of its southern coast, requires a few additional bureaucratic hops that aren’t too cumbersome if you know where to step. Both are surprisingly accessible and having spent 10 days in the country, I got to know a number of contacts that will make planning your trip to Yemen, Socotra, or both, a simple process.

Why Go To Yemen?

I’ll be covering this question in detail over the coming days but in short – Yemen has some of the most spectacular landscapes I’ve ever seen and Socotra Island is quite possibly the most exotic, yet untouched, place (that’s reasonably visitable) on the planet. When it comes to both mainland Yemen and Socotra, if you like natural beauty, trekking, or traveling in a country that has an unexplored feeling to it, these might be the next places to put on your travel list.

• Although Socotra Island is a part of Yemen, getting there requires a slightly different process, so I’ll show you how to get to both separately.

How To Get To Mainland Yemen

Yemen offers visa-free travel to very few countries (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey) so chances are you’ll need to apply for a visa. Most Yemeni embassies don’t handle visa requests directly – plus the requirements change often – making it essential you call or email them directly for updated instructions. Be sure to plan at least 4-6 weeks in advance and not have your passport during that time. (For most nationals, Yemen requires you to mail in your passport as part of the visa process.)

Some of the standard Yemeni visa requirements are:

• A passport valid for 6-12 months beyond stay
• Completed application forms
• Passport photos (confirm the exact dimensions)
• Letter of invitation (a local tour operator can provide this, I recommend Eternal Yemen)
• Doctor’s note confirming you’re free of communicable diseases
• Some money (price varies)

Visas are typically only issued for travel to the capital Sana’a or the port city of Aden. You can, of course, save yourself a lot of the trouble by simply contacting a local tour operator like Eternal Yemen to take care of the entire visa process for you. They’ll also be able to get you the necessary travel permits to move around the country if you plan on exploring outside of Sana’a or Aden. (Permits must be shown at security checkpoints in between every governorate.) I have also heard that visa applications for United States citizens are especially likely to be rejected or have last minute problems, another reason to use a local tour operator who can circumvent any obstacles directly with the government.

• Flights – A number of airlines service Sana’a and Aden, the two most common entry points into Yemen. Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Yemenia all connect many major Middle East and European cities to Sana’a, with stopovers in Aden. Budget airlines also fly to mainland Yemen routinely from Sharjah (outside of Dubai) in the United Arab Emirates.
• Overland – Land crossing from Saudi Arabia is not permitted for non-Yemeni nationals however buses run from Salalah, Oman to several cities in Yemen. Rides are over 10 hours and I’m told it’s not a comfortable journey.
• Where To Stay – In the map below you can locate all of the places I’ve stayed at and recommend in Yemen. And, as most stays will include at least one night in Sana’a, I suggest you look no further than the Dawood Hotel.

View Yemen in a larger map

For more information on each hotel, including contact information, check out my Yemen travel information page.

Is Travel To Mainland Yemen Safe And Do I Need Any Special Preparations?

The first part of that question has a layered answer that I’ll elaborate upon in the coming weeks and the second part is a short no. However, the U.S. Centers For Disease Control (CDC) recommends malaria vaccinations if you’ll be traveling to areas in Yemen below 2,000 meters (~6,500 feet). Sana’a is high enough that it doesn’t meet that criteria and I never got (and never have actually) taken anti-malaria medication; but you may decide to proceed more cautiously.

• Is Yemen Safe For Travelers? – I traveled to Yemen with my friend and fellow blogger Wandering Earl, who writes in detail about the security situation there.

Generally speaking, travel to the most dangerous and unstable parts of Yemen are strictly restricted. Elsewhere, the use of a local guide and driver both enhance your safety while opening up many of the smaller villages you’d likely miss if on your own. Once again, Eternal Yemen can organize custom trips giving you a local’s glimpse into Yemeni culture and heritage.

How To Visit Socotra Island

Air travel to Socotra from several Yemeni cities can be arranged on Felix Airways or Yemenia, which fly to Socotra 1-3 times a week for about $300, round-trip. If they don’t cancel the flights that is, which happens regularly, without warning, and at the last minute.

• Direct Flights To Socotra Outside Of Yemen – There aren’t many options except for Felix Airways flights to and from Sharjah, UAE. A good multi-city flight would be to book airfare to Dubai, connect to Sharjah using local ground transportation, and catch your Socotra plane from there.

