Marilyn at the Plitvice National Park in Croatia
Enjoy Marilyn’s work at Intelligent Travel. Follow @Marilyn_Res
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“The world is a beautiful place, go out and see it.”
How did your love of travel start?
I guess in college when I went to live and work in Antwerp one summer, and when my job was over I traveled down the Rhine and through the Black Forest to Switzerland, went hiking in the Alps and then explored along the Loire, staying in hostels.
When I say…travel, what’s the first thought that comes to mind?
Airport. Passport.
You’ve been the Chief Researcher at National Geographic Traveler Magazine for 10 years, what’s one of your favorite travel stories that you’ve covered?
One of my very favorites is “Bus to Antarctica” by Andrew Evans, that was published in our September 2010 issue: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/bus-to-antarctica/trip-essay-traveler/
It’s about Andrew’s quest to travel by public buses from National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC to the tip of South America, in order to board a boat to Antarctica, tweeting and blogging all the way.
It was fun to work on because I’d been in on it from the beginning, when Andrew first proposed the crazy scheme to our editor Keith Bellows and he (amazingly) agreed. It was a tremendously exciting project, and I followed Andrew’s tweets through some pretty hair-raising adventures, not all of which made it into the magazine story.
Thinking back to the person you were 10 years ago, in what ways has travel and being part of National Geographic Traveler changed you?
Working at Traveler has greatly expanded my knowledge about places and has made me insanely hungry to go out and explore more.
Favorite travel book?
I am absolutely floored by Freya Stark’s books, especially “The Valleys of the Assassins”, about traveling in Persia on foot as a single woman in the 1930s.
We included it in our Ultimate Travel Library, which has many other great travel narratives:
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/travel-books/intro-text
I also enjoyed “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orleans, who I think is a terrific travel writer.
In your experience, what qualities/characteristics make a good travel writer?
Someone who is curious, observant, adventurous, and humble. Who does a lot of background reading before going on a trip. Who has a story idea in mind before going, even if that story idea doesn’t pan out. Who takes the time to talk to people. And who loves telling stories. And as a fact checker, I really appreciate a writer who takes good notes and tells the truth!
You’re a very active twitter user. What do you think about Twitter? Specifically, the impact it has on the news and journalism?
When it comes to breaking news, I usually find out about it on Twitter before I read it in the paper or hear it on the radio. It’s an incredibly fast and handy tool for finding out information on the ground.
If you could tell the whole world one thing - - What would you tell them?
The world is a beautiful place, go out and see it.
The Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia.
Taken by Andrew Evans for his “Bus to Antarctica” story.
Mike & Jürgen in Bolivia.
Read Mike & Jürgen’s blog. Follow @for91days
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“It gives us four locations in a year, which is enough to be exciting, but not overwhelming.”
You’ve just arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia - initial thoughts & feelings?
The city feels a lot more affluent than other places we’ve visited in Bolivia — clean streets with wide sidewalks, nice houses and a lot of expensive cars. Not too many tourists make it to Cochabamba, which is surprising, since it’s fairly huge. It’s known as Bolivia’s breadbasket, with its best food and most markets — on our first day, we got lunch in a marketplace. An incredible plate of meatballs, pasta, rice and potatoes. All the carbohydrates you could ever need, for 15 Bolivianos (€1,50).
“We’ve lived in quite a few countries, but I don’t think we’ve ever encountered such compelling faces as in Bolivia.” Can you elaborate on this?
The trials and tribulations of life are etched into the indigenous people’s faces here. Most of them have been hard at work since childhood, often in dangerous professions such as mining, and their faces are weathered and rough. At the same time, there’s an exuberance, or possibly defiance, that comes across in their eyes. Also, there’s a lot of variety in the faces of La Paz — in La Paz, you see rich whites of Spanish descent walking their dogs past criollo (mixed-heritage) businessmen and indigenous Aymara women in traditional dress selling sweets.
When did you two fall in love with travel?
Mike: My family moved around a lot when I was young, and I probably got infected with restlessness during childhood.
Jürgen fled a future career in insurance by moving to the States as an au pair — a sudden decision which surprised everyone, including himself.
