It’s Game Time!

Hostel Bookers is running a game of photo tag and were kind enough to include us in their inaugural post. I love going back through photographs that I haven’t looked at recently. Each one tells a story and reminds me of a precious moment in time. Along with my fellow photographer friends, Bears and Beans, The Travel Tart, Traveling Canucks, Landlopers, Canvas of Light, and Virtual Wayfarer, we are kicking off the game and sharing our favourite Seven Super Travel Photos.

Play with us in 5 easy steps

1. Choose 7 of your own photos, one for each of the following categories:

• A photo that…takes my breath away
• A photo that…makes me laugh or smile
• A photo that…makes me dream
• A photo that…makes me think
• A photo that…makes my mouth water
• A photo that…tells a story
• A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

2. Write a short description for each image.
3. Write somewhere in your blog post: ‘I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots‘.
4. Tell us you have participated and tweet the hashtag #7SuperShots
5. Nominate 5 other bloggers by including a link to their blog in your post.

Hostelbookers will be retweeting and sharing the best posts from participating bloggers. Make sure to tag us on twitter with your 7 Photos so that we can tweet it as well!

Take a look at HostelBookers own list of 7 photos that… and see what photo we contributed along with our 6 other partners in crime.

1.       Photo that takes my breath away

Mount Doom and the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand

It’s known as one of the best one day treks in the world. The Tongariro Crossing on New Zealand’s North Island certainly lives up to the hype. We started our hike early in the morning and the crisp air may have chilled our bones, but the brisk morning made for clear skies and gave the partially frozen dew a glimmering beauty. With Mount Doom looming in the background, I envisioned the Hobbits fighting their way up this epic mountain to return the ring. The colours and the beauty of the Tongariro Crossing took my breath away at every turn.

2.       Photo that makes me laugh/smile

Playing on a Water Buffalo in Myanmar

We were riding bicycles around Inle Lake, Myanmar when we came across these two little cuties. They were keeping watch on their water buffalo and when they saw us motioned us to come over and say hi. They didn’t speak a word of English, we didn’t speak a word of Burmese but they loved posing for Dave’s camera. The boy in the front was the real ham and kept shoving his little brother out of the way. Dave would snap  some photos, he would show them their shot on the screen and they laughed and giggled while motioning him to take another. It makes us smile because that was a very good day and these boys will always remain on our memory for the rest of our lives.

3.       Photo that makes me dream

Sunset in Chobe National Park, Botswana

Chobe National Park has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in all of Africa.What is unique about a safari here is that you cruise the Chobe river to spot game. Elephants are a plenty in Chobe and we saw many as we rode our bikes along the famed Elephant Highway. But it was during our river cruise that we were truly at peace. As the evening came to an end, this bird spread it’s wings as if saluting sun while saying goodbye to another beautiful day on the continent of Africa.

4.       Photo that makes me think 

Malawi Portrait

We were visiting a project for Plan Canada, the charity we raised money and awareness for as we cycled Africa. The entire village came out to say hello to us and show off their schools, fields, well and medical centre all built with the help of Plan Canada. Today it is a sustainable operation that is independently run by the village itself. As swarms of children followed our every move, this young girl carrying a baby on her back caught my eye. Her calm manner stood out among the energetic group and I wondered what she was thinking about? I wonder what her future will be and where she is today?

5.       Photo that makes my mouth water 

The amazing lobster in Fiji

I don’t take a lot of food photographs, but while we were in Fiji, it seemed that food constantly caught my attention. We were staying at the Pearl Fiji and each night we were treated to a spectacular feast. When we entered the restaurant we enjoyed our welcome drink of Kava, sat down to a meal complete with local entertainment and enjoyed heavenly dished like this lobster. Mmm Mmm Good.

6.       Photo that tells a story

The Three Gorges Dam Project in China

China was a fascinating place to explore. The old is being erased to make for the new and modern 21st century. As we sailed through the Three Gorges, our guides explained how the massive feat of engineering, The Three Gorges Damn project flooded the entire area burying thousand year old villages under the later never to be heard from again. Ancient temples were destroyed and cultural monuments were lost only to be rebuilt and replicated for tourist to view. But there are pockets of China where people still cling to the past and a simple fisherman can be found working on the water. While cruise liners and luxury ships pass, rural families cling to their past and follow the traditions of their ancient ancestors.

7. Photo that I am most proud of (aka my National Geographic photo)

Sunset in Wadi Rum, Jordan

It seemed that every turn in Jordan offered an opportunity to take that “National Geographic Shot” but many have already seen my pictures of Petra. And I am more drawn to my time in Wadi Rum. Taking a camel ride in the middle of the Arabian Desert at sunset is something that I dreamed of doing as a child scouring through my parents National Geographic collection. When I think of the National Geographic of my childhood, I think of photos like this. Photos that give you a glimpse of the way of life in an exotic land.

