WEBVTT - Travel Tips & Tricks w/ Glo Atanmo 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:14.120 What's up, everybody. I'm Gammy and this is Positively Gam. 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.079 As many of you know, I love to travel, especially 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:19.880 just hanging out and chilling at the beach. There's a 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:22.520 lot about traveling I don't know, though, and wanted to 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:25.239 have a travel expert on the show to learn where 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:29.040 the best destinations are, how to get cheap travel rates, 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.159 and to find out where I should be visiting. So 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:35.800 let's get into the episode. I'm so excited to introduce 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:41.559 Glow ATNMO. She's a travel entrepreneur and creative educator, venturing 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:46.479 to over ninety one countries across six continents and telling 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:50.400 the stories of destinations around the world. She's the host 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.360 of the Glow Show podcast and the founder of the 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:57.160 Social Educators Academy, where she helps people leverage their social 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.440 platforms to make a difference and make a living doing 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.720 what they love. She also has written an e book, 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:07.839 From Excuses to Excursions, How I Started Traveling the World, 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:10.560 in which she talks about everything that has led up 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:13.960 to where she is today. Welcome to Positively Gam. Glow 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:16.720 so glad to have you on. Thank you gam for 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:19.920 having me. Cheers from BALI. I'm so excited to be 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.319 on and talking to you today. Yes, we're excited to 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.560 have you. I actually grew up traveling with my parents, 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:29.280 and my parents who were traveling, and they felt like 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:35.160 travel and your traveling experiences and your education is something 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.479 that no one can ever take from you. So I 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:42.840 learned to love traveling. What sparked your interest in travel? 0:01:43.680 --> 0:01:46.400 I love that, And yet what an honor that your 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:48.440 parents were able to expose you to the beauty of 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.680 travel at such a young age. For me, I always 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:54.320 grew up thinking, oh, what my parents told me, this 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:57.000 is the way the world works, and even culturally, oh 0:01:57.080 --> 0:02:01.760 the American way is the way. And you trouble and 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:03.800 then you learn that and you find out that's not 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:06.760 quite the truth, and then it's no longer about right 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.480 versus wrong. It's just different. Like so many things that 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:12.880 we think about the world, the ways that we live 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.200 in this world, it's not a matter of right or wrong. 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:21.040 It's just different. And that difference humbled me. Is just different. Yeah, yeah, 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:24.200 I agree with you. One. It gives you an opportunity 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:30.919 to really see and experience and understand different cultures, and 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.880 it teaches you to just be tolerant like Americans I 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:39.000 think are really elitist in that attitude where you know 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:43.079 everything that we do is the best, and there are 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:47.239 people that are quite happy where they are in their 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.880 own country with their own cultures, and of course we 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:54.840 have some freedoms and um perfectly happy being here, but 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:59.680 it is wonderful to experience other cultures. My first out 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:03.880 of the country experience was in Jamaica. What was your 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:07.840 first out of the country travel experience, Oh, Mines, wasn't 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:12.800 as exotic. It was the UK so London, okay, I 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:15.600 was twenty two. It was actually the study abroad And 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:18.760 funny enough, I was not a drinker, Like I never 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.920 drink alcohol, and then when I learned i'd be study abroad, 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.400 I was like, oh British, I heard they're big drinkers, 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:26.959 and I have to represent America, so let me start drinking. 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:32.600 I can keep up with the pub culture. So literally 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.880 that is that was like why I started drinking alcohol, 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.560 just to be able to represent America well around the world. 0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:45.720 Oh that's hilarious, hilarious, sad, Oh my goodness, that's funny. 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.800 What kind of things do you think older people should 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:53.040 look for when picking a travel destination. Yeah, so I 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:55.800 think one of the biggest things that people fear in general, 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.400 no matter what their age, is the language barrier. So 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:02.400 I would recommend like a place where it's either English 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:04.800 is the first language or English is the second or 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.400 third language, and so most people can speak it, or 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.720 at least signs are in English. So I love Ireland 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.920 and Scotland for those reasons. But if you're looking for 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:17.680 something a little bit more exotic, Namibia is one of those. 