Kelsey Odgen and Kristen Refermat, two twenty-something adventurers who rock the travel blog Sixpenny Globe have this very passion. And it’s revealed in what they’re doing now that their trip is done.

Perhaps not quite realizing what a big world trip would do to their perspective, last year they picked up two RTW tickets from AirTreks and took the leap. With them they took some cameras, a couple of backpacks, and a sense of adventure only matched by the miles they’d tread.

Coming back from their trip they decided to use their video footage to expose their travels as a series of short how-tos and how-dids for RTW travel.

We planned to film our trip in an effort to reveal the realities of traveling with very limited funds and no pre-constructed plans, other than “where the planes landed and took off” …The series is what we hope will be an inspiration to others who have the idea that traveling is only for those with large savings. Additionally, the series is simply entertainment.

The following video is the result of their four months on the road, framed as a trailer for a project they’re now working on.  If you like to be inspired about travel, this is probably something you should watch.

Ogden tells me the series will be released in roughly 10 parts broken up by countries and days, each video about 10 minutes, with new parts being released on Sundays starting Feb 12. If you like this video (spoiler: you will) go over and like their Facebook page and get the updates for their series.

If its anything like the trailer, it should reveal the “minor miracles” they experienced when putting this footage together. It should also serve as a way to gauge how you can take a cool trip like theirs as well.

This isn’t an obscure tongue whispered in back rooms, but it was under the repressive Franco regime in the mid 19th century. Since Franco’s death in 1975, the Basque region has been granted considerable autonomy. Euskara is taught in schools, dubbed in movies, spoken on television, and is the official government language.

If you know some Spanish, you’ll get by well in Basque country. My high school Spanish was beyond rusty. Tourism in there remains modest, so don’t expect the proud and somewhat insular people to speak English.

This is a warning that the disposal of your personal garbage is prohibited in the Malerreka Commonwealth recovered waste landfill. Even being fluid in several languages isn’t going to be much help.

We rented a car to tour the area and having to make fast navigating decisions using long, esoteric street names tucked away on the sides of buildings is…let’s say, challenging.

We were in Bilboa, metro population 875,000. We wanted to go to Durango, a town of 25,000 only 20 miles away.

Yes! A sign pointing to Durango. But that’s the last one we saw. After traveling through a dozen turning decisions without so much as a hint and ending up going the wrong way on a one way street, we were rescued by local police who were kind enough to provide an escort to the right highway (without a ticket).

They spoke no English.

Even in Bilbao, boasting the world-renowned Guggenheim Modern Art Museum, there are few signs pointing the driver to that major tourist destination. Finally, after circling around for an hour, we hailed a taxi and communicated through sign language: Drive to the museum while we follow in our car and we’ll pay you when we get there. I did manage to say muy lento, por favor (very slowly, please) in Spanish, and we crept on our way.

For the Guggenheim, any frustration is worth a visit.

Once in the countryside, driving is easier.

Not to be missed is the Balenciaga Museum recently opened by Queen of Spain in Geteria, about half an hour from Bilbao. Cristobal Balenciaga is one of the most acclaimed fashion designers of the 20th century, known for his haute couture to royalty, both inherited and Hollywood-anointed.

On the way, as a complete surprise, we came across the town of Gurenkia (Guernica), made famous by the Picasso painting depicting the devastating 1937 Nazi bombing of this Basque region during the Spanish Civil War. The museum is both dramatic and eerie.

San Sebastian, a costal city of 185,000 nestled on the Bay of Biscay, is called the most beautiful beach in Spain. Here, they speak English…and French. The French practically take over the city in the summertime. A friend of mine (from the U.S.) had his wedding and honeymoon in San Sebastian.

It’s cosmopolitan, a scenic delight, and expensive, even in off-season. Everything – from taxis to cough drops – costs more in San Sebastian. A recommendation where to stay: Pension Bellas Artres.

In most of Spain, it’s tapas (appetizer-like treats); in the Basque Country, it’s pinchos, which have their own regional flavors. Think of them as tapas with toothpicks (pinchos is Spanish for spike). When you go to a bar or restaurant, pinchos (as with tapas), are commonly laid out. Pinchos may come with a charge that is calculated by counting your toothpicks. It works on the honor system.

I was all set to buy a classic Basque beret until I noticed that all the men wearing them were over 60. I’m not ready to be over 60 regardless of what my driver’s license states.
___________________________________________
Terry Hamburg writes a blog about baby boomers: history, entertainment, news and resources. BabyBoomerDaily.com

It’s no lie when people say that long-term traveling changes your life. It happens every day. Most of the time it only takes one trip, and sometimes it even causes them to do nothing short of center their life around it when they return.