I nominate:

• Fogg Odyssey
• Johnny vagabond
• Green Global travel
• Wild About Travel
• Aviators and a Camera 

We were happy to leave our overpriced Hosteria in Ushuaia and move on to the Quark Expeditions pre boarding hotel, the Las Hayas Resort. Prices are super duper high in Ushuaia and our little Hosteria cost us $115 per night for a very basic accommodation that would be $20 or $30 bucks somewhere else. The Las Hayas is a major step up from where we were staying standing high on a hill far away from the city in a secluded wooded forest.

The Garden Leading to Spa

As soon as we arrived we took a deep breath and relaxed. Soft 80′s rock music was playing in the lounge and since it is from our era, we found it very comforting. We had to check out of our hosteria at 10:00 am so we arrived early to Las Hayas. They were friendly and accommodating and while we waited for our room to be prepared, we took advantage of their free wifi (as usual)

But it was off to the spa once we were booked and had our luggage sent to our room. We weren’t going anywhere today, it was hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas for us.

It was strange to head to this luxury spa though and not see a soul around. There was a check in counter, but no receptionist on duty. So instead of turning back, we opened the unlocked door to the reception area, grabbed some towels and turned on the lights. We then turned on the steam room setting the temperature to an unbearable 50? Celsius and turned up the Sauna to “11″

While the rooms warmed, we swam in the bathtub like pool, and hung out in the comfortable whirlpools that we had all to ourselves.

Spending the afternoon moving from one hot room and pool to another tired us out, so before our briefing we went back to our room to have a nap. Ah, life is truly tough on our Antarctica adventure, but we’re taking advantage of everything. Soon we’ll be paddling in the Antarctic Peninsula, jumping into the icy waters for the Polar Plunge and winter camping in sub zero overnight  temperatures on the continent.

We deserve a little Pre Antarctica Pampering. 

Our Antarctica adventure is brought to you by Quark Expeditions

Check out Quark Expeditions for planning your own Antarctic Expedition. Mention ThePlanetD and receive 5% off your booking - 5% can be redeemed on any voyage and is be combinable with any of Quark’s promotions.

If your feeling like you need a little pick me up this winter, our ongoing Travel Inspiration series is just what you may need. We’re nearing the end of our week of inspiration and the stories that have been coming out of these awesome travel bloggers have been amazing. Enjoy this one about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing your limits. 

Being Afraid of People and Couchsurfing Anyway by Jackie DesForges

I am not a people person. 

This stems more from the fact that I am painfully shy than it does from my being a mean or Scrooge-like person. As a result, I’ve never considered myself the best candidate for couch surfing, and I’ve always preferred hostels as my main option for lodging. Unfortunately I am also a recent graduate with very little money to spend when I’m traveling, which does not translate so well into paying for lodging whenever I go somewhere. My first foray into the world of couch surfing was therefore a reluctant but financially necessary one, and it occurred when I was backpacking through Europe with my boyfriend two summers ago.

Our first couch belonged to my friend Hilliary in Berlin. Hilliary and I knew each other from college but not well; I felt somewhat awkward when I sent her the facebook request asking if we could stay with her, assuming she would think I was trying to use her for her free lodging (which was, honestly, somewhat true at the time). To my surprise I received an extremely enthusiastic response, and she even offered to show us around the city the whole time we were there.

When we arrived, there was no couch anywhere in her tiny apartment, and we realized that she was going to let us have her whole bedroom to ourselves while she stayed at her boyfriend’s place. Her roommate was away for a few days, so we had the whole run of the apartment to ourselves. In the few days we stayed with her, Hilliary and I became genuine friends. She introduced us to her favorite dish, something I still cannot spell or pronounce, and translated a humorous conversation we had with a few bums in the park during an evening picnic. She showed us around, she translated street signs, she and I talked about all the things back home we hadn’t ever realized we had in common. The entire time I had been afraid of feeling like an imposition, but she made me feel like we were old friends catching up after a summer apart. We are still great friends, and I’ll be staying with her again on an upcoming trip later this year.

Berlin

Our time in Berlin was split between her apartment and the mattress of a guy that my boyfriend had previously met through the couchsurfing website a year earlier. He was a musician, a traveler, and a serial couch surfing host, and when we arrived we realized we’d be sharing the house with a few other travelers who were also passing through. Like Hilliary, this host also let us have his bed and room for the night, and I began to wonder if couches were ever actually involved in couch surfing. This house seemed to have an open door policy, and anyone who walked through was immediately welcomed, as though they had been expected to show up at that exact time.

