A "poor fisherman" (of fish) tending his vegetable garden, content with little, and appreciating the place, the peace, and the simplicity of his life, can also be happier than a millionaire who chains together purchases and trips but remains unsatisfied and always "greedy" for more😉
YouTube - Finir pêcheur Gérard Manset.wmv
and also
Gérard Manset - Un jour être pauvre
"Nous ne sommes plus une communauté d'être humains qui se parlent mais un conglomérat de grappes de consommateurs en niches, séparés les uns des autres par des obsessions diverses et innombrables. Nous sommes de l'ère de la désintégration." Marc Moulin (1942-2008) in Humoeurs
Well, the word might be a bit strong (I unfortunately can't find another one), but I do think there's a certain indecency in the idea of this conversation.
That's just your opinion, not mine... In my view, the topic is very common—an idea that has crossed the minds of thousands, if not millions of people, so much so that an artist (Aznavour) made it the theme of his song!
But maybe if we picked apart your posts about Russia, we'd find some indecent remarks...
"Nous ne sommes plus une communauté d'être humains qui se parlent mais un conglomérat de grappes de consommateurs en niches, séparés les uns des autres par des obsessions diverses et innombrables. Nous sommes de l'ère de la désintégration." Marc Moulin (1942-2008) in Humoeurs
After several years of making the most of every free moment to roam across Russia, covering kilometers of nearly deserted expanses, moving from cities to towns, villages to countryside, forests to mountains, rivers to steppes, sharing shashlik and vodka with people from all over... it never even crossed my mind to write a travel journal. And I didn’t. Probably because some things are lived far better than they’re told.
For an ordinary worker or an unemployed person who’s never been able to take a day off to escape their suburb—wouldn’t that be a bit indecent?
Feeding your lack of argument by digging up an out-of-context message from Bardak that has nothing to do with the current discussion...
What a dishonorable tactic!
After several years of making the most of every free moment to roam the far corners of Russia, covering kilometers of nearly deserted expanses, moving from city to city, village to village, countryside to forests, mountains to rivers, sharing shashlik and vodka with men and women from all over... it never occurred to me to write a travel journal. And I didn’t. Probably because some things are lived far better than they’re told.
For an ordinary worker or an unemployed person who’s never been able to take a day off to escape their suburb, wouldn’t that be a bit indecent?
Since I don’t think I’ve ever chatted with you on this site—or even remembered your username from a discussion—I don’t know if you’re one of the few troublemakers who lurk around this forum, just waiting for the slightest chance to derail a conversation!
So, I’ll assume you’re not one of them and answer:
What, honestly, have you found in this discussion so far that’s truly indecent???
Just the fact that we’re talking (without any malice) about poverty in our world and whether or not it might be relatively more bearable in the tropics?
If that’s all it is, then handle this discussion the same way you probably did during one of your trips to Russia, where for years now, extreme and indecent poverty has existed side by side with opulent and equally indecent wealth: "move along" and leave us be!
Since I don’t think I’ve ever spoken with you on this site, nor even remembered your username from a discussion, I don’t know if you’re one of the few troublemakers who haunt this forum, just waiting for the slightest chance to derail a conversation!
What condescension...
approach this discussion the way you’ve certainly done during one of your trips to Russia, where for several years now, extreme and indecent poverty has existed side by side with opulent and equally indecent wealth:
Dubious insinuations that have nothing to do with the discussion... Your argumentative method is as vile as the one used by jalma...
"move along" and leave us alone!
If expressing an opinion shakes up your exchange a bit... "with no ill will" about "the poverty that fills our world," the discussion still doesn’t belong to you...
To lighten the mood a bit (what’s wrong with my face? what’s it got, my face? Do I have a face like an atmospheeeere?) and stay on theme 🤪
Coluche - misère.AVI - YouTube
"Nous ne sommes plus une communauté d'être humains qui se parlent mais un conglomérat de grappes de consommateurs en niches, séparés les uns des autres par des obsessions diverses et innombrables. Nous sommes de l'ère de la désintégration." Marc Moulin (1942-2008) in Humoeurs
Since this is a public forum, I consider myself entitled to share my opinion on this topic, just like everyone else, even if that opinion is unpopular.
