April 18, 2025 • 31 mins
All aboard the RRS Discovery! Alun's transported back in time as he's invited onto the legendary ship that set sail in 1901 to explore Antarctica!
The RRS Discovery was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship built in the United Kingdom, and its first mission was the highly successful 'British National Antarctic Expedition', carrying explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. Now moored in Dundee, Scotland, tourists are welcomed aboard to experience what life would have been like more than 100 years ago. Would Adam & Alun have thrived in such conditions? Have we passed the age of discovery?
The second half promises to wet your appetite as Hostel Common Room returns! We answer a question from a listener regarding food choices whilst travelling. If food & drink is a focus of yours, be sure to tune in!
As always, if you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message using the contact form on our website: tripologypodcast.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Antarctic expeditions and letters from listeners.
Play the theme music. Hello and welcome to this
episode of Tripology. I'm Alan and I'm here with the
(00:23):
ever scintillating Adam. Alan, the listener's going to
start thinking that I choose those words myself.
Well, scintillating. Do you know what it means?
Something that shines brightly, that sparkles.
They're all twinkly, all shiny and sparkly.
I think of you like that. And I also have been thinking
about that a lot because someoneshowed me Sirius the other day,
(00:48):
which is the most sparkly, twinkly star of all in the old,
good old British sky. And I've been thinking about
navigating by Starlight a lot because I've just been thinking
about early discovery, early travel.
The kind of thing a friend once told me that we were born in the
(01:09):
exact wrong time from a discovery sense, because we've
been born too late to explore the Earth, but too early to
explore the Galaxy. Well, I mean, that is, that's a
decent point. I mean, you can't argue it
really, can you? We cannot, we can explore some
areas of the Earth. I mean, how much of the Earth
have humans been to or discovered or inhabited?
(01:32):
I mean almost all of it. There are some sections in
places like Papua New Guinea that no one's ever been.
But there are, You know, most ofthe earth has been trodden on.
Obviously a lot of the sea is undiscovered, but really we know
earth really quite well. The days of old where people
were navigating by the Starlight, they were getting
into nooks and crannies of the earth that have never been seen
(01:55):
before. Those are behind us Adam, and as
travellers we just have to cop for that.
Yeah, I mean, it would be amazing.
I do fantasize about going back hundreds and hundreds of years,
but I think on balance it would be quite shit, wouldn't it?
Well, I don't know mate, I quitelike that sort of thing.
I was thinking if the opportunity to discover new
little solar systems and places all over the Galaxy was open to
(02:18):
you. If someone gave you a spaceship
or something like that, would you?
Are you the kind of traveller that would go off and do that,
or do you like treading the beaten path?
So I probably somewhere in the middle.
A mildly worn path. Correct me if I'm wrong.
No, you know where it's been sort of overgrown and there's
maybe you maybe think to yourself, but it looks like
someone might have been here before a.
(02:38):
Machete has cut through that foliage so it's probably safe.
Using my forensic knowledge, no,I would say, oh, space travel.
I think I've heard you say Once Upon a time that that space
travel would be the ultimate travel, space exploration and,
and I, I don't know if I'm goingto cop some Flack for saying
(02:59):
this, but it, it doesn't, doesn't interest me mate.
I'm not sure that the space programs and how much money goes
into it and the fact that there's, I mean, we're going
down, you know, a different Rd. here, but one that's well
trodden. But the, the point I'm making is
basically the way I feel about it.
There are so many unknowns that I would be quite scared to, to
(03:23):
see the Earth from, you know, atan angle that is so far away.
I don't know how many people have been into space, but I'd be
surprised if it was more than a few 1000.
Yeah, definitely less than a fewthousand.
I think that the basically the kind of traveller that I am, I
would as if if those billionaires are on that
(03:43):
submarine that exploded, imploded and offered me a free
ticket, I'd have been on there. I'd that'd have been goodbye
Alan. If someone offered me a ticket
to get into space, I'm taking it.
I just like new experience. If someone gave me a spaceship,
I'd be off there. If someone gave me a time
machine, I'd be riding on the back of a Tyrannosaurus Rex
going through the Americas. So for me, I just, I'm
(04:06):
interested in discovery and experience and new things, you
know? Yeah, no.
And I, I would like to say the same about me, but maybe to a
lesser extent, because up in space, I bet the the food's
shit. And you know, I wouldn't, I
wouldn't be too interested. But yeah, you're right.
I mean, I would look forward to hearing about those stories, you
know, I would. Well, you know, I was thinking
(04:28):
about that a lot after my friendgave me that little line.
And sorry, that sounds like us. Little freight and freight and
slip there. Yeah, yeah.
Amazing. After my friend told me that
thing, I was thinking about discovery, and I started
thinking about what was the lasttime humans really got to
(04:50):
discover something. And I was thinking about that,
and it led me down this rabbit hole where I started thinking
about Antarctica now just 100 years ago.
Yeah, 120 years ago we knew lessabout Antarctica than we knew
than we know today about the surface of Mars.
Did you know that? I didn't know that.
(05:12):
That's incredible. That's really incredible.
Yeah. It's just.
This completely undiscovered thing, we didn't even know that
it was a continent. We just knew that there was this
icy landmass out there in the South.
We didn't know anything about itat all.
And all of this thinking led me to Dundee.
They were kind enough at the Discovery Point Museum to let me
(05:34):
board the RSS Discovery, which was this research ship built in
the 1900s, nineteen O1. It was launched to go on this
research expedition to Antarctica so they could find
out what the hell was going on down there.
Wow. Oh my goodness.
So are you able to describe this, this ship?
(05:55):
Because I hope it was enormous. Big old ship.
It's one of the last built 3 wooden mast ships that was made
in the UK. It's a great big research vessel
on board. It's got science labs, medical
bays. It's got a coal fuel engine so
it could also go using the powerof the engine smashed through
(06:16):
the ice. It's got a big round hole so
that it doesn't get stuck anywhere.
It's got a dark room aboard thatpeople could develop photos.
It's really an amazing vessel that in 1901 copped it all the
way to Antarctica, deliberately bedded itself in the ice so it
could be there for two years over winter.
(06:37):
First ship ever to go over winter.
It could be a research ship there where people did
geological surveys, they did meteorological science, they
studied what was going on. It led to all sorts of
discoveries. What an amazing thing.
I imagine by stepping aboard youwere completely transported back
to that time and it would have been impossible really to
(06:57):
understand the conditions that they were subject to, but I bet
it was. It was probably, I hope it was
exhilarating for the people on board.
I was exhilarated. I was transported back.
I was thinking, wow, this is amazing.
And I just thought, that's kind of like the perfect, purest form
of travel in many ways, isn't it?
I wish that I was alive in a time where I could do something
(07:19):
that incredible, be part of thatcrew because people volunteered.
There was a doctor aboard. There were chefs aboard, There
were, you know, Royal Navy people aboard.
There was officers, There was like 30 plus crew.