It wasn’t the cleanest or most comfortable house, and certainly not the quietest, but it was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever seen. The walls revealed layer after layer of paint and paper peeling off, covered in certain parts by words in various languages and sketches that were either drawn or scratched by someone who had been there before us. In this place I felt more of a connection with the house than I did with the host; I think that’s an overlooked part of couchsurfing, the relationship you form with the different houses, apartments, walls, and floors that give you shelter when you’re far away from home. The house itself, its smells and colors, can have as much of an effect on your memory of that time as the person living there can.

Budapest

After Berlin, we traveled through a few cities until we made our way into Budapest and into the home of Balazs, a Hungarian musician and architect.  He’s one of those people who doesn’t seem to have a specific age; I placed him between 32 and 40. Most of the time I was distracted by the orange and black striped knee socks he wore for the majority of our stay. Never have I met someone more like a sitcom character. On our second day in Budapest he took us on a daylong bike tour of the city – for free, because he happened to know the woman working the bike rentals. Later that night, we finally got to experience the couch aspect of couch surfing on a very uncomfortable foldout couch bed.

Balazs was tireless. He wanted to show us everything. This enthusiasm for his city and his background in architecture made him an incomparable host – he knew everything about every single building, statue, and park in Budapest, and he wanted us to hear and learn everything we could while we were there. Trying to keep up with him was sometimes exhausting, but I doubt I would have seen as much as I did if I hadn’t stayed with him. He reminded me how much of the world I still want to see and learn about, and how little time there always seems to be to do it. Most of the travel stories that get a laugh out of my audience have to do with Balazs and my time in Budapest.

Before meeting each of these three hosts, I hadn’t expected anyone to be mean or unwelcoming, but I had definitely expected to feel like an imposition. Traveling is nerve-wrecking enough without having to worry about putting anyone out. However, I know that traveling is also about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing your own limits, and I think I’m stubborn enough to keep doing that, to keep meeting people, to keep doing things that I wouldn’t be doing if I was sitting at home reading other people’s travel stories from my own couch. My couch is pretty great, pretty safe, and pretty comfortable, but I know I can’t bring it with me when I go…and really, why would I want to?

Jackie DesForges is a writer from Los Angeles currently living in Chicago. To date she has served as a student ambassador in England and France, a volunteer in Mexico, an art student on the Riviera, and a fledgling travel writer in Edinburgh. Currently she spends her time blogging about travels past and present at http://jackietravels.com and saving her pennies for her next great adventure overseas.
Blog: www.jackietravels.com
Twitter: @jackie_travels
Couchsurfing page: http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/jdpickle/

Inspirational Series 

This is an ongoing series of inspiring stories from intrepid travellers around the world. If you have an experience in travel that changed your life, made you look at the world differently or an amazing moment that you want to share, please contact us for more details and we will email you right back.. You can also read more about submitting an article to this series at Calling All Writers, Share your Inspirational Travel Story

Read More Inspirational Stories

• Inspired by Peru
• Cycling Through Vang Vieng Laos
• I Celebrated my 50th Birthday in Chianti
• Real Men Don’t Cry
• What Happens When You Follow Your Heart
• From Little Englander To Travel Lover 
• Freedom Found
•  The Yoga Retreat That Made Me Quit My Day Job 
• Learning that it’s OK to be a Quitter 
• Zulu Memories in South Africa by Green Global Travel
• What I Would Tell You (If I Had the Words)
•  Charity for the Philippines a Birthday Adventure
• Habitat for Humanity in Alaska
• Inspired at the Summit of Mount Roy 
• Inspirational Travel: Fishing For Friendship 

As we make our way around the tiny town of Ushuaia it is hard not to miss the Portlands. They are the lifeblood of this small city that is the southern most city in the world. Between container ships, Antarctic cruises and other ships this is one busy place. The weather is unpredictable in this part of the world, so when I got the opportunity where it was not raining or snowing I ceased it to grab a few shots of this impressive waterway.

The Beagle channel was always a haven for sailors who battled the rough seas of the Drake Passage. After crossing this body of water I can see what it is called the roughest seas in the world. It certainly makes you sit up and give the respect deserved to mother nature.

I processed this image as a black and white because I thought the drama that it captures really embodies to the feeling you get when look out towards the passageway that leads to the roughest waters around. Choosing to use B&W for certain images is tough. I think that for me B&W photography captures emotion and drama better than colour. Hopefully I was able to show that here.

So as the storm clouds loom on the horizon imagine yourself getting ready to face waves anywhere up to 20m in height and face your fears on the open ocean. It is enough to scare anyone into becoming a land lubber.

