Travel Blog Ep. 2
Mark C., 33, San Diego, California. Border Patrol Agent
- What was the defining moment that you knew you were meant to explore the world?
That is a great question. I would venture to say that when I went on my first solo trip that really ignited my passion for exploration and traveling all around the world. The sense of adventure in a completely different part of the world.
- Best travel story, go. (Not a question but whatever. We do what we want)
I have had so many interesting travel stories over the years from funny moments to near-death moments. I'll stick to a particularly funny moment when I went to Iceland in 2016. I went to a karaoke bar in downtown Reykjavik and there was an older man singing on the stage. Everyone in the crowd seemed to be cheering and talking about him as if he was some sort of celebrity in the area. As the bar was closing, I sat with many of the locals and the older man came over to talk. Everyone was drinking and having a good time when the man invited everyone back to his house for more drinks and to play guitar. It was probably around eight of us who went back to his small house nearby. I walked into his house and saw gold and platinum albums all over his walls as if he was some sort of famous musician. We got absolutely hammered and sang songs when he told me that he actually co-wrote the famous song Slow Ride by Foghat. He said he moved to Iceland to get away from the fame in the United States. Sure enough I looked up his name and he was actually telling the truth. To this day, still the most random thing I've ever been a part of.
- What’s your all-time favorite place to visit, and why is it special to you?
- What’s your least favorite city and why? (Think of a place where you just didn’t feel satisfied after you left. Or it’s completely overrated)
This is pretty easy. My least favorite place I traveled to was La Paz, Bolivia. The city was underwhelming and run down, but the main problem I had there was from the Bolivian officials when I tried to cross over the border with my overland group from Peru. They gave me so many problems ONLY because I was an American. I researched it and apparently there are many documented cases of Americans being hassled in Bolivia. Even when I left at the airport in Bolivia, they gave me problems too. I definitely did not feel welcomed and I will never go back there ever again.
- Was there ever a time you felt unsafe or have gotten into a bad situation? How did it play out?
I did experience a very bad situation on my first day when I traveled to Beijing, China. A month prior, I apparently tore some tissue in my leg from training Jiu Jitsu in San Diego. I did not realize the extent of my injury at the time and traveled on a 16 hour flight to China. When I got to Beijing, my leg filled up with fluid. I thought I potentially had a blood clot and was extremely worried. I decided to go to the ER at a hospital in Beijing by myself. The people barely spoke English so it was very challenging to know what was going on. They decided to drain fluid out of my leg, which apparently they weren't supposed to. Since I did not want to ruin my trip, I decided to duct tape my leg for the rest of the trip. That is why in one of my famous Great Wall of China photos I am hobbling on one leg down the stairs.
- What’s one item, (other than shoes or clothing), that you absolutely must have on all your travels?
- Do you prefer solo or group travel? Why?
- What is the one place you would say everyone should absolutely see at least once in their lifetime? What did you love about it? (Doesn’t necessarily have to be your favorite place)
Without a doubt it would be Egypt, specifically Luxor. The pyramids were amazing and all, but it can get annoying with the amount of people trying to hustle you out of money around the pyramids. Luxor was by far my favorite part of the trip when I went to the Valley of the Kings, the Luxor Temple, and the Karnak Temple. I guarantee if anyone goes there they will be shocked at the incredible art and architecture of the ancient Egyptians. It is a bucket list trip that I recommend ANYONE to go on.
- Have you ever had a life changing moment or epiphany while traveling?
I did have one moment where I really felt I was close to death that changed the way I traveled and prepared. When I traveled to Peru I hiked through the Andes Mountains for three days. The Andes Mountains were absolutely brutal with the altitude you hike during that time ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 feet above sea level. I did not properly train at altitude prior to the trip and definitely felt the negative effects on the first day. The first day was the most challenging portion of the hike where you go through a large elevation gain. As I was hiking up, it began to hail/snow and get to freezing temperatures. I continued to hike up through the elements, but I was incredibly fatigued and felt my body temperature dropping. I started to black out and believed I could have died right there from hypothermia. We were warned prior to the hike we would be in a very remote area where rescue would be challenging and people have died before in the past. As I was blacking out, all of those scenarios played in my head about how I lived my life and what would happen to my family if I was gone. I ultimately dug deep and slowed my pace while trying to keep my body warm. It took a while, but slowly but surely I hiked up to the peak of the Andes Mountains. To this day it is one of my greatest accomplishments because I finally knew my body's breaking point.
- What city/country would you love to see next?
- Where can people follow you?