There is nothing either good or bad, only thinking makes it so.

-Hamlet

For starters, I was extremely hesitant about posting this video (or even making it for that matter)

But in the end, I decided the main reason behind this blog and hence my travels, is to document what life is really like in different parts of the world, regardless of what my experiences might be.

Coming to this conclusion has really helped me overcome some of my own inhibitions and feeling like I am holding back on certain things in an effort not to offend some people. After all it’s not me who doing these things, I am simply an observer or a reporter showcasing my experiences to the world.

I’ve also come to realization lately, that no matter what one does, they are never going to please everybody all the time…so what difference does it really make.

I am not saying that I condone this sport by any means. But I have to say that after spending many years of my life searching for that “one truth”, this experience helped me understand that there really is no “one truth” and that we all perceive things in a different ways. It all just depends on what the culture we were raised in deems as acceptable.

Seeing this cockfight made me realize that nearly everything I’ve been taught in regards to what is right and wrong and what is acceptable and unacceptable has been nothing more than a set of ideas and beliefs that have been instilled in me by the culture I was raised in.

The thing that really got me thinking while I was sitting there, was to see the kids in the room. And I started t0 wonder what it would have been like if I were raised in the same situation.

For one, I would probably see absolutely nothing wrong with cockfighting, and in fact, I would probably consider it a common pastime on Sunday afternoons like all of those people.

Without question, it would have been very hard to convince anyone in that room that what they were was considered wrong. Nor do I think they would have cared.

Furthermore, I thought the fact alone that I eat chicken would have made me a complete hypocrite for even suggesting the idea.

Although I would probably not actively seek out another cock fight as I travel, I would say that the process is no more in-humane than how the poultry industry operates in the U.S. or any other part of the world for that matter.

To see for yourself how truly cruel the process can be, check out a movie called “Food Inc.” You can visit the site here and see a free trailer.

It will blow your mind and help you see the reality of what it really takes to get that chicken, beef or pork in your sandwich everyday. It really is enough to make you consider vegetarianism. Or at least buy organic meat from specialty farm raised animals. I highly recommend the movie.

Anyhow, attending this event oddly became a profound experience for me. And these types of occurrences are the exact reasons why I love to travel.

It is common knowledge amongst fellow travelers I meet, that it’s  simply impossible to explain to people who never leave their own country the feeling of self discovery and understanding of life one gets from world travel. There really is no better substitute for life education and growing ones concept of what this world is really about.

The best explanation I can give is this. People talk about the potential existence of alien planets in our Universe and some even dream of how interesting and amazing it would be to visit these places and experience these cultures.

But the fact is, these types of situations exist right here on earth. And when one travels to these places, one gets a feeling of being in another world.

People look different, they speak languages that often times are not understood and live in ways that are completely foreign to what one is used to.

The more I travel, the bigger the world seems to me and the more I realize just how little I really know. It is truly my desire that more people get the chance to experience global travel and the effects it inevitably has on ones thoughts and life.  There is a whole world to discover and I promise it will change you forever.

What was one profound experience that you had that took you by surprise? Looking forward to your comments.

“A different language is a different vision of life.”

Federico Fellini, Italian movie director (1920 -1993)

My Experience In Spanish Immersion

One of my main focuses while traveling in Latin America is to become more or less conversationally fluent in Spanish before leaving.

As part of my plans, I have been enrolling myself in Spanish immersion programs in the countries I am visiting which have included Peru and Chile and will include Argentina, Uruguay, Columbia, Panama, Guatemala and finally Mexico before making my way back into the States. But here is what my experience has been so far

My first experience of Spanish Immersion happened in town called Arequipa Peru at the Llama Spanish School owned and operated by Maria Del Carmen.

I rented a room in Maria’s house for approximately two weeks and during this time I took 4 hours a day of private one on one lessons. In the mornings we focused primarily on grammar structure and in the afternoon, we would engage in one on one conversation using the rules we just learned.

