Travelling: With friends or alone?

Travelling is one of life’s greatest experiences. The chance to immerse yourself in a world different to yours is amazing and something nobody should miss. I’ve been lucky enough to travel Europe, America, the Caribbean’s, Mexico, New Zealand and Thailand. I’ve seen a lot of places and been part of many things and everywhere I’ve been has taught me something ill never forget. Deciding who to travel with can make or break your trip and there’s always a question of who and how many people to travel with. Some people prefer to go it alone and others like to travel in groups. I’ve been lucky enough to do both, and I loved every second of being alone and being with friends.

I went to New York, Mexico and Cuba by myself for 5 weeks. I saw friends along the way but generally was alone. And it was great! I loved every second of every minute. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted which is the best part. I was under 21 so couldn’t go out anyway but I went for walks through Times Square, strolled through Central Park, along madison ave and past MANY monuments. I saw everything I wanted to see and really learned to rely on myself. Your forced to depend on yourself for everything, become your own rock and you become more sure of yourself and who you are. It strengths your sense of self and with no-one else to occupy your attention you learn to be okay in your own company, learning to appreciate yourself.

Travelling by yourself gives you a sense of freedom that you don’t experience anywhere else. You have to put yourself out there and make friends which is totally different when you’re already travelling with friends. I went to Europe with 2 other friends, both who are quite different to me which made for some interesting times, both good at bad.

Travelling with friends has it perks, you always have company, someone to talk to, to hang out with, and one of the best parts is having someone to share experiences with, solidifying and linking your friendship forever. Not to mention someone to talk to on the long flights, train and bus rides.

The way you travel changes, you need to accommodate your friends wants as well, some days you have to forgo seeing that monument or trying that new food because your friends don’t want to or don’t like it. And not only do you have to give things up but you have to participate in stuff you don’t even care about. You have to put up with short tempers, tantrums from lack of sleep and the general frustration and annoyance that comes with spending 24hrs 7 days a week with the same person. You never get a break or a moment to yourself.

Yet in saying that, that constant attention is also kind of nice. We made countless and unforgettable memories, had experiences that we couldn’t of had if alone. Our friendships were tested, many times, and at points we were all short-tempered and unreasonable. (kinda happens when your living off 5-7 hrs a sleep while trekking through countries) If I had of been alone I would of missed these tantrums and fights, sharp words and bad looks yet somehow we all held it together. We kept it together enough that it never turned into a big fight, and we were all mature enough to let things go and have fun. With the fights come the good times, the long nights spent with a bottle of wine and talking about everything and anything. Discussing your hopes, dreams, fears and of course boys… Talking about the cool sights you’ve seen and the people you’ve met.  The nights spent dancing in the clubs, wandering through the cobbled streets of Europe, swimming in the Greek islands or sharing a baguette in France.

I’ve done both and I loved both. I want to go back to Europe next year and then America the year after that. Maybe even do Asia (if I can ever afford it…) and I’ve been thinking a lot, will I do it alone or go with friends???

And to be honest, I’m not sure..

I want to go for 6-8 months and while happy to do some of it alone, I know at some point ill crave a friendship. The easy laughter and enjoyment that comes from being with people your comfortable with. So maybe ill do both. Go alone and meet up with friends and family along the way. Maybe ill get the best of both worlds.

Cuba

My godmother, Fiona and her Cuban husband, Osiel are back in Australia and made me realise I hadn’t yet told my experience of visiting Cuba. That little island in the Caribbean’s that’s been closed to tourists for years.

Its an island with untold stories that few get to experience. Culture and history embedded in society. Its like the country has been frozen in time, the people keep moving yet somehow its not developing.

Wifi, laptops, fridges (although these are growing in popularity) are items we all take for granted. IPhones are a necessity, a material possession perceived to be crucial to our social and business life, yet somehow Cuban society manage fine without such items. People drop in on each other to say hey, invite them out, to celebrate a birthday or event and all without the internet.

The buildings in Havana are extraordinario. They are remnants of the past, pictures of wealth and glory, marble staircases and intricate detailing, high arched walkways and cobblestone streets. They are beautiful and breathtaking invoking questions of how, why and what. Such buildings line the streets casting your eye and forcing your tired legs to walk just that bit further in hopes to see something spectacular, and you always do.

Sometimes its not always the buildings that stand upright and tall, showing off their glory that are spectacular, sometimes it’s the buildings that once stood tall but now cower in the corners. Buildings that are literally crumbling and breaking down. Walls, roofs, doorways and windows completely gone. Rows of mid-rise apartment blocks with gaping black holes on the top floor, middle floor and even bottom floor, show where a home once existed but has now fallen away. You have to wonder how people can still live there when their neighbors home has just disintegrated and what happens to these people when their house falls away.

