Travel Books That Changed the World: Which is Your Favourite?
Travel guides, travel novels, and travel magazines are the theme of this week's Tripping Point travel quiz! How much does Alun know about the travel publications that changed the world? Tune in and play along!
Adam's been having campervan malfunctions, which have left him stranded in the rain. Apparently leaving the headlights switched on all day can run the battery down... Fortunately there's a French stallion on hand to save the day! Tales of a Trip goes hitchhiking this week, as we hear from a young chap who was picked up whilst walking the Te Araroa. Putting his trust in complete strangers, a trip to the local supermarket turned into days of fishing and playing golf!
Join our Patreon community to access the Lost & Found bonus section, as this week Adam shares a recent tale of him working a trial shift at one of the best restaurants in the world. The pressure's on!
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00:00 - Intro
01:44 - Adam's campervan mishaps
07:50 - Alun's New Zealand, New Year Pizza problems
10:00 - Adam's good fortune (incompetence) admission
12:25 - Tripping Point: Travel Books That Changed the World
26:14 - Tales of a Trip: The positive side of hitchhiking
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TRANSCRIPT:
Alun:
[0:02] Hello and welcome to this episode of Tripology. It's the only backpacking podcast where there's a greater number of passports between us than employers. I'm Alun and I'm here with the ever-literary Adam.
Adam:
[0:15] We're back for another show. Thanks ever so much for joining us. We really do appreciate it. Hell of a show this week. We're going to give you some updates as we usually do. I'm going to tell a hell of a story where I was left stranded last night out in the rain on my own without a clue. And then of course we've got Tripping Point, everyone's favourite travel quiz, have your books at the ready and then we go to Tales of a Trip where we hear from one of you guys.
Alun:
[0:34] What a gorgeous summation of the show, flawlessly executed by a gorgeous man. I'm very happy to join you here on this episode of Tripology. I'm sorry to hear that you like me last week have been having mishaps, Adam.
Adam:
[0:46] Yeah, I've been feeling very isolated, mate. I've made a few blunders over the last few days. Actually, I'll tell you what, I will in the Patreon section. If you head over to The Lost and Found and sign up there I will tell you a wicked story where I did a trial shift in one of the world's best restaurants. And let me tell you, I still haven't heard back from them. But anyway, on to what happened last night, mate. You know I've got this camper van.
Alun:
[1:06] I've heard rumours about you in a camper van. There's been some sightings from the Tripological audience. Some little pictures get sent to me. Oh, there's Adam in a camper van. What's been going on?
Adam:
[1:15] Yeah, put your underwear back on. So I've got this camper van and as you know, mate, I'm a bit of a technophobe. but I don't like anything to do with technology or the future, electricity sometimes. And that extends into mechanics and engineering. So I know almost nothing about cars other than how to drive one. I don't know, does that surprise you?
Alun:
[1:36] No, I've always thought of you as a bit of a Ned Ludd sort of figure.
Adam:
[1:40] So, yeah, it sounds like a compliment. So imagine yesterday, right? I had left work after what was a nine and a half, ten hour shift. It was absolutely... absolutely bucketing it down if anyone's got their finger on the pulse with what's going on in new zealand at the moment i mean the rain is outrageous the rain has broken records in september and october i think it's the most rain that's ever fallen in the history of the world roads are falling apart rivers are running over buildings not quite as bad as a tsunami but yeah you get the idea anyway the weather's proper shit i left work and i went to my van i was happy to start driving home and as soon as i opened the door there was a ticking sound oh.
Alun:
[2:20] God and your mind goes crazy when you hear a ticking sound don't you think it's gonna it's got to be a bomb it's got to be.
Adam:
[2:26] Clock a countdown to.
Alun:
[2:29] Something you almost my instinct when i hear a ticking sound is just to wait and see because it's either something really bad or really good at the end of.
Adam:
[2:37] It yeah well it was it was a repetitive ticking sound and the keys weren't in the ignition yet and i thought if this is a bomb if i was making a bomb and i planted it in a camper van i would probably, you know where you um what do they call it when you set off a bomb when you detonate a bomb i would make it at the moment almost with comical timing that the person put the key in the ignition and turned it i mean that would that would be for comical value that would be great wouldn't it that's probably when you would how you would rig a bomb yeah.
