I opt for independent travel because the sense of freedom and the ongoing encounters with both locals and fellow travelers is incomparable. I may not see all one might on a tour, but sitting at a cafe, wandering the streets, shopping in a local market, even getting lost in a maze of metros provide me with invaluable moments that rival the best monuments. And my interaction with people is markedly different.

When taking a local bus, boat, or train my companions are likely to be those who live in the land I have chosen to visit. To share a seat with a woman holding a live chicken in her lap, or a man transporting tiers and tiers of homemade dessert to market, or a man adroitly maneuvering his scooter onto a ferry over laden with huge sacks of goods, or watching children transport large containers of water they have just filled at the river remind me that “a daily routine” is defined differently throughout the world.

I am offered such glimpses with a bit more uncertainty and effort,  but it is well worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.

One of the best lessons learned while traveling is the discovery that we can flourish with much less than we thought possible, including a common tongue. Will it be more challenging? Undoubtedly. But it is well worth it.There will always be someone willing to play charades or delighted to practice his/her English. When in doubt, a student is a decent bet. In cities there is usually at least one hotel where helpful staff, even if you are not staying there, speak English and will jot down a name or address for you in their own language.

I recall standing at a bus stop with such a paper and showing it to an older woman. She promptly held my hand and waited with me…and waited with me, until the proper bus arrived. She then made sure the driver knew where I wished to go. Her kindness and the kindness of so many others make these voyages unforgettable.

Of course it is best to know the basics. I learn how to say “thank you” even if it takes me many days to master(you would be surprised)and a big smile helps. Bring a bilingual dictionary in addition to, or instead of, a phrase book. One word often captures a general idea and pointing to a map works too. Youtube videos, to learn a few essential phrases, can be a great start and there are translation apps, which I have not yet used. And you will almost always have other foreign travelers to speak with.

Now the choice of destinations is virtually endless.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.
 

In my previous post I espoused upon the advantages of staying at hostels. Somehow I suspect that you are not thoroughly convinced of its merits.  Perhaps you are thinking, ” But who stays there?”

In Ulaanbaator, Mongolia I met an archaeologist who worked for the US govt.  His job was to determine if sites, before they were used for armament testing, had any artifacts that needed to be spared. He had been invited to attend a conference and decided to stay awhile.  A linguist from Finland had enrolled in an intensive three week course to study Mongolian. There was an earthquake expert, studying Chinese in Beijing, who was taking a break by traveling for a couple of months. I spoke with a missionary couple who were in town to pray for someone very ill. They seemed less than impressed that Joni Mitchell came from their hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. But maybe that’s because they had never heard of her. A young Israeli intended to buy some horses that he would ride up to Siberia.  A woman had been traveling  throughout Asia for eight months and was now making her way on to Europe before heading back to her home in Japan .  A man from France had just finished four months of WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or Willing Workers on Organic Farms) and was catching his breath before determining what he was doing next. An Irish woman, who had been raised in Hong Kong, was enroute to visit family friends. A couple from Latvia were taking a long awaited vacation. There were a number of college age students, from various countries, who had chosen to take a gap year or were taking advantage of their summer holidays.

All of the above were folks I met, at the same hostel, within a four day period.

And the list goes on.