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.000 Oh my goodness, if more people knew about it, because 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:23.240 I think in the African continent, South Africa is like 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:28.159 people's first stop, but Namibia it is so otherworldly, it 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:31.200 is so beautiful, and I think and it's so safe. 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:35.200 So I think people who are over forty, over fifty, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:41.440 over sixty would really enjoy Safari's relaxation glamping in the desert. Wow. 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.720 Now I'm writing this down because that is not some place. 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:48.200 I've been to South Africa a couple of times, and 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:52.960 I've never thought about going to Namibia. Wow. And if 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:56.200 you could drive there from South Africa as well, I drove, yeah, 0:04:56.240 --> 0:05:01.040 which is also an experience. Okay, okay, Now you are 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:04.480 currently in Bali, yeah, and I've read that you've been 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:08.480 there over thirty Times. What sparked your interests about Bali? 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.440 Now I've been to Bali too, so it is a 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.520 beautiful country and I definitely want to go back. But 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:17.320 what what is it that with Bali? You and Bali? 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:21.120 What's going on? It is this love affair that I 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:24.680 can't get enough of. Gam Um No. I think there 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:26.920 are certain places that you go to and it's just 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.039 they receive you with such warmth and every time I 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.760 come here, like I teared up walking through the airport 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:36.760 when I landed, especially after quarantine Indonesia closed their borders 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:38.760 and so I couldn't come here for over two years. 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.120 And I'm so connected to this island that it was 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.960 so emotional just walking through the airport because I was like, oh, 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:48.040 my goodness, these are my people, and I'm so connected 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:50.680 to this place that I started learning the language because 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.400 I come here and I take photos, I take memories, 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:57.120 I take souvenirs. So I'm like, let me learn the language. 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.560 That I'm meeting them halfway and they don't have to 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:03.320 translate to meet me halfway. It's like I'm showing reverence 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:08.279 and effects to the culture by just is welcome to Bali. 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:10.880 So I've been studying for seven months, um and it's 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:16.359 incredible now when I was there, I remember it is 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:21.000 being a very spiritual place. Is that has been that 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:25.400 your experience? Absolutely? I think Japan is my favorite country 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:28.320 in the world, but very close second is Indonesia and 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.800 Bali specifically because of that spiritual essence that you get. 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:34.799 And I always feel like the closer you are in nature, 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:39.360 the more present God is, and the quieter your soul 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:41.760 and your mind, the louder God could speak to you. 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.480 So I love being around nature. Like I wish I 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:46.560 could turn my camera around and just show you my 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:50.080 villa is surrounded in this lush greenery with in front 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:52.320 of my pool, so it's just and you can really 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.799 live like royalty here for a fraction of the price. Actually, 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.599 my girlfriends and I are trying to plan a trip 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:03.040 to Bali next. One of my girlfriends just retired and 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.800 we're very interested in going back to Bali just by 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:11.040 ourselves because our husbands typically don't like to travel those 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.960 long distances, which is fine, We're just going to leave 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:16.280 them home for this trip. But what are some of 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:18.840 the best hotels for us to stay at? Or you 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.280 said you're staying at a villa. Yeah, so tell us 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:27.000 where we should be staying and what we should be doing. Yes, 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:29.800 one of my favorite features. So this is not a 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:32.800 plug for Airbnb, but I have to plug them because 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:35.800 Airbnb has this new feature where if you go on 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.640 their homepage, it says let your curiosity do the booking. 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.360 So that's what you're gonna click. It's like the second option. 