August 16, 2025 • 29 mins
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Puffer fish, take cover! Alun's attempting the freediving world record in Siargao, Philippines, after learning freediving breathing techniques. Eagerly signing up for a Spearfishing for Beginners course run by a handsome Spanish instructor, he quickly realises spearfishing is not only difficult, but also humiliating. "Any fish" doesn't always mean any fish!
Vagabot 3000 is off on another backpacking adventure, this time to Guatemala City. Will it be Adam or Alun who's crowned Hostel Wars champion? The search continues for the worst... I mean 'most authentic' hostel.
Tales of a Trip returns with an inspiring travel story. This time, a young Frenchman who's proactivity and patience has lead him all the way to Bolivia by motorbike!
Prepare for Filipino fun, spearfishing fails, and perhaps a little travel envy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hello and welcome to this episode of Tripology.
It's the only backpacking show where the hosts are constantly
tiptoeing from continent to continent.
I'm Alan and I'm here with the ever pescetarian Adam.
Alan, we've got a hell of a show.
Today, mate, we're going to havea little.
Catch up as we. Do we are currently?
On different continents, the second section.
(00:24):
It's going to be. Hostile wars where?
We put some hostels. Up against.
Each other find out which one vagabot.
Our new mate Vagabot. Is going to choose and then
we've got tales of a trip at. The end where we hear from a
lovely listener. What an exciting show.
Yeah, we are on different continents, 2 adjacent
continents, continental neighbors, me and you, aren't
we? We are, we are.
You refer to me as pescatarian. I've been ever so inspired by
(00:45):
your your tuner stories that I actually have been indulging in
only fish myself. And it did.
It came undone this week mate, and I'll probably.
Share that story. With you in Patreon.
OK, well you're reserving it forPatreon.
Is that because your choice to be a pescetarian has been
fuelled by morality, or by a desire to change your weight and
(01:06):
diet? What's been fuelling you?
It was a. Grave error that.
Has resulted in me potentially. Having to buy myself a new
backpack so it's rather embarrassing and I'd rather.
Leave it to the paying customers.
So I can afford one. OK, fair enough, Fair enough.
Well, in in if you know, in the last week's episodes of
Tropology, I've talked about howbeautiful it is that here in
(01:29):
Shagao I have almost unlimited access to yellowfin tuna, a
beautiful fish with a very nice name.
Now, I've been going to the market and enjoying that
yellowfin tuna, but I had a thought the other day I was
like, what could make this experience all the sexier and,
(01:49):
you know, one of the most traditional ways of catching a
fish in the Philippines. Do you know about this?
I can, I can imagine, I can imagine short of just diving in
and trying. To catch.
The thing with your. Hands.
Well, it's basically that the Philippines is home to some
tribal communities that basically invented underwater
spearfishing, free diving, goingdown, holding your breath,
(02:12):
sinking down to the bottom of the ocean, going across the
ocean floor, harpooning a fish, carrying it back to the service
to the surface and feeding your whole family using it.
So, I mean, I I've, while I'm here, I've got to experiment
with that, haven't I? Spear fishing, Yeah.
Yeah. No, I would.
I would have. Said you.
Do have to experience? That thanks very much.
(02:34):
But I always think of spear fishing, not necessarily diving,
free diving with a harpoon, but I guess sort of standing in
shallow water and waiting for one to swim past and then sort
of chucking very accurately, trying to sort of stab the
things of the ground. Yeah, I think that I don't know
if that comes from actual historical methodologies or
(02:54):
whether we would just serve thatlie by some cartoons when we
were children. I think that occasionally
survivalists might sharpen a stick and stand on the water's
edge and throw it into the water.
But that's very difficult, mate,because of the refractive
properties of water. You won't ever quite know where
(03:15):
the fish is beneath the surface.You'll think it's a few inches
forward or back. Because of the way the light
refracts. You'll be very inaccurate with
that spear. And the Filipinos knew that long
time ago. They thought, well, let's get on
the fishes level below the surface of the water.
We have the same refractive properties there.
We're going to go hunt the fish on a level playing field, but
(03:38):
the only problem with that is we've got to hold our breath for
such an ever a long time. So they got good at doing that
and then everything was good. They were feeding yellowfin tuna
to the whole family. Oh yeah, Jesus, I guess this
kind of predates scuba. Diving.
Equipment and having oxygen tanks on your back.
I don't know if you've done. This I would imagine you have
because you've done a fair bit of diving in your time.
Have you ever stayed on the bottom of the ocean and had a
(03:59):
diving? Instructor hold a rock.
Above your hands, a rock or a shell or something like that,
some sort of sea matter and justdrop it and your challenge.
And just. To try and catch the thing and
the way. That it falls is so, so tough.
You can't do it mate. It's basically impossible.
No, most of my scuba training was free from any sort of Pagan
ritual, satanic worship or anything.
(04:20):
Like we basically just learned to scuba dive and no such
actions took place. But I was, I was here in the
Philippines. I thought I've got to put my
spearfishing free diving skills to the desk because I've been
practicing holding my breath quite a lot recently.
I've got up to 4 minutes of a breath hold which is quite
impressive I think. It's a ludicrous.
It's ludicrous. That's longer than a whole song.
(04:41):
Yeah, actually, that's one of the challenges of holding your
breath for so long as you'll getinto the you'll put some music
on your thing. I'm going to hold my breath now
listening to the song, and then the song will end some some new
pop tunes will come out. The amount of times it's snapped
from me right out of my relaxation, I've had to start
all over again at 3 minutes thirty.
It's a real nightmare. There there.
(05:02):
Will be people listening to thisthat think?
That you're. 4 minutes surely can't be true. 4 minutes is such
an enormous length of time to beholding your breath underwater.
When I first tried to hold my breath properly, I got 2
minutes, which is already quite long I think.
But you know, I used to play trumpet as a kid.
I often take my mouth shut at night so I've already got a good
(05:27):
respiratory habits and I think that contributed to my elongated
breath hold. But very quickly with some
training I do O2 and CO2 tables where you get your body used to
heightened carbon dioxide and less oxygen.
Within a week of committed training I doubled that time. 4
minutes without any, not even a sip of oxygen.
(05:47):
That is incredible. So I guess what compounds this
issue? When you're underwater is not
only the pressure because I don't know how far you dive.
Down visit 5/7. Maybe even 10 meters and then
you've got. To exert yourself with.
A harpoon or spear chasing fish that are trying to run away from
you. Yes, so 4 minutes is by static
breath hold, but of course any kind of movement throws that
time off quite considerably. So I went out with a couple of
(06:11):
friends of mine from the jiu jitsu club and a Spanish guy.
I don't know where he came from but he were ever so handsome and
he had harpoons all over the place.
It gives you a harpoon, no trouble at all.
So we go out on a boat all together.
Is that an erection joke? Yes.