Alun:
[3:07] It's important i'm sick of people doing these explosive assassination attempts with no.
Adam:
[3:13] Diligence paid to.
Alun:
[3:15] Comedic timing or effects.
Adam:
[3:17] It's how you see it on the cartoons. You put the key in the ignition, you turn the key, and all of a sudden, kaboom. So I thought, maybe I'll just leave it in case it is a bomb.
Alun:
[3:25] The best assassins are outside the car lighting a fuse with a match, aren't they?
Adam:
[3:31] That's exactly it, mate. I was terrified. I thought, well, I already know nothing about cars, and I know even less about bombs. so what am I going to do here I was actually giving my boss a lift home who was getting soaked by the way because he was standing outside thinking why hasn't he turned the van on yet, Unlock the door or something.
Alun:
[3:48] Why didn't you unlock the door?
Adam:
[3:50] I don't know. Just wait until I've sorted this out. Save yourself.
Alun:
[3:55] Another comedic choice by you.
Adam:
[3:58] This whole scene's funnier if my boss.
Alun:
[4:00] Is outside in the rain.
Adam:
[4:01] Yeah something like get your cameras come on um but anyway i turned the key and nothing happened and it was at that point i realized that the battery was dead and i had absolutely no way of getting home and the the dread i was just immediately filled with dread because i was already thinking well my entire night is a write-off at that point isn't it.
Alun:
[4:23] And your bosses.
Adam:
[4:23] Yeah yeah i felt so bad i looked at him immediately i said, little mistake could have left the lights on all day yeah I mean maybe that was what happened maybe the ignition was turned I don't know the bottom line is this van is going absolutely fucking nowhere so if you want to get a bus home instead you're.
Alun:
[4:40] Not the ever empathetic Adam this week are you just like oh my night's ruined meanwhile your boss is there you're absolutely pelted by never precedented New Zealand weather.
Adam:
[4:50] Well the ironic thing was that I actually worked later than he asked me to so that i could give him a lift home that is ironic but i felt quite bad and then um i was thinking okay what options have i got bless him he immediately got on the phone to one of our other friends who um knows a little bit about cars you know he's ridden motorbikes and that can you give me a lift yeah yeah no don't worry about him it'll be fine he's all right it's his fault anyway um but i i phoned the aa alcoholics anonymous yeah i just decided to drink my way out of everything um but i i phoned them and the first guy that answered the phone had no time for me probably because it was coming to closing time it was about four minutes to eight in the evening and he kept on asking me whether i was a member and i said yeah i'm i'm insured with you and i said he said no no are you a member of the ai and i couldn't because i couldn't hear him that well because of my phone and also the um the rain i kept on saying yes yes i am a member i am a member and he was trying to ask me something I was trying to, reply to what he was saying and then he just hung up on me he just hung up Alun, Can you believe it?
Alun:
[5:57] Unbelievable. I can't believe it.
Adam:
[6:02] Luckily, in the meantime, my mate had arranged for one of our other friends, unbeknownst to me, to come round and sort the whole thing out. And thank goodness someone knew something about cars. So there I was, like damsel in distress, as I am with you sometimes, just trying to help, trying to lend a hand. But he turns up, you know, a big French stallion with the cables or whatever they're called. What are they called?
Alun:
[6:25] Yeah, jump cables.
Adam:
[6:26] Jump cables. Yeah, don't worry, mate, you'll be fine. I was like, no, no, I think I'm probably going to have to charge the entire camper van for about eight hours. He's like, no, no, I'll just connect this to this, turn the engine on, and you'll be away. And lo and behold, mate, that is exactly what happened. But it probably cost me a good 45 minutes if it wasn't for the help of some dear friends.
Alun:
[6:43] Well, that is a shame to hear. I'm glad that there was sort of a... Someone that... progressed through the hierarchy of you know towards alpha an alpha male i'm glad there was an alpha male there to sort of assist you car people they're quite a rare breed aren't they nowadays yeah but i was thinking you know you were hung up on by that aa guy yeah i've only ever been hung up on by one person in customer service and it was in new zealand so i'm noticing a theme wow.