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:45.320 Instead of typing the destination, just click on let your 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:48.440 curiosity to do the booking. Because when that happens, you 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.080 can now search for all of the incredible variety of 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.360 things that you have places that you can stay. So 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.600 if you want to stay in a castle, in a dome, 0:07:56.760 --> 0:08:00.440 in a private villa, on a private island, on a houseboat, like, 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:03.720 it'll bring up the most unique type of accommodations that 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.720 this island has to offer. So I recommend doing that 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:09.400 just to see the options that are out there, because 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:11.960 sometimes you don't know what you want until you see it. 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:13.400 You're like, oh, I want to stay in the dome 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:17.960 on top of a treehouse. You know, you can really 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:21.040 just go on Airbnb and just search private villa and 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.760 you will just hundreds, if not thousands of options, And 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:27.000 I can you know personally send you my list off 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.040 the top of my head. I'm staying right now at 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:32.080 a place called Desa Hay, and it's in a small 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:36.480 village area called Mengwi, and that's near the Chonggu area, 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:39.120 which is a little bit west of the island or 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:42.719 midwest of the island. But I stayed at well over 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.680 a hundred villas on this island alone, because I love 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:49.319 experiencing a different bantage point. Every three nights, I'm in 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:51.880 a different villa because I just want to experience as 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:56.920 many beautiful sceneries, as many gorgeous Balinese architecture. Look at 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:00.600 this custom door panel that leads to my restaroot. Everything 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:09.320 that's beautiful. Yeah, but it sounds exhausting, like okay, only 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.320 because I have to say. Let me just say, when 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:16.600 my parents traveled, they typically when they would traveled out 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.679 of the country, it was my mother. My poor father. 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:22.760 She dragged him around. All he wanted to do was 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.520 just he always wanted to go to Hawaii. He never 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:29.240 made it there. She took him to Russia, they went 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:33.079 to where else did they go? India? When they went 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:39.440 on trips, she went for knowledge and to experience the culture. 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.840 I just typically just want to go to relax, So 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.640 I'm typically looking for a beach. Now. My husband, on 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:49.320 the other hand, he's the one that wants to go, 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.439 and he wants to go to ruins and experience historial 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.920 He's bored to death just being on the beach. What 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.880 I can't see myself doing. I'm not gonna do that. 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.000 I'm not gonna go somewhere and then pack up after 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:05.760 three nights and go stay someplace else, and stay there 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:08.079 for three nights and all my stuff up and go 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:12.960 someplace else. I'm exhausted just listening to you. I appreciate. 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:16.760 And the other thing I want to ask you too 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:21.680 is do you always travel alone? Oh? Yeah, so out 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:25.400 of like the countries, I would say seventy five or solo. 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:28.920 And here's the thing about traveling solo, because, as you mentioned, 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.520 everyone has a different intention or reason why they want 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.840 to escape or just change up their day to day routine. 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.280 And so I think the intention guides might travel. And 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:40.839 so if I'm very conscious about I'm going to boy 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:44.000 this time for a creative sabbatical because I need a 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:46.600 new inspiration to bring back to my business, Like I 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:49.320 want that to be the only thing driving me forward. 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.480 I don't want to have to worry about maybe sitting 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:53.880 or catering to the needs of the group around me. 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.760 So it's very liberating to travel solo. But I also 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.679 think that, yeah, when you aren't travel with a group, 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:03.160 and let's say you're coming to Bali next year, have 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.679 a group intention. If you all have the same intention, 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.520 it'll be easier to make decisions on where you stay 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:13.320 and what you do, and even have pockets of solo time. 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.760 Have a day if someone wants to go definitely a museum, Yeah, 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:19.240 let them do their thing. Someone wants a beach day, 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.600 let them. So I think it's all about we definitely 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.719 believe in that, Like everybody doesn't always have to do 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:31.200 everything together the whole vacation, you know, that's not a requirement. 