En voyageant, nous découvrons différentes cultures, d’autres façons de percevoir les choses, de nombreuses croyances, une variété de rêves et de peurs... Bref une autre manière d’aborder la vie.
Si vous pouviez créer un monde « parallèle » rien qu'à vous, à quoi ressemblerait-il? Qu’y aurait-il ? Qu’est ce qui n’existerait pas ? Quel serait votre système de pensé?
Quels seraient vos souhaits ?
Les habitués de ce forum n'ont pas l'air d'être pressé de répondre ! Je subodore qu'il n'ont pas de monde « parallèle » à proposer si ce n'est le monde dans lequel ils vivent qu'ils leur va à merveille et qu'ils veulent dupliquer partout en corrigeant, certes, des détails par ci ou par là. Quant à moi, je préfère ne pas en parler, je n'ai pas envie d'être censuré du forum.
"Les Sages ne se lamentent ni sur les morts ni sur les vivants"
La Bhagavad Gita-
je ne comprends pas très bien pourquoi tu poste autant de messages sur ce forum et pourquoi tu continues à le fréquenter si tu affiches autant de dédain pour ces habitués ?
A quoi bon poster un message si c'est pour dire que tu préfères ne pas parler par peur d'être censuré ?
"les voyages sont ainsi, des occasions d'initiation..."
Je pourrais t'écrire un roman sur cette utopie d'un monde parfait, mais je ne le ferai pas, car sincèrement, je ne crois pas que ca existe. Ce qui est parfait pour toi ne le sera pas nécessairement pour moi.
Par contre, une caractéristique qu'aurait ce monde, ce serait l'ouverture d'esprit, le respect des autres et la compréhension des différences. Les gens qui se croient le nombril du monde et qui veulent adapter ce qui les entoure à leur vision, ca ne sert pas a beaucoup d'autres sauf eux... et ca détruit des peuples.
Et toi, tu n'as pas répondu à ta question!
Paradise is not a place you can look for, cause its not a place you go, it's how you feel for a moment in your life. (The Beach)
En ce qui me concerne, je ne mets pas tout le monde dans le même panier... Mais il est fort probable, que certains se contentent du monde dans lequel ils vivent parce que "c'est comme ça" et que rien ne pourra le changer ! Ou par excès d'égoïsme. Et puis il y a aussi certaines questions qui gênent parce qu’elles ouvrent certaines portes.... Si tu ne veux pas être censuré du forum, il y a toujours les messages « privés ».
C’est évidemment une utopie... et l’idéal des uns n’est pas celui des autres !
Ce que je souhaiterai, ce n’est pas de savoir si oui ou non je suis en accord avec autrui, mais plutôt ce que chacun, de part ses origines, expériences, voyages, aimerait changer ou améliorer dans son quotidien (même si la perfection n’est pas de ce monde) – ou a pu changer dans sa perception des choses... dans sa vie... Histoire d'ouvrir mon esprit, de comprendre et de respecter autrui...😉
J'ai hésité avant de répondre à ton message. Est-ce que solimann va me censurer (allez solimann, sourire, c'est une blague ...)?
Je serai plus pragmatique, j'aimerais vivre dans un monde où chacun pourrait avoir une vie digne, digne à sa manière, mais digne quand même. Avoir un toit décent selon ses propres normes, avoir assez à manger en quantité et qualité, avoir accès à l'eau potable, pouvoir se soigner quand il est malade, avoir un revenu lui permettant de vivre et provenant d'un travail digne, avoir accès à l'enseignement, avoir accès à l'information dont il pense avoir besoin.
Ce serait déjà bien et c'est ce que demandent les gens que j'ai connus qui vivent dans la misère.
Philippe
Si tu pleures parce que tu as perdu le soleil, tes larmes t'empêcheront de voir les étoiles
Bonjour Philippe,
Je te remercie beaucoup pour ton message.
Je suis toujours étonnée que pas plus de personnes n'osent parler de leurs souhaits/rêves ou envies....
Pourquoi ces hésitations ? Est-ce "mal" de vouloir un monde meilleur ? De croire qu'avec un peu de volonté on peut aider autrui ? Que même un simple sourire peu changer des choses ? Est-ce mal d’avoir des rêves ? Pourquoi tous ces freins ? Toutes ces barrières que nous érigeons ?
Est ce se montrer vulnérable ? Ridicule ?
Ce n'est pas la peur du ridicule ni d'être vulnérable, c'est que nos actions prennent leur autonomie et nous nous retrouvons ensuite avec le contraire de ce que nous voulions obtenir comme résultat.
Les exemples sont nombreux et j'en ai moi-même vécus plusieurs pour être maintenant très prudent quand il s'agit de faire le "bien" pour vouloir un monde meilleur.
Si tu désires des précisions, pas de souci.
Philippe
Si tu pleures parce que tu as perdu le soleil, tes larmes t'empêcheront de voir les étoiles
Pas beaucoup de réponses de la part des forumistes, car là c'est dévoiler ses pensées intimes sur la façon dont on aimerait voir le monde bouger et évoluer avec ce qu'il pourrait avoir de meilleur pour les uns et les autres, mais malheureusement beaucoup de discussions ont démontrées qu'il est aventureux de s'engager sur ce genre de terrain sans avoir de réflexions plus ou moins blessantes de la part d'une partie " bien pensante " de la communauté forumiste, et aprés celà engendre des discussions à n'en plus finir ou on se fait vilipender à tort ou à raison, d'ou peut être le désir de ne pas se dévoiler trop .......
Mais déjà là j'en ai trop dit ........ 😉
Mais bien dommage en effet que celà engendre ainsi de la frilosité ........