When we met in Boston, we immediately recognized in each other the love of travel, and embarked on a lot of adventures — China, biking through Scotland, exploring Lanzarote, Christmas in Moscow. The more we see and do, the more addicted to traveling we become!
You move to a new city, once every 91 days. How did you decide on 3 months?
Three months felt like the right amount of time to really get to know a place, and also not get bored by it. It gives us four locations in a year, which is enough to be exciting, but not overwhelming. Also, it’s useful in terms of Visas, which are often 3 months in length.
When choosing your next place to live 3 months in, what things do you consider?
There are definitely practical matters (such as our account balances!) that come into consideration. We choose Asturias first, because we were already in Spain, and it was an easy place to start. Likewise, since we were already in South America, Bolivia felt like an easy jump after Buenos Aires. Weather, too, is a big consideration… we want to avoid cold winters as much as possible. But mostly, we go for places that have captured our imagination, for whatever reason. Buenos Aires had always had a strong pull on me, for example, and I knew we’d go there during our first year.
You’re 6’6”. In what ways does your height make your travels a bit different, compared to someone who’s 5’6”?
Jürgen: Well, living in Bolivia is tough!! Mike is 5’11”, and even he feels like a giant here. I don’t know how many times I’ve hit my head, and there are times when I’ve refused to get onto a bus because it’s too tight. Also, I tend to cause a commotion in countries where being so tall is rare. In general, though, it’s not something that causes a lot of stress — I’ve lived my whole life at this altitude and am used to dealing with things.
What’s one of your absolute favorite travel memories?
Mike: Ice skating in Moscow’s Gorki Park the day after Christmas is something I’ll never forget.
Jürgen: The Lucha Libre fight here in Bolivia was crazy — I’ve never been a fan of wrestling, but I just had a blast here. The image of La Loca throwing a chair into the crowd will never leave my mind.
What’s an interesting meal you’ve eaten while traveling?
Mike: Just the other day, I ate cow tongue. I mean: the whole tongue. It was delicious, as long as I closed my eyes and didn’t think about a cow licking the inside of my mouth.
Jürgen: Chef Jerome’s Old School Diner in Savannah, GA! That was such a great experience, not just the food (all fried, of course), but being able to meet the Chef and hear his stories.
James in the Philippines
Read James’ blog. Follow @JourneyingJames.
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“Think of secret lagoons, unexplored coves, sparkling turquoise waters, fine white sand, spectacular limestone karst, fresh seafood and lovely people.”
You’ve been backpacking all over the Philippines. What are some things that make the Philippines special to you?
Well, obviously, it’s my home country. Other than that, I think it’s an underrated Southeast Asian destination.
One of your goals is to write a book called Backpacking the Philippines: The Cheapest way possible.
Without giving away all your budgeting secrets, what are some ways you’ve managed to save money while traveling the Philippines?
Yes, and maybe a travel show someday! Who knows?! I always do couchsurfing, the absence of it; I bring my hammock where I sleep. I just ask some locals where I can set it up. Food is very cheap here in the Philippines, a dollar is enough for a meal.
When and how did your love of travel start?
It started when I was on my college years; I’m always drawn on the small Philippine map that I bought. I always say to myself, that someday I will be traveling the country. I also have a map of Asia, so maybe that’s my next destination.
What’s one of your absolute favorite places in the whole world to visit? Why?
Abroad, I would say it’s the Angkor Wat Complex in Cambodia. It was magical and the temples really turn to gold during sunset. Scenic is an understatement.
Here in the Philippines, hands down, Palawan! Think of secret lagoons, unexplored coves, sparkling turquoise waters, fine white sand, spectacular limestone karst, fresh seafood and lovely people - these things are just a fraction of what you can experience in El Nido.
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve eaten while traveling? What were the ingredients?
Oh, there’s a lot! I guess I always love fresh seafood. We “kinilaw” in the Philippines where the fresh catch, usually fish is de-boned and soaked in vinegar with spices like chili, pepper, garlic, onion, calamansi and salt.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about visiting the Philippines for their next adventure?
C’mon over! You are very welcome here. Choose from any of our 7,107 islands. If I have time, I can even show you around. Choose your adventure (except for snowboarding)! Water sports? Mountain Hiking? Diving? Our beaches are out-of-this-world!
Salamat po ng marami! (thank you very much)
James in El Nido.