I wish that I was alive to do travel like that.
Where you really don't know whatyou're heading towards, but you
(07:39):
know that on the other end lies Glory lies discovery lies This
new adventure that no one can experience prior.
Isn't that just a beautiful, beautiful thing?
Yeah. I mean, yeah, of course it is.
And it would be amazing. I don't know what would be the
closest thing to that in today'sage, especially not with the
Internet and the fact that so much time has passed.
(08:01):
But do you think these people were driven by that wanderlust
and that curiosity just as much as they were, you know, it being
their job and perhaps them beingthe best person for the job at
that time? Yeah, definitely.
Some people were very much aboutthe glory of it.
Other people were kind of serving their duty.
And there was a real difference.You can read crew members
(08:22):
Diaries and get a sense of the different sort of perspectives
they have as they're going on this voyage.
And it was one of the first times where really capitalism
and commerce fuelled the whole trip.
There were sponsors, you know, HMV sent a gramophone so that
people could like, listen to music and take pictures and be
(08:42):
like, hey, why don't you get a gramophone?
Coleman sent them with crates offood and supplies.
So it was really this sense of discovery was fuelled by a
capitalist mentality. Yeah, I mean, it's amazing.
I can't help but think while you're telling me all this,
would I have been aboard that ship?
And I, I would love to think that I would have been.
(09:03):
But I know that you, you're a massive fan of sailing as it is
and discovery in that way. So I, I bet this got your juices
flowing, didn't it? Because you were thinking about
the sailing boat that might be in your future and what you
could find along the way. Man, there was two people aboard
the ship that I want to talk to you about, Robert Scott and
Ernest Shackleton. Have you heard those names
before? They sound like 2 names I have
(09:25):
heard yeah, but I don't know in which context.
Famous, famous Antarctic explorers.
And I kind of, I want to see if we can draw any parallels
between you and I and Scott and Shackleton, because they were
just two people with heads full of dreams.
Scott, right? He's experienced, he's a very
traditionally minded, focused gentleman, very, very
(09:47):
disciplined. He knows exactly what to do.
He's criticized a little bit forbeing too traditional sometimes,
and he treats the crew a little bit like tools, but he knows
what he's doing, he's disciplined.
He's quite a gentleman in that sense.
OK, scintillating Scott. They used to call him, did they?
Who's? Yeah.
Which one of us do is scintillating, Scott.
(10:08):
Well, do you know what? I don't think that you would
treat your crew like tools, but I do think you're quite a good
planner. You're quite disciplined.
I think of you a bit like the Scott to my Shackleton.
Shackleton, he sometimes just went off the rails.
He for went all scientific research in the pursuit of
glory. Sometimes he was just like, F
(10:29):
the science. I'm going to go for gold baby,
let's get to the South Pole. That was Shackleton's whole
vibe. What do you reckon?
That's definitely, Yeah, absolutely.
But just, you know, dollar signsin his eyes, you know, Hail
Mary, all that kind of stuff. And I think that that's maybe
not unfounded optimism, but you,you go for glory, mate.
(10:49):
You really do. And you believe in your own
ability. And I think that you you would
definitely be the Shackleton in this story.
He was reckless with his money. He returned all in debt and
stuff. He was like a bit of a 1.
He had a penchant for the alcohol, a penchant for the
ladies. He was doing all sorts of
nonsense. But one thing about Shackleton,
he was kept his men alive at allcosts.
(11:11):
He was like a good leader in that sense.
OK, I like that. Incredibly loyal.
Would he have been leading by example do you think?
Very much a leading by example kind of guy.
Yes, Scott, he was great at the marketing.
He was able to like fundraise much better.
He got everyone, you know, got the sponsors, got stuff for
(11:31):
free. Hey, like, he was really doing a
good job, but sometimes you'd make these wild decisions.
Like he knew that dogs were the best way to go in the Antarctic,
but he brought ponies instead because he thought this is the
proper British way of doing things.
Well, yeah, my goodness. I mean, if we ever get into a
(11:51):
position, mate, where we can employ some of those tactics, if
we find ourselves on a boat where we can discover a new
land, you're exactly the sort ofperson I'd want to be standing
next to. And you're my Scott man.
I think you could instill some much needed discipline and order
into proceedings. I'd be there drinking whiskey
down at the decks, hanging out with the boys.
(12:13):
And you would say, look, we needto, we do really need to get to
this undiscovered land at this point.
Yeah, I'd say Alan, don't do that line.
We really got to get going, mate.
It's getting late. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, But unfortunately there was a rift between the two men
at some point. And that's sad, isn't it?
Oh. My goodness, now I'm going to be
(12:33):
thinking about this as I go to sleep, worrying that this is
going to be in our future. Well, Shackleton got ill, he got
scurvy, got all unwell and Scottsent him home.
He was like, you know what, you're in a bad, you're in bad
way here. You can't carry on.
And Shackleton was like, F you, that is abject betrayal.
Don't send me home. And and there was kind of a rift
between the two men that lasted a long time.
(12:54):
And obviously both went off and had subsequent adventures.
Shackleton, of course, had a wild, crazy adventure that led
to people being stranded on Elephant Island.
It was a big chaos. That was the next adventure he
went on. I mean, it's absolutely
inspirational. I wonder whether we're able to
do what we do today because people like that have already
done what they did. You sort of know what I mean.
They, they are the original, theOgs and what, what we do kind
(13:19):
of, I mean, it pales in comparison.
I don't want to take anything away from what we've achieved
but but it's, you know, it's, it's difficult to live up to
those the standards set by the previous bunch.
Well, it definitely pales in comparison, but I do like to
think of the nomad community. There's some way down that
lineage in the sense that it's that same sense of discovery,
(13:41):
expedition, the acknowledgement of the beauty of the
undiscovered that compels us to do the kind of things we do.
Is it that same itch in the backof your brain that compels you
to get on a flight and go to Southeast Asia?
That was also that same itch, that Scott waking up in the
night thought, God, I really need to do something
extraordinary here. That same itch that compelled
(14:04):
Shackleton to leave his life andjust create something wonderful,
start writing these stories about all the things he was
seeing and doing. And I think it's a beautiful,
beautiful thing that continues to inspire to this day.
So yeah, amazing that the Discovery Point Museum allowed
me to go and have that experience so I could talk to
you guys about it. Yeah, it's wonderful.
(14:26):
And of course, all of this predates social media as well.
So they won't do it for the gramlike most of the other people
out there now that are probably going to listen to this and run
be the first people to run the length of Antarctica.
Yeah, at Ernest and Shackleton on Instagram.
Instagram if you want to see me with a seal and a Penguin.
Maybe we should do that. Maybe we should do some
challenge we either, you know, through hike or be the first
(14:48):
people to ride a bicycle across Antarctica.
