Quarantine is still on in many countries and borders are not open yet. Although lockdown measures have been widely eased, we need a little bit more patience until we can get back to the “new normal”.
With so much time at home, I guess that many travel lovers have thought of ways to travel and escape during this hard situation. Well, if you are reading this, it’s because you have a very powerful tool with you: the Internet. And guess what the internet is? A gateway to the universe! Seriously.
If you are struggling at home and you need a real escape, this article is for you!
Virtual Tours
I didn’t even know what a virtual tour was before quarantine, even though online tours have been there for a little while. Well, this is the right time to try them out. There are some great tours of museums that you can visit online, without having to buy the ticket! Just to give you some ideas: Van Gogh Museum, TATE Modern, Guggenheim, Vatican Museums, The Louvre, Frida Khalo House. You can even explore street art around the world! The options are unlimited. Just get into Google Art & Culture and entertain yourself with art pieces from all over the world. You can even visit some of the New Seven Wonders of the World like Chichén Itzà, Machu Picchu, and The Great Wall of China. How amazing is that?
Visit Cities in Real-Time
What if I told you that you could visit your favorite cities in real-time? I know, it’s crazy! You can watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle every night or stand in the middle of Times Square, experiencing the busiest place in New York City without the crowd. You can be in Rome walking around Piazza di Spagna and be in Bolivia one minute later. Skyline webcams will transport you to so many countries around the world that you won’t even know where to start from! You will see exactly what’s going on in that specific place without leaving your couch. It’s 1 pm and you can see the sun setting in Rome. Or you can lay on a beach in Costa Rica. Unbelievable. And trust me, it really feels like you are actually standing there!
Watch travel movies and read travel books
What’s better than a travel movie and a travel book that makes you daydreaming about grabbing a backpack and go explore the world? We can escape with our minds, with no limits. From “popular” movies like Into the Wild and Eat, Pray, Love (both books are also worth reading) to more “classic” movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Motorcycle Diaries. There are so many movies to watch that you will find yourself locked in front of the screen. Take a break once in a while and get your hand on an entertaining travel book. Some of Barrio Vivo favorite travel books are: The Alchemist, On the Road, and Vagabonding. Don’t forget that the Internet is also full of great travel blogs that will fill your days with helpful travel ideas and beautiful destinations.
Plan your next trip
Travelling is not only when you are actually going to a place and you are exploring your new destination. Travelling starts when you decide that you really want to go and where. It starts with the idea that pops into your mind, with the desire that keeps growing. Planning a new trip is part of traveling. And it’s so much fun! I love planning. Start reading about that destination, look for cool non-touristic places, write down a list of restaurants you want to try, the beaches you want to lay on. Get as much information as possible and focus on the things you absolutely want to see/do. But please, don’t overdo it. Make sure you leave space for the unexpected and for those places you will only discover once you are there. Remember, plans will always change. And let me tell you, this is the best part! If you need an idea for your next trip, check why Yucatan should be on the top of your list.
Create a photobook with travel pictures
As planning is part of the art of traveling, so it is remembering and thinking about old travels. No matter if you are that kind of traveler that keep taking (way too many) pictures or if you prefer to limit your shots, I am sure you have lots of nice pictures that are worth printing. With the digital area, we have almost forgotten how beautiful printed photos are. Now that you have plenty of time at home, go through your pictures and select the ones you like the most to create an amazing photobook. It will be a great memory of your trip. Anytime you want to remember it, you will just have to open it and turn the pages. A photobook is a good way to share your travel with someone (and make them jealous) but it’s also the perfect gift for your travel partner or for your sweet grandparent that would have loved to visit those places with you.
Cook your favorite “exotic” recipe
No travel is complete without experiencing new flavors and losing your mind tasting something new. Or without eating something very weird that you never thought you would have had the courage to try. I know it’s not gonna be exactly the same, but try to reproduce those delicious foods you had in your favorite country. Accept the challenge and put yourself at work in the kitchen. Here are some travel cookbooks you could look at to get some inspiration. If you already have something in mind, I’m sure you will easily find the recipe online. It’s probably gonna be hard to find all the ingredients as not every country has wide international food options, but this is all part of the experience. If you don’t find what you need, try to replace that ingredient with a similar one you can easily find. The result will be an interesting fusion mix between two (or more) countries. The point here is to bring new flavors to your kitchen and let them take you to that foreign place.
Discover new places you didn’t even know existed
If these options are not enough and you need more adventure, you can look for new places and untouched lands. Jump on Google Earth and start exploring! From the middle of the desert to white-sand beaches and virgin islands. Or, if you prefer, travel to Unesco World Heritage sites. Do you need something even more unconventional? Check out these crazy abandoned places around the world and try to look for more! The options are endless. If you take it seriously, you could definitely find a place no one had ever heard about. And of course, you can put that place on your travel list!
I know that nothing compares to physically travel to another country, to immerse yourself in a new culture, be surrounded by strangers, new languages, new sounds, and new smells. But try and look at the bright side of virtual travelling: it’s completely free! (well, you do have to pay for the Internet but this is almost an irrelevant cost). You don’t have to pay for your flight nor accommodation. You avoid the stress of long-distance flights and bus journeys. How great is that? Plus, there is nothing better than traveling after dreaming about it for such a long time. It’s not long until you will be able to jump on that plane, get on that train and reach that so wanted destination. Keep dreaming and stay positive!
