Come along for the journey! I’m recapping all that was 2016 for better and worse.

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

January – February: Peru

I rang in the new year in my cozy house in the Sacred Valley in Peru; a place that had been my home base for almost two years. I continued to work with my teacher as his assistant with plant medicine ceremonies. I also did a few excursions, notably to The Ruins of Tipon (A Marvel in Irrigation).

To make space for my shamanic pursuits, I was also in the process scaling down my online activities (and thus, income). Interestingly, I didn’t feel the pinch, and it inspired me to reflect on past incomes and lifestyles and write about Lifestyle Inflation (How Earning Money Sucks the Life Outta You).

From January through April, I was also running around like a decapitated chicken collecting and translating, notarizing, etc a dizzying array of documents required to apply for residency in Peru.

March: Canada, Ireland

I won a trip to Ireland! Yessiree, I won a trip, through a random sweepstakes. The trip included flights, accommodation, and rental car for two people, departing from Canada. There was no contest in deciding who to invite; I took my Mum.

So I hopped on a plane from Peru to Canada to pick Mum up and off we flitted through Ireland for a week of incredible scenery, beautiful drives, a few pints, and lots of indulging in the melodic Irish accent – which is probably my favourite accent, and one I can’t help but imitate when I’m in the presence of it.

April-June: Peru

I returned to Peru with a(nother) suitcase of odds and ends to facilitate my “nesting” process there. Unfortunately, a surprising and heartbreaking turn of events awaited my arrival. The day I got back I was informed by my teacher/landlord/boss/friend that our arrangement was over. I had two weeks to move out, I lost all the efforts (and funds) expended to get my residency, and I felt pretty lost and confused.

Thus was triggered a massive process of healing for me, which lasted a few months. (Months that, with a dose of hindsight, flew by, but of course in the throes of it I was a total mess).

But I had people and angels alike looking out for me. I was offered places to stay, warm company, and lots of support. Knowing that I would soon be hitting the road again in a proverbially homeless way, I also needed to kick up my income again, and as if by magic, I was offered a new monthly column at Ingle International, in addition to my longstanding “Dear Nora” column on CreditWalk.

June-August: USA (Florida)

By mid-June, my Peruvian visa was running out, and I knew I had to cut myself loose from Peru in order to continue healing. So I left Peru, as well as my ideas of working with plant medicine, knowing that I would be led back to one or the other (or both) if it were meant to be.

I capped off my 2+ years in Peru with a hike to Mount Pitusiray with the first two friends I made with in Peru. It was a trip full of poetry, and a few tears shed amongst the three of us.

From Peru, I chose to “land” at the house of a friend I’ve known for over 20 years, who always keeps me laughing and with whom I can share anything. That friend lives in south Florida (Hollywood, to be exact), and two months with her were paramount to getting back on my feet again. I’m ever grateful to her for everything she did for me in that time, and for helping me see the levity in it all.

And as anticipated, my time in Florida was fraught with lessons and emotions – old and new. I was curiously amused at myself when I experienced many of the same core fears and challenges that plagued me (and most travelers) when I started traveling so many years ago now. Here’s a post about these challenges, as well as my quirky life in Florida: Hobo Update: Relearning Travel’s Inherent Lessons.

August: Canada

Before I left Florida I just had to stop in to meet the Anatomie crew (designers of my favourite travel clothing) and stock up on a few new pieces. Then, I returned to Canada to visit family and friends for a few weeks, and to celebrate my 40^th birthday, along with my two oldest friends who were turning 40 at the same time. We did the spa, partied it up in Niagara Falls, and topped it off with some winery tours. We even got matching tattoos!

September: Ecuador

I arrived in Ecuador (a new country for me) in early September for a house-sitting gig, and I loved it. I was in Cuenca, which is similar to Cusco in Peru (but better).

When I wasn’t taking in the sites, foods, and pace of life, I was taking a hard look at my business in search some new inspiration. I participated in a daily challenge to get me thinking about these things, and out of it popped the idea to start a new video podcast (or vlog – a term I’m reluctantly acclimatizing to). You can learn more about what led me to this in my first episode, here: Stairway to Freedom.

October: Ecuador

My house-sitting gig ended mid-October, at which point I headed to a plant medicine retreat centre about an hour outside of Cuenca in the mountains. My introduction to the place was quite serendipitous, and it was a way for me to say “hello” to plant medicine again.

I participated in two consecutive retreats there over the next month or so, and was given countless signs that I was in the right place, and I was encouraged to pursue my shamanic endeavours there.

I also filmed and published my second popular vlog: Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About The Professional Hobo.

November: Ecuador

As November drew to a close, so too did my Ecuadorian visa. After almost three months in Ecuador, I gained a unique sense of the place. Overall I loved every part of it. But there were a few things that confused me about the place, which I wrote in a post called Cuenca Ecuador: A City of Confusing Contrast.

Before I left, I was invited to return to Gaia Sagrada in the new year to volunteer and help run the place. The shamans all expressed their desire for me to return and continue to work with them, which was heartwarming.

