Apr 27

Finding Community on the Road

Istanbul is one of those cities that just feels alive. A constant shuffling stream of locals, tourists, animals, products, produce, boats, cars, and trams. I know New York is thought of as the city that never sleeps, but after staying in a hostel in the restaurant and club packed Taksim Square neighborhood, I sincerely believe Istanbul gives New York a challenge for that title.

But for those of you who have been following my travel itinerary, I’m sure you’re thinking that I forgot something. Didn’t you just spend a full week in Sydney Australia? Where are the photos and reviews and interesting stories from the land down under? Well, to be honest, I did little more in Sydney than Capoeira, Capoeira and more Capoeira….and get drenched in a days-long rain storm.

What I didn’t see in Sydney

For my newer readers, you must know that the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira is a passion of mine that ranks right up there with travel. I’ve been practicing the art for over 8 years and when at home I usually train or teach about 5 days a week. One of the goals of this RTW trip is to visit and train with as many different Capoeira groups as possible and to expand my knowledge of the art and its practices to new levels.

So wait…you traveled thousands of miles to the beautiful city of Sydney Australia only to spend your days exercising? Well yes and no. My trip happened to coincide with the 20^th Anniversary of Capoeira Brasil in Australia and their annual batizado (a week of workshops and training that culminates in a graduation ceremony). So yes, I did spend most of my days and evenings inside a gym training or hanging out with other capoeiristas. I did trade visits to the Harbor Bridge and the famous Opera House for chances to train Capoeira with masters and students from Australia, Asia South America and Europe. But while there are certain tourist sites that I may have to skip, there’s also quite a bit I gain from traveling as a capoeirista.

Celebrating 20 years of Capoeira Brasil in Sydney with Mestre Peixe

In Sydney, I stayed with a good friend that I met through Capoeira who put me up in her apartment, drove me all over the city, answered all my questions about Sydney and made sure I was always fed and taken care of. Saving the expense of a week’s worth of accommodations in expensive Sydney is much appreciated for someone who’s traveling for an extended period of time.

With my fabulous Sydney host, Potiguara

And while I may not have had time for sight seeing in the day, capoeiristas are also a very social group so I got to check out a number of late night restaurants and clubs that I would not have seen otherwise. Salsa dancing at 4:00 am, mixing up Brazilian and Greek cultures as we celebrated our event in a Greek bar/night club. Tasting a delicious chicken potpie from Harry’s Café de Wheels topped with mashed potatoes, mushy peas and gravy at 2:00 am. And thanks to a good Capoeira workout, I can justify that late night food binge!

Late night eats with good friends in Sydney

And this kind of hospitality can be found all over the world with Capoeira. So far on this trip, I’ve trained capoeira in Osaka, Seoul, Sydney, and Istanbul. Aside from Sydney, I didn’t know any capoeiristas in those cities. Still they welcomed me in and made me feel like I had a great new group of friends. In Osaka, one of the students came out of their way to meet me at my hotel to make sure I found my way to their celebration dinner that evening (which I never would have found on my own). In Seoul, after an afternoon training session the group took me out for a traditional lunch of Korean porridge and then showed me around the local pedestrian shopping area so I could bargain for souvenirs. Here in Istanbul, the Capoeira group treated me like an honored guest. They met me at the train station, drove me to class, carried my bags, took the time to translate the class for me (since I can’t seem to remember even a single Turkish word) then stayed out with me until all hours of the night (on a school night) introducing me to traditional Turkish food, drink and narghile.

Enjoying dinner at a traditional Turkish Restaurant with the Capoeira Brasil – Istanbul guys

While training capoeira may mean that I occasionally miss
getting to see a tourist site or two, I find it always enhances my overall travel experience. I show up in a new city, get in a good work out and an instant set of local friends who often take the time to show me a slice of their city I would not have seen on my own. For people who travel regularly, I encourage you to find a passion (it doesn’t have to be a martial art) that helps you connect to people wherever you travel. The experiences and friendships you gain by connecting with others that share your passion are what makes travel so enjoyable.

4 comments… add one

jackie April 27, 2012, 7:11 am

Where in Seoul did you go? I just flew in yesterday but took a bus to the Gyeongju area. I’ll be here until 4/30 then head back to Seoul until 5/2.

- Nailah April 27, 2012, 4:08 pm
  
  Hi Jackie! I stayed in the Incheon area and then trained with both Cordao de Ouro (Zumbi) and Muzenza (Esquillo). They were both great. If you want me to connect you with them on FB, just let me know.
  Enjoy your travels! Fun or work?
  
Anonymous May 11, 2012, 6:03 am

Hello Amazonas! I just saw your link on FB and thought I’d check your blog out. You are quite a traveler! Is this part of your job or are you just ridiculously lucky? I read your profile too, and thought we might share something….a lack of verbal verbosity and a preference for writing our thoughts. That said, I wish we’d had a chance to chat (haha) a little while you were in Sydney. I think I might have been too busy sticking my iPhone into everyone’s faces though.

Anyway, good to read of your travels. At least you blog as a human 🙂 safe travels!

x Espirro

- Nailah May 13, 2012, 8:21 am
  
  Thank you so much for stopping by to check out the blog, Espirro! I post every Monday and Thursday, so check back whenever you can.
  
  It was great to meet you in Sydney and I hope to be back again soon! You know, batizados are great, but you’re right…its often hard to find time to just sit and catch up with all the craziness going on!
  
  Hopefully see you in the roda again someday soon!

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