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 

My grandmother is easily one of my favorite people to share a drink with: whether it’s a glass of pink champagne or a can of Budweiser, Mimi is always a wealth of stories and laughs. She’s easily the nicest person I know, is a talented (and persistent) gardener, and makes the best chocolate chip cookies and cheese pie to boot.

Mimi turns 85 today, and it’s the first time in years that I won’t be home to celebrate with lunch on the river and sangria in the hot tub. So, as a bit of a birthday tribute to her, I wanted to share the most important life lessons I learned from her (and how they relate to my travels, of course!).

Talk to strangers: Mimi can strike up a conversation with just about anyone: the waiter, the person sitting on a bench, the bank teller. But the amazing thing is that she doesn’t just stop with exchanging a bit of small talk—she’s often able to create a friendship, or at least a relationship, with the person. The server/bartender at our favorite sushi restaurant always goes out of his way to stop by our table, say hello, and personally make and deliver her favorite drink—mostly because every time we go, she makes sure to ask for him by name and jokingly ask if he can make a second one in a to-go cup. I think of her every time I manage to get a friendly smile of recognition  and a bit of chit-chat the third time I visit a cafe in a touristy town: bang! Making friends!

Take advantage of your opportunities: I think Mimi is a bit amazed at what I’ve been able to do: quit my job, travel the world, live in other countries. Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania and working for the telephone company, she was offered a job in the big city of Philadelphia in her 20s after superiors took note of her excellent math skills. But her mother told her she was too young to move to the city. Eventually, she married and raised three kids in the same small town: a life with no regrets, but I think she wonders about what might have happened if she had today’s opportunities. I’m very grateful that she encouraged my mom to go out and see the world (my mom spent a year in France at 16, a rare thing in the 1970s), and, in turn, that my mom has been so supportive of my travels.

Tell your story: Mimi always seems to have a story: hilarious anecdotes about raising three children, living with my grandfather, driving across the country in a campervan. She remembers a shocking amount of detail for stories that took place decades ago—it was so-and-so’s cousin on a Tuesday–I can barely remember last year with such clarity. She started writing her autobiography a few years ago, and it’s an incredible glimpse into her life. I blog for a lot of reasons, but one is certainly so that I’ll be able to tell my grandkids about that the time I got bedbugs in Bali or camped across the Nullarbor.

Embrace change: Whenever I ask her if she’s nostalgic for the good old days, Mimi laughs. “The good old days when we had to do the wash by hand? I don’t think so!” She’s been on the computer for years, using AIM to chat with me when I was younger (and AIM was still cool) and emails me funny anecdotes a few times a week. She reads my blog, knows how to Google and Wikipedia things, sorts out her bank accounts online. She’s incredibly hip about embracing change: a flexibility that is key in any successful traveler.

Try new things: Even though she’s perfected her pizzelles and almond quiches—everyone knows to stop in to Mimi’s for a cookie—she’s still keen to try new recipes. An excerpt from a recent email from her:

“Recipe for a Shaker pie was in paper….used my mandolin to slice lemons paper thin – followed directions – pie was unbelievably horrible.”

Saw a recipe for almond toffee – cut recipe in half – tasting finished product, I should have doubled or tripled the recipe – it was so good.”

After being super bummed out about not being home to play taste-tester, I realized how awesome it is that despite having mastered dozens of delicious cookie (and cake, and pie, and jello mold) recipes, she’s still willing to try out new combinations. Also an excellent reminder that sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don’t–but you never know until you try.

Have fun: Whenever I take off on an adventure, Mimi always ends her goodbye by telling me to have fun. There’s a photo of her from about 15 years ago on her fridge: it’s by the pool at her house in Florida and she’s tanned, wearing a beautiful floral bathing suit and has a drink in one hand. I was studying the photo when she commented–”Ahh, Florida. Those were the days–sun, sex and sangria!” And that, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much sums up how awesome my grandmother is.

Happy birthday, Mimi! Lots of love from Thailand xoxo

Hey everyone! As you might have seen yesterday, we’ve revamped our K Crunch segment to be weekly, rather than monthly. We’ve noticed that a lot of people, in both Korea and not in Korea, have trouble finding good Korean indie music. Trust us, it’s out there. We often head to Hongdae, a very artsy and musically friendly part of Seoul near an art University, and they have TONS, and I mean TONS of venues for local indie bands to play. But how can we spread this news to other people? It’s not like everyone lives in Korea, so we’re hoping to use this new playlist format to talk about an indie song, and then send people over to their video to give them a bigger view count and hopefully some new subscribers.

