Leaving for a long time. Don’t travel crazy. Just land somewhere, live like the locals. Make small visits in the surroundings. This is the goal that host and columnist Jean-Michel Dufaux set for himself when he embarked on a one-year trip in 2018.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
He tasted slow travel (slow travel). But he could not help multiplying the excursions, which represent a large part of the book he has just published, My year abroad.
“I haven’t become a Buddhist monk who is able to resist the temptation and say: ‘I don’t do anything, I don’t move, I stay on my rock for six months'”, comments Jean-Michel Dufaux in an interview. .
In the past, Jean-Michel Dufaux often made short trips, press trips “where you try to see everything”. “That’s not what I liked. I wanted to settle down, I didn’t want to be at the hotel, I didn’t want to be in my suitcases all the time. There were also financial reasons: I was leaving for a year. I wanted to interfere in local life. »
Anchoring… a little
He first thought of spending six months in one place, then six months in another. To finally choose three main places: Chiang Mai (Thailand), Mazatlán (Mexico), Da Nang (Vietnam), and some destinations in Europe to complete the journey.
“I had some writing to do, I was finishing a guide to Toronto, I had odd jobs here and there. I could work a little, but for me, what was important was finding an apartment where I felt good, finding a neighborhood that wasn’t too touristy. »
In his book, Jean-Michel Dufaux explains how he proceeded to find accommodation, what was his routine (he notably joined a ball hockey league in Da Nang), what were his favorite cafes to put the computer and work a little.
But the desire to explore quickly took over.
Sometimes I was on the move. Long weekends of rides by plane or train around, it was possible. I told myself that I was lucky to have a year off, that I was going to try to maximize it.
Jean Michel Dufaux
The slow journey, he experienced it where he had landed, at his home port. “Otherwise, I would become a traditional tourist and I wanted to share my favorites and my impressions. In the book, I wanted to inspire people with short chapters on these destinations. »
A large number of color photos by the author adorn these short stories.
The good and bad sides
Jean-Michel Dufaux wanted to be very honest: not to hide the most difficult moments (a meeting with thugs in Durango), to recognize certain less inspired choices (Chiang Mai is less picturesque, more polluted than during previous trips).
“It was about betting on the truth, not putting on rose-colored glasses, not being in the representation: everything is beautiful, everything is fun. There were more difficult episodes. »
During a long trip, we obviously have time to reflect. Jean-Michel Dufaux thus concludes his book with a certain number of reflections, in particular on mass tourism. However, the more we talk about a destination, the more we risk seeing hordes of tourists converging there. “That’s the dilemma of many people who travel, of travel journalists. »
He therefore tries to favor lesser known places where the balance between tourism and local life is very solid. “There are places that can still welcome tourists without affecting the magic of the place. »
He acknowledges that social media can contribute to overtourism.
“There are things you see when you travel, like the line of people waiting to take THE photo, the famous Instagram photo that everyone takes in a certain place. In fact, it is the fabrication of a moment, of a supposed happiness or a supposed moment of plenitude. On the one hand, I am critical, but on the other, I participate in it. »
Jean-Michel Dufaux took advantage of the pandemic to write his book. Now he is thinking of leaving. “I admit that I’m starting to dream again, I want to go back. Traveling has always fed me so much,” he says.
My Year Abroad – Slow Travel Story
Jean Michel Dufaux
Ink Scent
304 pages
Learn more
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- 330
- This is the number of days that lasted the journey of Jean-Michel Dufaux in Asia, Mexico and Europe.