What bothers me isn’t discussing poverty. In fact, I’ve appreciated many of your contributions on this subject.
Reading this discussion, I simply felt a certain discomfort with the idea of ranking suffering. Who’s more miserable—the homeless person in Paris or someone living in a slum in South America?
That’s all that makes me uncomfortable. I’m sorry that instead of understanding it, you can’t even consider it and take it only as provocation (I do admit, though, that my first post was abrupt and lacking arguments, so it was unnecessary and could indeed be seen as provocative, even if that wasn’t my intention). I didn’t expect to trigger so much hostility just by expressing a bit of discomfort.
Then, and I think this is very important, it's above all social relationships that make the difference. Whether in a favela in Brazil or a slum in India, people never live alone or in isolation like they do in Europe.
On reflection, there's a lot of truth in what you're saying, and ultimately your ideas aren't that different from mine. For example, when I say that the "world of the destitute" is really just a microcosm of the "parallel world" that makes up the societal model of the country they live in?
Countries in the "Global South" (mostly tropical) are indeed known for having populations described as "solidarity-based," unlike those in the "North," which have extremely "individualistic" populations!
"Nous ne sommes plus une communauté d'être humains qui se parlent mais un conglomérat de grappes de consommateurs en niches, séparés les uns des autres par des obsessions diverses et innombrables. Nous sommes de l'ère de la désintégration." Marc Moulin (1942-2008) in Humoeurs
Hello (I remain polite even to those who show their teeth at me!)
Come on, kola! Having been on VF since 2007 and with over 2,300 posts under your belt, you can't expect me to believe you haven't noticed that quite a few people on this forum are specialists in provocation?
Not knowing "bardak" as well as she seems to know me (since she says she's appreciated some of my posts), I gave her the benefit of the doubt by responding!
I'm sorry, but you're completely wrong when you say that someone (in this case, our friend "bardak") who has been to Russia several times might not have seen extremely indecent things that are at the heart of the problem raised by this discussion!
I admit I may have been a bit clumsy in my last sentence: "move along and forget about us," and I apologize to "bardak" for that. I got a little worked up by the wording of her first post—my words must have outpaced my thoughts because, believe me, it's not in my nature to monopolize a discussion without listening to other participants' opinions!
I think we’re just exchanging perspectives, and no one really holds the absolute truth on this—it’s all about personal sensitivity, experiences, and what we’ve been through, you know?
It’s kind of like debating whether heredity or social environment shapes a person; some lean toward heredity, others toward geography, social background, or family, but no one can claim to have the definitive answer...
As for barging into a discussion after thirty-odd posts and calling it indecent—that really gets under my skin. Same goes for the buzzkills and know-it-alls in general!
The issue isn't what Bardak wrote in other discussions, but the fact of digging through what Bardak wrote elsewhere just to quote an excerpt with the sole purpose of discrediting her because the guy got upset by a post from the lady.
The approach is pathetic, I’ll say it again—I now know what to expect from jalma.
I do admit, though, that my first post—curt and lacking any argument—was useless and could indeed be seen as provocative, even if that wasn’t my intention. I didn’t expect it to spark so much hostility just by expressing a certain discomfort.
Yeah, your first post was at the very least cutting and definitely set off some immediate reactions! 😉
But isn’t it said that "a fault confessed is half redressed"?
You’re making amends by acknowledging a bit of clumsiness in your words. Like I told "kola" earlier, I’m willing to do the same by removing the last sentence (also pretty clumsy!) from my reply: "move along and forget about us."
Pretty worked up by your comments, my words went beyond what I actually thought!
It’s absolutely not like me to hijack a discussion by dismissively brushing aside others’ arguments!
Sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m clicking Stop following this thread
"Nous ne sommes plus une communauté d'être humains qui se parlent mais un conglomérat de grappes de consommateurs en niches, séparés les uns des autres par des obsessions diverses et innombrables. Nous sommes de l'ère de la désintégration." Marc Moulin (1942-2008) in Humoeurs
This conversation is surreal... and bordering on indecency...
I get that you might find this conversation surreal since we're talking about songs and weather—pretty light topics—but also about poverty, which is a much heavier subject, jumping from one thing to another.