The Port of Ushuaia, Argentina in B & W

We’re in the latter half of our week of Travel Inspiration by these incredible guest writers. Enjoy this latest instalment from Machu Picchu, a truly life changing destination. 

Inspired by Peru by Arienne Parzei 

I remember the moment so vividly. I was on the phone with one of my best friends. She had just found out the news that she had been selected to lead a research and development team in Peru for 6 months. It was a big deal for her because it was her first assignment leading a team, and also meant infield experience for her. But little did I know at the time how much my friend’s new assignment would impact me.

After my congratulations I just blurted out, “I’m going to visit you”. She laughed and said, “of course, you have to!” I’m not sure if she thought I was serious, I didn’t either. I actually had to go and check a map to see exactly where it was located in South America, but for about a month after that all I could think about was Peru.

I made that trip a reality in January of 2008. It was full of firsts for me; my first solo trip, my first backpacking trip, and my first time visiting a 3rd world country. There were a lot of new things I had to plan and prepare for. This was going to be a different type of travel, much to the concern of my parents, and even to me truthfully. I decided it would be best that I join a tour for three weeks and then meet up with my friend for the final week of my stay in Peru. I wasn’t exactly going to be alone on the trip, but I was traveling solo.
I researched online for months about all the equipment I would need and general information about solo female travel. I had been awoken to a vast amount of online information that I never knew existed before. I was so inspired and felt more confident knowing that there were others who had done this before and lived to tell the tale.

Our tour itinerary was jam-packed. It would start in Lima, work down to Pisco and the Nazca Lines. We would visit the colonial town of Arequipa, climb the mountains to visit Colca Canyon, and stay overnight with a family in a local village on the highest lake above sea level, Lake Titicaca. We would then head over to Cuzco and hike the famous Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu for 4 days and 3 nights. Our trip would wrap up with a flight into the Amazon, exploring and staying in the rainforest and then finish back in Lima.

I remember waving goodbye to my mother at the airport, tears in both our eyes, with a sparkling new backpack on my back packed with everything I hoped would serve me well for the trip. I was excited and nervous, to say the least.
Nearly 4 years later and looking back on that trip, so many things are still fresh in my memory. I remember the beautiful faces of the children, the rich colours of fabric the women would sell on the side of the road, the horrible taste of coca-leaf tea (which is supposed to help with altitude sickness), the earthy smell of food being cooked, zooming head-first down a sand dune on a snowboard, flying in a tiny prop plane over the Nazca Lines, and the impressive strength and agility of our porters on the Inca Trail.

Hiking the Inca Trail was by far the highlight of the trip. It was grueling and exhilarating all at the same time. The scenery was impressive, and thoughts about the indigenous people doing the same route hundreds of years before danced in my head. It was a magical feeling sleeping in a tent on the mountains and waking up amongst the clouds. But it was even more magical reaching our final destination, Machu Picchu. It was a surreal experience walking amongst the ruins, taking it all in. I couldn’t help but think about how it was discovered in the first place, being surrounded by mountains on all sides. I still remember this eerie spirit, or mystical vibe of civilizations past, that seemed to float through the air. I spent some time just sitting on a rock near the top, soaking in the surroundings. It was a spiritual and humbling moment. I felt so calm and relaxed and inspired all at the same time. I literally could have sat there all day.

I got to see and experience so much in the four weeks I visited Peru, but I walked away with more than just memories and souvenirs. I walked away with more confidence in myself, and the ability to travel to developing countries. I also gained the understanding of the day-to-day life of those living with much less than we’re afforded at home, which put a lot of perspective on the kind of life I was living.
At the end of my trip, I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to accomplish in life and set two major goals for myself. I decided I wanted to live abroad for a period of time and that I wanted to do a major backpacking trip at some point that would last 6-months to a year. It’s now been almost 4 years later and I can say I’ve accomplished both. This past August, my boyfriend and I completed two years living and teaching English in South Korea, and we’re now 3 months into a long-term backpacking trip throughout Southeast Asia.

Traveling is so rewarding and educational for me in many ways. I learn something new about myself every time I travel. But more importantly, it gives me the opportunity to learn first-hand about other cultures and the people who live in them. I can’t imagine the rest of my life without travel in it.

Author Bio:
Arienne Parzei is a Canadian who has been traveling and working abroad since 2009.