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.160 Like people want to break off and and do their 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:38.360 own thing and and have some time to themselves. So yeah, 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:41.480 I can definitely see that. Another thing I realized about 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:45.960 traveling solo is that I'm so much more approachable because 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:47.920 let's say I'm in a restaurant, and let's say it's 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.840 a very local restaurant. If I'm here with my friends, 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.160 I'm focusing on my friends. I'm with my family. I'm 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.720 focusing on family. I'm present with them, and so maybe 0:11:56.760 --> 0:11:59.439 I'm not as open to having a conversation with someone 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:02.160 who work there. But if I'm there solo, all of 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:05.600 a sudden, I become this fascination. I'm like, whoa. Everyone 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:07.600 wants to talk to me, everyone wants to approach me, 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.560 everyone wants to know, Wow, this black American with braids 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:12.960 is in my country. Who are you a celebrity? What 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.239 did we do to deserve you to sit at our restaurant. 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.640 It's just they roll out the red carpet because they 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:21.280 feel like you must be someone special to be here solo, 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:24.640 and just because I'm also a very colorful dresser, so 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:27.960 they just assume, Oh, Serena Williams is someone I've been 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:31.319 mistaken for in many countries. Yeah, which is funny. I 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.360 think they just see a black person and they're like, oh, 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:41.080 she's and she's black. Yeah. So it's just very interesting. 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:45.600 What particular sits do we need to see when we 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:50.480 travel to Bali. Yeah, So again going back to the intention, 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:52.920 if you want a little bit of adventure, I always 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:57.320 love recommending the Monkey Forest because you will never get 0:12:57.360 --> 0:13:00.800 the same experience because monkeys are so unpredictable. You will 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:02.679 see them hump in front of you. You'll see them 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:07.000 steal someone's phone, they'll throw food. Okay, I'm already cringing 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:11.400 at the thought, but go ahead. I'm not a fan 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:15.840 of monkeys. Just okay, we're gonna go ahead the monkey forest. 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:18.800 We're gonna We're gonna stay. No moving. Next, Okay, there's 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:25.439 a place. My thing is I always travel to experience 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:27.920 something that I can't at home, and so my goal 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.679 is always to do the most adventurous and exotic things, 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:33.600 and you won't find that at home. But I would 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:36.920 say near that area it's called near there is this 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.440 place called tag Alt along rice patties, and that is 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:45.520 the quintessential Balinese rice patty view and just trekking among 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:48.520 those rice patties. It's a very easy trek, like maybe 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:51.000 takes ten minutes just to get to the view spot. 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.920 But it's beautiful, and I think that's great to get 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:57.280 the quintessential. I've been to Bali photo and then of 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:00.480 course there's dozens of waterfalls throughout the lands, so I 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:03.840 think you definitely have to go to a waterfall and 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:07.520 just experience the serenity in that environment. I went there 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:11.640 when I went with my daughter for Mother's Day one year, 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:15.400 and I think we we did the rice patties and 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:21.440 waterfall and we did white water rafting as well. That 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:25.240 sounds fun. I've never done that here. How about the 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:31.360 Bally Swing. Are you familiar with the Bally Swing? Uh? No, okay, 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:34.440 So basically in the middle of the jungle anywhere in 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:38.000 ubud there's probably seven or eight now, but you can 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:40.600 go on this swing. And the swing is a attached 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.960 to to really tall coconut trees. So again it sounds 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:47.080 very sketch, but it's the travel way. You just have 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:50.240 to trust that this is gonna hold me up. But 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:52.760 you swing into this gorgeous view. It's in the middle 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.800 of the jungle and I can send photos to Irene 0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:58.360 and just to send to you, but it's really just 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:00.280 one of those I can't get this view at home 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.160 and oh my goodness, this world is so beautiful, like 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:06.120 you have those moments when you're on it. Wow. That 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:10.760 sounds exciting. Yeah. And the last recommendation, yeah, um is 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:15.880 past temple. It's a little towards the north, but it's 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.000 like this holy temple and it's surrounded by a lake. 