My travels are usually well ahead of my writing, which lags behind a queue of new trips and past stories to be told. Hence why I’m so late in writing about the 2012 Best City To Visit Travel Tournament winner, Sarajevo. A contest won by an incredibly energetic and enthusiastic group of Balkan supporters who reflect how connected a community the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital form.

There is no correlation between my tardiness and how I felt about Sarajevo, where I was welcomed by many I met – not as a visiting traveler – but rather someone returning to a home he didn’t know he had. Tourism to Sarajevo and the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased by 13% [PDF] since 2010, yet it still retains many advantages for independent and budget travelers.

War Torn No Longer

The streets of Sarajevo still bear the marks of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, literally, as you can see in the picture to the right, where residents have painted the cracks left by grenade explosions red. There were many more of these memorials in asphalt throughout the Sarajevo, which endured the longest siege of a capital city since World War II: from April 5, 1992 until February 29, 1996. Like the pavement however, the city hasn’t forgotten the war that changed Sarajevo’s demographics drastically, reducing ethnic diversity according to some estimates by 30%.

The Bosnian War created a lost generation of children in Sarajevo, who missed an opportunity for education, as sniper fire and regular bombardment of the city made any formal schooling impossible. One of the few ways food, medical supplies, and weapons were smuggled into the city during the siege was through the Sarajevo Tunnel. Constructed by the Bosnian Army covertly, it connected Sarajevo to just outside the city’s airport, controlled by the United Nations. You can get a fascinating look inside the tunnel, parts of which are still intact, on the HYH City Tour. In addition to the Sarajevo Tunnel, my guide took us to the abandoned bobsled tube from the 1984 Olympics and sniper alley – his personal stories from living through the siege alone were worth the 21 Euro price.

The divisions of the war have brought modern Sarajevo together today as it can confidently concentrate on the future – a hint of which you can see in its hip present. Students from the over 5 universities in Sarajevo hang out in sleek cafes like Delikatesna Radnja after classes and you’ll find no shortage of bars along the blocks of the Miljacka River on weekend nights.

Advantages Of Independence For Independent Travelers

With the Bosnian War in the rear view mirror (it’s completely safe in case you were wondering), travelers who head to Sarajevo have much to look forward to. First of all, it’s inexpensive. Businessweek ranks it the 19th cheapest city for expensive living, whether you’re looking for a fancy two-bedroom apartment for $699 a month, or staying a few nights in a private room for 20 Euro a day at the comfortable Hostel City Center.

• All of the city’s main sights are easily walkable and you can hike from hills of the Alifakovac neighborhood’s centuries-old cemetery, walk across the Eiffel Bridge (a smaller version of Gustave’s style on the Douro), and stand at the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated all in the same afternoon.

In the evening recuperate lost calories with the pastry burek or have a complete meal of cevapi (kebab) with duvec (vegetable stew) at an affordable spot like Sedef. Afterwards at the warmly lit Bascarsija Square drink from the Sebilj Fountain, which is said to ensure one’s return to Sarajevo – although in my opinion a visit to the city has the same effect.

Warmest Welcome I Can Remember

The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament really took off in Sarajevo last year and everyone I came across seemed to have voted or heard about it. So many Bosnians took time out of their day to come meet me as I was traveling around the city to have a drink or just say hi – thanking me for highlighting the city through the contest. But to be honest, it’s all of the Bosnians who deserve my thanks for welcoming me to a city I could easily see myself living in, and treating me like I have been, for a lifetime.

The live chat is now closed – thanks everyone for the questions and conversation!

Additionally, I’ll be giving away away two free licenses to Hotspot Shield Elite, worth $29.95, and offering a special price of $10 for The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers Version 2.0, today only. All of that, plus the specific answers to your blogging and tech questions in the comments below, ask away!

• There is a video embedded in this post, those of you reading through my daily email update will need to click through to the article to view the video.

Since 1959, every evening a bizarre military ritual takes place along the India-Pakistan border, between Lahore and Amritsar, in the border town of Wagah. This is where the Grand Trunk Road crosses the India-Pakistan border along the Radcliff Line, which splits the region of Punjab. A line on a map drawn in 1947 by British lawyer Cyril Radcliff, who had never been to either country, yet was tasked with outlining their borders at the end of England’s occupation of India. The official purpose of this dance is the synchronized lowering of the national flags on both sides, yet the subtext is “we still don’t like you” – but strangely can get together and choreograph what has become a tourist attraction in addition to military exercise.

