Mirabell Gardens with Salzburg Fortress in the background.

The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to the Solo Travel Society Facebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.

This week’s pic from Solo Travel Society member Sharon was taken in Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria.

]]> http://solotravelerblog.com/photo-salzburg-austria/feed/ 1 http://solotravelerblog.com/arizon-road-trip-solo/ http://solotravelerblog.com/arizon-road-trip-solo/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000 solotraveler http://solotravelerblog.com/?p=25222

Driving into Sedona the sun was landing on the red rocks from the west.

Travel has many forms.

Vacations, or holidays as the Brits call them, should only come in one form… FUN.

But travel is different. While being thoroughly satisfying, even enjoyable, travel can also be hard work. It can be educational and mind-expanding. It can make you a better person. But none of these is necessarily fun.

Fun as in exhilarating. Fun as in “look over there”! Fun as in “wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this”!

I’m traveling in Arizona with a small RV thanks to Cruise America. This could be called a holiday but it truly is traveling. I’ve been on the road two days and I have already learned so much.

• I’ve learned about myself by driving an unfamiliar vehicle through new territory. Doing so has been amazing. Prior to leaving I was both excited and anxious. On the road those feelings took turns. But now, after two days, my confidence soars.
• I visited Arcosanti and took a tour of this utopian community which they call an “urban laboratory”.  I’ll write a whole post about this amazing place for you.
• I have twice followed my instincts on this trip and found them to be in good form. Both times, my choice was proven wise yet there was little but instinct that prompted them. This is reassuring to a solo traveler. I have a post on solo travel safety and instincts planned.
• I’ve found a landscape that takes my breath away. Despite beauty in every direction I can’t consume enough of it.

This was supposed to simply be a post with some photos but my mind is spinning and I had to let at least some of it out. As I’ve been driving through this beautiful country I have written the beginning of many posts in my head. I’m eager to share this trip with you. But all in good time.

Now, some photos…

A view of Arcosanti. There is so much more to this urban laboratory that I’ll show you soon.

View from Airport Road in Sedona.

Dan, the owner of Garland’s Indian Jewelry, gave me so much information on the Hopi and Navajo Indians. His shop just north of Sedona has “the finest collection of Indian Jewelry in all of Indian Country” according to National Geographic Traveler magazine.

The Arizona wild flowers are beautiful.

View from the trail head of one of my hikes.

Sedona is well known for its (energy) vortexes and new age centers.

Karen from Cruise America gave me a tour of the 19 foot RV and lots of driving tips.

My thanks to Cruise America for providing the RV for this trip.

Solo travel rating: 1.5 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult. Please see chart below)

Languages spoken:  Lao, Hmong, Thai, English

The Nam Khan River from Luang Prabang Historical area.

Reasons to go:  The beautiful, serene former capital of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang is located at the confluence of the Nam Khan River and the Mekong River.

There is an abundance of Buddhist temples (wats) and many monks and novice monks wearing their coloured robes in the streets of the town. Laotian people are very kind, spiritual in nature and helpful. It is highly recommended to sit in a temple and listen to the monks chant, normally in the early morning or late afternoon. This is a very moving experience, even if you are not Buddhist.

There are various activities in the near vicinity of Luang Prabang, like visits to waterfalls, caves, and elephant parks. The small city itself is very easy to navigate. The historic part of the city is actually a peninsula between the two rivers, and a UNESCO world heritage site.

The food in restaurants and in the street is very tasty, and you can see the French influence. Many guest houses welcome tourists from all over the world. As in other parts of South East Asia a single traveler will feel quite safe and secure.

Luang Prabang at dusk near the banks of the Mekong River.

Wat and vegetation in the historical area of Luang Prabang.

Solo Travel Destination Rating System

Safety - 1 (1 very safe, 2 safe in most areas, 3 be cautious at all times.)

Language - 2 (1 English is first language, 2 English speakers easy to find, 3 English speakers rare)

Navigation – 1 (1 easy to navigate by transit or car, 2 poor transit, car necessary, 3 not easy to get around)

Culture – 2 (1 Similar to North America or Western Europe, 2 Different from above but relaxed and easy, 3 Challenging)

Average Rating – 1.5 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult)

This is the second post by my tech guru, Doug of ihelpinnovate. You can follow him on twitter @dougkrug. Doug puts together technology in a simple and streamlined fashion for efficiency and security. He also communicates patiently, in human terms, rather than with technical jargon. 