You never know. You never know what's in our
future. But I hope to high heavens it's
not a separation. Born too late to discover
Antarctica. Born too early to traverse the
Galaxy. Let's think on that as we go on
a brief meditation break. Sometimes when travelling,
(15:09):
accidents happen. Oh, I've.
Fallen off a helicopter and broken my nose.
That's why it's always so important to have travel
insurance and. When you do need insurance, we
recommend safety. Wing, there's a link in the
description. Click it.
Support the podcast. Like a gramophone sliding about
on the Antarctic ice, allow yourconscious mind to return into
(15:31):
your brain. Adam, if me and you found
ourselves all cooped up on Antarctica together, do you
think we would get on still? Do you think we'd get a sense of
camaraderie? Do you think we'd survive?
I think we'd definitely survive,but I think unfortunately it
would rest on your shoulders because I famously run quite
cold and you run quite hot. So what I might do is is
(15:52):
literally rest on your shouldersto try and stay warm.
You think you'd use me like a little Antarctic radiator?
Yeah, yeah, I also, I don't really know much about the
region. So I'd be sort of going, I, I
unfortunately would be looking around probably for a few
minutes. And I think a lot of Antarctica
looks quite similar, doesn't it?If I can liken it to our road
(16:12):
trip through Omaha and to, to, to use, to use the, the desert
treadmill that we went on. Of course, it would be
absolutely incredible to be downthere because I do quite like
doing things that no one else has done.
And I don't think you come across too many backpackers down
in Antarctica could do you? Definitely not.
There's less than 5 at any giventime, I imagine.
(16:34):
And the interesting thing is though, I could be in charge of
heat and sort of exploration andyou could be in charge of food
because you have to survive entirely on like the canned food
on the boat and then seal and Penguin meat.
While so we're staying over there, the boys on the Discovery
just fried up some seal and Penguin.
OK, now we're talking my sort oflanguage, mate.
(16:54):
I mean eating animals that a lotof people don't necessarily eat.
And what I mean by that is some people and communities do eat
them. You know, I'm not going to eat
anything that isn't eaten by a people or a population.
But Penguin and and seal would II mean, I know I don't want to
say it live on air that I would eat a Penguin.
(17:14):
Maybe we'd lose some listeners, but you've got to try it all,
haven't you, mate? I think, I think you've.
Got to Tastes like rotten fish apparently.
Does it now? Yeah, and interestingly, they
all got scurvy aboard the boat because, like, they didn't know
much about vitamin C back then, but the seal and cured them all
up good and proper. Wow.
OK, I mean, I've been interestedin seal for quite some time.
(17:34):
Blubber is something that I I thought I'd tried once.
I thought I'd tried blubber. I mean, I I have eaten, I have
eaten whale blubber, actually, just just just slide that one in
there. But I thought I ate blubber when
I was in a very small village inSiberia all those years ago.
What did it turn? Out to be, it turned out.
(17:55):
To be raw pig fat, OK. Yeah.
It was it was candle like. It was like taking a big It was
like taking a big bite out of a flavourless bar of soap.
Nice. I like.
That for you? But I think we'll be fine mate,
as long as we had enough layers.That's what people say isn't it?
We have enough layers. I would I would imagine that I
(18:16):
would be complaining for the most part about how
scintillating the snow was and and what a bloody faff it would
be to be wearing all that gear. I mean, I I have skied, but one
of the reasons I don't ski oftenis because of all the fucking
equipment. Yeah, it's.
Expensive I reckon to set yourselves up, but you being the
Scott like character, I'm sure you could get some sponsors for
(18:38):
our voyage and maybe Heinz or another company like that might
send us the big creative food. It'd be no problem at all.
Adam, that's Antarctica. I really do feel inspired to go
to more off the beaten track places and really try and
instill my subsequent travels with a sense of discovery.
So more on that in subsequent episodes, but I would love to
(19:02):
hear from one of our listeners really right now I've been
thinking we've not communicated with them in the podcast form
for far too long. So we dive in to the hostel
common room. It's my.
Favorite item on the show? Let's do it.
Hostel common room. How many countries you've been
to mate? Yeah, imagine if you would
(19:25):
bursting into a hostel, colliding into the common room
space, and you sort of see me and Adam there, sitting on a
couple of chairs looking for allthe world like a couple of guys
who can answer a damn well backing question, please.
Yes mate, it is the hostel common room.
It is a chance for you to e-mailin using the contact form on our
website and you can ask us almost anything.
(19:49):
And this one, you can tell that I've selected this one, Alan,
because it is a question directed at me.
Thank God because. I've talked for far too long, so
I'm interested in hearing a little bit from you.
So here we go. I am going to read it out.
This says this listener says it's Michael.
Michael from New Zealand, Would you believe?
No way. Hi, Adam.
And Alan, I have a question for Tripology's resident foodie, the
(20:11):
godfather of rice for breakfast.I I.
Praise. Come on, Marlon Brando.
Read the rest of the e-mail. Yeah.
Amazing. I just finished spending time
travelling through Taiwan as someone who is quite
gastronomically focused. Before arriving, I drafted up a
huge list of different foods that I wanted to eat.
(20:31):
However, the FOMO fueled list ended up feeling like a bit of a
burden at times. I felt that sometimes it limited
spontaneity and resulted in me eating past the point of
enjoyment just to try more things and tick boxes.
As a passionate eater, how wouldyou recommend balance
spontaneity versus wanting to try as much as possible?
Are you pro or against the list?I presume you researched the
(20:52):
food scene quite a bit before visiting?
And then Michael finishes off the e-mail by saying I'm heading
to Vietnam soon and no, I'm going to be eating myself into a
coma again. So looking for an expert opinion
OK. Expert.
Get on your expert horse and ride over to a land of truth.
(21:12):
I mean, the short answer, Michael, is that I end up eating
way too much food. Now, Alan, you can attest to
this. If you don't mind, I'd like your
honest opinion. Do you think I eat too much to
sustain myself on? No.
Less than three occasions when we were travelling through South
Asia, you ate so much that you were physically sick.
(21:35):
Like you actually ate to a pointof staying up all night
vomiting. And then I was like, oh, maybe
you've got a stomach bug and you're black.
Well, I just ate too much. So I think that's too much food.
I think that you should stop prior to getting to that point.
But I do empathize with your desire to try as much cuisine as
possible. So I think Michael needs to find
(21:55):
the sweet spot between trying a lot of dishes and vomiting all
night. Yeah, maybe Alan's the expert,
but you know, the thing that compounds the issue for me,
Michael and everyone else listening, is that I'm also hell
bent on finding the best examples of certain iconic
(22:15):
foods. So in India we might take the
samosa. In France, for example.
I was actually explaining to a lovely group of French people at
the table at the hostel earlier today, my time in Paris a few
years ago, where I I plotted on a map no less than 16 bakeries
around Paris deliberately to tryand find the very best croissant
(22:37):
in Paris. Now, that's not something
everyone would do. It's not something maybe I would
even recommend, but one of the French ladies at the table did
say that they had spoken to one of their English friends
recently and they think that no croissant in France that they've
had has come close to a Tesco's croissant.