So after packing my stuff (See Vlog Episode 3: Travel Packing – How to Pack For Full-Time Travel), I said “see ya later” (instead of “goodbye”) to Ecuador and my new friends there, with intentions of returning in January on an extended visa.

December: USA (San Diego, LA, Florida)

Where to go for the 2016 holiday season? After the amazing time I had in Florida with my friend earlier in the year, the choice seemed easy. Back to Florida!

But I wasn’t just staying local this time; shortly after releasing my annual Giant Travel Gear Roundup of travel clothes/gear/services/books/etc I’ve tested throughout the year, I hopped on a plane to visit a friend in San Diego for a week, and another friend in LA for a few days.

The rest of the month was spent in Florida, visiting with a variety of friends from other lands who also thought that spending the holiday season in Florida was a pretty fine idea.

What’s Next?

That’s a good question. At the moment, I’m still in Florida, but in a few weeks I’ll be returning to Ecuador to spend a few months (up to six) at Gaia Sagrada. I don’t know where all this plant medicine work will lead, but I also don’t need to know. I’ll stay there as long as it feels good, and I’ll move on when it’s time. I’m pretty zen about it at the moment!

Previous Annual Summaries

My First Four Years of Full-Time Travel (2007-2010, including Canada, Hawaii, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, USA, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Nepal)

What I did in 2011 (13 countries, 73,000 kms, including New Zealand, Canada, USA, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, China, Vietnam, Grenada)

What I did in 2012 (8 countries and 20,000 miles, including Grenada, St. Martin, BVIs, USA, Switzerland, France, England, Canada)

What I did in 2013 (12 countries and 29,000 miles, including Grenada, USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Ukraine, France, Panama)

What I did in 2014 (7 countries and 34,000 miles, including Panama, USA, Canada, Peru, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy)

What I did in 2015 (6 countries and 35,000 miles, including Peru, Colombia, USA, Costa Rica, Canada, Bolivia)

This post 5 Countries and 30,000 Miles: This Was 2016! appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

All in all I covered over 34,000 miles, and seven countries. Please enjoy this 2014 travel summary!

This post was originally published in 2014. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

January: Panama, USA

After saying goodbye to a hellish year in 2013, I greeted 2014 near Panama City, where I was house-sitting. I stayed on through mid-January continuing to discover this country of contrast (See also: Panama: A Wild West), before flying to Hollywood Florida to visit a long-time friend.

For a couple of weeks we had a great time catching up, however I was craving some personal space, so I left to indulge in some alone time in Gulfport Florida.

February: USA

The first week or so of February I explored the very pretty town of Gulfport before hopping over to Santa Rosa Beach (Florida) to stay the rest of the month with another long-time friend.

Santa Rosa Beach is one of the most consistent places I’ve visited in all of my full-time travels (having visited the last three years running), and although the weather was cold, the company of my friends was warm and fun.

March: USA, Canada, Peru

A series of very serendipitous events led me from Florida to Peru in March. But in order to get there, I flew up to Toronto for a few days, not only to say a quick hello to my family and friends, but also to catch a mystery shopping flight to Peru, which saved me 50% on the cost of airfare.

April: Peru

April saw me settling into my digs in Peru and discovering the magic of the Sacred Valley. I started off with a five day trek through the Andes ending up in Machu Picchu.

I also got to know the little town of Pisac where I was living, and explored some of the prevalent spiritual opportunities which included receiving the rites of the Munay Ki.

May: Peru

My exploration of Peru continued through May with more Andean treks including the high Andean lakes of Kinsa Cocha, the ancient agricultural lab (or alien landing pad?) of Moray, and the incredible salt mines of Maras.

I also got a strange email from a reader who wanted to move in with me, and I started to learn about plant medicines in Peru such as San Pedro and Ayahuasca.

June: Peru, Canada

After doing one last three-day trek through the mountains to Lares Hot Springs, and making a quick stop in Lima to overdose on ceviche, I left Peru to enjoy summer in the northern hemisphere. Having been on a permanent mission to avoid winter for the last eight years, I’m accustomed to hopping hemispheres according to season (or sticking close to the equator).

July: Canada, USA

For July and part of August, I based my operations in Toronto while visiting family and friends.

I made a quick trip to the Florida Keys where I discovered the magic of Key West and met all kinds of people who visited the Keys and never left.

On my return to Canada, I spent a couple of weeks with my Mum in the cottage country area of Muskoka; a very special place for me with a lifetime of memories.

August: Canada, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy

In August I decided to “pop” over to Europe (via Istanbul) to visit some friends on the south coast of Spain. Having been to Spain many times, I was least impressed with the Costa del Sol, but I nevertheless appreciated spending time with my friends and exploring new places, including Gibraltar.

