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Cheap Singapore : 5 places you shouldn't miss with 50$ budget

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 06:38:00 +0000

You might think I'm crazy, how can you visit an expensive place like Singapore with only 50$?

Well it is actually possible.
Singapore is quite concentrate, and if you know where to look you can avoid to spend money in useless things.
I guess a local could have even better point of view about the city, but for me it could be visited in 2 maximum 3 days, it haves yes many attraction for the tourist but many are expensive and for example you can visit the Zoo somewhere else in the world (Taipei for example has an huge complex and to a really cheap price).
So why not just do free activities, and explore what makes Singapore unique?

0 - Airport (free massage)

Businessman enjoy his free massage

Since you arrive, Singapore's Airport provide you FREE feet massage machine, give it a try, i guess after a long flight you need it (and it's FREE)

Now is my turn

1 - Marina Bayfront by day

Even the 2 bridges are one pleasure for the eyes

In the middle of the concrete jungle

Ok, i guess it's the most famous spot in Singapore, everything here is well design, you can have a walk (early in the morning, or afternoon) around the bay, and you can see the heart of Singapore on different perspective, visiting the symbol of Singapore, the Lion who on the legend was spotted by one of the Malaysian sultan around Singapore, and then he named the place using Singa = Lion, Pura = City.
You better avoid the hottest period of the day, because in Singapore is always super hot, but be careful to do not get sick due to the Air Condition in Shopping Mall, public transport and everywhere indoor you will staying, in fact Singapore nowadays is in a bubble of AC and if you dare to step outside you will feel in a hell.
So if you decide to visit Singapore or going through here, do it leaving a cold place so you will not complain for the hot weather of this tiny country.

The Singapore's symbol

2 - Marina Bayfront by night ( and water show)

Viewpoint from the bridge

Free Water show

Another classic, the Bayfront night time it shows even a better picture of Singapore, the design of the buildings and the strategic lights, create an awesome place to visit night time.
You shouldn't miss the free water show at the Promenade, there are events at 8.00pm and 9.30pm every day plus an extra event at 11.00pm Friday and Saturday, the duration is about 15 minutes.
It's quite an enjoyable show, music and light and the background create a magic atmosphere, and the enjoyable night will allow to have a walk around the bay, or walking towards another famous spot, going trough Marina Bay Hotel, the famous hotel with the "infinity pool" on the roof, to reach Garden by the Bay, where you can enjoy another masterpiece of design, with all the lights on, making the view really futuristic.

Marina Bay by night

3 - Garden by the Bay

Under the trees of the future

Viewpoint from the gardens

As i said before Garden by the Bay is top spot that you can't miss if you visit Singapore.
You can walk around the park without paying any fee, (you only need to pay if you want enter in the "Conservatories" and the skywalk, up to the bridge to have the high view of the park), the walk is quite enjoyable despite the hot sun, always ready to cook your brain in the hottest hours.

The trees looks like futuristic mushrooms in the night

4 - Chinatown (temples)

Walking through Chinatown

Three young kids playing in the Hindu temple

Chinatown is the souvenirs area, where all the buses took the tourists to buy some gadgets as memories of Singapore, even if you don't want buy anything is an interesting area to walk around.
You can visit the Hindu temple and the big Chinese Buddhist temple where you can, at the end of your visit, pick up a free book about buddhism, i didn't plan to take any but like one magic trick one book came in my hands, "The purpose of Life" i will not make a book review here but i can tell is quite interesting book (of course for buddhist but also) for anyone, as with simple and clear words explain what is buddhism and the path of Middle Way, the teaching of Buddha.

The Chinese Buddhist temple

Indian feeling

5 - Little India

Cattle frame, the holy indian animal

Little India is a magic place as i think still India is.
I went there on Sunday (if you're a girl, it will be better going with someone and be ready to be stared all the time), i felt like i was leaving Singapore and taste in a small dose what India could be.
In fact the weekend all the Indian workers have spare time, and most of them they will spend it in this place.
The spot was full of people, especially the evening, everyone were walking on the street, no one was caring about the rules, it seemed to me to be in a bubble, where the big eye of Sauron (or Singapore) where everyone have to respect the law, could not work, due to some indian magic to isolate the community.
Anyway i found the place really interesting and especially if you like indian food is a a place to go (at every meal).

The magic bubble of Little India on Sunday night

6 - Henderson wave

Henderson wave

Henderson wave is a bridge who won some design price, and it might even nice to go, despite the location, in fact the bridge is in the middle of nowhere and i think you could visit the Botanical Garden instead, of course if you have free time or you are for any reasons) in that area, you should go for it.

The "traditional" sticks to line the wet clothes, also this is Singapore

Fountain of wealth, "the legend" said : if you walk three times in the circle touching the water, a great richness will come in your life, otherwise you can just enjoy the view

I guess there is much more than this in Singapore, but due to the cost of staying, i don't think it could be worth it visiting the city for more than 2/3 days.
If you're using couch surfing like me and you have the chance to meet your friends who will be showing around, and you will avoid spending money in useless things, (using money only for food and public transportation), you will be able to enjoy Singapore with 50$ or even less.
Of course is your choice, wherever you will decide to go, the place will reflect your lifestyle, as could be super cheap it also be really expensive.
Travel wise, and you will travel longer.

I've been lucky and meeting my friends Jimmy and Charlene i had the opportunity to see Singapore from a a different prospective

Special thanks to Jimmy, Charlene and Liya

Hitchhiking : 5 tips for you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 14:04:00 +0000

1- Smile :

Your attitude is really important, and not only because the people prefer stop and help someone who looks funny and happy, but also for yourself.
Yeah smile for yourself, sometimes it could seem really tough hitchhike, when no one stop, or there are only few cars, or it looks like you will be there forever...don't stop to smile, be happy, you're lucky, you're travelling, and you have time to wait the next ride!

See the car stopped over there and is waiting for you!!

Bring out the idiot inside of you

2 - Is not a movie :

Especially if you're hitchhiking in place where they don't even know what is a TV or simply people are not get in touch with american movie, your thumb on the road is pretty useless!!
Hitchhiking in South East Asia i understood this, and i decided to try one more intense approach, i jumped in the middle of the road with two hands or one doing sign to stop to each car is passing through, and...it works!!

3 - Find a good spot :

Yes, this is really important, a good spot where the cars need to pass through in the direction where you need to go, and possible they need to slow down or they have the chance to stop around.
So if you're hitchhike on the mountains don't do it close to a curve or where there is a slope, but find a good spot where your next buddy can stop to pick you up.
If you're hitchhiking from the city (pretty annoying) try to stop car and ask if they are going in direction of the highway, and not the place where you need to go (of course if you're not extremely lucky nobody will give you a ride until a far city just because you mention it) and once close to the highway find a good spot where someone it might do your same route.

PS Find a place where you don't get wet if is raining, find a place with shade if is sunny, it's pretty easy and logical but i prefer underline also this point.

4 - What about a sign-board? :

Ok, here i can say yes and no, or only yes but you will learn you don't really need it.
One of my friend who use to hitchhike used to say:

"The board is good only for the photos"

I partially disagree with this sentence, but there is also some truth in it.

