i want to get away far away from here to do the "finding my
true self" thing. But, i cannot seem to make a simple
decision like, where to go. India, Nepal, Thailand. I don't
know. I have never travelled before, so which would you
recommend?
Length of journey - 5 months
Budget - AU$10,000
[There are 24 posts - the latest was added on Sat 15 May, 16:17]
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Sandra
I popped in to visit this site this evening to find some
words of wisdom from someone, anyone who had
discovered "The Meaning"... having spent my entire weekend
deep in thought trying to "find myself" whilst frantically
driving around the state to get away from myself... and
trying to work out where to travel to next... and lo and
behold the first message I came across was yours -
hahahhh!! Your words promptly reminded me that no amount
of running can ever distance me from myself. So in answer
to your question Sandra... you could just as easily "find
yourself" whilst cleaning out the refrigerator as trekking
in Nepal.. but trekking in Nepal would be so much more
exciting! Take the plunge and go anywhere..
because "anywhere" is so much better than "here"..
regardless of where you go it is going to be an
adventure... new language and customs to learn, new food,
new sites, new sounds.. new problems! Wherever you go,
just squeeze every thing you can out of it! Good luck!!
Sandra,
Same situation, different country. I'm from the philippines
and I too am feeling out of sync. My first impulse was
Nepal but unfortunately I am under time constraints at the
moment. I did speak to some people who've been there and
they say it IS the way to go. It apparently "refreshes" the
mind and soul. Good luck on your decision and try rafting
if you do go! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
In 5 months you could probably visit all 3 of those
countries, although obviously you wouldn't see everything
in each one. If you have to choose just one, why not read
as much as you can about these places and see what "grabs"
you.
Another thing to consider is, what are you going to do in
your 5 months? Would you be happy just looking at the
scenery, or would you have to achieve something; learn Thai
cookery, teach English, climb to Everest Base Camp, work
with lepers in India etc., etc. Just a few ideas!
Go to thailand. India is for the experienced,
the high poverty will certainly get to you.
Thailand is poor too, but better digestable for a first
timer.
Leontien
Anywhere. All you need is time away from people. Amazing
what a bit of 'loneliness' can do.
I went to Africa for 6 months and I think the change was subtle. I think it helps to see how differently people live, be it Africa or India or SE Asia. $10,000 will get you a decent trans Africa trip with spending money to spare. It is rough going and tends to help you shed all the unnecessary things in your life and just concentrate on getting from one day to the next.
I'm heading to Peru this summer and am interested in hearing
any suggestions on sights to see and places to go. I've got
a dusty pair of hiking boots that will do me well on the
road to Machu Pichu (Been there? Any tips on Guides?), and
am also a vegetarian so any tips on eating right in the
third world are needed. I had this initial plan to buy a
motorcycle and tour the countryside for 2 months like a
young Che Guevere. Nice pipedream, right? I'd also
appreciate any stories of mad adventures to get me excited,
so send those e-mails asap.
I found my two months in India did much for my sense of
myself. I didn't go, per se, "to find myself" but more to
find more of myself. My analogy at the time was that my
life was pretty familiar, so the parts of me that I needed
to call on to get through a day were pretty familiar.
Nothing was bringing out anything surprising and new in my
character. I was so suited by my environment I had become
like a smooth stone in a river, making few ripples and
changing only very slowly. So I wanted to put myself in a
situation where things would be UNfamiliar, to see how I
responded. I didn't do the death-defying things that I
admire others for (trekking, rock-climbing, etc.) but being
in an entirely alien environment pointed out things about
people and life and myself I didn't know. It got me out of
that life rut.
Granted, I was not an experienced traveller at the time, so
any international trip might have had a similar effect --
in fact, going to India as a first trip might have been a
bit drastic! But I treasure the memories, and would go
back in a second. Except, well, I wanna see Thailand
first...
We are headed "around the world". Between us we speak five
languages and have done some travelling.
We would like advice on planning a trip and what our
chances are of getting deep into China, Mongolia, and
Russia. We would also like to visit several countries in
the African continent.
Any tips on planning, where to go, how to pack (trekking),
would be much appreciated.
We are looking to exit our comfort zones and are really
interested in exciting, challenging travel.
Ciao
Sandra,
Have you ever heard of the Osho commune in India. It's a
college in Puna India. I've gotten brochures from them and
plan to go in the monsoon season. Take a gander at them.
Osho.com.
My sister and I need a holiday for a week! We have about $2,000 to spend and want to go somewhere in July 99. We would like somewhere that is hot, interesting, good night life (when needed) and relaxing. Because we only have a weeks leave we need somewhere that is not too far from Sydney. We were thinking of maybe Fiji or Tahiti - any ideas??
want to go to denver wt r v for two week i will cover all expense need a vacation let me know must be veryfuny and sporty and good driver and enjoy outdoor and have talent
Landing in Cairo-taxi to the New Palace Hotel-'Bargain with
'Tiger' (one of the owners) for arranging stays in
Luxor/Aswan & luxury trip 'down' the Nile. Cairo museums
within walking distance - Khan el Kalili & Pyramids by
taxi...Oh yes...diving in Sharm reached by ferry from
Hurghada. These 2 seniors 'had a ball' on the lowest of
budgets.