As for the indecency, I think that word is a bit strong😐
Countries in the "Global South" (mostly tropical) are indeed known for having populations described as "solidary," unlike those in the "Global North," which have extremely "individualistic" populations!
I find this worldview a bit too idealistic🤪
Are all Westerners really awful egoists?
Are people in the developing world all kind-hearted altruists?
What about the caste system? Slavery (it still exists...)? Forced mutilation (for begging, for example...)? Prostitution (Thais are the biggest clients in their own country...)?
I don’t think wealth is better distributed in the Global South at all. It’s often a matter of survival of the fittest, with India being the most striking example🙁
And for those who are struggling, all is not lost—or maybe everything is gained, who knows? ;)
Get some sunshine
In the palm of your hands,
A little bit of sunshine
And go far away!
Go with the wind,
Follow your dream;
Leave right now,
Youth is short!
There are paths
Unknown to men,
There are paths
So airy!
Don’t regret
What you’re leaving behind.
Look over there,
The horizon is shining.
Far, always farther,
Go singing!
The world belongs
To those who have nothing.
Freedom - Maurice Carême
«Si tu ne trouves pas d'ami sage, prêt à cheminer avec toi, résolu, constant, marche seul, comme un roi après une conquête ou un éléphant dans la forêt.» Bouddha
Are Westerners really all awful egoists?
Are people in the developing world really all kind altruists?
Attila, you know that’s not what we mean, right! To sum it up very briefly: in Europe, we have a social system that partly relies on our taxes... it’s a plus, we know that! In the developing world, there’s no social system, but people, due to their psychology (it’d take ages to explain), live more collectively—that’s just how it is. I’d say they don’t even really choose it; they "react collectively." They don’t have retirement homes (though that’s starting to change), they’re less "prone" to depression and suicide than we are, and it rarely happens that they find a neighbor who’s been dead for ages because they were alone at home with no friends or family (that doesn’t exist in Africa!!). They’re not bothered by noise or music and take life more simply than Europeans—that’s what I meant. But if we were dropped into their world, we’d bring our own psychology and moods with us and couldn’t live like them, so it’s hard to compare objectively...
Are Westerners all awful egoists?
Are people from the developing world all kind altruists?
It’s not that simple!
And "jalma" (at least, I think so) and I never meant to "reduce" the conversation to that level!
The way this discussion is going has at least made me realize the limits a forum like this can reach!
The context in which discussions usually take place (reading posts isn’t real-time, some participants only read parts of the messages and not the whole thread, or take sentences or snippets out of context, others act as provocateurs trying to derail the conversation, etc., etc.) makes it extremely difficult to present ideas and debate a "fairly heavy" topic that would deserve pages of writing or hours of discussion to be fully understood.
Since I can’t properly express the deeper meaning of my ideas (or maybe I just can’t do it) through this kind of system,
this will be the last post I’ll make in this discussion!
Who knows, I might even decide to change how I use VF in the future!
Maybe focus on much lighter topics or join other sections that are way less "headache-inducing"!
Like: What time does the "thingamajig" bus leave to get to "whatsit" station? What’s the temperature in Beijing in August? Where are the best restaurants in Hanoi? Where can you swim with turtles? Etc., etc.!!! 😏😏😏
I’ve noticed from the number of posts some people send (like: 2 posts in 4 years!) that some are much quicker to "take" than to "give"!
Though, a huge number of posts (2,700 in 2 years) doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all really interesting!!! 😉
Let’s wrap up the conversation anyway:
What about the caste system? Slavery (it still exists...)? Forced mutilation (for begging, for example...)? Prostitution (Thais are the biggest clients in their own country...)?
I totally agree with that! 😉
Those are actually reasons why I boycott certain countries!
The context in which discussions generally take place (reading posted messages isn't done in real time, some participants only read part of the messages and not the whole thread),
Just circling back to the discussion topic, a little anecdote.
I was in Nepal (like every year—yeah, I’m rich, handsome, all that jazz...), chatting with a Nepali friend about the country’s politics (an interesting topic but also totally hollow, since nothing really happens except childish election games and constant Maoist threats). We eventually got around to talking about our lives, the problems that come with them—financial and personal.
