Create Our World

2:42pm

Outside at the Mudhouse Cafe, again.

I was walking back to downtown Charlottesville after crashing with my friends, Leslie and Earl Gibson (Very Thankful and Grateful to have caught up with them and spent time at their Lake Monticello house last night.), and I was thinking that I LOVE the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville.

In fact, it is one of my favorite places in the world!!!

Actually, after some thought, it is my second favorite place in the world. I decided to rank my top five places and then give some info about the Downtown Mall for those whom have walked the brick-lined streets but never knew the back story or those that have never been.

My Top 5 Places in the World

5.  Bridge Hotel.  Melbourne, Australia.

http://www.thebridgehotel.com.au/ (It was renovated, looks nothing like the place I went to)

This was the bar/restaurant that was 2 blocks from my home in Richmond; 15 minutes by tram to the heart of Melbourne.  This was my second home in Australia, when I stayed their for a study abroad program in college.  Very relaxed.  Warm open people.  And on Wednesday’s, they had Pasta night, with amazing Fettucini Carbonara!

4.  Lagos, Portugal. http://www.lagos.me.uk/

Located right on the southern coast of Portugal, in the heart of the Algarve, the weather here is amazing.  A relatively small city that has a very hip backpacker crowd that is very open.  This was my getaway from the family spot, when I vacationed in Portugal with my family a few years ago.  I would crash at the hostel and hang out with other travelers from all over the world.

3.  Tulum, Mexico.

Two years after college, I visited the Yucatan Pennisula in Mexico with my good friend, Mario Marquez and Tulum touched my heart.  We stayed in cheap cabana’s a couple miles from the beach.  Tulum is much smaller than Cancun or Cozumel and the first day we got there the local Mexican’s were having a festival in a non-tourist part of town.  They set up a small bull-fighting ring with just big fences and everyone crowded around to cheer.  There is a large backpacker crowd so if you choose you could hang out with people from Europe, Japan, or anywhere; or go to the local places full of only the towns people.

2.  Downtown Mall, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Back in the 1970′s, the main street of Downtown Charlottesville was dying.  A large mall was installed in the suburbs and like many American cities, businesses and people were moving from the Downtown to other areas.  Enter the landscape architect and theorist, Lawrence Halpin on the scene.  He had already done similar projects in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, and Seattle.  

“This act of transmuting the experience of the natural landscape into human-made experience is, for me, the essence of the art of landscape design.”

Lawrence is famous now for designing the memorial to FDR in Washington DC.

 The 1980′s were rough for the Mall.  It didn’t catch on at first. But it survived and today, in 2009, it prospers.

Expensive candelit dinners, high-end boutique clothing, or 2$ large foldable slices of pepperoni pizza at Christian’s or a great cup of coffee at the Mudhouse Cafe for under $2.  There are plenty of options.  I love the contrast of the people that frequent the mall.  The very rich in flowing summer dresses drinking from very shiny wine glasses, to this other crew of young, kinda grimey folk that sit in the patio of the Mudhouse without any coffee or the bearded musician with his dog playing his guitar nearby.  

If you like people watching, this could be the place for you.

1.  Bon Paul & Sharky’s Hostel, West Asheville, North Carolina.

This place is tops.  If you want to go to a home away from home, this is your place.  I will talk about this place in some future articles.

***

I have almost caught up on sending out the photos I have taken to Astronomers, Megafauna, Uncle Jemima, and Zee Avi and I am going to buy my sister a birthday present today.

Let me know what you think of my favorite spots or what yours are.  I am looking for other places to visit and this is a list that changes by the day.

Create our World.

ben.

***Side note: The Mall may be renovated soon, so keep posted on the new look.  There was a small controversy as to whether to stick with the 4″ by 12″ bricks (which are not standard and would have to be specially ordered) or move to 4″ by 8″ bricks which are used in most buildings.  The argument to use the 4″ by 12″ bricks is using the same size unit on the floor would radically alter the feeling of the space.

Zee and Harris. Tea Bazaar.

11:30am
Mudhouse Cafe.
Charlottesville.

This morning at 1am, I was tromping around on the Rivanna Trail on the outskirts of Charlottesville. The weeds dangling over the trail were damp. In the distance I could hear semi trucks blasting on the highway. I was using my pocket video camera’s viewfinder as my flashlight, but the night was surprisingly light.

STOP!!! This note is for someone whom has little money, yet much desire to explore the world.
Those of you whom dutifully saved your dough or were fortunate enough to have ample finances can skip this article; UNLESS, you have the dough, yet CHOOSE the Problem of Sleep for the other benefits it provides.
***

Violinist on the Downtown Mall.

Hitchhiking would be so much more comfortable, if I had a guaranteed place to sleep every night that is dry and safe. 

The Problem of Sleep. 

When traveling the biggest expense is accomodation. Cheap hotels run over 50$ a night. Hostels in America are few and far between and even the beds can be around 30$ a night. Camping can be as cheap as 10$ a night or as expensive as 30$ a night.