In his first post for us, he explained how to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so that you can securely use public wifi. With a VPN you can even go into your bank account and use credit cards with confidence. He also covered the use of an unlocked phone. Both services proved essential for my trip to China.

This time he explains the cloud as a place to store documents so that they are accessible when traveling. Here’s his wisdom…

Spring is in full swing and the journey is calling. Time to think about what you’ll pack for the road ahead. You have your bag loaded with the essentials, but what have you forgotten? What’s going to suddenly announce it’s absence along the way?

“You look at where you’re going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you’ve been and a pattern seems to emerge.”
- Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The pattern for many travelers, as far at their technology is concerned, is neglecting to plan for access to files and for the potential problems with their camera, tablet and computer on the road.

Access your files from anywhere by keeping them in “The Cloud”

Holding your possessions is what a suitcase or backpack is for. But where will you store your photos and other important files? On your laptop or tablet? What if they’re stolen or the data becomes inaccessible because of a malfunction?

The answer is simple – you store them in “The Cloud”.

“Cloud Storage” is a service you often get for free, up to a certain capacity, and then you buy more space as needed. Through the service you save your files on a group of many powerful computers (servers) connected to the internet – 24/7. It’s very similar to how your gmail, hotmail or yahoo email is stored.

Files are stored in the cloud one of three ways -

• Automatically copied to the cloud by your computer, smartphone or tablet
• Manually placed in a special cloud storage folder on your computer, or
• Through a special app on your smartphone or tablet designed to move files onto cloud storage so that you can access them when needed

When you are connected to the internet, files stored in these special locations are copied to a cloud storage server. If you’re not connected to the internet at the time, changes will automatically synchronize with the cloud storage server the next time you have an internet connection.

Examples of cloud storage providers are -

DropBox – A popular service that stores up to 2 GB for free (roughly 150 photos) and has a nice photo sharing feature that lets you easily create albums and share photos.

Google Drive – 5 GB of storage are included free with your google account. If you have a free gmail account, you have Google Drive. A competitor to DropBox, it ups the ante by making publicly shared documents searchable. Google can also synchronize Android apps, music, photos, calendars, address books and browser history.

iCloud – For Apple users only, 5 GB of automatic cloud storage are included free to keep your apps, music, photos, documents, calendar, address book, browser history and iBooks. You can even find your lost iPhone, iPad or MacBook with it. While it all sounds great, Janice has opted to stick with DropBox for document backup because iCloud failed to work consistently, whereas services like DropBox and Google Drive do the job reliably every time.

Keep your files private without giving up convenience

Cloud storage is a great way to keep important data backed up in case of disaster, giving you peace of mind, no matter where you are in the world.

One problem; Not all cloud servers protect your privacy.

Sure, there’s encryption, similar to what your bank uses as data is making its way to the servers on the other end, but once it’s there, it’s vulnerable to anyone who might possibly gain access to it. This might be fine for your average snap shot but if you want to store sensitive information, privacy is a must!

Enter Boxcryptor -

• An application you purchase for your computer, iPad, iPhone or Android device
• You copy files to the cloud, and it strongly encrypts them as they’re being stored, so your files can’t be read or viewed by anyone but you.
• Files are decrypted in realtime as you open them, so they can be read or viewed on your computer or portable device.
• You hold the keys – not the cloud service provider. No one but you can open your files.

Boxcryptor is the only simple file protection solution available for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad. If you want to be sure your files stored in the cloud are kept private, you need Boxcryptor.

Boxcryptor comes in two flavors -

• FREE if you store your files in just one place, or
• A one time fee of $45 If you store your files in more than one place, such as Google Drive, DropBox, Microsoft SkyDrive and others

Now your files are safe and stored privately in the cloud. So even if every computer, smartphone or tablet you own breaks, is lost or stolen, you can still access your important data from any computer in the world, thanks to cloud storage and Boxcryptor.

Keeping important documents within reach

If the “something” that goes missing is your documents, it’s a good idea to have copies of them in the cloud. But unless you use Boxcryptor, your privacy is not secure. What should you do to make your trip worry free?

Take snap shots of the front and back of your -

• Passport
• Driver’s License
• Health Card
• Proof of Traveler’s Insurance
• Credit Cards

Store the snap shots in your cloud service using Boxcryptor. If anything should happen to original documents, you have a copy of the information that is safe from prying eyes.

Next time, I’ll tell you about “VoIP” and how you can place and receive extremely low cost phone calls from anywhere in the world

Have fun – Doug

Image courtesy of Sheelamohan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is considered good luck for newlyweds to kiss under one of the many moongates in Bermuda, thus ensuring a long and happy future together.

