What's in this issue?
TRAVELER REPORTS
Travel News For Travel People
- Jared Johnsen likens Buenos Aires to Paris, as one does when trying to describe something so beautiful and breathtaking. Read More
- Paul Dixon welcomes in the the Year of the Monkey with locals in China. Read More
-
- Kathleen M. Lyons learns that she doesn't need to speak Arabic to communicate with a kind shopkeeper. Read More
- Lee Hammerschmidt inadvertenly witnesses a riot - and spies the biggest automatic weapon he's ever seen outside a Schwarzeneggar movie. Read More
- Jared Johnsen shows you how to get out of bustling Quito and into nature. Read More
Go to all the new BootsnAll articles »
WHERE NEXT?
New frontiers for modern-day explorers and independent travel
Sometimes travelers tend to forget that many countries still exist - even though they are not recognized on maps, text books, or even recognized by major governments.
Forgotten by time and by God, two BootsnAll contributors Bartosz Musialowicz and Tan Wee-Cheng have traveled in the tiny, remote, unknown republic of Nagorno Karabagh, between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read Bartousz Nagorno Karabagh
Read Tan Wee-Cheng's Short Foray in Boom Town
TRAVEL PEOPLE
Interviews with people on the cutting-edge of travel
Adventurer Brandon Wilson and his wife embarked on a 650-mile ancient trail crossing from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal. It was an epic journey, with many hardships - sandstroms for weeks, altitudes from 12-17,000 feet, blizzards, lack of food. Check out BootsnAll's one-on-one interview.
BootsnAll: Today we welcome Brandon Wilson, author of a book called Yak Butter Blues. It's a newcross–Tibet trekking adventure. Tell us how it all began.
Brandon: A few years ago my wife, Cheryl, and I were living in Vail, trying to settle back down into the daily routine again. It was extremely hard, since we'd recently come back from a year spent crossing Africa. Being cursed with an adventurer's wanderlust, we found ourselves say, "Okay, so now what's next?"
One day I was in the library and came across a brief account about an ancient trail crossing Tibet, 1000 kilometers (650 miles) from Lhasa to Kathmandu, Nepal. Then I heard about how the trail had been closed to independent travelers since the Communist invasion in 1950 and only open for very brief periods since. So, I thought, maybe, just maybe no Western couple has trekked this trail before.
BootsnAll: Why Tibet?
Brandon: I guess I grew up with the legend. Of all places remote and exotic in the world, Tibet ranked right up there – and remember, we'd just returned from crossing Africa. So it seemed like a logical next step.
BootsnAll: What types of challenges did you encounter?
Brandon: At first, the Chinese authorities told us it was "impossible." There was no place to stay, no food, no maps, severe weather, high altitudes, illnesses, etc., etc. On top of that, they refused to grant us a visa. That only made us more determined.
So we decided to go to Kathmandu and apply for a visa there. If they still refused us, well, we'd sneak in and go from village to village and hope for the best.
BootsnAll: I won't give away the ending by asking how that turned out...But, what about those challenges? Did they really exist?
Brandon: Yes, they did and more. Altitudes ranged from 12-17,000 feet, there were daily sandstorms for weeks, temps ranged from 80 degrees (in October) during the day to freezing at night. There was always the fear that we'd wake up to blizzards and the passes would be snowed in until May. The "very latest" map that we picked up in Nepal was anything but recent. Plus, we didn't know from one day to the next where we'd sleep or find food.
Read the Entire Amazing Interview About Brandon And His Wifes' Adventure!
Buy Brandon's Book - Yak Butter Blues. Read the BootsnAll book review.
BOOTSNALL TRAVELBLOGS
Endless amounts of travel news, thoughts, opinions from BootsnAll bloggers on the road
Check out some of our newest travel blogs!
Don't forget, if you're about to head off on an extended trip and you've just got to have one of your own, talk to us about getting your own Travel Blog. All you need to do is make sure you're a BootsnAll member and we'll take care of the rest.
Sign up for BootsnAll membership here »
Check out the BootsnAll TravelBlogs »
TRAVEL TALK
A travelers community for ranting and raving about world
Anybody Been To India?
No one can deny that independent travel in India is down-right hard! BootsnAll member Ed is planning a trip to India on his RTW ticket next year. Ed's dilemma is this: since he hasn't traveled much, should he wait to tackle India at the end of his trip, after a few months of traveling? Or should he just head straight into the madness and tackle India right at the beginning? What do you think?
Change Your Religion?
Nick O'Neill, BaliBlog editor poses a question about religion that he has witnessed a few times living in Bali. Sometimes new cultures and new religions draw help to change their religion - he sees it all the time in Bali, where New Age Americans change into Hindu. Has this ever happened to you or anyone you know?
Your Worst Toilet?
A classic tale among true travelers always seem to revolve around toilets. Check out this thread and discover some of the worst toilets in the world. Beware!
Is "Tourist" A Bad Word?
As a new destination becomes known and popular, it slowly becomes "touristy." Prague is a good example of a gorgeous town overrun by tourists. Kiev is said to like "old Prague" but it now slowly becoming part of the tourist scene. Do you think the word "tourist" is a bad word?
FEATURED TRIP - Tibet
Come and roam the Roof of the World. From the narrow laneways of Kathmandu, traverse the world's highest mountain range to the serene former home of the Dalai Lama. This is a journey of the mind, body and spirit.
Discover More About Tibet
Check out BootsnAll more than 600 Adventure Trips.
TICKET DEALS OF THE MONTH
It seems like we never stop finding great travel deals for YOU! BootsnAll has launched a new ticket deals section that has our BEST airline fares - departing from 12 US cities. This site is updated daily! Pick your destinations and browse all the specials. We have VERY cheap tickets to Africa, Australia and Asia!
Top Ticket Deals
