The road was dark and it was chilly outside. I parked my small rented Citroen by the side of the road and tried to get some sleep for the next day, a day that was expected to be the highlight of my trip in Serbia - the legendary Sargan Eight train ride. Having just completed my path of illumination in Rome, big surprises were about to come – which Serbia was about to deliver.

But I couldn’t fall asleep. Whether I was too excited or was it just too uncomfortable, or probably a mix of both – I just got back on the steering wheel and continued driving. Geared with lots of expectation, a bottle of water and a little bit of Serbian Kajmac (absolutely delicious) from a few hours before – little did I know of how spectacular this train ride is going to be like.

So, what really is the Šargan Eight ?

The Sargan Eight is a narrow gauge railroad (heritage railroad, actually) that runs from the nice-looking village of Mokra Gora to the nearby Sargan station. The ride forms an ’8′ form, and hence the name – Sargan Eight. It’s a very picturesque ride, considered by many to be the best train rides in Europe. “Let’s give it a try” I thought.

My conclusions?

Stunning.

This train ride was really one heck of an experience. The whole ride (back and forth, plus a little stop) takes maybe 2 hours if I remember correctly, and the view is absolutely beautiful. What I really liked about the train ride was the old-fashioned looking wood deck inside and the energizing Balkan music on the background. It’s impossible to stay indifferent to that.

The train ticket costs 600 Serbian dinar (just a little bit less than $7) and is absolutely worth it.

Also, make sure you don’t miss the newly built village Drvengrad which sits just a few minutes of walk (ask the locals for the way) from the Mokra Gora’s Sargan Eight station. It is a wooden village built by famous director Emir Kusturica for his move ‘Life is a Mircale’.

Along the ride, you will pass through some stunning lush central-eastern European Balkan view. Lots of trees, mountains, traditional Serbian houses, and even tunnels that the train will go through. Make sure you dress well since it can get chilly even at summer (People love to keep the windows open on this ride).

If you rent a car, there’s a parking lot right in front of the train station in Mokra Gora, 10 seconds walk from the booth where you’re supposed to get your ticket from. I arrived very early and chose to climb my way to Drvengrad instead of driving there with the car, and I was very happy with that. Met a few locals up the way that let me try their proudly grown plums

So do I recommend the Sargan Eight ride? Definitely. Bring a good camera too.

If you’re interested in traveling light and cheap – check out my posts about traveling Europe cheaply and my minimalist travel gear.

I didn’t really plan to come here, but I simply told the Serbian-speaking officer at Uzice (Serbia) that I wish to go to Montenegro, mistakenly thinking that I’ll get to see the famous Mala Rijeka Viaduct along the Belgrade-Bar railway trail. (Tip: there are a few different trails from Serbia to Montenegro, so before you book a ticket – check to see that it actually goes through the famous bridge.)

Anyway, I met such amazing people here and shared such great memories with the locals that I had to pay back some Karma and give these guys some publicity.

Apartmani Filipovic

After looking a bit for accommodation in Bar Montenegro at HostelWorld.com, I was actually looking for Filip Apartment – but ended up reaching Apartmani Filipovic instead – and couldn’t be luckier. I had amazing days in this place, mostly thanks to the human material inside and around it.

The owner is quite a character, and beside driving me to the main attraction of the city (‘Stari Grad’) and inviting me for beer – he invited me to stay for two more nights for free when I told him that I intend to leave to Albania. “Present from me” he said. He might seem a little bit aggressive at first – but his means are purely goodhearted. He’s really funny, helpful and happy to assist with anything you might need.

Outside the ‘apartmani’, you’ll have a great fruits and vegetables stall run by an amazingly friendly couple. The wife even named me ‘not-full-size’ when I told her that I’m from Israel – and thus have been circumcised at birth. All in good spirit of course. They have great prices (cheapest ones you’ll find in Bar probably), and these local people will more than love to help you.

That’s the stall. Behind it – Apartmani Filipovic.

Now, just 50m from Apartmani Filipovic – you’ll find an awesome and very reasonably priced local restaurant….

Restoran Mimoza

I was eating there for 4 or 5 times during my stay, and the surprising amazement never stopped seizing me. Every meal is a piece of art. The staff are extremely friendly – and just as important – the prices are great. You can get a huge meal for 5 to 10 euro, including everything you’ll need. Look at my meals there -

By the way, from what I understood out of the locals – Montenegro has no money for ‘western-farming-substances’, and all the meat there is local produce – organic, grass-fed, free-roaming, and overally properly raised. It’s very tasty, and I find it much more ethical than the western counterparts.

This Apartami Filipovic-Restoran Mimoza makes a great combo, as they are just around 50m far away from each other. If you’re coming to any of the two – please send them best regards from ‘the Israeli guy’, and they might even give you a better price. You’ll have a great time, guaranteed.

To find the places, forget about addresses – just ask a local or a taxi driver where Restoran Mimoza is. It seems to be a pretty famous place there, and from there just walk up the road and you’ll see Apartmani Filipovic. Check out the website of Apartmani Filipovic, you can see some photos from the place and even book your stay in advance through the site.

Bar, Montenegro: Things to See & Do

Bar is a nice tiny coastal town in western Montenegro. You can easily walk the whole city – it’s really that small. No need for a vehicle. Beside the cool beaches, you have the famous ‘Stari Grad’ (old town of Bar) close by (you’ll need a taxi), King Nikola’s Palace, a nice church (Church of Saint Jovan Vladimir, currently under construction Sept.2012), and you can always hop to the near Sutomore beaches – which are considered superior by the local Montenegrin.

You can also pay something like 10 euros and go on a day boat tour covering all of the western coastline of Montenegro – including the famous Budva. I haven’t done it – but it looks pretty nice.

