International Travel Allows Travelers to Broaden Their Culture

International travel, since ancient times – in purpose, style and destination – has seldom been affected by stagnation. In fact, it is characterized by being in a continuous evolutionary state, enveloping an intricate ongoing skein of globalization, commerce, and faddism.
The original international travelers of the past were basically merchants on missions, in search of profits for their royal patrons, and their travels were more akin to war and plunder than the sense of adventure associated with modern travel.
Usually, their travels were marked by accidents, resulting either in disaster, or in the discovery of new lands. They were essentially well-planned journeys that headed off into the utterly unknown. For example, Robert Falcon Scott’s polar expedition resulted in the entire party perishing.
Christopher Columbus of course thought he had journeyed to India, when he was actually on the other side of the globe.
Modern international travel can be traced to about 35 years back, with the advent of the first organized trips to the Himalayas in Nepalese territory, and thereafter the first commercialized African rafting trips.
World events have changed things so much since. While all through the ‘80’s Nepal was the archetypal international travel destination; being caught up in Maoist uprising in recent years, it hardly features in any traveler’s itinerary these days. Bhutan, a mountain kingdom nearby, has been the main beneficiary, and is witnessing a surge in its tourism industry.
Likewise, Ethiopia, which was the location of the original rafting trips in the Blue Nile and Omo, is no longer favored as a travel destination, being embroiled in droughts, revolution and wars.
Each year brings forth new travel activities and destinations. In the ‘70’s for instance, overland treks across Afghanistan, river runs in New Guinea and camel safaris in Algeria were favorites amongst travelers, which no longer are possible today.
In the ‘80’s, the popular spots were the Egyptian Nile, for its felucca trips, eastern Turkey, for scaling Mount Ararat, plunging into the Red Sea, riding the waves of surf in Bali, all of which have been adversely affected by world events since.
The ‘90’s witnessed the popularity of Alpine hikes, but that enthusiasm has been dampened today by the Euro rise against the dollar. Natural disasters too can affect international travel. For instance, the aftermath of the tsunami which hit Thailand, a popular destination until then, saw a dramatic fall in the tourism the following year or two.
With AIDS sweeping across Africa, its popular jungle safaris have been on a decline. The avian flu kept many travelers away from China and Southeast Asia.
However, destinations that were rarely favored by international travelers in the past are becoming popular these days, like Mozambique, Libya, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, to name just a few.
Nevertheless, throughout this period of time, some destinations have retained their attraction as travel destinations due to low prices, a wide range of adventurous activities, and political stability.
Northern Queensland in Australia is an example, with its famous diving in the vicinity of the Great Barrier Reef, its river rafting in the rainforest, and excellent biking and hiking in the great weather that exists throughout the year.
International travel has become common place among travelers of all ages, locations and nationalities. The opportunity to experience a wide variety of culture and lifestyles has sparked a rise in travel abroad.

Framantari si galaxii

Iata un exercitiu extrem de util: de fiecare data cand simtiti ca va cuprind grijile, cand ati
patit un necaz si nu mai aveti chef de nimic, cand ceva a iesit altfel decat trebuia,
incercati sa nu va lasati purtat(a) de valul amaraciunii. Inca de la primele emotii negative,
opriti-va! Ce s-a intamplat e bun (sau rau) intamplat!
Nu va ajuta la nimic sa va chinuiti suplimentar! Inchideti ochii si imaginati-va ca va
vedeti de undeva, de sus, de la inaltimea camerei unde va aflati. Apoi, usor, departati-va
si mai mult si priviti-va de la inaltimea blocului sau a casei unde locuiti.

...Mergeti mai departe. Acum este momentul sa va uitati la dumneavoastra de la inaltimea
ultimului etaj al celei mai inalte cladiri din oras, de la inaltimea primului varf de munte al
carui nume va vine in minte, de la inaltimea la care zboara un avion...
Apoi, imaginati-va ca depasiti atmosfera terestra si ca va priviti din spatiul cosmic,
indepartandu-va, incet-incet, de Pamant. Dupa cateva clipe, ati ajuns deja in zona Lunii si
va continuati periplul cosmic pana in cele mai indepartate colturi ale galaxiei. (Recunosc
ca nu stiu cu precizie daca galaxiile au colturi!)
Opriti-va cand doriti! In aceasta clipa, aruncati o ultima privire catre Terra si veti realiza,
cu atat mai intens cu cat v-ati implicat mai mult in acest exercitiu de imaginatie, ca
problema care va framanta este atat de mica, raportat la Univers, incat a te ingrijora cu
privire la ea e cel putin bizar!...
Faceti exercitiul acesta cat mai des. Va va ajuta foarte mult sa dobanditi ceea ce inteleptii
Orientului indepartat numesc "detasare". Detasare nu inseamna non-implicare, nepasare,
lipsa a sentimentului. Este vorba despre detasarea de atitudinea generatoare de griji a
mintii.

Sigur ca problemele care apar sunt importante, la nivelul la care apar, si ca trebuie
rezolvate. Insa solutia cea mai buna se va ivi cu atat mai repede cu cat va veti obisnui mai
mult sa va detasati de "griji, frustrari si resentimente".
Nu exista griji, ci numai probleme. Care au, cu siguranta, o solutie! ...Iar aceasta solutie
este singurul lucru care trebuie sa va preocupe!
Nu exista frustrari. Frustrarile nu sunt... "ceva", nu sunt prezente. Sunt absente. Absente
ale lucrurilor care va plac, care va pasioneaza, care va produc incantare.
...Care sunt acestea? – Ati facut probabil multe liste de cumparaturi. Dar ati facut
vreodata o lista cu ceea ce va place, cu ceea ce va pasioneaza, cu ceea ce ati dori sa va
ocupe timpul?
Nu va neglijati! Fiti, in fiecare zi a vietii, propriul dumneavoastra Mos Craciun.
Daruiti-va cu generozitate tot ceea ce va face sa fiti fericit(a)!
Nu exista resentimente. Omul este rau atunci cand uiti ca este bun! Incercati sa raspundeti
cu bine la rau. In curand, veti realiza ca raul nu exista decat ca absenta a binelui. Sau ca
uitare a sa...