I started with a sign-board, and to start is pretty good because you might be not that "brave" to jump in front of cars, trucks, tanks, airplane and any vehicle on your way, BUT remember to write the board with the character of the country where you're hitchhiking.
For example if you are in China or Taiwan you want someone helping you writing your destination in Chinese, and same for other countries, remember it might be the person who would pick you up, can't read english!
So if you want to do it, do it LOCAL!

Here i asked to a guy in Taipei's cafe to help me with a sign-board

5 - Who is going to stop?

Ok, here comes the difficult part, or the funny one.
After you're hitchhiking in the same countries for a relevant time you will understand which kind of vehicle will be easier to stop.
Around South East Asia i found the Pick-Up is the one, maybe because if you're staying on the back the people will feel more safe, but this for example will not work in another country where for example the Pick-Up is not something common.
So just pay attention, and when you find the one, do whatever is in your own possibility to stop the vehicle and earn your ride!

Another Pick-Up picked me up again

Photos from South Taiwan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:40:00 +0000

Tainan

Confucius's temple in the old capital

Interesting shapes

Luermenma Temple

The dog-lion protectors

101 years old feeling like teenager (Togo)

Togo, country side of Tainan

Green tunnel

Gorgeous view from the boat

Kaohsiung

Fo Guang Shan, a bit outside from the city

Pier 2

Dome of Light (underground station)

Tiger and Dragon towers at Lotus Lake

On Lotus Lake

Beji Xuantian Shangdi on Lotus Lake

Couple Spot with viewpoint of the city

Old Sugar Refinery

The Dome of Light was made by an Italian Designer

Pingdung

Girls celebrate town festival

Baby around the city

Indigenous Park

Indigenous Singer

Why i think the education can change the world

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:40:00 +0000

I decided to experience working as volunteer english teacher while i was travelling in Luang Prabang (Laos), and i’m so happy about the choice i made. I interrupted my travelling, but i discovered how much i like “working” with kids, and i hope to continue in this way even in other countries.

Kid from the kindergarten in costume, ready dance in town's festival

As a traveller, i’m interested in meeting local people, and this is a different way to do it, plus i could contribute in helping lovely people who run a “family” school and teach and learn from those kids.
My choice came also after a short experience in Taiwan, where i’ve been hosted in one kindergarten in Pingtung, and every time i was sharing some moments with those kids i felt more peaceful and happy inside, they were passing me a lot of good energies simply with their way to be.

Geography lesson, "This is Italy"

When i left the High School i would never think myself as a teacher, at that point of my life i was too immature to understand how teaching is important for the society, and as simple teenager i just wanted to stay far away from what i was considering a web of obligations. I would say, in my student’s experience, i never had someone who could inspire me, and i only had few teachers who were at least passionate in their job and made myself interested in what they were teaching.

Helping to fix mosquito's net in Taiwan

I’ve always been interested in kids, because i think they are the FUTURE, and when i see them smiling, crying, making friend in just few seconds, without judging, i always think that state of being is really important, everyone should keep that state of mind, and at the same time we should act with the wisdom achieved by our life experience. Every action that comes from a kids, is genuine and spontaneous, and this made the inner self of themselves an intact and not fractionated self, they don’t have to think to all pre concepts made from the society because luckily they are still free from them.

Lovely taiwanese kid

Happy Chinese New Years from Luang Prabang (Laos)

As i think the kids are the future, i think the education is a really important subject to focus, i we are interested in future changes. This education must start from the parents, who are the first teachers and models for the baby, who will start to absorb and learn by imitating them, but also the teachers will cover an important part of this process, the teacher does’t have only teach english, literature, math, or whatever subject, but they need to be an educator and model for the kids.

They look so interested

With Doukkhun, a Lao's Kid

So if we want change what we don’t like in the present, we need to educate the kids to make the right choices to have a better future, and to do that, we need to be the people who with high and right values, can inspires them as human being.

Goodbye photo with the kids before leave Pingtung

10 reasons why I started to hitchhike and i can't come back

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 13:24:00 +0000

A short description why i decided and i enjoy so far Hitchhike:

1- The trip is more fun :

Since i read "On the road" by Jack Kerouac, or actually since i started to meet people who used to hitchhike while they are traveling, i decided to try it.
I still remember the first times, the adrenaline, the hope, the hope who leaves, the happiness and others emotions that they will keep you company while you will be there trying to have a free ride.
I heard many stories, about interesting characters who stopped by and give a free ride to these who tried to travel in a different way, and i decided "I wanna do it".
And every time, is a trip in the trip, because you will really feel to be a traveller only with these kind of experiences.

Hitchhiking in Thailand with Iman

2- I save money :

Ok this is the most rational reason why you would decide to hitchhike, travelling unfortunately is not free, and you need money to travel.

When you start to travel for a long time, this factor is even more important, you will always try to find the cheapest solution, because you will become addicted by travelling, and will you want to travel as long as possible, so, if there is a way to travel for free, why do not try it?!?

Here trying to get a ride to Hualien (Taiwan)

Hitchhike in Western way in Asia, doesn't work !!

3- It's a way to meet local people:

As i explained in my first point of "10 reasons why you should use Couch Surfing to travel the world", for me meeting local people is really important on my travels, and hitchhike is another way to do it.

An awesome family give me the final ride to reach Bangkok

Local guys in Laos on a slowly and steady little tractor

4- I feel free:

This reason is really important for me, because every time i had a lift, short or long that it was, once i was lying down on the back of a Pick-Up, with my eyes towards the blue sky, i had this feeling of freedom.

I was feeling free about the time, about money, about society, about everything, i was feeling FREE, so every time i had this feeling, while watching the sky, i took a deep breath, and i started to think how lucky i was to experience something so deep that i never felt before in my life.

On the recycle truck going to Pakse (Laos)

5- People who decide to pick you up are nice people:

99% is like this, and i don't say that because they give you a ride, but because they are giving you much more than this.

The behave of these people is described in these few steps:

1- they see you on the road,

2- they think, and decide to stop

3 - they decide to help you

And this last point, what make them a kind people.

Who decide to stop while is going somewhere, and decide to help a stranger, is of course a nice person.

The 1% are people who afterwards will ask you money, or weird people that make you experience something that will become your own story like "That was that time while i was hitchhiking...", just something to experience and tell about it.

The percentage of these kind of people is really low, so don't be afraid to hitchhike.

This awesome delivery guy picked me up on the way to Hualien (Taiwan)

Chineses who are working in Laos invited us to stay on them place for few days in Vientiane (Laos)

6- It's a sustainable way to move and traveling :

Ok, here is my green heart who talks, yeah because, hitchhike like car sharing, and care pooling, is a sustainable way to go somewhere for short or long distances.

If we want save the world we need starting to change many things towards sustainability, (I'm a bike, and Scandinavian supporter), and hitchhike is only one small piece of the big puzzle.

So if you decide to hitchhike remember that you're doing something good also for the nature, and on the other side, if you see someone who's hitchhiking, stop and do it for him/her, for you and for the world, you will feel 3 times better.

Sharing a car in Thailand

A final ride to Hualien

7- Sometimes you end up your ride in a really awesome place:

Coming back to a more traveling reasons, it sometimes can happens that the person who is giving you a lift, it may go in a different direction or just stop earlier on the way.