Oh. Dear, that's an offensive
(22:59):
perspective, I know and. I I tried to change their
opinion because I don't want that person to represent all
English people. I would argue that she had
something wrong with her mouth. Absolutely, objectively not.
Not the case, but yeah, to to answer the question in full, I
do a lot of Food Research and maybe not at restaurant level,
but I certainly do research a cuisine.
(23:20):
I come up with a long list of different foods I want to try,
even regional differences, that kind of stuff.
I mean, even in some regions, obviously there are certain
specialities you absolutely should try.
Leaving room for spontaneity I would say is essential.
Now difficult to squeeze that in.
I suppose, you know, if if you see something exceptional, if
(23:42):
you see a horde of locals at a market, I would say even if you
are full, you should try and squeeze that in, don't you
think? Yes, I.
Do do you know what you inspire me in this regard.
I like travelling with you for anumber of reasons.
Scots to my Shackleton, because you have this wonderful, like, I
(24:04):
think you have such a vivacious desire for food that it becomes
infectiously inspirational. I kind of wanted to be with you
to try food that you were excited about trying and you
were very good. Once I've eaten, I might be
like, oh, I've eaten. I'm going back to the hostel.
But you would eat and then see something, it would just catch
(24:26):
your eye like a magpie. And you'd be like, oh, now we've
got to do that. And you'd be equally as excited
about that. And that would kind of snowball
on until, of course, the AF, I mentioned the sickness.
So I think that's quite a nice way.
Like, you're never done. You're just finished with one
culinary opportunity and then onto the next.
It's quite beautiful, really. Oh, I really.
Appreciate you saying that. And a magpie catching my eye.
(24:50):
That's you suggesting that that's the second black and
white bird this episode that I might eat.
No, no, I was. Saying that you're like the
magpie having its eye caught by something like sparkling in the
corner. Not that you walk down the
street and see a magpie on a spit and want to eat it.
I have thought to myself before.I wonder why we don't eat
pigeons. Wouldn't that be we do.
(25:11):
Wouldn't that be a win win? No, I mean like a the street
pigeon that you find all over Trafalgar Square.
Oh. I had a pigeon just three days
ago in a lovely Edinburgh restaurant.
Did you know where? Was the photo of that?
Yes, and. Then I was too full, so I didn't
order anything at the restaurant.
I just left. Pigeon just wandered in and I
that is it. That's.
Amazing. No?
And I mean, I really appreciate what you said, of course I do.
(25:34):
And I guess where you come into this mate, is that you're a
fantastic eating partner. And that would be another piece
of advice I'd give to Michael isthat when you team up with
people, you can of course share food.
Now, it is important to choose your partner carefully.
It really is because you've got to make sure you like the same
things. And you've also got to make sure
you're interested in sharing at least, well, at least half.
(25:55):
I mean, you're, you're usually quite generous.
I think you sometimes you eat about 70% and you're like, there
you go ads. You can finish that off if you
want, mate. Yeah, so I'm.
Going to use this as an opportunity to both help you
answer Michael's question and achieve some desperately craved
compliments. What specifically about me makes
me a good eating partner so thatMichael can choose someone with
similar qualities, do you think?Well, I think it.
(26:16):
Is that aforementioned infectious or you've been
infected by my passion? Absolutely.
I think you are. You don't give yourself enough
credit as well. I do think you know more about
food and drink than you think you do.
And I do think you you enjoy really good food.
You also have this, you know, the approach that we talk about
a lot on the podcast when you see a backpacker somewhere like
(26:37):
Thailand, Let's use Thailand as an example, somewhere with an
incredibly strong cuisine, with a with this world world famous
and you see backpackers eating in subway.
Now each to their own. I would love to be as cool to
say that as laid back to say that.
But if you are eating a Subway in Thailand, I'm sorry, you are
(26:58):
travelling for different reasonsthan me.
And, and I think that you agree with that wholeheartedly.
I also think you're very easy when it comes to food, in
particular, you're you're easilypleased in that you don't mind
eating a wide range of things. And you're very similar to me in
that, you know, we, we look at amenu and it kind of in India, I
(27:21):
mean, what was it like 30 seconds or a minute?
We'd go, yeah, one of those, oneof those, one of those.
And you've got a big appetite sometimes as well, which I
really enjoy. I think it boils down to, I talk
about this all the time, but this ornithological approach to
travel, like ornithological, like bird watching take,
sometimes it's necessary, I think, just to take a step back,
realize that you actually can have better experiences if you
(27:42):
just allow things to play out. I take that approach very, very
much with like eating. So if I'm with Someone Like You
who's very, very passionate about food, I'm very happy to
take a step back and just like let you order because then I get
to experience the food through the eyes of someone who's very,
very passionate about it. Same if I'm with someone who's
(28:03):
really passionate about hiking or surfing or any of those
things, I'm very happy to go with the flow.
And that's not because I'm not assertive and don't know what I
want or anything. It's just because I think you
get a more varied breadth of experience that way.
So maybe leave your desire for control at home and and let
other people make some decisionssometimes.
(28:24):
Yeah, yeah. I would, I would agree to that,
absolutely. I mean, even though in this
example I am the one that's sortof taking control and making the
decisions. And indeed, Michael.
Is a foodie, isn't he? So he can take control of the
situation. But maybe you can find some
people who are interested in food but not as interested.
They can cop along for the journey.
Yeah, yeah. And I think just rounding off
I'll, I'll leave Michael and thelistener with two points.
(28:48):
I tend to sort of structure my day around food.
I think we both know that, mate.I think the the other people
listening will know that as well.
And your night. Around food when you're being
sick as well. But I might, I might leave it a
little bit more open. I might think something like old
Tomorrow morning. I would like to find the best
coffee I can find. And then maybe I'll allocate the
middle of the day to, I don't know if we use Thailand for like
(29:10):
the best green Curry I can find.And then if there's something
else on the list, maybe I'll allocate that to the dinner
spot. And then I'll just fill the rest
in with street snacks and other things and, and be sort of fluid
and flexible that way. And then the last thing I'd like
to say is, yeah, something I wrote, which hopefully resonates
with a lot of people, take a relaxed approach to the food
list, allowing for bad meals. It happens.
(29:31):
Or even surprise dishes. And try to be comfortable with
not eating absolutely everythingbefore leaving.
You'll be in a healthier mindset, focusing on
appreciating the food you are eating as opposed to worrying
about the stuff you've missed. What?
Great. Advice, Adam.
What Great advice, Michael. I hope you enjoy your trip.
I hope you try all the best dishes and we're looking forward
to hearing from you as you tell us what sort of adventurous
(29:53):
eating you've been doing. If you, like, Michael, want a
question to be read out on the show, go to
tripologypodcast.com, where there's a hostel common room
form. Fill it out, ask us a question,
we'll answer it. Yeah, obviously.