Adam:
[7:17] That is interesting there are you know i did i have said this um maybe this next thing i'm about to say i won't necessarily cut into a reel and put it on instagram um but i have noticed that in australia and new zealand with my dealings across various uh industries whether it's you know doctors medicine banks and finance firms logistics obviously now car insurance, they are lacking mate.
Alun:
[7:47] Yeah they are lacking they are they are the person that hung up on me was actually they're working in a pizza shop.
Adam:
[7:53] Right why did they hang up.
Alun:
[7:56] Well we can do a role play if you like but you you'll have to play me i'll.
Adam:
[8:00] Play the pizza go on.
Alun:
[8:02] And i'll forgive me i'm gonna play the pizza worker but forgive me i'm gonna do an australian accent for those listeners who have some nuance and that's not an accent i am gonna try and just get by all you have to do adam is say i would like a pizza please it's.
Adam:
[8:17] So funny you just say that because just yesterday i was talking to a kiwi who i thought was australian and i implied that they were australian and they took offense and said well how could you possibly think i'm australian can't you tell by my accent.
Alun:
[8:30] And you are in new zealand the.
Adam:
[8:32] Irony is like, you do sound fairly similar.
Alun:
[8:37] Quite quite the same really and to a lot of people's ears yeah all right mate so you're you're calling me up okay and you're saying i would like a pizza okay.
Adam:
[8:45] Do you want me to do the ringtone.
Alun:
[8:47] I think it's best yeah give some context yeah okay.
Adam:
[8:50] So bring the ring bring bring.
Alun:
[8:52] All right mate hell's pizza hi.
Adam:
[8:55] Mate yeah i've just called uh i'd like a pizza.
Alun:
[8:58] Oh what do you want mate sorry i can't what do you want i'd.
Adam:
[9:01] Like a pizza please.
Alun:
[9:02] What's that mate a.
Adam:
[9:04] Pizza i'd like a.
Alun:
[9:06] Pizza what kind of pizza what kind of pizza do you want i can't hear you mate oh.
Adam:
[9:12] Wow just like that.
Alun:
[9:14] And evidence was because i made subsequent calls to different establishments there was nothing wrong with my phone and he could in fact hear me so if you work at hell's pizza and you remember that on new year's eve 2017 you hung up on a guy who just wanted a little bit of pizza on his New Year's Eve. Fuck you.
Adam:
[9:35] Was it because of your pronunciation of pizza? Do you think?
Alun:
[9:39] It's pronounced pizza, mate.
Adam:
[9:40] Ha ha ha. um there's no panini at this place no um i do think just rounding off mate that so many things like that have happened in my life actually that is the first time that i've ever let my car go dead and had and it's had no battery that's never happened before i've never changed a tire in my life i've had very very good luck even on my long cycle rides i've also never had to fix a puncture, and people seem to help me out in my moments of need like i am a damsel in distress in these things i do wonder sometimes if it would actually be better for me and my development and growth, if you know when shit hits the fan i just had to do it on my own i've.
Alun:
[10:25] Long thought this about you.
Adam:
[10:26] I never have to do it on my own yeah because i always ask help yeah i know what you're gonna so um but you know i obviously you know what i mean because i ask you for help on a daily basis i.
Alun:
[10:35] Think people actually almost get into two categories with this and it really is that simple there are people who are willing to ask for help all the time and that serves them in a wide array of contexts and there are people that really prefer not to ask for help.
Adam:
[10:50] Yeah and.
Alun:
[10:51] I think people who prefer not to ask for help end up like i have changed a tire.
Adam:
[10:56] Yeah yeah yeah several.
Alun:
[10:58] Times Do you know what I mean? So in those situations, if on my own. But I probably can't change attire as well as that Burly Alpha Australian that came to help you.
Adam:
[11:08] No, no, he was French.
Alun:
[11:09] Oh, French. By that Burly Alpha Frenchman that came to help you.