If u r around 22, good looking girl,
just come to Slovak Republic (former Czecho-slovakia) in
central Europe. (NOT Yougoslavia) It's excellent here,
niceguys, kewl people .. and a lot of fun :]
heh .. and goo d history and scenery .. well everything.
The best city = Kosice www.kosice.sk
and we'll take care of u, baby
vladi
I love to travel, over the hol world, to be far away from
home. But wen a in ex.azia i feel also lost but in a good
wey. Your have the thense to see oder peapel over the hol
woreld. sosialising is the most buitefol thing you kan do
when your are lost in the fouktop woreld we live in.
Live your live. Bay a ticket en flay a wey. See the woreld
like it is and tike some insperiation to make your live
beter.
I'am from Belgium, souw dont loke to good hauw a rhite this
tekst. I love your all and have a nice holiday.
Definitely Thailand, suitably different for you, but easier
enough too, and your cash will go a fair distance.
Martha's Vineyard: unspeakable beauty around the island.
(Massachusetts - United States of America)
Does anyone know the average wage for Bar Attendant is in
Ireland, say Cork City - age:23 with 5 years experience?
As someone from Ireland said here, beware the "foreignor"
or you will, I hear, be paid poorly. Do they have set
Award Wages for Hosp. Industry, - penalty rates for after
midnight, weekends, etc....some kind of regulations? Great
to know as need to work awhile. Thanks.
Find yourself by cleaning the fridge? If I found myself in
my fridge I'd be past my sell-by date, covered in green fur
and distinctly smelly!
But seriously, the main thing to remember is that you find
yourself by doing what YOU want to do - you can't be at
peace if you're following others jut for the sake of it
(but that's another story ........). That doesn't
automatically mean you're selfish; your "thing" could be
looking after lepers in India, teaching English to Thai
kids or staying at home and cleaning somebody else's fridge!
Hi,
this day i made a very bad experience with an organisated
tour to the Colca-Canyon from one of the Arequipa agencies.
When I booked the tour, they promised me to be in a small
group with a maximum of 10 people and to pick me up at 8:30
am or at 9:00 at the latest. I waited one and an half hour
and there was a bus with 30 people pulked together from
different agencies. Not enough, when they picked me up, they
said, that they were now directly going to the ca±on and
that the delay happend because so many travellers were
delayed. My hotel is nearly 10 km out of the center of
town in direction to the Ca±on and they had nothing better
to do than to drive back into town, without any
explannation. That's something what I call desorganisation
and I went to reclaim the money.
To avoid things like this just take the local bus at
noon from the main busstation to Cabanaconde and walk back
to the "Cruz del Condor", where you probably can see condors
between 7:00 am to 9:00 am. To walk there will take you
about 2 hrs. You can go back to Arequipa or Chivay with the
bus which starts at Cabanaconde at 10:00 am and will be at
Cruz del Condor a few minutes later.
Up to now, while travelling in the south of Peru I joined
different tours, like the boat trip to the islands of the
lake Titicaca, the Incatrail and a roundtrip to some
Inca-ruins near Cuzco and I really enjoyed them.
Your opinion please!
How would you rate: (1:terrible, 2:poor, 3:fair, 4:good
5:great)
1) Researching specific leisure travel destinations on
the web?
2) Planning a leisure travel on the web?
3) Researching cruise destinations and packages on the
web?
4) Planning a cruise on the web?
5) What do you think could be done to improve 1-4?
6) Other thoughts?
Please respond to giza@expressotech.com or post here.
Thank you.
Hi!
I would recommend you to take time to talk to someone you
think has totally different values from your own. This can
be done basically everywhere, but by just moving away from
the comfort of your homecountry it somehow turns out to be
easier.
Eventually you might find that everyone all over are more or
less the same.
Good luck!
hi sandra!
i've been nepal trekking......it was perfect and i never
once regretted doing that! an advice though, if u wanna do
some fair amount of trekking, go under the poplular
trekking agencies in kathmandu. its much cheaper to
organise from there then from other countries. coz when u
get to trek in a group, u learn tons more like their
culture and songs! i've seen many female trekkers there but
i feel if u really don't wanna miss out the 'culture
learning' part, go join a group with a guide!u can always
be on your own in the mountainside areas, such as pokhara.
its gorgeous!! or head for Malaysia, like Sabah and
Sarawak! these places are relatively safe as long as u take
proper precautions and avoid wearing anything too exposing.
hope ya whack these places if u can!
u'll always meet many female solos especially in asia!
you could come to Malaysia and stay in Kuala Lumpur for a
beginning.I have a huge flat where I would be staying till
August end.You can stay there and then plan trips to
Thailand and Singapore and then India(where I belong).That
way you would be saving money and having the whole house and
day to plan things.I am a doctor and so would would be away
most of the time.I understand your position and this is the
least I can do for you.Get in touch.Bye,
Joy