Un monde parallèle ..."pas rien qu'à moi " : je dirais un monde où une douceur de vivre s'exprime tous les jours, où cette fameuse course à la montre occidentalisée serait évanouie ... Un monde où se développerait une nature luxuriante et où les haut buldings n'existeraient pas! ...Un monde où l'eau (première source vitale) coulerait pour tous (sans qu'elle ne soit ni polluée, ni privatisée) ... Un monde où plus jamais on ne verrait des images terrifiantes d'enfants soldats, de gosses dont le ventre est tendu à force de malnutrition ou à l'inverse un enfant sans force, la peau sur les os qui ne serait que la proie du futur vautour qui passe ... Un monde parallèle et utopique!
Un monde "rien qu'à moi" : le genre Diane Fossey, perdue au milieu de la nature ...Mais où le braconnage n'existerait plus et où malgré tout les contacts humains éviteraient de m'enfermer dans une bulle, qui finirait par me rendre folle!
Il me semble sur ce forum les avoir bien souvent dévoilé au plaisir et au déplaisir de bien des forumistes ...... 😉 ce qui maintenant me rend frileux dans beaucoup de cas malheureusement ....... mais j'ai laissé maintes discussions qui prouvent que justement je laissais émerger beaucouo de mes émotions, il suffit de les lire, mais je sais que tu en as parcouru nombre d'elles ......
Imaginer un monde entier comme je le souhaite... je doute d'avoir assez d'imagination et pour en prévoir toutes les facettes. Et un monde parfait serait-il parfait??? Un peu plat surement.
Par contre dans un monde parallèle je me verrai bien parlant TOUTES les langues du monde pour ainsi aller à la découverte des autres sans barrière... oui ce serait vraiment çà le rêve!
Comme l’as écrit Alan « c'est dévoiler ses pensées intimes... » et « il est aventureux de s'engager sur ce genre de terrain sans avoir de réflexions plus ou moins blessantes »
Personnellement, je « marche sur des oeufs » sur ce forum. A chaque mot, j’essaie d’anticiper l’impact qu’il va avoir, ce qui va être compris ou interpréter. Bref comme beaucoup je me « bride » ... et ça me révolte.
Bien évidemment, nous vivons en société et laisser libre cours à toutes nos émotions serait catastrophique... Mais sans aller jusque là, nous avons aussi la liberté de penser et de nous exprimer, et je trouve dommage cette frilosité... parce que c’est en se trompant qu’on grandit et c’est à travers les expériences (les siennes et/ou celles des autres) qu’on avance.
« Celui qui n’essaie pas ne se trompera jamais. » Je comprends le : « j’ai essayé, je me suis fait piquer... je suis vacciné, je n’irai plus ».
Si effectivement mes propos étaient déplacés... (Même si j’ai le droit de les penser) mieux vaut laisser tomber. Si par contre c’est à cause d’une maladresse, d’une incompréhension, ou tout simplement d’un autre point de vue... sans tomber dans l’extrême – pourquoi ne pas dialoguer ? Et dialoguer ne veut pas dire convaincre ou « forcer à adhérer ».
Dans toutes choses, dans toutes personnes et dans tous pays il y a du bon et du mauvais.
Ce qui peut sembler parfait pour quelqu'un ne l'est pas forcément pour un autre... Et puis ce qui peut nous sembler parfait aujourd'hui ne le sera certainement plus demain. C'est subjectif et éphémère...
Le vocabulaire utilisé peut aussi être interprété différemment....
C’est justement à cause de toutes ces différences que, par curiosité et ouverture d’esprit, j’ai posé cette question.
Je trouve triste que l’Homme ne sache pas discuter « pacifiquement », qu’il n’accepte pas la différence et l’inconnu... (même ici) ou qu’il ait souvent besoin de dominer.
La peur et l’incompréhension me semblent être les principales sources d’agressivité....
Alors que faire ? « S’écraser » ou s’exprimer ? (Et il y a s’exprimer et dicter !)
Dans « mon autre monde » il n’y aurait pas de préjugés, pas de critiques non justifiées, pas de jugements intempestifs. Chacun s’exprimerait, et les avis divergents ne finiraient pas en guerre ou en dictature.
Un monde où il n’y aurait pas de problèmes mais que des solutions.
Un monde où on ne dirait pas c’est dégueulasse, mais je n’aime pas. Parce que les épinards que je trouve dégueulasse sont appétissants pour mon frère et je n’ai pas le droit de le dégoûter, mais j’ai le droit de lui dire que je ne partage pas son goût.
Voilà ... au risque de me faire remonter les bretelles !
Moi l'attitude que j'adopte face aux messages du forum (le seul que je fréquente) c'est essayer de comprendre ce que l'autre veut dire. Je prends énormément de plaisir à lire ce forum pour ça justement. Par contre je ne prends pas le temps de répondre à tous ceux qui éveillent en moi la réflexion ou même tout un éventail d'émotions...
Moi j'aurais plutôt tendance à t'inciter à t'exprimer pleinement, ici.
Pour ce qui est du monde idéal que l'on peut cultiver dans nos têtes, j'espère vraiment le réaliser un peu chaque jour. L'endroit où je vis, les gens que je fréquente y sont intégrés, c'est assez simple. ça ne m'empêche pas de rêver à plus, à mieux... c'est très égocentrique mais si je ne me gérais pas moi même; qui le ferait...?
Est-ce que je réponds à ta question? je reviens après queqlques jours d'absence, j'ai l'impression d'être out!
A+!