It gives me a harpoon and he teaches me how to reload the
thing, right? And then and then he was just
(06:33):
like, right, go about your day, try and catch a fish.
OK. And I was like, OK, just to
confirm because I'm not really into killing animals.
Maybe you are handsome Spanish man, but I'm not.
So can I just confirm that I cango under the water here and when
I see a fish, I will take shot using this harpoon?
(06:55):
Is, is everything OK? Is there anything that's off
limits? Because I don't want to kill
something which, which isn't like a good thing to kill.
Maybe I'll go down shoot something.
He's like, you didn't just shootthat, did you?
That wasn't ecologically endangered Filipino Bay shark.
And I just didn't want the smokeof that.
So I just wanted to make sure. Should I look for any particular
fish? And he was just like, no, you
(07:17):
can get anything. The boatman will eat it.
No matter how stinky and shit that fish is, the boatman will
have it. So you can.
And if you see a shot, take a shot.
But are you doing? Fishing for someone else?
Is there someone else that you're, you know, tasked with
feeding or if you. Do you get a little piece of the
pie as well? I've got.
Quite a lot of dependents here in the Philippines now.
(07:39):
I don't know. I've been here for 2 two months.
So I've got provide for the whole family.
No, no. Well, the the the vibe was that
I was going to try and catch a fish, but if it was something
that was a little bit shit or noone else wanted, the boatman
would have it. So nothing was going to go to
waste, right? All right, cool, cool.
Even the Boatman elite it. That's where that old.
(08:00):
Filipino expression comes from. That's a boatman fish, they say
so. So I was kind of, I had my fins
on. I had this harpoon.
It's like a rubber band powered harpoon.
The first shot, I go down under there, I see a little fish.
It turns to me, fear in its eyes.
I think I can't hunt you, littleguy.
And I fired the harpoon straightinto a rock.
(08:21):
Broke the tip off my harpoon immediately.
But hang on, are you trying to make it look like you're trying?
To the Spanish, the handsome. Spanish guy, you're trying.
To make it look like you just you missed it was unfortunate.
Yeah, I look up to the surface. I see him looking down there
with his great big chiseled square jaw.
And I go, I sort of just fire into a rock, break my harpoon,
and I look at the fish. And I say, yeah, let that be a
(08:43):
lesson to you. I'm saving you.
I'm saving you all. I'm on your team here, right?
So they all swim off, the ungrateful little bastards.
And I have to spend the next 10 minutes repairing my harpoon
that was shot number one. And then basically, I mean, Long
story short, Adam, I was in the water for three hours pretending
to spearfish. And it gets to a point where you
(09:05):
become very habitualized to the whole process.
And after a while I did start tosee the fish as somewhat of my
adversaries because if you spend3 hours spearfishing and don't
get anything, it becomes a little bit embarrassing.
The boatmen were jumping off theboat, sinking down, shooting a
fish in. I mean you can only describe it
(09:28):
as its face and then immediatelycoming back to the surface they
were catching. You know, I would say they were
catching about 3 fish every 5 minutes.
They were shooting fish at quitea clip and I was duck diving
down, firing at rocks, firing atcoral.
One one time I shot a fish but Iwas too far away so the tip of
(09:49):
the harpoon just sort of smackedit in the face and it wasn't
close enough rage to kill it so it swam off all dazed and
confused. It wasn't going fast enough to
break it through its scale. No, yeah, it was an armoured
fish and I felt very upset by this whole going on.
And it did get to a point where I was like, OK, I'm going to,
I'm going to take an opportunityand I'm going to kill a fish
(10:11):
here because they're taking the piss a little bit.
And everyone's laughing at me. The boat, the boatsmen are
feeling disappointed. I've got to do something.
So I sink down, right? I hold my breath.
I think I've got 4 minutes here with wits to operate.
I go, I go down to the bottom ofthe ocean and I'm surveying my
surroundings and I see this dopey looking little yellow fish
(10:36):
swimming around the coral, right?
And I think, oh, well, oh, you seem like, you don't seem very
happy. You know what I mean?
You seem like if if anyone's gotto go, it's going to have to be
you. So I stalk him.
I sort of swim up to him and most of the fish, they're off as
(10:57):
soon as you get close. But this guy, he he didn't fly
off. I was like, OK, take aim.
I was like, give him a chance. Take him slowly.
I fired at this fish. The harpoon goes flying as only
a rubber band powered harpoon can.
It pierced this little fish and this guy proceeded to blow Oh
(11:23):
no, to 5 or 6 times his size. So I now had a sort of maybe the
size of three tennis balls sellotape together.
He goes all big on the end of myharpoon like that.
And I come up to the surface andhe's all inflated like a little
beach ball and the and the boatsman said that's a puffer
(11:46):
fish. You went no, no fucking shit.
Yeah, I know it's puffer fish. You said, well, you're not going
to eat it. And they went, You have to be a
very, very skilled Japanese chefin order to eat a puffer fish.
Yeah, yeah, Fuku. It requires quite a lot of years
of training to eat that puffer fish.
So we're going to have to throw that one away.
(12:07):
That was a sad moment for me as I realized that I'd essentially
done is suit that poor puffer fish for no reason, for no one's
benefit other than for the horrible display it put on at
the moment of being shot. And it's at that moment that I
vowed, I mean, I'll probably notmaybe.
Well, I don't know. It depends.
(12:27):
I'm not going to say never, but I think I've got to reassess my
spearfishing strategies. So that was so.
It ended basically an unnecessary.
Death for this fish. I'm just going to.
Cut to the chase. I would say the death was
largely unnecessary, yeah. Your your sombre.
Yeah, melancholic tone there. But how much of the?
Difficulties that you were. Experiencing.
(12:49):
Do you think were? Just because of the
psychological. Issues you were going through,
feeling that it was somewhat unethical.
About 50%. And then the other 50% was you
being? Flustered by this very.
Handsome Spanish man, so yeah. You know it's it's.
Almost like. You, you basically attract.
What you fear and you were worried that you were
unnecessarily killing a fish andthen you you definitely did
unnecessarily. Kill a fish so.
(13:10):
I would say if you're going to go spearfishing again, I would
say go. Just be comfortable with the
fact that you're going to end a life in order to sustain your
own life or the boatman's life, and try and do it with someone
slightly less attractive. I think there's a good tips.
I would also. Say mate, that maybe it's on.
It's on them for not having the sashimi skills of a Japanese
(13:33):
chef. You know, ones that are.
Able to dissect a puff of fish, Yeah.
In a way, that's. Absolutely necessary to make it
edible. If you were taught spearfishing
by a very ugly Japanese sashimi chef, that would be the ideal
situation to learn in my opinion.