I capped off my European adventures with a visit to another friend in Pesaro Italy, where I was treated to amazing local hospitality and culture, and home-cooked food so good that I will never look at Italian food (outside of Italy) the same way again. (See also: Living Like a Local in Italy)

September: Peru

After spending my end-of-August birthday with my family and friends in Canada, I returned to a place that resonated me as a new home: Peru (See also: I’m Going Back to Peru: Here’s Why). After a hectic summer travel itinerary, I spent most of September relaxing and settling back into my Peruvian digs. I did get out of the house a few times though(!), including a trip to the Barratio market in Cusco.

October: Peru

I branched out a little more in October, attending a Peruvian wedding, and also making an attempted climb up mount Pachatusan, which ended very differently – but possibly more rewardingly – than I could possibly have imagined.

October also marked the end of a very long battle with lawyers and insurance companies in the aftermath of a near-fatal accident I suffered in Grenada in February 2013. I lost the battle, but in so doing I won my life back. (See also: Cutting Your Losses: Why I’m Losing, in Order to Win)

November: Peru

In November I continued to do work with the various plant medicines of Peru, I did a beautiful walk from Cusco to the ancient ruins of Huchuy Qosqo, and I kept working hard on becoming fluent in Spanish.

I also started planning a two-month trip to escape the rainy season in Peru (January through March), and although my intention was to visit Australia and New Zealand with a frequent flyer mile ticket, I ended up spending $1700 on absolutely nothing – not even flights. But I got over that pretty quickly, when I realized there were even better travel opportunities around the next corner – which you’ll learn about soon.

December: Peru

I laid relatively low in December, partly because my purse was stolen in Cusco, leaving me without any money (other than what I could borrow from friends, which I limited to necessities only). Although I learned a lot from the incident, it wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it might be, and in fact, I saw more blessings than curses come of it.

December marks eight years since I sold everything I owned in Canada and started my full-time travel adventures, and I spent some time reflecting on this amazing journey that has allowed me to live and travel through over 50 countries. If you’d have asked me 10 years ago where I would be now, my wildest imagination wouldn’t have placed me in the Sacred Valley of Peru with the repertoire of experiences (good, bad, and otherwise) that I now have.

And life continues to change and evolve; with a home base in Peru (at least for now), I’m changing the way I travel and how I work. I have some local focuses here in Peru that are taking more of my time in an incredibly satisfying way; things that I will write about more soon enough, when I find the right words.

Happy Holiday Season, and here’s to an amazing year in 2015!

Other Annual Travel Summaries

2013: 12 Countries and 29,000 miles

2012: 8 Countries and 20,000 miles (video here)

2011: 13 Countries and 73,000 kms

2010: 9 Countries (unknown miles/kms)

My First Four Years of Full-Time Travel (2007-2010)

This post 7 Countries and 34,000 Miles: 2014 Travel Summary appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

Passing through customs was as simple as merely slowing my pace while flashing my passport.

To get into the country (by foot or car), you have to walk through the main airport and across their massive runway.

You can circumnavigate this entire country on foot in a day.

It’s not an island, but it almost is. And like so many island nations, there is more to it than meets the eye.

Oh yes, and to be correct, this place isn’t a country – it’s a British Territory. (Just like Hawaii is another US State, Puerto Rico is a territory, and Corsica is really just France. Ask the residents, and I suspect they’ll tell you just how unique they are).

Welcome to Gibraltar.

This article was originally published in 2014, and has since been updated for accuracy of links and formatting.

While staying in the south of Spain, I could see the rock of Gibraltar and the hills of Morocco from my terrace. So, being less than an hour from the border, it was worth a day trip to The Rock to see what it’s all about.

Gibraltar is…interesting. Here’s what I saw, and learned:

Gibraltar is Packed.

Not only was Gibraltar packed with tourists when I visited, but it’s also consistently packed with residents/citizens, who number about 30,000 in this teensy weensy country (territory) – known as one of the most densely packed territories in the world. Thus, most of the population is squished into apartment buildings in varying states of disrepair.

I’m told these apartments aren’t cheap either, so some people (including a friend who I chatted with) live instead in Spain and walk across to Gibraltar to work. She did this in the age of the Spanish paseta, so earning money in Gibraltarian currency (tied to the British Pound), and spending it in paseta-land was a very favourable currency play for her and many others. Even now with the Euro, it’s a favourable exchange for people living in Spain and working in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar’s Currency isn’t British, but it is.

Gibraltar is a “British Overseas Territory”, so although you can use British Pounds currency in Gibraltar, you’ll also find that they have their own currency – the Gibraltar Pound. But don’t get stuck with their currency and think that you can spend it (or even exchange it at some banks) in Britain; Gibraltarian pounds aren’t even recognized by some major British banks.

Gibraltarians Have Their Own Culture and People

“Gibraltarians don’t like to be Spanish, and they don’t like to be British. Their language is a seamless mix of both English and Spanish,” said my friend who used to live there. In fact, this mish-mash of languages is the unique Gibraltarian vernacular, called llanito.