Adam:
[11:12] But you do know how to do many more things than I do as a result. But we've both still won an independent podcasting award. Swings and roundabouts, isn't it? Path of least resistance.
Alun:
[11:24] And I bet if you called up on New Year's Eve trying to get a pizza... Maybe you'd have given him one. Maybe you'd have got one. So who's better at the end of the day? Do you know what I'm saying? I think that asking for help whilst traveling is a very valuable skill though, because I have been traveling with you in context where I'm trying to solve a problem and I'm like, what am I going to do here? Where do I go here? And you just go up to someone like, hello, I'm looking to try and just have my whole day organized for me for free.
Adam:
[11:55] Oh
Alun:
[11:55] Alun I've sorted it so this guy's just going to take us and I'm like oh okay cool so that's good isn't it.
Tripping Point Begins
Adam:
[12:01] You're like but the app that's funny, you are right well mate I think that's about time, we go off into the next section of the show and I know that you were delaying the process I know you were trying to make this first third as long as it could possibly be because I've got no doubt you're quaking in your boots at the next part of the episode which is of course everyone's favourite travel quiz it's tripping point.
Alun:
[12:34] Tripping Point, of course, the section of the show that gives me that anxious feeling deep in my belly, as I know that not only am I going to be tested, but I'm going to be tested with some of the best questions that Adam can possibly devise. So I'm willing to take them head on. Last time we played Tripping Point, of course, it was what the kids in Gen Z call an epic fail. I didn't answer anything correctly. It was quite a hard episode, but I can only imagine you've adjusted the difficulty accordingly.
Adam:
[13:03] Yeah, I mean, I have adjusted the difficulty. I would say more accurately, I've probably gone a little bit out of left field with this one. And even though it is heavily travel related, it's also sort of publication and book related, which is, of course, thanks for listening, you keen-eared listeners, which is why you refer to me as the literary literature. this is a book special how much have you read in the way of travel novels travel publications famous travel iconic sort of books and magazines.
Alun:
[13:34] I've in my whole life i've read maybe five books i've listened to a few more than that but i have got an english language degree the only person on my course who didn't read a single book during the english language degree because on day one the lecturer said this isn't like a level you won't pass unless you read the materials and i saw that as a kind of sexy challenge so i haven't read much adam but i'm going to do my best regardless okay.
Adam:
[14:05] Well uh i think i think you're going to do fine mate because uh even if you don't know the answer your methodology, and your game in-game strategy that often helps you win very famous UK game shows will prevail. So here we go. Are you ready for number one? Are you ready for the first question?
Alun:
[14:24] Well, I would like it if you introduced something in the way of a wager.
Adam:
[14:28] Okay, because it is about books, and I have been reading, actually, you'd be pleased to know, I'm currently reading three books at the same time. Not literally, literarily at the same time, but I'm sort of halfway through one, just about to finish another and just started another one. uh i would quite like an amazon are they amazon the kindles are they owned by amazon i.
Alun:
[14:48] Can do you an amazon gift card mate.
Adam:
[14:50] Yeah for a for sort of put that towards a kindle if you get four out of five uh it's actually technically going to be four out of seven because there are a couple of cheeky bonus questions for you so how does that sound?
Alun:
[15:03] Would i think if if i get less than three i'll give you an amazon uh gift voucher and if you if i get more than three.
Adam:
[15:12] I'll read a book to you.
Alun:
[15:13] Sure.
Adam:
[15:16] I'll come and read a book to you. How about that?
Alun:
[15:18] Let's get on with it.
Adam:
[15:19] So here we go, number one. Lonely Planet was founded in 1972 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, with their first guide being published in 1973. But what was it called? Is it A, Across Asia on the Cheap? Is it B, Budget Backpackers Bible? Is it C, Europe on a Shoestring? Or is it D, The Banana Pancake Trail?
Alun:
[15:40] I think... It was the Budget Backpack Bible.
Adam:
[15:44] Okay. Are you locking it in?
Alun:
[15:46] Yeah.
Adam:
[15:47] I'm afraid, mate, it's across Asia on the cheap. I could tell by the little smirk you quite liked the question. That is going back a very long way, isn't it?