For me, the town was very chilled and relaxed, and I mainly stayed there to get some productivity done on my online business, but I could certainly understand people who go there for a little bit more than that.

p.s – almost forgot – the town is proud of a tree that is claimed to be the oldest living olive tree in the world. It’s very close to the old town (Stari Grad), so you might want to check it out. Overall, for me the main things to see in this city was the beach and the amazing mountains that surround it. The view is spectacular.

That’s how long it took me to mentally-prepare myself to the horrors of the Filipino Balut. It was a dark night in a local Pool-place in Anilao, and I was playing Snooker with my good friend Dominik. Some bunch of Filipinos were sitting outside, cheerfully drinking San Miguel, when a local Filipino vendor approached them with a basket of eggs. I thought it was a good opportunity to be trying this weird culinary treat, but it wasn’t easy.

It’s not fair to be calling the Balut ‘the most disgusting food in the world’, as the local Filipinos (and some Cambodians and Laotian too) feed on it regularly. It’s a part of their local cuisine, and they believe it to be a source of strength and virility. For people coming from western countries though, it’s a big shock. Behold the beauty of travel.

So, What’s a Filipino Balut Anyway?

We’re talking about a boiled fertilized duck embryo. In the Asian countries I’ve mentioned, it is believed to increase libido and sexual virility, and is also considered a healthy snack you can buy from street vendors.

The locals usually season it with salt, vinegar, chili or other spices. The duck embryo is usually boiled when it’s 17 to 21 days old (depending on the country). The Filipinos will eat it after 17 days old, when the duck is usually nothing more than a slimy black creature, where some other countries (Laos) will cook it when it’s a few days older, where the embryo shows its beak, feathers or even claws. Which one do you wanna try?

As for the way you’re ‘supposed’ to eat it – you crack the shell and drink the broth inside, and move to the embryo and yellow stuff (which is quite good, the yolk part). The white part is sometimes too ‘hard’ to bite into, but many people eat it as well.

Really The Most Disgusting Food In The World?

It’s obviously a subjective question, but for me – it was the toughest thing I ever had to consume. The fact that the poor creature didn’t even have the chance to see it’s mom doesn’t help either. The locals absolutely love it, though.

An interesting thing, however, is how quickly humans adapt. My second balut was a lot easier to consume than the first one, which makes the whole question irrelevant. Every non-familiar-extremely-peculiar food is probably disgusting at first, just as some remote cultures might find McDonalds and KFC disgusting (And c’mon, they are disgusting).

So, what’s the world’s most disgusting food you ever tried?

Reading Angels & Demons by my tent aside a typical Swedish lake.

The Path of Illumination

“From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole, ‘Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold.

The path of light is laid, the sacred test, Let angels guide you on your lofty quest.”

Dan Brown, Author of Angels & Demons.

I had tried to look for information over the specific spots of the trail, but couldn’t find any organized how-to, and hence this post. I managed to do it in one day, walking my feet from place to place. I recommend you to do the same, you’ll see a lot of places on the go, even though it’s not easy if you’re a couch potato.

* Spoiler Warning *

Fist Step: The Pantheon

The first stop in the storyline. Langdon comes to the Pantheon, mistakenly thinking it to be the first altar of science due to the first line of the poem “From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole”. Robert and Vittoria arrive and act as newlywed couple, trying to look for the assassin. Santi, of course, is Raphael Santi, the 16th-century renaissance painter buried inside the church.

Vittoria then notices a sign indicating that Raphael was not placed inside the Pantheon until the 17th century, way after the Path of Illumination was actually laid. They then find out that Raphael designed an “earthly tomb” inside the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which is the next spot we’re going to.

The Pantheon.

First Altar of Science: Church of Santa Maria del Popolo (EARTH)

“The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo stood out like a misplaced battleship, askew at the base of a hill on the southeast corner of the piazza.”

You’ll find this church inside the famous Piazza del Popolo. Inside the church, look for Chigi Chapel, which is the first altar of science, and where the first cardinal murder takes place in the book. The cardinal is found dead waist-buried, throat stuffed with earth, with the EARTH ambigram seared on his chest.

Inside the Chigi Chapel, there are the statues of Habakkuk and the angel, pointing the way and guiding Robert Langdon down the path of illumination. The statues were made by Bernini, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see them as the site was covered with nylon due to restoration stuff. Hope it’ll be finished soon.

Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

Second Altar of Science: Saint Peter’s Square (AIR)

“Crossing the open expanse of St.Peter’s square he sensed Bernini’s sprawling piazza having the exact effect the artist had been commissioned to create – that of humbling all those who entered.”

Next altar of science is St. Peter’s Square, home to the largest Catholic church in the entire world, which you’ll visit later on. The second cardinal was found dead in the square itself, lying by a fountain with his ribs punctured (“air escaping his ribs”) with the “AIR” ambigram seared on his chest. Langdon thought the man to be a drunk homeless, noticing his mistake only when a girl screams and points to the cardinal.

One of the fountains in Saint Peter’s Square

Third Altar of Science: Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (FIRE)

“..a woman inflamed by passion’s fire..”

This place was very tough to find, and it seems to be well off the beaten path for Rome tourists. Even the vast majority of locals and tourist information officers didn’t know where the place is, and only Google Maps mixed with the help of a religious priest helped me found the church. However, excitement it was when I reached it.

Inside the church you’ll want to look for Ecstasy of St. Teresa, a tribute to the fundamental element ‘Fire’. It is located on the left side of the church, in “Cornaro Chapel”, and is considered by many to be an almost-pornographic statue and is probably the most unfit piece of art to be placed in a church ever.

Inside the church. the cardinal is found hung in mid-air, arms tied to the cables that usually hold lamps, with the church pews on fire beneath him, slowly burning him alive, with the ‘FIRE’ ambigram seared on his chest.