In the evenings, I always tried to get an additional few hours in by listening to Spanish Lessons by Michel Thomas on my Ipod. I have found that this combination, although very intense mentally, helped me learn a tremendous amount in a very short period of time. Especially when you can only speak Spanish outside of class.

I particularly like the Michel Thomas series because he focuses on no stress learning and has almost nothing to do with memorizing grammar rules, which if you think about it, is how we actually come to learn any language.

For example, when we are kids, we learn from the interactions with our parents and the world around us. We don’t engage in learning how to be perfectly articulate at four years old. I have found that learning all the rules of the language before really getting the basics down can actually hurt your learning curve because it interferes with your thought process when you try to speak naturally.

I often find I learn more by overhearing conversation and trying to engage in it while my friends kindly correct me if I say something wrong.

However, in the end, it’s all necessary and like with anything, the more exposure you have to something regardless of the format, becomes beneficial.

But without question, immersing yourself in a culture of the language your trying to learn is hands down the fastest ways to learn that language. And by combining it with daily classes is like adding rocket fuel to your learning curve.

For example, if you figure the amount of cumulative time I put in over just two weeks, it’s equivalent to taking more than an entire semester of Spanish lessons at a typical college or high school in the States. Not to mention all of my lessons are done private one on one. And the best part is it can cost less than minimum wage in most U.S. cities depending on where you are in Latin America.

With that said, I think it’s important to mention certain countries in South America speak different dialects of Spanish, most notably Chile and Argentina.

In Chile for example, they speak with a slight lisp and tend to drop the endings of many words, especially when ending in the letter “S” They also speak extremely fast which can make it very difficult to understand if your just starting out.

Alternatively, the countries most known in Latin America for speaking the cleanest Spanish include Peru, Columbia, Venezuela and Mexico. It’s no secret and even Chileans admit they speak terrible Spanish.

Despite this however, I have tried to make my learning experience in Chile into a positive by really trying to hone in what people are saying, even though most of the time I have no clue. In the long run I think this will help tremendously when traveling in countries where they speak slower and with more grammatically correct Spanish. At least that’s what I am hoping.

My theory is, that it’s probably similar to how professional baseball players practice swinging at balls moving much faster than what the average pitcher throws. But when game time comes, it’s as though the ball is moving in slow motion compared to practice time, thus increasing their chances of success.

Some Additional Thoughts on Learning a New Language

Without a doubt, learning a Spanish has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.

I am starting to feel as though I am crossing a threshold into being able to communicate at least in basic conversation and find myself even thinking in Spanish a lot of times. This is what happens through immersion. It’s a natural transformation and words literally start to come out without even thinking about them. In fact, in some cases I even prefer the simpler ideas expressed through the many verbs in the Spanish language.

In addition to learning Spanish, I have also gained a lot of insight into many root words of my own language, which has opened my eyes to new ways of thinking that I never could have understood before.

By learning a new language, one really comes to understand how different cultures think about the world and life in general. Said another way, learning a new language does more than give you the sexy appeal of speaking multiple languages, it literally starts to change who you are at the core.

Learning new languages is fast becoming a new hobby of mine, especially considering I have come to understand that with focus and immersion, I can easily learn a new language quite fluently within 6-12 months. It’s also a fascinating way to meet new people from all over the world and a beautiful way to pass time while your bored.

If you could learn any language what would it be? Where would you go to learn it? I would love to hear your comments.

You have to leave the city of your comfort
and go into the wilderness of your intuition.
What you’ll discover will be wonderful.
What you’ll discover is yourself.

~ Alan Alda ~ American actor, director and screenwriter

Recently, I spent a few weeks in a town called Arequipa located near the border of Chile and Peru. It’s a very mystical city and without question, captured my heart forever.

Regardless of the sporadic and slow Internet connections and impossible phone systems, it became hard to leave the remote city of nearly one million people, all of which seem to live in a time that more or less no longer exists.

Upon my arrival, I knew I was truly in another world when after asking several people if there was a Starbucks, not one of them had even heard of the concept. My world is indeed shifting.