Alun:
[15:55] I once read an article on those individuals who started Lonely Planet.
Adam:
[16:00] Yeah.
Alun:
[16:01] And I did remember vaguely that there'd been a name change, but obviously couldn't quite remember what it was. frankly i thought the the other i think all the titles were i mean i'm glad they changed it to lonely planet so bit of a toss-up for me there.
Adam:
[16:15] But i'll take the loss there are some really interesting things so did you know lonely planet has since printed over 150 million copies worldwide with the wheeler's very first guidebook back in the very early 70s being written on a borrowed typewriter in an apartment in melbourne australia which is pretty cool uh i also just off the top of my head was when i was doing a bit of research about this question i think it was back in 2007 they sold 75 to bbc worldwide did you know that i.
Alun:
[16:43] Didn't but congratulations to them i've heard bbc worldwide pretty.
Adam:
[16:46] Pretty penny have you got any idea how much it was five mil five million for a 75 staking lonely planet yeah when it was arguably at its height it was it was more like 60 70 million 10.
Alun:
[16:59] Times what I would have negotiated, so congrats to the guys over there at Lonely Planet.
Adam:
[17:06] Yeah, the audacity of calling it across Asia on the cheap. You know, fast forward three years. 30 years, beg your pardon.
Alun:
[17:13] Here's our new book, How to Travel Asia If You Just Made 50 Million from the BBC. Step one, stay in a hotel.
Adam:
[17:21] Get off your first class flight having downed a bottle of champagne.
Alun:
[17:25] Wipe the caviar out of the corners of your mouth. The locals don't like it.
Adam:
[17:31] Number two, the magazine Condé Nast Traveller historically used the tagline Truth in Travel, but in 2013 the tagline was redefined as what? Is it A The World Made Local? Is it B Luxury for Less? Is it C Fashionable Wanderlust? Or is it D, The Planet in Pages?
Alun:
[17:51] It's either The Planet in Pages or Luxury for Less. I think it's Planet in Pages. I think it's Planet in Pages.
Adam:
[17:58] I pulled the wool over your eyes, mate. That was one I came up with last minute. I'm really glad you went for it. It's actually the world made local. It's quite a nice tagline, isn't it?
Alun:
[18:06] Oh, dear, Adam. Yeah, I mean, I recently tried to get Tripology featured in Condé Nast and so looked at their pages and I can't remember seeing that. So obviously not very prominent, badly designed.
Adam:
[18:22] What do you think of Planet in Pages? We can copy like that if you want. I mean, I did just make it up a couple of days ago.
Alun:
[18:26] I think it's better than what Condé Nast are doing, yeah.
Adam:
[18:29] Ooh.
Alun:
[18:31] Adam is the developer of such great travel taglines like Condé Nast, Planet in Pages, and Tripology, Travel Podcast.
Adam:
[18:42] Dear, oh dear. Here we go, number three. Let's try and get you some points on the board.
Alun:
[18:45] I really need to, otherwise my Amazon account's going to look a little bit light.
Adam:
[18:49] I know, I could do with a new book as well. I've only got three on the go. Number three, what is often considered the oldest continuously running travel magazine still in publication? Is it A, National Geographic? Is it B, Wanderlust? Is it C, Travel and Leisure? Or is it D, Condé Nast Traveller?
Alun:
[19:08] It's Nat Geo, baby, all the way. Give me that point and relinquish me of my debt to Amazon.
Adam:
[19:14] Okay. Yeah, you got one point on the board, mate. That's a great answer. Do you want a bonus point to guess the decade that it started in?
Alun:
[19:23] Is it the 1900s, right?
Adam:
[19:26] No, it's older, but not by much.
Alun:
[19:28] I was going to say, okay, I wanted to just check that that was the case because I think it's 1890.
Adam:
[19:34] It's 1888. My goodness. It's a great guess. It's a great guess.
Alun:
[19:39] I was going to say 1890 off the trot, but I thought if it's like really not that, I didn't want to appear a bit stupid, you know?
Adam:
[19:47] You've got to go with your gut, mate. No one thinks you're stupid that's listening to this. My goodness.
