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"In some ways, I think travel is about learning how to see, learning how to pay attention. It's an alarm clock in some ways, and it's a jumpstart to putting our senses on the setting where they're universally receptive. I think theoretically we could do that at our homes, and yet somehow, surrounded by familiarity and the routine we know too well, our eyes tend to close and we don't notice the things that are so wondrous for a visitor. But as soon as we physically start moving we awaken to the beauties around us." --Pico Iyer

Experimental Travel

June 1st 2007 14:36
With more places opening up to the intrepid explorer (unfortunately normally to the detriment of the local area) and even pleasure trips to the Moon being scheduled, travel has never been as exciting… or has it? Imagine what it was like travelling into the unknown with only the stars as your guide. Monsters lurked under every wave and dread beat in every heart with the uncertainly of when your ship would simply drop off the edge of the Earth. Now, in our hi-tech, busy world we become consumed by thoughts of our plane being hijacked or our train derailing. Ever run out of fuel on a dark moonless night or had a flat tyre on a hot summer day in the middle of nowhere? Travel definitely has its ups and downs and everyone has a story to tell.


Be thankful you were not part of the first pleasure cruise hosted by Englishman Richard Hore in 1536. The Portuguese and Spanish were roaming in their ‘Voyages of Discovery’, exploring and developing new trade routes. This was the start of globalisation. It had been 39 years since an English expedition had ventured out and after this one it would be quite a while until the next.



Two ships set out with the intention of reaching the New World, following French explorer Jacques Cartier’s previous route. To cut a long story short, things did not pan out quite how they had intended. After finding themselves run aground in a foreign and hostile land with no food supplies, eating roots and berries apparently saw them turning to cannibalism and feasting on each other. With the present trend in mysterious disappearances involving boats I wonder if anything has changed?

Thomas Cook had more luck in organised travel and in 1841 embarked with 570 others on a trip that would see the birth of one of the worlds most well known travel agencies. The reason for the journey, a giant 20 miles train travel across England, was to a rally against the consumption and production of alcohol (part of the Temperance Movement). He arranged for each traveller to pay 1 shilling which covered their journey and food and of which he was paid a small share by the train company. In the following years he arranged further trips for members of the Temperance Movement and so began the Thomas Cook Travel Agency. Hmm travellers are WELL known for their alcohol consumption – again it would seem little progress has been made!

1914 saw the start of scheduled airline journeys. Tickets were auctioned for the flight between St. Petersburg and Tampa, USA and the highest bidder, Mr Abram Pheil, paid US$400 to have the honour of being the first passenger. The trip of 21 miles took around 23 minutes to complete and later cost US$5 per passenger with two trips a day, six days a week being made. 1205 passengers were flown without injury and the airline, unfortunately, did not make any profits for its troubles. Progress has been made! Current operators are showing RIDICULOUS profits in air travel (although Qantas? Not so popular! I have to agree I was on a flight from Perth to Brisbane a few years ago and one extremely grumpy Stewardess, after handing out ice creams to everyone, walked back to the kitchen area and loudly announced to her colleague ‘That should shut them up for a while!’. On the same flight I was sitting next to an elderly lady who, upon the arrival of the Stewardess, had not yet decided what she wanted for lunch. We were the last two passengers she had to serve so it was not like she was in a rush and she rather impatiently said, ‘Love you have had long enough to decide, must I make the decision for you?’ Needless to say, I am not a fan of Qantas!).

Anywayyyyy, you can now include yourself in the next bit of history, unless you are reading this in a few decades. Then this will be in your history books and I will be sporting a really zooty new Zimmer frame complete with little turbo thrusters and mechanical eyes for me to see out of. The first space tourist blasted off in 2001, paying US$20 million for the privilege. Oh how we have made progress - from $5 to $20 million!