The not-so-easy-to-find entrace to Santa Maria della Vittoria.

See the cables hanging? The church is full of them.

Ecstasy of Santa Teresa. If you’ll get closer, you’ll see the expression of a woman ‘having deep pleasure’.

Fourth Altar of Science: Fountain of Four Rivers, Piazza Navona (WATER)

“A flawless tribute to water, Bernini’s fountain glorified the four major rivers, one of his most celebrated sculptures. Everyone who came to Rome went to see it”.

Piazza Navona is where the last cardinal murder takes place, right in the Fountain of Four Rivers. In the book, Langdon arrives early to the fountain and surprises the assassin that arrives with his van. The assassin then kicks the chains-bound cardinal from his truck into the fountain and goes to fight Langdon who fakes drowning after using a bubbles pump to breath inside the fountain. He is too late to save the cardinal, and starts crying.

Langdon then looks at the dove atop the obelisk, which points to the next spot – the Illuminati Lair, a place that Langdon finds unbelievable to exist. The movie storyline was a bit different, and the cardinal was actually saved, telling Langdon where he was being held hostage – Castel St. Angelo.

In the fountain you’ll see four male figures that symbolize the four important rivers of the old world, one of each continent – America (Rio della Plata), Africa (Nile), Asia (Ganges) and Europe (Danube).

Fountain of Four Rivers, Piazza Navona.

The Illuminati Lair: Castel St. Angelo and Ill Passetto

Astonished, Robert Langdon then goes to Castel Saint’ Angelo, the last place he could have think of to be the mythical Illuminati Lair. This castle was the meeting spot of the Illuminati, and is connected to the Vatican through a secret passage – “Ill Passetto”.

Robert finds Vittoria inside the castle and fights the assassin for the third time, and with the help of Vittoria, manages to win the fight (finally). They then flee through the secret passage to the Vatican to stop the anti-matter canister from detonating.

Castel St. Angelo. The left wall is the secret passage ‘Ill Passetto’, connecting the Vatican and the castle.

Castel Saint Angelo.

Ill Passetto. That’s how the passage looks from the outside. Just like a regular wall.

Final Stop: Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Church

The Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) is absolutely stunning. I can’t recall if the place plays an actual step in the path itself (I think it is), but visit it anyway. It’s a must-see, and is right by the church of Saint peter (below).

St. Peter’s Church (We’ll call it the Church of Illumination) is absolutely breathtaking, even to a complete non-religious person like me. You’ll see the somewhat-clowny-looking Swiss Guards outside, and the majestic St. Peter tomb inside, the same place where the anti-matter canister was hidden in the storyline.

Sistine Chapel.

Saint Peter’s Church (Saint Peter’s Square)

That’s it! If you’ll notice – the places form a cross in the map. It’s around 20km of a walk, so drink a lot (no need to carry bottles, there are plenty of public drinkable fountains on the way).

A,B,C and D indicates the first four altars of science. Castel St. Angelo is somewhere between B and D, and will lead you back all the way to B (St. Peter’s Square and Church) through the passage.

View Larger Map

That was one of many early mornings of which we – Mor, Dor and I, have traveled the most expensive region of Europe for almost nothing, if you disregard the flight cost. We were vibrant, excited and adventurous – traits suitable for young men, boosted by the liberating freedom that accompany the final release from a long 3-years mandatory Israeli army service.

It was 2010, somewhere between Stockholm to Karlskrona in Sweden. It’s funny to think that just a week earlier we were all practicing sales pitch techniques, trying to make some money knocking on doors and selling Chinese-made oil paintings. The crew was solidified (thank you, Israeli culture), the scenery was just stunning, and these two ingredients blended together produced a spontaneous yet powerful getaway.

The Getaway: Who Let The Israelis Out?

“We’re doing this. We’re fu**in’ doing this.”

We sat around the table in our shared apartment in Stockholm, preparing our big day of quitting the god-damn oil paintings and venturing out into the wilderness of the Swedish forests. Quite ironic it is, considering the fact that I let them all watch ‘Into The Wild’ just a few nights earlier. Alas! with the door-knocking, the beauty of nature was too mesmerizing to resist.

We were all throwing in ideas, opinions and helpful comments, and eventually reached the final plan. We’re going to get a few pairs of bicycles, and just head south, with the very clear intention of reaching Greece and taking a boat (with the bicycles, of course) all the way back to Israel. Daydreams of the Israeli media cheerfully waiting for us at the end occurred  but there was no time to think about it. We had to move. Money was scarce.

Sunset in Sweden, somewhere by a lake we stopped to sleep by.

The 3 Survivors

Our apartment actually housed three girls – Batel, Yafit and Neta – and four guys – Dor, Mor, Nave and I. Nave really wanted to come, but eventually chose not to, as he made a call to his rabbi and the latter told him that he’s better off staying and making money instead. Quite a Jew.

Neta wanted to stay as well, but Batel and Yafit were really excited to join us, and they did.

We were exiled from the apartment, and were also accused for breaking the team. No body really cared though, we have achieved a refreshing temporary freedom, and were all sucked in our own self zen-like state of mind.

We spent the first night in a tent under a bridge in Stockholm. We were practically homeless, but we loved it. The police surprisingly found us in the middle of the night and a hot long-legged Swedish in uniforms approached us with a flashlight. “They said we can set up a tent for 24 hours.” I said.

“Yes. That’s correct, how long have you been here?”

“That’s the first night.”

“Alright, good night. Just make sure you leave tomorrow.”

“Yeah we’ll leave, but wait a second – what if we just set up the tent a few meters away tomorrow, does it give us another 24 hours?” I jokingly asked.

