TTB 090: The London Tour Guide

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This week we spoke with Paulo Martino, a professional motorcycle adventurer and owner of Artful Ink Studios. On this podcast Paulo brings us through his incredible four month trip by motorcycle starting in Dubai then through the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and ending in Oslo, Norway.  

Inside the Episode:   

• Petition to make Paulo the new “Most Interesting Man in the World ''! Tune in and absorb his travel stories as he  explains his ride by motorcycle through two continents on our most recent podcast. 
• Paulo was one interesting guy. You don’t often have the opportunity to sit down with someone who has traveled as extensively as he has in such a raw way. With the exception of walking, riding a motorcycle seems like the perfect way to cover large areas and immerse yourself deep into the cultures and people along the way. 
• How freeing it must be to just set off on a trip with the goal of hitting the open road and cruising through the world carefree. Paulo rode from Dubai to Norway...can we consider this a “cross-world trip”. I think we’re going to give it to him. 
• “Albania was interesting, as long as you like dodging bullets as you ride” - Paulo explains on the podcast as he rode through the countryside. As we say, “what scares you in the moment makes for a great story on The Travelers Blueprint Podcast”. 
• This wasn't a point A to point B type of trip. Paulo made it a point to drive along the entire coast of Greece and really divulge himself into the countryside and culture of these countries. 
• A common theme we’ve heard with our guests who travel into remote areas - ‘people are super friendly.’ Our guests have all made it clear that people are more than willing to lend a helping hand and they rarely encounter issues with locals. People are good. 
• A great question by Elliot and incredible insight by Paulo who has been traveling over several decades. As you head, pollution and development have been the biggest differences he’s seen in the places he’s traveled to. I wonder what changes we will see in the world around us and how we will look back on the world after a lifetime of travel...
• As you heard: Buy the ticket and GO! What is stopping you other than your own fear! Your first trip abroad is a big deal. Its daunting. But please, please..we beg you. Take the leap of faith and travel. See the world and change the trajectory of your life in a profound way. 
• “Get out there and find it” - Paulo Martino

Kit Parks combs the planet to find the best multi-day active travel experiences for fit folks like yourself. She shares her findings with you on her website, in her twice a month podcast (also called Active Travel Adventures). Kit is a 57 year old widow that discovered adventure travel AFTER she turned fifty.  All of the adventures are something that she can do, and so can YOU if you are reasonably fit, especially if you do a little pre-trip training. The common denominator is that on all of these adventure vacations, you have to MOVE!  You're going to have to hike, bike, paddle, horseback ride, or somehow self-propel yourself from one place to the next – sometimes in combination!  Often these trips have a cultural component, such as a regional cooking class or wine tasting, or some other immersion with the locals. 

Inside the Episode:   

• Kit’s favorite country? New Zealand. The ultimate outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of the natural environment. It is truly a hikers paradise and one of the best locations for those who want to immerse themselves in multiple landscapes in a relatively small landmass. 
• Kit gave us sound advice on how to get the most bang for your buck. Pay attention to the strength of the dollar compared to foreign currencies. When it’s strong, book a trip abroad. But when it lowers in value in comparison to other currencies maybe it's time to finally take that road trip across the beautiful US of A. 
• We all just seem to assume that nothing bad can happen to us while on vacation. It’s actually pretty odd. However, as we hear in our conversation with Kit, sometimes bad things happen and so it’s obviously a good idea to be prepared with travel insurance. Where to start with finding the insurance for you? Well, that’s exactly what Kit was kind enough to explain. 
• Kit has a wealth of knowledge on the logistics of international travel, with tips on how to find the perfect travel insurance, 
• Kit went on to explain the above after being asked about how travel helped her handle the loss of her husband. It was inspiring to hear. Using travel as a way to move forward in a time of significant loss allows us to throw ourselves into new situations and routines shortly after our daily routines and lives were changed for the worst. As travelers, we think this can be a powerful way to help deal with and accept your loss and begin to look forward. 
• Trekking through Scotland, traveling through Nicaragua, and hiking the El Camino are just a few of types of adventures Kit likes to throw herself into. We like her style and plan on taking a page out of her book as we continue to see the world. 
• Kit is the host of the Adventure Travel Show Podcast where she helps you figure out the best ways to see the world in an adventurous way, the equipment you'll need to do it, and the ways you can make your trip become a reality. We couldn't recommend it enough for those of you with an adventurous side.

Alan Cotter is an Irishman currently living in Bolivia for the past eight years. His venture to becoming an Expat came after visiting South America during a month-long visit turned into a prolonged several month stay. Before Alan knew it he was managing a hostel in Cusco, Peru. Eventually this led him to managing the Loki Hostel in Bolivia where he was able to provide us with amazing insight on this remote, often overlooked, country.  