The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to the Solo Travel Society Facebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.

This week’s pic from Tracey was taken in St. George’s, Bermuda.

]]> http://solotravelerblog.com/photo-moongate-bermuda/feed/ 1 http://solotravelerblog.com/china-off-the-beaten-path/ http://solotravelerblog.com/china-off-the-beaten-path/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000 solotraveler http://solotravelerblog.com/?p=24908

Our hostess at the Hutong in Beijing treated us to a wonderful lunch and history of her family.

There are places where tourists go. All tourists. Those traveling independently and those traveling in groups.

In China I was traveling in a small group with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) and such places, like the panda sanctuary and on the Yangtze river cruise, I would see independent solo travelers and slip away from the group to talk with them. I wanted to compare notes. I wanted to see how they were experiencing China compared to my experience of it.

In the end I drew a surprising conclusion. As one who, with the exception of a couple of trips in my teens, always traveled independently, I determined that there are countries, like China, where taking a tour makes sense.

Traveling with OAT, I spent less energy on logistics and more on trying to understand this amazing country. And one of the big benefits of OAT, which specializes in small groups, is that we got to go beyond the usual sights like the Great Wall and behind residential walls to meet people in their homes.

A typical morning in a Chinese park. The woman in the foreground is playing hacky sack. The women crouching are doing Tai Chi with fans. There’s another group in the background playing hacky sack. In the same park there was a man practicing with a whip, others doing yoga, badminton and still more taking an art class. This sense of communal activity is wonderful.

Life in a Beijing Hutong home.

Our small group got a glimpse of ordinary Chinese life on a tour to a Beijing Hutong. Hutongs are old, residential neighborhoods with low, flat-roofed buildings crisscrossed by narrow lanes. For lunch, we went into the home of the woman above, where we had wide a variety of foods including lotus flower root and the best vegetarian dumplings I had in China. They were delicate in flavor and absolutely wonderful.

The home had been in her family, whose members had been artists and intellectuals, for over 100 years, surviving different monarchies and regimes. Seeing the model of the original home and comparing it to what she lives in today (just 400 sq ft. or so) was fascinating.

Our hostess shows us a model of the original family home at the turn of the 20th century. They now live in about 15% of the compound.

We also experienced the communal facilities. The homes in the Hutong do not have bathrooms. This is the women’s communal bathroom which has five stalls with squat toilets. After lunch the women in the group headed to the bathroom. By the time I arrived, the stalls were full of squatting women with their heads popping out of the stalls. Unfortunately, the picture that i snapped while I was laughing hysterically didn’t turn out.

 A rural school visit.

Exploring the countryside and villages is not something that either of the independent solo travelers whom I’d met had done. With enough time in China I’m sure it would be possible but with only three weeks, getting into a small community was a great benefit of being with the group. We went to the village of Donghan where we visited Guang Ming Primary School which is supported in part by donations from Grand Circle Foundation (connected with OAT) and stayed in a guest house overnight.

When we arrived at the school, the children came up to us confidently and small groups of them each took an adult by the hand and led us to their classroom. There they gave us gifts they had made, practiced English and performed a few songs. When they went out for recess we did too and watched the children at play. Table tennis was popular with the boys.

We stopped by the Guang Ming Primary School in the village of Donghan. This little boy took one of our group’s cameras and practiced a new-found skill.

An outdoor gym class at the school

Day and night in the village

Donghan is known as the village where the colorful “peasant” painting style originated in the 1950′s. Artists were sent to live with farmers for re-education in the 1950s by the Mao Zedong government as a means of neutralizing political opponents. The result –  the artists taught art classes and the  the “peasant” painting style emerged.

That evening we stayed in a guest house and joined our hostess in making the meal. Later, we went out to the community park and line danced. Yes, line dancing is very popular with the Chinese. We saw it in many parks on the trip. It was fun to have our hostess bring us there and teach us the steps. It was a great evening.

At the “peasant” art gallery. Going to such places where tourists can buy locally made products seems to be a requirement of all countries with fledgling economies.

Line dancing at night. This was at the beginning of the evening. By the end, there were at least 100 people dancing.

The relocated (or displaced) in the Three Gorges Dam area.