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.880 It's beautiful. It's just it's a place to appreciate Balinese architecture. 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:27.720 Indonesia itself is a majority Muslim country, but the island 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:31.080 of Bali is majority Hindu, and so you see a 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:34.240 lot of Hindu temples, Hindu statues, And even though I'm 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:37.680 a Christian, I can always appreciate another religion. I can 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:41.640 appreciate other customers cultures. So it's a really serene place 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:52.800 as well to just appreciate Balanese traditions. Now, tell us 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.440 some of the dudes, and don't we need to think 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.640 about We've all seen the movie Take It. What do 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:02.800 we need? What do we need to be careful about 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:08.000 when we're traveling to these two foreign countries. My biggest 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:12.120 thing especially at airports, because I think airports that's the 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:15.000 place where you can easily be identified as a target, 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:19.800 as like someone who's clueless. So, depending on the country, taxis. 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:23.280 Taxi drivers can be the most aggressive type of people 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.480 in every country because it's that's a dog eat dog world. 0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:30.160 It's scrappy. They're literally fighting their income against hundreds of 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:33.920 other taxi drivers, so they will push and not push physically, 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:37.320 but the badger and like aggressively want to sell you know, 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:38.760 I can tell you I can take you, and so 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.960 you cannot the minute you land and you're like going 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.440 towards the exit. You need to look like the most 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:46.720 confident person and you need to walk with a purpose. 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:49.760 Do not walk looking around, huh, where is my driver? 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.120 Where is the taxi? Right? Get your luggage? Walk out 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:55.120 with the purpose like I've been here before. I am 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.600 not a tourist. Listen, I'm here to meet friends. Oh 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:01.080 there you are. Point at someone random with a purpose, 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:03.640 because the minute you look confused, you are a target 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:06.760 to be taken advantage of. And as unfortunate as that is, 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.399 people especially after the pandemic, are so desperate for cash, 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:13.280 so they're just looking for anyone that looks like they 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:17.600 could be easily manipulated. So how would we get a taxi? 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:20.840 Then it advanced. Is that something that we need to 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:26.360 arrange with the villa that where we're staying. Absolutely, so 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.879 anytime you book that first, if you're staying at the 0:17:28.880 --> 0:17:32.400 same villa the whole time, like always ask and request 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:36.320 for transportation services and request them to be specific about 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:39.119 where you meet. They'll usually say okay, once you exit, 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:41.320 you're going to make a left and we'll be standing 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.720 there with a sign with your name on it. Yes. 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.000 And I always think as well, if you can take 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.040 the extra effort to learn five to ten words in 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:54.800 the local language, just in case, like someone is trying 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:56.800 to badger you. But if you can just like, like, 0:17:56.840 --> 0:18:00.440 one word in Indonesian is suda, and so that means 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.160 I already have. So if I'm walking and I could 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.080 just be walking on to the market somewhere, and of course, 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.720 like motorbikes and taxi drivers are slowing down and be walking, 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:13.919 they think that I need a ride, and so I'm like, oh, 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:15.520 And as soon as I say that, they're like, oh, 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.280 she not only doesn't mean us, but she said it 0:18:18.280 --> 0:18:20.879 in my language, and so they're quick to leave me alone. 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:24.119 But if I go no, they're like, oh are you sure? No, miss, 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:25.919 just tell me where you live and I can help you. 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.840 I'm like, suda, Suda will shut them up and leave 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.880 leave me. So just five five words five or ten 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:37.040 words of the basics, please, yes, no, thank you, whine. 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.080 What are some of the good apps that you could 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:53.280 um download if you don't speak the language. Oh, I 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:58.919 guess well, Google translates such a and that's for any country. Yeah. 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:02.320 I think Google Translate is if you can download, like 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:06.840 you can have an offline dictionary, so of the download 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:10.400 the full dictionary offline of the language that you need. 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:13.119 That way, even if you don't have wifire Internet, you 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:16.000 can always pull up any type of translation that you need. 