"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson

I wrote a couple of posts back that the Internet is a great nurturer of subcultures. Another thing the Net provides is a multitude of ways to live vicariously: musicians write of life on the road; Kevin over at the most excellent Cryptogon has shared his journey as he and his wife leave the USA to go "back to the land" in her native New Zealand.

One of my favorites is TravelBlog. These folks are travellers, not tourists, often foregoing the usual creature comforts in favor of experiencing the grit and reality of other cultures. Then, upon finding the next Internet cafe, they upload their thoughts and photos to TravelBlog.

My favorites are the blogs from the real hinterlands of the world, like this one from rural Iran, part of a Scottish couple's journey by bike across Europe and Asia. You may not know "Erika and Robin from Scotland", but after reading their posts, you can't help but admire them. Does not every kindness they receive, and every kindness they offer, help move us all along the Path?

As our government continues to demonize large swaths of the planet as havens for "terrorists" and "evildoers" (I still can't believe that actually came out of his mouth), many of the travellers at TravelBlog go forth with an open mind and open heart, seeking and finding some of the common threads of our humanity: hospitality, kindness, pride in country and culture, and the importance of family and community.

Highly recommended.


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