Around the World - Part 1

Traveling Brings Wisdom. Find out how to travel around the world.


traveling is knowing
Illustration on the window of a wintery airport in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland.
The Amália Glacier
Passengers crowd along the bow to admire the Amália glacier
gaudy locomotive
Kuranda train locomotive in Kuranda.
Plane over bathers-Maho Beach-Sint Maarten
Plane about to land over bathers in the sea at Maho Beach.
track in sight
Mount Cook Ski Planes Ski Planes about to land on the Mount Cook runway.
Deck loaded
Crew member enters Navimag's colorful deck.
Of departure
Inhabitants of Malekula and other surrounding islands leave Wala with the cruise in the background.
Kuranda train
The Kuranda train winds its way through the jungle of Barron Falls National Park.
a short walk
Wayne McMillan next to the Pegasus of the Mount Cook Ski Planes that has just landed in the heights of the Southern Alps.
street makeup
A woman improvises makeup on a street in Shibuya.
Erika Mother
Jeepney overloaded with passengers and cargo makes a climb near El Nido in northern Palawan.
The Earth turns on itself every day. In this series of articles, you will find indispensable clarifications and advice for those who make a point of going around it at least once in their life.

Fernão Magalhães inaugurated what became the first circumnavigation trip (round-the-world trip) of Earth ever.

At that time, the world was still largely unknown to old Europe and, as was often the case with navigators, a large portion of the Portuguese discoverer's journey in search of a route via the West for spices was done without any reference.

After arriving at what he called the Pacific Ocean, Magellan estimated that sailing to the spice islands would take a few days. It ended up taking three long months.

During this period, while advancing to the West and “climbing” towards the equator, Magellan failed practically all the archipelagos and islands spread across the Pacific, not that it mattered to him beyond that, but many of them, today considered paradisiacal.

It anchored on the opposite side of the ocean, in the Marianas, in Guam and, shortly after, in Mactanin Philippines. On this island, he slightly abused his luck.

He tried to convert a chief named Lapu Lapu to Christianity. He was killed by a raging native tribe.

These days, it has everything to prevent a trip around the world from being, instead of problematic or dramatic, a highly rewarding experience.

Here are the first of many information and tips that we will give you so that you can make your dream come true.

1- Believing in the Round the World Trip. Valuing it with Determination

Faced with King Manuel I's repeated no to his proposal, Fernão Magalhães he didn't lower his arms.

Frustrated, he decided to sacrifice the patriotism he surely had after a half-life of battles and wounds in the service of the Portuguese Crown, moved to Seville in arms and baggage.

He only rested when he convinced King Carlos I to support his project of continuing his search for Asia through the West, which was then the only way to reach “Portuguese” spices without compromising what was agreed in the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Don't take the idea of ​​going around the world as a dream. There are many ways to make the idea a reality. If you can't do it one way, do it another way but don't be defeated by its apparent complexity.

In Portugal, and in general, in the Latin American sphere, travel continues to be seen too much as a kind of adventurous whim, almost as a luxury of which we should feel guilty.

Instead, as we can see in countless periods of discovery, in the English-speaking world and in northern Europe, in general, it is common for even younger teenagers to travel in small groups of friends with parental permission.

The Mythical Gap Year

Not to mention the famous Gap Year. The Gap Year consists of an interval between the end of secondary studies and the beginning of university life that teenagers reserve to appreciate themselves as people traveling.

It can also be applied between the end of university and professional life.

And, they do it with such conviction and pleasure that many start traveling whenever they can and repeat that kind of gap year between the end of university studies and the beginning of their professional life.

Any one of these different forms of Gap Year has a mandatory place in their resumes.

Above all, don't overlook the personal enrichment gained from any trip.

In particular, for a trip around the world. Do not hesitate to see it as an experience that will bring you knowledge and open-mindedness forever.

Dismiss any fears that you are wasting time or money.

2-A Freedom and the Money Needed for Around the World

If you have already got one à financial will

enjoy a break between jobs or create it and leave à adventure. Another solution is to obtain authorization for an unpaid leave at your company.

Has a way of working on account of another, via the Internet, simply respecting delivery deadlines? So develop and expose that hypothesis with foresight and determination. fight for aim.

If you are a self-employed professional, organize yourself as much as possible and prepare all possible technological solutions for teleworking on the road.

