the art of getting lost
The art of travelling without a plan
I will be running a discussion on the joys of my favourite type of travel, the art of getting lost, at the next Blink Bl_nk at Blue Jazz in Singapore later this month.
I am too lazy when it comes to planning. I miss a train, drop in a random neighbourhood, trust myself with strangers, and get distracted with kids inviting me to join their play. While things have gotten convenient with the webs and the maps on telephones, I use them rarely.
One of the hacks for “lost travelling” is to travel with an outdated travel guide. You end up some bus station; the bus to your next destination no longer exists. No sweat, just take the next bus to a random destination. You get to talk to people about bars that are long gone, the school that is now an apartment complex, the then fancy hotels that are now abandoned and host ghosts etc. People get nostalgic when you talk about things that are gone. The guy at the bar remembers the long gone park where he first kissed his childhood sweetheart and buys you a drink for bringing those memories back.
My 1980s Lonely Planet about Japan. I will be giving this book away at the talk.
Want to look for the God burger shop in Tokyo?
Not everything has changed. I am often surprised by how much the old maps are still good for smaller towns.
Nani sore!!! those days Japanese men were so naughty.
Also, the art of traveling light.