Merci beaucoup. C'est très gentil. C'est vrai que c'est mieux comme cela. Promis, je vais essayer de faire des progrès.
C'est fascinant le Pérou... parfois, tu n'a pas envie de retoucher les photos. A 4 000 m d'altitude, le ciel est si bleu et le reste si lumineux 😎. Ca nous change de notre ciel gris 🙁.
Côté rentrée des classes et architecture des écoles... Un petit aperçu de l'école sur les îles Uros, sur le lac Titicaca.. Heu, si tu peux agrandir ma photo, ce serait sympa 😊.
Vous pouvez aller voir un petit montage photo sur l'intérieur de l'école sur :
http://millebornes.travelblog.fr, rubrique Amérique Latine. Pérou, p. 42.
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
😉Je resterai en Europe pour l'instant..
Maisons à Malte
Un chalet en Morvan
Une auberge en Morvan centenaire en granite
L'opéra de toulon
Mur en trompe l'oeil à toulon représentant la fabrique des cordages de bateaux autrefois.
Les marins et leurs filles d'un soir....(mur en trompe l'oeil)
Le fournil du boulanger, peinture murale
Merci beaucoup pour l'agrandissement 🙂. Maintenant qu'Archi est rentré de l'école, il m'a dit que c'était peut-être un problème de matériel 🙁 . Je vais peut-être rester avec mes petites photos sur VF... Moi, je croyais que c'était parce que je n'avais pas tout compris !!! ça me rassure quand même... 😏 parce que sur mes blogs et ma galerie photos... CA MARCHE !!! 😛, finalement je préfère 😠...
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Pas un trompe l'oeil comme cette magnifique facade avec la fabrique de cordages de bateaux... c'est la fibre du breton qui parle...
Juste une maison péruvienne de l'Altiplano, avec sa peinture au couleur d'un parti politique. Imaginez une pub électorale ... de la campagne présidentielle française... sur la facade de votre maison... hallucinant !!!! 😉... Ca dépend comment on voit les choses.
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Plus une cheminée est haute, plus la différence de pression entre le haut et le bas sera importante, meilleur en sera le tirage, il y a une surpression au niveau du foyer...avec l'altitude la pression diminue. Tu as sûrement déjà constaté que le couvercle des yaourts se bombe lorsque tu les emportes en montagne...
"Puisqu'il faut de " puissants " conduits d'aération pour bien ventiler ces maisons traditionnelles..."
Certes, à l'origine la cheminée qui avait été conçue pour évacuer les fumées, s'est révélée être une véritable VMC naturelle, à ma connaissance il n'y a pas de conduits d'aération spécifiques.
Comme mes neurones commence à fumer...vite une petite douche et au dodo.😉
😉Magnifiques photos, très content de pouvoir afficher les miennes, car sur les discus photos, faut attendre d'avoir trouvé avant d'en poster.
Là, au moins je n'attendrai pas des années!!!!!!😉
Un temple Khmer en Thaïlande, architecture en épi de maïs
Temple à Bangkok, architecture pur style Siamois.
Habitations en Afrique du Sud.
Espagne, Andalousie, bien sûr qui ne connait pas le magnifique plafond de la Mezquita de Cordoba.
Voilà, c'est tout pour aujourd'hui.
J'espère que les photos pourront toutes être en grand format, Plus intéressantes pour les détails.
bonne journée à tous, je vais refaire le tour de toutes les photos, un régal.
Merci
😉une pub de campagne présidentielle Française, avec Sarko et Carla affichés grand format!!!!!!!
Là.....
Mais je suis certain que trop contents d'empocher une somme importante d'argent, certains accepteront.
C'est ce qui me désole, quand je vois des maisons anciennes, en pierre de taille, ou en pierre de Bormes pour des murs, achetées par des non Provençaux, et masquées par des pubs diverses de n'importe quoi, çà me gave.
Mais, le dieu argent par ces temps difficile règne en maître.
( j'adore le nom de ce petit lézard...cela me fait penser à "gargouille", autre genre de bestiole en parure architecturale qui me fascine bien aussi...🤪)
Encore de très belles illustrations dont j'aime assez le contraste de la seconde, (entre l'aspect très voyant de cette maison, et le "Classiko" de la pub 😛)
😉Je t'assure que quand tu as un énorme margouillat sur le mur de ta chambre, tu ne penses pas que ce petit lézard est adorable.
c'est la tarente provençale
en plus gros sous les tropiques
Bonsoir.