The food related ones, anything sort of general backpacking.
Hit Allen up. I mean, now, mate, it's about
time we head over to the Lost and Found section,
patreon.com/tropology podcast where you're going to tell me a
(30:15):
little story about what you've been up to.
I hope. Yeah.
Man, we'll go there right now, but for this audience, we'll see
you next week. See you there.
Bye bye. None.
Antarctic expeditions and letters from listeners.
Play the theme music. Hello and welcome to this
episode of Tripology. I'm Alan and I'm here with the
(00:23):
ever scintillating Adam. Alan, the listener's going to
start thinking that I choose those words myself.
Well, scintillating. Do you know what it means?
Something that shines brightly, that sparkles.
They're all twinkly, all shiny and sparkly.
I think of you like that. And I also have been thinking
about that a lot because someoneshowed me Sirius the other day,
(00:48):
which is the most sparkly, twinkly star of all in the old,
good old British sky. And I've been thinking about
navigating by Starlight a lot because I've just been thinking
about early discovery, early travel.
The kind of thing a friend once told me that we were born in the
(01:09):
exact wrong time from a discovery sense, because we've
been born too late to explore the Earth, but too early to
explore the Galaxy. Well, I mean, that is, that's a
decent point. I mean, you can't argue it
really, can you? We cannot, we can explore some
areas of the Earth. I mean, how much of the Earth
have humans been to or discovered or inhabited?
(01:32):
I mean almost all of it. There are some sections in
places like Papua New Guinea that no one's ever been.
But there are, You know, most ofthe earth has been trodden on.
Obviously a lot of the sea is undiscovered, but really we know
earth really quite well. The days of old where people
were navigating by the Starlight, they were getting
into nooks and crannies of the earth that have never been seen
(01:55):
before. Those are behind us Adam, and as
travellers we just have to cop for that.
Yeah, I mean, it would be amazing.
I do fantasize about going back hundreds and hundreds of years,
but I think on balance it would be quite shit, wouldn't it?
Well, I don't know mate, I quitelike that sort of thing.
I was thinking if the opportunity to discover new
little solar systems and places all over the Galaxy was open to
(02:18):
you. If someone gave you a spaceship
or something like that, would you?
Are you the kind of traveller that would go off and do that,
or do you like treading the beaten path?
So I probably somewhere in the middle.
A mildly worn path. Correct me if I'm wrong.
No, you know where it's been sort of overgrown and there's
maybe you maybe think to yourself, but it looks like
someone might have been here before a.
(02:38):
Machete has cut through that foliage so it's probably safe.
Using my forensic knowledge, no,I would say, oh, space travel.
I think I've heard you say Once Upon a time that that space
travel would be the ultimate travel, space exploration and,
and I, I don't know if I'm goingto cop some Flack for saying
(02:59):
this, but it, it doesn't, doesn't interest me mate.
I'm not sure that the space programs and how much money goes
into it and the fact that there's, I mean, we're going
down, you know, a different Rd. here, but one that's well
trodden. But the, the point I'm making is
basically the way I feel about it.
There are so many unknowns that I would be quite scared to, to
(03:23):
see the Earth from, you know, atan angle that is so far away.
I don't know how many people have been into space, but I'd be
surprised if it was more than a few 1000.
Yeah, definitely less than a fewthousand.
I think that the basically the kind of traveller that I am, I
would as if if those billionaires are on that
(03:43):
submarine that exploded, imploded and offered me a free
ticket, I'd have been on there. I'd that'd have been goodbye
Alan. If someone offered me a ticket
to get into space, I'm taking it.
I just like new experience. If someone gave me a spaceship,
I'd be off there. If someone gave me a time
machine, I'd be riding on the back of a Tyrannosaurus Rex
going through the Americas. So for me, I just, I'm
(04:06):
interested in discovery and experience and new things, you
know? Yeah, no.
And I, I would like to say the same about me, but maybe to a
lesser extent, because up in space, I bet the the food's
shit. And you know, I wouldn't, I
wouldn't be too interested. But yeah, you're right.
I mean, I would look forward to hearing about those stories, you
know, I would. Well, you know, I was thinking
(04:28):
about that a lot after my friendgave me that little line.
And sorry, that sounds like us. Little freight and freight and
slip there. Yeah, yeah.
Amazing. After my friend told me that
thing, I was thinking about discovery, and I started
thinking about what was the lasttime humans really got to
(04:50):
discover something. And I was thinking about that,
and it led me down this rabbit hole where I started thinking
about Antarctica now just 100 years ago.
Yeah, 120 years ago we knew lessabout Antarctica than we knew
than we know today about the surface of Mars.
Did you know that? I didn't know that.
(05:12):
That's incredible. That's really incredible.
Yeah. It's just.
This completely undiscovered thing, we didn't even know that
it was a continent. We just knew that there was this
icy landmass out there in the South.
We didn't know anything about itat all.
And all of this thinking led me to Dundee.
They were kind enough at the Discovery Point Museum to let me
(05:34):
board the RSS Discovery, which was this research ship built in
the 1900s, nineteen O1. It was launched to go on this
research expedition to Antarctica so they could find
out what the hell was going on down there.
Wow. Oh my goodness.
So are you able to describe this, this ship?
(05:55):
Because I hope it was enormous. Big old ship.
It's one of the last built 3 wooden mast ships that was made
in the UK. It's a great big research vessel
on board. It's got science labs, medical
bays. It's got a coal fuel engine so
it could also go using the powerof the engine smashed through
(06:16):
the ice. It's got a big round hole so
that it doesn't get stuck anywhere.
It's got a dark room aboard thatpeople could develop photos.
It's really an amazing vessel that in 1901 copped it all the
way to Antarctica, deliberately bedded itself in the ice so it
could be there for two years over winter.
(06:37):
First ship ever to go over winter.
It could be a research ship there where people did
geological surveys, they did meteorological science, they
studied what was going on. It led to all sorts of
discoveries. What an amazing thing.
I imagine by stepping aboard youwere completely transported back
to that time and it would have been impossible really to
(06:57):
understand the conditions that they were subject to, but I bet
it was. It was probably, I hope it was
exhilarating for the people on board.
I was exhilarated. I was transported back.
I was thinking, wow, this is amazing.
And I just thought, that's kind of like the perfect, purest form
of travel in many ways, isn't it?
I wish that I was alive in a time where I could do something
(07:19):
that incredible, be part of thatcrew because people volunteered.
There was a doctor aboard. There were chefs aboard, There
were, you know, Royal Navy people aboard.
There was officers, There was like 30 plus crew.
I wish that I was alive to do travel like that.
Where you really don't know whatyou're heading towards, but you
(07:39):
know that on the other end lies Glory lies discovery lies This
new adventure that no one can experience prior.
Isn't that just a beautiful, beautiful thing?
Yeah. I mean, yeah, of course it is.
And it would be amazing. I don't know what would be the
closest thing to that in today'sage, especially not with the
Internet and the fact that so much time has passed.