I made this video using various clips from my time in Arequipa mixed in with some footage from other places I’ve traveled along the way.

When I create these videos, I truly have no clue what they are going to turn out like.

Similar to when I was building houses, I would spend hours looking at a vacant property or a house at the framing stage, imagining what I could create. As the ideas would flow I would relish in the feeling of ecstasy as they swirled through my mind. I saw opportunities where others couldn’t and I knew without a shadow of doubt I could make a lot of money.

I am now experiencing the same level of ecstasy as I grow this blog and create my posts.

This manifestation has come from a long anticipated wait for life to answer my demand: “Show me my purpose in perfect clarity”

I now am beginning to see where all of this is headed and why all of my past experiences were necessary for this to even be a reality. Life is indeed a journey and I have learned that it will never give you more than you can handle…Never.

Prior to this trip I was not ready mentally nor in my ability to leave without restrictions. But I felt the pull in 2009 and things naturally began to shift in my life in preparation for the journey.

Although many things had to happen, looking back, it seemed almost effortless. My business sold at the perfect time, a depleting relationship came to an abrupt end and ideas for the blog and my new business came out of the blue.

It was a surreal experience in which the happenings of  2009 became critical preparers for this new life.

Inspiration For This Video

So in regards to the video the inspiration came when I was at the doctors office and the song “Comfortably Numb” kept playing in my head. (Yes, I know it’s copyrighted, but I imagine David Gilmore has bigger fish to fry…plus I’m one of their biggest fans, hopefully if he ever sees this video he’ll forgive me)

Comfortably Numb has long been one of my favorite songs and I thought it would be cool to play off the words to try and show how I am feeling. There is a lot of symbolism in this video and it quite literally reflects how and what I am thinking right now.

From missing my son, to yearning for the affection of a women after being with one for the last several years to simply experiencing things I have never even imagined.

I believe I have indeed found the keys to happiness…And it is not money, but the freedom and ability to “just be” that money can afford.

Waking up knowing this is my new life makes me want to pinch myself. For as long as I can remember, traveling the world freely has been my desire and ambition. All I have ever wanted was to live life on my terms, and it has finally happened.  And I really do feel like I am living my dream.

If you could do whatever you wanted, what would it be? Please leave your comments.

Random Footage

Most of the posts I make on this site will tend to have a story line to them…for example a journey to some place or maybe documenting some sort of process or experience I’ve had.

But there is also many times that I capture footage that doesn’t seem to fit into any story line other than the fact that it’s just part of my every day experience. More or less random events that I think are cool enough to pull out my camera and start recording. (At least I think they’ll cool, but then again I’m very easily amused)

And to be honest, I feel like if I didn’t publish them for you to see I would be depriving you of some really good stuff.

Some Random Thoughts As I Made This Video

The more I travel the more I find that there is as many commonalities as there is differences in the way people and things operate around the world.  Without question, I think you’ll see, especially if you have never traveled outside of the States, that the way most people live in the world is indeed very different than the way we have come to experience life in the US.  A good lesson for the many people that tend to think they have it all figured out.

I often think of what it be like to pluck a typical red neck American, (you know, cowboy hats and Dodge pickups) out of the States and place him in the middle of a typical nieghborhood in a third world country.

Having this thought has made me finally understand why Americans have the reputation for being disliked in many places around the world.

In a conversation I had over dinner with a Brazilian doctor a few nights ago, she explained to me that some people, for example in Brazil, are displeased with the fact that Americans more or less control a world they know nothing about. The level of truth that statement carries is beyond me and frankly outside of my understanding. But I definitely got her point (as I sipped my beer in an awkward moment of silence) and it was a humbling realization to say the least.

Furthermore, as I travel I am finding that many people from other countries, most commonly Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and many parts of South America tend to travel the world quite extensively. In addition, many of these people tend to speak multiple languages, especially from Europe.

On the flip side, I could probably count on two hands (literally) of all the Americans I have met on this trip so far.