You will find yourself in a middle of a place without name, location, that even google maps will be asking "where bloody are you?", but you will learn to discover the beauty of these untouched and not touristic places.

We stopped to visit this bridge, old as Angkor Wat, no even one tourist

The morning view from the tent, camping in the middle of nowhere (Cambodia)

8-You start to travel on vehicles you never seen before:

It happened to me in Laos, but i'm quite sure will not be the last time.

You will also experience to travel in vehicles, who are not made to travel at all, but while you're having a free ride, everything something like this, lose importance.

Kind of 2 wheels truck attached to a trailer in South Laos

9- You get out of your comfortable zone :

You will experience and understand how lucky you was until now.

After been travelling in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and see how the locals move on their country i understood and decided to travel like them.

I understood i could give up that extra comfort (expensive optional), that the society where i grew up made me think as normal thing for everyone.

I think as a free ride, as a help been given to me from a stranger, i can only be happy and thanks, so the time for complaining will vanish on the way.

In a a back of a pick-up somewhere in Thailand

10- You feel happy :

I want to end up with one of the most important reason.

As i was describing the sensation of freedom in the 4th point, here i will tell to you about that feeling of happiness that also come while you jump on your next ride.

While someone decide to stop and give me a ride, i think that ride could be a reason to be happy that day, because once again in my life, someone stopped and decided to help me, once again in my life i'm feeling to be lucky, once again in my life i think, i have been a really nice person on my previous life to deserve all this kindness.

Happy smiles in Laos

Japan in 30 days

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 14:44:00 +0000

I will shortly show my trip in Japan through my itinerary, while i will describe better every place in separate post in the future. ( 21 August - 20 September 2014)

Before arriving in Japan i decided to buy the Japan Rail Pass for 14 days and i arranged based on this short period my itinerary to "save" money on transportation (but if i should go back now i will definitely hitchhike all the way)

- Tokyo:

Capital and biggest city of Japan was my first step in the Samurai's country.
I flew from Melbourne to Narita airport for something like 250$ AUD, i guess i was lucky and i found a really good deal when i booked the flight.
Tokyo is somehow impressive, i had the feel was really different compared to other big city i have been before, because it looks like is made from many district really different to each others.
One night i had a clear example of this while i was walking on the streets of Tokyo, i was in a district called Omotesando, a really fancy place where you can find high fashion brand like Dior, Luis Vuitton, Prada, and where many buildings have an interesting architecture layout because designed by famous designer/architect, when suddenly after i crossed one street, it seemed to me to be in a completely different place, and actually was like this, i entered in Shibuya district and everything looked different, so actually one street cut down 2 different worlds of this interesting capital.
So many districts, everyone with a particular style and focus, just to mention some Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Roppongi, Asakusa, Ueno, Ginza and many others everyone to explore and discover.

Famous spot in Shibuya

- Nikko:
Nikko was a day trip during my stay in the capital. Nikko is a small city north of Tokyo, and in the 1999 the shrines and the temples of this area became part of the Unesco Heritage sites. A really interesting place, rich of history and tradition, suggested for who likes visit ancient temples.

The famous three monkeys's temple in Nikko

- Kawaguchiko:
Kawaguchiko is a small city east to Tokyo. Many people use this place as base to climb Mt. Fuji in the summer season ( the only season recommended to climb the mountain where most of the service on the way to climb will be available).
I went there not to climb, (didn't have the gear) but to smell the air around the holy mountain, called Fuji-san (2013 Unesco World Heritage Site) as sign of respect, and see something i that i saw only on television since i was a kid.
There is a Kawaguchi lake and you can walk or biking around this site, where you will feel really nice atmosphere around, the place is also famous for the onsen (hot springs).

Fujisan showing its shape in a cloudy day in Kawaguchiko

- Hiroshima:
Hiroshima sited at very east of the main island of Japan, and theatre of the tragedy of the Atomic Bomb dropped in the Second World War.
Really nice atmosphere, delicious food, (there is a whole building dedicated to a dish called Okonomiyaki, and there i had the best Okonomiyaki in a whole Japan) and nice people i met on the way, made this place a positive surprise.
Here you can visit The Atomic Bomb Dome ( 1996 Unesco World Heritage Site), the Peace Memorial Park and the Museum correlated to the same theme, really worth to visit, (small tip, have a walk during the sunset around the Dome).

Atomic Bomb Dome on the sunset in Hiroshima

- Miyajima:
Miyajima is a small island sited near by Hiroshima, reached by ferry (the ticket is under JR, so if you have the JR pass you don't need to pay any fare).
I had a day trip here, and if you visit Hiroshima, you must visit this place.
It's an interesting island where the deers walking around you looking for some food, is a place to hike Mt Misen ( you can take the rope way if you're lazy) to have a nice view of the landscape around, and is a place where is sited one of the top three scenic spots of Japan, the floating O-Torii (1996 Unesco World Heritage Site), visit this place in the morning and around the sunset and you will surprise from what the nature can create.

O-Torii in the morning...

...O-Torii on the sunset in Miyajima

- Kyoto:
Kyoto, the old capital of Japan, and maybe the most beautiful and reach of history city of the country.
I can continue to talk about Kyoto for hours, i always think that the place is not important but the people who surround you with you're sharing your time, but if you mix awesome people and awesome location you will just have amazing memories.
There are so many places to visit in Kyoto and this are just few of them : Nijo Castle, Tenryu-ji, Bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Gion District (where if you're lucky you can meet a real Geisha), Ginkaku-ji (Silver temple), Kyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (Golden temple), Ryoan-ji (peaceful Zen garden) in the city, Fushimi Inari (the thousands gates), and Uji (also famous for the green tea) little bit outside (1994 many Unesco World Heritage Sites around the old capital).
Of course i recommend Kyoto to everyone, you will enjoy a fantastic atmosphere into a beautiful city.

Bamboo forest in Arashiyama,Kyoto

Fushimi Inari in Kyoto

- Nara :
Nara was another of my daily trip, i went there using the train (JR) from Kyoto.
Also here like in Miyajima, there are deers everywhere walking on the streets looking for tourist food.
Nara have another nice and historic scenery with many temples nominated Unesco World Heritage (1998).
Visiting Todai-ji, (where the huge Buddha sit) don't forget giving yourself a try to pass through a hole in one of the 4 pillar of the temple, legend say who can pass through it will be blessed with enlightenment in their next life ( i obviously went through, so expect to meet me as monk in our next life).

Around Nara with friends

Earning my future enlightenment in Todai-ji

- Osaka:
Osaka is also known as the "kitchen" of Japan, or the Yakuza's city, it's a mix from old and new as you can experience visiting the Osaka's castle where the great Toyotomi use to stay, and the new and busiest part of the city Dotonbori.
I spent only few days here, and i decided to try the beef from Kobe, if you can go to Kobe, otherwise Osaka is also a valuable place where "experience", the best beef i ever had in my life.
Osaka will always be important for me because there it started my passion with photography, buying a second hand DSLR Nikon.