Many of us go travelling to findourselves, but what does that
(13:55):
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answers climbing up a mountain or snorkelling in a beautiful
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(14:15):
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(14:59):
From an authentic experience going down and spearfishing at
the bottom of the ocean, to the most authentic travel
experiences curated by our very own travel AI, Vagabot, we're
going to go to hostile wars. Hostile wars.
That's right, Hostile wars. An item in which we get Vagaba,
(15:21):
our travel AI, to choose where it wants to stay.
It's always seeking the most authentic travel experience.
And of course, by most authenticAdam, it means the shittiest.
The shittiest, that's what we all strive for, is the shittest.
It's the. Cheapest.
It's the most difficult. It's the hardest to stomach.
Where is Vagabot going this week?
(15:42):
Well, we randomly generated a location to pick reviews from
Adam, and we landed on GuatemalaCity in, of course, Guatemala,
Guatemala's eponymous city. I have actually been to this
place. I didn't choose the hostel that
I stayed in because of course I want to find Vagabot a much more
authentic experience than I would ever have for myself, but
(16:03):
I am. I'm the hostel wars champ Adam
last last time Vagabot chose to stay in my hostel, the worst
hostel that I could find. So shall I go first?
Shall I bring you the a terriblereview of a hostel in Guatemala
City? Absolutely.
Do I think that speaks to the fact that?
You're probably a better. Traveller than I am, You know
what's more authentic? So let's hear it.
(16:24):
I do fancy my chances I've got. To be honest.
But let's go for. It.
Of course, and we know that the grand prize if Vagabond chooses
to stay in your hostel, we will name and shame that hostel live
on the podcast. Here is my review for a hostel
in Guatemala City, as of yet unnamed.
This person's 31 to 40 years oldfrom the USA.
Perfect. They say we had to ring the bell
(16:47):
many times and eventually yell for someone to open the main
door for us upon arrival. There was no Wi-Fi.
Terrible atmosphere upstairs even felt creepy.
The shower head was dirty and some shower heads were missing.
The bedroom was uncomfortable and stuffy.
There was a New Testament in thebedroom.
(17:09):
I didn't know that Hostile Worldis OK with hosts proselytizing
to guests. The only good thing is as close
to the airport and the room had a fan.
We hated every minute of being there.
There was a New Testament. Amazing.
I love that, the idea of this person going there and they're
(17:29):
like, oh, it's kind of close to the airport.
Oh, it's a bit dirty. What Jesus come to my hostel,
pray to Jesus, come and have a proselytizing time.
And they were like, we hate it. We hate everything.
I think that that reviewer mighthave been, I think they're an
atheist. Yeah, you're probably right.
I wish I had as much time as they do.
(17:49):
Because that is a. Well written review, an honest 1
and I like the fact that they said something positive at the
end because that that for me. Builds trust.
It's it's a real shame, isn't it, that that hostel let itself
down by in, in a very Christian country, putting a religious
text presumably in a draw in a in a hostel room.
What an absolute shame that thathostel chose to do that.
(18:13):
I can imagine. Otherwise it's got quite good
reviews. That hostel.
But they had a dirty shower and a Bible on the floor so fuck it.
That's what that reviewer said. We'll see how Vagabot deems
that. You can imagine the scene, can't
you, going? Into the room, you know, like we
would often do is when we were in India, for example, you sort
of send one of you up to go. And check the room to make sure
it's worth. Staying there or value for money
imagine I. Come down the stairs and I go.
Alan. You're not going to believe it,
(18:34):
mate. Oh no.
What? There's only a fucking Bible in
the drawer. There's not.
All right, let's go. Sorry.
Can we have our money back, please?
We just. Yeah, yeah, we're going.
We're going to go. There was a bag of a Gita in the
last place, so we had to leave there as well, you know.
Get a break all. Right mate, what review is?
(18:55):
What are you bringing to the table for Vagabot to have a look
at? So the persons that has reviewed
this hostel is female, they're 18 to 24 and they're from
Australia. OK.
I won't do the. Accent.
I won't because. You know, pales are.
Pales in comparison to the one you can do.
So the. It might lead Vagabot down the
wrong track as well. So, yeah, yeah.
Completely so very objectively. Just in a sort of monotone
(19:17):
voice. Here we go.
You can't even find this place, it looks abandoned and has no
signage at all. It wasn't very clean, my shoes
got stolen on the last day, showers and any water from taps
didn't work for a day. No compensation, no hostile
atmosphere, nothing is organizedor events.
I'm a stingy person, but this hostel is not worth saving money
(19:38):
over. Wow, very scathing indeed.
I like your your reviews. You tend to choose like short
and sweet reviews that get to the point and hit home exactly
what the person hated. It's a scathing review.
Well, what I love about this. This review in particular is
that even though their shoes gotstolen on the last day, I mean,
I would. Argue that that's.
Probably the worst thing that's happened to them.
(20:00):
Well, they did say in the first sentence that you can't even
find the place. I imagine that they did.
Because that's how they. Stayed there.
Do you think it's right that they've blamed the hostel for
their shoes getting stolen? What do you think?
I mean, the answer to that question is maybe another
question, do you think? That it's the hostel that breeds
a culture of trust. Or is it the individual?
Travellers that stay there. A little from column A and a
(20:20):
little from column B, I'd have to say I think.
I think it's nice if Arsenal haslockers, but shoes, I mean,
they're sort of Fair game, I don't think.
As someone who has. Had their shoes sold them
before. I don't.
Know if there's any? Excuse for.
Stealing some someone's shoes? It can't be.
I don't even think it can be a genuine mistake stealing someone
else's shoes. There's just no.
(20:41):
There's such. An intimate item of clothing,
but there's no way. It's only OK and can only be a
genuine mistake if your shoes are very very similar to the
point where the person who you've stolen from doesn't
realize because your shoes are there for them to also take.
Yeah, yeah. Hope you get some sort of
fortuitous upgrade. So that would be fun.
(21:02):
Yeah, well there you go. Let's let's have a look at what
Vagabot has to say. Let Vagabot choose the most
authentic hostel, and then we'llname and shame the result.
Vagabot 3 thousands decision Adam's hostel.
Want to know why? Because nothing screams
authentic quite like showing up to what looks like a post
(21:22):
apocalyptic squat, losing their shoes and rationing water like
you're on a desert island. I'll be arriving immediately,
barefoot and thirsty. Book me in peace.
There you go mate, you win that round.
Vagaboots going to stay in your hostel?
I'm so. Pleased I am so.
Pleased, as you know, we. Do have to reveal.
(21:43):
The name of the hostel and that is central.
Hostel it's about 4. .11 kilometres from the city centre.
Just so you know you've got the right one.
I do also want to say even though I feel good for winning.
The overall review. The overall.
Rating is 8.3 stars on. Hostile world so.
You know. Read a few reviews before you
choose the Hostel I. Stayed in that hostel, it was
(22:05):
amazing but I got my shoes stolen no it.
Was did you really stay in that hostel?
