Travel Bubble

Episode 25 is with Venessa Mondoy. Originally from the Philippines, now living in New York, we recorded this episode remotely while she was away travelling in Colombia - a truly global episode.

Travelling is Venessa’s addiction - as she says in the episode -  some people spend their money on material possessions, she spends her money making memories around the globe. She first got the travel bug when she secured her American citizenship back in 2011, armed with a USA passport she has visited over 50 countries since then and is one of the few people I know who has managed to still travel during the pandemic.

In this episode we discuss robot waiters, how blood sausages can make somebody a part-time pescatarian, having a thick skin and much, much more.

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Country No.1: Spain

Country No.2: Japan

Country No. 3: Namibia  

Wildcard: Madagascar

Top Travel Tips:

Best Souvenir: Indian tapestry.

Travel Bubble Film Club

A Prophet, 2009, (France)

This episode speaks to award-winning journalist, Aaron Millar. Writer for the likes of The Guardian, CNN, The Independent, The Times and columnist for National Geographic Traveller, Aaron also manages to find time to host the highly successful Armchair Explorer podcast.

After leaving his job as a music industry manager in the UK, Aaron now calls the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA, his home – with the appeal of 300 days of sunshine a year.

In this episode we talk about his focus on appreciating nature and the world around us, as well as where his love of travelling began. He shares stories such as how he managed to interview Brian May and did a 100km pub crawl all in the name of journalism.

Choices this week include a country that has the largest continuous area of protected wilderness in the world, a carbon-neutral state considered to be the last ‘Shangri La’, which measures gross national happiness rather than gross domestic product, and a place where Aaron says he was ‘the closest to death’.

Aaron shares lots of unique tales from some amazing countries, including drinking a cocktail while gazing at glaciers with ice from an iceberg, a ‘sinking wicker teacup’ on a rather eventful and long journey to hospital, and getting lost in the mountains, surrounded by wild horses.

You can find out more about Aaron by following him on Twitter at @AaronMWriter or by checking out his websites by clicking below:

Armchair Explorer podcast

Blue Dot Perspective

He also has books: The 50 Greatest Wonders of the World and The 50 Greatest National Parks of the World.

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Country No.2: India

Country No. 3: Italy

Wildcard: Bhutan

Top Travel Tip: Trust the kindness of strangers

Best Souvenir: Small beer glass from 100km pub crawl

Travel Bubble Film Club

Pusher, (1996), Denmark

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This week we speak to Jeanne Hill. The most well-travelled guest so far on Travel Bubble.

Currently in the mountains of central California due to Covid, she is not used to staying in one place for so long, having dubbed herself a ‘perpetual traveller’. She has had the wanderlust gene since graduating from high school, living a minimalist life with only 2 suitcases and a box. What she can’t carry, she doesn’t possess. Her first international trip was with her aunt, learning how to push a wheelchair and pull a suitcase before moving to Paris to go to art school.

Now aged 78 and having visited 130 countries, she, as she puts it, ‘floats around the world at her pleasure’. Jeanne also goes in to detail about travelling sober and the different groups and ways of travelling for other sober individuals.

In this episode we talk about her childhood memory of her only holiday, sleeping on the floor of an abandoned cabin on an island in the middle of Lake Superior and coming face to face with a moose, as well as discussing ‘tag along’ tours, choosing a place based on its art and people, and going to Expos all over the world. We also touch on being left in the Amazon, getting shot at in ‘no man’s land’, having her room bugged while volunteering and why sitting in a circle can stop flies from annoying you while eating. Oh, and don’t have radiation treatment before going to Moscow!

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Country No.1: Greece

Country No.2: Italy

Country No. 3: Australia

Wildcard: Cuba

Wanderlust gene

The Travelers’ Century Club

Sober Vacations

Top Travel Tip:  pack safety pins/ diaper pins. Don’t be afraid, just do it.

Best Souvenir: Maps and Greek kylix

Travel Bubble Film Club

Dogtooth Greece,(2009)

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Hypothetical question - You inherit a large chunk of money, what do you do? Do you invest in stocks or shares? Buy a second home? Or do you quit your job, take your two children out of school and travel around the world for a year? That’s exactly what today’s guest Ian Pilbeam did in 2008.

One night whilst on holiday, he asked his children the innocuous question ‘Where do you fancy going to next?’ Their response - ‘Can we think about it?’ 20 countries, 100 places and 40 flights later, the Pilbeams had seen the world.