“Ahh, hmmm, yeah I suppose.” she confusingly confirmed.

Morning came, and the excitement was at peak. We went to the local post office and sent everything back home, only keeping a few pairs of clothes. Mor convinced me that we don’t need anything else, and that was actually one of the triggers for my later-to-come extreme minimalism mindset.

You see, we came from a different world. Before our army service really begun, we all had months and months of tough preparations and field-time in the military recruit training (Tironut, in Hebrew). You don’t have too many luxuries when you’re out there sleeping under the (astonishing) sky of the Negev dessert, which I think is why we had absolutely no problem traveling with almost nothing (money, clothes, whatever) and sharing a very small tent for all of us, spooning each other.

Back to the trip now.

Something strange happened that morning. The girls got cold-legs and chose not to venture out, thinking Mor is not fond of their presence, or something. I think he was burdened by the fact that girls tend to be pretty dependent by their very beautiful human nature. They chose to return back to the apartment, and were very disappointed. I could certainly understand both sides.

So, 3 we are. Let’s go off-road, let the real fun begin.

Dor (Left), Mor and Me, hiding away from the heavy Scandinavian rain.

So, Can You Actually Travel Europe Cheap or Even Free?

You damn sure can, and we’re a living proof for that. Starting from Sweden, we managed to get pretty far and were having a much richer experience than we’d have if we took fast transportation and stayed at hotels. We were living each and every step of the way, seeing the countryside as the landscape changes, escaping the clouds with our own legs-engine, and having a ton of pure untouched fun. Memorable, that is.

Besides the necessary flight cost from Tel Aviv to Stockholm, let’s break down all the costs and techniques that took us to a whopping distance of well more than a thousand kilometers. Europe on a shoestring re-invented.

Transportation

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.

H. G. Wells (1866-1946)

You should have understood that one from the title alone. We managed to get three bicycles on our first day. Mor had a small netbook, and we used it to get some used bicycles from Craiglist-like Scandinavian websites. We also bought some second-hand equipment and a bit of new stuff from a Swedish shop, and off we went.

Except for Mor, neither I nor Dor used bicycles since childhood, and were building up our cycling capacity from 40km to around 100km a day over the following week. That was tough, and I don’t recommend it for the sake of your knees. Start slowly, don’t try to be a hero. I had to quit after two weeks because my left knee started to feel a little painful.

We did manage to go through a vast distance with our bicycles – something like the length of our own home country, Israel. We passed through amazing lush forests, stopped for lunch looking at free-roaming horses, and went to sleep in the middle of nowhere, when night came. Sore butt be damned, it was just too exciting.

Mor and Dor having some fun.

When my knees started having problems, we all separated to our way. Dor and I gave or sold the bikes and took the train to Copenhagen (Denmark), and Mor continued with his bicycle to Poland (through a ferry), all the way to Uman in Ukraine, seeking to soak some Jewish heritage and visit the tomb of Nachman of Breslov.

Except for the initial (low) cost of the bikes, we didn’t spend nothing on transportation (except for the train and ferry, of course), as our body was our own engine, happily cycling through the amazing panoramas of the Nordic mountains and mind-blowing greenish forests.

It was tough though. Sweden is not a flat country like Holland, and I’ll have to admit – cycling through a steep hill, again and again and again, for tens of kilometers every day, can sometimes break your spirit. But at night, you feel satisfied as if you’ve just brought Angelina Jolie home to your parents.

Thanks to this liberating nature of adventure, our one-month trip felt like a year. Every day was packed with experiences, views, emotions, tiredness and a new replenishment of motivation every night. Try it, thank me a thousand times later.

Total Cost of Transportation: Around €100-130 each (Including a train/ferry ticket and the difference between the buy/sell price of the bicycles and the equipment).

Accommodation

Anyone who has spent a few nights in a tent during a storm can tell you: The world doesn’t care all that much if you live or die.

Anthony Doerr (1973)

As I have already mentioned, sleeping under the skies, in a sleeping bag or inside a tent were all no-stranger to us. We were all a part of the IDF and these kind of things were very normal. We learned to enjoy it years ago, and it was no different this time.

First night: Mor (Standing), Dor and I (Left) aside our tent. It was up a deserted hill somewhere in Stockholm.

At the first night, we all slept in the same small tent. Mor was sweating, Dor was snoring, and I was reading Dan Brown’s ‘Angels and Demons’ with my flashlight on. Life as its finest. After that first night, one of us slept outside in a thermal sleeping bag (mostly Mor, that was his bag) while the rest shared the tent.

I doubt we’d have so much fun if we went to fancy hotels or heated guesthouses. It was cold, challenging and solidifying. Dor and I were having nice little ‘dorm-like’ talks before sleep every night. We usually sorted things out, apologized if was needed, and were re-motivating each other for the next tough day. Humans are a social creature.

Total Cost of Accommodation: €0 (Tent was borrowed from my dad), although we gave it to the girls and bought a new one for a couple tens of euros.

Food & Water

Maybe a person’s time would be as well spent raising food as raising money to buy food.

Frank Howard Clark (1888-1962)

Luckily for us, Sweden was full of apple trees all around the cities and forests, and it quickly became a habit to stop and collect a good bunch of them. Fructose was our friend, and was showing up in blueberry and raspberry bushes as well. Free food, anyone?

We always tried to stop by a lake at night. Sweden is full of them, and we used its water to wash our clothes, brush our teeth, take a shower, and even fish our dinner! Some Swedish locals taught me how to kill the fish with minimum suffering, as I was a vegan back then (didn’t last long) yet still hungry as a Kenyan hunter in the African savannas.

The rest of the food was basically cheap whole-bread, oats and cheap granola mixed with other whole grains. Mor used to make a mushy morning porridge out of it, and I used to make some spiced-up pasta soups at night. Some sort of a cheap sausage was also used.