So there you have a little run down on travel through the ages. Now to get to the type of travel that has taken hold of my heart with a very firm grip – Experimental Travel. To me this is certainly the best type of travel and you can read all about it in the ‘Lonely Planet’ Publication ‘The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel’. Latourex, the Laboratory of Experimental Travel, came about from French writer Joel Henry. Basically it is a way of seeing the world, even the world around you, from a totally unique perspective and allowing you to explore places off the normal tourist track and those which you may not ordinarily see. For example – get on a train and stay on it until you reach the very end of the line. Spend the rest of the day exploring that area. Perhaps you want to explore your own local area? Go out of your house, turn left then right and keep alternating directions until you cannot turn anymore. These are the more tamer of the alternatives… I dare you to be bold and try the rest! Go on, get out there and explore your world!


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Comments
16 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Wendi

June 1st 2007 16:04
Ash -

Have you ever read the book Travels with Charlie?


Comment by Philip Sharp

June 1st 2007 17:02
This is fantastically interesting. I'm going to read this more deeply as soon as I can figure out how to make it look like I'm working while so doing.

This makes me think of wunna my favorite kinds of travel: the mini-road trip.

1. Get a car. I haven't got one, but when I do... Bonus points if the car is green or otherwise eco-friendly.
2. Just start driving. Far enough to leave your daily routine, but not so far that you blow a whole tank of gas. Perhaps 45 minutes.
3. Have no set destination -- only a set goal (get lunch, find a cool t-shirt, or locate a funny photo opp. ... etc.).
4. Get there and relax a bit! Then, turn around and sing in the car on the way home.

I used to just "get away" to some farm town in the environs of my home town... someplace I'd have no reason to visit. Had some good meals and good chats this way!

Comment by charliesgirl_992000

June 1st 2007 19:26
"....explore your own local area? Go out of your house, turn left then right and keep alternating directions until you cannot turn anymore...."

i LOVE exploring like this. just finding a road and seeing where it goes. we do that here where we live and while off traveling the world. i'm sooo greatful that my hubby is the same way. i found little, blink of an eye towns in the mountains behind us, taht i'm sure most don't know exist. i've found roads that are roads in the begining and then turn into bumpy dirt roads not made for cars. most people would turn around and give up, but not me, i drive the mile, or two miles just to see what out tehre. To my surprise often it turns to a normal, black topped road again with a cute little town, or even a scary, looks like chainsaw masacre towns.
great peice!!! Tammy

Comment by Philip Sharp

June 1st 2007 22:17
Wow, you know, when I was living in Japan, I *totally* did that train thing, too. I had found a map of the rail system and noticed one lonely station with a single line going to it -- yet the map was shaded in to denote a scenic area.

So I got there.

Then I took a bus around, too.

Then I walked.

I got SO far away from my usual life there (in Fukuoka, Japan) that it felt like I really had went across the country. And yes I could see downtown Fukuoka -- from the OTHER side of the bay.

It was SO cool!

I have pictures of this, actually. I'll try to find them.

Comment by Ash

June 1st 2007 23:48
Hi Wendi

Actually I bought that book a few months ago and started to read it but for some reason never finished it... I will have to get it out again.

ash

Comment by katyzzz

June 2nd 2007 00:31
Ash, my little book hoarder,

I have my $5, where can I go?

Often do the 'no cost', 'no frills' alternative. On two feet does get a little taxing. Wow, to think all I need is $5......you don't think I misunderstood your very interesting article, do you?

Staying within four wall is starting to look very attractive, I'm usually champing at the bit to get out.

Lovely post, sensational banner, it still grabs me, even the grey clouds, love it, love it, love it.

katyzzz.....studying my lorrikeets flight so I can do it too.

Comment by Anonymous

June 2nd 2007 01:30
Hey Ash,

I heard about Experimental Travel last year when the concept was launched at Lonely Planet and I think it's fabulous... I'm yet to try it out though - I'm about to go on a very tourist-type holiday in Thailand, thanks to my dad's influence - wish me luck!

Comment by postmoderncritic

June 2nd 2007 03:41
Oops, the above was me -

Btw, was your quote taken from 'The Global Soul'? It's the only Pico Iyer book I know.

