Why Travel?

Our intention in traveling the world is simple: Understand the world without the prejudice applied by life -  authors we read, movies we watch, partly biased views of friend sand family. Exploration should not be limited to traveling to far flung places though. It should involve visiting new theaters and museums in your city or neighborhood. More importantly, it must include no name streets,a quiet park at the street corner, a children's soccer game in a community college. Doing any one is necessary but not sufficient condition to be considered explorer. People who travel also have biases, just that their biases are different from those of non-travelers. Being without prejudice is the most important journey of man. Traveling is but one potential medium toward that goal but not the only one. It must be adequately complemented by reading and engaging and learning from other people around us. Traveling smart is a balancing act. If you only visit a swanky resort in Cancun, you have hardly visited Mexico. In fact, you have not even experienced Yucatan which has a distinct identity, topography and history different from rest of Mexico. I was shocked to know that many Cancun visitors didn't even know the presence of abundant Cenotes. Cenotes (natural wells or underground water bodies with collapsed roof) are one of the most fantastic discoveries of my travel. Sure, we all want to relax in exotic infinity pools but it doesn't qualify as travel. You are just getting dropped from one lap of luxury into another. 

1) Walk or Jog your neighborhood: The surest way to embrace local lifestyle. People in middle and low income countries do spend much of their evening on the streets. Kids and Men playing soccer, doting moms huddled in friendly chat is a common sight. It also reveals local economic life. Fishermen carrying their catch to restaurants. People from small towns going for night shift to large resorts. These are some of the benefits of a aimless stroll in a foreign country.