Officially, Gibraltar’s language is English which is taught in schools, but you can immediately see the struggle to maintain their own unique identity – as I’ve seen culturally and linguistically in so many islands I’ve visited, including Corsica, Hawaii, and even New Zealand. (I know, I know – Gibraltar isn’t an island. But it really feels like one).

Gibraltar has a Long and Storied Past

Given Gibraltar’s 1.2 kilometre border shared with Spain, a short swim to Morocco, and under the watchful eye of the Brits as a stronghold, you can tell that Gibraltar has seen its share of cultural, economic, and political drama over hundreds of years.

Gibraltar is a Giant Tax-Free Store

“There’s a lot of history, there’s a lot of culture. But really, Gibraltar is just a massive tax-free shopping centre,” said my host in Spain and tour guide for the day. Indeed the crush of people trolling street after street of perfumeries, liquor and tobacco shops, and electronics stores was downright claustrophobic. It even smelled like an airport duty-free store, with odours of perfume and new leather wafting into the streets.

There’s More than Meets the Eye in Gibraltar

I only spent one day in Gibraltar. I suspect there’s more to this country (territory) than what meets the eye. My friend who lived there spoke fondly of her time in Gibraltar, and of the friendly people (once you get to know them).

Heck, I didn’t even have enough time to stand in line for 3 hours to catch the cable car to the top of the Rock. But that’s part of the problem in itself; it’s just too packed with people (tourists and residents alike) for my liking.

So is Gibraltar a place I’m enthused to return to, perhaps to live there for a while and “crack the code” of the people and culture? To be honest – no. I love island-like nations and the quirky cultural differences that define them, but I don’t think I can manage living somewhere so packed, so shopping-centric, and with a currency as strong as the Pound.

Have you visited Gibraltar? What did you think?

This post Gibraltar: Life on the Rock appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

In all cases, opinions expressed herein are my own; don’t worry – I haven’t sold my soul.

This post was originally published in 2013. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

“So….how cheesy and totally touristy is it of me to have loved Buchanan Street?” I ask one of the staff at the Park Inn by Radisson in Glasgow, where I’m staying.

She looks at me quizzically, as if not knowing what the “right answer” should be.

“Go on,” I say. “Be honest.”

“It’s pretty touristy,” she says, somewhat relieved at her license to tell it like it is.

“Excellent,” I reply. “Then I’m right on task”.

The mission I’m referring to is Embracing my Inner Tourist; a style of travel I’m not accustomed to. With a lightning-quick itinerary as part of my Club Carlson Global Travelers European adventure, I have about two days at each stop. As such, the best way to capture the flavour of each city, is to simply be a tourist with reckless abandon.

1-Minute Glasgow

In the meantime, please enjoy this short video which encapsulates my weekend in Glasgow.

Click here to watch on Youtube.

This post My Weekend in Glasgow #GlobalTravelerNora appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

In all cases, opinions expressed herein are my own; don’t worry – I haven’t sold my soul.

This post was originally published in 2013. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

The first few times I visited London, I was overwhelmed. Although I’m a born and raised city-slicker, I’ve lost most of my lustre for the big smoke. Since I started traveling full-time in 2007, I’ve lived largely rurally, or in relatively small communities.

As such, London (in the past) has come off as too big, too busy, too expensive, too crowded…just…too.

But I must say London is growing on me. When I visited London last year, I wrote a post about returning to and redeeming London. It’s still big and crowded and expensive; but with familiarity, it’s getting easier to handle.

This time, it was even better yet. Not only was it much easier to get around, but I felt much more comfortable. That is, until I got the flu.

But even getting sick wasn’t the end of the world; the folks at Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street hopped to my care right away; the concierge brought me medication, afternoon tea was delivered to my room, and I even had an in-room massage. I was truly pampered.

Club Carlson Gold Points® Tip

My room service extravagances weren’t without its perks. Charge meals and beverages (and in some cases, hotel services) to your room, and Club CarlsonSM doles out 20 Gold Points per US dollar spent. And don’t forget about the discounts on food you’re entitled to at many of the hotels, which range from 5-15%.

London in a Minute

I’ve condensed my two days in London to one thrilling video minute. Enjoy!

Click here to view (in higher-res) on YouTube.

This post London is Growing on Me appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

My recent week in London was yet another exercise in how travel is contextual. The places that resonate with us on our travels tend to only partially have anything to do with the actual place itself. Instead, the places we cite as being our favourites tend to be more related to the people we are with, our headspace at the time, what we are doing, and why we are there.

A couple of years ago, I spent some time in England; house-sitting in Hampshire, visiting Winchester and Avebury, staying in York, and checking out Whitby were my main activities. And of course, with London being the hub that it is, it’s a little difficult to get in and out of England without at least passing through London.

This post was originally published in 2012. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

London – Before

Every time I’ve visited prior to 2012, I’ve been passing through. Even in spending a couple of days there, I was still enroute to somewhere else, such that London was never the actual destination of choice; it was merely on the way to somewhere else.

