World Travellers: Dave Blum from “365 Wow Places”

–My name is Dave. I’m a passionate traveler and a blogger, with a strong interest in solving the puzzle of how we can take the brilliant life lessons we learn from “the road” and apply them to our every-day lives back at home.

–35 countries and counting.  A bit of a preference for Asia, but don’t quote me on that.

–Thailand:  Yeah, it’s more touristy and less rough-and-tumble than its more-adventurous neighbors (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar) but you can’t beat Thailand’s combination of beaches, temples, ruins, trekking, elephants, and nice people. And who wouldn’t want to eat Thai food every day, one of the world’s great cuisines?

–India:  You can’t beat the remarkable sights in India, from the ghats in Varanasi to the camels and desert forts of Rajasthan, from renting a houseboat in Kerala to clambering around the amazing caves of Ajanta and Ellora.  The rich mix of food, culture and religion in India is second to none.

–Japan:  Something memorable happens to me pretty much every day I’m in Japan.   It could be visiting a breath-taking traditional garden like Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu, or wandering around the fascinating Naoshima art island, or picking gigantic apples at a farm in Hirosaki (up north in Aomori).   Every day in Japan, someone does something nice for me.  I come to Japan for the art, the nature, the temples, the food and the cool pilgrimage trails.  I stay for the people.

–While enjoying the architecture and ambiance of the Wat Arun in Bangkok, a monk approaches me furtively and starts up a conversation.   “Hi, I’m Loi. May I speak English with you?”  It turns out Loi has a monastery nearby, full of other monks who are avid to learn English.  As a former English teacher in Japan, how can I say no?   Trusting that Loi is what he actually says he is (and not some kind of slave trader), I follow him into the labyrinth of nearby streets until, sometime later, we arrive at his monastery.  In a wink of an eye, I’m ushered into a tiny, window-less classroom the size of a shipping container, jam packed with red-robed, shaved-headed monks, all beaming at me in expectation.   What else can I do but click into teacher mode, peppering them with questions, acting out dialogues and commandeering the dingy chalk board.   What an awesome job, huh?     Afterwards, my friend, Loi, walks me back to Wat Arun, where the whole adventure began, and hands me a postcard.  Impossible Mission accomplished!

–By and large, I work two jobs at home:  a day job (my last was a technical editor at a medical device company) and a side job leading teambuilding treasure hunts (which is also a source of travel!).

–1) Don’t over-pack your bags.  You will​ be buying clothes when you’re there, so why bring more than 3 changes of clothes?

   2)  Don’t over-pack your schedule.     Your best days will likely be the ones when you’re just wandering around, aimlessly, and you stumble upon the best noodle shop in the world, or someone invites you into their home.   My rule of thumb is, more neighborhoods, less monuments.

   3)  Don’t over-pack your expectations.   Trips have a life of their own and rarely reflect what you read in the guidebook.   Come in with an open mind and let the trip come to you.

–I may be going to India at the end of this year for an Indian wedding in Jaipur, India, complete with glittering horses and elephants.   Otherwise, I’ve long wanted to visit Morocco and North Africa.   Either that or taking a long tramp in New Zealand.