tayloretc's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hello! I’m Taylor. I was born on Okinawa, raised in the US and Europe, and stopped counting how many times I’ve moved many years ago. I’m more of a transient resident than a traveler with a home base (currently living in Chennai, India), although most of my stuff is in storage in Boston, MA, so I’ll have to swing back by there eventually.

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.

2009 has been rather adventurous so far. In February was in the Andaman Islands to get certified in open water scuba diving, and I spent the first couple of weeks of May trekking in Nepal, making an altitude range for the first half of the year of –18 to +5416 meters. I was also in Singapore for a few days in June, an adventure in its own way. Coming up are several weekend trips in south India, possibly a week in Thailand/Cambodia, and definitely a longer jungle trekking/scuba diving trip to Borneo.

2008 was half upheaval – shifting flats in Chennai, a whirlwind driving tour of Tamil Nadu, moving back to the US – and half sitting around thanks to a lack of income. The few adventures I had while incomeless arose from a desperate search for fun in Windham, NH, and a lucky break living on Cape Cod after most of the tourists were gone but before everything closed up for the winter.

Between 2005 and 2008 I traveled a lot in India. Most was in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and in the far northern state of Uttaranchal (Himalayas), with short visits to Agra and Delhi. Also during that time I wound up in Dubai, Germany, Sri Lanka several times, and Malaysia.

Before 2005 I traveled all over Europe, the northeast US, and British Colombia, but it’s mostly undocumented. (And is better left so.)

Generally speaking:
• I prefer to travel alone and without itinerary – I love just walking around a new place.
• I rarely travel first class, although it happens sometimes and I enjoy it when it does.
• I only plan trips in advance if not planning would have been really stupid.
• I don’t choose destinations just because there’s something there you’re supposed to see, but I won’t refuse to go to a tourist site just because everyone else has seen it. (This wasn’t always true.)

There’s a proverb: “A man has as many souls as he knows languages.” I think that extends to “A man has as many souls as he knows cultures and ways of being in the world.” What better way to know another way of being in the world than to go be in it? For as long as it takes to sink in?

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.

I actually want to go everywhere, but there are some specific reasons for the places marked green on my VT map. West to east:

• Alaska Nature, before drilling in the refuge wrecks it.
• Nunavut, Canada I have a small collection of Inuit sculptures, and I’d like to see the land that inspired them.
• Madagascar Lemurs.
• Oman The closest I’m ever going to get to what is left unspoiled on the Arabian Peninsula, which I’ve wanted to see since I read The Back Stallion when I was 8 years old.
• Iran I know people from Iran, and I’ve heard wonderful stories.
• Pakistan I know people in Pakistan, and I’ve seen spectacular pictures.
• Australia For all the creatures that looked at western categories and said screw that.
• New Zealand Not just because it looks like the most perfectly beautiful place on Earth, I also speak some Maori, and have to use it once in my life. (Why do I speak some Maori? I was learning Finnish, got to case #8 of 15, flung the book and spun the globe and Maori was as far away as I could get.)

Besides those, I want to spend years and years wandering through everywhere else.

I’m never going to make pages for all the places I’ve been, or even all the places where I’ve spent substantial or meaningful time. I might add photos someday or tips if I think they might still be useful, but if a page says “to come” it probably won’t. View the related photos or tips with my sincere good wishes that you find more complete information somewhere else.

As long as you’re planning a trip, check out PALS’ page and see whether you can bring his art somewhere new.

A lot of people have asked me for what-to-see and where-to-stay advice about India, and not to be rude, but I’m not in the travel business and can’t say much more than what I’m putting in these pages. I’ve included links and references I’ve used myself here, and will add to that page as I come across anything useful. Requests for specific information will be ignored unless the request is entertaining. Requests in any form of SMS speak will be ignored regardless of how otherwise entertaining they might be.

The text in these pages is purely my own take on things, not to be confused with anything for anyone to get upset about. The photos are my own unless otherwise indicated, and I’d appreciate if they didn’t show up elsewhere. If you want anything, drop me a line.

Happy travels!