Cebu City Cat
Hidden beneath some flowerpots.
Travel as a selfish act
This is the 60th post in this blog. Instead of doing another report I want to use this milestone to write down some thoughts that came up during travel.
I feel that in current mainstream culture, travel is often times seen as one of the highest forms of self actualization. The luring promise of the hero’s journey is insight, transformation, personal growth, but in reality you could just as well return empty-handed.
Manila as seen during final approach to NAIA(Ninoy Aquino International Airport)
And I get it: It’s a luxury to experience a place half a world away. WEIRD people are super privileged by their wealth and strong passports to go to just about anywhere they desire. During my travel, I often get comments by locals and fellow travelers alike when I mention that I am long-term traveling. “Sana All” is a Filipino expression. Meaning something similar to “I wish everyone had that”. But even for folks coming from rich countries, vacation days are scarce and obligations to family and careers make traveling hard.
So is travel just a normalized hedonistic form? Used to rationalize unscrutinized pleasure over a number of days, weeks or – in my case – months?
The first days in a new country can certainly feel similar to a drug. You are intoxicated by all the newness. It pushes us to the front seat of our perception. It shuts off the dark and bothered part of your brain, even if it’s just for a moment. Of course, soon we’ll get used to all this, and we settle back into familiar patterns. Conventional wisdom is that you cannot outrun your yourself or your problems, and that certainly is true. As overstimulated as you might be on those first days: The first night in a new city, a new hotel, a new bed you are likely to have some trouble sleeping through the night. The second night you got used to the strange sounds, architecture, and lighting, and you are finally able to recover. Travel seen from this perspective is a fleeting pleasure.
Spaghetti wrapped in wrappers wrapped in other wrappers
You will release tons of greenhouse gases while flying, riding a bus or traveling on a ferry. You will also produce a lot of single use plastics like coffee cups, plastic bags, plastic cutlery or wrapped plastic snacks. Especially here in Southeast Asia the amount of trash I produce on any given day is staggering. And I try to make a conscious effort to employ my reusable bags and sporks and whatnot as much as possible. But I know that if I want to travel our planet will pay a price. A price for the sake of a heightened experience of a different place on this earth. The environmental impact is discussed so often. I think the selfishness of travel goes far beyond this.
It’s also a selfish act in terms of solidarity, relations, the local, and your society that you left hind. And in the end also against yourself. You can only offset your impact so much: by giving to local charities in places that you visit, offering a helping hand and being polite to the people that host you. But a traveler is rarely an actual help. Weary from the road and exhausted from the unfamiliar country and culture. In more ways than he can think, he is making it difficult for the local people. Following the boyscout rule or ethical travel advice is probably not going to change that.
I am unsure of what I will get out of my trip. But I am realistic and conscious about the negative side effects.
I have dedicated this long term travel trip (and this whole year really) to one person: myself. Sometimes to the extent of being unwilling to compromise. In the end, traveling is a selfish act.
On the Bus back to Cebu City
I took a non-aircon bus from Daanbantayan back to Cebu City. The weather was nice an only around 30 degrees with a cool breeze from the open window.
Bus back to Cebu City
The only problem was that the seats were definitely not built for westerners. I had to sit over two seats and after 4 hours I was happy to arrive in Cebu City South Bus Terminal.
Short stop in Bogo City
Bakhawan
I’m staying in Bakhawan, a tiny village in Daanbantayan in the far north of Cebu Island.
A hand drawn map on the wall of the hostel
The village consists of 3 streets and probably a couple of unoffical paths into the backcountry that you will never see on any maps. Right on the beachfront is a church, a community center and a roofed basketball court. The Philippines is undeniably of spanish influence especially compared to Malaysia or Vietnam.
The local church
A reading center
A 10 minute tricycle ride brings you to the Poblacion(the town of Daanbantayan) where the bus terminal and a small roofed wet market is. And a Jollibee.
Wet market in Poblacion Daanbantayan
Rain In the Philippine Province
I was unsure where to go next, but I heard that it’s summer in the Philippines. So I jumped on a plane to Cebu City. After a way too long overlay in Manila and one gruesome(so loud) night in Lapu-Lapu I hopped on a bus to the north of Cebu island. I will stay for a couple of nights in a Nipa Hut inspired house.
Contrary to the expected warm weather it’s raining cats and dogs here. The locals are happy because it’s a much-needed cooldown after days of 35+ degrees but for me the rain and coldness (only 25!) it’s a little underwhelming. As a lady I met in New Zealand earlier this year put it: “The summer has been a bit shit.”
Nipa Hut in Daanbantayan and rain
Intermediate rainfall doesn’t deter me to enjoy the province life here as much as possible. Since I have been here in the Philippines already before it feels a bit like coming home. The people are the sweetest and the nature so nice. I love going to the small Sari-Sari stores and taking a tricycle to the next town.
Probably won’t swim here today because of the rain
Complacent in KL
I feel like I am getting better and better in planning my energy levels during long term travel. It’s super exhausting to travel from place to place every day and do all kinds of tours. It is not sustainable. I know some people can do it, but my pace is my pace. So I try to take plenty of rest days in between travel and tours.
After Vietnam, I felt like I needed some stationary time. 10 days in Kuala Lumpur in an AirBnB helped a lot. Also having a healthy routine of running on the treadmill in the morning, exercising in the gym, journaling and meditation. I felt my energy coming back and even worked on a couple of smaller projects.
View from my laptop
There are lots of positives about Kuala Lumpur. It’s clean. The public water supply from the faucet is not as toxic as in Vietnam (or other countries) which makes brushing teeth, salads, and ice cubes safe everywhere. The food was diverse and delicious. Indian, Chinese, Malay and western food – you name it. But they also had relatively cheap Australian oatmeal, oat bran and psyllium husk. My gut biome was happier than ever. Would I still get fat there if I stayed longer? Probably.
I just feel good here. I still haven’t seen everything the city has to offer. I also enjoy the whole multicultural atmosphere there. I can see this being my base to explore more of Southeast Asia. It was a nice place to recharge my travel batteries.
Only negative so far: It is very car focused. Walking outside a mall or park can be pretty inconvenient.
Small snack-size meals wrapped in banana leaf
Batu Cave
Inside the atrium of the Batu Cave in the north of KL
View from the Atrium into the cave
Entry to the temple inside the cave
Temples in KL
Hindu Temple in Chinatown
Hindu, Chinese Buddhist, Muslim and Christian worship sites can be close together or even on the same street here in KL.
KL at night
KLCC Park