(08:01):
But do you think these people were driven by that wanderlust
and that curiosity just as much as they were, you know, it being
their job and perhaps them beingthe best person for the job at
that time? Yeah, definitely.
Some people were very much aboutthe glory of it.
Other people were kind of serving their duty.
And there was a real difference.You can read crew members
(08:22):
Diaries and get a sense of the different sort of perspectives
they have as they're going on this voyage.
And it was one of the first times where really capitalism
and commerce fuelled the whole trip.
There were sponsors, you know, HMV sent a gramophone so that
people could like, listen to music and take pictures and be
(08:42):
like, hey, why don't you get a gramophone?
Coleman sent them with crates offood and supplies.
So it was really this sense of discovery was fuelled by a
capitalist mentality. Yeah, I mean, it's amazing.
I can't help but think while you're telling me all this,
would I have been aboard that ship?
And I, I would love to think that I would have been.
(09:03):
But I know that you, you're a massive fan of sailing as it is
and discovery in that way. So I, I bet this got your juices
flowing, didn't it? Because you were thinking about
the sailing boat that might be in your future and what you
could find along the way. Man, there was two people aboard
the ship that I want to talk to you about, Robert Scott and
Ernest Shackleton. Have you heard those names
before? They sound like 2 names I have
(09:25):
heard yeah, but I don't know in which context.
Famous, famous Antarctic explorers.
And I kind of, I want to see if we can draw any parallels
between you and I and Scott and Shackleton, because they were
just two people with heads full of dreams.
Scott, right? He's experienced, he's a very
traditionally minded, focused gentleman, very, very
(09:47):
disciplined. He knows exactly what to do.
He's criticized a little bit forbeing too traditional sometimes,
and he treats the crew a little bit like tools, but he knows
what he's doing, he's disciplined.
He's quite a gentleman in that sense.
OK, scintillating Scott. They used to call him, did they?
Who's? Yeah.
Which one of us do is scintillating, Scott.
(10:08):
Well, do you know what? I don't think that you would
treat your crew like tools, but I do think you're quite a good
planner. You're quite disciplined.
I think of you a bit like the Scott to my Shackleton.
Shackleton, he sometimes just went off the rails.
He for went all scientific research in the pursuit of
glory. Sometimes he was just like, F
(10:29):
the science. I'm going to go for gold baby,
let's get to the South Pole. That was Shackleton's whole
vibe. What do you reckon?
That's definitely, Yeah, absolutely.
But just, you know, dollar signsin his eyes, you know, Hail
Mary, all that kind of stuff. And I think that that's maybe
not unfounded optimism, but you,you go for glory, mate.
(10:49):
You really do. And you believe in your own
ability. And I think that you you would
definitely be the Shackleton in this story.
He was reckless with his money. He returned all in debt and
stuff. He was like a bit of a 1.
He had a penchant for the alcohol, a penchant for the
ladies. He was doing all sorts of
nonsense. But one thing about Shackleton,
he was kept his men alive at allcosts.
(11:11):
He was like a good leader in that sense.
OK, I like that. Incredibly loyal.
Would he have been leading by example do you think?
Very much a leading by example kind of guy.
Yes, Scott, he was great at the marketing.
He was able to like fundraise much better.
He got everyone, you know, got the sponsors, got stuff for
(11:31):
free. Hey, like, he was really doing a
good job, but sometimes you'd make these wild decisions.
Like he knew that dogs were the best way to go in the Antarctic,
but he brought ponies instead because he thought this is the
proper British way of doing things.
Well, yeah, my goodness. I mean, if we ever get into a
(11:51):
position, mate, where we can employ some of those tactics, if
we find ourselves on a boat where we can discover a new
land, you're exactly the sort ofperson I'd want to be standing
next to. And you're my Scott man.
I think you could instill some much needed discipline and order
into proceedings. I'd be there drinking whiskey
down at the decks, hanging out with the boys.
(12:13):
And you would say, look, we needto, we do really need to get to
this undiscovered land at this point.
Yeah, I'd say Alan, don't do that line.
We really got to get going, mate.
It's getting late. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, But unfortunately there was a rift between the two men
at some point. And that's sad, isn't it?
Oh. My goodness, now I'm going to be
(12:33):
thinking about this as I go to sleep, worrying that this is
going to be in our future. Well, Shackleton got ill, he got
scurvy, got all unwell and Scottsent him home.
He was like, you know what, you're in a bad, you're in bad
way here. You can't carry on.
And Shackleton was like, F you, that is abject betrayal.
Don't send me home. And and there was kind of a rift
between the two men that lasted a long time.
(12:54):
And obviously both went off and had subsequent adventures.
Shackleton, of course, had a wild, crazy adventure that led
to people being stranded on Elephant Island.
It was a big chaos. That was the next adventure he
went on. I mean, it's absolutely
inspirational. I wonder whether we're able to
do what we do today because people like that have already
done what they did. You sort of know what I mean.
They, they are the original, theOgs and what, what we do kind
(13:19):
of, I mean, it pales in comparison.
I don't want to take anything away from what we've achieved
but but it's, you know, it's, it's difficult to live up to
those the standards set by the previous bunch.
Well, it definitely pales in comparison, but I do like to
think of the nomad community. There's some way down that
lineage in the sense that it's that same sense of discovery,
(13:41):
expedition, the acknowledgement of the beauty of the
undiscovered that compels us to do the kind of things we do.
Is it that same itch in the backof your brain that compels you
to get on a flight and go to Southeast Asia?
That was also that same itch, that Scott waking up in the
night thought, God, I really need to do something
extraordinary here. That same itch that compelled
(14:04):
Shackleton to leave his life andjust create something wonderful,
start writing these stories about all the things he was
seeing and doing. And I think it's a beautiful,
beautiful thing that continues to inspire to this day.
So yeah, amazing that the Discovery Point Museum allowed
me to go and have that experience so I could talk to
you guys about it. Yeah, it's wonderful.
(14:26):
And of course, all of this predates social media as well.
So they won't do it for the gramlike most of the other people
out there now that are probably going to listen to this and run
be the first people to run the length of Antarctica.
Yeah, at Ernest and Shackleton on Instagram.
Instagram if you want to see me with a seal and a Penguin.
Maybe we should do that. Maybe we should do some
challenge we either, you know, through hike or be the first
(14:48):
people to ride a bicycle across Antarctica.
You never know. You never know what's in our
future. But I hope to high heavens it's
not a separation. Born too late to discover
Antarctica. Born too early to traverse the
Galaxy. Let's think on that as we go on
a brief meditation break. Sometimes when travelling,
(15:09):
accidents happen. Oh, I've.
Fallen off a helicopter and broken my nose.
That's why it's always so important to have travel
insurance and. When you do need insurance, we
recommend safety. Wing, there's a link in the
description. Click it.