Recently I’ve been posting interviews with regular people who started their major travels as AirTreks clients then took the calculated risk to follow up those trips with an effort to make travel a full-time career.

Today I’m featuring Alexis Grant as part 4 of the AirTreks Customers as Entrepreneurs series. Alexis has appeared before on the AirTreks Travel Blog, at the launch of her ebook, and her relentless dedication to the travel ideal made her a perfect candidate to be part of this series.

Not only has Alexis managed to parlay her travel-focused social media management skills into a consulting career, she’s got a book in the oven about her solo journey through Africa and subsequent volunteering effort. Her tireless advocacy of solo female travel is nothing short of inspirational.

Today I’ll be asking her my questions to see how she’s been making the most of her travel resume.

Can you tell me a little about yourself and what’s on your entrepreneurial plate?

I’m a journalist by training, now making my living as a slasher — a freelance journalist/social media strategist/entrepreneur. On the solopreneur side, I’m focusing on offering digital products — ebooks and courses — on my blog. My social media clients are mainly small businesses and startups, some of whom are in the travel space. Working for myself also gives me time to write; I’m finishing up my first book, a travel memoir about backpacking solo through Africa.

What made you decide to take your first big trip?

I’d wanted to take a long backpacking trip for several years, but it wasn’t until I had enough money in the bank and experience on my resume that I finally made it happen. After traveling in New Zealand, Europe and Africa, I wanted to try traveling for months at a time, long enough to stop thinking about my to-do list at home and get away from the rat race for a while.

Where did you go?

During my 2008 backpacking trip, I went to West Africa — Senegal, Mali, Burkina faso and Ghana — then Cameroon, South Africa, and Madagascar. I tried to stick to French-speaking countries so I could improve my language skills. And yes, I used a string of flights put together by Airtreks!

Of those places, which one do you think had the greatest impact on you?

My favorite country was Madagascar; I loved the intersection of African and Asian culture. But Cameroon had the most significant affect on me because of the people I met. I’d traveled there once before, while studying abroad during college, and I visited my two host families during my return trip. One of those families is polygamous, and I’m constantly fascinated by the lifestyle. My host families in Cameroon have become like families-away-from-home for me.

How important was that trip in either establishing your blog or launching your ebook?

Super important! I started my blog because of that trip, mainly to keep in touch with family and friends… and then it turned into something more. My experience backpacking also became the foundation on which I wrote my second ebook, How to Take a Career Break to Travel, a guide for anyone who wants travel to be a bigger part of their life.

How did you first hear about AirTreks and what made you decide to choose us to purchase your tickets?

I think I found you through a basic Google search. I called for a quote, and your service was great; the woman I talked to initially ended up walking me through buying my flights and helped me figure out how to bring down the cost of my tickets. I’d first wanted to go “around the world,” but with her help, I realized it would be cheaper and more worth my time to stick to one continent. I chose Africa.

Any places on your travel radar at the moment?

It looks like I’ll be heading to Nicaragua for a few weeks in March! I’m psyched. But there are so many places I’d love to visit: Tasmania, Thailand and Iceland, to name a few. And while I’ve seen a lot of Africa, I’ve never been to East Africa, so that’s gotta be on the list, too.

What advice do you have for people thinking about taking a trip like you took?

Figure out how to make it happen! Too often we consider following through on big dreams, but put off doing it… and then never get around to it. If you really want to take a big trip, you’ve got to make it your priority. That means thinking outside-the-box about how to overcome whatever obstacle is holding you back: money, your job, a relationship, whatever. It’s never going to be “the perfect time,” and there’s always going to be something standing in your way, so if travel is at the top of your bucket list, go for it.

Read all the posts in this series.

If you want to start your path like Alexis did, click on the red link below to start a free TripPlanner session, talk to a Travel Consultant and grab your future by the lapels.

But there’s something going on in American politics that affects us all. You may have heard people talking or blogging about SOPA — (Stop Online Piracy Act) and its sister bill in the Senate, PIPA (Protect IP Act). These bills would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business.  To learn more about these bills, click  here http://fightforthefuture.org/.

Credit: Steve Cadman

The new year is upon us and every year at this time AirTreks sees a bump of fresh interest in trips that travel around the world. A new era, new resolutions, all that rot. So, to help adventure seekers who’ve decided that this will be their year, I’ve compiled a list of 5 great itineraries that make use of some of our best prices and routes. I did the same thing a couple times before and was met with great interest.