Alun:
[19:52] Some people do. I've had a few hurtful messages recently from listeners saying things exactly like that. Alun, you're stupid.
Adam:
[20:00] I got a message from my dad last week saying, just listening to the most recent episode, Alun's not done very well on the tripping points recently, has he?
Alun:
[20:07] Really? Did you actually get that message?
Adam:
[20:09] No.
Alun:
[20:10] Your dad, of course, one of my greatest critics when it comes to the old intellect.
Adam:
[20:14] Arch enemy. That's so funny. Okay, here we go. Here we go. Number four. You'll like this one, mate. You really will. Jack Kerouac typed the first draft of On the Road on a single roll of paper. Approximately how long did it take him? was it a three.
Alun:
[20:30] Two weeks okay.
Adam:
[20:32] We'll just keep bear that in mind
Alun:
[20:38] Okay yeah three weeks then i obviously a huge jack kerouac fan he was one of the defining reasons why i initially went traveling and i know that it was a matter of weeks he locked himself in his apartment and just wrote and wrote and famously his dog ate the end of that scroll that he wrote on uh so you can actually go and see the scroll in uh liel is where he's from and maybe the museum's in liel as well but um that's really cool yeah the end of the paper is gone so three weeks is my answer okay.
Adam:
[21:10] Yeah i mean you're right of course you're right that's fantastic um and did you know the continuous scroll was 120 foot long kerouac chose to write, this way basically just to not lose the flow and the energy of what it was he was writing so how cool is that.
Alun:
[21:25] Yeah I also like Kerouac's writing style gives me a lot of solace when I think oh I'd like to write a travel book but the investment of time it would take is so much I think well Kerouac knocked one out in three weeks so it's pretty cool yes.
Adam:
[21:39] No I think um especially with AI now mate you'll be fine um here we go, Number five. When the Michelin Guide Star System launched in 1926, what did giving a restaurant one star originally signify? Was it A, worth stopping at? Was it B, culinary excellence? Was it C, exceptional service? Or was it D, good value for money?
Alun:
[22:05] I believe when Michelin started giving out their stars, they were basically saying that if you receive a Michelin star, you are worth stopping at. you're worth wearing out your tires to go and make a journey to so it's a.
Adam:
[22:18] It is you're right mate you're right i think that's four points on the board fantastic and you just touched on a really interesting point because i didn't necessarily know this but the michelin guide was launched back in 1900 and the first 35 000 copies no less were given away for free and this was to encourage people to drive further spending more time on the roads thus wearing out their tires more quickly so they could sell more tyres. It was all part of their master plan.
Alun:
[22:44] Quite an insidious marketing strategy from Michelin there, rivaled only, of course, by Swedish giant Spotify who make copyright claims unrelentingly on accounts that don't deserve it.
Adam:
[22:57] Yeah, we're actually not sure whether you're going to be able to hear this, of course, because this episode might just get deleted like the last one. Amazing stuff. Anyway, we've got a couple of bonus questions. I'll rip through these pretty quick. Number one, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a novel based heavily on the author's own life. Which of these is true about Roberts' journey that inspired the book? A, he escaped from an Australian prison and fled to India. B, he lived in the slums of Mumbai for several years. Or C, he became involved with local organized crime while in exile.
Alun:
[23:29] Ooh, I actually haven't read Shantaram. I just remember in India, people were talking about it a lot.
Adam:
[23:38] It's a bit of a trick question, this one, mate.
Alun:
[23:41] Is it? Why? Tell me what the trick is and I'll tell you the answer.
Adam:
[23:45] Well, no, because if I tell you that, you'll just get it right. I might as well just tell you.
Alun:
[23:49] Did he become involved in some organised crime?
Adam:
[23:52] The trick one is a bit of a curveball. It's actually all of them. Every single one features in the book. He's lived a hell of a life, mate. Really incredible stuff. So it is one of those books, of course. The people listening to the show have probably read it. I mean, you see it in every single hostel and every single bookshelf. It's definitely a book that people say is in the top 10 books you must read if you travel. I haven't read it yet. and you haven't read it yet so uh maybe that's something for us to do in our own timing there's.