As such, my mind was always elsewhere, and London didn’t do much for me. I thought the tube was expensive (it is), the streets were crowded (they are), and I was dismayed at the incongruity of architecture – the city appeared to me to be a jumbled mass of buildings thrown up through the centuries with little attention to aesthetics.

I was nonchalant at best in my feelings about the place.

London – 2012

In spending a week with a local friend (London being the destination unto itself), I had a chance to see the city with different eyes.

Even in a short week, I felt the energy and buzz of the city, got used to the layout and transportation, and covered a fair bit of territory.

And as such, I came to a much more favourable attitude towards London.

Yes, the tube is still expensive.

Paying for the tube (which is “London-speak” for train or subway) on a ride-for-ride basis is murder. An ￡8 day pass is better, paying for itself if you use public transportation three or more times in a day. And given the intricacy of the tube system and prevalence of iconic red double-decker buses (check out the video below to see for yourself), you’d be cheating yourself not to take advantage of it.

For locals, I understand that weekly and monthly passes are a better deal yet.

But it still ain’t cheap. A friend of mine moved here years ago as a young adult to immerse herself in the thriving music scene. However after a couple of years, she realized she was working to live (the tube is just one example of how London is an expensive place to live), and had no time or money remaining to do the things she actually moved to London to do.

(I wonder how many people live in London to do little more than make ends meet).

Yes, it’s crowded.

At just about any time of day or night, the main drags of London are crowded. There is a general crush of people wherever you go – people from such a diverse range of cultures speaking so many different languages that you might be hard-pressed to identify what country you’re in if you were blindfolded and dropped in the middle of the city with no bearings.

I enjoyed the general buzz of the city, and the multi-cultural feel that reminds me of my home town of Toronto. At the same time, I occasionally felt a little bit panicky with all the people; any sort of mishap causing a mass hysteria would be tragic. I don’t normally like to think on those terms, but hey – crap happens, and London is far from impervious to mishaps. So I found the mass of energy from all the people around me to be a little bit overwhelming. I still like cities – but not generally to live in.

Yes, the architecture is jumbled.

This is where I experienced the biggest change in attitude. When I was in York visiting a friend a few years ago, I admired how seamless the architecture is, how aesthetically pleasing it is, and how the history has been so well preserved. (Something I found to be in contrast to London).

My York friend wasn’t quite as obliging. He commented how even new buildings are built to conform to the old style of architecture despite certain impracticalities; a somewhat randomly-selected era that has been frozen in time and replicated with no regard to cultural or practical evolution.

With this observation in mind, I approached London with fresh eyes this visit. Although I still found the older buildings more aesthetically pleasing than the modern structures, and although I sometimes thought the juxtaposition of buildings from various decades and centuries was a tad jarring, I now respect London’s ability to grow and evolve with the times. London strikes a balance between preserving the old and moving forward with the new.

London is a world-class city.

You can’t walk the streets of London and not feel its influence and power. This city has attracted 12 million residents from all over the world; there’s a reason for it.

Being accustomed to influential North American metropolises like New York and Toronto, I found that by contrast, London manages to marry a much longer and richer history with modernity. And even in comparison to other large European cities I’ve visited, London has more of a modern edge while retaining its history.

And, it’s green.

There’s beautiful parkland interspersed throughout the city, so you never have to go too far to reach some greenery. This also makes for excellent bicycle transportation through the city.

Trees that are hundreds of years old line many of the avenues in older neighbourhoods too; a natural tribute to London’s history and preservation of nature.

 As a park-related aside, I enjoyed visiting the Princess Diana memorial….a circular fountain that flows in two directions. Although it’s incredibly simple there’s also beauty in the simplicity, and intricacy in the texture and shape if you take the time to examine it. Kids (and adults) all play in the fountain, walking/wading around it.

Wanna see for yourself?

Here’s a 50 second time lapsed tour (via double-decker bus) through the centre of London. Notice the prevalence of buses, and the general hub of activity on this average day at a non-peak time. This city moves!

Click here to see the video on YouTube.

This post Returning to (and Redeeming) London appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2010. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

“Wow – you weren’t kidding about the hill,” I said as I surmised the road leading persistently up and over the saddle of two heather-covered mountains.

But my friend didn’t slow the pace of the car as we struggled up the road. Sensing my mounting frustration at trying to snap pictures while we drove, he said with a bemused smile “Don’t worry, love. I think there’s a few spots to take pictures on the other side.”

Although I actively try not to set expectations of a destination I visit, I inevitably have some sort of image in my mind for how a place will look. Although the image is often realistic (as it’s likely based on photographs and documentaries), sometimes it’s not accurate to the area I’m visiting.

But when we drove over the saddleback at Mamore Gap, I saw just about everything I expected of Ireland: vast ocean, steep cliffs, heather-filled moors, rolling hills, country homes, grazing sheep, rustic agricultural scenery, and just about every shade of green to fill in the spaces.

No picture truly did the views justice, but you get the idea.

