Travel Tip 101
From forest bathing to land snorkeling
Welcome to my travel tip newsletter! I’m so happy you’re here!
Did you ever think somebody would tell you to go snorkeling in the desert? That’s what I did around these cactus in Argentina’s northern desert.
Last year’s forest bathing fad is this year’s land snorkeling craze.
If you think this sounds like Lewis Carroll nonsense, I hear you, but lots of people love making up new words and as a writer I say the more the merrier. Just keep reading and it’ll all make sense.
You don’t have to spot wildlife when you’re forest bathing, but if something as amazing as a tayra comes by you’re in luck. They’re a kind of otter that lives in trees - because that’s how much it rains in the rainforest.
Wait, what was forest bathing?
They took the concept from sunbathing. Instead of just lying in the sun, maybe you could just lay in the forest? It’s perfect for people who want a new name for spending time sitting or lying under trees. Just remember to take mosquito repellant – and reconsider the swimsuit.
The best and worst place for forest bathing is in the rainforest. It’s the best because you can see so much beautiful, strange and amazing wildlife just by sitting still somewhere. It’s the worst because if you’re not moving the bugs will try to eat you alive.
Land snorkeling doesn’t have to be about plants and bugs. Landscapes, clouds and reflections also count.
So, what’s this new “land snorkeling?”
It’s a little more active than forest bathing, but not much. The good news is that you don’t need a forest. Skip the long drive or flight to a forest and just go outside anywhere that feels peaceful. (I do not recommend dog parks and freeway underpasses).
The idea is to appreciate the little things without trying to go anywhere. If you’ve ever been snorkeling you’ll get this immediately, but even if you haven’t just try to imagine it. You’re floating face down, breathing through a snorkel, and looking at the fish swim by underneath you. You see crabs sneaking from rock to rock, anemones waving their tentacles and a sea turtle eating seaweed. You don’t have to go anywhere or do anything. The show is right there for you to watch.
Now imagine doing that in your vegetable garden or sitting by a stream. Just watch the ants running back and forth, flowers waving in the breeze and a finch or squirrel searching for seeds and nuts. You’re land snorkeling!
This mustached puffbird was one of my favorite birds at Tinamu Birding.
Blog
Birding is the ultimate forest bathing in my book. You just have to sit there, look and listen. Maybe you’ll see or hear birds, but isn’t the forest beautiful even without them?
How many camouflaged bugs can you see if you go sit somewhere outside?
Article
Dung Beetles Collect DNA for Scientists
The creators of this study were expert land snorkelers. They worked with and observed beetles until they realized that the bugs can gather all the DNA they need from the jungle. Click on the title above to read what I learned from these brilliant Peruvian & Colombian biologists.