I told him that in France, there’s something called Active Solidarity Income (RSA, you know?). I explained that it’s the government giving money to people who don’t have jobs, who are poor, etc. His eyes nearly popped out of his head: "400€!!! That’s amazing—you must live really well, you even get money without working!" (Okay, fair point—it doesn’t exist in Nepal.)
Then I told him that even with 400€, people can’t afford an apartment in big cities and end up on the streets. He was stunned—how could someone be homeless with 400€ when in Nepal, 10€ gets you a one-room apartment? That’s when the surreal discussion started, comparing everything under the sun...
rent, electricity, this, that, you name it...
After an hour of this, he admitted there were definitely advantages to living in Europe (better hygiene, running water, heating, services...), but life was way tougher than in Nepal. He hadn’t imagined things that way, and in my opinion, a lot of immigrants arriving in France don’t realize it either until they’re faced with it directly.
Anyway...
Is it better to be poor in Paris or Kathmandu? Clearly, without making a questionable comparison, life in Kathmandu would be simpler for many reasons.
(you can eat for 10 NPR, build a makeshift shelter (like a tin shack in a slum) without worrying about the police (who don’t care), set up anywhere without taxes or fees, your survival depends on your motivation to find money, it’s easy to find odd jobs—even tough, poorly paid day labor, Buddhist and Hindu compassion, temple beggars are richer than middle-class Nepalis who work "honestly" (average salary = ~5000 NPR/50€ per month), you can start a shop or sell things on the street without paying taxes, it’s a kingdom of resourcefulness, etc.)
Of course, my comparison here is between Paris and Kathmandu... I can’t claim it’s the same everywhere.
But climate (as jalma and others mentioned) is a key factor, followed by cultural and religious elements that play a huge role in the well-being and condition of the "poor."
it's not the state that gives, it's those who are a little less poor. If you had told him that, his enthusiasm might not have been the same.
Well, there's some action here...😎
Just to get back to the topic of the discussion, a little anecdote.
I was in Nepal (like every year, yeah, I'm rich, handsome, all that...), chatting with a Nepali friend about the country's politics (an interesting topic but also completely hollow, since nothing happens except electoral childishness and perpetual Maoist threats). We ended up talking about our lives, the problems that come with them, both financially and personally.
I told him that in France, there’s the Active Solidarity Income (RSA, you know) and explained that it’s the state that gives this to people who don’t have jobs, who are poor, etc. He looked at me with eyes as big as saucers, "400€!!! That’s amazing, you must live well, you even have money without working!" (Okay, he has a point—this doesn’t exist in Nepal).
Then I told him that even with 400€, people can’t afford an apartment in big cities and end up on the streets. Shocked, he couldn’t understand how someone could be homeless with 400€, when in Nepal, with 10€, you can get a one-room apartment... And that’s when a surreal discussion started, comparing everything—rent, electricity, this, that, etc.
After an hour of talking about this, he admitted there were advantages to living in Europe (quality of life, running water, heating, services...) but that life was much harsher than in Nepal. He hadn’t imagined things that way, and in my opinion, many immigrants arriving in France don’t realize it either before facing it directly.
Anyway...
Is it better to be poor in Paris or Kathmandu? Clearly, without making a dubious comparison, life in Kathmandu would be simpler for many reasons.
(ability to eat for 10 NPR, build a makeshift shelter (like a slum, in corrugated iron) without fearing the police (who don’t care), being able to settle anywhere without taxes, survival depending on motivation to find money, ease of finding odd jobs even if they’re tough and poorly paid by the day, Buddhist and Hindu compassion, temple beggars being richer than middle-class Nepalis who work "honestly" (average salary =~5000 NPR/50€ per month), ability to start a shop, sell things (on the street) without paying taxes, the kingdom of resourcefulness, etc.)
My comparison, of course, is based on the Paris/Kathmandu model... and I can’t claim it’s the same elsewhere...
But the climate (as jalma and others mentioned) is a key factor, followed by cultural and religious elements that play a precious role in the well-being and condition of the "poor."