Alun:
[24:19] A genius question and a genius trick it's that kind of human touch that makes you know this show is lovingly curated and not written by vagabot.
Adam:
[24:26] Yeah he couldn't have written this last one either because one thing vagabot does very well is come up with a lot of copy in almost next to no time but he doesn't know you as a person and i do so this next question mate it hasn't got multiple choice, but I'll be surprised if you get it wrong. No pressure. This is the last question of the show. Which famous travel writer said, if you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home?
Alun:
[24:59] Anthony Bourdain.
Adam:
[25:00] There you go. There you go. Yeah, amazing. A great line. It's a great line.
Alun:
[25:07] Anthony Bourdain there, of course, passed away just a very short amount of time after I started traveling, but was a huge motivating factor for me. One of the greatest travelers of all time, one of the greatest travel writers of all time, and holds a very special place in my heart there, Adam, as well in that he helped me evade having to buy you a book. And of course, Now you're going to read something to me, which is going to be an exciting bit of Instagram content or something, I imagine. But now, though, speaking of travel stories, we want the listeners to have the opportunity to tell us a great travel story by way of Tales of a Trip. You can head to TripologyPodcast.com forward slash Tales of a Trip and record three minutes of the greatest travel story that you have. be it the time you jumped into a big waterfall and survived or the time you rode a lion through the savannas of Africa.
Tales of a Trip
Alun:
[26:00] That kind of hyperbolic nonsense is occasionally welcome if it actually is true. So let's hear what a listener had to say. Let's go there right now.
Tales of a Trip:
[26:15] Hey Adam, this is one of my more interesting experiences while hiking the Tiara Roa, which is from the north to the south of New Zealand. It's about a 3,000 kilometer hike and this happened to me in the North Island. I was, after a day of hiking, I wanted to go and resupply at the supermarkets. And the supermarket was about 3 kilometers away from the campsite. So I tried to hitch there and I got a hitch, which was pretty normal as usual. And on the way back, I tried to get a hitch back again. And this time there were two guys from the age around 19 and 20 who picked me up. And they told me, yeah, we can take you to your campsite, but we first need to go and get, we first need to go to the liquor store. So I was just like, oh yeah, for sure. Don't worry about it. and so they started driving to the liquor store which was in a complete different direction.
Tales of a Trip:
[27:17] And it was on the highway and was about 10 minutes away even though my campsite was about two minutes away so i was just asking them like hey is everything still all right and i was still going to the same campsite yeah they told me don't worry we're not kidnapping you jesus so that was kind of reassuring and I asked them oh what are you guys going to do or are you guys going somewhere special and they told me that they were going to play golf and.
Tales of a Trip:
[27:49] They asked me if I wanted to join them. So I said, yeah, I'll join you. So they drove me back to the campsite. They dropped off my stuff from the grocery. And I went and played golf with them, which was a lot of fun. And they shared their beers. And we had a really good time.
Tales of a Trip:
[28:08] They even took me to their dealer. And we got some weed after I asked them if they knew somebody. and the day after they texted me like hey do you want to go on a real you see the adventure i was just like yeah yeah for sure and they picked me up again and they took me fishing oh and from the weed that i got the day before one of the other ta hikers he made, um edibles he made cookies and so as a thank you i gave them also some of the cookies and We ended up having a really, really good time. And all of this happened just... by accident and yeah you know it was a it was a lot of fun and i really enjoy and cherish that moment thank you.
Alun:
[28:59] He and they're proving that if you have an open mind and an open heart and you're willing to go off the beaten track and travel via hitchhiking and meeting strangers and being all open like that a plethora of drug-based experiences could await you.
Adam:
[29:14] Yeah i do like it i think what that what that um experience it sounds like it lasted a few days it sort of um epitomizes what i love about travel it's if you do just say yes you can't you know when you first hitchhike you you can't possibly imagine where it's going to end up if you just keep saying yes but when you get on with the people you're hitchhiking with one thing leads to another before you know you know a couple of days later or whatever or maybe the next day you're teeing off with them playing golf on the same day then you they invite you on a fishing trip and then you're probably still in touch with those people it's um it really is important to have that sort of open mind and just you know maybe be in the same frame of mind that um remind yourself from time to time not everyone is trying to kidnap you yeah.