Though a videographer by trade, she has now expanded her interests into travel journalism and web design. She lives and travels with her long-term boyfriend Tristan, always looking forward to where the road will take them next. You can follow their adventures at www.seeyousoon.ca,On twitter @seeusoontravel

Inspirational Series 

This is an ongoing series of Inspirational travel. If you have an experience in travel that changed your life, made you look at the world differently or an amazing moment that you want to share, please contact us for more details and we will email you right back.. You can also read more about submitting an article to this series at Calling All Writers, Share your Inspirational Travel Story

Read More Inspirational Stories

• I Celebrated my 50th Birthday in Chianti and Started a New Business
• Real Men Don’t Cry
• How Virtual Tourist Changed our Lives
• Round Trip Ticket, Backpack and Curiosity
• What Happens When You Follow Your Heart
• From Little Englander To Travel Lover 
• Freedom Found
•  The Yoga Retreat That Made Me Quit My Day Job 
• Learning that it’s OK to be a Quitter 
• Zulu Memories in South Africa by Green Global Travel
• What I Would Tell You (If I Had the Words)
•  Charity for the Philippines a Birthday Adventure
• Habitat for Humanity in Alaska
• Inspired at the Summit of Mount Roy 
• Inspirational Travel: Fishing For Friendship 

We awoke late in the morning to rain. Feeling a little unmotivated, we snuggled up and went back to bed for a couple more hours. Ushuaia is 2 hours ahead of Toronto and while we weren’t feeling jet lagged, we did feel a little groggy from our over 30-hour journey from Canada.  So we caught a couple more hours and to our delight, the sun was shining by the time we were ready to leave for town.

The sky had that perfect mix of cloud that Dave finds so perfect for HDR. The grey, yet fluffy clouds interspersed with blue skies as the wind blows changing the scenery constantly. It was the perfect time to take advantage of the sky before the next weather front moved in.

So we be braved the cold winds of Beagle Channel to grab photos and videos for our happy blog. We brought warm clothes with us, why didn’t we wear them? Gloves would have been a great idea, but no, all we had were our sweatshirts along with my new Canada Hat and Dave’s Rudy Project touque. That’s the extent of our protection from the Antarctic breeze. We’re Canadian eh! 

Never ones to turn away from a challenge, we kept on taking photos and videos and found the beauty in the chilly Antarctic breeze. We got lost in the work and it was late afternoon by the time we finished exploring.

Time to Eat. 

One problem though, everything closes between 3 and 5 and every restaurant that we entered turned us away in disgust. We found the only cafe open in town and made it in just in time. It filled quickly with other starving travellers and soon there wasn’t a table in the house. The rain came down as we ate our meals and we watched people duck in to look for a table only to leave with their heads down in search of comfort and warmth someplace else.

Here’s Where Panic Set In

It was when I went to pay the bill that I noticed one of my cards was missing. We went to the ATM the day earlier to take out some pesos and somehow my bank card didn’t make it back into my wallet. We searched everywhere and panic set in. 

What if I left it in the ATM? Someone could have cleaned us out! We ran back to the bank to see if anyone may have turned it in, but naturally it was closed. Everything shuts down here between 3 and 5!

We caught a cab back to our hotel to search for it there and to check the Internet to see if any money was missing. Luck was on our side, because all our banking was still in order. If someone had our bank card, they didn’t take any money out.

We still have our OneSimCard that we use to make calls when traveling, so we called our bank in Canada to cancel the card from our iPhone. We didn’t have to find a pay phone to call collect, we just called direct and it cost us about $2. While our hearts were still pounding, we were relieved to find that our mistake didn’t cost us any more than a cab ride and a cheap phone call.

We are normally so much more careful that this. We know better. We’ve even run after other travellers in the past who left their cards in the machine to give them their cards back. We’ve joked about how we pay attention to things and would never be so careless because we are paranoid about everything when it comes to money. And yet it finally happened to us.

It Can Happen So Easily. 

We remember being engrossed in a conversation. We chatted while we were banking and we weren’t paying attention to what we were doing. We think we didn’t finish off the transaction and while talking away, left without our card.

Whatever the case, we learned a valuable lesson and the next time we go to the ATM we are going to concentrate on the task at hand.

We took a day off from Travel Inspiration week yesterday to share a culinary post in China to celebrate Intrepid Travel’s Delicious Discoveries, but we’re back to our regularly scheduled program.  

We had such an amazing turn out for our inspirational travel series and we have been sitting on many stories for a few months. It is just too slow of a process to put them out only once a week so we decided to post a week of inspiration to excite you and inspire to make a change in your life or just head out for that much needed vacation. Enjoy!

Cycling Through the Countryside in Vang Vieng Laos by Dean Wickham

Vang Vieng in Laos is one of those places that you hear mixed reviews about. Some people have the time of their lives while others can’t wait to get out of there. The general apprehension is that if you’re a twenty year old backpacker wanting to get drunk and go tubing down a river, you’ll love it. If you fit into any other category, you’ll hate the place. I wanted to find out for myself.