Personally, I found the spectacle of the supporters on both sides making more symbolic noise than the most aggressive foot stamps of any solider. The Indian side essentially is a party – and you’ll notice in the video above that it’s all women who are dancing. A stark contrast to the segregated Pakistani side, where only the men boisterous and the females, mostly covered, sit in relative silence.

In 2010, both Pakistan and India agreed to remove some of the more aggressive gestures in the ceremony, but it’s not really the soldiers sending the messages any more here, at the only road crossing a 2,900 kilometer border.

The poor reputation of a nation often obscures the faces of its population, as is the case in Yemen, which has seen an 85% drop in tourism since 2007. Though my camera was eager to capture Yemen, it was really Yemenis who captivated my lens. Overcoming my general reluctance to photograph people, I mumbled a shy, momkin sura (“picture, possible?”) once in the old market of Sana’a and could barely get through it without everyone wanting their turn.

Over the next 10 days during my trip arranged by Eternal Yemen smiles accompanied welcomes and sincere stories about life and struggle among Yemen’s 24 million citizens, nearly half of which are under the age of 15.

Geometry was the lesson of the day in this small classroom, one of the few occupied in a school within the village of Al Hajara. Although law requires children to attend school for twelve grades, few of them do outside of the largest cities, keeping the literacy rate less than 65%.

Selling khat, the national addiction, it far more lucrative and less difficult than advanced mathematics. In case you’re wondering more about this amphetamine, my friend Wandering Earl has written about getting high on khat in Yemen. While he was doing that, I was busy starring at my hands, which became fascinating every time I chewed khat leaves.

The khat has to come from somewhere, and it’s often purchased in large bundles at overflowing markets dedicated to its sale. Surprisingly, much like most of the children and men in Yemen, khat dealers in Jebel and elsewhere enjoyed having their pictures taken as well.

By now you’ve probably noticed the lack of women, as taking pictures of them is very taboo in Yemen. Many actually darted out of the way of my camera when I was taking pictures anywhere, limiting my shots to younger girls. But don’t let her youth fool you, this student’s request for a picture was culturally bold and one of the subtle signs of increasing assertiveness among the nation’s females.

He cried when we left his home in Al Hajara because his aunt had told him I was Murat Alemdar, a character on Kurtlar Vadisi, a Turkish television series very popular in Yemen. (In fact, everyone I met enthusiastically blurted out “Murat!” within 30 seconds of talking to me. The Arab translation of the show modifies the character’s name from Polat to Murat.) The conversation I had with this little boy’s aunt was one of the rare opportunities I had to talk with a Yemeni woman and again, her initiating the conversation was pushing a social norm.

Our host – who nearly immediately called me Murat – at the Abdullah Edib Camp on Socotra Island located about 380 kilometers south of mainland Yemen in the India Ocean. Aside from being a wonderful cook, his sense of humor and jokes had my sides hurting from laughter well after dinner.

On Socotra, if there’s a road and you can reach the pedals, you can probably drive. Now, look as cool? Few people can pull it off like these two.

Nearly all of the workers at Socotra’s lone harbor wanted a picture with the fellow wearing the “Syria” bandana. He’s not Syrian by the way, but calling non-Arab Yemenis (or Socotris) Syrian seemed like one big inside joke without any direct explanation.

The population of Yemen is diverse, largely due to its geography and proximity to Africa. Somalia is only 80 kilometers away across the Gulf of Aden and more than 110,000 Somalian refugees, like the Tiama people below, have made their home in Yemen. Their life is not an easy one as many locals complain about government neglect of basic services, like electricity or running water, as was the case in this Tiama village.

Despite the troubles many in Yemen face, most of the people I spoke with were optimistic about the future. Albeit leaving much of their fate in God’s hands…and Lionel Messi’s feet.

Over the past 500 years Yemen has been ruled by the Ottomans, Portuguese, British, and been split in two during a civil war in 1986. Since 2011, the nation has been trying to recover its image after an Arab Spring revolution that ousted Ali Abdallah Saleh, who had been in power for over 33 years. The fact that anyone was smiling about anything left me sincerely rooting for Yemenis – men and women – to succeed as a nation. I’m not sure I can be as optimistic as they were, but as they say frequently in Yemen, inshallah.

As you’re reading this, I’m somewhere in the desert at a location I can’t reveal just yet for a number of reasons; and have been offline for the past few days. Despite my best efforts to stay online, it’s not always possible or practical to do so. Running around getting visas, visiting remote regions of the world, and participating in other projects like the New Nomads web series, is work that often takes me away from focusing on writing here. (Work is work, even when you’re fortunate enough to have an amazing job you love.) That got me thinking, prior to visiting this, the 60th+ nation in my goal to travel to every country in the world, that I should allocate some offline work time, as I’m doing now.

