lonesome traveler

When one is in Egypt, one should delve deeply into its treasures.” -James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me James Bond knows how to meet women. Wherever he is in the world, he somehow manages to have a beautiful woman at his side. He also knows how to order a drink. With his impeccable taste, he asks, “Vodka Martini. Shaken, not stirred.” And he is always prepared for the bad guys. Bond is rarely surprised, even when the henchmen are waiting for him in his hotel room.But Bond is more than just a ladies man, drink aficionado and paid assassin. He is the quintessential world traveler. He travels with sophistication and style, bringing along the coolest of gadgets and easily making friends with  the locals. Which Bond is this quintessential world traveler? Certainly not Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan. It would have to be the one and only Sean Connery. Connery was the first Bond actor, starring in six James Bond films, and many people (myself included) consider him the definitive

How to Impress Guys from Around the World: Tips About Men from Six Different Countries By Lucy Corne   |   February 10th, 2010  There are many things you’ll want to take as souvenirs from your time exploring the world – tie-dye clothing that looked cool in India, paintings created by talented elephants, novelty booze that tasted good in the right setting, or exquisite carvings that seemed like a bargain until you worked out the exchange rate. But sometimes you’re looking for a more permanent, more impressive and altogether more useful souvenir from your travels – a boyfriend you picked up along the way. Hooking up on the road isn’t that different to trying to score back home and can often be even easier as people are in ‘anything goes’ holiday mode. At home or away, bagging the guy you have your eye on is pretty easy as long as you take care of the three Bs – boobs, beer, and ball games of some description. But the game you choose to chat about could

By Lucy Corne   |   March 8th, 2010 Travel is all about meeting people: locals, fellow wanderers, enthusiastic tour guides, con men and perhaps even your soul mate. You might set out as a solo traveler, but it’s impossible to stay alone for long. Of course, the problem is that sometimes you might prefer to go it alone. That’s when you meet one of those dreaded travelers. They linger in hostel common rooms , they strike up conversations on buses, they corner you at famous landmarks, they try to exchange words in restaurants as you’re engulfed in your solo diner’s security blanket – a good book. These travellers drive you nuts and they make you crave your solitude, but as much as they annoy you, travel just wouldn’t be the same without them. BootsnAll is your source for the best indie travel tips and inspiration. Are you indie? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and you won't miss a thing!  TYPE ONE: The Penny-Pinching Hippie The traveler vs. tourist debate

By Lucy Corne   |   October 26th, 2009 If you travel often I’m sure that at some point you’ve found yourself listening to a fellow backpack-toting wanderer berate his peers for not being ‘good travellers’. But really, is there such a thing as a good traveller? I mean, it’s hardly rocket science is it? Jumping on and off trains, packing and unpacking your bag or finding a place to sleep for the night – not endeavours that require any specialist skills. Of course, while the nuts and bolts of travel are easy to master, there are always a few ways that you can screw up, ways to offend your hosts or make other travellers cringe. Whether you’re a novice nomad or a seasoned explorer, you’re still at risk of committing one of the seven deadly sins. I’m not talking about the list of seven you might remember from high school Religious Ed class. Sloth is practically a pre-requisite for a long-term backpacker and what’s a food market without a little greed and gluttony? Scratch

By Jennifer MIller   |   October 24th, 2012 I was born to gypsies, gestating on Lago de Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala, making my appearance in the forests of Ontario, Canada at the other end of the continent. My path has wound it’s way across many continents and countries in my short 38 years, and now there is a parade of little feet walking behind me as I have become a gypsy mama myself. I can’t imagine any other life. I’m thankful for so many aspects of the freedom of my life and the ability to travel far and wide, but the things I’m most thankful for are the lessons my nomadic path is teaching me as I continue to put one foot in front of the other, on desert paths and jungle tracks, lonely beaches, and high mountain passes. What is this life, if not the culmination of the lessons we’ve learned? Here are a few of mine… -This is your life Stuck in the suburbs? Knee deep in debt or diapers? Freezing cold camped on a mountain face? Drowning in the monsoon ra

Imagine the freedom and potential for change that could arise when removed from your habitual environment. You could be free. Free from the constraints of society, free from social obligations, free from your reflection in the eyes of others, and free to imagine yourself in any way you want. This is what I desperately sought and this is why I ran away from home at 16. I believed travel would be the only way I could ever see myself in a different light and change who I was. So I traveled. I went through Europe, the Middle East, and even Africa. The journey opened my eyes to the world and changed my life. Not only did I learn the street skills necessary in order to survive and travel with no money, but I also learned about people and life, and in doing so, I understood the limits of travel as a medium for self-change. The first time you travel, you become a child again. You return to a familiar state of mind when the world appeared always new and constantly full of myst

By Tristan Cano   |   August 11th, 2010   | I’m 29 years old,  and from what I understand (source: MTV) there’s a slippery slope of some description and I am on it. I’m not sure where it’s leading, but it’s almost certainly somewhere which is not very cool . Or at least, not very cool in the eyes of my teenage niece. Rather hopefully I pleaded with her that I was still “ down with the kids ,” and quicker than you could say ‘Hannah Montana’, she responded with a withering glance and a silent ‘L’ sign, formed by her thumb and index finger. At the time I had no idea what she meant. I do now. I’m inconsolable. Momentarily setting aside the pangs of an arguably premature mid-life crisis, I decided to take definitive action. Wiping the thick layer of dust from my backpack I got myself an InterRail ticket ( Eurail for you non-Europeans) and set off on a journey around Europe to recreate, as best I could, the free spirit of my youth. 75% of pe

I couldn’t possibly spend another night sharing a hostel room with Amanda, who insisted on sleeping naked between the dirty sheets of the rented bed. Having a travel partner had, in the past, proven to be beneficial and fun, but I was definitely questioning whether this trip would have been better off on my own. Deciding whether to travel solo or with another person is an essential question to ask—and a decision not to be taken lightly. If you aren’t sure whether your next trip is fit for a one-man show or if you’d be better off with a buddy, here are nine things to keep in mind before you pack your bags. 1 – The Ultimate Freedom PRO: Your vacation is your vacation—it is the ultimate self-indulgence. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules. What better way to find yourself than to immerse yourself in a new cultures and experiences and make them all your own? Once your initial fear and self-consciousness has passed, realizing how empowering solo travel can be is