The View from my Guest House

I awoke on my first morning in Vang Vieng ready to explore the laid back little town and see what it has to offer. I had no interest in getting sloshed and tubing down a river, so after a hearty breakfast I decided to rent a mountain bike from a small shop on the main street. The bike cost me 30,000 kip ($3.80) for the whole day, and the lady gave me a rough map of what I can go and see in the local area. I decided to head across the river and make my way to Poukham cave, which I had heard was interesting to explore and had a nice swimming hole nearby. I hadn’t ridden a bike for quite some time but I soon got the hang of it again (It’s like riding a bike). As I came to the bridge I paid the 5000 kip ($0.60) toll and rode my bike over the wooden bridge, crossing the beautiful Nam Song River that flows through the town.

Rice fields and limestone karsts

Riding down the dirt, potholed road I soon entered the surrounding countryside, dominated by beautiful green rice fields that stretch across the flat areas of land between the huge limestone karsts that rise up above them. Farmers tended to their fields while chickens scratched in the dirt and cows grazed on the side of the road. I stopped often to take photos and just enjoy the stunning scenery. As I continued along the road I passed through several small villages, with their basic bamboo houses sitting amongst bunches of banana trees and little vegetable gardens. It was a Sunday and all of the local kids were out playing, riding their bikes, swimming in streams and chasing dogs and chickens. Women bathed and did their laundry in the small fresh water streams that came down from the mountains, while other people went about their daily chores, chopping wood and preparing food.

A small village

I decided to stop in at a small swimming hole, as I had built up quite a sweat from the bike ride. Some local kids ran beside me as I made my way down to the stream, and soon joined me for a swim in the lovely cool water. They couldn’t speak a word of English but a simple “Sabai dee” was enough to get a smile out of them. As I rode away they ran beside me to show me how fast they could run, and then waved goodbye with a big smile on their faces.

A house and some kids near the swimming hole

I was fascinated by the peacefulness of the typical life in the Laotian countryside. It was so good to be having a true local experience, away from the hordes of tourists that can take away that something special from a certain place. This was a place where I could be on my own, and truly see what life is about in this amazing country. Here, life is simple, people have very little and yet they are so happy. Here kids don’t need video games and brand named clothes to be happy. All they seem to need is their imagination.

Stopped to have a rest next to a stream

When I got to the entrance of Poukham cave I paid the 10,000 kip ($1.20) entrance fee and crossed the bridge where I parked my bike, before climbing up the steep path and exploring the large, dark cave on my own, an adventure in itself. By this time the heat and humidity of the tropical climate had me drenched in sweat, and I was ready to cool off in the Blue Lagoon, located near the cave where I had parked my bike. The cool fresh water was a lovely blue colour, coming from a small mountain stream, with schools of fresh water fish swimming against the current. Some locals were also enjoying a swim in their local swimming hole, floating around on tyre tubes and enjoying the rope swing, while I just floated in the cool clear water, relaxed and enjoying the natural scenery.

Having a swim with the locals in the Blue Lagoon

Once I was cooled off I began to make my way back to Vang Vieng, stopping for some lunch at a little local restaurant in one of the villages. My huge plate of noodles cost just 10,000 kip ($1.20).

Having a swim with the locals in the Blue Lagoon

I had passed only a handful of other tourists throughout the day in the local area, and overall it was an extremely peaceful and rewarding experience. My whole day out only cost me $6.80. It goes to show, you need to explore a place on your own to really experience what the place has to offer. As I found out about Vang Vieng, there is always more to a place than what you may hear or read. For me, this type of experience is exactly what travel is all about. You can learn so much about life from the local people, even without any words being exchanged. From that moment on I would seek out these kinds of experiences everywhere that I travelled.

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Dean Wickham is an intrepid traveller from Australia with a thirst for adventure. He has travelled extensively in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Nepal and South East Asia, trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, climbed through ice caves on glaciers and for his next adventure, plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He is always planning his next trip, and writes about his travels on his travel blog: The Road to Anywhere, where he hopes to inspire other people to travel the world through his stories, destination tips and travel photos. You can follow him on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook.