Also, we’ve got some friends at the awesomely helpful website Korean Indie (hi Anna!!! HIII!!! ANNA hiii!!!!!! HI HI HI!!!!!! *jumps around like crazy people..Anna pretends to not know us and walks away embarrassed*) It’s an awesome site that reports on the Indie scene, and they agreed to help update us on new Indie bands that we would probably never find on our own.

One last thing, there are A LOT of people leaving suggestions about their fav Korean Indie bands, if you leave your response as a YouTube video response rather than a comment, we just might feature YOU in our playlist too! OoOOOooOOooHHHHH! DO IT!!!! ^^

Ok! Enough chat! ONWARDS!!!! *fist pump to the sky* Let’s make this short and sweet, oh and don’t forget to check out the website Korean Indie for more info on the bands!

Today we’re going to be featuring:

Electronica: Sentimental Scenery – View:
Watch on YouTube / Read at Korean Indie

Indie rock with a retroish twist: Chang Kiha & The Faces - 풍문으로 들었소:
Watch on YouTube / Read at Korean Indie

Punk with some funk: Super Kidd – Feel Good:
Watch it on YouTube / Read at Korean Indie

Indie rock: Black Bag – Blue Sky: 
Watch on YouTube / Read at Korean Indie

Let us know what you think!

For the original post on K Crunch Indie: Views, Faces, Kidds, and Skies, or for our kpop and Korean Food videos, check out our Korea blog!

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.

Hi everyone!

Now, as some of you may know if you Like us on Facebook, we’re changing up the K Crunch. We started the K Crunch because we wanted to talk about different things that we don’t get the chance to mention during our Music Mondays, so we started it off as a monthly recap. Unfortunately, though, different things get in the way, like Vacations to Canada and Year End How to Dance Kpop Videos.

Also, once a month isn’t enough to talk about all that comes out. Many videos come out every week, and some, like Teen Top’s “Crazy”, are really popular, but don’t make it through for a Music Monday. That sucks!

So, here’s the deal: we’re taking our K Crunch, and making it into three weekly segments. Saturdays we’ll talk about what’s new on the KpopCharts and give you a chance to vote for them. Sundays we’ll talk about Korean indie music which we almost NEVER have a chance to talk about, but want to talk about, because there’s a lot of awesome Korean Indie music out there. And lastly, on Monday, before Kpop Music Monday, we’ll talk about a random hodgepodge of songs. Some old, some new, some whatever!

Also, we’ll be making these videos into playlists. So we’ll talk about the video and introduce it, then it’ll run, and then our next speaking part will automatically run, so on and so forth. Think of it as us being VJs, kinda. Yes, we wanted to be VJs growing up. Don’t make fun of us! So sit back if you’ve got half an hour to spare, and watch some Korean Music videos and us blathering about them

Lastly, yes, some of you might be wondering why we’re not talking about K Dramas anymore. The answer’s simple: we don’t have time to watch them. Ha! We’re so busy doing other things and starting other projects that we don’t really watch many Kdramas anymore. And by we I mean Martina. I never watched them to begin with. GROSS! Martina will sneak in an episode or two of something, but not enough to be able to talk about the show to any great depth.

Let us know what you think!

For the original post on The New K Crunch: KpopCharts Update, or for our kpop and Korean Food videos, check out our Korea blog!

A matatu cruising in Thika

Our first couple of days trying to find a new boarding school for John were a complete failure. I’m navigating a country’s education system that is completely foreign to me, and trying to figure it out in a matter of days. The school year had already started so if I wanted to transfer John, I needed to do it fast. The most frustrating part is this: I want him to go to a good school. The school with the highest exit exam marks and with amenities to teach him valuable skillsets. Generally, the schools that perform higher require higher entrance marks. Well, no surprise there except it’s the ONLY thing they look at. One test. That’s it. And if you tell John’s score to people in our district they think it’s good; our district has terrible schools and his marks far surpassed the average. But visit a school outside of our district and his score is not as competitive.