But Cuba isn’t all buildings. As part of the Caribbean you can be assured it has beautiful beaches and parks. White sandy beaches stretching for miles with clear blue water. Its almost like a painting. Untouched and pristine.

As well as the beach are the parks. We went for a hike in parque guanayara which was beautiful. Lush green areas, gushing waterfalls and still lakes. Giant rocks make the perfect place to sit and absorb the surroundings.

Clambering into caves, the air around you changes. Its like an invisible line you can cross where the air becomes cooler. Moss covers the rocks making a slippery green carpet you need to be wary of.

Waterfalls descend from way above you, forcing your neck to crane upwards. If you get close enough you can feel sprays of water hitting your skin. The contrast of white water, green plants and blue sky feels like another world. An untouched world that’s never know commercialism, and hopefully that’s just how it stays. A precious wonder for all to experience.

Salsa Dancing

 

Something that most people think about when visiting Cuba, and perhaps one of the incentives of going there is Salsa Dancing. A rich, smooth and sexy dance that involves swaying hips and shaking bootys.

 

You find yourself wishing to dance like that, gliding from step to step and gyrating your hips. After a few cocktails your self-belief is skyrocketing and you give it a go with the locals who are more than happy to teach you. In Trinidad there is a club in the mountainside where people of all ages line up on a Saturday night. Once inside you descend ALOT of stairs which I remember thinking wasn’t too bad but was definitely going to be torture on my way out. At the bottom is one big room, the floor, walls and roof are pure rock. The dancefloor is carved into the mountain side. Its different yet perhaps one of the most awesome clubs ive been in, not to mention the natural ventilation is amazing and its nice to not smell BO from the hundreds of people crammed around you.

 

The bathrooms are interesting and not suited for the shy. Theres a small room with three toilets along the back of a rock wall. There are white ‘walls’ in between each toilet and its recommended to be quick because there are no doors! And the only way to get toilet paper its to pay a woman who will give you a couple of sheets. This may not be the nicest toilet but it’s definitely an experience.

 

There is young people and old people all joining in with huge smiles plastered on their faces (maybe something to do with $1 cocktails). The music isn’t in English but that’s half the fun for travellers. You don’t need to understand the words to feel the beat.  It’s predominantly contemporary salsa music. The tempo is upbeat and makes you want to move and shake in places you never have before. It’s a dynamic environment and makes you feel alive and strong. You can easily keep going, being swept off your feet, twirled around and rocking your hips back and forth and to side to side.

 

Luckily this club is only a short walk from most Casa’s in the area and after climbing those stairs you can stroll home and fall asleep with some amazing memories, new friends and incredible stories to make your friends jealous.

Experiences you can never forget.

 

Something that most people think about when visiting Cuba, and perhaps one of the incentives of going there is Salsa Dancing. A rich, smooth and sexy dance that involves swaying hips and shaking bootys.

 

You find yourself wishing to dance like that, gliding from step to step and gyrating your hips. After a few cocktails your self-belief is skyrocketing and you give it a go with the locals who are more than happy to teach you. In Trinidad there is a club in the mountainside where people of all ages line up on a Saturday night. Once inside you descend ALOT of stairs which I remember thinking wasn’t too bad but was definitely going to be torture on my way out. At the bottom is one big room, the floor, walls and roof are pure rock. The dancefloor is carved into the mountain side. Its different yet perhaps one of the most awesome clubs ive been in, not to mention the natural ventilation is amazing and its nice to not smell BO from the hundreds of people crammed around you.

 

The bathrooms are interesting and not suited for the shy. Theres a small room with three toilets along the back of a rock wall. There are white ‘walls’ in between each toilet and its recommended to be quick because there are no doors! And the only way to get toilet paper its to pay a woman who will give you a couple of sheets. This may not be the nicest toilet but it’s definitely an experience.

 

There is young people and old people all joining in with huge smiles plastered on their faces (maybe something to do with $1 cocktails). The music isn’t in English but that’s half the fun for travellers. You don’t need to understand the words to feel the beat.  It’s predominantly contemporary salsa music. The tempo is upbeat and makes you want to move and shake in places you never have before. It’s a dynamic environment and makes you feel alive and strong. You can easily keep going, being swept off your feet, twirled around and rocking your hips back and forth and to side to side.

 

Luckily this club is only a short walk from most Casa’s in the area and after climbing those stairs you can stroll home and fall asleep with some amazing memories, new friends and incredible stories to make your friends jealous.

Experiences you can never forget.