Ever dream of globe-trotting, visiting exotic locations and experiencing different cultures and getting paid to write about it? Well, maybe you should become a TRAVEL WRITER! In this exclusive interview, www.iCUBED.us catches up with Chung Wah Chow, a one time environmentalist but now world explorer and co-writer of recent editions of Lonely Planet Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Lonely Planet Travel books are a must have resource for those with a wander lust! Key facts and information make even the shortest of trips into a memorable journey! Here, Chung Wah shares her experiences and adventures of the Silk Road, having her passport confiscated and how travel brings humanity together!
iCUBED.us – Chris Lau
CW – Chung Wah Chow
iCUBED.us: How did you become a travel writer? Which publications have you written for?
CW: I was globetrotting in 2002 and 2003. After a year of traveling, I had a burning desire to share with others what I saw and experienced. That's why I became a traveler. I wrote a travelogue called A Journey that Starts From the End of the Silk Road, and I co-authored Lonely Planet guidebooks to China and Hong Kong & Macau.
iCUBED.us: You go around different countries, try different cuisines and experience diverse cultures, you must love your job!
CW: Yes, I do! Meeting interesting people is the most fun part. And expecting the unexpected is always the highlight of a journey. Good food is a bonus, but weird food makes your journey more unforgettable!
iCUBED.us: You have been all around the world! Where is your favourite location? You must have stayed in all types of accomodation!
CW: The two ends of the Turkic region, Turkey and Xinjiang, are always my favourite. I simply love seeing how the cultures of the east and the west meet and twist along the Silk Road. Yes, I usually try my best to try different types of accommodation. So far, I love staying in places with more personality and character. B & B (Bed and Breakfast) and home-stays (including yurts) are my favourite.
iCUBED.us: Is it easy to make friends as you go around the world?
CW: Depends where you travel, but generally yes. So long as you have a liberal mind and easy-going personality, it's not difficult to build up friendships. I still keep in touch with a lot of friends I met on the road and for some, we have developed lifelong friendships!
iCUBED.us: Do you have any exciting adventure stories to share? Been in any dangerous situations?
CW: I recalled that my passport was confiscated at the border between Turkey and Georgia. All the immigration and custom officers on Georgia side wanted a bribe but I refused to pay. I was stuck in the border for two hours and missed the last bus to town. Finally an Iranian traveler and I got on a shared taxi. When we arrived in the capital city, Tbilisi, it was already mid-night. He was kind enough to put me up in his home to stay with his family for a night. Nothing really dangerous, but I was frightened when my passport was seized!
iCUBED.us: Does travel truly make the world smaller? Is it easy to make friends as you country hop?
CW: Yes I believe so, but I also believe it's humanity that brings people closer. If you travel without respecting the local people and culture, no matter how far you go and how many places you visit, you will only see the world full of strangers, not friends.
iCUBED.us: Do you have any advice for budding travel writers? Do you need a special type of writing style to do your job?
CW: Travel and travel writing are two different things. You can fully enjoy yourself when you are traveling, but when you are travel-writing, you have to observe and inpsect carefully the places you are going to visit! Also, do not miss your deadlines to submit manuscripts! It's tough. Regarding writing style, do not write something boring is a golden rule. Creativity a must!
Thank you.
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