Onesmus knew of a few other public boarding schools, but I didn’t want John to make a lateral move- I wanted the best for him. Once I got back from visiting two schools near our village, I did what my Western roots told me to do- a Google search. I found several schools with good reviews in Thika and thought it was a good place to start. It’s a decent sized town less than an hour from our village. The following morning I took a matatu and a motorbike to Thika High School. After signing in with the guard, I had to pause- the campus was really nice. I was skeptical. After a very brief encounter with a secretary, I found out that the school doesn’t accept transfer students and it also has a really high exam mark requirement. I asked her to please recommend other schools that would accept John’s exam score. She thought for a minute and then told me two schools. I wasn’t familiar with either of them, so I asked her to write them down. She did, though she acted very put out by it. I asked her for directions to the schools, and she seemed to relax a little and recognize that I’m just trying to put a boy in school.

Thika

I walked back into Thika and boarded a matatu to a place called Kirwara. I’d never been there before, and a little part of me was happy to explore a new village. The boy sitting next to me was reporting to another boarding school, and so I asked him about some schools and to please let me know when I should get off the matatu. Forty minutes later, when the matatu was full, we pulled out of the stage, bound for new territory. We passed rose farms and other beautiful scenery. My new friend told me when to get off and just told me to take a motorbike to find the school. I took his advice and less than 30 seconds later I was at the school gate. It was less than a half a kilometer from where I was dropped off. Officially the shortest motorbike ride ever undertaken I believe. The guard told me the principal’s office was up a set of stairs. I passed a long line of parents seated on benches, went upstairs, and was quickly told by the secretary that the line was at the bottom of the stairs. The waiting game in Kenya begins once again. Nearly two hours later, it was my turn. I’m anxious. I’ve been fidgeting. This could be it.

I greet the principal in Swahili and inform him that I am looking for a Form 2 (10th grade) vacancy. He tells me that they have no spots left in Form 2, and in fact, they are so overcrowded, they’ve had to turn some classrooms into dorms. He also tells me that I should have started this search in December (yep, check, got that), but doesn’t kick me out the door. I asked about Form 1, and he asks John’s KCPE score. I tell him and he seems to mull it over. I take that as my cue to babble on about John’s role as the Sports Prefect, the captain of the soccer team, and head of the choir at his primary school. I tell him how disciplined he is, and I explain his hardships over the past year, his family issues, his unfortunate school situation. And I feel the principal might bite. He begins to speak… “How old is this boy?” There’s no beating around the bush, so I just have to tell the principal that he’s 21. “He’s too old,” is his immediate response. I try to diffuse the situation, but he talks over me. “He will be much bigger than the other boys. You see the kids out there, they are very small. How big is he?” I tried to tell him that he’s not that big and that I may have a picture with me… but it’s too late. He’s made up his mind.

I don’t know where they came from but I couldn’t hold them back. My eyelids started to fill with tears. I felt like the world was playing a cruel joke that day. I didn’t understand how age could be the final factor in whether someone could go to school. This principal was the first person, though, that I had come across who actually listened. He softened at my concern and asked me what my other options were. I told him I didn’t have any but I was willing to go anywhere, that if he had any suggestions I’d greatly appreciate them. We sat in this awkward silence for a moment because I was trying to pat my face dry. All I could think about was walking down the stairs from his office and have all eyes on me… this crazy, crying muzungu. It wasn’t like a white girl out in this area was common to begin with, let alone waiting in line with parents to see a principal. Then to have me walk out crying? Oh lord. Blink, blink some more.

The principal picked up the phone and called another principal. He was very clever. He asked the principal how many students he had in Form 2, then told him, “Oh that’s great because I have xxx amount of students and am a lot more overcrowded.” He basically cornered him into seeing me, and once the other principal agreed, he immediately hung up the phone. No room for discussion. He told me to go see the principal at Gaichanjiru… “He’s very new, and I’m not sure that there’s a spot but it’s worth a try.” I profusely thanked him but asked him to please write down the name of the school, as I wasn’t really understanding what he was saying. It was a slight miscommunication, in that he took my notebook and wrote a recommendation letter for me to the school. He confirmed that John was a true orphan and included that in the letter. I asked him how to get to Gaichanjiru, and he didn’t know but just told me which overpass on the main road that it was near. I didn’t care. I’d find it. I had a lead, and though Kirwara was a no, I had hope. He told me to please call him after I saw the principal at the other school and let him know what happened. He was surprised what I was trying to do and told me that he as a Kenyan has a responsibility to help these children (actually, I think he was just more surprised that I was dropping in solo at these schools looking like a lost and out of place muzungu). But I really felt like he cared, and I tried to blink a few more times before walking down the stairs and signaling the next parent that it was their turn.