We had a small camping stove with us that we cooked our food with. These are very light yet very useful to have when you’re out there in the great outdoors. Take a look at Amazon, they have many options.

As for the water, the tap water in Sweden is completely clean, safe and good-tasting. We were actually very surprised by that, and took every opportunity to fill up our bottles of water along the journey. We usually just used the public taps in camping sites, or politely asked from restaurants and similar places.

Total Cost of Food & Water: I can hardly remember, but very low as you can imagine. We always found these items on ‘promotion’ or something and bought the extremely cheap ones. In two weeks, we probably spent around €50 on food each, and that includes beers!

Final Words and Conclusions

That’s it, no need to over-complicate things. This really was my first real journey abroad, and I’m thankful for that experience. All of us actually met there, and we’re still good friends. These memories will last a lifetime, and I encourage you all to take similar actions and stretch your comfort zone. That’s how you evolve, fast.

Turns out, the less money you bring to a trip, the more experiences you seem to have. It takes far more human interactions to achieve something when you don’t have the sufficient money for it. I actually started this trip with around $400 on my bank account, and that was enough for everything, including the flights from Tel Aviv to Europe and back.

It was all two years ago, and even though I have my own online business today that lets me travel freely, these days of challenging travel will forever stay with me. Along with the army service, they gave me the wisdom to know that all you need in order to be totally happy is a bunch of good friends and some wild blueberries.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

HazelMail is my savior when it comes to sending postcards during my travels. You basically outsource all the printing, stamping and mailing to aunt Hazel who will then send it internationally. The only thing you’ll have to do is attach the picture you wish to send and put in the necessary details, and you’re set to go. What a sweet-sweet feeling.

“But how much does it cost to send a postcard that way? Money doesn’t grow on trees!”

That’s the beauty of this service. Because it is located in the far east, prices are dirty cheap. Every postcard, no matter the destination, will cost you a whopping 1.5 euros, which is something like a dollar and eighty cents. Just the time it would take you to wait at the post office is worth a lot more. That’s why I love the internet, geographic limitations go out of the window.

HazelMail in action. You can also use pre-loaded Lonely Planet photos and other stuff.

I have used HazelMail a couple of times already and am very pleased. I sent a postcard to a family in the Philippines which I was living with for quite some time, and they were excited to see it. This family was a major part of my South East Asian journey, and having the ability to send them postcards effortlessly is gold.

I also sent another one to an old Burmese family that really helped me get on my feet and recover from a few infections I had. I still have no idea if they saw it though.. Internet is scarce in Burma, and they didn’t have any phone number as well.

All in all, I’m very happy with HazelMail. Make sure you check ‘em out if you want to surprise someone and arouse some excitement.

Till next time

It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer.

William of Occam (1288-1348)

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944)

“Where’s your luggage?” asked me the Israeli security officer. “That’s all I got” – I replied, a little bit stressed of the very real possibility of missing my flight. I received a lot of confused looks in my last 7 months in the far east, and I wish I’d take a picture of every person I had told that I’m traveling with basically nothing.

I still get emails from plenty of continents, all from people I stumbled upon on my journey, thanking me for inspiring them to minimize their travel belongings. Minimalism is truly a privilege of the rich, and I believe in it with all my heart. Or as my fellow Filipino friend Nolan said to me: “It’s not about your clothes – it’s about your heart”.

In October 2011, whilst peacefully living in the Philippines, this was the status proudly standing out on my Facebook wall:

Now, that’s Hebrew which you probably don’t understand, but what I actually said is:

“Four months already with a single shirt and a single pair of pants, and life was never richer. Every day, I keep thinking of the enormous amount of trash being accumulated by the human race. Instead of a house that will shackle me down, a car which I’ll worry lest scratched, clothes which I’ll have to select every morning and waste valuable time, and a cell phone that’ll consume my health and patience — I’ll take life, and even a smile or two.”

Simplifying Life

We all know the somewhat-classic look of ‘travelers’ abroad. Bracelets on their arms, a Lonely Planet on their hand, and a huge NASA rocket on their back. Luggage, they call it. I find it much crazier traveling with all that ‘equipment’ than traveling with absolutely nothing. What the heck do they put inside?

Back then in the Israeli army, I got the fetid privilege of spending months in the desert, and Mother Hummus be my witness – neither I nor my fellow soldiers ever carried that amount of luggage that I see harnessed on the back of innocent travelers all around the world.

This joke becomes funnier when I prove them how better equipped I am, while still carrying around twenty kilograms less. You can only wear a single set of clothes in any given moment, and I’m more on the side of maximizing the efficiency of this one set, and forget about the rest. Less is more.

Stick to the golden rules of travel – if something doesn’t help you – it hinders you. Additional clothes will require additional laundry, carrying and caring. Not even once in the last 7 months did I regret not taking more. Don’t get me wrong though – I don’t recommend on stinking like a dog (Army style), but I do recommend equipping yourself smartly and efficiently.

I got to think a lot about the whole concept of minimalism during my travel, a concept which was fueled a lot by the writings of philosopher David Henry Thoreau. It might be a little suspicious to be attending the airport carrying nothing, but you’ll feel as free and mobile as a bird on any given moment. As Thoreau said, I believe the true cost of things is not the money you spend for it, but the time, effort and life you have to spend later on worrying, cleaning and deciding what to do with it.

The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)

I have given my entire wardrobe to charity before I left Israel. All my materialistic life during my travel squeezed down to a shirt, one pair of pants, two pairs of underwear, and a laptop from which I was growing my online business. Today I can safely say that minimalism feels like a life improvement (for me) compared to the materialistic alternative.