Yangcheng 🙂
"Mon dieu que j'aime ce port du bout du monde, que le soleil inonde de ses reflets dorés" (Dalida)
Oh bah alors ?🙁 C'est dommage que ce forum te donne cette impression.....il est vrai que même dans la vie de tous les jours les gens ont parfois tendance à nous pousser à nous taire par certaines de leurs paroles.......m'enfin ! Faut parler quand même ! Olalala ! Si tu savais combien de conneries j'ai pu dire 😊 mais maintenant je fais plus attention ! Comme tu dis, c'est avec nos erreurs que l'on apprend 😉
Tu dis " bref comme beaucoup je me "bride" et ça me révolte"
Mais, si ça te révolte pourquoi tu le fais ? Exprime toi et si c'est mal interprété tu en discute avec la personne qui l'a mal pris et voilà ! Et si cette personne est bornée.....bah la prochaine fois exprime toi encore plus 😉 Faut pas que quelques remarques blessantes des uns ou des autres t'arrêtent dans ton envie de t'exprimer.....surtout dans le monde où nous vivons si on a peur de communiquer on est mal barré !
Oui j'avoue que certaines remarques sont vraiment blessantes et on se referme sur le coup mais.....faut oublier et recommencer 😉
Allez on t'écoute maintenant, exprime toi d'avantage sur tous les sujets postés ici qui t'interessent 😉
Souriez et la vie vous semblera bien plus belle ;)
S'exprimer sur un forum comme VF n'est pas facile, car si l'objectif est de traiter du voyage sous toutes ses formes, la réalité est qu'on y parle de tout et que le public, de plus en plus nombreux, est d'une variété extrême.
Le fréquentent des gens de nombreux pays, ayant beaucoup voyagé ou non, vivant partout dans le monde, francophones de naissance ou non.
La fourchette d'âge va de 9 à 99 ans (François, quel est l'âge du membre le plus âgé ?) .
Le niveau d'éducation et le niveau culturel sont très variés.
Cette variété est une grande richesse, mais elle implique que nous réfléchissions à ce que nous écrivons et aux réactions de ceux qui nous lisent.
La particularité d'un forum est que nous ne connaissons pas nos lecteurs.
Ce n'est pour cela qu'il faut se censurer (je déteste le "politiquement correct" qui nous envahit, en provenance des USA), en revanche, il faut garder cela à l'esprit quand nous lisons des réactions choquées ou virulentes à nos messages.
Il faut alors se poser humblement la question : pourquoi quelqu'un réagit-il ainsi à ce que j'ai écrit ? Et essayer de relire ce qu'on a écrit avec un autre oeil, éventuellement préciser ou reformuler ce qu'on a voulu exprimer.
Il faut passer au delà de la première réaction qui est d'être vexé.
Discuter avec des gens qui me ressemblent et qui sont d'accord avec moi est stérile.
Je refuse donc l'auto-censure et revendique le respect, la tolérance et l'ouverture à l'autre.
Je suis assez d'accord et je rajouterai : Pourquoi donner tant d'importance à des discussions qui, le plus souvent, ont lieu avec de parfaits inconnus? Pourquoi certaines personnes se sentent touchées dans leur personnalité, voire leur amour propre, alors que les réponses et/ou réactions ne se réfèrent qu'à un texte et non à une personnalité. Parfois, une succession de texte du même auteur illustre une façon de pensée soit, mais sur un sujet donné. Donc, c'est une réponse à une façon de pensée et non un jugement de personne dans sa globalité.
Prendrait-on autant de temps à disserter avec un mec que l'on ne connait pas dans un bar? Donnerait-on autant d'importance à ses dires? Rien n'est moins sûr.
De plus, un mot, ou texte, blessant pour l'un ne le sera pas forcément pour l'autre.
En bref, on discute majoritairement entre inconnus et il ne faut pas trop donner d'importance à tout ce qui est dit. De plus, ce site est une réduction de tout ce que l'on peut trouver comme façon de pensée dans notre société, donc il y a de tout, et on n'est pas obligé (heureusement) d'être en accord avec tout le monde. Il y a des gens biens, y a des cons, des personnes que l'on ne croisera jamais, etc, etc...
Dernier point, il ne faut pas perdre de vu que certaines personnes ne sont pas là pour plaire à tout le monde ni pour se faire des amis (ni des ennemis d'ailleurs) mais simplement pour filer un coup de main et satisfaire un peu de leur curiosité au fil des messages. Donc, elles disent ce qu'elles ont à dire quitte à déplaire à d'illustres inconnus.
En voyage en Russie récemment, j’ai fait la connaissance de Nikolaï, un type épatant ! Look intello, binocles seyantes, cheveux grisonnants, yeux pétillants d’énergie. Un professeur Tournesol en plus jeune et sans la barbichette. Enseignant en français et obnubilé par la France, pétri de culture européenne, intarissable sur une multitude de sujets allant de la littérature à l’histoire, en passant par la cuisine et la société. Cultivé donc, et plein de qualités humaines, ce qui ne gâche rien. Et bien, Nikolaï, comme tous les enseignants là-bas, touche en guise de salaire une véritable aumône. Un chauffeur de bus est un nabab en comparaison. Ah ! Les salaires en Russie…Dans ces conditions, imaginer voyager ensemble en Ouzbékistan en août prochain, comme je le lui ai suggéré à mots voilés, est pure chimère. Il a souri…et je me suis reproché de lui avoir lancé cette proposition (au demeurant flatteuse pour lui). Huit ans qu’il n’a pas quitté sa région…
Il m’arrive d’imaginer un autre monde où les chances de voyager seraient plus équitables. Où les possibilités de partir d’une secrétaire suédoise seraient celles de sa collègue paraguayenne, d’une infirmière française celles de sa collègue égyptienne et ainsi de suite. Un crève-cœur de croiser en voyage des médecins, des juristes, des géomètres, des cadres ou simplement des gens « biens » et qui n’ont aucune illusion sur leurs possibilités de mettre les bouts eux aussi de temps en temps…
Oui, un autre monde où les Nikolaï découvriraient la joie, la fébrilité, l’angoisse, … le bonheur de préparer son sac à dos.