Dotonbori and the famous Glico's advertisement in Osaka

Me at Osaka's castle

- Okinawa:
From Japan main island to Okinawa, i flew from Osaka to Naha with Peach (a cheap Japanese company). I still think Okinawa is not really Japan, but has been attached after the Japanese conquered the islands defeating the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Also in Okinawa main island you can find Unesco World Heritage Sites, but you can also enjoy the aquarium (one of the biggest in the world) where i've seen for the first time a real Whale Shark (and i suddenly decided that i want dive with one of these huge animals), enjoying the party atmosphere of the island, and finding snorkelling places or beaches where relax (the only issue with Okinawa main island was the expensive, slow and not reliable transportation).

The symbol and protector of Okinawa

- Zamami island:
Zamami island was what i really was expecting from Okinawa, is a beautiful and peaceful place where snorkelling and diving, crystal water and withe beaches surroundings the island and i guess also the others small islands around the main one should be visited, so i suggest to spend less time as possible on the big island and have a tour around the small ones.

Diving in the blue ocean of Zamami

And here a sweet meeting while snorkelling

Hope this could be useful for someone, or just enjoyable to read.
See you next time.

10 Reasons why you should use Couch Surfing to travel around the world

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:35:00 +0000

Today i want to explain why i think Couch Surfing is a great "tool" while you're traveling around the world using 10 key points.

1- Meeting local people : I think traveling is not only going physically in one country and visit the oldest temple, the gothic church, the beautiful beach or whatever the country can provide to a simple tourist.
As traveller, for me getting in contact with people who're living in their own country, using another language, different tradition, different culture, is on the base of my voyages.
For example i don't understand people who wherever they are, they ended up doing the same things they use to do back home, eating the same hamburger with french fries that they can find just around a corner of their house(i'm so happy to travel in countries where big companies like McDonald's and others fast foods are not arrived yet)
So trying to learn the basic words in the local language, trying the local food, respecting the different culture, are small things that get me little bit closer to understand the country where i'm travelling, and who better than a local person can share this things with you?
So for me, getting in contact with locals is really important and Couch Surfing is (only) one way to do it but a really good and easy one, because most of the time the local people who are on the website can speak english, and they will be the bridge from you and their culture.

Kindergarten in Pingtung (Taiwan)

2 - Useful tips : When you're traveling and you finally reach a city, you always feel like a fish out of the water, and you have no idea from where you should start to walk.
I always feel like this when i put my first step into a new place, especially when i arrive with a heavy backpack on my shoulders after a long hitchhiking trip, and if you're traveling solo is even worst, because your movement around the city will be limited until you find a place where you can safely put your backpack somewhere.
Using Couch Surfing, hopefully you will find an host, in the place you will be visiting ( so you have a destination or a point to meet up with your host) then 99% of the case your host will give to you fantastic tips to moving around, tips on his/her favorite places to visit, eat, chill or whatever you're interested in. So you will even discover not touristic spot that without your host you might never discover.

Meeting up in Taipei (Taiwan)

3- Sharing moments with your CS host: If your host is not busy with his/her job will probably keen to share moments with you (otherwise he/she wouldn't been on CS).
So you will have the chance to visit places with him/her, who can shares stories and knowledge of about the city and sourranding while having great time.
Or it can happen (depend of yours and the host's interests) that you might share recipes while cooking dishes typical from your and his/her country, or just enjoying some drinks together while sharing your own experiences.
Shortly: you will share good times!

Hot Pot time in Taipei (Taiwan)

4 - Participate to a special event : If your host is open minded (and probably he/she is) will invite you to meet his/her friends to share a classic day typical of that country.
Sometimes you will be even more lucky, and can happened you will be in the right place in the right time, and your host will might invite you in a private ceremony as local wedding, local birthday, graduating ceremony , and other kind of things will happen in that period, so you will be in contact with a real local culture of that place.

With Sayadaw U Ottamasara the Thabarwa's abbot visiting a tribe in Myanmar

5 - Meeting expats: On the other side of the coin, while you're traveling you might been hosted by expats. From this kind of hosts you might feel more comfortable at the start, because they might have your similar culture and there will might be less language barriers.
These kind of experiences are also really interesting, because you will be in touch with people who decided to leave their country to live abroad,.
From their experiences and background you could discover many important tips, if you're interested to do something similar, somewhere around the world.

Belarus host in Siem Reap (Cambodia)

6 - Meeting other CSufers: Couch Surfing as i mentioned here, is not only a way to crush in some host's house.
In fact you can have the chance to meet up other people who are CS members, and are traveling in the same country, or people who don't have the place for you to stay but they are keen to show you the city, or having a chat while having a meal together.
Sometimes you can even share the same host's house, (if he allow to host more people) with other CSurfers, and you might be so lucky as i was in Myanmar, or Taiwan, and meet a bunch of amazing people who're traveling the world like you, and have the chance to do the same path (or part of it) together .

Visiting Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

7 - Sharing hobbies: While you're looking for some host, or some people to meet up on CS, the website allows to you to add some tags on the research. So you will able to find people to share your interests or your hobbies while you're around the world, and for someone like me who love photography is something really valuable.
A small example of this happened to me in Myanmar (yes, again Myanmar).
I met Ricardo, (a Spanish guy who is living in Bangkok, working as journalist) that came to visit our host.
While he was there, he planned to interview few people in Yangon, about the "land grabbing" issue, then i decided to help him, and i had a new and interesting experience, and also my first publicized photo, on the Journal where he's working.

Ricardo while the interview in Yangon (Myanmar)

8 - Participate to events : While you're in a new city you might be lucky and crash in the same period with a CS event who is interesting for you. Then you will be able to socialise with other surfers (point 6) probably meeting expats (point 5) and if you're lucky even locals CS ( point 1) doing something you all are interested ( point 7). STRIKE. Look up for the events around you on your Dashboard.

9 - You will be part of a helpful community : Once you will start to receive so much, from people who were strangers before getting in contact through CS, while you're might having difficulties in that country while you're travelling so far from your home, you will start to feel that you need to give it back, you will feel you want to do it, and when you will have an opportunity in the future i'm sure you will start hosting people who (like you did), are traveling around the world, and you will be happy to give, to share, to meet, to keep in contact with such great community of people as Couch Surfing is.

A sweet goodbye to Sayalay Agga in Bangkok (Thailand)

10 - You will have new friends around the world : Using CS you will meet special people who might become really close friends, and this will be another "excuse" to pack your backpack once again and going to meet them in their own country, or to organise a trip together around new common destinations, then CS will help you once again, to travel around the world!

Couch Surfing in Laos?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 12:51:00 +0000

18/2/2015 Luang Prabang (Laos)

It's February, i'm in Luang Prabang, the old capital of the Lao Kingdom, and i'm planning to stay here until the 5th of March to avoid the Chinese New Year celebration, where everything stop to work because everyone is on vacation, and last for few weeks, in China, Taiwan but also Vietnam (my next step).

I ended up here around 2 weeks ago, (wow the time fly even when you travel) after a long hitchhike of two days, with a transition night on Phou Khoun, a small montain town in the middle of the way that connect Van Vieng to Luang Prabang.
Arrived in the city, on a late afternoon, after a short stop for a supper we decided to check the average price for a place to stay that night, and after few (expensive) Guest Houses we decided to give up and started to looking for a place to camp.
Luckily, we stopped in the Sanctuary Hotel, to ask if they knew some campsites in the Town, and here the French manager Henry came helping us with a great tip.

