02.11.20
According to Google Maps and their amazing Timeline feature, I am able to track every location I have been to since we began our journey almost one year ago. In 2019 I visited 18 countries and 197 cities, plus in January, three more countries and nine more cities. Of the 200 plus cities total, some were just a drive through, long enough to get “pinged” on Maps or maybe just a spot to gas up or grab a bite. We probably “stayed” in 40 of them. I identify them by several ways, but especially how “busy” they are, like Bangkok, Palermo and Rome…
Rome is busy, and is a city I would not want to drive in! I never have, but the cliché about Italian drivers and Rome taxis is not an exaggeration! I put it into the “chaotic” category along with a few others.
Palermo, Sicily, was our first TRUE example of crazy drivers and traffic and having to drive there. We rented a bike and it felt like “every man for themselves,” and it brought out the rebel in me! Passing on the wrong side? No problem. Driving down one way streets the wrong way? Yup, did that, too! Lane splitting? A necessity in Italy and in many countries. Palermo was crazy and noisy and had a very high energy vibe that was exhilarating! But not a town I would want to stay in for long.
Bangkok took all that crazy and chaotic to the extreme.
They drive on the left side, and traffic and noise is constant. Crossing the street is a risky move and most major streets have elevated pedestrian crossings. We did not rent bikes in Bangkok, but did in other areas, which was fine. Bangkok is a city of contradictions, with some great Zen areas with temples and monasteries and just outside- bedlam!
In Vietnam we only stayed in Ha Long Bay area, so it would be unfair to paint the entire country by one city. They drive on the right side and the cars drive like snails, but the SCOOTERS, like frenzied bees! And yes, the pictures you see of scooters carrying rooms full of furniture are not that exaggerated! On the way back from the airport the taxi driver constantly was on his horn and driving like an octogenarian. We thought it was him, but it seems all drivers honk constantly! “Watch out, I’m heading your way,” they command, and even bikes are always on their horns. Their buses and trucks even have what sounds like sirens and are warning everyone that they are on their way. It got humorous after a while. No, I take that back; it was always irritating as hell!
Of the “busy” cities we stayed in, our first leg of our journey, Valencia, Spain, fit that category. It’s a city of 800,000 people, but they’re spread out and they have a very good mass transit system. “Busy” is good and one I can manage much better than chaos! Athens was busy, but not chaotic and also had a good rail system. Split, Croatia, busy, but well within reason, and crossing the street was not a life-threatening undertaking. We rented bikes several times in Split and always felt comfortable.
And then there’s “normal,” however we define it.
I find that cities of 250,000 or less are my sweet spot. Large enough to have cool stuff to do, but small enough to learn your way around. They typically have metros or trains and finding a train station to take you out of town is usually easy to find.
And then there’s the fourth category of city: the small ones. The chill ones. THAT is where you/I find your/my quiet place, and we have stayed at many.
Tivoli, Italy, about 20 km east of Rome, was our first. A “medieval town” where most buildings are hundreds of years old and no metro system other than a local bus. We went everywhere on foot along very hilly streets. Brasov, Romania was also a small city and very easy to navigate on foot. Naxos is a small city on the island of Naxos, so again, very chill and easy to love.
Now we are at the most chill place of all; a small cabin on the beach in a town called Chum Kho, about 10 minutes from Chumphon airport and a million miles away from Bangkok. Within five miles there are probably just a few hundred people and we are isolated without being “without.” There are several restaurants within a few miles and the always available and iconic fixture, 7-11, is a 10-minute drive. There is minimal traffic and the only sound we hear is the ocean, just a few yards away. With a strong throwing arm I could hit the surf with a baseball.
And the price? Less than $20 US per night.
When people look at “Travel Younger” and say “I can’t afford to travel,” I suggest you take another look. You can stay at expensive hotels and eat at high end restaurants, but that lifestyle is hard to maintain for long periods. If the experience of the experience is worth living a less lavish lifestyle for short periods, then you, too, CAN Travel Younger. Being a TRAVELER is much more rewarding than being a TOURIST.
Any takers?
I will be forming the “Six Week Travel Club” this year, designed to help you stay for six weeks at the locations of your choosing. Where would YOU like to stay?