Here’s some more info about Mamore Gap, as part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Giant’s Causeway

“Who built this thing?” is apparently a common awe-inspired (yet stupid) tourist response to the Giant’s Causeway, located in Northern Ireland. But who was I to surmise the true stupidity of these people? Maybe this ancient geographical wonder does look man-made.

Upon arriving at the coastal wonder that is Giant’s Causeway, even I had to pause to consider how the miles upon miles of hexagonal rocks could have formed as they did (hint: lava is an amazing thing).

But surely, this project was simply too much work; even for the likes of the Egyptians, Aztecs, and other ancient races with a knack for achieving the physically impossible with less tools than we could imagine cooking breakfast with.

No, this world heritage site is most certainly naturally made.

But there’s some cool folklore to go along with the Giant’s Causeway to perpetuate the mythical human creation element. It’s a story with many versions but an underlying theme that the Causeway once was a bridge (for giants) between Scotland and Ireland. The Irish giant named Finn McCool scared off his Scottish rival with his enormous size (or rather, the opponent’s imagined vision of McCool’s size), and sent the other giant running back to Scotland, ripping up the Causeway as he returned to ensure that no Irish giants could make the trip across and destroy Scotland.

I am regularly asked what my favourite place in the world is. I can never answer the question properly though, because amazing travel experiences for me have so much more to do with the context of the visit than the destination itself. Because I met so many Irish people filled with warmth, friendliness, and overflowing hospitality, Ireland spoke well to me as a place to visit. I couchsurfed with a few people I met while volunteering in Spain, visited a few city centres and many of the attractions, and most importantly I kindled a desire to return one day and set up shop for a few months to experience a slice of Irish life.

I just hope the weather holds!

This post Ireland: The Causeway, and Mamore Gap appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This article was originally published in 2010, and has since been updated for accuracy of links and formatting.

Ireland: The Booze

Ireland seems to be a nation of drinkers. Similar to England, pub culture is prevalent…and in fact even more pronounced in Ireland. So my first task on arriving in Ireland was to find the perfect pint of Guinness.

I’m a dubious beer-drinker at best, and back in Canada the few times I tried Guinness, I thought it was a vile brew. But on the prompting of absolutely everybody I knew, I had to try this world-famous concoction – in Ireland, from the source.

My first pint was like drinking sweet liquid gold. Maybe it was the pub ambience, the company, or just the psychosomatic need to preach Guinness in Ireland as being “different”. Either way, I loved it.

Thereafter, I tried Guinness in various establishments all over Ireland. But strangely, nothing quite measured up to those pints I had at the first pub. Either the head wasn’t frothy enough, the consistency not thick enough, or the taste not sweet enough. Even my bemused local friends understood – they all have favourite places to enjoy their national brew, and few can be convinced that it’s the same stuff everywhere you go.

But be it Guinness, Jameson Irish Whisky, or any other drink for that matter – the culture around drinking in Ireland is ever-present. Check out the steady stream of crowds visiting the Guinness brewery in Dublin (drinking their pints as early as 10am in the storehouse which is – incidentally – in the shape of a giant seven-floor beer glass) if you need proof. It’s the subsequent tour of the Jameson Distillery at 11am that seals the deal…not that I’d know….no siree, not me.

Drinking with Friends

I had the good fortune to visit my friend David for his birthday (which was incidentally, two days before mine). Plans were made to meet a group of close friends near his home town.

“So, who’s going to be at the dinner?” I asked David, in reference to our pre-pub dinner plans, which I assumed would include most of the gang.

“Oh, nobody. It’s just you and me.” When I shot him a funny look, he continued: “In Ireland, birthday dinners aren’t important. It’s all about the drinking afterwards”!

I see.

And so, it was.

Ireland: The Politics

My time in Ireland was spent between Northern Ireland (which includes Belfast, and is considered to be a part of the UK – with British Pounds as the prevailing currency), and the Republic of Ireland (which includes Dublin, and adheres to Euros).

However as a visitor I was hard-pressed to see the differences between the two “nations” on first glance. There were no barriers, borders, or even road signs indicating the cross-over point. (More than once I got confused when the speed limits and mileage markers jumped dramatically – before realizing that it was not a jump in number, but instead a jump between miles and kilometers or vice versa).

It was only on receiving a few pointers including the history of Ireland that I became aware of the differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic thereof.

First off, I was quite impressed with the degree of openness I encountered towards discussing “The Troubles” (as Ireland’s violent history is officially referred to). Everybody – even people who were affected profoundly by the violence – was very candid with me about what happened; no holds barred.

I am not going to delve into Ireland’s history here, because as I learned, every time you think you’ve got the scoop, a deeper dive back in their history reveals even more clarity and perspective. Giving even a brief overview would be beyond the scope of this post.

What it took for me was a few weeks of talking to people from all kinds of Irish backgrounds, as well as an informative visit to Belfast’s (free) museum to paint my own picture of the place.

I also asked my Irish friends lots of stupid questions (like “are there Catholic churches in Belfast?”), and received honest answers (after they stopped laughing).

