Archive: May 2011

Homes tinted in colors from an artist’s palette compete with one another on long, uneven hills. Narrow streets bend every which way into curves that head right and left. An absolute void of green areas exists to rest your weary bones. Surely, architects who design residential areas in large cities rarely rely on Porto for inspiration, which perhaps is why you should seriously consider going there.

I’m addressing the subject of Porto because I recently spent some time there. It seemed like such a city in decay that I was reminded of Havana: tons of abandoned houses, unfinished construction sites, a reign of disorder in its streets … This state of decay rather than being a defect is a testament to the importance of what was, a metropolitan jewel in the crown of a great empire.  The passage of time evokes the charm of a city which ambition built. It’s like one of those wines that get better every year. I, for one, am attracted to the irresistible beauty of disorder.

No doubt, Porto is worth checking out. Take 3 or 4 days to do so.

A few experiences that I enjoyed and which you may as well:

• Sample a francesinha.
• Drink something at Café Piolho.

Places to sleep:

• Spot Hostel.
• Poets Hostel.

Being No.1 at something. Living large. Charles Veley has done something of both. A 30-something guy who’s made it, he prides himself as “the most traveled man” in the world.

Charles Veley is head of MostTraveledPeople.com, a sort of “Guinness Record of Travel”. Over time, the members of MostTraveledPeople.com have sliced up the world into 872 locations: countries, states, regional autonomies, archipelagos, you name it. According to this select group, if you visit all 872 sites, you can claim to have seen whatever there is to see. Charles Veley has chalked up 822 of these sites to date.

If challenging Charles Veley for the title of “most traveled man” is your thing, be advised that it will not suffice to just showing off your skills as a photoshop virtuoso. To validate a visit to a site, you have to show a passport seal and produce credit card vouchers that corroborate you’ve shopped at the site in question. One additional requisite that will give your visit authenticity is to step with both feet wherever you go.

Personally, this is not the kind of competition that tickles my fancy. Eating a local treat at a destination does not a visit make.  As we’ve said here many times before, traveling is much more than just going somewhere. Traveling is about getting to know people, living experiences, seeing things calmly or enjoying some place till the crack of dawn.

If you want to read more, check out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/feb/28/charles-veley-most-travelled-person?page=all

http://youngglobalcitizen.com/post/3344906969/most-traveled-man-in-the-world