Many travelers to Socotra simply skip mainland Yemen, save for a layover in Sana’a on the way to the island. Keep in mind any stops or layovers exiting in Sana’a generally require you have a travel permit. They can be obtained from the Tourist Police office in the Old City of Sana’a or a tour operator can get for you if you’re not planning on staying in the city.

• Renting A Car On Socotra – It’s possible, but expensive at about $50 per day (not to mention fuel). Aside from the asphalt road that circles the outer-edge of the island, the interior is some serious off-roading on “road.” Imagine you driving in the video to the right.

• Where To Stay – There are a few luxury hotels with rooms for $100 per night but I’d recommend saving your money and sleeping right along the beach at one of two camps: Abdulluh Edib Camp or Delisha Camp.

There are over 300 endemic plant species plus nearly 200 species of insect and a similar number of bird species to be found on Socotra. Navigating them, even the most famous bottle and dragon blood trees isn’t easy initially and it helps to get in touch with a local guide for part of your trip. If you’re looking for one, I can recommend Saaber Aamer (email: saaber.socotra@gmail.com tel: 00967-771-969-576).

• Why Go To Socotra? Because it’s sort of like evolution got bored with the rest of the planet and decided to drop acid while creating the four-island archipelago. This video says it all.

Socotra is a hard place not to be mesmerized by, so following up on my I Love Istanbul Tour, I’m planning on giving a Socotra Tour at the end of this year. If you’re at all interested in visiting Socotra for New Year’s, send me an email and Wandering Earl and I will add you to our list of participants!

Socotra And Yemen Mainland, Not So Hard To Reach Both

Outside of the visa process and obtaining the necessary travel permits, arranging a trip to Socotra and Yemen much like booking any other trip. Depending on where you plan on going and whether or not you’ll be using a local tour operator like Eternal Yemen, the amount of added legwork varies. But once you arrive and meet the faces of Yemen, wander through plateaus of countless dragon blood trees, or sit on the edge of Burra Mountain, you’re likely to find the added effort well worth the time.

My travels are usually well ahead of my writing, which lags behind a queue of new trips and past stories to be told. Hence why I’m so late in writing about the 2012 Best City To Visit Travel Tournament winner, Sarajevo. A contest won by an incredibly energetic and enthusiastic group of Balkan supporters who reflect how connected a community the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital form.

There is no correlation between my tardiness and how I felt about Sarajevo, where I was welcomed by many I met – not as a visiting traveler – but rather someone returning to a home he didn’t know he had. Tourism to Sarajevo and the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased by 13% [PDF] since 2010, yet it still retains many advantages for independent and budget travelers.

War Torn No Longer

The streets of Sarajevo still bear the marks of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, literally, as you can see in the picture to the right, where residents have painted the cracks left by grenade explosions red. There were many more of these memorials in asphalt throughout the Sarajevo, which endured the longest siege of a capital city since World War II: from April 5, 1992 until February 29, 1996. Like the pavement however, the city hasn’t forgotten the war that changed Sarajevo’s demographics drastically, reducing ethnic diversity according to some estimates by 30%.

The Bosnian War created a lost generation of children in Sarajevo, who missed an opportunity for education, as sniper fire and regular bombardment of the city made any formal schooling impossible. One of the few ways food, medical supplies, and weapons were smuggled into the city during the siege was through the Sarajevo Tunnel. Constructed by the Bosnian Army covertly, it connected Sarajevo to just outside the city’s airport, controlled by the United Nations. You can get a fascinating look inside the tunnel, parts of which are still intact, on the HYH City Tour. In addition to the Sarajevo Tunnel, my guide took us to the abandoned bobsled tube from the 1984 Olympics and sniper alley – his personal stories from living through the siege alone were worth the 21 Euro price.

The divisions of the war have brought modern Sarajevo together today as it can confidently concentrate on the future – a hint of which you can see in its hip present. Students from the over 5 universities in Sarajevo hang out in sleek cafes like Delikatesna Radnja after classes and you’ll find no shortage of bars along the blocks of the Miljacka River on weekend nights.

Advantages Of Independence For Independent Travelers

With the Bosnian War in the rear view mirror (it’s completely safe in case you were wondering), travelers who head to Sarajevo have much to look forward to. First of all, it’s inexpensive. Businessweek ranks it the 19th cheapest city for expensive living, whether you’re looking for a fancy two-bedroom apartment for $699 a month, or staying a few nights in a private room for 20 Euro a day at the comfortable Hostel City Center.