Last month Lonely Planet released what would be their list of recommended cities for 2012 and since it’s, well, Lonely Planet and people seem to love them, I’ve used their picks as a basis for some of my routes. The Lonely Planet recommendations are listed in the routes below in orange.

Remember that our trips are fully customizable, so the places you choose are ultimately up to you. These suggestions should be used as starting points for your own trip ideas. Therefore arrange, combine or reduce to save as you wish.

AirTrekkers get the luxury of being able to go anywhere in the world and the direction traveled typically makes little difference to the overall price.

Trip 1

New York – Reykjavik – London – Athens – Cairo – Delhi – overland to Calcutta – Bangkok – Beijing – New York

AirTreks Special Value: USD $2256 – $3090

A standard but attention-worthy RTW with equal parts Asia, Middle East and Europe, with a little Iceland thrown in for kicks. The best part about this trip is that there’s only one flight more than 6 hours long.

Trip 2

Los Angeles – Stockholm – Nairobi – overland to Dar Es Salaam – Johannesburg – overland to Cape Town – Chiang Mai – overland to Bangkok – Taipei – Los Angeles

AirTreks Special Value: USD $3014 – $4129

A fantastic and exotic RTW that includes Southeast Asia, Africa and the Lonely Planet 2012 city of Stockholm. Where else do you get to visit 3 new continents for around $4000?

Trip 3

San Francisco – Hong Kong – Singapore – overland to Bangkok – Delhi – overland to Bangalore – Istanbul – Athens – Vienna – overland to Paris – San Francisco

AirTreks Special Value: USD $2339- $3204

This trip gives you so much of India you’ll be craving curries for a month when you get back. The Lonely Planet-tipped city of Bangalore starts out your India romp moving slowly as you like north and back to the US via some of the best spots in in Europe.

Trip 4

Atlanta – Orlando – Vancouver – Shanghai – Kunming – Chaing Mai – overland to Bangkok – Muscat – Frankfurt – overland to Brussels – Dublin – Atlanta

AirTreks Special Value: USD $3257 – $4462

This trip gives you two of Lonely Planet-recommended cities, Kunming and Muscat. And all for less than you’d pay than if you booked with the Airline Alliances.

Trip 5

Miami – Santiago – Easter Island – Sydney – Darwin – Saigon – overland to Bangkok – Madrid – overland to Cádiz and Casablanca – Miami

AirTreks Special Value – USD $4932 – $6756

This route brings you through beautiful Santiago, Darwin, and Cádiz, all cities on the Lonely Planet list, unique to travelers and quite below the regular tourist radar.

* A note on price ranges: AirTreks prices are greatly affected by seasonality, passenger loads and availability, so without knowing the date details about a specific trip it’s difficult to predict a single price. TripPlanner uses price ranges to give the best idea of what a certain trip will cost. For more on how TripPlanner and price ranges work click here.

If these suggestions only whet you appetite, check out our Specials page for a handful of others, or else discover what your imagination can do and click on the red banner below to customize your own trip.

The Beauty and Variety

It would be easy to just say it’s beautiful, show you a bunch of pictures, and be done with it. Because at the end of the day, this is the true reason people travel from so far away just to trek in this park. If you an avid outdoorsman, Torres del Paine will impress you at every turn, no matter where you’ve been and what you’ve experienced. The variety of the terrain and landscapes is amazing, from glaciers and lakes to mountains and valleys. The towers for which the park is named are fantastic in their own right, but there’s so much more to Torres del Paine than the towers themselves. Every person who has trekked in Torres del Paine probably has their own favorite part of the park, showing just how versatile it is. This isn’t like hiking to Machu Picchu, where the payoff is Machu Picchu itself at the end of the trek. There are payoffs in Torres del Paine around every corner.

The Hiking Trail Options

While the beauty is what brings hikers here, the options that trekkers have is what makes this place great. There are a multitude of trails and routes, and every person can plan their own unique trip that allows them to travel at their own pace. There is no need to hire a guide or go with a group. Just do your research, plan out what’s best for you and your hiking style, and plan whatever trip that jives with who you are and what you want to get out of it.

Hikers have two main options for hiking in the park – the ever popular “W” trek and the full circuit. If you enjoy hiking and are willing to go on a multi-day trek, then the “W” trek is probably good for you. If you are a serious hiker who is ready to tackle the backcountry for up to 10 days, then go for the full circuit (the “W” is part of the full circuit).

