Well, sad to say, Im back now in the UK after my travels. Its been nothing short of amazing the whole time. Im sad to leave my friends but looking forward to reminiscing shortly. Only today my folks took me for a British pub lunch. A fitting way to return I guess. Vain perhaps, but if you want to ask my anything about my adventures or tips/advice, feel free...

Do you have different views about life - people - your desires

after the travel you have done ?

Do you feel more connected to the human race ?

As incredible as it was, was there things that made you sad in anyway ?

Are the young children of the world as incredible all over ?

and

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us here
I have learned from and enjoyed it so very much

Did you buy those shoes?

Mach said:

Yes, I feel Ive changed a lot more personally. Postively I feel Im more confident, relaxed and reflective. There are certainly clear things I want to do with my life now. More travelling is a definate certainty. Im also less materialistic. I certainly dont need a mobile phone as much as I thought for example.

My opinion on friends and family have changed somewhat. I hold them in higher regard and appreciate them more Id say. My desires have changed. Maybe I dont feel so strongly for someone as much as I thought I did.

To some extent I do feel more connected to the human race. People all over the world laugh and cry at the same things. Id say us in the west though tend to worry about the most trivial of things when Ive seen the way certain races and cultures live there lives quite happily.

The poverty of certain countries made me sad juxtoposing our greedy nature in the west. One pretty grim experience was being approached by child beggers in India with mutilated limbs. We were encouraged not to give them money as they had been taken from their villages by local pimps, mutilated and forced onto the streets to gain cash.

The children are adorable...

littlemissG said:

I did indeed! They were fitted by Nam (the girl) by drawing around my foot for the size. I chose the materials and hey presto! over night they were made. The photo was taken in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.

Thanks for sharing all of the updates and pics. It has been very cool.

What stands out for you now about being home? Anything about where you live that strikes you differently (besides the relative wealth and things that come with it)?

JDInteractive, can I ask you something:

What was the context of your voyage? Work or holiday?

Welcome home...safe and sound. Good to have you back....I take it you will be gracing the o2 with your presence this August/September...? (and Manchester....)

Thanks for sharing not only your pics but your views/experiences along the way.

Traveling was always a passion of mine and seeing different places and different cultures makes you realise so much about yourself and the huge world that is out there.

Glad you made it home safely.
Take care- hope to meet up and say hello to you in Manchester.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

Its definetely more quieter! Thats natural though. Ive not had chance to get out much yet as I arrived home only yesterday. Time will tell.

FuzzyD said:

I should be making it to a couple of shows I think. Will definetely be in Manchester.

very nice!!! thanks for sharing JD!





love it!!

do you think you will look for work that will take you to far away lands?

or do you think you will readjust after a time to the uk?

I feel so sad at knowing that innocent little children get mutilated and used to obtain money by some demented pimp.

Did you travel alone?

Did you stay in hotels or hostels?

Which countries did you visit?

emm said:

Im possibly to look to work abroad. Maybe teaching English as a foreign language for a while.

gyro34 said:

I travelled with my friend and his girlfriend joined us for a large proportion of our travels. We stayed mainly in hostels with India being the exception. We went to the following countries in order...

India
Hong Kong
Thailand
Cambodia
Viet Nam
Laos
Singapore
Australia
New Zealand
Chile
Brazil
Argentina
Peru
Bolivia
Venezuela

and then back to the UK via Madrid and Rome.

JDInteractive said:

I 1st read "well i'm black now" & i've gotta admit i was a bit surprised by such a thread title

Welcome home mate!


Hope the re-adjusting to "normal" home life isn't too tough.

JimmyNothing said:

All fine so far mate. Are you off to any gigs?

Fantastic. I bet you feel amazing.

Are you planning to write about your travels, an interactive journal perhaps?
What was your best overall experience?
What was your worst overall experience?
Is it true that Waking up to the sunlight on the Machu Pichu Trails is a zen like experience?
Can you give us any travel tips to make the experience more economically sound?
Why did you take this trip in the first place?

JDInteractive said:

Heh. Good choice.

I;d love to crawl around in your head awhile instead of bug you with such an interview, but...

What are some good and bad things that you learned about yourself when you were traveling?
How about some times you experienced hopelessness or fear?
When were you most elated? Where did you enjoy the most laughter and lightheartedness?
Would you fancy returning to any of the places/countries you've seen?
Did you spend more or less than you'd budgeted?

Must be nice to travel like that.....most people don't get that opportunity. I'd love to, but I'm in no position to do so now.....I'm already thinking about having to pay back student loans.

JD...i heard you got a dose of crabs

JDInteractive said:

How was Vietnam? My sweetie Andy grew up there, and I love hearing him tell me about his life.

Welcome back and thank you for sharing your pictures because you've done so I've been able to get a much more personal glimpse of places around the world...so thank you again.

JDInteractive said:

NICE! Looks like an exciting trip.

I am from Peru. Which part of Peru did you visit?

karmatornado said:

I will be honest I did start of writing a journal but I couldnt keep it up. A mixture of laziness and business I think. I have however kept a bank note from each of the countries Ive been to plus momentos of cause.

There was so many great experiences that I couldnt pin it down to just one. I had a fantastic evening in Pachewar, a village in Rajasthan, India. We stayed in a fort and got dressed up in traditional clothing. That evening we had a 3 course meal on the lawn and witnessed a puppet show. Seeing so many things you see only in pictures was amazing.

We didnt have a great day on my friends birthday in Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam. The day began with arguments and problems over some stolen money where the finger was being pointed at the tour guide. We then got the bus back to Hanoi only to turn back round half an hour into the drive as the driver forgot to pick up some other passagers. Then, about an hour away from Hanoi, one of the tyres burts. The driver pulls over and refuses any help from the tourists. Some locals turn up to help but struggle to get the tyre off as theyre too weak. Me and my friend offer to help which he accepts at long last and away we go. Back in Hanoi, we are put up in a pokey shit hole and a small double bed that we had to share (two guys). That evening I treated my friend to a meal. We ended up finding a resteraunt that served pizza of all places. When it arrived the presentation looked good. However, what theyd done was grill the pizza so just the cheese had melted. The peppers were cold and the base was like eating grit. We sent it back twice and theyd just heated it up! Well, its thse experiences you remember and can look back on and laugh I guess!

Watching the sunrise over Macchu Picchu is indeed spectacular. Unfortunately we didnt get to walk the Inca Trail as all the passes had been taken up in September. Amazing to be up there all the same.

Two tips Id say about South America. If you plan to go to Peru and want to do the Inca Trail, plan and book your place well in advance. You cant just turn up in Cusco and look to book it. The government issue only a certain number of passes to preserve the site. Also, take lots of dollars if going to Venezuela. Chavez has got a tight reign on the economy there making it surprisingly expensive. By taking dollars and exchanging them for bolivares on the black market you will double your money.

There were a number of reasons why I wanted to travel. Ive always wanted to see the world and its people being the number one reason.