Les yaourts en montagne... j'avais jamais remarqué !!! pour la hauteur des conduits, j'ignorais l'importance de leur longueur.
Bonne soirée. Marie
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Son nom chinois est " Le mur des dix Mille Li ". Un millier de châteaux et environ dix mille tours d'alarme venaient renforcer le mur.
A la représentation d'une muraille unique, correspond en réalité plusieurs remparts, édifiés à diverse époques.
Elle symbolise aussi la séparation entre le monde barbare des peuples des steppes et le monde civilisé de la Chine.
" Autrefois on avait construit la Grande Muraille pour fixer la demeure des barbares. On établit ensuite des tours avec des flambeaux". Ainsi s'exprimait le poète Li Po.
Ce que l'on sait peut-être moins, c'est que certaines parties de ce mur n'ont pa été construites dans un but défensif, mais offensif. Certaines tours et forteresses ont été édifiées pour protéger les routes de la soie.
un livre à découvrir avec des de nombreuses photos : Michaud ( Roland et Sabrina) et Jan ( Michel), La Grande Muraille de Chine, Imprimerie Nationale, Paris, 2000.
Plan des tracés de la grande Muraille ( en rouge) sous les Ming.
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Voici l'exemple de deux maisons Betsileo avec des remarquables balcons en fer forgé à Antsirabe....
La dernière est l'une des plus belles maisons de style coloniale bien conservée d'Antananarivo située dans le quartier Ambondrona.
Ceux qui ignorent le passé sont condamnés à le revivre...
Georges Santayana 1935
Pays de collines, le Burundi compte 11 régions traditionnelles qui se distinguent les unes des autres sur le plan climatique et orographique. La région du Mugamba se situe sur la zone de partage des bassins hydrographiques du Nil et du Congo. Cette région se caractérise par un relief élevé (2 300 m en moyenne) et des températures annuelles comprises entre 14° et 17°C.
Compte tenu des températures peu élevées de la région, la population a adopté des constructions en pisé qui lui permettent de se protéger contre ces basses températures et la forte humidité.
Ce rugo constitue une unité d'habitations (inzu) de tous les membres d'une même famille et est entourée d'une clôture (urugo) faite de bambous. Il comprend :
La maison principale, de forme ronde est entourée de deux grandes enceintes délimitant la cour de devant (urugo) et la cour arrière (ikigo). L'avant-cour (ikirugu) sert de parcage pour le bétail. Un foyer (igicaniro) au centre protège ces animaux domestiques contre les mouches. A côté, il y a un mât (icishinzo) contre lequel se frottent les vaches. Dans chaque enceinte, on y trouve des habitations de dimensions plus réduites.
Aussi, on y trouve l'habitation des adolescents, celle des membres de la famille la plus proche et celle des visiteurs. A côté se trouvent des greniers (ibigega) et un lieu pour le culte de Kiranga (intermédiaire entre l'Etre suprême et les hommes).
Ces habitations se distinguent par leur construction originale faite par les hommes. La dimension de la maison est déterminée par la taille d'une personne allongée par terre et qui étend son bras droit. Un piquet devant être utilisé pour le traçage du diamètre de la maison est ensuite fixé au bout du doigt (le majeur). Cette dimension est fonction du rang social et des besoins du propriétaire.
L'armature de l'habitation est constituée d'un système de perches liées par un tore horizontal (ikoma) fait d'âmes de roseaux gainées et de cordes en bambou. A l'intérieur du cercle des perches, on tresse le plafond en forme de coupole constituée d'un boudin en spirale de vannerie (igisenge) qu'on soulève au fur et à mesure de son tressage. Ce plafond est dressé et maintenu à hauteur voulue (3 à 5 mètres) grâce à des piliers (inkingi) terminés par des sabots (imyashi) décorés de motifs pyrogravés. Les perches extérieures sont alors repliées et liées. L'ensemble est recouvert de chaume coupée par des hommes dans les marais.