Yeah, I think actually one episode of of Tropology is
recorded in that in central Hostel in Guatemala City maybe.
Oh fabulous, So. Well, the last line of the
review says that this hostel is not worth saving money over.
That for me is poignant because it does apply to a lot of.
(22:27):
Things that we do a. Lot of decision making when it
comes to hostels for. A hostel to be so cheap but but
equally as. Shit.
That it's just not. Worth the hassle is.
Low some a pretty low thing to say, so maybe you disagree with.
That I think actually, in spite of what their viewer says, I
think Vagabot will have quite a nice time there and we can check
in in a future episode, see how Vagabot enjoyed his stay.
(22:48):
But right now, Adam, it's time for the best item on the show.
We'll just come out and say our absolute favorite item, where we
get to hear from a listener as they tell us their greatest
travel story at Tales of a Trip,topologypodcast.com/tales of a
trip. Let's listen to what they had to
say. Hi, I'm Elliot, I'm 25.
(23:11):
I'm French, so sorry for my English.
That can be sometimes a bit strange.
I'm going to talk about the story of travelling, but and
essentially the the story of this travel, it's more about.
That story permits me after 262 have like a travelling life in
(23:31):
my opinion. So it's drink COVID.
I wanted to go to live in Asia, but because of COVID it was a
really difficult. I needed to wait and a friend
told me to come to Switzerland because it was easier to work in
Switzerland than in France. So I go to Geneva.
I had some different jobs makingkebabs, making food delivery and
(23:53):
bicycle, making house. So I think someone to making a
building is outside. And after four months, I go in a
bar and I asked the waiter if I was looking for someone for like
a like a full contract job. And I was like, no, I'm not
looking for that. I'm like, OK.
And I took a piece of tissue andwrite my number and my name on
it. So say OK, if you need someone
(24:14):
anytime, any hour, you can call me.
I'll be there a week after the guy called me say, hey, I don't
know if you Remember Me, but yougive me your number and you said
that you wanted to work. So I have the bar is mine and I
have also a new Jean brand, not the pants, the spirits.
And I need someone for helping me to putting labels on the
(24:35):
bottle. I was like, OK, let's go.
So I go. And with that guy, his name is
Carter Quintin if you want. And there was like a big match
between him and I great connection and he became one of
my best friend. And he teach me all of the jobs
because I didn't just put labelson the bottle.
I spent five years in this company.
(24:55):
I was at the end logistics manager, but I have like no, I
promise no experiences. He teach me everything about the
world of companies and logistic and selling and making
everything. So I'm really glad that it's
glad that he believed in me. And I realized in this job that
(25:17):
I was really happy to learn thatjob, but it's not the job I made
for. And I think know, I know who am
I and what I want in life and what I want in life is learning
as I learned this job of this story.
So I quitted this job. Now I'm in Bolivia in some
hypothesis, some of you knows, and I just bought a motorbike
and I'm just travelling in all of South America and I'm looking
(25:40):
for another job and maybe spend five years in this place or
after stopping again and moving away and start a new job.
And I really think my life I wasgoing to be like that learning
things, take everything I can and believe in my I believe in
myself for the simple and that'sit.
(26:01):
And that's permit me to met Alanthree months ago.
Such a great guy. Thanks, Alan.
Thank you so much for sending that, Elliot.
Elliot, of course, as we mentioned on a few episodes, we
travelled around Brazil togetherand he was kind enough to send
us that wonderful message. There's a lot of things I loved
about that story, Adam. Yeah, yeah, I agree.
(26:22):
I mean, I, I am very grateful that he sent.
It in as. Well, because we have been
getting a little bit of Flack online by the French community
after a couple. Of reels.
That have been attracting a lot of attention about their French
cooking secrets. Go and see that if you get the
chance. But I would say that Elliot
sounds like he's. Had the sort of.
Realizations that that we. Had as well we're.
Experientialists, we realise that you.
You can cut your life up into. Little chapters that.
(26:44):
You know, in their own sort of in and of.
Itself it's it's a. Life and you learn certain
things, then you take that experience and you can move some
somewhere else and that's. Totally a perfectly way.
A perfectly fine way to live. Yeah, a couple of big takeaways
for me. And not only having the self
introspection to be like, OK, yeah, a big long contract isn't
what I want. I'm looking for something else
(27:05):
here and I'm on this journey of self discovery.
Then being proactive enough to be like, hey, here's my name on
a napkin, take it. I'll be ready to to go whenever.
Then also having the wide angle lens enough to be like, OK, this
is not my forever job. Even though I'm enjoying, I'm
learning a lot. I've got to go off and pursue
(27:27):
other things. And then you know, to be so
young and now to be propelling yourself around the world.
Being in Bolivia, obviously we met in Brazil and to have this
knowledge of like, I'm going to do this for a long time, you
know, welcome to the tropology community, long term travellers
zipping around, making a sustainable life of it.
I think that's a a wonderful thing.
(27:48):
A note on Elliot as a person because a lot of people saying,
hey, we've listened to tales of a trip and we really like it.
But a lot of these people are people that know you.
That's because we collected a few recordings before we
relaunch the show and we're playing through them because
they're all really good. But there's still time for you
guys listening, wants to send your experiences and stories in.
(28:08):
There's a link in the description, but no Elliott
himself. I was very struck by Elliott as
a person when we first met because he he's a young guy,
only 25 years old, I think, he said.
But a very empathetic, very likable, very intelligent person
and I think he's the exactly thekind of person that's like an
(28:28):
asset to the travel community. So I'm so glad he's like made
this decision to keep on travelling and try and make it a
sustainable thing because those the people you want on the road,
there's people that are great friends, great adventure
companions. Yeah, I do think as well that
sometimes you have to get out your own way a little bit.
I know that maybe. His trip or or what he.
Had in mind didn't quite come toplan.
(28:48):
Or maybe that that spot in Geneva, that work contract went
on far longer than he wanted. I do feel like sometimes there
has to be. A degree of flexibility.
And you have to get out your ownway, as I said.
And I, yeah, I do think that he's certainly, certainly one of
us. May.
Absolutely, and we're happy to have him on the team.
If you want to join the Tripology team by way of sending
(29:09):
us a great travel story, podcast.com/tales of a trip,
there's a contact form. There's all sorts of good stuff
on that website. Go and check it out.
Other than that, though, we've got the Patreon section, which
we're going to zip off to now, where we tell bonus additional
stories. It takes place after the show.
Access it on patreon.com/topology Podcast.
(29:29):
Shall we head there right now, Adam?
Promptly. Let's do it mate, I've still got
this very embarrassing tuner story.
To tell you. So let's head over to The Lost
and Found. It's patreon.com forward.
Slash tropology podcast. Loads of cool.
Stuff going on. Let's get to.
It Yeah. Let's go.
I'll see you there. Bye.