How many times has your company not already attracted clients and projects, detected problems and found solutions as a team, using videoconferencing and others ? 

Alert clients and business partners to less contact availability, prepare to wake up and work through the night due to time differences, and adjust as best you can à new reality. 

In our particular case, we made two trips of this type already counting on several one-day breaks, sometimes two, to program, create and deliver travel reports that we were delivering to various publications.

Apart from these breaks, we also systematically dealt with complementary tasks after dark and, in contact with Portugal during the night, with the sacrifice of pleasant dinners, outings and socializing at night.

Sometimes you can't have it all.

Either way, the privilege of going around the world makes up for most of the sacrifices.

In case you haven't collected enough money for Around the World

think of a plan to make it go as little as possible against your principles of life.

Many backpackers, mainly from the English-speaking world – especially travelers from the Australia – work six months or a year in a row in jobs without long-term responsibilities.

After this period of effort – let's call it that – they enjoy the reward of travel periods that they try to prolong as much as possible to maintain a healthy balance between spending, and pleasure and comfort.

Just as an example, on our travels, we met some who did it in bars in London. Others who fulfilled the painful part of that plan in the gold mines of the Australia.

The latter, gave more of themselves for short periods but earned much more than the former, and much faster.

During the NAVIMAG cruise, by the fjords of the Chile, we also met a couple of Guatemalans – yes, Guatemalans – who invested and earned money online in the stock market while traveling.

Nothing is guaranteed. But those who don't take the risk don't get anything. The most valuable secret is to make the most of the wealth of assets, knowledge and professional experience that one has.

If you have your own house, rent the house for the period you are traveling.

Ultimately, if you need to, sell some possessions that are not absolutely necessary.

Including a car that you can buy again once a work routine is established or re-established.

3 – How long should it take to make an Around the World?

It just depends on you, your financial capacity and the professional freedom you can secure.

In technical terms, if you choose to make the trip based on flights and a specific round-the-world ticket from an airline alliance – for example the Star Alliance of which TAP is a member – you will have a maximum limit of one year.

You can only extend this period if you purchase more than one ticket.

In this case, you'll be cheating the concept of around the world a bit since, as a rule, the first itinerary has to go around the real world.

Airline alliances also set minimum times to complete the turn, for example 10 days after your first international flight departs.

If you have financial and calendar availability, of course the ideal would always be to make this dream trip in a year. Carry it out with enough time to calmly explore each of your favorite places.

On Earth, scenarios and forms of life in everything different from ours. Striking raw material for discovery will not be lacking.

In our view, and still arising from past experiences, a year establishes a good psychological barrier.

Especially if you are traveling alone, it is very likely that after a year you will start to miss it.

From the family, the country, the house and the other people with whom you usually get along.

Longing and Discouragement vs Enthusiasm for Adventure and Discovery

Of course, this feeling also comes and goes and fluctuates along the journey. It fluctuates depending on the place and the experiences as you go by and, especially, the people you meet.

We have had periods of absolute ecstasy of exotic discovery in Vanuatu where fascination drowned out any other feeling.

We also had phases of greater existential emptiness and nostalgia.

It happened, for example, in certain islands of the French Polynesia ou na Grande Terre (New Caledonia) where it was more difficult for us to feel and be part of genuine local life.

On Rails

Train Travel: The World Best on Rails

No way to travel is as repetitive and enriching as going on rails. Climb aboard these disparate carriages and trains and enjoy the best scenery in the world on Rails.
Maho Beach, Sint Maarten

The Jet-powered Caribbean Beach

At first glance, Princess Juliana International Airport appears to be just another one in the vast Caribbean. Successive landings skimming Maho beach that precedes its runway, jet take-offs that distort the faces of bathers and project them into the sea, make it a special case.
Jet Lag (Part 1)

Avoid Post-Flight Turbulence

When we fly across more than 3 time zones, the internal clock that regulates our body gets confused. The most we can do is alleviate the discomfort we feel until it gets right again.
Boat Trips

For Those Becoming Internet Sick

Hop on and let yourself go on unmissable boat trips like the Philippine archipelago of Bacuit and the frozen sea of ​​the Finnish Gulf of Bothnia.
Alice Springs to Darwin, Australia

Stuart Road, on its way to Australia's Top End

Do Red Center to the tropical Top End, the Stuart Highway road travels more than 1.500km lonely through Australia. Along this route, the Northern Territory radically changes its look but remains faithful to its rugged soul.
Travel does not cost