Je suis super touché par ce que tu as écrit. Et justement, j'ai connu les mêmes Nikolaï (Nikoaief, car il s'agit ici d'un accusatif masculin pluriel animé), ou Natashas (Natash) en Russie, ou en Latinie (Pedro y Maria, entonces), qui avaient des rêves d'ailleurs, de voir Paris (décidément, ces russes et ces latinos, ils sont fous de Paris!), de voir d'autres cultures (les russes de voir l'Amérique Latine, les latinos l'Europe), et ces rêves, malheureusement, resteront toujours des rêves. Des chimères. Même si, à juste titre, ils feront tout pour essayer de les réaliser. Extrêmement dur (crêve coeur, comme tu dis). Et combien sont-ils? La majorité!!
Alors d'accord avec ton monde, en ajoutant la notion de "plus de frontières".
J'ai un monde dans ma tête, que je ne veux pas imposer mais proposer. Mais ça prendrait des plombes, j'ai déjà écrit des centaines de pages, et ce n'est pas fini. Ca prendra jour lorsque ça sortira un jour en librairie, si les éditeurs sont avec moi. Au moins un éditeur. Donc, je m'abstiens ici. Patience. Je vous dirai!
Je viens de relire avec un grand plaisir tes récits de Russie. Marrants, et j’ai comme toi vécu une désopilante expérience de bains russes, mais en petit comité. Mes souvenirs sont encore trop frais, trop vivaces. Avec un peu de recul, j'en traduirai quelques-uns sur le papier.
Un monde sans frontières ? Utopie à première vue, mais ici, à Strasbourg, un simple jogging permet de changer d’entité nationale et sans aucune formalité. Il en sera ainsi dans une vingtaine de pays bientôt. Qui sait ? J’espère que tu trouveras un éditeur. En attendant, si tu as besoin d’un lecteur, d’un critique ou d’un (humble) correcteur, n’hésite pas…A+.
Je me refère à une émission sur une radio française:on a fait du micro trottoir en demandant que feriez vous si vous étiez Dieu?Alors il y en a eu de réponses!
Un aurait répondu:je m'assierai devant ma cheminée dans mon fauteuil, allumerai une pipe et contemplerai tout le désordre dont je suis l'auteur!
Une femme a carrément répondu que je me suiciderai.
Pour moi, un peu dans le sens de ton post, je voudrai un monde sans miracle ni favoritisme, une sorte de sprint ou tout le monde est programmé au meme départ, et, le reste sera le reste.
"Une fois le bonheur il suffit d'une phrase, -d'un mot
oui le bonheur juste un sourire, -un regard"
Lokua Kanza
Bonjour solimann, je ne comprends pas la phrase qui clôt tes posts:
"Une pensée particulière à toutes les personnes en prison, aux personnes qui souffrent de solitude ou de dépression particulièrement dans les pays occidentaux."
Pourquoi s'interesser à la situation de la personne avant de s'interesser à la personne elle meme?
Tu vois pourtant j'ai eu des proches en cellule, je sais ce que c'est les parloirs à travers les saisons, certaines personnes ne méritent pas leur place là; mais pourtant pour moi un pointeur d'enfants ne mérite aucune "pensée particuliere" ni compassion, pas plus que les auteurs de crimes crapuleux
Idem pour le reste: ce n'est pas parce qu'une personne souffre de solitude ou de dépression que cela signifie que c'est une bonne personne et qu'elle mérite "une pensée particuliere" ;
il peut s'agir de personnes basses et viles dans leur mentalité qui ont fait beacoup de mal à des innocents...
Décidément je ne comprends pas pourquoi la forme éblouit le fond chez tant de gens
Mon monde parrallèlle est un peu comme l'Éden, sans son côté religieux, c'est l'Atlantide sans la perdition. Les humains ne sont plus des bêtes, la compétition, l'envie, le pouvoir, tout ça n'existe pas. Il y règne une harmonie, les disputes ne sont jamais graves car on sait l'autre sans méchanceté et on n'en a pas non plus, le partage est une chose qui va de soi, la tendresse, la compassion et l'amour sont des valeurs ouvertement affichées au lieu d'êtres perçues comme des faiblesses, voire des tares. Et surtout, les humains font une attention particulière à cette Terre qui nous loge et cette Nature qui nous nourrit, le genre de respect qu'avaient les Amérindiens d'autrefois.
Bref, il est un peu rose-nanane mon monde parallèlle lol
''On ne peut contrôler le vent mais on peut ajuster les voiles''
''Pour chaque chose, une autre vie me semblait due''
A. Rimbaud
Alors voilà suite à une erreur mon post qui s'intitulait "on peut sauver le monde" a été effacé. Mais comme l'erreur est humaine je relance la discussion!!!…
Je m'absente de mon pays natal la Belgique, durant 9 mois sur l'année civile, pour 1 autre le Cameroun, au centre de l'Afrique. L'Europe est loin avec son…
Quand mes parents parcouraient la France en voiture, je restais collé le nez à la vitre regardant les paysages défiler à vive allure... le soir venu avec mon…
Hi! It was totally by chance that I stumbled upon VoyageForum (an ad online and a story lol), and I’ve been reading some really old posts from 2011 about Thai massage schools—discussions on how to get by, accommodation, prices, etc. It reminded me of my own experience: I kept things simple by staying with a local family during my entire trip. I only shared all the expenses with them, which, I’ll admit, was super cheap… and I often traveled with them, which naturally opened a lot of doors for me. To start, at the school in Salaya, my Thai friend immediately connected me with Teacher Phong (the school’s mentor and teacher of teachers, a former monk). I was supposed to join a group session with other foreigners, but for some reason I don’t know, I got two days of private lessons for free with this expert… incredible! And on top of that, he loved France! It was an amazing experience. I "discovered" massage by chance—the Thai family just told me: "Try it, you’ll see!" (I’d had a pretty intense massage in the capital before 😅… but the next day, I felt unbelievably great!))