The best part about hiking in Torres del Paine is that there isn’t just one route to take. You can hike west to east or vice versa, and how long it takes you to complete it is totally up to you. Some have blazed through the “W” in as few as three days, but most take four to five. It’s not uncommon to really take your time and be gone for six or seven. If you are going for the full circuit, allow seven days at the very least, but maybe closer to nine or ten depending on your abilities and the pace you want to hike. The classic “W” trek is much more crowded than the circuit, but even in high season on the “W” you can go a few hours without seeing another person on the trail. Parts of the back end of the circuit can be completely barren though.

The Sleeping Options

Another unique part of hiking in Torres del Paine is the sleeping options one has. We decided to go to Torres del Paine when we were planning a round the world trip, so we were not traveling with things like a tent and sleeping bags. Luckily for visitors to TDP, this is not an issue. The park is littered with refugios, or guesthouses, for hikers to stay in. Note that these are quite expensive and book up weeks in advance during high season (December to February), but having the opportunity to sleep inside in a bed is worth it to many.

If you don’t have the coin to stay in the refugios, you have a few other options. You can rent a tent from one of the many places in nearby Puerto Natales (the jumping off point for TDP) and carry it with you the entire trek, camping in designated areas (all refugios also have a campground) along the way. Or better yet, you can actually rent tents from each refugio. This option is great as you arrive at the refugio with your tent already set up for you, and you don’t have to carry one with you. Of course you can always do a combination of the two, sleeping in a tent a few nights and sleeping in a bed the few other nights.

There is no doubt that Torres del Paine is one of the most stunning places in the world to hike, but there are beautiful places all over the world where you can take in great scenery while trekking. The thing that sets Torres del Paine apart is the variety it offers, both with routes and sleeping options. Being able to trek in a park like this on your own and do it the way you want to do it makes this a must-do for any hiking lover.

__________________________________________

Adam Seper is a veteran RTW traveler and a staff writer at Bootsnall Travel Network. He has taken to writing about his travels and appears on the AirTreks Travel Blog biweekly. He lives in St. Louis with his wife.

The reason for the new flight is probably to better serve the elite Silicon Valley coterie, since San Jose airport is a small and uncongested jaunt down the 101 to many a major electronics company headquarters. Either way, it’s nice to see a less established airport getting a comeuppance. San Jose’s struggling economy could use the lift.

This marks the first long long haul service from SJC since American Airlines recalled their San Jose – Tokyo flight back in 2006. Plans for this service have been in development since 2008, long before the airline launched its maiden 787 flight in Oct of this year.

Look for more of these “long, thin” routes to appear in the future with 787 equipment, a small and lean jet that makes minor long haul routes possible with its efficiency and low operating costs.

If you’re adding San Francisco to a RTW itinerary it will be possible to use the SJC – TYO flight for transits in and out of the Bay Area, which will be especially helpful if your plans are to visit places such as Monterey or Big Sur. Please advise your Travel Consultant and they’ll be happy to set you up with this one-of-a kind flight.

Credit: archer10, on Flickr

If you’ve already made the commitment to get out and see some of that great big world you keep hearing about, well done. It’s no small task. But having made it, you might already know of the many things that can get in the way of actually hitting the road.

Trip planning may seem like an impediment, rather than an avenue, to your departure – there’s simply so much to do – but I wanted to help today with a some steps to get you through your most overcome moments.

These are a few things to keep in mind when you’re trying to filter the noise of the planning process.

Step 1: Oversee it – (keep in mind the “big picture”)

It’s easy to get overcome with the little details of travel planning, the forest for the trees, as it were. But if you take a minute, say, every week of your planning process to take a step back and remember why you’re doing this and how far you’ve come, you’ll start to notice that all those little tasks have become a machine that carries you to the final goal of your departure. Pardon the metaphor, but they’re the stones you must step on to get across the raging river of the planning process.

Step 2: Envision it – (be realistic about what you’re doing and who you are as a traveler)

Deciding where to go can cause heart palpitations. So take a day, a week if you need it, before you set your final itinerary to just sit back and envision yourself on the road. Take a deep breath, let your eyes blur and picture how you’ll be at the midway point. If you still with a waist-high scroll of destinations to cover, you’re trying to see too much.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense to plan the entire world into one trip, but it also may not be fit to spend a third of your trip lazing around the backpacker haunts of Khao San Road. Keep the balance – keep the flow. Plan to travel slowly, organically, imbibing the environment. Like osmosis. Perhaps with a view of the Ganges.

Step 3: Assemble it – (plan resourcefully)

In order to get across the torrent of your planning process, you’ll need to approach your planning in a way that doesn’t make you want to bang your head against the wall. It may seem like there are an infinite number of things to do, but if you take each planning phase as a tiny piece of the big puzzle you’ll make it.