It’s amazing how quickly a ‘thing’ loses its value and meaning once you forget it ever existed. That said, I’ll have to admit that I was a little bit emotional about letters from the past and just couldn’t get rid of them. Sissy me.

Less is more. Simplifying Life – Part One.

The emotional letters. These include all my memories from the army girls, basically.

Benefits of Traveling Light

• You won’t have to wait at the airport for your bag, or even worse – get frustrated when its lost (it happens more than you think). Generally speaking,  going on and off the airport will go flash-fast, and you’ll sometimes even get the privilege of ordering a ‘carry on luggage only’ cheaper flight ticket. Yay.

• Flexibility and comfort. You won’t have to waste time worrying, making laundries, having back aches, tiredness, and finding a place to accommodate your luggage each time you want to go somewhere. Traveling light, you’ll be able to take your ‘stuff’ anywhere you go, without ever thinking about all of the above. That, my friends – is what I call total freedom. You’ll love it. You’ll be ready for any adventure within minutes if not seconds.

• You’ll merge better with the local culture. There is some sort of a disrespect in coming all the way to a far-away land (and usually poor as well) and look like a walking spaceship from the western world. That’s also the reason why I never carry a big-ass DSLR, and settle on something more modest. If you come with minimum gear, you won’t look like the average tourist screaming ‘Rip me off!’. You’ll look more like an expat or something.

• You simply don’t need more. I give you my word. Cyril Northcote Parkinson was known for his disrespect for the lack of efficiency of the human race to manage its resources. he was the one to come up with ‘Parkinson’s Law’, suggesting that ‘the work expands in such a way that it takes away all the available resources for its completion’. Meaning, we have this weird natural tendency to stretch the amount of time we have to put on a task for completing it, to the amount of time that is actually available to us. Here’s a daily example.

Your boss gives you a task to complete in 8 hours. Your natural tendency will be to complete it in 8 hours. If that same boss tells you to finish it in two hours and go home – it’s very likely that you’ll find a way to finish it in two hours. Humans are just not efficient at managing resources, and it means something to us travelers, too. No matter what size of a bag you’ll take – you’ll always find something to fill it up with. The things you didn’t take – most chances are that you won’t even notice you need them (cause you probably don’t). Humans are a funny creature.

How Did I Circle South East Asia With Close to Zero Carry On Luggage?

So, as I said – you want to gear up intelligently. You’re going to be carrying very few items, and it’s important to make sure these are as efficient as possible. One of the mistakes I see travelers doing over and over, is the choice of fabric. The vast majority of people comes with gazillion cotton clothes, some even show up with fancy ‘special traveling gear’ made out of stinky synthetic fabrics.

Cotton is devil. It’s a very bad fabric for almost any weather. You want something that will wick sweat away quickly and efficiently, which cotton falls badly at. You want something that will keep your body warm when it’s cold outside, and something that will dry very quickly when wet. Cotton is a bad choice for each one of the three, let alone all of them. Every Israeli soldier you’ll meet can tell you how bad cotton performs under training – it stinks, feels very ‘sweaty’, and doesn’t keep your body warm in winter (Hypothermia, anyone?).

The answer is not as common as you’d imagine: Wool. Wool has antibacterial properties by its nature, which gives you the privilege of not washing it every day, without it stinking. I usually wash my wool shirts once every few days of travel. They just don’t stink. It also dries up quickly and wicks sweat away effectively, and regulates body temperature very effectively. The only disadvantage is the price, but you get what you pay for, right? For me, it was well worth it, since that’s the only shirt I was traveling with for quite a long time.

Special thanks to Tynan who helped a lot with the travel clothing and trip packing list. He’s the one who introduced me to some of the travel wear items below.

Minimalist Travel Gear Packing List

Basic Merino Wool Layer: Icebreaker Bodyfit-150 Atlas S/S

Icebreaker is a brand from New Zealand specializing in 100% merino wool clothing. Merino, if you’re wondering, is a type of sheep from the mountains of New Zealand. I’ve made a little online research before going on my journey, and Icebreaker looked like the leading brand when it comes to wool. The shirt is a little bit expensive and cost me around 40 to 50 US dollars.

In fact, that’s the only shirt I was traveling with for the first four months, and it was really more than enough for me. I sent it back to Icebreaker for a replacement (awesome service, they have) and continued with a cotton tank-top I received as a gift from a fellow Filipino dude of mine from a village I was living in. The difference in ‘aroma’ was very noticeable.

At first, I used to wash it every day, but quickly discovered through trial and error that it’s not necessary and moved to about once every 4 or 5 days, even though I was sweating a lot in it. This shirt’s a wonder, and every time I was inside a frozen bus/train/plane – I felt grateful again for buying this shirt.

I also went for the Icebreaker brand since it was very important for me to buy ‘ethical’ wool. Icebreaker are very transparent when it comes to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of the company, and you’ll even get a green ‘baa-code’ with every product, with which you can source the wool farm location and see videos from there.

It’s the only shirt you’ll ever need. Guaranteed.

Buy either from Icebreaker itself or from Amazon.

Pants: Brushed Nylon or Wool (If you can find it)

I personally used a basic pair of convertible travel pants by Wildcat, an Israeli brand. They were very cheap, good-looking and effective at the beginning of the journey. The smell-difference between them and the wool shirt became very noticeable, which is why I’d recommend trying to find some sort of a wool pair of pants. It’s pretty rare to find good-looking ones, as the vast majority of them will make you look like a baron from the seventeenth century.

If you cant’ find any wool pants, I’d recommend going for brushed-nylon pants, just like me. Sweating is more of a problem in the upper body region, and the merino wool shirt takes care of that. It’s less of a problem in your legs though, but still.