I still don’t get it! "Those who are less poor"?... In Buddhist or Hindu Asia, people give to sadhus (who aren’t exactly beggars) or to monks because it’s tradition, but to beggars—those who are truly poor—they don’t give any more than we do, probably even less... and there’s no welfare like RSA in Nepal either.
And what "enthusiasm" are you talking about?
😎 Hardship here or hardship there? It always depends on the "there"!
Anyway, I’m a 45-year-old Canadian, and I’m really starting to feel the hardship of winter... Here, you need everything in double for winter and summer—clothes, car, tires, etc...
So, I’m seriously thinking about spending winters down south, especially New Orleans, which I’ve visited three times in a year and a half, or even living there for a while. But first, I need to figure out how... because I don’t live on love and fresh air. But I think hardship would be easier for me down there. My take? Hardship can be pretty personal, right? Here, we don’t lack for anything—we even have too much—except for 8 months of warmth, and that’s my hardship. 😕
Dear Donald,
What is poverty?
It’s neither the freezing cold of Canada nor the scorching heat of the Sahel.
Poverty is rather living in rags and barefoot in an igloo.
Poverty is wandering the dunes of a desert without water.
But true poverty is the lack—or complete absence—of tools to fight the cold and the heat.
And finally, true poverty is the lack of bread, water, fabric, medicine, books, roofs, freedom, dignity,
and peace. This poverty is just as painful, whether in Greenland or the Gobi.
So count yourself lucky, my friend—you who lack for nothing—be grateful to Canada, and keep visiting Louisiana.
As has already been mentioned, associating happiness with the sun is like associating happiness with light and not necessarily with heat, because heat ≠ sun.
Contrary to what 90% of people think, not all hot countries are sunny, and likewise, not all sunny countries are systematically hot.
The Antarctic Plateau, for example, is ultra-sunny (hyper-arid climate) and yet it’s extremely cold there! But still, taking a sun cure—that is, a light cure—seems absurd in polar regions. At the Antarctic Vostok Station, the sun shines for an average of over 3,700 hours per year, making it one of the most favored areas in the world, alongside the Sahara and the Kalahari, among others.
On the other hand, the equatorial forests of Central/West Africa, Central/Latin America, etc., are very cloudy: the sun is notably absent there (< 1,600 hours per year). And yet, it seems hot there—even very hot, right?
In terms of sunshine, there’s a huge difference between living in Gabon (low sunshine) and Egypt (ultra-sunny). Yet both are hot countries.
My girlfriend loves the sun—I really mean the sun, not necessarily the heat. She’s full of energy at 20°C with a big blue sky and no clouds, but she gets depressed at 38°C with a uniform gray, low sky.
Humidity and rain are everywhere in the tropics, just like clouds. But unlike "humid" temperate zones (where France is), in humid tropics, the constant heat makes up for the lack of natural light—which isn’t the case in England, for example.
At the Antarctic base of Vostok, the sun shines for an average of over 3,700 hours per year, making it one of the most favored areas in the world, alongside the Sahara and the Kalahari, among others.
Yeah, but nobody lives in Vostok except for penguins and a few scientists cooped up in their bubble.
Same goes for the Tanezrouft or the Ténéré—hardly anyone lives there, if at all.
So it’s clear you can’t live happily there despite the clear skies and beautiful sunshine of these "most favored areas in the world."
Would you go live in either of those places? Not me!
If I were forced into exile, instead of Vostok or Borj Moktar, I’d rather choose Gabon or the Amazon, even with the rain or cloudy skies!
PS Anyway, thanks for this climatology lesson—I learned that Vostok is sunnier than Nice! 😏
Plenty of sunshine doesn’t automatically equal happiness. Take the proof: the areas where the sun shines most consistently—deserts more or less centered on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn—are essentially empty of people.
That said, just because these areas are human deserts doesn’t mean the few people who live there are unhappy.
Honestly, living in the Sahara wouldn’t necessarily bother me, even if acclimating to such a harsh environment seems tough. Anyway, the Saharan climate, though often terribly hot, remains very healthy, especially thanks to that pure natural light that characterizes the world’s largest hot desert. These zones are the most favored in that respect.