Support the podcast. Like a gramophone sliding about
on the Antarctic ice, allow yourconscious mind to return into
(15:31):
your brain. Adam, if me and you found
ourselves all cooped up on Antarctica together, do you
think we would get on still? Do you think we'd get a sense of
camaraderie? Do you think we'd survive?
I think we'd definitely survive,but I think unfortunately it
would rest on your shoulders because I famously run quite
cold and you run quite hot. So what I might do is is
(15:52):
literally rest on your shouldersto try and stay warm.
You think you'd use me like a little Antarctic radiator?
Yeah, yeah, I also, I don't really know much about the
region. So I'd be sort of going, I, I
unfortunately would be looking around probably for a few
minutes. And I think a lot of Antarctica
looks quite similar, doesn't it?If I can liken it to our road
(16:12):
trip through Omaha and to, to, to use, to use the, the desert
treadmill that we went on. Of course, it would be
absolutely incredible to be downthere because I do quite like
doing things that no one else has done.
And I don't think you come across too many backpackers down
in Antarctica could do you? Definitely not.
There's less than 5 at any giventime, I imagine.
(16:34):
And the interesting thing is though, I could be in charge of
heat and sort of exploration andyou could be in charge of food
because you have to survive entirely on like the canned food
on the boat and then seal and Penguin meat.
While so we're staying over there, the boys on the Discovery
just fried up some seal and Penguin.
OK, now we're talking my sort oflanguage, mate.
(16:54):
I mean eating animals that a lotof people don't necessarily eat.
And what I mean by that is some people and communities do eat
them. You know, I'm not going to eat
anything that isn't eaten by a people or a population.
But Penguin and and seal would II mean, I know I don't want to
say it live on air that I would eat a Penguin.
(17:14):
Maybe we'd lose some listeners, but you've got to try it all,
haven't you, mate? I think, I think you've.
Got to Tastes like rotten fish apparently.
Does it now? Yeah, and interestingly, they
all got scurvy aboard the boat because, like, they didn't know
much about vitamin C back then, but the seal and cured them all
up good and proper. Wow.
OK, I mean, I've been interestedin seal for quite some time.
(17:34):
Blubber is something that I I thought I'd tried once.
I thought I'd tried blubber. I mean, I I have eaten, I have
eaten whale blubber, actually, just just just slide that one in
there. But I thought I ate blubber when
I was in a very small village inSiberia all those years ago.
What did it turn? Out to be, it turned out.
(17:55):
To be raw pig fat, OK. Yeah.
It was it was candle like. It was like taking a big It was
like taking a big bite out of a flavourless bar of soap.
Nice. I like.
That for you? But I think we'll be fine mate,
as long as we had enough layers.That's what people say isn't it?
We have enough layers. I would I would imagine that I
(18:16):
would be complaining for the most part about how
scintillating the snow was and and what a bloody faff it would
be to be wearing all that gear. I mean, I I have skied, but one
of the reasons I don't ski oftenis because of all the fucking
equipment. Yeah, it's.
Expensive I reckon to set yourselves up, but you being the
Scott like character, I'm sure you could get some sponsors for
(18:38):
our voyage and maybe Heinz or another company like that might
send us the big creative food. It'd be no problem at all.
Adam, that's Antarctica. I really do feel inspired to go
to more off the beaten track places and really try and
instill my subsequent travels with a sense of discovery.
So more on that in subsequent episodes, but I would love to
(19:02):
hear from one of our listeners really right now I've been
thinking we've not communicated with them in the podcast form
for far too long. So we dive in to the hostel
common room. It's my.
Favorite item on the show? Let's do it.
Hostel common room. How many countries you've been
to mate? Yeah, imagine if you would
(19:25):
bursting into a hostel, colliding into the common room
space, and you sort of see me and Adam there, sitting on a
couple of chairs looking for allthe world like a couple of guys
who can answer a damn well backing question, please.
Yes mate, it is the hostel common room.
It is a chance for you to e-mailin using the contact form on our
website and you can ask us almost anything.
(19:49):
And this one, you can tell that I've selected this one, Alan,
because it is a question directed at me.
Thank God because. I've talked for far too long, so
I'm interested in hearing a little bit from you.
So here we go. I am going to read it out.
This says this listener says it's Michael.
Michael from New Zealand, Would you believe?
No way. Hi, Adam.
And Alan, I have a question for Tripology's resident foodie, the
(20:11):
godfather of rice for breakfast.I I.
Praise. Come on, Marlon Brando.
Read the rest of the e-mail. Yeah.
Amazing. I just finished spending time
travelling through Taiwan as someone who is quite
gastronomically focused. Before arriving, I drafted up a
huge list of different foods that I wanted to eat.
(20:31):
However, the FOMO fueled list ended up feeling like a bit of a
burden at times. I felt that sometimes it limited
spontaneity and resulted in me eating past the point of
enjoyment just to try more things and tick boxes.
As a passionate eater, how wouldyou recommend balance
spontaneity versus wanting to try as much as possible?
Are you pro or against the list?I presume you researched the
(20:52):
food scene quite a bit before visiting?
And then Michael finishes off the e-mail by saying I'm heading
to Vietnam soon and no, I'm going to be eating myself into a
coma again. So looking for an expert opinion
OK. Expert.
Get on your expert horse and ride over to a land of truth.
(21:12):
I mean, the short answer, Michael, is that I end up eating
way too much food. Now, Alan, you can attest to
this. If you don't mind, I'd like your
honest opinion. Do you think I eat too much to
sustain myself on? No.
Less than three occasions when we were travelling through South
Asia, you ate so much that you were physically sick.
(21:35):
Like you actually ate to a pointof staying up all night
vomiting. And then I was like, oh, maybe
you've got a stomach bug and you're black.
Well, I just ate too much. So I think that's too much food.
I think that you should stop prior to getting to that point.
But I do empathize with your desire to try as much cuisine as
possible. So I think Michael needs to find
(21:55):
the sweet spot between trying a lot of dishes and vomiting all
night. Yeah, maybe Alan's the expert,
but you know, the thing that compounds the issue for me,
Michael and everyone else listening, is that I'm also hell
bent on finding the best examples of certain iconic
(22:15):
foods. So in India we might take the
samosa. In France, for example.
I was actually explaining to a lovely group of French people at
the table at the hostel earlier today, my time in Paris a few
years ago, where I I plotted on a map no less than 16 bakeries
around Paris deliberately to tryand find the very best croissant
(22:37):
in Paris. Now, that's not something
everyone would do. It's not something maybe I would
even recommend, but one of the French ladies at the table did
say that they had spoken to one of their English friends
recently and they think that no croissant in France that they've
had has come close to a Tesco's croissant.
Oh. Dear, that's an offensive
(22:59):
perspective, I know and. I I tried to change their
opinion because I don't want that person to represent all
English people. I would argue that she had
something wrong with her mouth. Absolutely, objectively not.