L'intérieur de la maison principale était divisé en cloisons faites de bambous qui délimitent, d'une part le vestibule où dorment les jeunes enfants et qui sert également d'étable pour les jeunes veaux, et d'autre part une alcôve où logeaient les parents. Un foyer (iziko) formé d'une coupelle de glaise et de bouse mélangées et trois pierres réfractaires est aménagé au milieu de la maison. Une claie (urusenge) destinée à recevoir les pots en argile et le bois de chauffage est construite au-dessus du foyer. Du côté droit de la maison, on construit un dressoir de forme ovale (uruhimbi) sur lequel on range des pots à lait (ivyakunze), des barattes (ibisabo) et différents paniers (ibiseke).
La décoration de la maison est faite par des femmes et des jeunes filles et consiste à enduire les cloisons de terre rouge et de kaolin et à tapisser le pavement d'une couche importante d'eragostris (ishinge) bien aménagés et recouverts de nattes.
🙁dommage que les photos n'apparaiseent plus en grand format, comme autrefois.
J'ai envoyé un message à françois à ce sujet.
Les habitations que j'ai envoyées d'Afrique du Sud, sont à l'identique des tiennes.
Et comme tu as fait la description de la matière pour la construction, merci, tu m'a évité du boulot...................😉
Très intéressant ton com, et c'est bien ce qu'a demandé archimade, et que j'ai oublié, trop pressé d'envoyer des photos, depuis le temps que je suis frustré dans le jeu des photos.................Je trouve jamais.
Merci, comme j'avais pas le temps de regarder dans mes notes et de faire un texte, j'ai donc été prendre les infos sur le net (qui est une mine) et qui sont les memes que celles que j'ai eu sur place là bas .
Oui ce type d'habitations se retrouvent sur d'autres pays .
dommage que les photos n'apparaiseent plus en grand format, comme autrefois.
Tu veux dire comme ça ?
(alliance du traditionnel et du colonial pour cette maison du centre d'Ambalavao, Madagascar 2006)
Tu peux toujours les poster à ce format en passant, comme avant, par un site hébergeur. Ne pas oublier de réduire quand même la taille de l'image sinon ça "déborde" (on en voit parfois qui sont "à rallonge" 😉). Il suffit ensuite de recopier l'adresse de l'image et de la replaquer sur la fenêtre du lien image.
Un peu plus délicat pour les non-habitués que la nouvelle méthode qui réduit automatiquement la taille de ton image et affiche de jolies petites vignettes sur lesquelles il suffit de cliquer pour les agrandir... 🙂
AH, OUI, C'EST PAS POSSIBLE LES PHOTOS ! 🙁 😠 Il faut faire quelque chose 🙂 ... Merci à Archi et Margouillat qui me les agrandissent... 😏 BISOUS pour votre GENTILLESSE.
Et je fais quoi sans eux !!! ????? On a l'air de quoi avec nos petites photos attachées .... à nos posts ?😕
JE SUIS FRUSTREE !!! parce que j'aime les photos... tous les jours !!!!
Bientôt, Archi va me demander une rémunération pour tous les agrandissements qu'il me fait !
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Je ne saurai pas avoir un discours de spécialiste et je ne sais pas non plus publier des photos en grand format sur VF !!! mais je vous offre ces quelques images de maisons à Bialowieja en Pologne
Et merci pour ces magnifiques photos que vous publiez et qui donnent envie de voyager
Béatrice
Je pense que ce n'est pas étonnant de retrouver ces styles un peu partout car ils correspondaient à la vision française de l'architecture coloniale de cette époque quelque soit l'endroit notamment ces fameuses varangues très adaptées pour lutter contre les grosses chaleurs et les pluies tropicales !
L'utilisation du fer forgé signifiait aussi qu'il y avait la matière première sur place donc bon marché mais les balcons en bois existaient aussi mais ils ont subi beaucoup plus hâtivement les outrages du temps tropical très abrasif...certaines maisons coloniales ont conservé tant bien que mal des escaliers intérieurs en bois de palissandre de toute beauté.....
Ceux qui ignorent le passé sont condamnés à le revivre...
Georges Santayana 1935
"JE SUIS FRUSTREE !!! parce que j'aime les photos... tous les jours !!!!"
Moi aussi... mais si tu veux, on peut faire un club.😉
Donc, pour l'instant c'est "nada", "walou", "niente"... Le dossier doit être classé défense nationale, à moins qu'il faut envoyer un petit chèque pour avoir les clefs de la manip...