After one night on the Yangtze river cruise, we docked in Fengdu where we visited a farmer who had been relocated to make the Three Gorges dam possible. Alex, our tour leader, translated a question-and-answer session with the family elder who was 73 years old. According to this man, he was happy to have been relocated. His previous house was 2000 sq. ft made of mud and clay. Located near the river, it was susceptible to flooding. When being relocated, he had a choice – to accept the land he was offered or select his own location and get it approved by the government. He did the latter. He was given 100,000 yuan for the move. Buying his land and building his home cost 150,000 yuan. He borrowed the difference from friends and family and now he is not affected by flooding and has a 5,000 sq. ft. house of cement that is dry. It all seemed a bit rosy but it is also plausible given that it has been five years since the relocation. Perspectives change.

While it was wonderful to be able to ask this man anything, he is only a sample of one. Numbers of those relocated range from 2 to 4 million. Not everyone was happy. Watch Up the Yangtze (a film recommended by the Yangtze River guide) to get another perspective. The conundrum that is the Three Gorges Dam project also makes me think about Japan and the nuclear disaster following the tsunami there in 2011. How does one weigh the disruption of millions of lives against avoiding eleven nuclear power plants (which the dam is supposed to have done) and the risk they represent. Without doubt, the building of the dam and the relocation of millions is a very complex subject.

Our trip leader, Alex, acts as translator for this man whose farm was flooded by the Three Gorges dam project. He answered our questions about what it was like to be moved, how much it cost, the impact on his family and more.

The pond and farm plots outside our host farmer’s home.

These are just a few of the opportunities that Overseas Adventure Travel offered that allowed us get off the beaten path in China. Every day our local guide (we always had a local guide in addition to Alex, our trip leader) shared his or her personal life with us as well as information on their home city.

Every day, we caught another glimpse of real life in China.

My thanks to Overseas Adventure Travel for making this trip possible. While they supplied the trip, all opinions are my own.

Solo travel rating: 2 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult. Please see chart below)

Languages spoken:  English, Xhosa, Zulu

A graceful Giraffe in the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Reasons to go:   South Africa offers so much in terms of fantastic scenery, unbelievable adventures, rich culture, amazing food, and incredible nature with its abundant wildlife. I was there for 9 days in December 2012 as a solo traveler. It was summer in South Africa and a fantastic time to visit.

My first stop was in the Hoedspruit area in the private Balule reserve of the Greater Kruger National Park on safari with Naledi Enkoveni. Naledi offers 2 lodges, Enkoveni and Bush Camp. I had an amazing 2 days and 4 safari drives with them and saw everything from impala, giraffe, zebra, baboons and warthogs to the Big 5. It was incredible to be up close and personal with African elephants, lions, the elusive leopard and more. I really enjoyed watching a hippo in the Olifants River as well as various antelope and baboons at play across the river. They offer great lodging, fantastic food, beautiful scenery, and amazing safari drives and are very welcoming. The price is also very affordable, especially for what you get.

In Cape Town I stayed at The Backpack hostel. They are highly rated on Trip Advisor and participate in the Pack With a Purpose program and other responsible tourism endeavours. It was a fantastic location and a great, reasonably priced place to stay. While in Cape Town, I also saw the most stunning sunset over the Atlantic Ocean from Signal Hill.

I enjoyed an interactive and ethical township tour with James Fernie of Uthando South Africa. I highly, highly recommend a tour with Uthando. We got to visit 3 projects and interact with the people of the Khayelitsha Township as well as learn of the inspiring things being done there. A portion of the tour cost goes directly to the projects Uthando supports.

Adventurous types can go cage diving with Great White Sharks. It was so incredible to be front row in the cage to see the ocean’s greatest predator and misunderstood creature. They were a joy to watch and it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Did you know there are penguins in South Africa? There is a colony of African penguins in the Cape Peninsula area of Boulders Beach. There are many tour operators offering an opportunity to visit them.

I felt very safe in South Africa and had amazing experiences, but my favourite thing about South Africa was the people. They were warm and welcoming no matter where I went. From spontaneous drumming with a young shopkeeper at the popular V&A waterfront arts and crafts building to hearing the personal path of an apprentice Sangoma in a local township to singing Christmas carols with 5000 locals against the backdrop of Table Mountain, it was the most incredible trip of my life. My trip there would have only been a series of proud bucket list type accomplishments without the interactions with the people of South Africa. It was truly special. I cannot wait to return.

The view of the Olifants River from the deck of my Safari Lodge.

Chapman’s Peak Drive.

Sunset from Signal Hill, Cape Town.

Solo Travel Destination Rating System

Safety - 2 (1 very safe, 2 safe in most areas, 3 be cautious at all times.)

