Perhaps a bold statement but is it true? Well lets take a closer look, spend a few nights in luxury hotels on any continent and the experience is very close where ever you are, and that’s planned and is no accident, yes there are little nuances at each of them but as you travel these kind of just blur, and one long haul flight in business class is much the same.
Yes you can tell you are in Asia, America or Europe by the food that is served, but even then its rare that international travellers are not catered for these days should they want a taste of home.
Yes the weather can be different from place to place, however it is so rare to not find perfectly controlled environment should you choose, and of course the hotel staff are all local to the area, no not these days, they tend to be from a worldwide pool varying from very talented well paid to the lowest price they can get away with behind the scenes, this is not to say these are not great staff just employed from a labour pool which is geographically close and can be paid less than the locals.
Now if that makes you happy then good and I am pleased for you.
So what’s the alternate, for me it’s slow travel by bike, not for everyone I know but it works for me.
Why?
Put simply: Live, brutal, raw, contemplative, and encompassing.
For me that has meant being hungry, cold and wet or hot smelly and dehydrated, elated and or exhausted, welcomed with open arms into private homes or threatened at gun point and ordered to leave. Eaten foods which I was unsure of what I had eaten and not sure if that was a good or bad thing. Tasted delights which I neither could pronounce or be able to order again. Slept in ditches and castles, beaches and boxes, fields and houses, railway stations and park benches or just under the stars. Bathed in rivers, showered in waterfalls and got clean in public bathes with limitless water and washed in a tea cup to save water. Seen the sun rise and set in places to amazing to imagine.
Met people which I shared the last of my food with or shared from their table, but unable to speak the same language, but still enjoyed their company, met people that changed my perspective of my world around me, been made humble so many times, and met people I wish I hadn’t. Seen the joy of nature brutally close, and been made to feel so small by it all. Been on streets where it is unwise to travel and places which I should never of ventured, but have scene places which for some reason are not in the guide books but are better than many which are.
Experienced total solitude and swamped by the hubbub of humanity, been lonely, scared, felt joy and happiness but though it all I had a feeling of presence, place and connection to where I was in the world and for me that is important to my general well being.
Now if you found all of that in your average luxury hotel I doubt it would get great reviews, however one thing that I am sure we can all agree on is, however you choose to travel arriving home is always something special but not always as expected.
And just when you think you’ve seen it all you go round the bend in the road 🙂
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Going Slowly 