Annually, I’ll take a break from 10 posts (approximately 5 weeks a year) for trips that will get me far from cities into the wireless wilderness plus give me some extra time to catch up on editing my travel photos, for example. (I’m still just on Sydney, Australia where I was last October.) …and keep my global travel map, with many of the places I’ve eaten, slept, and visited throughout the past 5 years, up to date.

Taking efficient offline time will ironically help me get caught up online and bring you new types of content in addition to words and pictures. I’ll also be able to take even more various programming and computer security related projects – at my core, I’m still a hacker. Normally this offline time won’t mean my foXnoMad Facebook Fan Page and Twitter feed will go quiet. However for this trip, they’ll go silent, and I’ll explain more when I return online April 30th.

• I look forward to posting about my latest adventure after arriving in my favorite city for the start of the I Love Istanbul Tour I’m organizing with friend, and blogger Wandering Earl.

For those of you who will be in Istanbul on April 30th, I would love to meet with you and have a chat over a beer or cup of tea. I’m holding a meetup from 18:30-20:00 at Urban on April 30th and you’re invited. Please RSVP on this Facebook Event Page if you can or are thinking about attending.

Because I don’t get to say it enough, thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my words. I appreciate that it is because of you many of the opportunities in my life have been made possible.

Thank you again and I look forward to returning at the end of the month.

Travel smarter,
-Anıl

Recommended to me by reader Dave, whom I sent to Dubai back in 2010, Gardens By The Bay is Singapore’s answer to urban sprawl within a nation that is smaller than 76% of the world’s countries. On the very last night of my visit, several hours before departing to Sydney, Australia, I hastily showed up around 8pm…immediately regretting the limited time I had allotted myself and camera.

The entire 1.01 million square meters that comprises Gardens By The Bay is actually 3 separate garden complexes, Bay Central Garden, Bay East Garden, and Bay South Garden which houses these ~50 meter “Supertrees”.

It is hardly all neon lights and steel however, the Supertrees and the surrounding parks are interwoven with hundreds of species of indigenous and exotic plants. Although it’s not entirely evident from my travel photos, there is greenery – bushes, trees, vines, and flowers absolutely everywhere.

Planned in 2006, Gardens By The Bay is the creative work of two British firms, Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter. Bay South Garden (designed by Grant Associates) was completed in 2012, Bay East Garden’s first phase finished in 2011 (Gustafson Porter), and Bay Central Garden is currently in the planning stages. Above are the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome (reminiscent of Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences), housing plants from tropical and Mediterranean climates, respectively.

Most of Gardens By The Bay’s outdoor areas are free of admission and open from 5am until 2am everyday of the week. Fortunately for your wallet it’s a cheap visit but it won’t do you any good if you cheat yourself on time. Set aside a leisurely few hours, bring along a tripod, and welcome to the jungle in the world’s richest city-state.

Airplanes are the magic machines that allow us to travel around the world and pilots the magicians who fly them. Despite taking over 40 flights a year, I know little details about how those experts keep 400,000 kilos of aluminum (and all of us passengers) in the sky and landed safely at out destinations. A fear of control can foster many of our flying anxieties, so today you can ask my live chat guest what it’s really like to fly, and the lifestyle of an international airline pilot.

Alejandro flew for a US based airline for 4 years before being offered to fly the Boeing 747 internationally for Eva Airways. Now based in Taiwan, he jets around the world delivering passengers and cargo to various destinations. Flying is his passion, but being a pilot isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

The chat is open today, April 16th from 3:00pm-4:00pm US EST (7pm-8pm GMT; 12pm-1pm Los Angeles). Scroll down or click here to join the chat below!

In addition to jet-setting, Alejandro and his wife Zeina recently launched the Habby Travels, a trip organization service. You may be curious whether or not planes come close to crashing without our knowledge (am I the only one who wonders that?), how “close” pilots and stewardesses really are, or want to get into piloting yourself. Alejandro is all yours to discuss the life and job of a pilot for the next hour in the comments.

I really should have titled this “4 travel stories” since these are mostly specific parts of selected books that came to mind when thinking about enlightening voyage experiences. Tales of serendipity common enough to counteract soundbites of travel tragedy many modern media outlets tend to regurgitate for ratings.

Whether it’s you who needs a little convincing or that stubborn friend who won’t join you on an RTW, passages from these nonfictional tales can fortify large lacks of adventurous fortitude.