Originally from Lincolnshire, now based in Scotland, Ian has currently visited 70 countries and is passionate about travel. After many years of reflection, Ian decided to put pen to paper and write a book ‘Are We There Yet?’ all about this family adventure. I wanted to get Ian on the show to inspire those Travel Bubble listeners with young families and provide practical advice on how to travel with children.

As well as family travel, this episode features the home of Paddington Bear, the world’s best canteen food, walking across country borders, dangerous places becoming the future must-visit destinations and why planning is not such a bad thing.

You can purchase a signed copy of ‘Are We There Yet?’ by visiting https://familytrippers.co.uk/.

As usual, spoilers and episode notes below.

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Country No.1: Peru

Activity: Machu Pichu

Food: Guinea Pigs

Country No.2: Sri Lanka

Activity: Sinharaja Rainforest

Food: Canteen curries when working as a volunteer

Cultural Triangle

Country No. 3: Montenegro

Activity: Kotor Anything else: Herceg Novi

Wildcard: Mexico

Top Travel Tip: Plan – Have a plan, so you don’t have to use it.

Best Souvenir: Small wooden Tuk Tuk from Sri Lanka

Other links:

Simon Sinek – Start with the why Ted Talk

Travel Bubble Film Club

Cancion Sin Nombre, Peru (2019)

Episode 21 is with Rachel Stratman, a filmmaker and business development director from the US.

I met Rachel when she lived and worked in Bangkok, after which she backpacked around the world for 14 months whilst making a documentary.  This throws up a lot of interesting tales including being denied entry in China and India. She also made did a pretty cool music video during this time where she danced with Japanese businessmen and zombies, in front of European landmarks, was alongside local tribes and was even thrown off an elephant in it.

Her Travel Bubble choices include a place that satisfies her need for structure, as well as boasting a world-famous party scene, the friendliest place she’s ever visited and how one country just missed being on the list, despite her most memorable experience was there.

We talk love hotels, karaoke in parks, breaking laws to find suitable accommodation in an extremely restricted country and dune diving. It’s not to be missed!

This episode of Travel Bubble was recorded in February after a dramatic year or so for Rachel, after having a kidney transplant - donated to her by her husband, Quentin - and losing their home and all of their possessions in Redwood Forest, California during the wildfires so a big thanks to Rachel for her time.

As usual, spoilers and #TravelBubbleFilmClub below. Don't forget to like, share, rate and subscribe to support the podcast.

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Country No.1: Germany

Country No.2: Japan

Country No.3: Tibet

Wildcard: Argentina

Top Travel Tip: Spend time and stay with locals

Best Souvenir: Wooden koi fish and a thangka print

Travel Bubble Film Club

The Man Who Destroyed Everything, England (2002)

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Christian Schöberl is the Operations Manager for Europe, Russia and Iceland at the world’s largest small group adventure travel company – Intrepid Travel. He also happens to be my boss.

This is an epic episode and I would expect nothing less from Christian. With over 15 years in travel industry, he’s visited over 100 countries and worked as a Tour Leader himself all over Europe. From Bavaria, Germany, he has lived in Italy for around ten years as well as a few years in the Czech Republic. He’s been to Venice more than 300 times and Africa 14 times. He’s a perfect Travel Bubble guest.

We talk about dodging rhino horns, why Bavaria is 10 percent better than the rest of Germany, the challenges of non-Italians complaining about Italy, visiting a country that is so off-the-beaten-track that it doesn’t even have a guide book, a country that has something to suit everyone, how smiling can get you access to all areas, phallic souvenirs and of course, The Penguin Account.

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Country No.1: Djibouti

Country No.2:  South Africa

Country No. 3: Italy

Wildcard: Antarctica

Top Travel Tip – Smile

Best Souvenir: Chess sets from all over the world, a Malawian set in particular.

Travel Bubble Film Club

My Octopus Teacher, South Africa (2020)

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In this episode, Travel Bubble speaks to blogger and teacher, Megan Griep. Despite not catching the travel bug until she was 25, now aged 32, she has certainly made up for lost time, describing herself as ‘addicted to travel’, having visited 80 countries since then. Originally from Wisconsin, USA she now calls Bangkok, Thailand her home having also lived in Mexico, Turkey and Spain.

Megan has travelled solo extensively and has a whole host of tales to tell from avoiding having to pay police bribes, sleeping in a tent listening to hippos and lions and a memorable eating experience involving raw whale and an overweight retired sportsman bending over. Find out where she went to swim in wine, eat a rolex and discovered that Gorillas and GoPros don’t mix by listening now.