"The bad new is: there are no campsites in the city but only outside. The good new is : i might have a good suggestion for you guys for a place where you can camp for tonight"

He suggested us to camp in a spot, down to the beach who faces the river, listening his indication we found a place and we camped there for the night.
The short story is that we planned to stay 4 days looking if we could find a place where exchange our help for food and accommodation, and of these 4 days, we spent 3 camping, in a a place like Luang Prabang, that can be described as an icon of tourism, where everywhere you go, you can read the word "Guesthouse".
After these 4 days thanks again to Henry (god bless this man) we had a place to stay, and my travel buddy Zoe, ended up helping in the Sanctuary Hotel for the Chinese New Year, and i could find a kindergarten where i could help as english teacher. ( but about this i will tell in another post)

Lao's Kindergarten

The post in fact was about how last night i was finally able to use Couch Surfing also in Laos.
As you can see on the right side of the blog, Couch Surfing is one of the website that i think you must know (if you're a traveller).
Actually i'm quite a fresh member of this awesome website, who gives to you the opportunity of an exchange of hospitality.
Practically if you have an extra room or a couch where a traveller can crash during his trip, you could easily be a perfect host.
As Couch Surfing based its concept on a culture exchange, where the host open his/her house to someone who came to visit his/her country.
The host should also be able to shares the favourite spots or gives some tips about the city, or sharing local food and others things like these that i just mentioned.
The "surfers" on the other side will try to contribute with an host's cultural enrichment, through his/her culture or travelling experience, and sometimes this experience, can ended up in a strong friendship, that can take both involved in a future trip together, or the "surfers" in the future will change his cloth becoming the host of his/her CS(Couch Surfing) friends.

Inle Lake (Myanmar) on the boat with "surfers" and nuns

As i started to travel solo, i founded Couch Surfing a bridge to meet local people, (that is at the base of my Voyage), even without been hosted, i had meal, shared drinks, chatted while people where showing me around their city, and i always had beautiful experiences, especially in Myanmar where i've been hosted in a Meditation Centre/ Community, called Thabarwa.
There i had the opportunity to live in contact with Burmese, monks, nuns, and i have to thanks for all of this to Calvin (and to the website of course).
The experience i had in Myanmar was really deeply meaningful, i traveled around the country joining a trip through various monasteries, with other surfers, some of these changed my way of travelling, others were my travelling buddies for a while, and everyone will always be a great friend who i will enjoy to meet or host in the future.
If i think back of those moments, I can easily say that i never had in my life the opportunity to share days with so many interesting people all together.

On the "sliding truck" with Jon and Ben, 2 awesome CS travellers

Then, the things is, Couch Surfing it always been my "buddy" during this trip started in Japan, and went through Taiwan, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia but since few days ago with the small exception of Laos.
Yeah while i was traveling through Laos i've been hosted by local, by some people who picked me up while hitchhiking but nothing about Couch Surfing.
So once i've been settled up for a while, i decided to meet up some travellers who were passing through Luang Prabang, then i changed my settings on my CS profile, i put the old Lao's capital as place where i was living, saying i was keen to meeting up, but unluckily (as i'm been hosted as well here) i couldn't host.

Moo, a Lao guy who hosted us few days in his place with an awesome view on the Mekong river where he has his own fish farm

After few days, Tomas, a guy from Prague who were travelling with his friend, contacted me asking to meet up one of those days, when they where in Luang Prabang.
Glad to hear this, we arranged to meet up, and after one night were an unexpected storm hit the city, we delayed to the day after.
As always, Couch Surfing gave me the opportunity to meet up with nice people, with who i was able to exchange travelling stories, while we were sharing a meal during our stay in the same foreigner city, and and with the hope that one day while i will travel in their city, i will have the opportunity to meet them again.

Luang Pabang and the 2 "surfers" from Prague

So i can end the story saying "Thanks Couch Surfing"!!!

Tubing in Vang Vieng

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 12:11:00 +0000

3/2/2015 Vang Vieng (Laos)

"I cannot understand how is possible i paid to do something similar"

I mentioned about tubing in this here, and in this post i will continue describing this activity really popular in Vang Vieng and that you can also find on Don Det, one of the “1000 islands” you can find on south Laos (almost on the border with Cambodia).

Well Tubing as i already said should be just an outdoor experience compared to Kayaking or Stand Paddling, but here in Laos, probably because of some “smart” idea of a bunch of backpackers or from an foolish mind who cares only about money (local?expat?), this innocent outdoor activity it became an aberration of it.

In fact nowadays, if you mention tubing is implicit of everything is around of the mere meaning of it, and it means you’re going to get drunk, on this gummy tube on the middle of the river.

Yes because while you will be on your tube, people who works on the “bar” on the edge of the river, will throw to you a rope, and you and your friends ( yeah because tubing is an experience to share with more people as possible otherwise will not be fun at all) will start to drink cocktails, beers or other alcohol until you’re ready for the next part of the river, until the next “bar”.

Maybe for this reason (alcohol) or maybe other many reasons (drugs, backpackers that were working illegally in Vang Vieng with not correct Visa or even without Visa) the tubing and more shops, activities shut down for a while especially after the 2011 when the Vang Vieng's hospital recorded 27 tourist deaths (as you can read from an article of the The Guardian), due to drowning or easily due to hit rocks with the head while too drunk to even be able to walk.

As i decided to do not try this activity i would like to share Doris's experience ( the Chinese girls mentioned here), because i found it really funny, and an honest description about tubing by someone who just did the day before.

"I cannot understand how is possible i paid to do something similar"

With this sentence Doris concluded her story about tubing.
But coming back a bit earlier, the first sentence that captured my attention was:

"Tubing is just another way to get drunk, but you just need to pay much more to do it"

As i was saying before she starting describing the process of the normal tubing where they give it to you the tube and you start floating and where the flow of the water pushed you through the path of the river.
She continued telling us about the 4/5 bars where you will spend most of the time of this "experience".
Of course on these kind of bars the drinks are over overpriced, but you can easily share a bucket with your friends to cut down the cost.
But where people trying to charge you more for something there will always be someone who will try to avoid that, and how avoid an extra charge for drinks?!?
Obviously preparing yourself with your own alcohol, as Doris was telling to us, they had their own Rum bought on the minimart before getting on the Tube.

"We were ordering only juice, and we used our own Rum to 'Pimp" our drink, so we had a strong cocktail at cheap price. After few rounds of ordering juices the people who were working on the pub started to ask us if we went in Laos (Vang Vieng) to just drink juice."

Some people continued Doris, were directly making a pre-drink cocktail to cut even more the expenses so they could get drunk without ordering anything during the "tubing".
The disappoint on her voice starting talking about the flow of the river.

"The problem is the river's flow, it is really weak and at the end you end up in any bars with the same people you met in the previous bar."

She continued describing her experience, where guys without a GoPro (or any waterproof camera), were going to her asking to take a pictures that were going to claim afterwards once the tubing was finished.
So she ended up shooting photos about people who she didn't even know, just because she had one waterproof camera and maybe she's too kind to say no.