Allocate your time to different tasks and don’t let them mix together. A hugely helpful resource is our Official Planning Timeline. This will help you triage what’s important to do now and what can wait till later.

And try not to neglect your current life. You’ll be happier keeping a semblance of normalcy alongside the process.

Step 4: Estimate it – (keep your travel budget within reason)

The biggest impediment to a successful trip is the feeling that you don’t have the money to do the things you want. The best solution is to find out how much places cost per day, throw in a handful of paid activities (1-2 per week), and create a budget to suit. Balance your travels between expensive and inexpensive countries, weighted of course toward the inexpensive. If in the end you find you can’t afford the total. Take some places off. It’s okay. It happens.

The Tree of Life by AmateurArtGuy, on Flickr

Step 5: Afford it – (reduce your pre-trip expenses)

In order to make your trip happen you’ll have to be able to pay for it. Unless you have dumptrucks that unload cash on your lawn, you must save the money yourself. Make it easier by reducing your unnecessary expenditures pre-trip. Steph at 20 Something Travel saved $20,000 for her RTW trip and has some great insight on how that’s done.

Here’s a short list of common saving-killers (with their potential monthly savings):

• Afternoon latté – $75
• Gym membership – $25
• Cable TV – $80
• Movie concessions – Potentially $10 per visit per person.
• Movies – movie entertainment value is not directly proportional to ticket price – catch the DVD.
• Alcohol – Ease up there, Bukowski.
• Restaurants – is your trip more important than a white tablecloth?
• Flavored drinks – Tap water is delicious!

Step 6: Outfit it – (accumulate your gear)

Also known as “What, no raincoat?” Making good choices about what you bring with you will be the difference between blithely tossing on a backpack and trundling around like a geriatric packhorse. So, if you’re not really a photographer, don’t take 3 DSLR lenses, if you’re not a hiker, don’t take the 4 pound boots. On the flipside, a light netbook can be a communications godsend.

Also, it’s not necessary to buy an inventory of new products, but some good new travel-worthy items are highly valuable in your possession (ie. quick-dry underwear.)

Step 7: Brave it – (don’t fear the unknown)

One of the biggest obstacles to international traveling for first timers is the totally normal fear of venturing out beyond your comfort zone. There are plenty of ways to manage this – I wrote about this recently, but don’t take my word for it. Chris Guillebeau examines it eloquently.

Don’t let your id backhand your rational mind as it reassures you that you, in fact, can do this.

Other suggestions on what helped make YOUR trip a reality? Tell us in the comments.

Want to plan a cheaper trip? Click on the red banner below and start a TripPlanner session right now!

Today’s post is by Susan Coss, our favorite part-time Oaxacan, foodie traveler and outspoken advocate of a certain ancient Mexican distilled alcohol. Susan is back in Mexico rediscovering her passion for this exotic liquor.

Expanded lemon mezcal

Suddenly it is mid-December and I have no idea what has happened with the time. Perhaps this is the greatest gift and curse of mezcal – a strange time paradigm that takes over.

This year it seems I am breaking down some final barriers, and doing things I have sworn for years I would never ever ever do – first and foremost would be driving a car here in Mexico. I once swore the same in Italy, only to back down when I realized how unfair it was to burden the other person with all the driving. Alas, the same thing here. But the thing is, driving here, driving in Oaxaca, is rife with all sorts of potential disasters; cars that speed thru intersections, topes (speed bumps) and more topes that appear with no warning on a highway, roads the just disappear into dirt. And of course, donkeys, goats, etc that wander on country roads. But drive I did and I survived and thrilled to the feel of driving a stick shift after so many years of absence.

I think I also swore once that I would never ever ever again drink more than 3 mezcals in one day.

So, the hecticness of November and gave way to the traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared for Oaxacan friends and family. A fresh turkey from Tlocolula, a pueblo outside of Oaxaca famous for the market turkey drives – do not confuse with any images of the running of the bulls, though I am sure Hemingway could have a field day with this – weight unknown to be cooked in an oven that had no temperature readings and nor a door that closed tightly. But no one died of food poisoning and we laughed and cried as we went around the table and said what we were thankful for.  And then after a few quiet days, everything went into hyper-drive and all of the conversations of the mezcal road trips came to fruition.

So what is it with me and mezcal and this crazy obsession? I love the flavor, I love the story, I love that it is rough and wild and makes me think of my Appalachian roots and the supposed moonshiners in my family tree. And so why not go straight to the sources, why not find those OP’s (original palenqueros), why not get out into the country, the mountains and see what it is all about.