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Inspirational Series 

This is an ongoing series of Inspirational travel. If you have an experience in travel that changed your life, made you look at the world differently or an amazing moment that you want to share, please contact us for more details and we will email you right back.. You can also read more about submitting an article to this series at Calling All Writers, Share your Inspirational Travel Story

Read More Inspirational Stories

• Inspired by Peru
• Real Men Don’t Cry
• Round Trip Ticket, Backpack and Curiosity
• What Happens When You Follow Your Heart
• From Little Englander To Travel Lover 
• Freedom Found
•  The Yoga Retreat That Made Me Quit My Day Job 
• Learning that it’s OK to be a Quitter 
• Zulu Memories in South Africa by Green Global Travel
• What I Would Tell You (If I Had the Words)
•  Charity for the Philippines a Birthday Adventure
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The catch phrase for Ushuaia Argentina is Fin Del Mundo (The End of the World) and it truly feels like you are at the bottom of the world when visiting this southernmost city on earth. Many a sailor lost their lives trying to circle Cape Horn, the Northern Boundary of the Drake Passage. Something we’ll be crossing soon.

This lone abandoned ship in Beagle Channel caught my eye as it captures the feeling of this wild untamed ocean route. I can imagine the relief sailors much have felt when they entered the harbour of Beagle Channel safe at last from the roughest seas in the world. As we head out for our Antarctica adventure, I can’t help but feel a little nervous about what waters we will be facing. We have all the faith in the world in our ship, the Sea Spirit; Quark Expeditions most luxurious vessel and in the company that is the leader of Polar Expeditions. They have an even more luxurious vessel joining the fleet next year, will you be on it? Contact Quark Expeditions today.

Want to see how our journey across the Drake Passage turns out? Tune in tomorrow to Canada AM at 08:30 EST as we skype with them live from the world’s roughest seas.  

It wasn’t something we would normally sign up for when traveling. We’ve been all over the word and while we enjoy eating food, we had never thought of learning how to cook it.

When were traveling through China with Intrepid Travel however, one of the activities that was offered during our time in Yangshuo was to take part in a cooking course, so we thought we’d tag along.

The Day Started at the Market

The market was alive with activity. It was exactly what you would expect from a traditional Chinese market. Rows of stalls were lined up in the giant hall displaying fresh fruits and vegetables. We didn’t recognize a lot of the produce and were content to listen as our guide explained the use of each leaf, root and stem on the table.

We thought that we would be prepared when she asked us if we were willing to walk through the live animal market and ignorantly said that we were fine. In Asia, the people don’t try to hide where their food comes from. It isn’t tucked away in windowless factories and packaged in vacuum packed plastic bags to be displayed on our grocery shelves. They don’t use euphemisms like pork and poultry or beef in lieu of pig, chicken and cow. You see your dinner’s eyes while they are alive and well, it can be very traumatizing.

So if you do a cooking course in China, either be prepared for what you are about to see, or tell your guide that you don’t want to walk through the next room. It is a disturbing sight but it is hypocritical for me to have meat as a part of my diet and judge the people who sell animals for my consumption. I just hope that China works on making animal welfare a priority in the future and from what I understand from all our guides, the younger generation isn’t quite as keen on the practices of their elders.

Back at the School….

The Yangshuo cooking school ended up being a fun afternoon and a great way to find our inner chef. With our emotions melting away, we started off with learning how to make an array of stuffed vegetables. It was also nice to start with a vegetarian dish.

The class moved at a feverish pace. We had a lot of dishes to cook and there was excitement in the air. The woks were sizzling and smoking while we chopped our veggies with our Chinese Cleavers.

Book a Delicious Discovery journey before 29^thFebruary and carve 15% off your Mouth Watering Journey with Intrepid Travel 

Dave was a natural cook, so I took my place behind the video camera to capture him slicing and dicing and swirling and twirling.

We had an array of cooking utensils, pots and pans and bamboo dishes in front of our stations. If it weren’t for our instructor I wouldn’t know where to begin!

We learned how to properly heat a wok and when to toss our fresh vegetables into the sizzling oil.

We learned how to stuff veggies and mince garlic and ginger and we learned how to sear fish in a smoking hot pan.

We learned how to properly chop our veggies too! There is a proper time to cut large chunky pieces and another time to thinly slice the vegetable of choice. It is important to think about how each food item will be prepared for each dish.

We learned about produce from the region and how much spice is just the right amount of spice. You want your food to be filled with flavour. Spice should enhance the dish, not overpower it. However, each person has a different tolerance, so we all tasted our instructors dish after watching the amount of spice she added to decide how much we should put in our own.

Our afternoon feast consisted of beer battered fish to stuffed tomatoes, cashew chicken and seared vegetables, we had a feast and we cooked it from scratch. It was a satisfying experience to steam and stuff our own vegetables and display it all in one delicious array!

We learned a lot about Chinese cooking and gained a new appreciation for their fine cuisine. There is a lot of work and preparation involved in preparing the various dishes that were served at our table each day and this in turn made us enjoy our dinners even more during our tour of China.