Alun:
[29:59] It's something that i need to be reminded of for sure i do often in a lot of situations wonder is this person trying to kidnap me just today i was buying a coffee at the local coffee shop here in chargau and when she handed me a coffee and i gave her money the thought did cross my mind is this a kidnapping no no, you're just buying coffee so i've learned a lesson there from kyan's uh message.
Adam:
[30:23] Yeah it's um it is a lovely message thanks ever so much for for writing kim we really do appreciate it it sounds like you had a wonderful time would you ever walk that sort of distance mate a few thousand kilometers through hiking i.
Alun:
[30:35] Love a long hike you know one of my life's goals is to hike the pct.
Adam:
[30:40] I do know the reason i've another acronym yeah.
Alun:
[30:43] The pacific crest trail the reason i've not done it is because a it's like very expensive; we'd have to really be on top of it with tripology because you hike through and then stop at like rest points and we could do the show from there but if we weren't doing it together it would be a big ask for the show.
Adam:
[31:02] Yeah i think we would at this point probably have to do it together it would have to be a thing that we did together in order to keep the show going as regularly as it as it is the.
Alun:
[31:11] Way to do it would be to like have four episodes done in advance record as we went which is mad because people saw their toothbrushes in half to save weight on the pct so was hiking with these.
Adam:
[31:22] Things would be nuts well we'd have to just take the toothbrush to the other end yeah and make use of the shaft or like make a rudimentary.
Alun:
[31:29] Microphone with like a needle and some like ceramic.
Adam:
[31:32] Film yeah i've got no idea how it would happen but i'm sure it is possible in this day and age to do podcasts on the pct we'll just have to we'll just have to try yeah.
Alun:
[31:41] We'd be getting out the samsung go as the old little mics that we used that's for sure but I think it would be a lot of fun so through hiking is something I'm really interested in yeah.
Adam:
[31:49] It's the thing I love about through hiking is that it's and I know this is going to sound a little bit cliched but I think it's also the the way that Suraj's message made me feel in last week's episode which is when you go from point to point or your journey is weeks or months long you you can't have had the experience at the end without of having without having had the experience at the beginning. You can't get to where you're going. without coming from where you've been and i know that that might sound quite strange but when you do just walk in one direction for a long time it is just about the stages that you go through and how you change and the people you meet and the stories you can tell.
Alun:
[32:32] Yeah and i kind of echo Kyan's feelings there because obviously the takeaway for him the thing that he's remembered viscerally is like the warmth from those people after the hike and i think that the same with me like that Everest hike that I did in Nepal the most recent like long 21 day through hike I think, the people that i'm with are the lasting memory like they're the thing that i feel like beautiful about.
Adam:
[32:57] Yeah mate i mean we really do have to do some more of that stuff it's experiences i would say a little blind spot perhaps on my travel cv if you will now i've got a camper van now i'm going to be living the van life for a bit which was another huge hole um in my my travel experiences i guess you could call it um and through hiking is another one and And yeah, I want to keep going. I want to keep maybe having sort of a more goal-oriented focus to my travels. And if you ever want to do the PCT and we're still doing this award-winning, fantastic, wonderful, gigantic, bloody influential podcast, then I'd love to do it with you. As long as there's no bears. Please, no bears.
Alun:
[33:35] Well, there you go. I'm sure that we will be hearing more about your hiking adventures as you go on your Lord of the Rings-themed adventures in your camper van. But for now, it's time that we dash off, really, isn't it? Thank you so much to Karen for sending in that message. And you guys can do the same by going to tripologypodcast.com forward slash days of the trip. Three minutes of your greatest travel story. Or if you love what we're doing, you want to support me and Adam in a very wonderful, much needed way. And you want to hear what happens after the theme music ends in the Lost and Found section. It's patreon.com forward slash tripologypodcast. The greatest Patreon in all the travel podcast worlds. Join us over there. But for now, we'll see you next week.
Adam:
[34:19] We'll see you there. Bye.