On the next trip, don't let your money fly

Not only the time of year and in advance with which we book flights, stays, etc. influence the cost of a trip. The payment methods we use at destinations can make a big difference.
Effortless Traveling

Book Comfortable Stays for Your Finances Too

As with flights, booking accommodation has its secrets. Find out what the strategies are to ensure a welcoming and financially rewarding stay.
Shows

The World on Stage

All over the world, each nation, region or town and even neighborhood has its own culture. When traveling, nothing is more rewarding than admiring, live and in loco, which makes them unique.
unmissable roads

Great Routes, Great Trips

With pompous names or mere road codes, certain roads run through really sublime scenarios. From Road 66 to the Great Ocean Road, they are all unmissable adventures behind the wheel.
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.
Samoa  

In Search of the Lost Time

For 121 years, it was the last nation on Earth to change the day. But Samoa realized that his finances were behind him and, in late 2012, he decided to move back west on the LID - International Date Line.
Effortless Traveling

Sync with Check In and Check Out Hours

After a long flight or sequence of flights, he arrives at the hotel on a slop, but has to wait to be admitted to his room. Find out what you can do to prevent or soften this drama.
Chã das Caldeiras, Fogo Island Cape Verde

A "French" Clan at the Mercy of Fire

In 1870, a Count born in Grenoble on his way to Brazilian exile, made a stopover in Cape Verde where native beauties tied him to the island of Fogo. Two of his children settled in the middle of the volcano's crater and continued to raise offspring there. Not even the destruction caused by the recent eruptions deters the prolific Montrond from the “county” they founded in Chã das Caldeiras.    
Passo do Lontra, Miranda, Brazil

The Flooded Brazil of Passo do Lontra

We are on the western edge of Mato Grosso do Sul but bush, on these sides, is something else. In an extension of almost 200.000 km2, the Brazil it appears partially submerged, by rivers, streams, lakes and other waters dispersed in vast alluvial plains. Not even the panting heat of the dry season drains the life and biodiversity of Pantanal places and farms like the one that welcomed us on the banks of the Miranda River.
Castro Laboreiro, Portugal  

From Castro de Laboreiro to Raia da Serra Peneda - Gerês

We arrived at (i) the eminence of Galicia, at an altitude of 1000m and even more. Castro Laboreiro and the surrounding villages stand out against the granite monumentality of the mountains and the Planalto da Peneda and Laboreiro. As do its resilient people who, sometimes handed over to Brandas and sometimes to Inverneiras, still call these stunning places home.
Big Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe, Endless Mystery

Between the 1500th and XNUMXth centuries, Bantu peoples built what became the largest medieval city in sub-Saharan Africa. From XNUMX onwards, with the passage of the first Portuguese explorers arriving from Mozambique, the city was already in decline. Its ruins, which inspired the name of the present-day Zimbabwean nation, have many unanswered questions.  
Izamal, Mexico

The Holy, Yellow and Beautiful Mexican City

Until the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, Izamal was a center of worship for the supreme Mayan god Itzamná and Kinich Kakmó, the one of the sun. Gradually, the invaders razed the various pyramids of the natives. In its place, they built a large Franciscan convent and a prolific colonial houses, with the same solar tone in which the now Catholic city shines.
Cape Coast, Ghana

The Divine Purification Festival

The story goes that, once, a plague devastated the population of Cape Coast of today Ghana. Only the prayers of the survivors and the cleansing of evil carried out by the gods will have put an end to the scourge. Since then, the natives have returned the blessing of the 77 deities of the traditional Oguaa region with the frenzied Fetu Afahye festival.
Fish River Canyon, Namíbia

The Namibian Guts of Africa

When nothing makes you foreseeable, a vast river ravine burrows the southern end of the Namíbia. At 160km long, 27km wide and, at intervals, 550 meters deep, the Fish River Canyon is the Grand Canyon of Africa. And one of the biggest canyons on the face of the Earth.
Tonga, Western Samoa, Polynesia

XXL Pacific

For centuries, the natives of the Polynesian islands subsisted on land and sea. Until the intrusion of colonial powers and the subsequent introduction of fatty pieces of meat, fast food and sugary drinks have spawned a plague of diabetes and obesity. Today, while much of Tonga's national GDP, Western Samoa and neighbors is wasted on these “western poisons”, fishermen barely manage to sell their fish.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Jabula Beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
safari
Saint Lucia, South Africa