Inside the Episode:   

• Purple dolphins, monkey islands, and the infamous Bolivian salt flats were just some of the destinations Alan called out the perfect itinerary while traveling through Bolivia. The country is seemingly void of westerners adding to its appeal for those willing to venture away from wifi, fast food restaurants, and annoying tourists.
• Bolivia seems to have a reputation as being dangerous, but as Alan tells us that is far from the truth. Sure, you can get mugged, but you can get mugged in any major city in the world. Alan tells us that news on criminal activity is actually quite limited and people tend to welcome tourists from all over the world to see what Bolivia has to offer. 
• Tourist Police! They’re a thing in Bolivia and their goal is to help tourists find their way through the country with ease. Funny story, we actually met “tourist police” while in Peru who gave us a very last minute word of advice not to fly our drone in a heavily guarded area of the Peruvian capital. Whew….yea, we almost got into some trouble. 
• Two Flights and a 3-day tour for roughly $300! That’s about what you’ll spend to put yourself into the rainforest of this landlocked region of South America. 
• If you’re still trying to scratch your explorers itch, Bolivia is the place to be. The perfect location for the type of traveler looking fill an adventurous craving with solid infrastructure, safe tours, authernice jungle experiences, and some of the most friendly people in South America. 
• Come on, how cool would it be to see something like this! Just stay on the other side of the river bank….FOR VIDEO OF JAG GETTING CAYMAN
• Alan jammed this episode with very straightforward logistical information on how you can seamlessly make your way through Bolivia. Meet the city witches and shamans of La Paz, make your way into the market for lunch and grab yourself their popular drink, Singani Sour.
• They have the coffee, they have the adventure, they have the food, and they have the Amazon. What they don't have are loads of tourists. Get there before Starbucks does and see Bolivia sooner rather than later. AUDIOGRAM 2 

In this episode, Bob sat down with Brandan Shaw, Co-Founder of one of Italy’s most popular tour companies, The Tour Guy (aka The Roman Guy). As COVID-19 began to spread through the Lombardy region in late January many tour companies, including The Tour Guy were overwhelmed with cancellations. Keeping a positive mindset during this historic health crisis has allowed The Tour Guy to remain focused on bringing valuable information on Italy to its guests with the opening of virtual tours for several cities throughout Italy and Europe. 

Jeff Evans is a world renowned adventurer, expedition leader, speaker, facilitator, author, physician assistant, high altitude medic, and humanitarian. As a highly sought after speaker / facilitator with over 20 years delivering engaging and impactful keynotes to hundreds of clients, Jeff has made appearances at dozens of Fortune 500 companies around the world. Jeff takes the audience on a journey to high peaks around the globe, detailing his exciting endeavors as mountain guide, adventurer and philanthropist. These experiences have allowed Jeff to hone his skills of servant leadership, teamwork, communication and handling adversity which he shares in a way that is applicable to everyone in their business and personal lives. 

Inside the Episode:   

• Jeff tells us about how he had to “change his landscape” to meet the needs of his close friend, Erik Weihenmayer with whom he spent countless hours hiking through the Himalayas and around the world. Erik, who went blind at 14 years old taught Jeff how to elevate his own mental toughness and change his focus on helping others over himself. 
• Jeff explains that his decisions to perform medical treatment in high stress and completely chaotic circumstances is hardwired in his DNA. He learned early on what his capabilities are and has dedicated his life to helping those who are left behind under extraordinarily dangerous conditions. 
• When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of almost 10,000 people in Nepal in 2015, Jeff was on-scene two weeks after the initial quake and during the aftershocks. He tells us that in addition to the trauma, “the real thing we encountered was anxiety, depression, sadness, and PTSD…” It was heartbreaking to hear as he discussed his experiences helping people who lost so much in the blink of an eye. 
• We found this clip pretty profound. In all of Jeff’s experiences performing medical treatment as a Physician Assistant in some of the most chaotic situations, he noticed a common theme, we all just want to know that someone cares for us. We want love, we want compassion, and when things are at their worst people just want raw human connection.
• Jeff spent time conducting Search and Rescue on mountain ranges around the world. He explains with the increase in adventure tourism and a decrease in mountaineering training he pulled off at least a half dozen people who just didn't have the experience to know that they were suffering from severe altitude sickness.
• Jeff has the same knack for travel we all have known to feel in the depths of our souls (albeit a more extreme one). As you hear it from him, some of the defining moments of why he strives to travel the world come from the need to put himself beyond the comforts of his privileged western life and into experiencing the reality of life outside the United States.
• We had a great time with Jeff where we sat back and just absorbed stories of him rescuing hikers on Everest, helping local residents of Nepal, and ultimately taking any opportunity to help people far and wide. Check it out and be blown away by Jeff’s ability to put himself in grave danger and risk his own life to save the lives of those in need. 
• “I like to create impact when I travel” Jeff says. And as he explains, you don't need to save the world with each trip. Sometimes, it can be as simple as making connections to aid those in need, buying someone dinner, or spending time with someone abroad who may just need the company.