Hello and welcome to this episode of Tripology.
It's the only backpacking show where the hosts are constantly
tiptoeing from continent to continent.
I'm Alan and I'm here with the ever pescetarian Adam.
Alan, we've got a hell of a show.
Today, mate, we're going to havea little.
Catch up as we. Do we are currently?
On different continents, the second section.
(00:24):
It's going to be. Hostile wars where?
We put some hostels. Up against.
Each other find out which one vagabot.
Our new mate Vagabot. Is going to choose and then
we've got tales of a trip at. The end where we hear from a
lovely listener. What an exciting show.
Yeah, we are on different continents, 2 adjacent
continents, continental neighbors, me and you, aren't
we? We are, we are.
You refer to me as pescatarian. I've been ever so inspired by
(00:45):
your your tuner stories that I actually have been indulging in
only fish myself. And it did.
It came undone this week mate, and I'll probably.
Share that story. With you in Patreon.
OK, well you're reserving it forPatreon.
Is that because your choice to be a pescetarian has been
fuelled by morality, or by a desire to change your weight and
(01:06):
diet? What's been fuelling you?
It was a. Grave error that.
Has resulted in me potentially. Having to buy myself a new
backpack so it's rather embarrassing and I'd rather.
Leave it to the paying customers.
So I can afford one. OK, fair enough, Fair enough.
Well, in in if you know, in the last week's episodes of
Tropology, I've talked about howbeautiful it is that here in
(01:29):
Shagao I have almost unlimited access to yellowfin tuna, a
beautiful fish with a very nice name.
Now, I've been going to the market and enjoying that
yellowfin tuna, but I had a thought the other day I was
like, what could make this experience all the sexier and,
(01:49):
you know, one of the most traditional ways of catching a
fish in the Philippines. Do you know about this?
I can, I can imagine, I can imagine short of just diving in
and trying. To catch.
The thing with your. Hands.
Well, it's basically that the Philippines is home to some
tribal communities that basically invented underwater
spearfishing, free diving, goingdown, holding your breath,
(02:12):
sinking down to the bottom of the ocean, going across the
ocean floor, harpooning a fish, carrying it back to the service
to the surface and feeding your whole family using it.
So, I mean, I I've, while I'm here, I've got to experiment
with that, haven't I? Spear fishing, Yeah.
Yeah. No, I would.
I would have. Said you.
Do have to experience? That thanks very much.
(02:34):
But I always think of spear fishing, not necessarily diving,
free diving with a harpoon, but I guess sort of standing in
shallow water and waiting for one to swim past and then sort
of chucking very accurately, trying to sort of stab the
things of the ground. Yeah, I think that I don't know
if that comes from actual historical methodologies or
(02:54):
whether we would just serve thatlie by some cartoons when we
were children. I think that occasionally
survivalists might sharpen a stick and stand on the water's
edge and throw it into the water.
But that's very difficult, mate,because of the refractive
properties of water. You won't ever quite know where
(03:15):
the fish is beneath the surface.You'll think it's a few inches
forward or back. Because of the way the light
refracts. You'll be very inaccurate with
that spear. And the Filipinos knew that long
time ago. They thought, well, let's get on
the fishes level below the surface of the water.
We have the same refractive properties there.
We're going to go hunt the fish on a level playing field, but
(03:38):
the only problem with that is we've got to hold our breath for
such an ever a long time. So they got good at doing that
and then everything was good. They were feeding yellowfin tuna
to the whole family. Oh yeah, Jesus, I guess this
kind of predates scuba. Diving.
Equipment and having oxygen tanks on your back.
I don't know if you've done. This I would imagine you have
because you've done a fair bit of diving in your time.
Have you ever stayed on the bottom of the ocean and had a
(03:59):
diving? Instructor hold a rock.
Above your hands, a rock or a shell or something like that,
some sort of sea matter and justdrop it and your challenge.
And just. To try and catch the thing and
the way. That it falls is so, so tough.
You can't do it mate. It's basically impossible.
No, most of my scuba training was free from any sort of Pagan
ritual, satanic worship or anything.
(04:20):
Like we basically just learned to scuba dive and no such
actions took place. But I was, I was here in the
Philippines. I thought I've got to put my
spearfishing free diving skills to the desk because I've been
practicing holding my breath quite a lot recently.
I've got up to 4 minutes of a breath hold which is quite
impressive I think. It's a ludicrous.
It's ludicrous. That's longer than a whole song.
(04:41):
Yeah, actually, that's one of the challenges of holding your
breath for so long as you'll getinto the you'll put some music
on your thing. I'm going to hold my breath now
listening to the song, and then the song will end some some new
pop tunes will come out. The amount of times it's snapped
from me right out of my relaxation, I've had to start
all over again at 3 minutes thirty.
It's a real nightmare. There there.
(05:02):
Will be people listening to thisthat think?
That you're. 4 minutes surely can't be true. 4 minutes is such
an enormous length of time to beholding your breath underwater.
When I first tried to hold my breath properly, I got 2
minutes, which is already quite long I think.
But you know, I used to play trumpet as a kid.
I often take my mouth shut at night so I've already got a good
(05:27):
respiratory habits and I think that contributed to my elongated
breath hold. But very quickly with some
training I do O2 and CO2 tables where you get your body used to
heightened carbon dioxide and less oxygen.
Within a week of committed training I doubled that time. 4
minutes without any, not even a sip of oxygen.
(05:47):
That is incredible. So I guess what compounds this
issue? When you're underwater is not
only the pressure because I don't know how far you dive.
Down visit 5/7. Maybe even 10 meters and then
you've got. To exert yourself with.
A harpoon or spear chasing fish that are trying to run away from
you. Yes, so 4 minutes is by static
breath hold, but of course any kind of movement throws that
time off quite considerably. So I went out with a couple of
(06:11):
friends of mine from the jiu jitsu club and a Spanish guy.
I don't know where he came from but he were ever so handsome and
he had harpoons all over the place.
It gives you a harpoon, no trouble at all.
So we go out on a boat all together.
Is that an erection joke? Yes.
It gives me a harpoon and he teaches me how to reload the
thing, right? And then and then he was just
(06:33):
like, right, go about your day, try and catch a fish.
OK. And I was like, OK, just to
confirm because I'm not really into killing animals.
Maybe you are handsome Spanish man, but I'm not.
So can I just confirm that I cango under the water here and when
I see a fish, I will take shot using this harpoon?
(06:55):
Is, is everything OK? Is there anything that's off
limits? Because I don't want to kill
something which, which isn't like a good thing to kill.
Maybe I'll go down shoot something.
He's like, you didn't just shootthat, did you?
That wasn't ecologically endangered Filipino Bay shark.
And I just didn't want the smokeof that.
So I just wanted to make sure. Should I look for any particular
fish? And he was just like, no, you
(07:17):
can get anything. The boatman will eat it.