• All of the city’s main sights are easily walkable and you can hike from hills of the Alifakovac neighborhood’s centuries-old cemetery, walk across the Eiffel Bridge (a smaller version of Gustave’s style on the Douro), and stand at the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated all in the same afternoon.

In the evening recuperate lost calories with the pastry burek or have a complete meal of cevapi (kebab) with duvec (vegetable stew) at an affordable spot like Sedef. Afterwards at the warmly lit Bascarsija Square drink from the Sebilj Fountain, which is said to ensure one’s return to Sarajevo – although in my opinion a visit to the city has the same effect.

Warmest Welcome I Can Remember

The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament really took off in Sarajevo last year and everyone I came across seemed to have voted or heard about it. So many Bosnians took time out of their day to come meet me as I was traveling around the city to have a drink or just say hi – thanking me for highlighting the city through the contest. But to be honest, it’s all of the Bosnians who deserve my thanks for welcoming me to a city I could easily see myself living in, and treating me like I have been, for a lifetime.

The live chat is now closed – thanks everyone for the questions and conversation!

Additionally, I’ll be giving away away two free licenses to Hotspot Shield Elite, worth $29.95, and offering a special price of $10 for The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers Version 2.0, today only. All of that, plus the specific answers to your blogging and tech questions in the comments below, ask away!

• There is a video embedded in this post, those of you reading through my daily email update will need to click through to the article to view the video.

Since 1959, every evening a bizarre military ritual takes place along the India-Pakistan border, between Lahore and Amritsar, in the border town of Wagah. This is where the Grand Trunk Road crosses the India-Pakistan border along the Radcliff Line, which splits the region of Punjab. A line on a map drawn in 1947 by British lawyer Cyril Radcliff, who had never been to either country, yet was tasked with outlining their borders at the end of England’s occupation of India. The official purpose of this dance is the synchronized lowering of the national flags on both sides, yet the subtext is “we still don’t like you” – but strangely can get together and choreograph what has become a tourist attraction in addition to military exercise.

Personally, I found the spectacle of the supporters on both sides making more symbolic noise than the most aggressive foot stamps of any solider. The Indian side essentially is a party – and you’ll notice in the video above that it’s all women who are dancing. A stark contrast to the segregated Pakistani side, where only the men boisterous and the females, mostly covered, sit in relative silence.

In 2010, both Pakistan and India agreed to remove some of the more aggressive gestures in the ceremony, but it’s not really the soldiers sending the messages any more here, at the only road crossing a 2,900 kilometer border.

The poor reputation of a nation often obscures the faces of its population, as is the case in Yemen, which has seen an 85% drop in tourism since 2007. Though my camera was eager to capture Yemen, it was really Yemenis who captivated my lens. Overcoming my general reluctance to photograph people, I mumbled a shy, momkin sura (“picture, possible?”) once in the old market of Sana’a and could barely get through it without everyone wanting their turn.

Over the next 10 days during my trip arranged by Eternal Yemen smiles accompanied welcomes and sincere stories about life and struggle among Yemen’s 24 million citizens, nearly half of which are under the age of 15.

Geometry was the lesson of the day in this small classroom, one of the few occupied in a school within the village of Al Hajara. Although law requires children to attend school for twelve grades, few of them do outside of the largest cities, keeping the literacy rate less than 65%.

Selling khat, the national addiction, it far more lucrative and less difficult than advanced mathematics. In case you’re wondering more about this amphetamine, my friend Wandering Earl has written about getting high on khat in Yemen. While he was doing that, I was busy starring at my hands, which became fascinating every time I chewed khat leaves.

The khat has to come from somewhere, and it’s often purchased in large bundles at overflowing markets dedicated to its sale. Surprisingly, much like most of the children and men in Yemen, khat dealers in Jebel and elsewhere enjoyed having their pictures taken as well.

By now you’ve probably noticed the lack of women, as taking pictures of them is very taboo in Yemen. Many actually darted out of the way of my camera when I was taking pictures anywhere, limiting my shots to younger girls. But don’t let her youth fool you, this student’s request for a picture was culturally bold and one of the subtle signs of increasing assertiveness among the nation’s females.