I also highly recommend buying a pair of pants with an internal pocket where you can safely keep your money and credit card. If you don’t find any – you can visit a local tailor and do it cheaply.

There are loads of brushed-nylon pants on Amazon.

Underwear: ExOfficio Give N’ Go Briefs or Icebreaker Merino Wool Briefs

I personally used two pairs of ExOfficio undies, and I’m very, very satisfied with them. I bought them in Israel, and they cost me around $20 each. Well worth it if you ask me. However, I’ll be curious to try Icebreaker merino wool briefs as well, I bet they will perform just as good as their shirts, and my shirt always dried up quicker than the ExOfficios.

ExOfficio briefs wick sweat away very effectively and don’t smell nearly as bad as the regular undies. They are also the most comfortable undies I’ve ever put. That said, I’d still try Icebreaker and see how they compare.

For those of you prone to chaffing, I recommend going for the boxers version to minimize rubbing.

Towel: MSR PackTowl Ultralite

This thing is beyond amazing. This towel is so tiny that you can easily put it inside any pocket, and is so effective that I was using it even in my own home instead of the regular heavy classic towels we all know. I let my sister use it too when she was in army, and she called me one day, extremely shocked by the fact that she’s just finished a shower, used the towel, hung it outside, went to the Shequem (Hebrew word for a small store of daily groceries inside military bases), and found the towel completely dry when she came back after 8 minutes. Yes, EIGHT.

You can buy the towel from amazon, and I really recommend going for the L or XL sizes, as the sizes are really small for some reason. Amazing towel. Highly, highly recommended.

By the way, I lost the towel somewhere in Cambodia and continued the journey without it. Remember ‘Parkinson’s Law’ we were talking about earlier? That’s exactly what happened. Once I lost the towel, I never felt the need for it again. Somehow, I always found a way to dry myself (towels from the guesthouses or people I was staying with, or just shaking myself like a wet dog under the ceilings full of Asian gecko lizards). I used a number of microfiber towels before, and MSR is by far the most effective yet lightest one. Get it.

Footwear: InvisibleShoes Huaraches

The most amazing ‘footwear’ I have ever worn. I have been exposed to the science behind barefoot running last year, and it only made my feelings stronger. What feelings, you’re asking? I always found it pretty reasonable for humans to walk, run and jump barefoot. That’s how we all evolved, right?

The huaraches are the traditional sandals of the Mexican Tarahumara tribe, and the InvisibleShoes are a modern take of them by Steven Sashen. The original ones were made out of a thin leather or rubber sole that was tied to the foot with similar materials.

Say hello to the InvisibleShoes (Soon to be renamed to ‘XeroShoes’) Huaraches. This ‘shoe’ allows you to keep the natural functionality of the human foot, while still providing protection from ‘modern things’ like broken glass and similar stuff. I personally prefer running completely barefoot (usually in the beach), but would definitely consider the huaraches if I’d run on asphalt or rocky terrains.

Me and an Australian dude (CyWalsh.com) I met in Cambodia. Excitement it was.

Even more, these sandals are totally cool. I had a lot of curious faces looking at them in the last year. I highly recommend them for the health of your foot. When you walk, jog or run with ‘regular’ shoes – you ‘heel-strike’ the ground first, which causes a bad, bad impact on your posterior chain (Your back!). When you’re barefoot (or practically barefoot, huaraches-style) – the ‘ball’ part of the foot touches the land first, acting as a kind of a natural shock absorber . Embrace evolution, shoes companies be mad.

Not only that, but your foot will have more ‘air to breath’. and you’ll minimize your chance to develop bacteria on your foot nails, something that is usually caused by the moisture and darkness inside a closed shoe. Your foot is also ‘spread properly’ with the Huaraches, allowing your foot to have its natural grip, with the proper space between each toe – unlike a regular shoe that traps them all inside.

As I wrote in my former Huaraches review, I felt a little enlightened when I lived with the Pounongs in the Khmer mountains for a few days and noticed how different their feet were comared to the western ones. Much stronger-gripping, wide-spread and overall healthy looking. These were barefoot dudes out there. That’s right, shoes hinder your foot development from an early age.

Anyway, get those Huaraches while you can. They’re healthy, cool and affordable footwear, and I never looked back. Worth every penny.

If you’re going somewhere too cold for sandals, try closed barefoot shoes/boots. I never tried Terra Plana, but many people recommend them.

Deodorant: Crystal Stone Aluminum-Free Deodorant or Baking Soda

In other words: Potassium Alum. This natural salt mineral will kill every god-damn aroma-causing bateria in your underarm or any other area of the body. Very effective, and non-dangerous (unlike the regular anti-perspiration ones). Also, it doesn’t leave any strange stains on your clothes, which is a huge plus.

Keep in mind that two kinds of crystal stone deodorants are sold: Potassium Alum and Ammonium Alum. Potassium is the natural form, whereas Ammoniom is the synthetic one, which seems to be less effective according to online rumors.

Buy the stone from Amazon.

You can also go for baking soda instead. I’ve used it in the first two weeks of my journey and it worked like a charm as well. The only issue is that it is a bit messy compared to the stone, but a lot lighter as well on the other hand. Both will work.

Waterproof Fenix LD01 Flashlight

I’ve read and heard a lot about Fenix. They are known for their awesome ratio of light-power to size. I was looking for a flashlight that will easily fit my pocket and the Fenix LD01 was perfect. The elite police deparment in Israel use Fenix as well, by the way. They’re super sturdy, reliable, powerful, waterproof and very effective for their size.

I thanked myself a thousand times for buying it when I encountered the very common blackouts in South East Asia. It’s not nice walking alone in the darkness of a deserted Cambodian ally. Fenix be your savior.