Je ne vais tout de même pas leur envoyer la photo de ma pétillante épouse ! De toutes façons, comme je ne connais pas la procédure... Ce sera aussi "walou".😛
A la suite de ton post sur les habitations du Burundi, j'avais répondu que ces " habitations sont superbes... le premier qui rigole en lisant cela essaie de faire la même chose".
Ce que je voulais dire...pour ceux qui ont trouvé ma réponse méprisante, c'est que ces habitations démontrent un vrai savoir-faire et que l'on serait bien incapable de faire la même chose.
De plus, ces photos sont vraiment magnifiques.
Bon week-end.
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Personnellement je n'avais même pas remarqué ton post où tu disais cela . Ne te tracasse pas ...
Mais il est vrai que beaucoup de gens ont déjà du mal à enfoncer un clou, alors construire une maison ....😮😉
La maison principale de ce rugo et son intérieur, est en effet bien une maison comme on peut "nous" à qqs détails près la concevoir.
Je voulais aussi parler d'un savoir faire "plus ancien" et naturel de la construction d'une maison, également construite autour de la structure familiale et traditionnelle(/culturelle). Avis à tous ...d'autres exemples m'intéressent. 😉
Il y a des pays selon les cultures, où l'on construit toujours par rapport à la famille, par exemple des parents construisent et laissent le toit plat . Pas vraiment pour faire une terrasse mais plutôt pour construire un autre étage quand le 1er de leur enfant se mariera, et ainsi de suite, parfois jusqu'à devenir un petit immeuble. On voit ça en Afrique chez les familles libanaises, par exemple ou à la Réunion avec les Zarabes(ne soyez pas choqué du terme, pas la peine) etc .....
On voit en effet dans de nombreuses régions l'évolution des habitations avec celle de la famille. C'était aussi le cas chez nous. Ma propre maison fait partie de cette catégorie. Une toute petite maison, avec deux pièces l'une sur l'autre, puis un agrandissement au début du XXème siècle... avec un puits qui s'est retrouvé sous le séjour !
Je vais prendre des photos de mon quartier, qui montre vraiment les rajouts successifs...
Marie.
Marie.
Il n'est rien de plus beau que l'instant qui précède le voyage.
Wouah! Elle devait etre charmante cette ancienne maison ! J'allais souvent chez les grands parents de ma copine d'enfance. C'était une maison très traditionnelle aussi, une ancienne ferme, avec le banc des pauvres dans l'entrée et toute la cuisine en mobilier breton, comme dans toutes les autres pièces d'ailleurs. Les anciens lis clos servaient de placards, il y avait un puit aussi mais dehors collé à la maison...de beaux moments passés là .
... alors là 🤪...., deux bretonnes aussi intéressantes que cultivées qui se rencontrent ( ou qui se retrouvent...?) dans cette discussion...cela me fait un réel grand plaisir et je suis vraiment sincère...😉...
Une fois n’est pas coutume, je vais parler de mon propre pays, la France, où j’ai fait récemment un voyage assez court à partir de Bangkok (où je vis). Je…
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Quel est le pays au monde qui vous intéresse le moins? Pourquoi? Quels sont vos préjugés par rapport à ce pays? Pour ma part c'est la Russie. Ce pays ne m…
Dés que je reviens en France, et bien je me dis "que c'est mieux-ailleurs". Là où nous sommes allés, je ressens une espèce de legèreté de vivre, moins…
Petite réflexion que je me suis fait en lisant un article récemment et sute à une conversation avec deux amis. L'article en question parlait d'André Brugiroux…
bonjour à tous les voyageurs qui ont les yeux grand ouverts sur le désert ...
je me suis toujours demandé ce que je "foutais" sur la terre. Et pourquoi mon père, mort quelques mois après ma naissance, ancien plus jeune résistant français, avait rejoint la Première Compagnie Sahariene motorisée d'Atar, et passé le reste de sa vie à réparer des moteurs de l'armée, en Algérie, en Mauritanie, au Sénégal, au Mali (qui n'existait pas sous ce nom), au Maroc et pour finir en Algérie où ma mère est née et a grandi. (croyez moi c 'est pas "cool" d'être enfant de militaire en pays occupé par la France et encore moins enfant de "pied noir").