Every morning, I’d take a taxi (chosen by the Thai family at prices that beat all the competition) to this school—I’ve forgotten the name of the little village now… right in the heart of the countryside. Then, in the evenings, I’d keep practicing massage on all the family members… and they’d teach me Thai at the same time!))
Since then, I’ve practiced a bit, with lots of positive feedback. Following Teacher Phong’s advice—he thought my pressure was deep, firm, and precise—he strongly encouraged me to take this seriously.
I love Thailand so much. It’s a whole different way of living… and it’s a real blessing, even if I couldn’t live there full-time. Anyway, that was an unforgettable memory, and sometimes the Thai family and I still say hi—from 2011, 2013… right up to today!
Hi everyone,
I’m Loulou, a French expat who’s been living in Southeast Asia for about fifteen years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A passionate walker at heart, I’ve trekked in Nepal (Thorung La, Mardi Himal), India, Vietnam, and I’m still planning new hikes (Char Dham, Langtang, Annapurna).
I’ve just published my first travel journal, recounting three months of walking and encounters across India. A portion of the sales goes to an educational center I support in Kep, for children whose parents work in the salt marshes.
I’m also working on a second book about Nepal with a musician friend, focusing on the Mardi Himal trek—two independent perspectives on the same journey.
Happy to swap stories with you about the Himalayas, India, Southeast Asia, or just the urge to hit the road and walk far from home.
Safe travels,
Loulou
Who’d like to share their best and worst travel memories in a few lines?
For me, it’s watching the TAJ MAHAL at sunrise and getting chased by dogs at the top of a mountain pass in GREECE on the way back from ISTANBUL.
THANKS GUYS
"It seems to me that poverty would be less painful in the sun" wrote Aznavour...
Not sure...😕 Who can prove that people in hot countries are happier than others?
What do you think?
Is it better to live in Montpellier than in Lille?
Are the Pygmies happier than the Inuit?
Are Canadians less happy than the people of Louisiana?
Are there more French expats in hot countries?
And your travels? Do you choose your destinations based on the climate?
Do you rejoice when a bit of sunshine appears?
Hi everyone, just this once I’m not posting for a travel story, but to share a thought for Venezuela.
If you didn’t know—since it’s not making headlines—the country was hit by two 7.5-magnitude earthquakes last week. Over 2,200 people have died, more than 50,000 are missing, and some coastal towns have been completely destroyed.
Maybe when the scale of the humanitarian crisis becomes clear, our media will cover it a bit more... especially since earthquakes with this many casualties usually make the front page, but there’s been nothing in France.
So here’s a thought for this country, which, whatever you think of its politics, is a true jewel of South America, both for its landscapes and its people.
hi there
I’d like to invite you to discover my coastal province in central Vietnam: Quang Ngai.
This year, my province has really improved its infrastructure—mountains, countryside, and sea are all authentic here.
No harassers or thieves, and no Russians either.
A local lunch costs around 1 €.
A *** hotel room is about 25 €, and you can find hotels right on My Khe Beach.
We have a specialty: *banh xeo*—10 crepes for just 1.5 €.
You can rent motorbikes to explore the province and maybe visit the many ethnic minorities.
I live here—I’m not selling anything, but I can help if needed (my father-in-law is a traditional Vietnamese doctor and he’s very skilled).
Hi everyone! 😉
I’m Typhaine, 35 years old. Five years ago, I left France for a solo round-the-world trip—no planes, just a van, hitchhiking, cycling, and even a canoe in the Amazon! Today, I work as a naturalist guide in Argentine Patagonia.
Wherever I go, my compass stays the same: observing and photographing wildlife, which I deeply admire and respect.
My project: I’d love to share this experience through a sustainable, authentic, and immersive nature tourism initiative. But to build something meaningful, I need to understand how other nature enthusiasts experience their own adventures.
If you:
Are over 20 years old
Have a true passion for Nature
Have already taken at least one trip lasting more than 3 nights (in your country or abroad) in your life
Promise: I’m not selling anything, this isn’t marketing. Your answers are 100% anonymous and will only help me shape this wild project.
A huge thank you to everyone for your help and kindness! Looking forward to chatting in this thread 😛
(Dear admins, this is purely a collaborative effort for my project study, with no commercial purpose. Thank you so much for your support!)
Photo: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), female on the left and her cub on the right. Photo taken by me in Alaska, Denali National Park.
It’s something we often notice in this forum—and many others—this behavioral shift.
A long-time member, or even a new one, asks a question.
They get one or more answers, some brief, some detailed, and then... nothing???
Not even a simple thank you!!!
From what I’ve gathered, if the answers don’t align with what they wanted to hear, it seems natural for the asker to just disappear!! 😕
Unless—(and I fear this is the case)—basic politeness is no longer part of our society????
I spent 3 weeks in Bali last summer (+ 3 nights on Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java). So I wanted to see what ChatGPT could suggest for comparison...
Here’s the prompt I gave:
"You’re a local expert guide for Bali.
- Plan a 20-day itinerary for Bali with a side trip to Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java without staying overnight.
- I’m traveling with my wife, and I love visiting historical sites, hiking, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and exploring rice terraces...
- For the duration of the stay, I don’t want more than 8 places to sleep, and I’d like to stay at least 2 days at each stop to avoid unpacking too often. Except for the last night, where I’m okay with just one night near the airport.
- I prefer neighborhoods that are walkable and try to avoid typical tourist traps, though I don’t want to miss the must-see spots. So suggest a mix of iconic sites and hidden gems.
- Recommend hotels or guesthouses with a budget of 50 to 100 € per night, including breakfast. Make suggestions in areas popular with travelers, specifying the vibe (I prefer quiet), and consider safety and proximity to attractions.
- For lunch and dinner, suggest two to three restaurants that are well-rated by customers.
- Give me a day-by-day program with details on travel times, visiting times for each point of interest, and recommendations for transportation (taxi, train, bike, etc.).