He cried when we left his home in Al Hajara because his aunt had told him I was Murat Alemdar, a character on Kurtlar Vadisi, a Turkish television series very popular in Yemen. (In fact, everyone I met enthusiastically blurted out “Murat!” within 30 seconds of talking to me. The Arab translation of the show modifies the character’s name from Polat to Murat.) The conversation I had with this little boy’s aunt was one of the rare opportunities I had to talk with a Yemeni woman and again, her initiating the conversation was pushing a social norm.

Our host – who nearly immediately called me Murat – at the Abdullah Edib Camp on Socotra Island located about 380 kilometers south of mainland Yemen in the India Ocean. Aside from being a wonderful cook, his sense of humor and jokes had my sides hurting from laughter well after dinner.

On Socotra, if there’s a road and you can reach the pedals, you can probably drive. Now, look as cool? Few people can pull it off like these two.

Nearly all of the workers at Socotra’s lone harbor wanted a picture with the fellow wearing the “Syria” bandana. He’s not Syrian by the way, but calling non-Arab Yemenis (or Socotris) Syrian seemed like one big inside joke without any direct explanation.

The population of Yemen is diverse, largely due to its geography and proximity to Africa. Somalia is only 80 kilometers away across the Gulf of Aden and more than 110,000 Somalian refugees, like the Tiama people below, have made their home in Yemen. Their life is not an easy one as many locals complain about government neglect of basic services, like electricity or running water, as was the case in this Tiama village.

Despite the troubles many in Yemen face, most of the people I spoke with were optimistic about the future. Albeit leaving much of their fate in God’s hands…and Lionel Messi’s feet.

Over the past 500 years Yemen has been ruled by the Ottomans, Portuguese, British, and been split in two during a civil war in 1986. Since 2011, the nation has been trying to recover its image after an Arab Spring revolution that ousted Ali Abdallah Saleh, who had been in power for over 33 years. The fact that anyone was smiling about anything left me sincerely rooting for Yemenis – men and women – to succeed as a nation. I’m not sure I can be as optimistic as they were, but as they say frequently in Yemen, inshallah.

As you’re reading this, I’m somewhere in the desert at a location I can’t reveal just yet for a number of reasons; and have been offline for the past few days. Despite my best efforts to stay online, it’s not always possible or practical to do so. Running around getting visas, visiting remote regions of the world, and participating in other projects like the New Nomads web series, is work that often takes me away from focusing on writing here. (Work is work, even when you’re fortunate enough to have an amazing job you love.) That got me thinking, prior to visiting this, the 60th+ nation in my goal to travel to every country in the world, that I should allocate some offline work time, as I’m doing now.

Annually, I’ll take a break from 10 posts (approximately 5 weeks a year) for trips that will get me far from cities into the wireless wilderness plus give me some extra time to catch up on editing my travel photos, for example. (I’m still just on Sydney, Australia where I was last October.) …and keep my global travel map, with many of the places I’ve eaten, slept, and visited throughout the past 5 years, up to date.

Taking efficient offline time will ironically help me get caught up online and bring you new types of content in addition to words and pictures. I’ll also be able to take even more various programming and computer security related projects – at my core, I’m still a hacker. Normally this offline time won’t mean my foXnoMad Facebook Fan Page and Twitter feed will go quiet. However for this trip, they’ll go silent, and I’ll explain more when I return online April 30th.

• I look forward to posting about my latest adventure after arriving in my favorite city for the start of the I Love Istanbul Tour I’m organizing with friend, and blogger Wandering Earl.

For those of you who will be in Istanbul on April 30th, I would love to meet with you and have a chat over a beer or cup of tea. I’m holding a meetup from 18:30-20:00 at Urban on April 30th and you’re invited. Please RSVP on this Facebook Event Page if you can or are thinking about attending.

Because I don’t get to say it enough, thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my words. I appreciate that it is because of you many of the opportunities in my life have been made possible.

Thank you again and I look forward to returning at the end of the month.

Travel smarter,
-Anıl

Recommended to me by reader Dave, whom I sent to Dubai back in 2010, Gardens By The Bay is Singapore’s answer to urban sprawl within a nation that is smaller than 76% of the world’s countries. On the very last night of my visit, several hours before departing to Sydney, Australia, I hastily showed up around 8pm…immediately regretting the limited time I had allotted myself and camera.

The entire 1.01 million square meters that comprises Gardens By The Bay is actually 3 separate garden complexes, Bay Central Garden, Bay East Garden, and Bay South Garden which houses these ~50 meter “Supertrees”.

