TRAVEL TUESDAYS: INTERVIEW WITH FLORA OF FLORA THE EXPLORER

This week we would like to introduce Flora of Flora the Explorer. Flora is a writer and travel blogger, who chronicles her adventures on her blog. A travelling storyteller with a self penned obsession for the weirdnesses of the world, she spends her time collecting tall tales, small souvenirs and a delightful array of crazy adventures. Flora is currently volunteering her way around South America. For more immediate updates you can find her on Facebook and Twitter, where she spends a large portion of her time discussing travel.

1. What inspires you to travel, and how would you define the word ‘traveler’?

I’ve always loved travelling, but I really started putting all of myself into it after my mum died in early 2009. Going through such a huge upheaval in my life made me realise that I needed to do the things that made me happy while I still had the time to do them. It’s not all related to death, though; my mum was also an avid traveller, so I love the idea that I’m following in her footsteps.

The word ‘traveler”, to me, means a love of the unknown, and a desire to explore that unknown. It doesn’t have to be a permanent or long-term desire, but anyone who wants to see and experience what’s further away than their front door constitutes a traveller, as far as I’m concerned.

2. How do you afford your travels?

Tricky question! I’ve always been good at saving and usually stick to quite a tight budget, plus travelling slowly and volunteering does wonders for your bank account. In terms of revenue, I make a modest amount of money by writing for other people, but I’m still looking for that perfect on-the-road job that keeps everything funded.

3. Where has been your favorite destination? Where has been your least favorite?

I’m completely in love with South America as a whole: so far, it’s been the most consistently incredible continent I’ve visited, and Colombia has been my favourite country on this trip. Globally, I’d say Iceland is one of my absolute favourites too – every single Icelander is so kind and happy to help, plus the landscapes are absolutely breathtaking.

My least favourite place to visit has probably been Egypt, simply because I had a collection of bad experiences there. But I’d love to go back at some point and readjust my opinion.

4. Have you ever had high hopes for a destination, tour, etc., only to be disappointed in the end? Or any travel mishaps?

I think I was expecting to feel a bit more of a reaction at some of the most hyped locations – the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids in Egypt, and at Machu Picchu. While I really enjoyed my visits to each, there wasn’t quite as big of a “oh my god I’m actually HERE” kind of reaction as I’d expected.

With Machu Picchu at least, though, it could well have been because my friend was hit by a rogue, runaway horse on our second day of the four day trek, fell and broke her collarbone. Carrying her on a homemade stretcher through the Andes for five hours made our eventual destination of Machu Picchu a little tame by comparison – plus our friend had to miss out on visiting the site as she was in surgery in Cusco…

5. What’s the funniest or weirdest cultural idiosyncrasy you’ve either witnessed or experienced? 

I never quite got used to the mass photo taking in India. While I understood the intrigue for many locals of seeing a Western foreigner wandering around, the amount of camera phones thrust unexpectedly in my face – and sometimes when I was half-asleep on a night train! – was a little disconcerting.

6. What keepsake do you have to get at all your destinations?

I’ve long been a hoarder of clothes and bags when travelling, because I know I can keep using them for a long time after the trip – plus they’re very useful for the travelling itself. That, and bracelets; once one goes on it doesn’t come off until it breaks, so it’s great to look down at my wrists and remember Kenya, Italy, India, Ecuador…

7. How about the one thing you cannot travel without?

A camera, absolutely. And a notebook. I know that’s two but I fundamentally need both of them! I recently coped with my second camera break of this trip and it was a nightmare – I felt bereft!

8. Why did you begin blogging? And how did you come up with your blog name?

I started blogging when I started my six month trip around Asia in early 2012, to keep my family and friends up to date with what I was doing. At that time I actually had a different name; it was only when I attended the inaugural BlogHouse in Girona last year that my fellow bloggers suggested a name change to my current one. So you could say it was a collective decision!

Making that change was a wonderful push in motivation, as I realised that I was creating a brand identity with becoming ‘Flora the Explorer’ – and now, almost two years later, I’m infinitely more focused and driven with my site.

9. Do you have favorite travel blogs that you read regularly?

Tons! Many of my friends are bloggers so I read them to keep up with their adventures, but the blogs I really look forward to reading are Candace Rose Rardon, whose travel sketches are simply delicious, the wonderful stories from Dan and Audrey at Uncornered Market, and the brilliant and hilarious Mike Sowden of Fevered Mutterings.

10. How did you begin volunteering and do you have any advice for those who would also like to volunteer? 

The first volunteering I did was visiting an elderly lady after school a few times a week, when I was about 16. Ever since, then I’ve found that I meet the most fascinating people and hear the most incredible stories when I volunteer. For would-be volunteers, I’d say research the place you want to volunteer with extremely well – their policies, their pricings, the length of programs they offer – and read other volunteers experiences, or suggestions that experienced volunteers have made.

It’s crucial, when volunteering, to take into account who’s going to benefit most from your volunteer work. If it’s your own sense of self worth that benefits, and not the subject at hand (be it orphans, school kids, animals, etc) then you should reconsider the placement.

11. How do you find the organizations you volunteer with?

There are various sites I check through for listings of projects, as well as relying on word of mouth and reading copious articles from other volunteer travelers. Plus you should never underestimate the success rate of simply turning up in a location and asking around for volunteer opportunities. Often the most incredible projects are the ones so small/unknown in the wider world that you only find them when you’re right next door!

12. What’s next?

I’m currently volunteering in Bolivia, but my visa ends at the start of December, so I’ll probably head through Chile until the new year. Then I’m hopefully working in Colombia for a while, and after that – who knows?!

Traveler Toss-ups

Backpack or suitcase? Definitely backpack. It forces me to think about the weight of what I’m taking.

Window or aisle? Window – I need to look out at the view! Plus then there’s somewhere to lean my head if/when I fall asleep…

Solo or group? I generally travel solo but have been known to sometimes go with groups, and I enjoy both – although they can be very different experiences.

Tapas or sushi? Tricky – I absolutely adore sushi – but there are some countries and locations I wouldn’t trust the freshness of the fish. So it’s probably better to say tapas!

Beach or mountains? Again, I love both, but mountains probably win for me. More incredible scenery and more options for interesting exploration activities!

Want to learn more about Flora and her explorations?

Visit Flora’s site: Flora the Explorer
Follow Flora on Twitter: @FloraBaker
“Like” Flora on Facebook: Flora the Explorer