Not the case, but yeah, to to answer the question in full, I
do a lot of Food Research and maybe not at restaurant level,
but I certainly do research a cuisine.
(23:20):
I come up with a long list of different foods I want to try,
even regional differences, that kind of stuff.
I mean, even in some regions, obviously there are certain
specialities you absolutely should try.
Leaving room for spontaneity I would say is essential.
Now difficult to squeeze that in.
I suppose, you know, if if you see something exceptional, if
(23:42):
you see a horde of locals at a market, I would say even if you
are full, you should try and squeeze that in, don't you
think? Yes, I.
Do do you know what you inspire me in this regard.
I like travelling with you for anumber of reasons.
Scots to my Shackleton, because you have this wonderful, like, I
(24:04):
think you have such a vivacious desire for food that it becomes
infectiously inspirational. I kind of wanted to be with you
to try food that you were excited about trying and you
were very good. Once I've eaten, I might be
like, oh, I've eaten. I'm going back to the hostel.
But you would eat and then see something, it would just catch
(24:26):
your eye like a magpie. And you'd be like, oh, now we've
got to do that. And you'd be equally as excited
about that. And that would kind of snowball
on until, of course, the AF, I mentioned the sickness.
So I think that's quite a nice way.
Like, you're never done. You're just finished with one
culinary opportunity and then onto the next.
It's quite beautiful, really. Oh, I really.
Appreciate you saying that. And a magpie catching my eye.
(24:50):
That's you suggesting that that's the second black and
white bird this episode that I might eat.
No, no, I was. Saying that you're like the
magpie having its eye caught by something like sparkling in the
corner. Not that you walk down the
street and see a magpie on a spit and want to eat it.
I have thought to myself before.I wonder why we don't eat
pigeons. Wouldn't that be we do.
(25:11):
Wouldn't that be a win win? No, I mean like a the street
pigeon that you find all over Trafalgar Square.
Oh. I had a pigeon just three days
ago in a lovely Edinburgh restaurant.
Did you know where? Was the photo of that?
Yes, and. Then I was too full, so I didn't
order anything at the restaurant.
I just left. Pigeon just wandered in and I
that is it. That's.
Amazing. No?
And I mean, I really appreciate what you said, of course I do.
(25:34):
And I guess where you come into this mate, is that you're a
fantastic eating partner. And that would be another piece
of advice I'd give to Michael isthat when you team up with
people, you can of course share food.
Now, it is important to choose your partner carefully.
It really is because you've got to make sure you like the same
things. And you've also got to make sure
you're interested in sharing at least, well, at least half.
(25:55):
I mean, you're, you're usually quite generous.
I think you sometimes you eat about 70% and you're like, there
you go ads. You can finish that off if you
want, mate. Yeah, so I'm.
Going to use this as an opportunity to both help you
answer Michael's question and achieve some desperately craved
compliments. What specifically about me makes
me a good eating partner so thatMichael can choose someone with
similar qualities, do you think?Well, I think it.
(26:16):
Is that aforementioned infectious or you've been
infected by my passion? Absolutely.
I think you are. You don't give yourself enough
credit as well. I do think you know more about
food and drink than you think you do.
And I do think you you enjoy really good food.
You also have this, you know, the approach that we talk about
a lot on the podcast when you see a backpacker somewhere like
(26:37):
Thailand, Let's use Thailand as an example, somewhere with an
incredibly strong cuisine, with a with this world world famous
and you see backpackers eating in subway.
Now each to their own. I would love to be as cool to
say that as laid back to say that.
But if you are eating a Subway in Thailand, I'm sorry, you are
(26:58):
travelling for different reasonsthan me.
And, and I think that you agree with that wholeheartedly.
I also think you're very easy when it comes to food, in
particular, you're you're easilypleased in that you don't mind
eating a wide range of things. And you're very similar to me in
that, you know, we, we look at amenu and it kind of in India, I
(27:21):
mean, what was it like 30 seconds or a minute?
We'd go, yeah, one of those, oneof those, one of those.
And you've got a big appetite sometimes as well, which I
really enjoy. I think it boils down to, I talk
about this all the time, but this ornithological approach to
travel, like ornithological, like bird watching take,
sometimes it's necessary, I think, just to take a step back,
realize that you actually can have better experiences if you
(27:42):
just allow things to play out. I take that approach very, very
much with like eating. So if I'm with Someone Like You
who's very, very passionate about food, I'm very happy to
take a step back and just like let you order because then I get
to experience the food through the eyes of someone who's very,
very passionate about it. Same if I'm with someone who's
(28:03):
really passionate about hiking or surfing or any of those
things, I'm very happy to go with the flow.
And that's not because I'm not assertive and don't know what I
want or anything. It's just because I think you
get a more varied breadth of experience that way.
So maybe leave your desire for control at home and and let
other people make some decisionssometimes.
(28:24):
Yeah, yeah. I would, I would agree to that,
absolutely. I mean, even though in this
example I am the one that's sortof taking control and making the
decisions. And indeed, Michael.
Is a foodie, isn't he? So he can take control of the
situation. But maybe you can find some
people who are interested in food but not as interested.
They can cop along for the journey.
Yeah, yeah. And I think just rounding off
I'll, I'll leave Michael and thelistener with two points.
(28:48):
I tend to sort of structure my day around food.
I think we both know that, mate.I think the the other people
listening will know that as well.
And your night. Around food when you're being
sick as well. But I might, I might leave it a
little bit more open. I might think something like old
Tomorrow morning. I would like to find the best
coffee I can find. And then maybe I'll allocate the
middle of the day to, I don't know if we use Thailand for like
(29:10):
the best green Curry I can find.And then if there's something
else on the list, maybe I'll allocate that to the dinner
spot. And then I'll just fill the rest
in with street snacks and other things and, and be sort of fluid
and flexible that way. And then the last thing I'd like
to say is, yeah, something I wrote, which hopefully resonates
with a lot of people, take a relaxed approach to the food
list, allowing for bad meals. It happens.
(29:31):
Or even surprise dishes. And try to be comfortable with
not eating absolutely everythingbefore leaving.
You'll be in a healthier mindset, focusing on
appreciating the food you are eating as opposed to worrying
about the stuff you've missed. What?
Great. Advice, Adam.
What Great advice, Michael. I hope you enjoy your trip.
I hope you try all the best dishes and we're looking forward
to hearing from you as you tell us what sort of adventurous
(29:53):
eating you've been doing. If you, like, Michael, want a
question to be read out on the show, go to
tripologypodcast.com, where there's a hostel common room
form. Fill it out, ask us a question,
we'll answer it. Yeah, obviously.
The food related ones, anything sort of general backpacking.
Hit Allen up. I mean, now, mate, it's about
time we head over to the Lost and Found section,
patreon.com/tropology podcast where you're going to tell me a
(30:15):
little story about what you've been up to.
I hope. Yeah.
Man, we'll go there right now, but for this audience, we'll see
you next week. See you there.
Bye bye. None.
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