It is hardly all neon lights and steel however, the Supertrees and the surrounding parks are interwoven with hundreds of species of indigenous and exotic plants. Although it’s not entirely evident from my travel photos, there is greenery – bushes, trees, vines, and flowers absolutely everywhere.

Planned in 2006, Gardens By The Bay is the creative work of two British firms, Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter. Bay South Garden (designed by Grant Associates) was completed in 2012, Bay East Garden’s first phase finished in 2011 (Gustafson Porter), and Bay Central Garden is currently in the planning stages. Above are the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome (reminiscent of Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences), housing plants from tropical and Mediterranean climates, respectively.

Most of Gardens By The Bay’s outdoor areas are free of admission and open from 5am until 2am everyday of the week. Fortunately for your wallet it’s a cheap visit but it won’t do you any good if you cheat yourself on time. Set aside a leisurely few hours, bring along a tripod, and welcome to the jungle in the world’s richest city-state.

Airplanes are the magic machines that allow us to travel around the world and pilots the magicians who fly them. Despite taking over 40 flights a year, I know little details about how those experts keep 400,000 kilos of aluminum (and all of us passengers) in the sky and landed safely at out destinations. A fear of control can foster many of our flying anxieties, so today you can ask my live chat guest what it’s really like to fly, and the lifestyle of an international airline pilot.

Alejandro flew for a US based airline for 4 years before being offered to fly the Boeing 747 internationally for Eva Airways. Now based in Taiwan, he jets around the world delivering passengers and cargo to various destinations. Flying is his passion, but being a pilot isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

The chat is open today, April 16th from 3:00pm-4:00pm US EST (7pm-8pm GMT; 12pm-1pm Los Angeles). Scroll down or click here to join the chat below!

In addition to jet-setting, Alejandro and his wife Zeina recently launched the Habby Travels, a trip organization service. You may be curious whether or not planes come close to crashing without our knowledge (am I the only one who wonders that?), how “close” pilots and stewardesses really are, or want to get into piloting yourself. Alejandro is all yours to discuss the life and job of a pilot for the next hour in the comments.

I really should have titled this “4 travel stories” since these are mostly specific parts of selected books that came to mind when thinking about enlightening voyage experiences. Tales of serendipity common enough to counteract soundbites of travel tragedy many modern media outlets tend to regurgitate for ratings.

Whether it’s you who needs a little convincing or that stubborn friend who won’t join you on an RTW, passages from these nonfictional tales can fortify large lacks of adventurous fortitude.

1. The Art Of Happiness (10th Anniversary Addition) By Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler

There is certainly a connection between compassion and happiness as several studies have shown. Those two feelings being the central themes of this examination of the Dalai Lama’s theories, blended with a scientific analysis of his ideas. It’s not always easy to be happy when traveling, especially when you’re subjected to some of the scams that target tourists. For those of you who can relate to such situations, I strongly recommend you read Chapter 6 of The Art of Happiness. You may never look at getting ripped off the same way again.

2. Long Way Round

One of 8 great motorcycle books that will ignite your wanderlust and one that has personally influenced my nomadic side. Long Way Round is the dual-diary of Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor, documenting their 3-month motorcycle journey around the world in 2004. Many of the negative comments about the book revolve around the fact that the two aren’t always happy and talk freely about the frustrations the road can bring. It is that aspect of the book I love however, as traveling certainly has a fair amount of crap stretches you laugh about later, after your first shower in 18 days. But one of the brighter (and funniest) tales in Long Way Round is the early chapter about Boorman and McGregor’s stay in Ukraine.

• Once you’ve read the story, be sure to check out the second part of the Long Way Round documentary to watch the experience unfold. Simply thinking about those scenes makes me chuckle.

3. The Autobiography of Malcolm X By Malcolm X and Alex Haley

The very moment I first opened the cover of this book I was unable to close it with exceptions for sleep, eating, and the occasional bathroom break. One of the most thoughtful sections of the The Autobiography of Malcolm X is Chapter 17, when he begins a series of visits to Africa and the Middle East before undertaking the Muslim pilgrimage, Hajj.

“I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land – every color, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike – all snored in the same language.”

-The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a staunch segregationist prior to that trip, however the communitas he witnessed in Mecca transformed him.

