Buckle up for some travel reality.
I’m sharing my 10 Lowest Travel Moments of 2019. I’m not a pessimist… stick with me on this one.
2019 is officially come to a close. And with it, comes the inevitable Instagram posts and social media updates summarising everyone’s year. (And this time, decade too).
I enjoy reflecting on the year that has passed as much as the next person. It’s exciting to realise how far you’ve come, what you’ve accomplished and the adventures you’ve had.
But it is important that we all remember that social media is a highlights reel. And annual summaries never tell the full picture.
So, I’ve been inspired by the woman who inspired me to start my blog in the first place. This year (in addition to my Top 10 Travel Moments of 2019). I am sharing some travel reality and my 10 Lowest Travel Moments of 2019.
Glo recently shared that one of her most viral blog posts is her travel fails of the year. Perhaps because people are sadistic, and perhaps it’s because we all appreciate a little bit authenticity and realness in this ever filtered Internet world.
I can see it myself too. Aafter 2 years of blogging and 116 posts, my most read blog is my Instagram versus Reality honest photo captions post. Everyone appreciates a little travel reality along with all that inspo.
NB: It’s worth also noting, that I have specifically chosen “travel lows”. So nothing I share in this blog is a true low in the grand scheme of things. I am privileged to be able to travel as often as I do, and I am incredibly grateful for that. This year I experienced grief, being ill, challenging times at work and the other stresses that life through at all of us. But that’s not what this blog is about.
So I’ve chosen to share my 10 Lowest Travel Moments of 2019.
1. The Closed Motorway In Brazil.
Mid-trip through Brazil, we had to take a bus from Paraty to Sao Paulo, in order to catch a flight to the Iguacu Falls. After boarding the bus (at 11pm), the driver made an announcement entirely in Portuguese. Naturally, neither of us had a clue what had been said and we didn’t think too much about it.
That is, until I checked the Google Maps 2 hours later to find we’d driven in completely the opposite direction to Sao Paulo.
For a while, I was scared we’d fully got on the wrong bus. But at a rest stop, around 3am, via some broken English and a very helpful fellow passenger, we established that the motorway from Ilha Grande to Sao Paulo had been closed. Thus, we were taking a 4 hour detour and wouldn’t be arriving into the city until 9am. Our flight was at 8:30am.
Several tears, phone calls home and Skyscanner flight searches later, we re-booked ourselves onto a flight departing later that day. And we eventually made it to Iguacu Falls. 6 hours late and a £150 poorer.
2. Being Stalked In Tangier.
Whilst in Morocco, we encountered the anticipated regular jeering from local men. Most of it was harmless, and often just to encourage you to visit their stores and spend money.
However whilst in Tangier things turned a little sour. We noticed a man following close behind us and staring at us. And, after stopping and starting our walk three or four times, we established that he was definitely following us.
It took crossing a five lane road and speed-walking into the twisty streets of the Medina in order to shake him off. Which was less than ideal because we hadn’t planned on going into the Medina, and I also was desperate for the bathroom at the time!
3. Taking An Organised Tour In Athens.
Whilst in Athens, I wanted to take advantage of visiting some local Islands for the day. Because what is a trip to Greece without some island hopping?
However, I failed to research the Athens Island Day Trip properly. And once on the boat soon discovered that I would spend more time travelling between the islands than exploring anything.
In our 14 hour day, I spent 10 hours travelling and on a boat and 4 hours exploring the island. Whilst I love seeing them, in the future I would always opt to travel to just one and see it properly instead of the whistle-stop tour I ended up on.
4. Panicking On The PADI Boat.
Getting my PADI qualification in Paraty was a highlight of 2019.
However, with that came a panic attack that I couldn’t breathe, seconds before we had to jump off the boat and into the sea. Wearing more equipment and neoprene than I’ve ever worn before, I felt so overwhelmed and claustrophobic. Immediately, the idea of being 10 meters underwater was suddenly terrifying and it all got too much.
After a few deep breaths, some reassuring words from my girlfriend and the fact that we were past the point of no return (with the instructor already in the water), I took the plunge. It all worked out, and in the end I loved it. But that was a less than pleasant moment.
5. Failing To Check Opening Times.
In an attempt to perk up our rainy day in Rio, we aimed to visit a café that is well renowned in the city (Cafe Colombo). After trekking across town in the pouring rain, wearing next-to-useless ponchos and getting lost multiple times, we arrived at the café entrance to discover that it is in fact closed on Mondays. And obviously our last day (and final chance to check out the cafe) in Rio was a Monday.
6. Having A Reckless Driver in Ilha Grande.
In order to get to and from Ilha Grande to Paraty, we booked bus / boat transfers. The roads around the coast of Brazil are incredibly narrow and winding. But that didn’t stop the mini-van driver taking them at speed, in the dark & rain, while texting on his phone. So many times during the drive I pictured us hitting oncoming traffic or leaving the road completely. I cried a lot. And turned podcasts up very load and covered my eyes to get through it.
7. The “Winter Sun” Being Cooler Than Anticipated.
Multiple times in 2019 I tried and failed to seek out some winter sun. Firstly in Morocco, where the rooftop pool hotel we’d splashed out on was too cold to get in. And again in Brazil, when we had to buy jumpers on our 2nd day, because we’d packed for 30 degrees, instead of 20.
I did have success with this at other times (Bali and Singapore in May and European summers). But if there’s one thing anyone who knows me knows to be true. I’d like blue skies and heat all year round.
8. Doing Long Distance
While being in a long distance relationship in 2019 has brought many travel opportunities, it’s also been a travel Low. Long Distance is hard, and with every new place and adventure, there is the inevitable “goodbye” and “see you later”.
Spending so many hours in airports to see each other takes it’s toll over time too. It’s surprising I haven’t been ill more regularly in 2019, with how much re-circulated air plane air I’ve taken in.
9. Struggling To Relax In Bali
Now if this isn’t the definition of “first-world-problem” I don’t know what is. But while in Bali, I put so much pressure on myself to relax and enjoy, that I ended up doing the opposite. I’m someone that loves to be busy 24/7, and I struggle to enjoy “doing nothing”. My downtime and self care looks like long walks, taking photos and exploring. Not face masks and massages. So I spent a lot of my week in Bali struggling to find the joy in doing nothing.
In the end, I had a great final day relaxing by the pool. And I did do & see a fair amount while I was there too.
Lesson learned: Book destinations that suit my personality, not what others tell you will be relaxing.
10. Skipping Sugarloaf Mountain
Although I had been up Sugarloaf Mountain before, Kirsten hadn’t. And it’s one of the top things to do in Rio. But sadly, on the day we visited (and the only available day we had to go up it), visibility was so bad we couldnt see the top.
It didn’t make any sense to spend £20 for a cable car into the clouds. But it was incredibly disappointing to miss out on the panoramic views of the city that we’d seen so often when researching our trip.
Expectation vs Reality:
And that’s it! My travel reality and a little insight into the truth behind the pretty IG pictures. Never let social media be the scale by which you measure your (or other’s) success.
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