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:22.720 Are there certain countries that you um would suggest that 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:29.159 that are safer like you already mentioned Namibia? Yeah, and 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:34.000 obviously badly because you've been there thirty sometimes are there 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:38.480 other countries that you would recommend for particularly for single women, 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:42.000 not even necessarily older women like myself, but just for 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:45.840 single women who want to travel by themselves. Absolutely. I 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:48.959 have three that immediately come to mind. But first as Japan. 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:52.600 There's a reason it's my favorite country in the world. Japan. 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:55.440 I think not only do they live ten to twenty 0:19:55.560 --> 0:19:59.159 years in the future, but there's something about them culturally 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:03.960 where they are oh communally respectful and my favorite thing 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:06.560 I think the first my first sign of like how 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:09.080 they are as people is I'm in the airport and 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:12.320 there's two lines for going through to check in, and 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:14.800 one line is says if you're in a rush and 0:20:14.840 --> 0:20:17.440 you have less than fifteen minutes. Here's the speedy line. 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:19.159 You can come to this line. And then there's the 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.840 other line that says, here's the standard line. There was 0:20:21.880 --> 0:20:24.719 a hundred people in the standard line, nobody in the 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:27.200 urgent line. And it goes to show that they are 0:20:27.240 --> 0:20:31.080 so honorable. No one's cheating the system. You take the 0:20:31.119 --> 0:20:33.560 bus and there's a sign that says, please keep your 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:36.400 phone on silent to respect the zen of your neighbors 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:40.600 around you. I'm like, listen, if you don't come on, 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:45.840 I don't know nothing about that. Are okay? So, and 0:20:45.960 --> 0:20:48.120 one time I was looking for I think a bus 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.399 station or a train station, and I asked someone if 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:52.920 they could help me. Not only did they like point 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:55.000 me to where it was, they walked me there. I 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:58.199 was like, I don't deserve you. So Japan is not 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:01.640 only incredibly safe, but people are so kind. They don't 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:04.840 accept tips like I try. I tipped someone at a 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:07.200 restaurant and they chased after me with the money. It's 0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:09.960 their honor to serve. They don't do it for the 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:14.720 extra tip. So Japan first and foremost. My second recommendation 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:19.400 is Norway. Scandinavian country is also are very futuristic. Norway 0:21:19.600 --> 0:21:22.919 is the north of European area, so you want to 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:24.720 make sure you're going there in the summer because it 0:21:24.800 --> 0:21:28.240 can get cold if you're there in the winter. But 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:31.760 it's incredible. Solo traveled there for two weeks and I 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:33.800 rented a car and I just drove around the entire 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:36.639 country and if I got lost, I would just pull up, 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:38.720 pull over and someone would help me. They're like, oh, 0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:41.439 just follow me ten minutes this way. And there's this 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:45.320 inherent like your gut, your intuition is the best thing 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:47.920 that you can have when you're traveling, and you can 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:51.600 feel when I don't trust this, but I never there, 0:21:52.080 --> 0:21:54.520 and there's just this I don't know if it's the 0:21:54.560 --> 0:21:57.840 way they're raised or just them culturally as people, but 0:21:58.000 --> 0:22:02.440 some countries just you just have this innate trust because 0:22:02.680 --> 0:22:05.440 of who they are and how they act. So normal 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:08.320 would be number two, and then Scotland would be number three. 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:13.240 I absolutely love Scottish people. I love Scotland, and that's 0:22:13.240 --> 0:22:17.200 a country I've been to over ten times. Just incredible, banter, incredible. 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:20.160 They also are kind of big drinkers, so that they're 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:22.560 just fun people. I I no longer drink, but it's 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:25.159 just always great to be around people that just know 0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:29.440 how to let loose and banter and communicate with you. Now, 0:22:29.560 --> 0:22:32.640 as a woman of color, did you have any challenges 0:22:35.320 --> 0:22:38.920 traveling in some of these countries. Let's just be real. 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:41.840 Let's let's go there. Let's go there. So I was 0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:45.200 about I was nine years nomadic. I've been like nine years. 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:47.120 I lived out of a suitcase and traveled full time. 0:22:47.600 --> 0:22:49.760 So in those nine years, in the beginning, I was 0:22:49.800 --> 0:22:52.399 going to a lot of like familiar countries like Spain 0:22:52.560 --> 0:22:55.480 and France, and I was like, oh, it's cool. And 0:22:55.520 --> 0:22:58.560 then the further east I went, like Eastern Europe. That's 0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:01.200 when I started to have more in just seen experiences. 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:05.520 I will say the most negative experiences I've ever had 0:23:05.560 --> 0:23:10.359 probably happened in Prague, Czech Republic Um and then in 0:23:10.760 --> 0:23:14.679 Real Njanio, Brazil, which is unfortunate. So in Prague what 0:23:14.800 --> 0:23:19.800