I wonder how many of you have ever experienced the joys of travelling barefoot? I'm not talking about a weekend trip, I'm talking about travelling for many weeks or even month without even carrying any shoes, staying bare everywhere
Having left Europe for good I'm living in South India. I'm always barefoot: All-year-round, wherever I go, whatever I do. Most of my friends have never seen me wearing shoes For me, being barefoot isn't just a fashion statement: It's a lifestyle, a way to express myself And of course an amazing sensual experience: Walking barefoot I'm far more "in touch", in touch with nature, with Mother Earth Energy can flow freely, I'm never disconnected. Walking barefoot is special! Living barefoot 24/7/365 I'm spending lot's of time travelling, and I'm ALWAYS travelling barefoot. I've virtually explored every nook and corner of India on my bare soles! It's an exciting experience to roam around without any footwear in my backpack, trusting in my leather-like soles toughened over many years. And it's definitely the most environment-friendly way of travelling, especially if it comes to activities like hiking in ecologically sensitive regions (e.g. the Indian Himalayas)! For those of you being concerned about health issues: I'm living barefoot for more than six years now, and I didn't face ANY problem except having to remove a little thorn from time to time, but even that happens rarely! The mere thought that somebody out there enjoys travelling throughout India without ever wearing any kind of footwear (except one or two anklets and a toe ring!) might seem strange for some of you But giving it a second thought you might even get inspired! Inspiring you to give it a try, to experience the joys and the freedom of travelling barefoot that's my goal, that's why I'm posting this thread! Is travelling barefoot difficult? And is it worth it? To answer these questions, let me share my latest barefoot experiences with you: Recently I went for some extensive hiking in the Indian Himalayas. I know: Many of you wouldn't even think about walking barefoot up there! But believe me: It was SO much fun! I didn't carry any shoes, not even in my backpack. I enjoyed every minute of the trip on my bare soles The trek to the source of the Ganges river was a special experience: 36 km (18 km one way) of mountain trails, two nights in an open tent Climbing over countless rocks, wading through ice-cold rivulets Crossing little patches of snow Many interesting sensations for my well-trained bare feet! Yes, it's all about additional sensual experiences that's what makes living, travelling and hiking barefoot so special! Feeling the rough granite beneath my soles, crossing a muddy meadow, patches of snow and little streams providing some refreshment Tired feet are unknown to me, even after many kilometres of brisk hiking! That's one big advantage of hiking barefoot And there is the way I experience temperature: Nights are quite chilly up there (the thermometer once dropped to -2 ° C), but during daytime, things change quickly as soon as the first rays of the sun are touching the ground! It's amazing to be able to FEEL the difference between a shady and sunny section of the trail! What else? There are the "encounters" with other tourists, with locals, with pilgrims from all-over India Some funny comments On the way up to the source of the Ganges, 1 km before reaching the mighty glacier from where the stream origins, I asked a tourist if I was still on the right way. He replied that I'll reach my destination soon adding: "If your bare feet are strong enough"! I was spending the night in an open tent together with other hikers. The morning was quite chilly, and while having a cup of chai, a girl from Tel Aviv admired my ability to "stay bare" in the cold! She told me she would love to do the hike barefoot too, and I assured her that after a few weeks of travelling barefoot, she'll be able to do things like that without ever having to bother about her feet. On my way back I passed a couple in their early 30ies. The husband looked a bit surprised, spotting my tanned bare feet, but his wife gave me a big smile, saying: "Barefoot that's great". Reaching the little town of Gangotri, the sky became more and more cloudy (after three days of almost uninterrupted sunshine), and the next morning it was rainy with temperatures below 10 ° C. Mine where the only pair of bare feet in the whole town (apart from some sadhus!), and I got many comments, both from tourists and Indians: "Where are your shoes?", "That must be cold", "You'll catch a cold" and things like that More than one shopkeeper desperately tried to sell me a pair of sandals, even following me a few metres out in the rain I didn't care, and after 20 to 30 minutes of more or less brisk walking, my well-trained feet managed to adjust to the cold, a healthy reddish complexion and warm feeling assuring me that everything was all right! Only three month later, my leathery soles got exposed to the hot streets of South India! It's true: Black tarmac can get quite hot on a sunny day. But being an experienced long-time barefooter, I'm even able to stroll around at noon or in the early afternoon without feeling uncomfortable. And obviously, I'm not the only one: Visit Kerala or Tamil Nadu and you'll see loads of barefoot people in the streets, especially in rural areas but also in the cities! I've met people (online, not on the road) trying to convince me that my barefoot lifestyle is actually "offensive" IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT. My habit of walking barefoot is "a sign of disrespect" considering that I'm obviously able to "afford shoes" that's how they argue Well, I can ensure everybody: THAT'S CRAP! Fortunately, freeing their feet from imprisonment isn't a privilege of the poor! At least in South India Many people down here CAN afford footwear buying a pair of flip-flops isn't a big deal anyway, except you're virtually penniless but opt for a barefoot life `cause they feel more comfortable, consider the therapeutically aspects (high bp, reflex zones ) or simply don't see a point in using a few straps of leather or plastic to confine their feet. Let me remind you what M.F. Hussain, India's celebrated modern painter (a multimillionaire crorepati!) says about his OWN habit of going barefoot EVERYWHERE: "It started for purely health reasons. As acupressure is great for the feet I opted out of footwear. And as a result even today I can sit for long hours on the floor .It is almost 40 years now that I am barefoot. Earlier people laughed. Now they have accepted me as I am. I even go to Parliament without shoes. In fact in our country removing your footwear is a mark of respect. Be it at home or a place of worship we go in barefoot." By the way: In India itself I'm hardly encountering ANY negative reaction! People are only curious if they see a foreigner strolling around barefoot. Some ARE concerned, but only because they think I'm not experienced enough! It's not that difficult to convince them Makes me remembering an incident in Fort Cochin (Kerala) an incident you might very well call typical: It was a hot and sunny afternoon and I was exploring downtown Fort Cochin. Seeing my bare feet, an auto rickshaw driver stopped me, asking "isn't it too hot for you to walk barefoot?". I said: "No, I'm used to it. I'm always barefoot." "Your soles must be strong!" (hesitating a moment) "I don't believe! Show me!" I did and he carefully examined both my forefoot and heel. Feeling the leathery skin of my calloused soles, he smiled, saying: "I think they ARE strong enough!" This wasn't the first time! Having travelled thousands and thousands of kilometres on India's dusty roads, many locals asked me to show them my soles, curiously examining the layers of "living leather" and calluses protecting me from almost everything one can encounter! And more than once I've been asked for an instant demonstration, mentioning that my soles are so tough that I can even put out a cigarette on them Living, hiking and travelling barefoot is an all-round experience and at the same time very communicative! Try it yourself! Free your feet and keep `em bare! Everyone interested in travelling barefoot shouldn't miss the following web pages: http://members.tripod.com/~bftravel/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barefoottravelling/ Enjoy! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. 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