Estimate the total cost of the trip, including accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, and suggest two tips for saving money in each category.
- Don’t make anything up—be realistic about travel times, take into account the opening dates and hours of sites, and give me the entry fees for places to visit.
- Ask me all the questions until you’re 95% sure you understand what’s being asked. Don’t generate your response until you’ve understood."
The AI asked for a few clarifications:
"Great request—I can build you a really optimized and enjoyable itinerary, but to be 95% sure I hit the mark, I need a few key clarifications (this will really influence the pace, areas, and accommodations)."
In the end, it proposed a program very close to what we actually did.
I’ll skip its accommodation and restaurant suggestions...
Its proposal:
"Ubud (4 nights) => we did 5 nights
Sidemen (2 nights)
Amed (3 nights) => we’d planned 2 nights
Gili Meno (3 nights) => we did Gili between Sidemen and Amed
Munduk (3 nights) => we did 2 nights before Pemuteran
Pemuteran (3 nights) with Ijen => we did 4 nights
Sanur (2 nights + 1 last night) => we chose Jatiluwih instead of Sanur
It suggested "activities" (and accommodations too):
IN UBUD:
- Walk around central Ubud (1–2h)
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Tirta Empul
- Gunung Kawi
- Massage / market / slow café
IN SIDEMEN:
- Rice terrace hike (2–3h)
- Cooking class
IN AMED:
- Snorkeling
- Japanese Shipwreck
- Beach + relaxation
- Volcano sunset
ON GILI:
- Snorkeling at Gili Meno Turtle Point, Nest Underwater Statues
IN MUNDUK:
- Jungle & waterfall hike - Munduk Waterfall + Melanting Waterfall
- Loop: 3–4h (perfect for your level)
- Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- Twin Lakes
IN PEMUTERAN
- Snorkeling: Menjangan Island
For Kawah Ijen, it detailed the day well:
👍 from Pemuteran = best possible option
12 PM: leave hotel (we left at 10 PM)
1 PM: ferry
3 PM: arrival in Java + transfer
11 PM: start ascent
2 AM–6 AM: volcano
Return to Bali around 11 AM–12 PM (we got back at 4 PM)
👍 still very intense, but doable with an agency
💰 ~80–120 €/person all-inclusive
IN SANUR:
- Relaxation
- Quiet beach
- Proximity to airport (30 min)"
I’ve kept the habit of blowing my nose in the sink and then washing my hands—a custom I picked up in India. Sometimes, non-travelers are shocked when they catch me in the act... 🤪
Also, when I run out of toilet paper, it doesn’t bother me—unless I’ve got company over... 🤪
Just got back from walking a friend’s dog (while they’re on vacation), wearing a djellaba and Tibetan boots... 😏😏😏 Oh, for sure, if I’d run into locals, I probably would’ve shocked them? 😏
Anyway, as long as I’m not spitting on the floor at a restaurant or squatting on the side of a highway with a water bottle in hand...
After taking a little trip around the world, I came back a few months ago with an idea in mind.
I mostly do diving, and I love observing animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
During the trip, I realized it was quite complicated to know where and when to see certain species.
For example:
where to dive with sharks or manta rays
where you might get a chance to swim with whales
I even discovered thresher sharks during my trip… I didn’t even know this species existed before, even though they’re incredible to see.
We spent a ton of time searching for info all over the place, especially on social media, without ever getting a clear picture.
So I started putting all this together on my own, in the form of a map, to make it easier to visualize where to go depending on the seasons.
I recently put a first version online (it’s called Fauneya).
There are probably mistakes, inconsistencies, or things to improve, and that’s partly why I’m posting here.
I’d really love to know how you all go about planning this kind of trip.
As part of my Master’s thesis, I’m currently conducting a public survey on a topic that concerns all of us when planning a trip: artificial intelligence and the role of human contact in travel planning.
These days, we’re using more and more digital tools to find ideas, compare options, and book trips... but is the role of human advisors still essential? At what moments? And for what types of trips?
The survey is anonymous and takes about 7 minutes.
It’s aimed at anyone who travels (or has traveled) for leisure, whether you plan everything yourself or go through an agency.
While browsing the forum to gather info for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I often see the terms "traveler," "great traveler," and also "tourist"—so what’s the nuance for you?
I've traveled quite a bit in Vietnam over the past few years—from the southern delta to bustling cities and even some small islands—but what really sticks with me is the north, the high mountains.
Up there, there's something different—maybe slower, more raw. The morning markets with ethnic groups, women in traditional clothes, the colors...
The stilt houses, kids following you and laughing for no reason, the terraced rice fields—it almost feels unreal at times, so vast and quiet, yet so human and simple.
You often hear that Sapa has become too touristy, and that's partly true, especially in the center. But as soon as you move a little farther away, everything changes quickly. The landscapes open up, encounters feel more natural, and you rediscover something truly authentic.
I think it's that contrast that struck me—the difference between what you imagine before going and what you actually discover when you take the time.
And you—what memory do you hold onto from Vietnam? A particular place that touched you more than others?
Hello,
We’re finalizing the plans for our upcoming trip to China in May 2025. The second-to-last stop will be in Zhangjiajie, where we’ve planned to stay for 2 full days before heading to Shanghai.
We’re traveling solo using local transport and have arranged to stay in the city of Zhangjiajie.
We’ve seen that there’s a lot to see:
Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge, Zhangjiajie National Park, and that the sites are quite far apart with fairly expensive entry fees.
We’re thinking of dedicating one day to the national park and the Grand Canyon (glass bridge) and one day to Tianmen Mountain.
But we’re not sure if this plan is realistic—any thoughts would be much appreciated!
I should be serving a warming drink to the participants in the discussion about gardens and parks that provide us with beautiful photos, I could mention the delicious buttery scent wafting from bakeries in the thread about returning to France, but my heart, its powerful pulse that nourishes my entire being, is elsewhere.