1. The Art Of Happiness (10th Anniversary Addition) By Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler

There is certainly a connection between compassion and happiness as several studies have shown. Those two feelings being the central themes of this examination of the Dalai Lama’s theories, blended with a scientific analysis of his ideas. It’s not always easy to be happy when traveling, especially when you’re subjected to some of the scams that target tourists. For those of you who can relate to such situations, I strongly recommend you read Chapter 6 of The Art of Happiness. You may never look at getting ripped off the same way again.

2. Long Way Round

One of 8 great motorcycle books that will ignite your wanderlust and one that has personally influenced my nomadic side. Long Way Round is the dual-diary of Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor, documenting their 3-month motorcycle journey around the world in 2004. Many of the negative comments about the book revolve around the fact that the two aren’t always happy and talk freely about the frustrations the road can bring. It is that aspect of the book I love however, as traveling certainly has a fair amount of crap stretches you laugh about later, after your first shower in 18 days. But one of the brighter (and funniest) tales in Long Way Round is the early chapter about Boorman and McGregor’s stay in Ukraine.

• Once you’ve read the story, be sure to check out the second part of the Long Way Round documentary to watch the experience unfold. Simply thinking about those scenes makes me chuckle.

3. The Autobiography of Malcolm X By Malcolm X and Alex Haley

The very moment I first opened the cover of this book I was unable to close it with exceptions for sleep, eating, and the occasional bathroom break. One of the most thoughtful sections of the The Autobiography of Malcolm X is Chapter 17, when he begins a series of visits to Africa and the Middle East before undertaking the Muslim pilgrimage, Hajj.

“I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land – every color, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike – all snored in the same language.”

-The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a staunch segregationist prior to that trip, however the communitas he witnessed in Mecca transformed him.

4. Thumbs Up Australia By Tom Parry

You might expect more than one disaster to happen to a British journalist and his French girlfriend, given they set off to travel nearly 13,000 kilometers…completely hitchhiking. Certainly Thumbs Up Australia [my previous review] is no fairly tale but as you’ll see toward the end of the story, the hitchhiking is really background to the human experience the travelers encounter.

 This List Is Far Too Short, Considering The Possibilities

It’s tempting to add Jupiter’s Travels, The Pirates of Somalia, The Hidden Europe [my previous review], The Motorcycle Diaries, The Snake Charmer [previous review], Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea…and so many others to the list above. Then there are all of your comments and stories about how traveling has shown you people are fundamentally good. Still, fear and scary stories about the world tend to stick in our memories. For the most stubborn around you, here’s how to combat 2.5 million years of evolution and prevent your paleolithic brain from scaring you out of travel.

You’ve read far and wide so I’m curious, what books or stories would you have added to this list? I look forward to your literary feedback in the comments below.

Invariably the conversation comes up as much as I try to avoid it – what I do for a living. I tell people I’ve been traveling and blogging for the past 5 years, visited over 60 countries, and am fortunate to have seen more human cultures firsthand than most will in their lifetime. As I try not to sound like a pompous hippie, they look for insight from this experience, and I’m glad I have at least one to share.

As recently as my travels around southern Mexico with Wandering Earl and his tour group, this question comes up frequently – what have you learned from seeing so much? And one thing always pops into my mind: that people are, at the core, good, noble creatures who are vastly similar to one another.

We’re Damn Sure Not Perfect

Yes, I’ve been a stiff kick to the chest away from being abducted in India, had a camera stolen in Argentina, and come across my share of aggressive touts in Egypt. At the same time I have met Indian engineers running thriving IT companies out of glamorous huts in Mysore, had shots of unknown spirits with my cab driver and his buddies at a stand in Buenos Aires, and felt sorry for the lonely camel touts struggling to survive in the wake of Egypt’s revolution.

For the most part, the walls between us are created when we lack compassion for another; sharing stress has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase sympathy, and promote bonding in men in one example. The vast majority of homo sapiens crave connections with others of our kind – a drive so important to our biology that simply joining a group can reduce your risk of dying by half, over the next year. Humanity begins in childhood, as kids often show us the best humankind has to offer and a common vantage point from which we all arose. Like the ultimate explorers, children, we want to understand the world around us. The more we carry this trait into adulthood, the less impaired our cognitive abilities become as as age. We absolutely love our families. Food, our food, means something intimate to us.

Where we differ is how each culture defines “us” and “them”, what parts of the universe we want to understand, the ways in which we show love, and what makes for a damn good breakfast. If we even eat breakfast at all, that is.

Traveling Has Made Me An Optimist

We live in the safest time in human history, in a wondrous age where more people are in the sky right now than live in Iceland [PDF]. In 1980, only 17% of the world’s children received the necessary vaccines required to reduce the risk of premature death. That number today is over 75%. Such change in the world today is not despite people but because of us.

