Please introduce yourself.
I'm Yara, creator of the www.heartofavagabond.com . I was born in Portugal where I lived for the first 18 years of my life, near the beautiful Portuguese coast.
When did you first start traveling??
The very first time I traveled without my parents, was to Berlin, when I was 16. It was a one week school trip, and I remember considering running away from the group and stay there longer (but I didn't!!). Once I turned 18 and I was sure I wanted to travel the world on my own, I had to find a way of funding my adventures so I became an au-pair, both in the UK and USA. This way I could see the world and have some pocket money. When I returned to Europe I got very involved with the Squatting community, both in London and Barcelona and did some epic trips all over Europe with no money, no maps... those were the great adventurous vagabond days! Fortunately the squatting community was extremely tight and generous, so as a squatter myself, I was usually welcomed to stay over people's places, since there was always a friend or a friend of a friend around.
What inspirated you to keep a blog?
I had never really read blogs or understood the concept of it before I started to write mine... But because of the type of adventures I was living, I had several people asking me to write them down, so they could read them. The idea of putting my life and my photos out in the world was really odd for me. During my first vagabond years I didn't even had a camera with me, because I couldn't afford to develop the photos!! I finally started to write when I realized there was absolutely no info for vegan and vegetarian travelers in Portuguese, and I'm very happy I did it!
We see you keep two blogs, one in English and one in your mother tounge. Do you think it's important for people to blog in their native language, rather than English?
I realized how many Portuguese speaking countries there are, like Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Guine- Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao tome e Principe (5 African countries), many people in Goa (India) still speak the language and Macau in China. There was a huge community of vegans who had nowhere to get information about traveling and vegan food in their language. So my blog is absolutely unique and growing. Later on, I decided to make an English version, because it can reach people from all over the world. I was asked to make a Spanish version as well, since there's absolutely nothing like that in Spanish, but I have to take it easy since I barely have internet access when I travel.
Maybe you should translate this interview and we can post both!
Yes, I can do that if there are Portuguese speaking people around!
Best Experience on the road?
My best experiences on the road are always related to the people I meet and not with the geographic location. Traveling all over with my veggie powered van and my dogs is great, I have the freedom to get off the beaten track, sleep and cook in it without having to stay away from my furry companions. The early vagabond times were adventurous, traveling by train and getting more involved with the squatting community, but the place that had the biggest impact in my life was the Clayzy House in Koh Lanta - Thailand- earlier this year. There's something magic about the place and the people at that eco-hostel, I never felt so close to home and so happy with my life. I'm planing to return.
Favorite food/taste?
Indian and Italian food! I was amazed by how different pizzas are in Italy! A lot of them were square shaped and vegan actually! The sauces are very fresh and rich and pasta is usually cook al dente! Indian food is an explosion of flavors, but the place I enjoyed Indian food best was in Penang, Malaysia. It was less spicy than in India and tasted better. Besides, hygienic conditions are far superior in Penang and I didn't have to worry about getting sick. I'd say Penang is the best food destination in the world!
Future plans?
Yes! Big dreams for 2014! I want to travel from the westerner point of Europe – Lisbon – to Asia by land and on my own (skipping only a few middle eastern countries, for safety reasons), exploring the delicious vegan and vegetarian foods each culture and country has to offer! That might even become a book, but first I have to hunt for backers to help me with funds to make this project come true, and I have a good feeling about it!
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