Dasht-e Lut, Yazd, Esfahan, Bam, Kerman, Qeshm, Hormuz—a melody, a prayer at the heart of desire.
A dream, an unattainable fantasy? No. Not anymore.
A very serious Italian travel agency is organizing this trip for 6 people this winter. I’m signed up, I’m going, I’m living. Maybe.
"But you’re completely crazy!!!!"
I know... I know that every civilization, every society has a vital need to create scapegoats to define and justify itself, pathetically. And Iran is one of them, top of the list. I laugh or sigh, and it doesn’t bother me.
But that unchanging red, deep red and garnet, so beautiful in itself, in all the Western chancelleries repeats, whispers, shouts: don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, you’re putting yourself in danger and we can’t do anything for you. You’ll be turned into mere bargaining chips, into arguments for endless negotiations. Fear must be instilled, its power absolutely preserved, no concessions made to the enemy. The information (how many French hostages, real or fake, compared to the number of travelers?) is always lacking.
Traveling becomes a merciless confrontation between desire, the vital pulse, and anxiety, its ghosts.
Hi everyone, here’s our itinerary. Arriving on the evening of December 13th. Departing on January 7th.
Thanks in advance for your tips and valuable feedback.
Manila – 1 night
Coron – 4 nights
Coron to El Nido cruise – 2 nights
El Nido – 4 nights
Port Barton – 5 nights
Flight from Puerto Princesa to Vigan
Vigan – 2 nights
Sagada – 2 nights
Banaue – 2 nights
Bagabag – 1 night
Manila – 1 night
I’ve only booked the flight to Manila and the Manila/Coron flight so far. Is it possible to book boat trips, accommodations, and the Puerto Princesa flight last-minute?
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century!
(Costa Rica pure emptiness).
The country where animals are free and people are in cages.
3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer.
Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness.
My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place.
On the main routes, we visited:
San José
Alajuela
Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side)
Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side)
And a few short stops in intermediate towns.
Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:
When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched.
He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.
So far, so good.
After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown.
What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor.
At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.
Downtown San José:
It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox.
From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire.
Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.
So far, so good.
We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Bars with security guards out front.
I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.
The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.
So far, so good.
Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel.
The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses.
The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in.
A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park.
Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.
Nothing’s going right anymore.
We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further.
We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.
Creepy!
The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it.
A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces.
A total joke—"all that for this?"
The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures.
But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.
When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business.
Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.
Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.
We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!
Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse!
According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.
In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.
No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable.
Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.
To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos.
A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park!
A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)
Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.
7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park.
The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color.
Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.
Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."
Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded!
Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30.
The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches.
As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves.
A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!"
For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex!
The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for?
For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!
We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!
Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.
What we liked:
The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.
What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:
Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.
In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places.
In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...
Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs:
Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.
If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you.
For everyone else: run!
Hello,
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine, nothing is simple anymore for traveling to Belarus due to sanctions.
No more direct flights from the EU to Minsk.
Driving is a huge hassle, especially crossing through Poland at the only open border in Brest—you can wait 2, 3, or even 4 days just to get through by car.
The least painful driving option is to come via Lithuania and cross at the only open border, with a minimum wait time of 8 hours, sometimes up to 20 hours or more!!
Controls are very strict and annoying on both the Lithuanian and Belarusian sides. Avoid bringing alcohol, food, or cigarettes—everything will end up in the trash, especially when leaving Belarus for Vilnius, where the Lithuanians are tough, even with EU citizens.
The joy I once knew when visiting my wife in Minsk is sadly over—it’s now a real ordeal.
The fastest solution is to fly. My wife travels to France by taking a bus to Kaunas in Lithuania, where you can catch a flight (though not daily) to Paris Beauvais or Charleroi in Belgium with Ryanair, for example.
For the return trip, it’s the same: a flight to Kaunas and then a direct bus from the airport to Minsk.
The bus crossing is quicker than driving—the 250 km journey, including border checks, takes about 6 to 8 hours for buses leaving Lithuania around midnight, but controls are still strict at the border.
The biggest challenge is finding flight schedules that align with the bus routes between the two countries, given the unpredictable border crossing times.
Now, my wife travels via Charleroi in Belgium (near Brussels), and you can take a train to Paris. Alternatively, you can fly into Beauvais and take a bus to Paris (Porte Maillot).
For those driving, note that EU insurance and assistance policies no longer work in Belarus or Russia. You’ll need to get local insurance, usually limited to third-party liability (I don’t think full coverage exists?), as well as mandatory medical insurance. This is available at the border.
You now have to pay highway tolls—no more BELTOLL boxes. Instead, you pay a flat fee for the duration of your stay. Stop at the first gas station after crossing from Lithuania to fill up on fuel and cigarettes.
From what I know, Lithuania bans carrying more than 60 € in cash, but there’s no limit for USD (though it’s capped at $10,000??).
With a Visa card, you can now withdraw 1,000 rubles per week (about 270 €)—two months ago, it was only 500 rubles!!
For now, you can still pay by card in shops and gas stations.
However, major retailers like KORONA (which may be Russian-owned??) no longer accept foreign Visa cards.
Unfortunately, the additional sanctions announced by the U.S. on August 5, 2025, against Russia—and possibly Belarus—aren’t promising for the future.
After 20 years of visiting Belarus, I’m truly saddened to see the joy of living in this country with my wonderful wife turn into such a bleak situation, all because of human folly.
Hi everyone!
I’m putting together our travel itinerary for Veneto at the end of April. And the more I look and research potential sites to visit, the more I find!
We’ll only be there for a week—my family and I—including 3 days in Venice. So we have to make some choices...
I plan to rent a car when we arrive in Venice and head straight to Bergamo, which would be our first stop. We’d leave the car at the airport when we return to Venice so we can explore the city at our leisure.