Comment by Lesley

June 2nd 2007 14:13
I love this!!! Very informative. And I totally do this train thing (or make it a bus thing) basically every time I visit somewhere new. It seems kind of weird if you've never done it before, but to me it's a really not-scary way to explore a foreign place-- because you know exactly where to get back on to go back to where you came from.

I also highly recommend that if you go to Venice you DEFINITELY ditch the map and just see how many turns it takes to get you away from the crowds of tourists. You can go about 5 minutes on those winding alleys and feel like you're in a whole new (or old) city.

Comment by Jonathon

June 2nd 2007 17:01
whilst trudging around this globe, i quite often think about what it would have been like being the first one to come across a new land. the native people always stare at you like you have some disease, but you always know that they have seen people of your type before (usually) and they are just curious who you are. imagine being the first to walk that land, or talk to that person in a foreign tongue, or sit down for the first meal with them? how cool!

however being a traveler in this time period, there is generally so much information available about any destination, that it kind of feels like you are not discovering a new place at all sometimes. experimental traveling has to be the next way to see new things, and the few ways you have suggested here make me rethink about how i travel. nice post again ash.

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 22:37
Hi Phillip,

Thank you I`m glad you enjoyed the read - I find all these bits of trivia really interesting and travel for me is like breathing - it just seems such a natural thing to do... if only I could forge a career out of it ~grin~

Your mini road trip sounds great. I try to do this over the weekends. We have so many mountain roads around here it is hard to get bored of them. Particularly on days like yesterday. God was busy in His studio... the mountains swirling in mist, pockets of clouds caught in the valleys.... heavenly.

Your journey in Japan sounds great... pictures would be great... if you do a post let me know.

thanks for your visit, great to see you

ash

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 22:44
looks like chainsaw masacre towns

you are hilarious Tammy! I know exactly what you mean though I have come across a few of those in my travels. A friend of mine has just come back from a drive around the whole of Australia and he said you would be amazed by the towns that there are out there.

It is great that you explore... I love it!

ash

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 22:53
Hi Katyzzz

ooh yeah book hoarder I am indeed... that dusty smell of old paperbacks is one of my most favourite smells...

even a fiver these days could take you on an adventure.... you would be surprised... make that your mission - where can I go with $5?

take yourself by the hand and venture out, it is a most liberating experience. Sorry I changed the banner .... again.... but this dandelion I saw yesterday was too pretty not to display. I haven`t seen one in AGES!

happy travels

ash

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 22:55
All the best on your travels PMC,

I would love to go to Thailand it looks amazingly beautiful... look forward to your travel tales upon your return.

I`m not sure where the quote comes from actually... I`ts been that long ago that I set this site up I cannot even remember where i found it! Sums up travel 100% though!

ash

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 23:04
Hi Lesley,

Great to have you around. Thank you I am thrilled you enjoyed the read.

I soooo know what you mean about Venice. You can get so lost in the back roads that lead off St Marks Square.... with all those gorgeous bridges over the canals and the tiny alleyways that snake crazily... I got a little nervous at one stage because you cannot see anything except a little sliver of sky above through the breaks in the rooftops and there is no way to know where you are heading. I eventually found my way back by the sound of the bell ~laughing~ and the tiny shops that they have.... ahhhh yes Venice is fabulous although mine ended with a little bit of MISERY - you can read about it here if you like

thank you for your visit

ash

Comment by Ash

June 2nd 2007 23:11
wouldn`t that be GREAT Jonathon? I remember reading about Cecil John Rhodes and his travels through Africa and the reaction of the local people upon seeing a white man for the first time.... how exciting! Or Archaeologists who stumble upon sealed tombs or hidden chambers - and being the first to breath in it`s mystery for hundred or thousands of years....

You should try and get a copy of this book they have some CRAZY ideas in there ~laughing~ I am not sure if you are aware of travel writer Brian Thacker (www.brianthacker.tv)? he is MENTAL! His latest book 'Where`s Wallis?' saw him randomly choosing places on the map that he knew absolutely nothing about and travelling there... atm he is on an adventure around the world relying on free accommodation along the lines of 'couch surfing' (www.couchsurfing.com)

happy travels Jonathon!

ash

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