Thika High School was a quick no and Kirwara was an all-afternoon affair but still a no. And then there’s that whole, 27-year old muzungu crying in a principal’s office in a rural school in Kenya. Glad I can check that one off the bucket list.

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 

Guest Post By Joe Bond.

Folk, roots, old-time revival – whatever you want to call it, there is something stirring in the music dens of New York.

Encompassing bluegrass, old time, blues and more, the music and melodies are woven into the fabric of a rich American culture.

But don’t think of it as static, stuck in the past, or confined to the hinterland – the Coen brothers are tapping the scene for their anticipated film ‘Inside Llewn Davis’ due out next year, whilst bustling New York has plenty of places to run the hoedown, tap the washboard, and find a bit of country in the city. New York flights are also cheap and widely available, so if music’s your thing why not plan a visit to the Big Apple?

Squeeze In & Listen

If it’s big venue entertainment you’re after and you want to explore the US’s rich blues heritage, check out the free live music every night at Lucille’s Grill at BB King Blues Club and Grill on West 42nd.

You’ll find local talent performing soulful blues, and there’s great food on offer too.

Plus it’s on Manhattan Island itself, so it’s a great way to wind up a day out downtown.

But to get under the skin of traditional music in New York, it’s worth heading further afield to find those lesser known gems: small venues which are not only intimate, but where you’ll find communities of artists and musicians happy to share their knowledge and passion with you, particularly if you’re doing more than just passing through.

Expect a variety of up and coming acts, genuine undiscovered talent and a feeling of being right at home in the vast metropolis. Here are three to get your feet tapping:

Small’s Jazz Club, 183 W 10th St, Greenwich Village

The name describes the venue, but not the history, or the music: Small’s Jazz Club is archetypal: brick and cobblestone in a basement, and lots of surprise performances.

The club used to charge $10 for entrance and folk would bring their own drinks to stay and play until dawn or until they fell asleep. Now you can pick up a drink there too, but the cover charge still lasts until closing so you can enjoy their jam sessions from just after midday until 3am.

Jalopy’s Theatre and School of Music, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn

The endearingly named Jalopy’s Theatre, as well as running all kinds of classes with the most friendly, skilled and talented teachers you might find anywhere, is literally a prayer hall for talented fiddlers, pianists, and more, with wooden pews facing its theatrical stage.

Roots ‘n Ruckus nights every Wednesday give you a free taste of the most authentic folk in New York City, with tub-basses, kazoos and harmonicas galore, but they also have ticketed events hosting talents such as Cynthia Sayer and Paul Geremia.

There’s also a café, and an instrument store in case you get really inspired.

Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, 513 Henry Street, Brooklyn

Whether or not you want to watch or join in, the acoustic Old-time Jam with Alan Friend every Tuesday at Brooklyn Farmacy Soda Fountain is a friendly place to enjoy music.

The place’s motto, “fresh, friendly, local” could be said to apply to its music just as much as to its artisanal foods and selection of sodas. They also offer some great desserts in this charming historical venue.

In fact, it’s a great place for a sweet treat for the whole family during the day. They also have other family-friendly events from time-to-time, such as morning jams and sing-a-longs.

Learn To Play

If you’re inspired and want to get involved, you can try learning an instrument.

The classes at Jalopy’s cover everything including klezmer fiddle, off-beat banjo tunings, Kentucky fiddle bowing techniques, country harmony singing, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo stylings.

You learn in songs, in groups, and can rent an instrument too, which is particularly handy if you’re just trying out. Alan Friend who organizes the jams at the Farmacy, teaches banjo, guitar, concertina and fiddle.

Also at Jalopy’s is the New York City Barn Dance. They teach and walk-through all the dances, so you don’t need to know before you go – but it’s not a class.

Everybody’s keen to get on with the dancing and they welcome participation regardless of experience – probably the most fun way to learn a staple of American culture, and listen to the calls of the traditional square dance.

(photo credits: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

Listen & Learn – New York’s Folk Music Revival - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

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