Alfonso showing the bottles

There is no “mezcal trail” so to speak. There is the road lining the town of Matatlan, filled with its touristy mezcal rooms, but erase any thoughts of Napa’s Silverado Trail. And so that first week, 4 of us (and a baby) piled into a tiny Chevy Aveo – rental mistake on my part – and headed out to San Dionisio and then Chichicapam – a beautiful valley area about 1.5 hours outside of Oaxaca. San Dionisio begs the question – what came first, the town name and then the mezcal or vice versa?

And Dionysus was definitely smiling down on us as we walked into a Palenque, walls filled with pictures of half naked and naked women. Mezcal is a man’s world, not the drink, but the world, and being a woman, and a foreign one at that, walking into one of these places certainly creates a stir, especially when you aren’t accompanied by a husband. It can cause a palenquero to declare “Estoy aca solo” (I am here alone) and to propose marriage. It can mean accepting a hand on the small of your back as you discuss production capabilities, where the maguey comes from, how it is blended, pricing, and then tasting the sweet strong nectar. It can mean the back story of what that bottle of mezcal might eventually be named.

These agave weigh a hundred pounds. 80 piñas were being harvested and then split this day.

And then it was off Chichicapam, the next valley over and to another Palenque, more blends, more tasting, and the opportunity to learn how blends are done and how the perlas (bubbles) tell you how much alcohol is in that blend. Making perlas is no easy feat. It requires using a 2 foot long piece of hollowed out bamboo to carefully suck up the mezcal in the jicara (gourd traditionally used for tasting) and then letting it stream back into the jicara. After several tries I was still not able to get the hang of it. At this Palenque, Alfonso and his brother Jesus had us tasting their blends of the common espadin, the sweet mexicano, a delicious tobala (wild maguey) and a tobaziche – another wild maguey. The variation of flavors between the mescals was amazing, and I must confess that Tobala is probably my favorite of the varieties. We also tasted a pechuga – a mezcal that is distilled with chicken breasts and bones, that knocked my socks off. Then, more bottles were purchased, and an invitation made to return the following week to join a maguey cut, and see exactly how a harvest is done, the land it is grown on.  After, we dined on fried fish – mojarras – at a comedor and then made our way home.

And so what to do with so many accumulating bottles of mezcal? Prompted by a visit of SF friends, Jose Luis (long time chef friend here) and I talked about doing a pop-up restaurant here at my apartment complex. The idea was to create a mezcal pairing menu and come up with a 5 course menu. Aside – for future reference, it is not a good idea to do this the night before, as far too much mezcal needs to be tasted. I was sent to the market to procure the herbs and greens for the meal – a daunting task as I had no idea what much of the stuff was and could only go by smells, and that very important question – can you eat this.

So, 10 strangers sat around a large table and got to know one another, something made easier by the eclectic mix of personalities, and of course the mezcal. We dined on a salad made from herbs and verdologa and purple tomatillos with a chapulin dressing, shrimp agua chile (a ceviche) with pomegranate, fish roasted in a chile guajillo and hierba santa infused broth, a shrimp mole that had us all licking the plates and a dessert of basil infused cream with strawberries. It was divine, and a giant success. Here’s to more pop-up restaurants here in Oaxaca.

And then the next day it was off to Hierve el Agua to taste more mezcal. This time, a larger car, though god help us it was a brand new white jetta that was about to go on the ride of its life, up a winding rutted out road. Friends Max and Davina accompanied Jose Luis and I on this journey. It is a beautiful drive, and the town is famous for its sulfur pools of water and the original (and natural) infinity pools that hug the side of a mountain. Here we tasted various herb infused mescals and noted the flavor difference of the espadin. Terroir is a huge element in the flavor profile and the magueys change in flavor, much like grapes, depending on the soil and the altitude. And after some memelitas, tlayudas and tacos, it was back on the windy road to return to Oaxaca to drop off Max and Davina and to get ready to head out for the maguey cut the following day – a 4am departure from Oaxaca.

Of course, this was when I had to drive – 4 am, pitch black, a non-morning person navigator and many wrong turns. But driving through the valley as the sun began to rise was unbelievably beautiful, the sky turning a light purple, then orange and gold, casting shadows from the clouds over the rocky mountains. We arrived early and had an hour before we were to head out for the cut and so we decided to go visit my fiancé and pick up more of his mezcal. I was skeptical that you could do that at 6:30 in the morning, but there he was and there we were having to take the obligatory taste before having our bottles filled. A shot of mezcal in the morning is a helluva way to start the day.

A look inside the fermenting barrels.

