Itineraries are a jumping off point for misadventure. We travel to gain understanding and collect new experiences but our deepest memories are often etched where plans fail and resourcefulness takes over. Every country boasts unique attractions but the most impactful travel experiences are often found where money can’t buy admission. No matter how many incredible experiences we purchase, it is the unplanned moments and conversations that often resonate the most.
Cail Hubert spent a couple months backpacking around Indonesia with friends but his most meaningful memories were forged when he connected with local people—usually the result of something going wrong. Mishaps abroad can leave travelers feeling vulnerable, but Cail shows us it also opens us up to one of travel’s greatest gifts: human connection. When we drop our pretenses, we allow ourselves to understand each other on a basic human level unimpeded by language or cultural barriers. Misadventure, therefore, becomes a window to human connection.
Join us for the fifth and final installment of the More Than a Tourist series two day from now on Tuesday, June 9th!
Click on the first picture to expand Cail’s photo jounral!
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First day in Jakarta walking down the street scouting out the food. Roaming around just following our noses we stumbled into this bloody mess. There was a dead cow laying on the side of the road and about a dozen people around it forming an assembly line of cutting the meat into pieces. Half of them had their lunch in one hand and a bloody knife in the other.
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Enjoying the sunrise while Mackerel fishing off of the Amed coast in Bali. We got our butts out of bed at 4 in the morning to meet up with our local fishing captain. When we arrived to the beach, there was several other locals getting their sail boats ready to launch. Once we started seeing dozens of other sail boats taking off into the wind, it was our time to go.
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It was a bouncy and wet ride on the way out and I was glad I had put my camera in a sealed up bucket, or there probably wouldnʼt have been any pictures making it back home. Once we got way out in the deep blue sea, we started letting out the fishing line spaced out with a couple hundred hooks.
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Got lost…got dark…and once again the people of northern Lombok killed us with generosity. Pretty much the entire village formed around us to see what they could do to help us out. While we were waiting for the only english speaking person in town we were spoiled with drinks and snacks from the local community.
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Went on a search for a waterfall in Lombok riding motorbikes. Ended up with a flat tire, some cuts and bruises. This friendly community turned our somewhat rough situation into a time to remember. Tasty home-cooked dessert and plenty of smiles to go around.
Return to More Than a Tourist #1, #2, or #3