What do you think:
1 night in Bergamo (a 2h15 drive from Venice airport),
1 night in Garda,
1 night in Verona,
1 in Padua, and
3 in Venice—would that be doable?
Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! :)
Now that the curtain has fallen on the past year, it’s time to see what’s happening around here.
It seems pretty quiet, but I’ll read more in detail later.
First, I need to tell you all an anecdote.
My eldest little girl, in her third year of law school, was really scared she wouldn’t pass the year.
I told her:
“Trust yourself, you’ve worked so hard, and worst case, if you fail, you’ll just redo the year.”
“But I don’t think I’ll make it—they changed the rules, and if I mess up even one unit, I have to start all over.”
I knew her grades weren’t exactly stellar, and with what I was about to say, I wasn’t taking much of a risk.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart: if you pass, I promise I’ll take you to India, just the two of us.”
I have to admit, India is a country I’ve talked about so much to all my grandchildren that in their minds, it’s become a magical, mythical place (hmm).
July had barely begun when my phone rang, her name flashing on the screen.
“Mamido, I did it!”
My promise came rushing back—oh no, oh no, oh no!
“Congratulations, sweetheart!”
A little shyly, she said:
“Is the India trip still on?”
And me, replying:
“Of course it is!”
And that’s that—a promise is a promise, or you risk losing that precious trust that keeps hearts warm and at peace.
We’re leaving in February. Only 8 days—yikes, the carbon footprint!
But we can’t miss her tutorials, or she’ll be kicked out.
Personally, that works just fine for me.
Going to India has become a challenge for me. It’s far, it’s exhausting, I sweat, I hate mosquitoes, the spices bother my mouth when I used to love them. There’s noise all the time—at night, the dogs bark nonstop, and we almost get run over. I’ll get lost in the streets because my sense of direction has vanished. I don’t like rice anymore. All that chaos and those cultural differences that once enchanted me now just overwhelm me.
But I promised.
The upside—and it’s a big one—Raman, the same driver I’ve had forever, will be at the airport with a sign with our names. We’ll stop at the same little shop for chai (or tea, plain and simple) with that aroma that intoxicates me, halfway through the trip.
It’ll be a tiny trip—staying with friends, I’ll show her a few places I love: Chidambaram, Mamallapuram, and the clinic where I worked. Then we’ll head back.
My little girl will go home to her parents.
As for me, I’ll leave right away for our Scottish island with Homme for our chilly winter.
How can you love a country so much you want to live there, then suddenly reject it, no longer able to appreciate what once made it special?
That’s the mystery of love, I guess.
I’ve visited the U.S. four times myself, including two long road trips. The last one was just this past August...
I won’t be going back. I already felt guilty last August, but recent policies have finally convinced me: the humiliation of Zelensky, authoritarian excesses, Gestapo-like methods for detaining people of foreign origin, the murder of innocent people (a mother shot dead), corruption, insane "tariffs," skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans, the abduction of foreign figures to secure oil, the requirement to disclose social media accounts, and now... threats and blackmail to forcibly take Greenland—a region that belongs to Denmark and thus the European Union!
The reality is that simply posting this could get me denied entry to the U.S.!
In this context, I just can’t keep spending money there. I loved my trips, but there are so many other countries with stunning landscapes to explore.
So I get why you’d want to travel there. I did, and I loved it. But once a country no longer respects any of the values that made us love it, why go?
How can we even consider traveling to a country that threatens to take one of our territories by force?
Hello everyone,
Controversial topic? Not necessarily—maybe just a reflection on a world to come.
I spent the last 15 days of August on a cruise in Greenland, from Kangerlussuaq to Tasiilaq.
I was utterly amazed by this unique world of rock and ice, the little houses in every color, a simple life that’s also complicated by isolation and climate, among other things...
I carry in my heart the kindness of the people I met, the raw and gentle majesty of the icebergs, the colors of the sky...
So, I can’t even imagine a massive presence of raw material prospectors, heavy machinery requiring roads to be built—if that’s even possible—changing their way of life... putting sled dogs out to pasture!
Do fast food and Greenland’s northern lights really mix?
I wouldn’t trade my memories for an ESTA!
All opinions are respectable, which is why this isn’t a controversy—but I’m sorry, I have a soft spot for *my* Greenland.
We’re a couple aged 58 and 63. We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to South India in Tamil Nadu and a few days in Kerala. We traveled with a local French-speaking guide and his friend, the driver. They both live in Pondicherry. We spent 3 weeks with them in the most authentic way!
We covered just over 2,500 km and visited not only temples but also archaeological sites, museums, and small artisanal businesses making tiles, tea, sculptures, bronze, and silk spinning. We were lucky enough to visit a public school, attend a wedding, and even a death announcement in a small countryside village. We were fully immersed in the culture, food, noise, and colors—it was incredible!
The hotels and guesthouses we chose were very clean and mostly quiet. We’re returning from India with amazing discoveries!
We’re happy to share more info if you’d like!
M-Claire and Jean
This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.
VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now.
The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than what we used to see.
Yet, to my surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, way fewer messages, and way fewer questions.
I don’t see many new registered users online, and I notice a number of members who are logged in but either aren’t participating or have stopped participating.
Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could really compete.
Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid?
Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again?
Do people now prefer quick consumption on sites like FB or others I’m not familiar with?
Where have the site’s old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now?
What’s really going on here?
This isn’t exactly a traveler’s question... I’d like to know who handles the technical side of this forum?
I run a similar forum on a different topic (unrecognized children), and we’re dealing with a few technical issues that are slowly killing our forum... so I’d have one or two questions to ask 😊.
Also, I was wondering who created this forum... who the administrators or moderators are, etc.
I think this forum is great. Much better than Facebook, which I’ve been using since it shut down (so I’m happy to see it’s working again...)
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