An Africa as Wild as Zulu

On the eminence of the coast of Mozambique, the province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to an unexpected South Africa. Deserted beaches full of dunes, vast estuarine swamps and hills covered with fog fill this wild land also bathed by the Indian Ocean. It is shared by the subjects of the always proud Zulu nation and one of the most prolific and diverse fauna on the African continent.
Thorong Pedi to High Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, Lone Walker
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 12th - Thorong Phedi a High camp

The Prelude to the Supreme Crossing

This section of the Annapurna Circuit is only 1km away, but in less than two hours it takes you from 4450m to 4850m and to the entrance to the great canyon. Sleeping in High Camp is a test of resistance to Mountain Evil that not everyone passes.
Architecture & Design
Castles and Fortresses

A Defending World: Castles and Fortresses that Resist

Under threat from enemies from the end of time, the leaders of villages and nations built castles and fortresses. All over the place, military monuments like these continue to resist.
Boats on ice, Hailuoto Island, Finland.
Aventura
Hailuoto, Finland

A Refuge in the Gulf of Bothnia

During winter, the island of Hailuoto is connected to the rest of Finland by the country's longest ice road. Most of its 986 inhabitants esteem, above all, the distance that the island grants them.
Christmas scene, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Ceremonies and Festivities
Shillong, India

A Christmas Selfiestan at an India Christian Stronghold

December arrives. With a largely Christian population, the state of Meghalaya synchronizes its Nativity with that of the West and clashes with the overcrowded Hindu and Muslim subcontinent. Shillong, the capital, shines with faith, happiness, jingle bells and bright lighting. To dazzle Indian holidaymakers from other parts and creeds.
Candia, Tooth of Buddha, Ceylon, lake
Cities
Kandy, Sri Lanka

The Dental Root of Sinhalese Buddhism

Located in the mountainous heart of Sri Lanka, at the end of the XNUMXth century, Kandy became the capital of the last kingdom of old Ceylon and resisted successive colonial conquest attempts. The city also preserved and exhibited a sacred tooth of the Buddha and, thus, became Ceylon's Buddhist center.
Fogón de Lola, great food, Costa Rica, Guápiles
Lunch time
Fogón de Lola Costa Rica

The Costa Rica Flavour of El Fogón de Lola

As the name suggests, the Fogón de Lola de Guapiles serves dishes prepared on the stove and in the oven, according to Costa Rican family tradition. In particular, Tia Lola's.
Saphire Cabin, Purikura, Tokyo, Japan
Culture
Tokyo, Japan

Japanese Style Passaport-Type Photography

In the late 80s, two Japanese multinationals already saw conventional photo booths as museum pieces. They turned them into revolutionary machines and Japan surrendered to the Purikura phenomenon.
Spectator, Melbourne Cricket Ground-Rules footbal, Melbourne, Australia
Sport
Melbourne, Australia

The Football the Australians Rule

Although played since 1841, Australian Football has only conquered part of the big island. Internationalization has never gone beyond paper, held back by competition from rugby and classical football.
Tsitsikamma National Park
Traveling
Garden Route, South Africa

The Garden Coast of South Africa

Extending over more than 200km of natural coastline, the Garden Route zigzags through forests, beaches, lakes, gorges and splendid natural parks. We travel from east to west, along the dramatic bottoms of the African continent.
Singapore Asian Capital Food, Basmati Bismi
Ethnic
Singapore

The Asian Food Capital

There were 4 ethnic groups in Singapore, each with its own culinary tradition. Added to this was the influence of thousands of immigrants and expatriates on an island with half the area of ​​London. It was the nation with the greatest gastronomic diversity in the Orient.
ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Sensations vs Impressions

Ulugh Beg, Astronomer, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, A Space Marriage
History
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Astronomer Sultan

The grandson of one of the great conquerors of Central Asia, Ulugh Beg, preferred the sciences. In 1428, he built a space observatory in Samarkand. His studies of the stars led him to name a crater on the Moon.
Curieuse Island, Seychelles, Aldabra turtles
Islands
Felicité Island and Curieuse Island, Seychelles