The best summation I received about current life in Ireland was a cautious one: “So…we have peace, but it’s still very new.” The last treaty was signed in the 1990’s, so I understand their cautious optimism. Small splinter groups still occasionally try to cause trouble, which keeps people looking over their shoulder – an instinctual way of life for many who grew up during The Troubles.

But most people truly seem to want peace; and anybody who grew up with the violence simply wants an end to it all. Londonderry (a city right on the border that saw some of the worst violence) is receiving a European tourism title next year, so lots of money will be poured into infrastructure. And because this is a cause almost everybody can get behind, everyone is holding their breath that peace in Ireland holds, and is in fact strengthened.

Northern Ireland still plays host to many Protestant-heavy neighbourhoods, evidenced by the British flags strung from every lamp post, and the red, blue, and white-striped curbs lining the main streets. And although many Irish say they can tell the difference between Catholics and Protestants on sight alone, these days most Catholics can stroll down one of these Protestant streets without being killed. (I just wouldn’t suggest they do anything really….Catholic – whatever that means…during their amble).

By contrast, in the Republic of Ireland there isn’t nearly as much fanfare around flags; just a general pride in and love for the homeland. A sure sign of being in the Republic is the evidence of Gaelic language; in fact on most street signs, Gaelic is listed first – English second. Lots of Gaelic has remained in daily vocabulary as well, which adds a certain charm to the conversation.

Although most of the Irish people I spoke to were curious about my full-time travel lifestyle, many of them couldn’t imagine not having a home base (in Ireland) to return to.

And who can blame them? Ireland has stunning countryside, and a warm, fun-loving, family-oriented population. Stay tuned for lots of pictures of my Irish countryside adventures – coming soon!

This post Ireland: The Booze, and The Politics appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

See also: Hidden Costs of Traveling, and How to Avoid Them

With some trepidation, I asked a staff member at the ferry station if it was reasonable to walk to the city centre.

“Ha! No, love,” was the response that elicited a cringe from me.

“How much is the bus?”

“Not sure, but you’d better hurry – it’s over there, and about to leave,” he said with an encouraging smile.

I raced to the bus depot to find three buses. I approached the first one. “Do you go to the city centre?”

“Yes love, but do you have a pre-paid ticket?” This was a question with what I thought would be an obvious answer, given my initial query.

“Um, no.”

“Well, you can pay on board here. It’s ₤3.”

Strike one. I didn’t know exactly how much I had in my wallet, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t ₤3.

“You can try the public bus over there,” he said in response to my crestfallen expression. “It’s ₤1.70, and takes you to the same place.” I immediately wondered why anybody would pay ₤3 for the bus in front of me. Then again, had I more thoroughly researched my destination instead of planning to arrive on a wish and a prayer and playful desire to “see what happened”, I too might have discovered this bus service online, and thinking it was my only option, pre-paid for my own ticket.

I raced over to the public bus and confirmed the destination and price with the friendly driver.

“You don’t by any chance take credit cards, do you?” I said with a hopeful smile. I still wanted to hang on to my change, just in case I needed it for something trivial like food.

“Where are you from, love?” he asked.

“Canada.”

“And in Canada, do they accept plastic on the bus?”

“Um, no. Touche!” I said. We were both smiling. I counted out my coins (thankfully discovering that I actually had enough), took my ticket, and was wished well by my humourous chariot driver.

From the moment the first person called me “love”, to the sarcastic-yet-playful sense of humour I experienced in no less than five minutes, to the friendly smiles, regular eye contact and passing conversation with strangers, I knew I’d love Ireland.

Having come off a tiring week of hiking and driving and attending Fringe shows in Scotland, I was exhausted. My primary motivation for my first night was to sleep, as I knew my approaching birthday weekend and ensuing week in Ireland would be a full one.

I’m pleased to report that upon leaving Northern Ireland I had managed to find accommodation that accepted credit cards, scrounged up enough food between my personal stash and the free coffers at the hostel for dinner and breakfast, and even had enough coins left over to buy a yoghurt for the bus ride to Derry, arriving with exactly ₤0.10 remaining.

Stay tuned for my adventures in Ireland in the coming weeks!

This post was originally published in 2010. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

This post Arriving in Ireland (With No Money) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2010, and has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

I’ve started reading The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas by Paul Theroux, which I fear will make me even more evangelistic about international train travel than I already am. In it, the author (a venerable travel writer to say the least) hops on a train in Boston and rides it (or at least, a series of trains) all the way to Patagonia.

He had me as a little pile of dedicated putty in his hands from page 11 when he discusses the pitfalls of travel writing:

…the convention is to telescope travel writing, to start – as so many novels do – in the middle of things, to beach the reader in a bizarre place without having first guided him there. ‘The white ants had made a meal of my hammock,’ the book might begin…

…my usual question, unanswered by these – by most – travel books, is: How did you get there?…we have become used to life being a series of arrivals or departures, triumphs and failures, with nothing noteworthy in between. Summits matter, but what of the lower slopes of Parnassus?