The price is something affordable, so even for this reason the activity appeal many backpackers.
You will pay 55.000 kip (around 7$ USD)
The thing she mentioned about the price was about the hidden cost.
Because if the price was affordable the people who provided you the "tube" they ask you to give them a 60.000 kip (7.50 $ USD), and if you're late (after 6.00 pm) to drop off your "tube" back to the point where you picked up, well they will not give you back the whole amount of the deposit.
A ride on the Tuk-Tuk to go back will be around 10.000 kip per person (1.25$ USD) but if you're running off the time the Tuk-Tuk will even drive slowly for the benefit of the tubing's shop (maybe even getting a commission) so keep one eye on the time.

Another thing Doris mentioned was about the depth of the water.
We were in fact discussing about the problems happened in the 2011 and the 27 people who died drowned. And she continued like this:

"I cannot understand how it could possible for people drown in the river, the water is so shallow that while you are on the tube your bump will always hit some sharp rocks while you're "pushed" by the water stream"

So i guess many people during the tubing while will fall from the tube or trying to swim, will have scratches on their body caused by the the rocks but in these case if you are completely wasted, will be easier been hit by a rock, and if this happened on your head, well you might be one of the next dead body on the next article about Vang Vieng.
Yeah also because, continued Doris, due to the slow water stream, some people were trying to swim or even walk, but the funniest thing i remember of that moment, was when she was describing (using the movement of he arms) how she and her friends where trying to paddling using their flip flop to increase their pace.

"I paid to get drunk, paddling with flip flop down to the river, where i was hitting rocks all the way because the water wasn't deep at all, and i have been harassed by these guys who were asking to take pictures for them all the time"

This is how she ended up the story about tubing, and i don't want to judge something that popular or the people who decide to do something similar, especially because many backpackers who're traveling around southeast Asia, they might end up with big groups, traveling together in the most popular destinations, trying to share the cost sleeping in 5 people in a triple room, following the "Banana Pancake trail".

At the moment i'm looking for something different from my travels, but i don't dislike this kind of things, and probably in another occasion in the past i would even be keen to do something like this.
But this time i avoided it, end of the story.

Korean Town

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 13:09:00 +0000

3/2/2015 Van Vieng (Laos)

"The Koreans are invading my hometown, you cannot understand, they are not only coming live there, but they are starting to have their hospitals, their schools, their supermarket, in areas where anyone speaks only Korean, it's terrible"

While i was traveling in Vang Vieng i met a really funny girl.

Her name was Doris, she's from a "small" city in China, Quindao, the city it might be sounds familiar for who like me likes beers, but the brewery decide to change the name in Tsingtao for international customers.

We met in Vang Vieng as i was saying above, where i arrived after two day trip from Vientiane, the Lao's capital, if your'e wondering why i needed 2 days from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, only 108 km, is because my bad, i didn't mention the way how i'm traveling.

I decide to travel cutting the transportation cost and i decide to hitchhike all the way since Cambodia after the few experiences i had in Okinawa, Taiwan, and Thailand.

So sometimes you will just stop somewhere because you have the lift only for few kilometres and not all the way you have to do, but i'm going off topic and i will talk about this in others post.

Then i was saying i met her in a guest house, were me and my travel buddy decide to rest for the night after the various rides we caught since Vientiane.

Vang Vieng is actually a small town in north Laos, but really popular for Backpackers who're traveling around this area and even people who're coming to Laos just in holiday.

What made Vang Vieng popular is the Tubing (big attraction that i will describe in the next post), where you've your "tube" and you will float on the Mekong River, for few km, (but everything will become more interesting if you're drunk, so the setting up for this activity is made to "enjoy" the process while you stop in many bars on the way where you will drink alcohol).

People relaxing on the hammock in front of the Mekong River

Vang Vieng anyway is not only this and offer also many outdoor activity as Kayaking, biking, hiking through beautiful landscapes exploring caves around the surrounding area.

For many backpackers Vang Vieng is only a place to chill on the daytime, watching many episodes of the sitcom "Friends" or enjoying another episode of "Family Guy" in a any restaurant of the town, while for others is just tubing and nightlife.

In fact it's really easy find drugs even in a restaurant where you can easy asking for a Happy Pizza or Happy Shake with the add of Marijuana or Magic Mushroom, just paying 10.000 kip (around 10 euro), and where you can easily find party as Full Moon Party, pure imitation of the real Full Moon Party of Ko Phangan (Thailand), where nowadays it's just synonymous of getting so drunk or so high to don't even remember what happen on Haad Rin Beach that night.

But coming back to us, that day of February while we were exploring the town, we realise the 60% of the people over there were Korean, and this was supported by many Korean restaurants and other things connected with the south part of the peninsula attached to China, who's developing really fast in these days.

When we met Doris again in the evening to have dinner together, we also talked about this, and that's why everything started, in fact, what we were able to feel and see in Vang Vieng was just a small thing compared of what is happening in Quindao.

She started to telling us about her hometown, with a really serious face, explaining how the Korean were invading the place where she's grew up.

"The Koreans are invading Quindao, you cannot understand, they are not only coming live there, but they are starting to have their hospitals, their schools, their supermarket, in areas where anyone speaks only Korean, it's terrible"

We were not able to understand if something like that was really happening or was just a movie made from our sick mind.
Was obvious for me, that she was not realising what she was telling about, yeah because everything she was saying to us was just a copy of what since many and many years, is happening everywhere in the world, but where were not the Korean to do that but the people from her country.
In fact, everywhere you go in the world, you will be easily able to find the China's town of that area, just walking in that district you will enter in a bubble, and you will feel like you're not in that country anymore but just somewhere in Mainland China.

And to every details she was adding i couldn't stop to laugh of what was just happening in the world, a Chinese girl complaining about the invasion of people of another country in her hometown.
I think is funny discover something like this while i'm traveling.
Issues that i would never imagine in the most remote part of my mind popping up just during a random chat in a small town in the north part of Laos.
Even the unreal become real, that is also why i love traveling, and this is just another piece of the puzzle to add of the meaning of of it.

The 5 things that anyone regret before die

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 13:39:00 +0000

Today i was reading about an article where a nurse who used to work with patients who decided to die at home, share her experience of real life.

The article mention that her used to stay with them the lasts 3-12 weeks before die.

She said “ the people mature a lot when meet them mortality. I learnt to do not undervalue the capability of one person to grow. With each of them i experienced a variety of emotions. The hope, the reject, the fear, the anger, the regret, the denial and at the and the acceptation. However, anyone before leave, found the peace in him/her-self.”

At the question of which one were the regrets they had o anything else they would like to be able to change, these five were the most commons:

(In yellow parts of the article)

1- I Would like had the courage to live a life devote to myself, and not had lived the life the others wanted for me: this was the most common regret of everyone. When the people realised their life is at the end and they started to look backwards, they face their unsatisfied dreams. Most of them didn’t even reach half of their dreams, and was hard accept to die knowing this fact was made from the choices they did or didn't in their life.

And this is what also this blog want talk about it, yeah because i just want to show my choices of traveling, my choices of challenging the unknown, because i don’t want arrive at the end of my life, maybe having even 100 years but with all regrets to have not lived the life i wanted to live, live the life the society want for us, live like a slave of invisible chains made by our own brain and from what the society impose to us.

Yeah because these limits are made yes by the common sense of living a stable life, studying to find a good job, working to have money, have money to buy so many things that we don’t really need, (but these are products of the consumerism era we are living), until we die, and only at that moment we have to realise we were living a life we didn’t really choose.

