Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

More Couch Surfing Stories…

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The first Couchsurfing post drew a bit of reaction and calls for a follow-up so here it is. 🙂

Ok, guys, be prepared, I’m about to expose my top secret location! I’m from The Philippines – the unofficial doormat of Asia whether you’re an American traveler or a typhoon. Our guest was a twenty-something guy who was looking forward to four months in Asia in hopes of experiencing what the land and culture could offer. He’s from Southern California and he’s very interested in extreme sports and the great outdoors. Since he’s already seen a good deal of what the capital city could offer, we thought it was time to take him up North – the cooler and more mountainous part of the country . Though I couldn’t really come with them due to school, a close friend of mine who also needed to go to a major city in that area.

We were in close correspondence the entire time through our mobile phones and even if a lot about the trip was planned down pat, it was still impossible to foresee certain events.

Beware the things you take for granted.

If you’re a local of a particular city, town or country, it’s easy to dismiss little wonders that could prove to me amazing to other people. For instance, a drive around a vast field of hilly countryside could already be breath-taking for someone from a highly urbanized area. For our guest, a view of an old mining installation was enough to draw gasps. It’s not much a draw from the locals, but for this particular guy, it was enough to inspire him to just sit on a rock and absorb the scenery.

Backpacking is still about independence.

Though couchsurfing does make the whole idea of being in a strange, alien place a bit less stressful, in the end, it still shouldn’t be similar to being in a guided tour. Let your guest experience the place with you just looking on. A few tips could do him good. If he could figure things by himself, it’s more likely that he’ll take home something more tangible from the trip.

Couchsurfer, Ahoy!

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Signing up for couchsurfing is one thing, but hosting a guest is totally another. Thanks to this revolutionary website, travelers with less than the usual travel budget could still go to their dream destinations by simply opting to stay in a fellow couchsurfer’s couch or bed.

This morning, a friend of mine fetched a couchsurfer from the airport. He was a seasoned traveler himself, but it was his first time in Asia. In hopes of introducing the whole idea of local cuisine and culture to him, we decided to treat him to a restaurant that offered traditional food. Unlike the usual setup where in a traveler is thrown into a strange new environment, locals can now soften the transition by giving helpful tips and much needed direction before taking on the big city. It looks great on paper and in practice, it’s even more amazing. Through the system, people can meet others with similar interests and fortify their place in other people’s couches should they choose to travel to other places in the future.

If you can’t host travelers, don’t fret! You can still sign up and signify that you’re willing to share a couple of drinks of coffee with your potential guest. What are you waiting for? Join now!

As for me, I’ll be fixing a four-day itinerary for my guest.

California Dreamin’: Yosemite

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California has a lot to offer. From the sprawling cities of the Pacific coast, to the cool and serene atmosphere of the Bay area, it’s clear that the Golden State has all the bases covered. Aside from man-made wonders, California also pulls its weight when it comes to national wonders.

Yosemite National Park is a vast expanse of more than 750,000 acres of breath-taking rock formations, lush greenery, water falls and other inspiring sights. It is found largely Mariposa and Tuolumne counties – a perfect detour for people passing through Fresno or Sacramento. The elevation is highly variable throughout the entire park. In some areas, the ground is 2,000 feet above see level. In other places, the number soars to over 13,000 feet. The dramatic land features are said to be the effects of glacial thawing that happened millions of years ago. As the ice melted, it carved the millions year old rock revealing the majestic slopes, cliffs and chasms that we see now.

To get to Yosemite during the winter, cars and buses are usually fitted with chains to help grip the already icy and potentially slippery road. The chains are available at the gate so no need to buy your own *snark*. If you ask me, it’s a lot better if you visit during the winter, the shimmery snow does lend a good glow to the entire park. I’m sure though that having it in pure spring bloom would be a good sight as well.

Aside from the landscape, the park also offers a vast array of rare animal and plants that could only be seen in the park. There’s something for everyone in Yosemite! Why don’t you hop on your car and drive up to the park? 🙂

Killing Time During Long Travels

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When traveling to new and more interesting locales, it’s inevitable that it would entail a long period of time that would be spent in transit. Whether its spent on a plane, train, bus or car, it’s generally time that goes to waste due to the sheer boredom of it all. Unfortunately, these sort of delays and hang-ups eat into the already limited time that a family can spoil a well-planned vacation. In these types of situations, Mommy and Daddy better be prepared to have the tools to ensure that things don’t go sour.

Enjoy the scenery! As corny as it sounds, sometimes looking at rolling hills, clouds, mountain ranges and even the desert could prove to be enjoyable and interesting. Familiarizing oneself with the route along with the notable features of the landscape could enable your family to witness and experience sites that you wouldn’t necessarily get out of the car to see. These of course include road markers, monuments and other roadside attractions.

Play Travel Bingo! Before embarking on your trip, try making make-shift bingo cards with usual roadside sites as the “numbers”. Instruct your children to tick the boxes as soon as they see the item. The items could include large natural structures like mountains, boulders and lakes, while man-made infrastructure like dams, gas stations and train stops could also be included. If you feel like challenging your kids to be extra keen, throw in a roadkill or two. This would surely unleash their competitiveness and interest.

Sing! When all else fails, you might as well sing. It would help if the song you play on your car’s audio system is easy to sing to and carry a happy or energetic tune. Not only does this keep the kids excited and jumpy – it also helps the driver stay awake for the long drive.\

Travel safe!

Want It Cheap and Quick? Try It In Groups!

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If you’ve been to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park or just about any famous tourist spot in any corner of the globe, you’ve probably seen people in huge tour buses parked near the sites. Actually, odds are, you’ve been on a group tours package of some sort. Though some people still prefer doing car rentals to drive to various places of interests, the touring industry has always had a strong following due to the convenience of just sitting pretty inside a bus without the problem of navigation, driving and risking getting lost in an unfamiliar territory.

Touring companies often offer day trips to various tourist spots with several stops along the way. This ensures that you get to see many of the significant monuments, national wonders and other places of interest. These tour companies are very familiar with the local environment, so they can easily pick out which places are worth going to. If you’re a traveler who always want to be on the go and see the most number of neat sites in the shortest amount of time, it’s definitely worth signing up to one.

Touring companies also appeal to different niches in the travel industry. In the United States, the industry has grown so big that a niche for senior citizen tours has emerged as one of the more well-performing target markets. Obviously, such tours tend to capitalize on places that heighten the feeling of nostalgia of the good ol’ days. The immigration boom has also seen tours that cater mainly to tourists and immigrants of Chinese descent who have yet to learn the English language. These type of tours customize their tour guide spiels in the Chinese vernacular.

Families with young kids are also a strong niche market. Especially in tour groups that send people to various theme parks around the world, companies have learned to customize their tour programs for the short-attention spans of the curious toddlers.

If you want to just kick back and let someone else worry about directions and the driving, taking a tour is your best bet.