As a mountain-lover myself, the reference to summits is particularly interesting. I generally find that pictures from the summits of any of the mountains I’ve scaled pale in comparison to pictures taken along the way. These pictures tell a story of drama, excitement, fatigue, elation, and fear. Isn’t that way more interesting than a victorious pose atop a mountain? (Not to mention the fact that reaching the summit is only half the journey, but that’s another story).

But back to the travel theme, as Theroux is passionately eloquent about it (and how it relates to train travel):

…Travel, truly, is otherwise. From the second you wake up you are headed for the foreign place, and each step…brings you closer.

…The literature of travel has become measly, the standard opening that farcical nose-against-the-porthole view from the plane’s tilted fuselage… ‘we circled the airport and, as we came in low for the landing, I saw the stately palms, the harvest, the rooftops of the shabby houses’…I have never found this sort of guesswork very convincing. When I am landing in a place my heart is in my mouth; I wonder – doesn’t everyone? – if we are going to crash. My life flashes before me, a brief selection of sordid and pathetic trivialities. Then a voice tells me to stay in my seat until the plane comes to a complete stop; and when we land the loud-speakers break into an orchestral version of Moon River. I suppose if I had the nerve to look around I might see a travel writer scribbling, ‘Below us lay the tropical green –’

And then, of air travel in general:

(Bear with me. These eloquent quotes have a purpose).

…the aeroplane passenger is a time-traveller. He crawls into a carpeted tube that is reeking of disinfectant; he is strapped in to go home, or away. Time is truncated, or in any case warped: he leaves in one time-zone and emerges in another…

I could go on (boy could I ever!), but I won’t. I think you get the idea.

Having set the scene and pleaded the case for train travel (or at least against air travel), Theroux goes on to describe his train journey from Boston to Patagonia in great detail. The passing conversations he has on the train, the delays, the characters he meets, the curious thoughts that pass through his mind, and the fascinating change of seasons that takes place hour-by-hour as he travels from a particularly cruel Bostonian winter into the summer climes of the south.

I must admit, I’m only 100 pages in at the writing of this article, but it’s enough to have me sold on not only Theroux as an author, but on train travel in general. Having grown up taking long distance train trips to the United States to visit my grandparents each summer, I always loved the long journey and the passing scenery. And when my full-time travels began, the first thing I did was to buy a train pass and travel from Toronto west – by train.

I’ve now racked up a laundry list of countries that I’ve traveled to and through by train: Canada, United States, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Spain, France, Germany, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

And I hope this is only the beginning.

UPDATE: It sure was! I later did some epic train adventures that ended up in a book: Tales of Trains – Where the Journey is the Destination.

In Europe (and many places for that matter), a common objection to train travel is cost. With so many budget airlines, you can hop on a plane for an incredibly (almost unbelievably) low fee and arrive a mere hour or two later to your destination, swollen and dizzied by the surrealistic pace of it all.

But what of the journey? What does the countryside between destination A and B look like? What kinds of houses do people live in? How populated are the areas between big cities? How far does urban sprawl go? And what kinds of people travel on the train?

I must admit, I’ve succumbed to lure of the cheap-and-dirty airline a few times during my European travels this summer. So I’m no angel on this front. But curiously, I’ve also felt guilty for doing so. My aim with travel is not to conquer each country I visit; racing from one attraction-packed destination to another and ticking cathedrals and museums off my pre-determined list. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…I could probably stand to make a few lists myself.

But physically, emotionally, environmentally, even spiritually, train travel is so much more satisfying for me. And cost doesn’t have to be an issue if you do your research. For a mere ₤25, I took two trains and a ferry from Edinburgh, Scotland to Belfast, Ireland. And for little more, you could take a series of trains and ferries from Dublin to just about anywhere in the UK.

Train travel in Asia is even more reasonable, especially if you choose an overnight sleeper, saving you the cost of accommodation as well as getting you to your destination.

The cost-conscious might sing the praises of bus travel in lieu of trains. Yes, buses are often cheaper and they give you a better sense of the journey, but really. You can’t get up and walk around. They’re incredibly cramped. They’re stuffy. And you never see anything other than the motorway. Having said that, I’ll admit to having taken some fascinating bus journeys (including a recent trip from York to Whitby over the heather-filled moors), but if there had been a train traveling the same route, I’d surely have chosen it instead.

Like I warned from the first paragraph, I’m feeling a touch evangelistic about train travel these days. If you have done some long-distance travel by train, I’ll bet you agree with my observations. And if you don’t agree, that’s okay too. Travel is subjective (that’s why I started my week-in-the-life series); to celebrate the different methodologies and ideologies of travelers.

So what’s your take? What is your favourite method of travel?

Interested in international train travel? Here’s an armchair-traveler’s delight about my own adventures through 11 countries in 44 days, all by train: 
Tales of Trains: Where the Journey is the Destination

This post International Train Travel: An Evangelist’s Rant appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!