No matter how stinky and shit that fish is, the boatman will
have it. So you can.
And if you see a shot, take a shot.
But are you doing? Fishing for someone else?
Is there someone else that you're, you know, tasked with
feeding or if you. Do you get a little piece of the
pie as well? I've got.
Quite a lot of dependents here in the Philippines now.
(07:39):
I don't know. I've been here for 2 two months.
So I've got provide for the whole family.
No, no. Well, the the the vibe was that
I was going to try and catch a fish, but if it was something
that was a little bit shit or noone else wanted, the boatman
would have it. So nothing was going to go to
waste, right? All right, cool, cool.
Even the Boatman elite it. That's where that old.
(08:00):
Filipino expression comes from. That's a boatman fish, they say
so. So I was kind of, I had my fins
on. I had this harpoon.
It's like a rubber band powered harpoon.
The first shot, I go down under there, I see a little fish.
It turns to me, fear in its eyes.
I think I can't hunt you, littleguy.
And I fired the harpoon straightinto a rock.
(08:21):
Broke the tip off my harpoon immediately.
But hang on, are you trying to make it look like you're trying?
To the Spanish, the handsome. Spanish guy, you're trying.
To make it look like you just you missed it was unfortunate.
Yeah, I look up to the surface. I see him looking down there
with his great big chiseled square jaw.
And I go, I sort of just fire into a rock, break my harpoon,
and I look at the fish. And I say, yeah, let that be a
(08:43):
lesson to you. I'm saving you.
I'm saving you all. I'm on your team here, right?
So they all swim off, the ungrateful little bastards.
And I have to spend the next 10 minutes repairing my harpoon
that was shot number one. And then basically, I mean, Long
story short, Adam, I was in the water for three hours pretending
to spearfish. And it gets to a point where you
(09:05):
become very habitualized to the whole process.
And after a while I did start tosee the fish as somewhat of my
adversaries because if you spend3 hours spearfishing and don't
get anything, it becomes a little bit embarrassing.
The boatmen were jumping off theboat, sinking down, shooting a
fish in. I mean you can only describe it
(09:28):
as its face and then immediatelycoming back to the surface they
were catching. You know, I would say they were
catching about 3 fish every 5 minutes.
They were shooting fish at quitea clip and I was duck diving
down, firing at rocks, firing atcoral.
One one time I shot a fish but Iwas too far away so the tip of
(09:49):
the harpoon just sort of smackedit in the face and it wasn't
close enough rage to kill it so it swam off all dazed and
confused. It wasn't going fast enough to
break it through its scale. No, yeah, it was an armoured
fish and I felt very upset by this whole going on.
And it did get to a point where I was like, OK, I'm going to,
I'm going to take an opportunityand I'm going to kill a fish
(10:11):
here because they're taking the piss a little bit.
And everyone's laughing at me. The boat, the boatsmen are
feeling disappointed. I've got to do something.
So I sink down, right? I hold my breath.
I think I've got 4 minutes here with wits to operate.
I go, I go down to the bottom ofthe ocean and I'm surveying my
surroundings and I see this dopey looking little yellow fish
(10:36):
swimming around the coral, right?
And I think, oh, well, oh, you seem like, you don't seem very
happy. You know what I mean?
You seem like if if anyone's gotto go, it's going to have to be
you. So I stalk him.
I sort of swim up to him and most of the fish, they're off as
(10:57):
soon as you get close. But this guy, he he didn't fly
off. I was like, OK, take aim.
I was like, give him a chance. Take him slowly.
I fired at this fish. The harpoon goes flying as only
a rubber band powered harpoon can.
It pierced this little fish and this guy proceeded to blow Oh
(11:23):
no, to 5 or 6 times his size. So I now had a sort of maybe the
size of three tennis balls sellotape together.
He goes all big on the end of myharpoon like that.
And I come up to the surface andhe's all inflated like a little
beach ball and the and the boatsman said that's a puffer
(11:46):
fish. You went no, no fucking shit.
Yeah, I know it's puffer fish. You said, well, you're not going
to eat it. And they went, You have to be a
very, very skilled Japanese chefin order to eat a puffer fish.
Yeah, yeah, Fuku. It requires quite a lot of years
of training to eat that puffer fish.
So we're going to have to throw that one away.
(12:07):
That was a sad moment for me as I realized that I'd essentially
done is suit that poor puffer fish for no reason, for no one's
benefit other than for the horrible display it put on at
the moment of being shot. And it's at that moment that I
vowed, I mean, I'll probably notmaybe.
Well, I don't know. It depends.
(12:27):
I'm not going to say never, but I think I've got to reassess my
spearfishing strategies. So that was so.
It ended basically an unnecessary.
Death for this fish. I'm just going to.
Cut to the chase. I would say the death was
largely unnecessary, yeah. Your your sombre.
Yeah, melancholic tone there. But how much of the?
Difficulties that you were. Experiencing.
(12:49):
Do you think were? Just because of the
psychological. Issues you were going through,
feeling that it was somewhat unethical.
About 50%. And then the other 50% was you
being? Flustered by this very.
Handsome Spanish man, so yeah. You know it's it's.
Almost like. You, you basically attract.
What you fear and you were worried that you were
unnecessarily killing a fish andthen you you definitely did
unnecessarily. Kill a fish so.
(13:10):
I would say if you're going to go spearfishing again, I would
say go. Just be comfortable with the
fact that you're going to end a life in order to sustain your
own life or the boatman's life, and try and do it with someone
slightly less attractive. I think there's a good tips.
I would also. Say mate, that maybe it's on.
It's on them for not having the sashimi skills of a Japanese
(13:33):
chef. You know, ones that are.
Able to dissect a puff of fish, Yeah.
In a way, that's. Absolutely necessary to make it
edible. If you were taught spearfishing
by a very ugly Japanese sashimi chef, that would be the ideal
situation to learn in my opinion.
Many of us go travelling to findourselves, but what does that
(13:55):
really mean? Yeah, a lot of us go travelling
searching for meaning, and whileyou certainly can find some
answers climbing up a mountain or snorkelling in a beautiful
reef, sometimes we need some help to even ask the right
questions. That's why we've teamed up with
Better Help in a paid partnership that offers you the
chance to try therapy. You know what it's like, Alan?
Moving countries, time zones, jumping around from hostile to
(14:15):
hostile, having no schedule. These are reasons.
Travellers. Often rule out therapy.
I've been using the service for six months and I've travelled a
lot during that time. Organising therapy sessions
using the online platform couldn't be easier.
I've been working with my therapist on some deep rooted
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Yeah, starting therapy with Better Help literally couldn't
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(14:38):
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Platform you can trust. Click the link in the
description. Or go to Betterhelp.
Dot com forward slash. Tripology Podcast.
And get 10% off your first monthof therapy.
