Reuben's Routes: Part 2

Hello and welcome to part 2 of Reuben’s Routes! This time I am writing from the middle of the sea, hours away from land, not on a boat, but sitting in a hammock on a floating hostel. More of this later...

Last time I checked in on my blog, I had just decided that my adventures were taking me to Ko Phangnan. The decision was most definitely a good one as the island was a perfect combination of exploration and relaxation, not to mention a night to remember at the world famous Half Moon Festival in the middle of the island’s jungle. After getting decorated with glow in the dark face paint and having a few Half Moon ‘buckets’, I truly lost count of how many different nationalities I met at the party. Thousands of people travel from around the world for this celebration that occurs every 4 weeks (regardless of weather) and it showed me that if you create a powerful brand, understand your audience and create a positive experience with any product or service, you can have a successful and timeless business.

On another island not too far away, I dedicated some time to one of my favourite hobbies and a popular activity in Thailand: water sports. Jet-skiing along Ko Samui’s coastline followed by fly-boarding 30ft in the air out on the clear, flat ocean was easily one of my highlights.

On my last night in Thailand, we ate dinner at a local Thai restaurant run by a young family who had moved from the craziness of Bangkok to Ko Samui. The family greatly appreciated our custom and dedicated time to our large group to ensure we had a memorable experience. 

An extra minute or two speaking to a client or customer can make a lasting impression and I value how key this is when building relationships. Thailand has become an amazing tourist destination and accounts for over 18 percent of Thailand's GDP. I saw with my own eyes how important tourism is not only to the country but also to small businesses run by young families.

Unfortunately, my time in South East Asia had come to an emotional end. Enjoying a mix of culture, adventure and relaxation was everything I had imagined and had looked forward to. The sights I'd seen, the people I'd met and the time I spent there will be with me for the rest of my life.

As one chapter closes, another opens. The next half of the trip was going to be spent 12,000 miles away and quite literally on the other side of the world in South America. 

First stop: Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires was the opposite to what I was expecting: young, vibrant, colourful and super modern. A great place to start my tour of South America. 

The Youth Olympics were taking place whilst I was there and I managed to catch some of the sports, including volleyball, tennis and basketball. Watching the young athletes devote so much of their lives and effort to their career and watching them take their big opportunity after so many years of hard work was extremely inspiring.

Our first tourist stop was a tour of the famous Boca Juniors Stadium. As a football lover and a loyal Southend United fan, a stadium’s infrastructure is hugely interesting to me, particularly for international clubs and teams. This one did not disappoint: it is what I’d call a ‘proper’ stadium: fans close to the pitch, atmospheric concourses and a pitch as green as a snooker table. It’s an arena I can only dream of watching the Shrimpers play in, and if you ever visit Buenos Aires, I would thoroughly recommend this tour.

Next was La Boca, a famous street close to the stadium. Google 'Buenos Aires' and a picture of this street will appear. For me, this was a moment that encapsulated South America: men and women dancing Salsa in the street, eye-piercing colours up and down the walls and an electric atmosphere.

I then travelled to Brazil, specifically to Rio de Janeiro, where I experienced a new language, new culture and a new whole list of tourist attractions to tick off the list. While in Rio, I admired Christ the Redeemer with its spectacular views over the city and its colossal presence towering over the people below. I also played football on Copacabana beach and even went surfing on the infamous Ipanema waves.

The Brazilian people were much more laid back than the Argentinians and the city itself had a bigger musical and samba dance influence. Moving countries and integrating with different people so often meant I had to be adaptable and I thoroughly enjoyed learning the South American dynamics and also contrast between the various places I enjoyed. 

I didn’t think the views at Christ the Redeemer could be beaten until we arrived at Sugar Loaf mountain. I sat on the top of the mountain during sunset when the sun was setting behind the magical Rio backdrop – words cannot do justice to this experience (hence the photo!).

The next and final country I explored in South America was Colombia. Colombia has a particularly bad reputation for being dangerous and a scary place to stay, but I can safely say that Colombia is nowhere near as dangerous as the rumours suggested. This just demonstrated to me that it is always important to experience things for yourself, rather than relying on and believing hearsay.

First up was the infamous Medellín, on a walking tour of the city. I discovered pretty quickly that Pablo Escobar’s reputation is present throughout most streets of the city, and I was keen to learn more, however it was important for me to understand Columbia has much richer history and culture that overrides Pablo Escobar and his lasting effect on the Colombian people. 

Pablo Escobar was a terrible man who killed over 27,000 people. His impact on the country was significantly more negative than positive. However, to understand how the city has evolved due to Escobar’s money, I went on a tour that showed us the place he died, his Graveyard, his ‘own prison’ and his house. Seeing these places was fascinating and a real insight into his world, and it became clear to me that the way television portrays the city and Pablo Escobar was totally inaccurate.

I left Medellin and travelled north to a small town called Cartagena. Cartagena reminded me of Buenos Aires with hippy streets, amazing restaurants serving incredibly fresh fish but with an overwhelming influence of Caribbean soul. Cartagena didn’t cater for tourists as well as other cities I had visited, so I had the opportunity to submerge myself in the traditional culture and the flow of daily life there. Overall, on my trip to South America, I learnt to be adaptable, to communicate in challenging environments, to listen to advice and trust my intuition. Valuable life lessons that I will take with me to the next stage of my life. 

As mentioned at the start of this blog, I'm staying at a hostel called Casa en el Agua which translates to 'House on the Sea'. The hostel is plonked in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and literally has a 360-degree view of the ocean at all times. It accommodates 40 lucky guests over 2 floors which includes a kitchen, bar, gym and even a tightrope over the crystal clear waters. My stay has been a highlight of my 9 weeks so far and I highly recommend everyone to stay here. 

Only 16 days of my trip left and it’s been full of experiences, life lessons and memories.

United States of America is next and I can’t wait to see what this part of my journey brings...