Fortune-Tellers, Travel and Life

I have a weakness for travel narratives. Eighty-plus percent of what I read can be classified in this particular genre, ranging from William Least-Heat Moon to Robyn Davidson to Paul Theroux. And many many more. Most are pretty good, a few more than I'd like to admit are pretty mediocre.  And then there are the exceptional ones - the ones that are fully engaging, that take the reader in new directions (not just geographically), and one's that inspire or nurture the spirit of travel and of life. 

Tizian Terzani's "A Fortune-Teller Told Me" falls into this exceptional category. The author, an Italian journalist based in Southeast Asia, and with journalistic curiosity, visited a fortune-teller in Macao. The prophecy, if you want to call it that, was that something terrible was going to happen to the author in the coming year and he must not fly. A difficult proposition for an Italian journalist in Southeast Asia for sure.  And one, before the start of the year, Tizian decided to follow. 

The narrative following Tizian as he moved about Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Burma and then on to Europe via China, Mongolia and Russia, all the time consulting with other fortune-tellers - some close to the mark, others without a clue. Wanderlust, journalistic fervor, spiritual encounters of all kinds, and an overall sense of fascination fill the book and leave the reader to ponder the world that we see and the world that may be just beyond our vision and experience.

"Think of how many wonderful people we meet without realizing it, of how many  beautiful  things we pass every day on the way home without realizing them. It always requires the right occasion, a particular event, a person who stops you and draws your attention to this or that." 

Festival at 15000' and Travel Expectations

Two interesting articles in this weekend's NY Times.  The first is on the Qoyllur Rit’i — the Snow Star Festival, held outside of Cusco, Peru. Elevation 15000.' Part Catholic, part earth-based spirituality. Dancing, commemorations, candle-lighting, arts, crafts, sheer beauty, and fervor. Sounds like my kind of festival, though the elevation gives me considerable pause.  http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/travel/celebrating-the-snow-star-festival-in-the-peruvian-andes.html?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20120512  

The second article focuses on a mother-daughter spring break vacation to south Florida. Wrong place to stay, no clear expectations on what to do and when, costly, and anything but connecting one-on-one. Points to doing your own research on lodging, talking with your traveling companion (even if family) before you go re expectations and objectives, and taking recommendations from friends with a grain of salt.  Makes for a good read and food for thought - especially when traveling with teens and 20-somethings!
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/travel/a-mother-daughter-spring-break-on-fisher-island-florida.html?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20120512

Drawn to Out of the Way Places

I've been re-reading "The Road Wet, the Wind Close: Celtic Ireland" by James Roy.  It caught my eye many years ago and led directly to me visiting one of the world's more obscure and isolated locals - Skellig Michael, off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland. In re-reading, I came across this:

We have come to Skellig Michael because of what we've read. [How true!!] We find ourselves drawn to obscurities, or perhaps it's just the urge to go places where no one else sees value. For whatever reason, on this island, I think, is the very essence of Celtic Ireland."  Takes me right back there, to the cold and windswept day in a distant October, where just two of us had the monastic site to ourselves. Obscurity, of value, and Celtic essence. 

Books, and not just travel guides, can be a great influence on future journeys.  Whether Skellig Michael, or the Floating Tori Gate at Miyajima Island, Japan, or ...  I've felt called several times to visit the non-Eiffel Towers of this world. And will continue to follow the call.

Authenticity

There are those who feel that we should travel in certain ways - connecting with the locals - seeing certain sights - eating at certain "local" places. While I'm certainly one who wants to explore the cultures of the places I travel to and through, I really don't feel compelled to follow someone's dictates as to what constitutes the right way to travel. 

Gideon Lewis-Kraus book, "A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful,"  relates stories about pilgrimages and the reasons why some of us do them these days. And the question becomes, if not done for the original reason (usually spiritual or religious), "is it still authentic?" And Gideon has a really noteworthy response: 

"My own feeling about authenticity is that we're all best off when we don't worry about it too much and just get on with the business of trying to travel in ways that feel meaningful to us, for whatever reason."

Know why you're traveling and make the journey your own - how more authentic and meaningful an experience can you ask for!

BTW, Gideon is interviewed on his pilgramage experiences on the WorldHum website: http://tinyurl.com/congnzz. 

Why Travel?!

Why travel? Because the world is out there - full of sights and sounds and people and cultures and landscapes. The travel experience presents new ideas and opportunities to understand and to be receptive to other cultures - whether of another state, region or country. It's also a great way to spend quality time with family or friends, to get away from everything and everyone, meet other people or just mellow out. Travel provides a chance to rekindle a romance, start a new one, or check out if you're really compatible! And, of course, there are airline and train seats that would otherwise go unused every day. Why Travel?  Because!

From the Introduction to "Journey On! Taking Your Travel Experience to the Next Level." Available from The Traveler, Bainbridge Island; Wide World Books, Seattle; your local bookseller, or through Amazon.com (http://tinyurl.com/c65bega).

Worthwhile Quotes

In this month's National Geographic Traveler, traveler Edward Readicker-Henderson wrote a fascinating piece on why he travels - and still travels to this day.  This in spite of the fact that doctors told him many years ago that his medical conditions would result in only months to live and would make travel impossible. 
Two memorable quotes:  "Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible."

and

"It's not a matter of better or worse, but simply this or that."

I especially like the latter; for most decisions, especially related to travel, there really isn't a right or wrong decision. Rather, its simply a choice between or among options, any of which could result in a serendipitous moment. And that is what travel is about.

Besides the NG Traveler article, Edward has a website with additional writings about his travels. http://www.routeofseeing.com/home.html

Upcoming Workshops & Presentations

Journey On! has a busy spring ahead.  Here is a list of workshops and presentations:

Presentation on my new book "Journey On! Taking Your Travel Experience to the Next Level," May 15, 7-8pm, Wide World Books, Wallingford neighborhood, Seattle.  Free

Vacation Photography
Monday evenings, June 4-25, 6:30-8:30pm at The Traveler, downtown Winslow, Bainbrige Island
Registration through Bainbridge Parks-and-Recreation. www.biparks.org.

How to Enjoy Your Vacation and Still Take Great Photos. This workshop focuses on taking photos you can be proud of while taking a vacation that you and your family can enjoy! We'll discuss how to prepare to take great photos, what to do while on vacation so that photography and vacation ae not mutually exclusive, and what to do once back home to share your photos in a way not to turn-off the viewer! All camera formats are welcomes - digital or film - but you need to know basic camera operations.

For more information, contact Chuck Kirchner at 206-780-5671 or chuck@chuckkirchner.com