Titanic Revisited: FOX40 Safety Whistle

Whistle to the bus. Whistle to your french friends after you lost them in the Khmer darkness in the middle of sneaking to the Angkorian temples. Make Macaque monkeys run away when you’re alone in caves. Whistle for help when your ship sank, à la Titanic. Whistle when you’re stuck in the toilet. I’ve done it all, there are many uses to carrying a whistle, and FOX40 is the crème de la crème of safety whistles. The’re high-pitched noisy bastards that might save your life one day.

HumanGear GoToob + Dr. Bronner Organic Magic Soap

The GoToob is essentially a small silicon container for liquids. We all know the frustrating feeling that accompanies a random look at your bag, noticing that the whole shampoo bottle is open and leaking all over our clothes. That’s exactly what GoToob comes to prevent. This bottle literally seals the liquids, and is made out of a substance that doesn’t react chemically with other common substances you might be using. You can even ‘stick’ it on the wall using its vacuum holder. Highly recommended if you got some liquids to take care of.

I have used these bottles to accomodate the soap I was using – Dr. Bronner Magic Soap All-In-One. That’s the best soup you’ll ever use. It’s organic and contains only natural plant-based substances (without the industrial chemicals and stuff), and you can use it for 18 different purposes. The bottles and labels are made out of recycled materials, and the Broner family itself is proud to be a part of the Fair Trade supporters worldwide. Highly recommend this soap, it’s so concentrated that you can make it last for ages. One droplet is enough for a shower.

Travel Camera: Olympus XZ-1

I’ve already stated why I hate traveling with big DSLRs. They’re heavy, clumsy, and makes you stand out like a sore thumb and look way above the poor locals. I have researched the subject a lot before I ventured out to Asia, and the Olympus XZ1 seemed like the most solid choice for a camera. Its image quality was the closest I could find to a DSLR back then (in the ‘compact camera’ family), although it’s quite large for a compact (275 grams).

It’s image quality is beyond AMAZING, it’s aperture stays at 1.8 (!!!) to 2.5 at a focal length of 120mm approximately. A-m-a-z-i-n-g. The size is the only issue (still pretty portable though). I’d also like to thank Jeff Sarris from Spyr Media for taking the time and helping me out with my neverending emails. Thanks, Jeff!

UPDATE 2013: I no longer use the Olympus. Fortunately for us travelers, Sony came up with the INSANE RX-100. The technology is an absolute breakthrough, and will let you take DSLR-like quality photos in a camera the size of a very small compact. It’s much smaller than the Olympus and the quality is much closer to DSLR. You can buy it here. It will blow your mind.

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Confucius (551-479 BC)

That’s It?!

Yep, that’s about it. All of the above equipment perfectly fits my pants pockets. No need for neither a bag nor a vest. I haven’t listed the laptop I was carrying (for which I tailored a special carrying sack in Cambodia), but I highly recommend going without a laptop if you don’t need one. If you’re an author or writer, like me, a laptop is very useful though.

I also had a small foldable toothbrush and some toothpaste, of course. And also carried a Light My Fire Spork which wasn’t worth its size.

What Happens When It’s Cold?

If you’re traveling in tropical or other hot regions (Middle east?), there’s definitely no need for anything else. If, however, you plan to go to Iceland or something – you’ll need a waterproof windbreaking layer. Check out the amazing Marmot windbreakers for that. They’re very effective and lightweight, but expensive as well. You may also want to consider a layer of fleece between the windbreaker and the basic Icebreaker shirt. Regarding shoes, try to look for closed barefoot footwear, like Terra Plana.

What About a Smartphone?

One more thing – today I understand the major benefits of carrying a smartphone when traveling. Even though I never had one, I’ll surely buy one soon, and I recommend you pick one too for your travels. Here’s why: You can shove in a translation application inside this little bastard, as well as books or travel guides if you’re into that, and even a log for your workouts/diet diving/vaccines or whatever you’re tracking. Include an alarm clock, some music, maps, GPS, Skype, train and bus times, flight search engines and statistics applications for webmasters (Google Analytics, etc), and you’ve got the most powerful device you could ever ask for.

You’ll be able to log in the internet quickly (without unpacking your clumsy laptop), and write ideas and notes whenever you feel like it, instead of carrying a pen and paper which pack larger than a smartphone only by themselves. See where I’m going?

You can also use the smartphone camera if the quality is enough for you. One little super-powerful device, and that’s without even talking about the ability to shove in a local SIM card wherever you are.

No Lonely Planet Handbook?!

You don’t really need a guidebook, in my opinion. Even if you do – you can shove a digital one inside your smartphone. These kind of books gets you into ‘passive-mode’, instead of otherwise approaching people and do the most basic thing humans can do – ask questions and socially-interact. That’s how you build social intelligence and self-confidence out of the comfort zone.

One of the side effects of these popular books — the places listed there quickly become flooded with tourists. So, basically, you invite yourself to the same place everyone else is going to. This site is here to make you throw away the lonely planet and go explore on your own, discovering places you never imagined existed. And guess what? Good chances you’ll be the only traveler there.

I’m Gonna Wear The Same Clothes Every Day?!

Yep! And you know the cool thing? Nobody will notice. I guarantee. People are so busy with themselves that they pay no attention to their surroundings, let alone the clothes you’re wearing. Once you detach your ego from your belongings, everything else becomes just a little bit easier. From my experience, people will be inspired if you tell them you wear the same clothes, and the philosophy behind it.

You are not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis.

Fight Club

The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

Socrates (469-399BC)

I also have in mind that seemingly wealthy, but most terribly impoverished class of all, who have accumulated dross, but know not how to use it, or get rid of it, and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)

That’s it. I’d love to read your thoughts (and maybe personal packing lists?), and your’e welcome to use the comment box below for just about anything

Safe travels.