And so the cut – a field of espadins whose spikey leaves had already been shaved from the piñas on a previous day. They were going to be cutting about 80-90 for a roast. They harvest about every two weeks to keep the process constantly going – roast, ferment, distill. All done by hand and in cutting maguey that means dealing with a piña that is about 2-3 feet high and as big around, each one weighing about a hundred pounds. Machetes, a sledgehammer, a shovel like device – these are the tools of the trade and after watching the back breaking work for almost 2 hours, I will never ever complain about the cost of an artisanal bottle of mezcal.

We returned to the Palenque, and moved a fermented barrel of maguey to the distillers, and then of course, began tasting more mezcal, making different blends. Note, it was not yet noon. Finally, we decided to go get some food at the same comedor, bottle of special blend mezcal in hand. This was where business would be discussed.

The fancy lunch

A side note about Alfonso, the palenquero. His family has been producing mezcal for eons, and they are in fact the producers for Pierde Almas, one of the most prestigious, and expensive, artisanal brands sold. Currently here in Oaxaca, it goes for about $120 a bottle – and I can pretty much guarantee that the majority of that stays with Pierde Almas and not with Alfonso’s family. They are master producers, with an understanding of artisanal food and beverage production that is mindblowing. But the reality is, the producers rarely have their marca or brand on their bottles of mezcal, and are rarely acknowledged as the actual masters of the mezcal.

So we had a long lunch over fried fish. Two bottles of mezcal on the table, the owner of the comedor joining us, and me sitting back and listening to the conversation flow before I said much of anything (shut up and listen is a great practice in situations like this.) I also knew I was being tested, or more to the point, they were also trying to get a read of me, and also see just how much mezcal I could drink, i.e. keeping up with the boys. With a few bottle of water, I did my best not to embarrass myself. And when I did finally join in the conversation, at a natural point after they had been talking about how to better market the artisanal products in Chichicapam, I spoke of my desire to put education about mezcal first and foremost in any business I would develop with them. I delved into the use of the words organic, natural, artisanal, prompting a huge debate.

A special blend for lunch - tobala/tobaziche

Let’s just say, they don’t think much of the word organic and think it’s bullshit given everything they do is completely natural and traditional and artisanal. Jose Luis tried to keep me from saying anything that could be construed as offensive, reminded me that some words were stronger than others and to thread lightly. It was three hours of fascinating debate about perspectives and how to educate the US market, and at the end, it was all-good and we headed back to the Palenque for more mezcal, including an oh so special Conejo – like a Pechuga, only with rabbit. One word – wow.

I passed the test.

The drive home was amazing, as my iPod spat out a random mix of Ella Fitzgerald and Neko Case and Nirvana. The day washed over us, its utter perfection, the joy of a friend’s presence, and of course that warm glow of mezcal coursing through our veins.

Ahhhhh, India. Just typing the word brings back a flood of emotions. Joy, frustration, disgust, surprise, sadness, optimism, love, awe, anger, happiness, surprise, disappointment. We felt all these emotions during our six week stint in India – sometimes all in one day, hell, sometimes all within an hour. I have never traveled to a country like India before, and while there are many countries in the world that are just as chaotic, just as crazy, just as dirty – there’s simply no place like India.

When my wife and I were planning our RTW trip, we decided to leave India for last. Our reasoning was that we would be seasoned by then, ready to tackle the difficulties of traveling in a country that was so different than our own. WRONG! No matter how much you’ve traveled, how many countries you’ve been, how off the beaten path you’ve gotten, there is no way to fully prepare for what is travel in India.

Tips for First Time Travelers to India

If you’ve never been to India before, you may want to prepare yourself for what’s to come. Though no amount of reading or talking to others who have been there will fully prepare you for a visit to India, the more you learn, the easier it will be. For westerners, India will never really make sense, as nearly everything that happens there seems completely backwards. India will have you hearkening back to your childhood days when you played opposite day, and there will be many times when you wonder if someone is playing a practical joke on you. But there are ways to make the most of your trip to this crazy land, and here are my top three tips for not only surviving, but enjoying your time in India.

Ease yourself in

Most people will fly into one of India’s massive cities like Delhi, Mumbai, or Kolkata. I suggest getting out right away. There is no intensity like an Indian city with over 10 million people, and if you are just arriving, chances are you will be completely overwhelmed in no time. Just wandering the streets is a test of patience and wills, as you will be approached at every turn.

“YES! Sir! Come look my shop!?”
“You want see my paintings?”
“You need bedspread?”
“You need t-shirt?”
“Where you from?”
“You need hash?”
“You need chai?”
“You have great Indian hair!”