I guess the best advice I can give in this regard is: number one, start traveling to places outside of the US if you want to gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. And number two, don’t frown upon new things because they seem different or weird. Because in actuality we (Americans) are the weird ones, and you’ll most likely realize that a majority of the people on this planet live in ways that are stranger and more different than anything you have ever imagined.

So anyhow, the above is a video of some various clips that I put together from some recent traveling through various parts of Peru. I hope you enjoy!

And as always, please share your comments.

This is the official Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates Travel Diaries via email.

After an 8 hour bus ride on my way into Arequipa, I decided to stop in the town of Puno. Puno is basically on the border of Bolivia and Peru. In fact, the town of Puno is most often used as the entrance point for many people trekking into Bolivia. It also sits on Lake Titicaca (pronounced “tee tee ka ka”) which is the world’s highest navigable lake at 12,500 feet (3,810 m) above sea level and is the second largest lake of South America (after Maracaibo).

The town of Puno itself is not the prettiest place to be, but its worth stopping to take the one day trek to visit the Uros Tribe on their man made floating reed islands.

The islands are made of woven tortora reeds that grow everywhere on the Peruvian side of the lake. The Islanders also eat thee reeds and sell them in the markets of Puno. They cut 2 meter squared chunks of mud from the root systems of the reeds, which basically makes the islands float. The large square shaped chunks of soil are then anchored with rope and driven into the bottom of the lake using large sticks.

The reeds at the bottoms of the islands rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top to compensate. The islands last about 30 years. The larger islands inhabit about 10 families, and the smaller ones, which are about 30 meters wide, inhabit only two or three. There are currently about 50 floating islands located on Lake Titicaca and around 3,000 descendants of the Uro’s are alive today, but only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands.

The history of the Uro’s people is that they initially made the islands to escape the Inca’s who were dominating the mainland during the time. The Uro traded with the Aymara tribe on the mainland, and interbreed with them and eventually abandoned the Uro language for the the language of the Aymara.

It was pretty fascinating to see. Check out the You Tube video above of my experience and please leave comments.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates Travel Diaries via email.

When I first arrived in Peru I heard that Guinea Pig was a popular delicacy.. I was fascinated by this, because I had always seen Guinea pigs as pets and not something you eat for dinner. I knew right then that I had to try it and make a video out of the experience.

So I found a local restaurant near my hostel one night and asked the owners if I could record the entire process after I returned from my four day hike to Machu Picchu.

They were happy to let me and seemed oddly just as excited as me. The restaurant is called Nanas Grill and is a petite and beautiful little place to dine. Hand made pastas with a truly homemade touch. The entire restaurant is probably no bigger than a common Master bedroom int the states, but just by coming in the front doors makes you feel like family.

So anyways, when I returned four days later, I was surprised to find that I had an International audience waiting.. Evidentally the owner had informed some local tourists that I was coming that night to record the crucifixion of little “Eddy” the Guinea Pig. During the recording everyone kept joking that what we were doing was Satanic…So I sort of went with this idea as I made the video.

Check it out above…I have to say, its pretty damn funny. Please leave comments..

Hiking to Machu Picchu was an incredible adventure and by far one of the best experiences of my life. We started out on bicycles riding approximately 3 hours in heavy rain down a mountainside where we would arrive in a very small town called Santa Maria.

The next day we set out on foot for what would turn out to be a grueling 3 days of hiking through the mountainous jungles of the Andes on the Inca Trail, which would eventually lead us straight to Machu Picchu.

On the way we would pass through fields of Coca plants, remote villages populated by the indigenous people, breathtaking scenery from narrow pathways hanging thousands of feet above the Urubamba River and natural hot springs located high in the Andes reachable only by foot.

On the third day we arrived in Aguascalientes, the small town located at the base of Machu Picchu. The next morning we awoke at 3:30 am to make the final ascent to Machu Picchu. Even at this hour the town was alive with hikers ready to make the final ascent because they only allow the first 400 people of the day hike to Wayna Picchu, (an additional ruins located adjacent and above of Machu Picchu) and we had ensure we were first in line.