You can also read all about her travels on her blog ESLVentures.com and you can follow her on Insta: @eslventures.

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Country No.1: Mexico

Pueblas Mágicos

Xilitla – Las Pozas

Country No.2: Uganda

Absolute Africa

Raising the Village

Country No. 3: Japan

Midnight Diner - Netflix

Wildcard: New Zealand

Top Travel Tip – Always test your limits, do your research and remember there is always room for negotiation

Best Souvenir:

A shark tooth found while diving in the Bahamas

Megan’s blog, ESLVentures, can be found here.

Travel Bubble Film Club

Daughters of Destiny, India (2017)

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This episode is with adventurer, explorer, travel writer and film maker Mike Laird. Originally from Scotland, he has been to over 100 countries and boasts a varied CV around the world from war photographer to scuba instructor and English teacher.

Mike gave up his office job in Surrey, England in the late 90s to appear in the ground-breaking BBC series Castaway - which saw a group of thirty-six people tasked with building and living in a community on the remote Scottish island of Taransay. Since then, Mike has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments from cycling 4000km solo in Australia to being 1 of only 2 people to have ever skied both the North Pole (600km) and the surface of Lake Baikal in Russia (640km).

This episode of Travel Bubble touches on some areas of his fascinating life since then, including photographing individuals from Miss World, British Prime Ministers and snipers in Beirut, as well as the extraordinary journey he undertook to obtain Ministry of Defence, International Security Assistance Force, UN and NATO press passes.

Mike’s Travel Bubble choices includes a country that has so many islands it would take you over 50 years to visit them all if you went to one a day, a country he has battled for nearly six years to get a permit to do an adventure like no other in, and explains the many ways gaffer tape can get you out of a sticky situation.

Mike’s personal website is - http://www.jockandthebeanstalk.com/

He can be found on Instagram as: @michaelpaullaird

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Country No.1: Russia

Bering Strait

Country No.2: Indonesia

Country No. 3: Peru

Wildcard: Sudan

Top Travel Tip – It’s important what you pack in your bag – take a roll of gaffer tape

Best Souvenir: an Oosig – whale penis bone from Alaska

Travel Bubble Film Club

A Time for Drunken Horses Iran (2000)

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In this episode we talk to Andrew Melling about the places he would add to his bubble. Originally from the UK, Andrew has called Thailand his home for the past 15 years after being persuaded to move there after an intriguing mode of transport promise. In this episode we cover a number of different countries with plenty of tales to tell from playing football in ancient ruins to running away from bulls.

Every year Andrew makes a list of things to accomplish, with this year’s including growing a mullet and fire juggling. Past lists have seen him jumping out of a plane, cycling from Singapore to North Thailand and riding an ostrich.

During this episode, we also talk about a country which he compared to being like ‘one massive toy store’, find out what unusual mode of transport he hopes to ride when there and what food he has finally discovered he likes after 30 years.

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Country No.1: Thailand

Ancient City

Teens of Thailand, Soi Nana Bangkok

Country No.2: Spain

Running of the bulls

Country No. 3: Japan

Wildcard: Mexico

Top Travel Tip: – try new things

Best Souvenir:

Bull statue - Spain

Vase – St Helens World Of Glass

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In this episode we speak to Jen Duverseau, a fellow teacher and friend of the show after working together at a school in Haiti. Originally from Canada, she has since lived and taught in South Korea, Czech Republic, Honduras, Turkey and Haiti. Now based in Guatemala, unsurprisingly, Jen has plenty of interesting and unique tales to share.

Despite only taking her first flight abroad at 18, she has set foot in many countries that most have never been to since then, and is certainly not averse to dangerous lands.

We go into detail about the place she considers her second home which, despite boasting wonderful landscapes and holds so many great memories, is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. She talks about political unrest, how she was evacuated out by helicopter and also the loss of a good friend who was gunned down outside the school we taught at.

Also mentioned is why people flock to the sea for some hanky panky, the gateway to the Amazon, where to get the best beer in the world for $1 and why Jen really wants to visit the city where everything is white and has a ‘fire of hell’.

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Country No.1: Haiti

Hand in Hand for Haiti on Instagram

Hand in Hand for Haiti

Pikliz recipe

Country No.2: Czech Republic

Things you might not know about Czech beer

Country No. 3: Suriname

Wildcard: Turkmenistan

Top Travel Tip: Be open and ready to change plans

Best Souvenir: Table cloth from Prague beer festival

Travel Bubble Film Club

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Thanks for listening.

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