I have been trying to conquer this the past few years as I was daydreaming about traveling long term. Well, I think I have the answers! (If you have anymore please add a note or tag)

Answers to the Problem of Sleep:

1. Friends!
2. ZAMBASTIC Folk!
3. Techie Stuff!
4. Gratefulness!

I. FRIENDS!

This is the best option, hands down. Love! Conversation! Rekindling long, lost memories!
Plus, probably a dry, safe, and comfortable spot. And rag on Facebook all you want, I definitely did my share of it, but because of this social network, I am in contact with amazing folks whom I love all across the country. Folks whom, (in my not-so-good-keeping-in-contact-ways) I have easily been able to keep up with. 
Also, it is mutually beneficial. While I was working full-time, having a friend come crash on the couch was like a mini-vacation myself. Live vicariously through them for a bit. Cultivate good friends!

II. ZAMBASTIC FOLKS!

I made up the word ZAMBASTIC because I couldn’t think of a word to describe this sort of person. Good people whom would not only let you crash, but would dig it. “ZAMBASTIC FOLKS” enjoy giving, meeting new people, and would leave the interaction feeling like they gained something as well. BUT it is an art to meet ZAMBASTIC Folks. Here is what I know:

A. PLACE. 

Music shows, coffee houses, art festivals, or some venue that allows for easy interaction between people. Especially very new bands or bands that are not “huge,” because they are trying to build a fan base and are very interested in meeting new people. Some place that fits your particular set of interests and hobbies is good, because it gives you things to talk about. I am pretty shy at heart, but having a situation that makes it easier to talk to strangers, helps. 

B. YOUR LOOK. 

Be clean! Look interesting! Most people are shy about approaching new folks too! HOWEVER, if you give them something to talk about, it is easier for others to approach YOU. For example, my most recent encounter with Zambastic Folks (check yesterday’s note), I utilized my CAMERA and my LARGE HIKING BACKPACK. I was watching a music show at a very small tea bazaar and I took a lot of photographs of the show and offered the photographs to the bands. Then, I had my huge backpack which was an easy conversation piece. So after the show it was pretty easy to converse with the bands and eventually be invited back.

C. BE GENUINE! Don’t be a mooch! The key is not to trick them into letting you stay or be pushy or play an act. Here is the key and the key to more than crashing on a couch. 

GENUINELY BE INTERESTED IN OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

This is huge! This is philosophy of my life. At a soul level or my foundation, I try to look at every interaction with people, as a GIFT to that Person. That they will leave our interaction feeling great! And NOT because I can get something from it now or in the future. BUT BECAUSE IT IS FUN AND FEELS GREAT! That is it! Forget the rest of this article, just be genuinely interested in other people and you will not have to worry.

III. TECHIE STUFF!

Couchsurfing or GlobalFreeloaders

Couchsurfing is a social networking site that makes it very easy to pair travelers who need a FREE place to crash with folks whom have a home and want to share a couch. I have used it two times and each time met Zambasters. I have not used GlobalFreeloaders, the concept is the same, I think GlobalFreeloaders.com is less pretty looking and less popular.
The only catch to using these sites is to let the host know about a month ahead for a high chance of getting a couch. In spontaneous trips, I have had a hard time getting a couch. (Although, last new years I got a floor in manhattan the night before new years eve in about a week’s notice; couldn’t score a place for new years eve unfortunately)

IV. GRATEFULNESS!

Three days ago, I was sleeping near the highway, in a damp patch of woods with a lot of undergrowth, sticks on the ground, and it was pouring. My tarp kept me dry but I did not get much sleep. Be grateful for what you get! A lot of people around the world sleep in conditions that we would think are implorable. Yet, to them it is HOME.

SLEEP WHEN YOU GET DONE TRAVELING. 

This is my main philosophy. I am in Charlottesville right now and if I had a hotel room, I definitely would have slept a lot more, YET, not had as many good experiences.

***

There is a beauty to THE PROBLEM OF SLEEP, that those whom have never tried it will not understand. Here it is:

“If you HAVE to, you will be surprised what you can do.”

A good friend of mine, Dan, said that he could never hitchhike the country because he is too shy. Well, I think of myself as pretty shy; shoot an email to any of my high school friends and they will tell you. But I have practiced being not shy for so long, that it is changing how I view myself and changing the little voice in my head that used to say, “Don’t talk to that person! They will think you are a weirdo!” to “Here is another opportunity to have a LIFE CHANGING conversation or encounter.”
And I practiced not being shy because I had too.

***

A side note, I was tromping around at 1am last night and not 9am because I watched Zee Avi at the Tea Bazaar last night. I try to always be very positive about everyone I meet, so I have said to “check out” every musician that I have written about, BUT you need to get on myspace right NOW and listen to her music online (myspace is great for that). She is from Malaysia and was discovered on YouTube by Jack Johnson about 2 years ago. She signed with Brushfire Fairytales records  and has gotten big since. She, Harris, and Gabe, her support band have just started a tour and I am predicting she is going to create our world in music.

She radiates! 
Funny, charismatic, and great voice. I would say, a petite, asian version of Regina Specktor.

***
Today, my goal is wash my clothes. It was 4 dollars to wash my clothes at the Laundromat. I think I can do it for just the cost of the soap. I am on the search for a sink and a sun baked lawn or tree.

Create our world,
ben.

“To him in whom love dwells, the whole world is but one family,” – Buddha