At first, it’s actually quite entertaining, but after a while, the constant push can get to you. That’s why I suggest getting out of the big cities when first arriving in India. Consider heading to the beach towns of Goa, where it’s not quite as intense. I have heard others refer to Goa as India lite. Or you could head north into the mountains for some seclusion and natural beauty like no other. No matter the size of the town, you will still experience a lot of touts and pushiness, but the intensity and constancy isn’t as great, and once you do get back to the larger cities, it makes it a bit easier to handle.

Find the balance

The key to traveling in India is finding the balance between dismissal and acceptance. Because western travelers get approached literally every few seconds, you learn to have your guard up at all times. The word “no” becomes your most used word, and you get used to dismissing everyone who approaches you. But you really should pick and choose your spots, which is difficult to do. I know had my guard up at all times, but luckily I had my wife there, who is typically a better judge of character than I. We learned to allow some people in, and while we regretted it at times, if we wouldn’t have done so, we would have missed out on some incredible experiences.

After agreeing to enter the shop of a local painter in Jodhpur, we ended up hanging out for hours, talking and hanging out, drinking chai and looking at his work. After purchasing a painting from him, he was so excited that he invited us back to his shop the next day for lunch. It ended up being one of the coolest, most genuine, and memorable experiences not only from our time in India, but from our entire RTW trip. If we wouldn’t have been willing to let our guards down, we never would have had that chance.

Accept the chaos

India is nuts. And the sooner you just accept and embrace that chaos, the sooner you’ll start enjoying yourself. Just stop trying to make sense of what’s going on around you because it’s futile. To us, nothing will make sense, but that’s part of what makes India so great. Consider this ordeal we had at the Jodhpur bus station trying to buy bus tickets, a task we had completed countless times in countless cities around the world with relatively no problems.

Megan and I, going up to the “Enquiries” counter at the bus station: “Hello, we want tickets to Udaipur.”
Attendant: “Yes.”
Us: “We want to go tomorrow.”
Him: “Yes.”
Us: “What time do buses go?”
Him: “5:30”
Us: “5:30?”
Him: “Yes.”
Us: “Any other times?”
Him: “Yes, 7, and 8, and 9, and 10:30, and 1, and 2, and 3.”
Us: “Great, can we get tickets for the 8 o’clock bus.”
Him: “Yes.”
Us: “Here?”
Him: At this point he points over to a building across the parking lot and says,“Advance booking over there.”
Us: “Over there, in that building over there” We point. He nods.
We walk over there and go to the one window that someone is standing behind. He’s counting money, with two glasses of chai on his desk in front of him. We walk up and stand there, and he completely ignores us and continues counting his money. I walk to a different window and finally Megan gets his attention after saying “Hello” a few times.
Megan: “Hello, we need tickets to Udaipur at 8 tomorrow morning.”
Him: “Chai?”
Megan (bewildered): “No, no, I couldn’t possibly.”
Him: “Chai?”
Megan (guessing that she wouldn’t get an answer to her question until she accepted his chai, accepts his chai): “Thank you. We’re trying to get to Udaipur tomorrow morning at 8. Can we buy tickets here?”
Him: “No, over there.” He points back across the parking lot in the vicinity of three buildings, one of which is the building we came from “New building.”
Us, to each other: “None of those three buildings look new.”
Us, to him: “Thanks.” We take the chai and walk back across to the first building we were at. We go to another window, not the “Inquiries” window.
Us: “Hello, we’re trying to get to Udaipur tomorrow morning.”
Attendant: “You need to go to the window down there.” He points to a window at the other end of the building, right next to the very first window, “Enquiries”. So we go there.
Us: “Hello, we’re trying to go to Udaipur tomorrow at 8.”
Attendant: “You need to go next door, to that window.” He points at the “Enquiries” window, of course.
We knew that was going to be the case, so we go next door, to the very first guy we talked to.
Us: “Hello, we want to go to Udaipur tomorrow at 8, and the guy next door said we need to talk to you about purchasing tickets.”
Him (mind you, the first guy we talked to, only about 10 minutes prior to this): You can only buy advance tickets to the 5:30 bus. If you want to go on the 8 bus, come here at 7:30 tomorrow morning. You can buy tickets then.”
Us (shaking our heads in disbelief, muttering): “Thanks.”

That experience is India in a nutshell, and while we could have been furious and exasperated at the ridiculousness of the whole ordeal, it was much easier to just laugh it off, shake our heads, and utter our Indian mantra, “Ahhhhh, India.”

__________________________________________

Adam Seper is a veteran RTW traveler and now a staff writer at Bootsnall Travel Network. He has taken to writing about his travels and will be appearing on the AirTreks Travel Blog biweekly. He lives in St. Louis with his wife.