It was an amazing way to spend an afternoon. We made such great friends on our Intrepid Travel, Grand China tour and our cooking class helped to bring all of us together quickly. It was still early in our three-week joureny through China when we attended class in Yangshuo and as the saying goes, “Those who cook well together, travel well together!” Ok, there is no such saying but it is a good one, because our group definitely travelled well together after spending an afternoon bonding and eating at the Yangshuo Cooking School.

Intrepid Travel is featuring Delicious Discovery destinations around the world and to celebrate their offering a 10% Discount on one of their featured food experiences. Book Before February 29th to take advantage of this offer.

Visit Intrepid Travel’s Global Foods Digital Brochure to book your culinary journey and quote promo code 6584

Want to the recipe for Yangshuo’s staple dish, Beer Fish or PiJiu Yu

Recipe:

100 grams of fish (firm white with skin on )
2 Tablespoons of peanut oi
Half tomato – chopped
Half Green, half red pepper – sliced
1 tablespoon sliced garlic tops or spring onions
1 tablespoon ginger – sliced
2 cloves garlic- crushed
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
Half Teaspoon of salt
Half a glass of beer.

Heat Wok, Add Oil and Heat. Put fish into wok fish side down, put salt on top of fish. Fry on each side for 3 minutes to make sure the skin is brown. Put all geggies, garlic and ginger on top of fish. Pur on soy sauce and beer, cover for 5 minutes.

Book a Delicious Discovery journey before 29^thFebruary and carve 15% off your Mouth Watering Journey with Intrepid Travel.

It’s going to be a very busy couple of weeks as we sail to Antarctica, but we are going to try to give you micro updates each day to let you know how things are going.

We arrived in Ushuaia on a beautiful sunny afternoon at 6:30 pm. The sun goes down late here and as we left our hotel room for dinner, we were surprised to see that it was already 8:30 pm!  The sun was still shining bright over the town.

View from our Hotel Room Window

The weather isn’t as cold as we imagined it to be. We were cozy and warm with our new Roots hoodies and stayed warm as we watched the ships come in on Beagle harbour. We even caught a helicopter flying overhead.

For Roots Clothing and Gear of your own, check out their online shopping.

It was already getting late so we ate at the first place we founds, a very touristy restaurant on the waterfront. It was filled with cruisers from all over the world. We watched ships come in from Antarctica and were excited to think that in 2 short days, we’d be on one of them

Prices aren’t cheap in Ushuaia. 

Ushuaia is an isolated city at the bottom of South America and we assume that a lot of produce has to be shipped in. We are staying at a basic hotel but the cost is $115 per night. We hear that hostels start at about $60 but since we had some leftover Expedia coupons we decided to splurge on a nicer place. We have hot water, wifi internet and breakfast is included at the Hosteria Bella Vista. It’s really only worth about $40 to look at it, but here in Ushuaia, we’re paying $115.

It is 4 km from downtown so we have to take a taxi or grab a bus.

• The bus is frequent and close to our place though and it only costs about 50cents. (2.75 pesos)
• A taxi cost us 22.50 Pesos (about $5.50) – Note: Taxi’s are metered so you don’t have to worry about negotiating.

Dinner was expensive and comparable to Canadian prices. We were famished and impatient so we went to the first restaurant that we saw as we walked along the boardwalk of Beagle Channel. It was filled with tourists and probably overpriced, but it was a treat to look out over the water for the first night of our Antarctica adventure. We thought that the prices were inflated because we went to probably the most touristy restaurant in town, but as we looked at the menus of other places we saw that they all charge about the same amounts.

Dave had a steak with potatoes and mushroom gravy for 90 pesos ($20) and I had a chicken dinner for 55 pesos ($12) Wine is around 70 pesos per bottle.($15)

The Sun Still setting at 10:00 pm

We topped off the night at an Irish Pub (where we drank Argentinian wine instead of beer) and to our surprise travel blogger extraordinaire Gary Arndt came walking in. We knew he was in Antarctica but we didn’t expect him for another day. He had a smooth Drake Passage crossing on the way back so arrived in Ushuaia a day early. Seeing the excitement in his eyes as we looked at his photos from Antarctica made us even more excited to get on the boat. It’s a photographers playground and we can’t wait to share the experience with everyone.

So that’s what we’ve got for our so far. Food, drink and transportation and a night cap with a fellow traveling spirit, swapping stories and gaining excitement for the year ahead. Stay tuned for more micro updates from Antarctica!

Our Antarctica adventure is brought to you by Quark Expeditions

Check out Quark Expeditions for planning your own Antarctic Expedition. Mention ThePlanetD and receive 5% off your booking - 5% can be redeemed on any voyage and is be combinable with any of Quark’s promotions.