(14:59):
From an authentic experience going down and spearfishing at
the bottom of the ocean, to the most authentic travel
experiences curated by our very own travel AI, Vagabot, we're
going to go to hostile wars. Hostile wars.
That's right, Hostile wars. An item in which we get Vagaba,
(15:21):
our travel AI, to choose where it wants to stay.
It's always seeking the most authentic travel experience.
And of course, by most authenticAdam, it means the shittiest.
The shittiest, that's what we all strive for, is the shittest.
It's the. Cheapest.
It's the most difficult. It's the hardest to stomach.
Where is Vagabot going this week?
(15:42):
Well, we randomly generated a location to pick reviews from
Adam, and we landed on GuatemalaCity in, of course, Guatemala,
Guatemala's eponymous city. I have actually been to this
place. I didn't choose the hostel that
I stayed in because of course I want to find Vagabot a much more
authentic experience than I would ever have for myself, but
(16:03):
I am. I'm the hostel wars champ Adam
last last time Vagabot chose to stay in my hostel, the worst
hostel that I could find. So shall I go first?
Shall I bring you the a terriblereview of a hostel in Guatemala
City? Absolutely.
Do I think that speaks to the fact that?
You're probably a better. Traveller than I am, You know
what's more authentic? So let's hear it.
(16:24):
I do fancy my chances I've got. To be honest.
But let's go for. It.
Of course, and we know that the grand prize if Vagabond chooses
to stay in your hostel, we will name and shame that hostel live
on the podcast. Here is my review for a hostel
in Guatemala City, as of yet unnamed.
This person's 31 to 40 years oldfrom the USA.
Perfect. They say we had to ring the bell
(16:47):
many times and eventually yell for someone to open the main
door for us upon arrival. There was no Wi-Fi.
Terrible atmosphere upstairs even felt creepy.
The shower head was dirty and some shower heads were missing.
The bedroom was uncomfortable and stuffy.
There was a New Testament in thebedroom.
(17:09):
I didn't know that Hostile Worldis OK with hosts proselytizing
to guests. The only good thing is as close
to the airport and the room had a fan.
We hated every minute of being there.
There was a New Testament. Amazing.
I love that, the idea of this person going there and they're
(17:29):
like, oh, it's kind of close to the airport.
Oh, it's a bit dirty. What Jesus come to my hostel,
pray to Jesus, come and have a proselytizing time.
And they were like, we hate it. We hate everything.
I think that that reviewer mighthave been, I think they're an
atheist. Yeah, you're probably right.
I wish I had as much time as they do.
(17:49):
Because that is a. Well written review, an honest 1
and I like the fact that they said something positive at the
end because that that for me. Builds trust.
It's it's a real shame, isn't it, that that hostel let itself
down by in, in a very Christian country, putting a religious
text presumably in a draw in a in a hostel room.
What an absolute shame that thathostel chose to do that.
(18:13):
I can imagine. Otherwise it's got quite good
reviews. That hostel.
But they had a dirty shower and a Bible on the floor so fuck it.
That's what that reviewer said. We'll see how Vagabot deems
that. You can imagine the scene, can't
you, going? Into the room, you know, like we
would often do is when we were in India, for example, you sort
of send one of you up to go. And check the room to make sure
it's worth. Staying there or value for money
imagine I. Come down the stairs and I go.
Alan. You're not going to believe it,
(18:34):
mate. Oh no.
What? There's only a fucking Bible in
the drawer. There's not.
All right, let's go. Sorry.
Can we have our money back, please?
We just. Yeah, yeah, we're going.
We're going to go. There was a bag of a Gita in the
last place, so we had to leave there as well, you know.
Get a break all. Right mate, what review is?
(18:55):
What are you bringing to the table for Vagabot to have a look
at? So the persons that has reviewed
this hostel is female, they're 18 to 24 and they're from
Australia. OK.
I won't do the. Accent.
I won't because. You know, pales are.
Pales in comparison to the one you can do.
So the. It might lead Vagabot down the
wrong track as well. So, yeah, yeah.
Completely so very objectively. Just in a sort of monotone
(19:17):
voice. Here we go.
You can't even find this place, it looks abandoned and has no
signage at all. It wasn't very clean, my shoes
got stolen on the last day, showers and any water from taps
didn't work for a day. No compensation, no hostile
atmosphere, nothing is organizedor events.
I'm a stingy person, but this hostel is not worth saving money
(19:38):
over. Wow, very scathing indeed.
I like your your reviews. You tend to choose like short
and sweet reviews that get to the point and hit home exactly
what the person hated. It's a scathing review.
Well, what I love about this. This review in particular is
that even though their shoes gotstolen on the last day, I mean,
I would. Argue that that's.
Probably the worst thing that's happened to them.
(20:00):
Well, they did say in the first sentence that you can't even
find the place. I imagine that they did.
Because that's how they. Stayed there.
Do you think it's right that they've blamed the hostel for
their shoes getting stolen? What do you think?
I mean, the answer to that question is maybe another
question, do you think? That it's the hostel that breeds
a culture of trust. Or is it the individual?
Travellers that stay there. A little from column A and a
(20:20):
little from column B, I'd have to say I think.
I think it's nice if Arsenal haslockers, but shoes, I mean,
they're sort of Fair game, I don't think.
As someone who has. Had their shoes sold them
before. I don't.
Know if there's any? Excuse for.
Stealing some someone's shoes? It can't be.
I don't even think it can be a genuine mistake stealing someone
else's shoes. There's just no.
(20:41):
There's such. An intimate item of clothing,
but there's no way. It's only OK and can only be a
genuine mistake if your shoes are very very similar to the
point where the person who you've stolen from doesn't
realize because your shoes are there for them to also take.
Yeah, yeah. Hope you get some sort of
fortuitous upgrade. So that would be fun.
(21:02):
Yeah, well there you go. Let's let's have a look at what
Vagabot has to say. Let Vagabot choose the most
authentic hostel, and then we'llname and shame the result.
Vagabot 3 thousands decision Adam's hostel.
Want to know why? Because nothing screams
authentic quite like showing up to what looks like a post
(21:22):
apocalyptic squat, losing their shoes and rationing water like
you're on a desert island. I'll be arriving immediately,
barefoot and thirsty. Book me in peace.
There you go mate, you win that round.
Vagaboots going to stay in your hostel?
I'm so. Pleased I am so.
Pleased, as you know, we. Do have to reveal.
(21:43):
The name of the hostel and that is central.
Hostel it's about 4. .11 kilometres from the city centre.
Just so you know you've got the right one.
I do also want to say even though I feel good for winning.
The overall review. The overall.
Rating is 8.3 stars on. Hostile world so.
You know. Read a few reviews before you
choose the Hostel I. Stayed in that hostel, it was
(22:05):
amazing but I got my shoes stolen no it.
Was did you really stay in that hostel?