The duration of effective sunshine is greater in Vostok than in Nice because it’s an ultra-arid climate, far from any misty coast, compared to a simple Mediterranean climate. The sky there is remarkably clear, just like across the entire Antarctic Plateau. Cold but sunny—it’s not incompatible, it exists! 😉
Sorry, and at the risk of displeasing some, but for me, the arrival of rain makes me happy.
Sunny days, in some ways, end up being dull and boring—it’s such a uniform atmosphere... what a joy to see cloudy layers in the sky.
And then, with a uniformly blue/sunny sky, well, you don’t feel time passing—since we’re existentially bound by time.
(By the way, in French, the word *temps* refers to both the weather and time as a unit.)
Personally, I don’t get excited at all when a bit of sun peeks through an otherwise really cloudy sky. I’m totally happy only when the sky is a deep azure blue and the sun shines brightly without a single wisp of cirrus cloud in sight—just like it often is in the deserts 😉
Hey Pat01255, I also love the desert so much—if I had to be reincarnated, it’d definitely be as a Tuareg (since I basically see myself as a nomad).
The desert is obviously a whole different world—those almost infinite spaces (freedom, really).
Exactly like me! I get the feeling a lot of us on this forum share a real passion for the desert. It’s hard not to fall under its spell the moment you visit one. The vastness, the freedom, the stunning landscapes, the endlessness, the solitude, the purity—all of that doesn’t just *define* the desert, it’s the desert *as you experience it*.
Admettons que vous traversiez une période très difficile de votre vie, et que des fois, pour aller mieux, la solution c'est de partir loin, se ressourcer, etc.…
Réflexions de voyageurs › Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre · 120 replies
Que ca fait mal et meme tres mal cette facon ou les hommes les femmes et les enfants venant d'afrique sont cruellement arrache a la vie parce qu ils essayent…
Depuis décembre 2006, j'ai passé plus d'une année en Inde. Mon dernier séjour (avant celui-ci) remonte à décembre 2010. Que de changements depuis! Je ne me…
Quand on attrape le virus du voyage, on vois la vie autrement. Tout ce que nos parents ainsi que la société à pu nous apprendre perd son sens au profit d'une…
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
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...)
Hi there, I’ve been traveling for 18 years now, at least 6 months a year, and as the years go by, I actually enjoy coming back to France more and more—a feeling I struggled with at first. I mean, we always think the grass is greener elsewhere.
But in the end, I find meaning in that saying about how there’s no place like home. I still love traveling just as much, but now my trips are shorter, and I enjoy spending more time in our beautiful country, even though I don’t hesitate to criticize it.
How about you? How do you handle coming back from your travels?
A few years ago, I went with a group of friends to lend a hand at a small rural school near Thiès, Senegal.
It was a relaxed but hardworking atmosphere—hands in the mortar, laughter, exchanges, and everything that a COOPERATION project can bring.
Today, the little project is flying on its own.
Wanting to explore Senegal’s riches, we set off for some tourism in the Siné Saloum. One girl in our group fell ill (a malaria attack), and we decided to take her to see a doctor at a large tourist complex nearby. Despite her condition, we had to "show our credentials" (if I may say so) just to get in. She was treated and has been fine since.
This "stop" at a Club Med-style resort with a Teutonic twist—resembling Le Grau-du-Roi but fancier—was a horror show for us: pools, massive artificial basins dyed blue, pink, or green (!!!!), animators shouting around wet T-shirt contests or coconut tree climbing, and sunburned (or sun-pinked) *toubabs*.
The entire hotel was surrounded by a huge wall, behind which a small souvenir-seller slum had sprung up, worthy of Dakar’s outer neighborhoods.
On leaving, we saw a minibus of guests returning from an "excursion," loaded with masks, fabrics, and djembés—African souvenirs?
Maybe those will be *theirs*?
What impression did the kids clustered at the hotel gates get?
What about the Black servers in "traditional African costumes," serving cocktails and ice cream nonstop?
For me, who experienced Africa very young and in the bush, this remains a haunting image.
On VF, this kind of vacation doesn’t seem to be the norm among users, and that’s exactly why I signed up.
Have you ever experienced this kind of interstellar travel?
Do you understand the Martians?
Are their motivations peaceful?
.
.