4. Thumbs Up Australia By Tom Parry

You might expect more than one disaster to happen to a British journalist and his French girlfriend, given they set off to travel nearly 13,000 kilometers…completely hitchhiking. Certainly Thumbs Up Australia [my previous review] is no fairly tale but as you’ll see toward the end of the story, the hitchhiking is really background to the human experience the travelers encounter.

 This List Is Far Too Short, Considering The Possibilities

It’s tempting to add Jupiter’s Travels, The Pirates of Somalia, The Hidden Europe [my previous review], The Motorcycle Diaries, The Snake Charmer [previous review], Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea…and so many others to the list above. Then there are all of your comments and stories about how traveling has shown you people are fundamentally good. Still, fear and scary stories about the world tend to stick in our memories. For the most stubborn around you, here’s how to combat 2.5 million years of evolution and prevent your paleolithic brain from scaring you out of travel.

You’ve read far and wide so I’m curious, what books or stories would you have added to this list? I look forward to your literary feedback in the comments below.

Invariably the conversation comes up as much as I try to avoid it – what I do for a living. I tell people I’ve been traveling and blogging for the past 5 years, visited over 60 countries, and am fortunate to have seen more human cultures firsthand than most will in their lifetime. As I try not to sound like a pompous hippie, they look for insight from this experience, and I’m glad I have at least one to share.

As recently as my travels around southern Mexico with Wandering Earl and his tour group, this question comes up frequently – what have you learned from seeing so much? And one thing always pops into my mind: that people are, at the core, good, noble creatures who are vastly similar to one another.

We’re Damn Sure Not Perfect

Yes, I’ve been a stiff kick to the chest away from being abducted in India, had a camera stolen in Argentina, and come across my share of aggressive touts in Egypt. At the same time I have met Indian engineers running thriving IT companies out of glamorous huts in Mysore, had shots of unknown spirits with my cab driver and his buddies at a stand in Buenos Aires, and felt sorry for the lonely camel touts struggling to survive in the wake of Egypt’s revolution.

For the most part, the walls between us are created when we lack compassion for another; sharing stress has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase sympathy, and promote bonding in men in one example. The vast majority of homo sapiens crave connections with others of our kind – a drive so important to our biology that simply joining a group can reduce your risk of dying by half, over the next year. Humanity begins in childhood, as kids often show us the best humankind has to offer and a common vantage point from which we all arose. Like the ultimate explorers, children, we want to understand the world around us. The more we carry this trait into adulthood, the less impaired our cognitive abilities become as as age. We absolutely love our families. Food, our food, means something intimate to us.

Where we differ is how each culture defines “us” and “them”, what parts of the universe we want to understand, the ways in which we show love, and what makes for a damn good breakfast. If we even eat breakfast at all, that is.

Traveling Has Made Me An Optimist

We live in the safest time in human history, in a wondrous age where more people are in the sky right now than live in Iceland [PDF]. In 1980, only 17% of the world’s children received the necessary vaccines required to reduce the risk of premature death. That number today is over 75%. Such change in the world today is not despite people but because of us.

I am often lost in my travels but my bewildered look has commonly evoked sympathy from those around me. I once scared the living hell out of a middle-aged Bulgarian woman when I stopped to ask for directions. I was able to charm a (toothless) smile from her and she invited me in for tea once she realized I wasn’t going to rob her. She told me of her life during Communism, an era of Bulgarian history I now feel some small connection with. Studies performed at the University of Texas also demonstrate that compassion reduces stress, fear, and anxiety. And it doesn’t take much, even a bit of compassion for an idiot with a map who can’t figure out a grid-layout may be enough to open travel doors.

There Is No Single Ideal Culture

One more thing I’ve realized and witnessed in between layovers and serendipity in Azerbaijan, is there is no one way to be happy. There is no one right or proper culture despite what some ignorant minds think. Hell, we can’t even agree how to nod our heads yes or no. Whether it’s eating, laughing, or listening to Wu Tang Clan, most of us homo sapiens prefer to do so with others. Even the introverts, like myself. The real barrier to humanity is when we draw lines as to what’s “human” and what’s not. However, a few friendly smiles, an honest story, or shared snacks over drinks tends to seep through any artificial barriers we create. We all go about it in different ways, but we are all loyal the same things in life.

If you’re at all pessimistic about the future of our species, travel far and wide, talk to people. Listen. Learn. Laugh, have the local drink of choice. Share an embarrassing story about yourself and you’ll find you may just get one back. You’re now not so different than a completely random person from across the globe – and to me – that can only be a good thing.