Yeah, I think actually one episode of of Tropology is
recorded in that in central Hostel in Guatemala City maybe.
Oh fabulous, So. Well, the last line of the
review says that this hostel is not worth saving money over.
That for me is poignant because it does apply to a lot of.
(22:27):
Things that we do a. Lot of decision making when it
comes to hostels for. A hostel to be so cheap but but
equally as. Shit.
That it's just not. Worth the hassle is.
Low some a pretty low thing to say, so maybe you disagree with.
That I think actually, in spite of what their viewer says, I
think Vagabot will have quite a nice time there and we can check
in in a future episode, see how Vagabot enjoyed his stay.
(22:48):
But right now, Adam, it's time for the best item on the show.
We'll just come out and say our absolute favorite item, where we
get to hear from a listener as they tell us their greatest
travel story at Tales of a Trip,topologypodcast.com/tales of a
trip. Let's listen to what they had to
say. Hi, I'm Elliot, I'm 25.
(23:11):
I'm French, so sorry for my English.
That can be sometimes a bit strange.
I'm going to talk about the story of travelling, but and
essentially the the story of this travel, it's more about.
That story permits me after 262 have like a travelling life in
(23:31):
my opinion. So it's drink COVID.
I wanted to go to live in Asia, but because of COVID it was a
really difficult. I needed to wait and a friend
told me to come to Switzerland because it was easier to work in
Switzerland than in France. So I go to Geneva.
I had some different jobs makingkebabs, making food delivery and
(23:53):
bicycle, making house. So I think someone to making a
building is outside. And after four months, I go in a
bar and I asked the waiter if I was looking for someone for like
a like a full contract job. And I was like, no, I'm not
looking for that. I'm like, OK.
And I took a piece of tissue andwrite my number and my name on
it. So say OK, if you need someone
(24:14):
anytime, any hour, you can call me.
I'll be there a week after the guy called me say, hey, I don't
know if you Remember Me, but yougive me your number and you said
that you wanted to work. So I have the bar is mine and I
have also a new Jean brand, not the pants, the spirits.
And I need someone for helping me to putting labels on the
(24:35):
bottle. I was like, OK, let's go.
So I go. And with that guy, his name is
Carter Quintin if you want. And there was like a big match
between him and I great connection and he became one of
my best friend. And he teach me all of the jobs
because I didn't just put labelson the bottle.
I spent five years in this company.
(24:55):
I was at the end logistics manager, but I have like no, I
promise no experiences. He teach me everything about the
world of companies and logistic and selling and making
everything. So I'm really glad that it's
glad that he believed in me. And I realized in this job that
(25:17):
I was really happy to learn thatjob, but it's not the job I made
for. And I think know, I know who am
I and what I want in life and what I want in life is learning
as I learned this job of this story.
So I quitted this job. Now I'm in Bolivia in some
hypothesis, some of you knows, and I just bought a motorbike
and I'm just travelling in all of South America and I'm looking
(25:40):
for another job and maybe spend five years in this place or
after stopping again and moving away and start a new job.
And I really think my life I wasgoing to be like that learning
things, take everything I can and believe in my I believe in
myself for the simple and that'sit.
(26:01):
And that's permit me to met Alanthree months ago.
Such a great guy. Thanks, Alan.
Thank you so much for sending that, Elliot.
Elliot, of course, as we mentioned on a few episodes, we
travelled around Brazil togetherand he was kind enough to send
us that wonderful message. There's a lot of things I loved
about that story, Adam. Yeah, yeah, I agree.
(26:22):
I mean, I, I am very grateful that he sent.
It in as. Well, because we have been
getting a little bit of Flack online by the French community
after a couple. Of reels.
That have been attracting a lot of attention about their French
cooking secrets. Go and see that if you get the
chance. But I would say that Elliot
sounds like he's. Had the sort of.
Realizations that that we. Had as well we're.
Experientialists, we realise that you.
You can cut your life up into. Little chapters that.
(26:44):
You know, in their own sort of in and of.
Itself it's it's a. Life and you learn certain
things, then you take that experience and you can move some
somewhere else and that's. Totally a perfectly way.
A perfectly fine way to live. Yeah, a couple of big takeaways
for me. And not only having the self
introspection to be like, OK, yeah, a big long contract isn't
what I want. I'm looking for something else
(27:05):
here and I'm on this journey of self discovery.
Then being proactive enough to be like, hey, here's my name on
a napkin, take it. I'll be ready to to go whenever.
Then also having the wide angle lens enough to be like, OK, this
is not my forever job. Even though I'm enjoying, I'm
learning a lot. I've got to go off and pursue
(27:27):
other things. And then you know, to be so
young and now to be propelling yourself around the world.
Being in Bolivia, obviously we met in Brazil and to have this
knowledge of like, I'm going to do this for a long time, you
know, welcome to the tropology community, long term travellers
zipping around, making a sustainable life of it.
I think that's a a wonderful thing.
(27:48):
A note on Elliot as a person because a lot of people saying,
hey, we've listened to tales of a trip and we really like it.
But a lot of these people are people that know you.
That's because we collected a few recordings before we
relaunch the show and we're playing through them because
they're all really good. But there's still time for you
guys listening, wants to send your experiences and stories in.
(28:08):
There's a link in the description, but no Elliott
himself. I was very struck by Elliott as
a person when we first met because he he's a young guy,
only 25 years old, I think, he said.
But a very empathetic, very likable, very intelligent person
and I think he's the exactly thekind of person that's like an
(28:28):
asset to the travel community. So I'm so glad he's like made
this decision to keep on travelling and try and make it a
sustainable thing because those the people you want on the road,
there's people that are great friends, great adventure
companions. Yeah, I do think as well that
sometimes you have to get out your own way a little bit.
I know that maybe. His trip or or what he.
Had in mind didn't quite come toplan.
(28:48):
Or maybe that that spot in Geneva, that work contract went
on far longer than he wanted. I do feel like sometimes there
has to be. A degree of flexibility.
And you have to get out your ownway, as I said.
And I, yeah, I do think that he's certainly, certainly one of
us. May.
Absolutely, and we're happy to have him on the team.
If you want to join the Tripology team by way of sending
(29:09):
us a great travel story, podcast.com/tales of a trip,
there's a contact form. There's all sorts of good stuff
on that website. Go and check it out.
Other than that, though, we've got the Patreon section, which
we're going to zip off to now, where we tell bonus additional
stories. It takes place after the show.
Access it on patreon.com/topology Podcast.
(29:29):
Shall we head there right now, Adam?
Promptly. Let's do it mate, I've still got
this very embarrassing tuner story.
To tell you. So let's head over to The Lost
and Found. It's patreon.com forward.
Slash tropology podcast. Loads of cool.
Stuff going on. Let's get to.
It Yeah. Let's go.
I'll see you there. Bye.
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