Well i don’t want this for ME, and i also don’t want this for YOU.

So stop, and think, "is really this what i want for MY LIFE?"

If the answer is NO, well start to think to a solution, yeah because i don’t want focus the mind on the problem, the philosophy i chose for my life is “do not think about the problem, but try to find the solution”.

Yes because any problems have many solutions, so we just need to focus our mind to find the right solution for us.

If the answer of the previous question is YES, well(if you’re honest with yourself), you’re on the right path to achieve a great and valuable life, and probably at the end, you will not have regrets or you will have it but much less compare of the people who choose to continue on the path of a unsatisfied life.

2 - I Wish i hadn’t work so much in my life :this was a thinking of every male patient. They missed the childhood of their kids and the good moments to share with their wife. All of them regret to lived a only work life.

This regret is connected with the previous one.

Nowadays the people gave so much important value to the money, and they choose to spend their life chasing richness, without understanding they are wasting their time, undervaluing more important things like their family.

We have to understand that the money are not everything, and the time we have in our life is much more important than a mere thing as money is.

We have to understand money is just a concept made from human to make easier the exchange of goods, and not what the present society think about it, because i see people who venerate the money as a god, and they choose to live a life of work to pursuit a pure veneration of their god, maybe unconsciously.

We have to understand our time is more important than money, yes, because if you lose your money you can always earn it again in the future, but, the time, yes your time, well if you waste your time you cannot have it back, so it’s better stop again and think, is this how i want spend my time, my precious time? Do i need so much money to be happy? Or i just need less money but more time to spend with people who i really care?

And this consideration it can be expressed even in more wide term, for example spending more time doing something make us happy, like travel, spending time with friends, enjoying moment with your pet, doing some sport and any other hobbies you have.

3 - I wished to have the courage to express my sentiments : many people suppress their sentiments to keep a peaceful life with the others. As result, they settled in a mediocre existence and they never become what they could be. Many diseases grow up because of the resentment who provokes that consciousness.

We always have to stand up and give ours opinion, we don’t have to live scared to be judged or to argue with someone if we think in a different way, sometimes discuss about a problem in the right way can take the situation in a better path and we were feeling better because we’re pursuing our inner self, who is really important because is the “person” with you will coexist for your whole life.

This way will also lead you to get rid off all of the unhealthy relationship you have in your life.

So in any cases you will win.

A more clear example is made by the situation that many young people lives in everyday life, in fact feeling the pressure of the parents, they make choices for their life based on what the parents want for them.

I choose to travel, and here, i'm supporting the "umbrella revolution", a touch full movement born during the protest in Hong Kong 2014, they decide to rebel against the government

But we have to find our power to stand up for our rights, yes because this is our life, and we have to be able to pursuit something we really like, what we really want.

So same of before, stop and think, then make the right decision, and fight for your rights, express yourself, always.

4- I wish i had spent more time with my friends: often we realise which are the real benefits that the old friends can give it to you, only after weeks in the hospital. Many of the patients have been so busy with their life (or maybe their job) that they had abandoned their old friendships. Anyone miss their friends when is dying.

And this is just another variation of the second regret.

As i was writing before, we have to understand more the value of our time, and decide how we have to spend it and not how we have to waste it.

5 - I wish to had allowed myself to be happier: this is another common regret. Many of them don’t realise until the very end that the HAPPINESS IS a CHOICE.

They were stuck in old schemes and routines, they feel safe in their comfortable zone, and they are scared about the changes they could do in their life, and they lived a life for others without doing what they really wanted for themselves in their own life.

Here i'm with Mali, a Lao's kid of the kindergarten February 2015

As i was saying in the second point, we have to understand what make us happy, and follow the path that includes these things.

You should stop, take pen and a paper (do this small exercise), then start to think, what make me happy, what i really like to do?

When you find something, write it on the paper, for example i discovered that i like travel, i like writing, i like taking pictures, i like kids, and others things, but if i have to analyse my life at the moment i would say i’m pretty happy, and this is why : I’m traveling since i left Australia, i finally started to write my blog, my travels make me possible to take interesting pictures to show the world while i’m away, and while i decided to extend my staying in Laos (i will stay another month) i decide to help as volunteer in a Kindergarten where i can be in contact with kids and learn about teaching ( the kindergarten use a Montessori’s Program, that i found really interesting).

Of course to make this sort of things i decided to get out from my comfortable zone and challenged myself.

I decided to get out from my routine, i first left Italy to star my adventure in Australia, then after Australia i set up another challenge to myself, and now i'm here in Laos, not for long, in one month for example i will start again to hitchhike, trying to reach the Laos/Vietnam border, to explore the next country.

Then is YOUR CHOICE to you make your life HAPPY.

Letter to Japan ( Happy Valentine's Day)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 12:39:00 +0000

Hello my dear!!

Why did you write something like that? I want you to be happy, i want you continue to smile.
I actually spent the day by myself in front of my laptop...such a good St Valentine's isn't it?
I actually never celebrate st. Valentine's day as i never had a girlfriend...my bad...
I'm traveling and looks like i can't have a girlfriend if i'm doing this kind of life...
I don't love anyone and i don't know if i will do it in the future...(well of course i will, i want to be happy isn't it? And love, is just one piece of the puzzle to be happy)

As i was telling you i spent my day in front of my laptop because i'm working on my blog, and actually yesterday i found a website to upload my photos, and i think this it might be an useful tool.
Everything is just started so will be pretty crap!!
But i would like you have a look this website, it might be interesting to keep in touch through our pictures!!
It's called 500px, i don't know if you already know about it!!
Here you can see the link of my profile and the pictures i already uploaded:

https://500px.com/alessiomaltrotto

and here, there is my blog's link:

http://ekofocus.blogspot.com

Hope to keep in touch, well of course we will!!

Actually i want to say couple of things...i'm really glad to had the chance to meet you in Tokyo, and if your country wasn't so expensive, i was coming back for the spring, but unluckily i'm not rich and Japan is way too expensive to come back so soon, anyway, in the future i will come back for sure!
I can't miss the cherry blossom season, this thing is in my Bucket list.
So this will happen way in the future, and i don't know how many years i will need have the opportunity to visit again the Country where the samurai used to walk.

I'm without plan for my life, well maybe i have way too many plans actually, but not one is for a stable life...
I want continue to travel for now, and i know this will be a good thing for my skills, pictures or even a future portfolio but...sometimes i think this is a tough decision.
I'm seeing such beautiful shots from around the world, that i'm feeling a small part of the sand in the Sahara's desert.
I was looking the pictures i took during my trip until now, and i see how i improved myself after i went to Myanmar...

Actually right know that i'm writing, i'm feeling less confident of myself.
It might be because when you stop your mind, and you start to think at what you're doing, when you realise you're jumping in a black hole it's scary.
The mind is powerful, it can make you feel invincible and can kick you down and feel powerless, that's why we need to be careful to it, and if you can control your mind you will be able to control every emotions on yourself.
This is also another think i learnt in Myanmar.

Still a lot to do, still a lot to learn, still wondering if this is a good path for me...but i think that until i will feel free, and i will find a way to travel, i will continue to do it, hopefully will be the right choice...
And if will not be the one, well i pursuit something i like it, and i will be happy because i followed my heart and not what the society imposes to us.