From Leprosarium to Giant Turtles Home

In the middle of the XNUMXth century, it remained uninhabited and ignored by Europeans. The French Ship Expedition “La Curieuse” revealed it and inspired his baptism. The British kept it a leper colony until 1968. Today, Île Curieuse is home to hundreds of Aldabra tortoises, the longest-lived land animal.
Sampo Icebreaker, Kemi, Finland
Winter White
Kemi, Finland

It's No "Love Boat". Breaks the Ice since 1961

Built to maintain waterways through the most extreme arctic winter, the icebreaker Sampo” fulfilled its mission between Finland and Sweden for 30 years. In 1988, he reformed and dedicated himself to shorter trips that allow passengers to float in a newly opened channel in the Gulf of Bothnia, in clothes that, more than special, seem spacey.
Baie d'Oro, Île des Pins, New Caledonia
Literature
Île-des-Pins, New Caledonia

The Island that Leaned against Paradise

In 1964, Katsura Morimura delighted the Japan with a turquoise novel set in Ouvéa. But the neighboring Île-des-Pins has taken over the title "The Nearest Island to Paradise" and thrills its visitors.
Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion, the volcano path
Nature
Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island

The Turbulent Volcano of Réunion

At 2632m, the Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion's only eruptive volcano, occupies almost half of this island we explored, mountains up, mountains down. It is one of the most active and unpredictable volcanoes in the Indian Ocean and on Earth.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Kogi, PN Tayrona, Guardians of the World, Colombia
Natural Parks
PN Tayrona, Colombia

Who Protects the Guardians of the World?

The natives of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta believe that their mission is to save the Cosmos from the “Younger Brothers”, which are us. But the real question seems to be, "Who protects them?"
Lonely Walk, Namib Desert, Sossusvlei, Namibia, dune base acacia
UNESCO World Heritage
Sossusvlei, Namíbia

The Namibe Dead End of Sossusvlei

When it flows, the ephemeral Tsauchab river meanders 150km from the mountains of Naukluft. Arriving in Sossusvlei, you get lost in a sea of ​​sand mountains that compete for the sky. The natives and settlers called it a swamp of no return. Anyone who discovers these far-fetched parts of Namibia always thinks of returning.
Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Bollywood Scenery, Heartthrob's Eye
Characters
Ooty, India

In Bollywood's Nearly Ideal Setting

The conflict with Pakistan and the threat of terrorism made filming in Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh a drama. In Ooty, we see how this former British colonial station took the lead.
Tarrafal, Santiago, Cape Verde, Tarrafal Bay
Beaches
Tarrafal, Santiago, Cape Verde

The Tarrafal of Freedom and Slow Life

The village of Tarrafal delimits a privileged corner of the island of Santiago, with its few white sand beaches. Those who are enchanted there find it even more difficult to understand the colonial atrocity of the neighboring prison camp.
Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, Christian churches, priest with insensate
Religion
Holy Sepulcher Basilica, Jerusalem, Israel

The Supreme Temple of the Old Christian Churches

It was built by Emperor Constantine, on the site of Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection and an ancient temple of Venus. In its genesis, a Byzantine work, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher is, today, shared and disputed by various Christian denominations as the great unifying building of Christianity.
Executives sleep subway seat, sleep, sleep, subway, train, Tokyo, Japan
On Rails
Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's Hypno-Passengers

Japan is served by millions of executives slaughtered with infernal work rates and sparse vacations. Every minute of respite on the way to work or home serves them for their inemuri, napping in public.
Replacement of light bulbs, Itaipu watt hydroelectric plant, Brazil, Paraguay
Society
Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brazil

Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant: Watt Fever

In 1974, thousands of Brazilians and Paraguayans flocked to the construction zone of the then largest dam in the world. 30 years after completion, Itaipu generates 90% of Paraguay's energy and 20% of Brazil's.
Saksun, Faroe Islands, Streymoy, warning
Daily life
Saksun, streymoyFaroe Islands

The Faroese Village That Doesn't Want to be Disneyland

Saksun is one of several stunning small villages in the Faroe Islands that more and more outsiders visit. It is distinguished by the aversion to tourists of its main rural owner, author of repeated antipathies and attacks against the invaders of his land.
São João Farm, Pantanal, Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, sunset
Wildlife
Fazenda São João, Miranda, Brazil

Pantanal with Paraguay in Sight

When the Fazenda Passo do Lontra decided to expand its ecotourism, it recruited the other family farm, the São João. Further away from the Miranda River, this second property reveals a remote Pantanal, on the verge of Paraguay. The country and the homonymous river.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.