Bien sûr, je n'ai jamais eu de réponse : les morts ne parlent pas, et l'armée ne parle pas.
Seulement, voilà, j'avais des photos...
Alors forcément, un jour j'ai pris la route. Je voulais voir, comprendre.
C'est grâce à VF que j 'ai pu me documenter, un peu, sur le passage de la frontière Maroc Mauritanie et j'en remercie ses membres, tout comme je remercie toutes celles et tous ceux qui m'ont accueillie, pendant 14 ans, sur la route.
Depuis quelques semaines, je me demande si je dois en parler ou pas..
Il se fait que les Mauritaniens ont transformé ma vie en me demandant de l'aide... Et cela, dès le mois de février 2012... (avais je une dette envers eux ? Question sans réponse)
Ah ah. La belle affaire, ils m'avaient vu venir. Mais quand on vous met des enfants malades dans les bras, en vous suppliant de faire quelque chose, qu'auriez vous fait ? J'avais travaillé dans un hôpital, je connaissais un peu les règles à suivre. Je ne me suis pas posé de question.
Et bien, toutes ces années J'ai rencontré des médecins, des chirurgiens, et ensemble, nous avons organisé des prises en charge, des évacuations d'enfant, des formations de chirurgiens, jusqu'à tenter de ne plus faire voyager les enfants hors de leur pays, et cela n'a jamais été simple. J'en profite pour remercier celles et ceux qui nous ont soutenus ainsi que la Chaine de l'Espoir, la Fondation Face au Monde et toutes celles et ceux qui ont tissé des liens entre nos deux pays.
Malheureusement, et malgré les efforts permanents des médecins et chirurgiens mauritaniens, certains enfants n'ont pas pu être pris en charge à temps. Aujourd'hui je voudrais parler de quatre frères et soeurs, orphelins de mère, atteints d'un glaucome congénital provoquant une cécité irréversible. Leur cas m'a été confié en 2020 quelques semaines avant le grand confinement. Nous n'avons rien pu faire pour eux alors, quand leur père m'a demandé un cadeau, je me suis jetée sur mon ordinateur et j'ai écrit une histoire.
A travers un conte, les enfants vont réaliser un grand voyage, explorer leur pays, réaliser un rêve. Jamais je ne pensais que ce livre serait publié, il l'a été, en 2023.
Ce livre rend hommage à la Mauritanie, il est un message pour celles et ceux qui ne se conaissent rien des difficultés de la vie là bas, il porte la dureté et la beauté d'un désert immense où il est possible de se ballader en 4X4, à vélo, à pied, à dos de dromadaire, en toute sécurité, il témoigne de la bienveillance des Mauritaniens pour le voyageur.
En tant que femme seule avec mon véhicule, un vieux Mercedes au chassis maintenant pourri et qui ne roule plus, j'y ai fait les plus belles rencontres de ma vie (j'ai vu d'autres coins du monde...).. Les enfants aveugles de Choum, d'Atar, de Nouadhibou et de Nouakchott sont à jamais dans mon coeur.
Des lectrices bénévoles ont transcrit le livre en versio audio gratuite pour les malvoyants, il est disponible dans les bibliothèques sonores de France, de la Fondation Valentin Hauy, dans la bibliothèque suisse romande.
J'ai effectué mon dernier voyage en Mauritanie avec mon vieux 4X4 afin d'offrir le livre un peu partout et surtout à ses héros et à l'école des malvoyants de Nouakchott.
Ensuite, j'ai pensé que la page devait se refermer parce que je n'ai plus ni les moyens ni la force de voyager.
Mes éditrices avaient choisi de lui donner ce titre : les yeux bleus du désert.
Cette publication a permis à une mission d'ophtalmologues bénévoles suisses de venir opérer les glaucomes en Mauritanie. Je m'en réjouis car chaque année, ils reviennent !
Cette aventure se termine, oui, car il faut une fin à tout, mais au final, elle est née ici, dans le site de VF !! Alors oui, il fallait que je le dise : MERCI !!!!!
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
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!
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?
Les iles flottantes sur le lac Titicaca.
Celle-ci méritait un agrandissement, Superbe !!!
..ma modeste contribution à ce sujet, puis je m'efface dans l'attente fébrile de lire et de voir la suite...🙂...
avec en prime ce "Coucher de soleil sur le pont Faidherbe."
à suivre...
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