The reason is because by 6am there is easily 1000 people waiting to enter, many of which arrive by bus. In fact, its very difficult to even see Wayna Picchu if you don’t hike from Aguascalientes  because of the amount of tourists that come. But we made it before the buses arrived and the additional hike to Wayna Picchu was astounding. Check out the video above.

The Price

The trek was four days and three nights. I paid $160 US which included three meals a day, a guide (sort of), lodging in dorm style hostels, entrance to Machu Picchu and a train ride back to Cuzco. Although the accommodations were anything but first class, (often having to fetch your own water just to make the toilets flush) It was an amazing adventure  and highly recommended.

Brief History of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, “Old Peak”, pronounced (machoo peechoo) is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It’s located on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (about 50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Often referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas”, Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire.

The Incas started building it around AD 1430 but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was largely unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction.

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.[1] Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early twentieth century.

I sourced this information from Wikipedia to make sure I got the facts straight. To learn more click here.

Check out the video and please leave comments.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates travel journals via email.

I left Lima today on my way into Cusco with the intention to hike Machu Picchu. The bus ride was a grueling 21 hours through the Andes on a one lane road most of the way.  There were some sketchy moments when I felt the bus was literally going to tip over the side of the mountain and we would all roll to our deaths. From what I hear, this actually happens on occasion.

Fortunately, I didn’t experience the cartwheel journey down the cliffs and I indeed arrived safely into Cusco. After a few stops along the way we had finally arrived in Cusco. I was starving and tired, my hands and clothes covered in sticky juice from the Mango I tried to eat at 2am without a knife or a plate and probably smelling like anything but mangos. I just wanted to get some food and go to sleep. Check out the video above to see more.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates travel journals via email.

Today was my last day in Lima and I was getting ready to take a 21 hour bus ride to Cusco in preparation to hike to Machu Picchu.

I had about five hours before my bus left and I had noticed some para gliders in the sky from my hostel window. This immediately sparked my interest and I walked down to the waterfront to see if I could join them. The price was only 150 Soles (about $50 US) so I went ahead and did it.

It was actually the first sunny day since I had been in Lima so I thought it was the perfect way to end my time there. It was an absolutely awesome experience. Check out the video above to see the whole experience in action.

This is the official Travel Blog of Nate Bunger “Architect of Freedom” The ultimate resource for Lifestyle Design and living the life of a true Digital Nomad. Subscribe for FREE now and receive Nates travel journals via email.

FLYING SOMEWHERE OVER THE CUBAN ISLANDS…

Hola from Peru!!

I’m writing from a little coffee bar in Miraflores district in Lima Peru.

When I got off the plane it was about 15 minutes before the New Year arrived. Shortly after leaving the airport, the clock struck midnight and fireworks started going off EVERYWHERE!! It was extremely symbolic to how I was feeling…sort of like a grand entrance that was telling me I had made the right decision. Truly magical

That night, I went out with a bunch of people from the Hostel…A group comprised of people from Australia, Korea, California, Columbia and Peru…What a mix. We went to a few night clubs before heading back to the Hostel to finally get some rest. You can see a short video of one of the night clubs here:

I am planning on heading to Columbia before going down into Bolivia and Chile, where I will visit a friend in Santiago before heading to Buenos Aires. Along the way I will be stopping a few days in places throughout Peru to see various sites including Machu Picchu maybe do some backpacking through the Jungle, a little skydiving and sand boarding (getting towed by a truck on a boogie board through the desert sand dunes) I guess its pretty popular here.

I have made some connections at the Hostel with some guys from Brazil…I will most likely meet up with them when I go to the Carnival festival in February.

Here are some more pictures of the hostel in Miraflores and some of the people I met.

To keep up to date with where I am make sure you subscribe to my email feed. The link is in the top right corner right under the blog header. Also, if your on the road near me, please drop me a line and well be sure to hang out.