Also because i think, my process of traveling is not only made of photography, even if it became a important part of it.
I started to travel before discovering my passion on taking pictures, now i can travel and use my camera as my third eye, i can use my camera to show people who're not traveling what they're missing in their life, or just to please them eyes.
Travelling is also a process of growing, i'm learning more about myself, i started to discovery my passions, i see also travelling as a challenge to put myself on the line, to get out of the comfortable zone and live a more intense life comparing of my "previous" one.

I think i'm talking, or well writing to much, i don't want bother you with this kind of things.
I hope you are still smiling, because i don't want see sad faces of people who i care!!

P.s. I already sent your gift back to Italy so it is safe at home.

Big Kiss

Alessio

Why this blog?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 11:05:00 +0000

I'm starting to blog because i want to share with everyone through my pictures, through my stories, through my ideas, what is happening in my life since i started to travel.

I will try to give you tips, informations, and i will telling how it changed the way how i'm travelling, also to show to everyone who says, that they don't have money, they don't have time, they don't have...and i could continue for hours, to show that if you want, you can travel really cheap even with a budget of 10$ a day or even less.

Walking to reach the Laos's border from Cambodia

I think most of the people will just try to find an excuse when i ask "why you are not doing it as well?", yes because many people always say to me, that i'm doing a good life, and they would like to do it but...but the find excuses.

(Ok sometimes they might have already put themselves in a way to live who could be impossible make this kind of changes, and I'm thinking of people who decided to have a family, and have kids, they made a choice, a really important one, because be a father or mother is the hardest but at the same time beautiful "job" you could have in your life.

But if you're not in this kind of position...well try to put away your excuses).

I think in your life there are priorities, made by yourself, and i can understand that, but i mean, i you really want i can tell you, YOU CAN DO IT.

First you need to get out to the comfortable zone, and start to travel solo might be scary at the start, you might think you can't do it, but is just because you never tried before.

Everything is unknown is scary, this is how the mind works, but i think you have to find your limits, you have to find your fears, and fight against them, you can do it, you MUST DO IT, if you want improve yourself, if you want grow as person, if you want enjoy the life, if you want actually LIVE.

If i look backwards, i think i wasted so much time of my life, if i could come back with my mentality now i don't know where i could be...but as soon i understand is not possible, i come back on a more reasonable thinking, and i start to find opportunity to use this state of mind to help others, and that's how it start the blog's idea.

I know and i agree with the concept of " You will learn by your own mistakes" but i also think, that sometimes some tips to avoid stupid mistakes are a valuable help to anyone who is keen to don't crash his/her own head against the wall.

So that's s why i started to write this blog.

Ihope my broken english will not be a problem, and i will be really glad for any corrections or questions about any kind of things.

Working for you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 08:02:00 +0000

Trying to figure it out a better blog's layout

Pages under constructions

Who is this guy?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 12:32:00 +0000

Yeah this is an interesting question.

As every human being, i have a long story behind me, my past is made from the choices i made, and these choices, conscious or unconscious make me the person who i am now, so there is a lot to say about it, but i will not bother you with these kind of story (yet).

By the way briefly, i grew up in Italy, in a place called Cinisello Balsamo.

It’s not a famous place, so i don’t expect you know anything about it, but i can say is a kind of city not far from Milan, but still part of the suburb area.

I had nice time when i was a kid and less easy in a psychological way, growing up due to family’s issues.

I always felt as i wasn’t born in the right place or the right moment, i was feeling different, but maybe because anyone on the world is different, but maybe this issue was made by my mind who wanted feeling “special”.

At school i discovered Literature and Philosophy, instead Psychology a discovered a bit by myself, reading books i was feeling interesting about it.

After high school i needed to decide about my future, but when you have to make this kind of decisions it might be, that your life didn’t give you enough experience yet to make the right decision.

So i ended up deciding to study Economics Business and Administration in Bicocca's University in Milan.

At that moment i was feeling that choice was the the right decision for me, based not on what i like, but based on what the society decide for you.

I was feeling in trap, i wanted to be more independent, so i decided to study a major who could easily lead you to find a job, earn my own money and finding my own way.

At this point the decision was been made. I was studying without enjoying it, feeling not interested at all in what the professors were teaching me.

I was feeling frustrated, and BAM. The economical crisis hit Europe, and also in Italy the unemployment rate increased, the wages were not paying for the knowledge you could achieve through the university, so for many various reasons i felt even less motivated.

I ended up finding couple of books that helped me quite a lot.

The crucial part was: my "not motivation", so when i found this book called “ 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself”, ( and i vivid recommend also the other Steve Chandler's books) i decided to buy it, hoping it could help to motivate myself and let me keep on going with my studies.

The things is, as part of my behaviour, as part of myself, i hate and i can’t stop and leave something incomplete.

So also if after one year i discovered that what i was studying was not enjoyable and not interesting, i couldn’t decide to stop my study there and choose another path.

Two were the reasons, the first was: in my philosophy, i always felt the time is really important, much more important than money.

A small example is: if you spend one year studying something, and after you quit, you waste one year of your life without achieving anything, (i can make a small distortion about this concept now, but before that was my way of thinking, and the small difference now, i would say, you don’t waste your time, because anyway you meet people and you will experience things that make you the person that you will be). So in my philosophy the time you “wasted” will never come back, no one is able to give you back your time, instead,if we make a small comparison with money, well the money that you can loose, or you waste somewhere, you can always be able to get it back, even if it will take time or energy, but is something that you can get it back.

But not the time, the time will never come back to you.

That’s why i couldn’t stop what i was studying leaving something incomplete and surrounding myself on it, and that’s why i decided to continue studying something i didn’t like it.

The second reason was also important, actually there was nothing on my mind important enough to make the change possible.

Ok i was really interested in Psychology, but still confused about what many people used to say about it, making examples of so many Psychology's

students who were grasping to find a job.

By the way, i was thirsty of independence, so i kept on going on my way, and the book i mentioned before it really helped me.

Actually the motivation who i achieved through the book was so great that made me start to change myself, i was enjoying the book’s suggestions, and step by step i started to improve myself, at the same time, this motivation and this changing, made me more conscious about my inner side, my limits, and the way how overcome these limits.

That's how I manage to finish faster my studies and why I decided to jump in another continent.

I was looking for independence, I wanted a new challenge which was help me to grow and improve myself.

That's why I decided to go in Australia, with the conscious goal to improve my English, and the unconscious one to become a new person.

Australia gave me more of that, maybe wasn't Australia but the people who I met in my path, maybe was also me, who I was looking for something, and just due to a different environment make me change step by step even more.

And the end of one chapter, is just the start of the next one, that's how I started to travel, after my Working Holiday Visa in Australia expired, that's how i started to meet different people with great ideas, with awesome way to travel, keeping myself open to change, open to improve, open to grow!

That’s is where i am now.

I would like to say that i am nowhere, and at the same time i'm everywhere, with many ideas on my mind, with, many things i would like to do, and and only one life to live.

Hopefully one life will be enough, probably not, but until i will enjoy every day and every moment, i am sure i will be happy also with only one life to be lived.