I am often lost in my travels but my bewildered look has commonly evoked sympathy from those around me. I once scared the living hell out of a middle-aged Bulgarian woman when I stopped to ask for directions. I was able to charm a (toothless) smile from her and she invited me in for tea once she realized I wasn’t going to rob her. She told me of her life during Communism, an era of Bulgarian history I now feel some small connection with. Studies performed at the University of Texas also demonstrate that compassion reduces stress, fear, and anxiety. And it doesn’t take much, even a bit of compassion for an idiot with a map who can’t figure out a grid-layout may be enough to open travel doors.

There Is No Single Ideal Culture

One more thing I’ve realized and witnessed in between layovers and serendipity in Azerbaijan, is there is no one way to be happy. There is no one right or proper culture despite what some ignorant minds think. Hell, we can’t even agree how to nod our heads yes or no. Whether it’s eating, laughing, or listening to Wu Tang Clan, most of us homo sapiens prefer to do so with others. Even the introverts, like myself. The real barrier to humanity is when we draw lines as to what’s “human” and what’s not. However, a few friendly smiles, an honest story, or shared snacks over drinks tends to seep through any artificial barriers we create. We all go about it in different ways, but we are all loyal the same things in life.

If you’re at all pessimistic about the future of our species, travel far and wide, talk to people. Listen. Learn. Laugh, have the local drink of choice. Share an embarrassing story about yourself and you’ll find you may just get one back. You’re now not so different than a completely random person from across the globe – and to me – that can only be a good thing.

The Mac versus PC debate is one of the oldest, most contested, in the world of tech…full of misconceptions, fervent arguments, and ugly transistor talk. Many of you have asked me what is the best travel laptop – and I’ve always said there is no one best. Yet you may be looking to purchase a new laptop or upgrade your existing one and if you’re on the fence between a PC and Mac, these are some of the real differences to consider as a traveler.

Start With The Software You’re Currently Running

Let’s start with the basics of Apple economics – Macs are more expensive gram per gram over most equivalent PC laptops. There are also added costs and considerations, especially if you’re switching between Windows or OS X. You can’t natively run most software built for Macs on Windows machines and visa versa, so you’ll need to factor in the cost of updating all of your must-have software – or stick to free alternatives.

Also, some programs (*cough, cough Photoshop on Mac*) just work better on one operating system (*harrumph Excel on PCs*) over the other. Mostly because developers tend to program for the operating system power-users of a piece of software are likely to be using.

These added costs may give your travel budget cramps, so you can either ditch the paid software, never travel without these free programs, or find (mostly) legal versions of any program.

Macs Are More Expensive – Not For All The Reasons Hipsters Think

You’ve probably overheard a neatly-dressed, sleeve-tattooed, skinny dude with tight pants and thick black glasses arguing himself toward a brain hemorrhage that Apple products are more expensive because they’re “better”. Not quite – you middle-aged Justin Bieber clone – there’s more to Appleconomics than that. Apple designs all of its products to run on specific hardware so that its software (like iOS or OS X) can be as compatible as possible with all of the parts it’s controlling. Unlike PCs, who are much more liberal about sharing their hard parts with any software that happens to walk by. This Apple hardware-software tie makes Macbooks and other Apple products generally more stable than gadgets running Windows but parts more expensive. The tradeoff – and big consideration for travelers – is that Mac components aren’t as easy to find since stores tend to stock what people buy (roughly 85% of the world uses PC).

For travelers close to an Apple store or large computer retailer around the world, finding replacement parts (e.g. dying hard drive) in an emergency is an inconvenience, but typically not an issue.

• Get Prior Warning Of Impending Hard Drive Crashes – Don’t make these 3 common tech mistakes that can screw up your next vacation.

Business travelers and others who take shorter trips probably don’t have to worry too much but if you’re off for a few months in Iraq, you may want to consider a backup laptop or iPad (as I do) to keep yourself connected until you can locate a repair shop to accommodate you.

For Most Trips The Advantages Depend On Your Preferences

Generally speaking, you buy a Mac because you enjoy its features and like what Apple’s operating systems have to offer. PC laptops aren’t inherently inferior: most of the best travel laptops of 2012 were running Windows. For travelers, the advantages of a Mac or Windows laptop aren’t pronounced. For most trips there’s no real advantage to getting a Mac over a Windows laptop. On extended trips to remote parts of the world however, you might find a replacement part a bit harder to find if that reliable Mac does ever decide to have a breakdown.