Language - 2 (1 English is first language, 2 English speakers easy to find, 3 English speakers rare)

Navigation – 1 (1 easy to navigate by transit or car, 2 poor transit, car necessary, 3 not easy to get around)

Culture – 2 (1 Similar to North America or Western Europe, 2 Different from above but relaxed and easy, 3 Challenging)

Average Rating – 2 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult)

“Is it weird to travel alone?”

That’s a question that has brought many people to Solo Traveler.  I thought it was a thing of the past.

I first noticed it in 2009 – a few people landed on my blog by searching Google for this phrase. But over the last few years it seemed to disappear. I thought it wasn’t being asked any longer but after doing a little digging on the weekend, I discovered that it had simply been buried. With over 700 people coming to Solo Traveler every day via Google, I had lost sight of the fact that this search phrase is still commonly used.

I went looking because last week I was spoke at the Toronto Public Library and this concern was brought to my attention. I was surprised.

Well, it made me think of the manifesto that I wrote in response to this query in 2009. It’s time to publish it again.

Glad You’re Not Here: a solo traveler’s manifesto.

So, here it is. It’s a short and easy read. Please download it to:

• Reinforce your conviction that traveling solo is a great idea. It’s good for you and good for the world.
• Share it with those who are dubious. Those who don’t understand why solo travel is such a great idea.

Click to download

Glad You’re Not Here: a solo traveler’s manifesto

At 18, 470 feet. And yes, that’s Mount Everest in the background!

The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to the Solo Travel Society Facebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.

This week’s pic from Solo Travel Society member Lisa was taken at the summit of Kala Patthar in Nepal.

The Great Wall of China on a wet spring day.

I recently returned from a three-week trip to China with a significantly better understanding of the country.

I also have more questions than ever before.

This is a good thing. The knowledge I gained and the questions raised creates a foundation on which to layer new reading, film viewing and news reports.

China is a complex country. It has been undergoing huge change in the last few decades. Evidence of this is in the hundreds of construction projects trying to keep up with rapid urbanization, the high-end shops and the market knock-offs, the cars people drive and feverish efforts to move people on public transit…

This amazing three week trip, taken with the support of Overseas Adventure Travel (they offer singles trips with no single supplement and no requirement to share a room), is the beginning of my education on China.

But China is more than the complications that massive growth creates. It is also a country where tradition runs deep. As described in one report I saw, it is not so much a nation state but rather a civilization. And what a civilization! It seems that nothing in China’s history was done on a small scale. From the Great Wall to the Terracotta Warriors and sights in between, everything was huge. These historical sites grabbed my imagination at a very young age and have held it over the decades. Finally, I got to see them first hand.

Here are the photos of three major highlights of China. Next week I’ll write about some of the more unique experiences that I and my fourteen fellow travelers in the group enjoyed. Overseas Adventure Travel took us off the beaten path and that’s where my writing will go next week.

Yes, those steps are as steep as they look!

Inside one of the towers that are naturally arranged on high points to act as lookouts.

The Great Wall of China cannot, as had once been reported, be seen from space. It is, nonetheless extraordinary. It is about 5,500 miles long.

To get a close up look at the Terracotta Warriors go to the Shaanxi Museum in Xian where they have a small display. Of course, you absolutely must also go to the The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses as well to get the full sense of this archeological find.

One of the greatest archeological discoveries of the 20th century, the Terracotta Army was discovered by accident by farmers digging a well in 1975.

The Terracotta Army are 6,000 plus life-size figures arranged in vaults at the entrance to the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Qin emperor of China and a major architect of The Great Wall. As you can see in this photo, many of the figures were damaged. Archeologists continue to reconstruct the site.

There are thousands more soldiers still buried. Apparently each is painted however, once exposed to oxygen, the paint disintegrates. The archeologists are waiting until they have the technology to preserve the paint before they uncover the rest of the army.

The Panda Sanctuary in Chendu is another huge attraction for tourists (western as well as Chinese).

The pandas in the sanctuary are well protected but the species is under threat for many reasons including habitat eradication (people taking over forests) and poachers.  Learn more from the World Wildlife Organization.

A momma and her baby.

There were also Red Pandas at the sanctuary. While the Giant Pandas are cute, these are far more active, playful and fun to watch. I hadn’t heard of them before. Here’s a link to National Geographic information on them.

What a fabulous time! My thanks to Overseas Adventure Travel for making my trip to China possible.