TALENT SCOUT Q&A
It’s all about her…Meet our new talent scout below and click on the categories on the right to learn about where Liz is off to, see some of our favourite entries and find out about next year's talent scout search.
Introducing Liz Barber, Black Tomato’s newly recruited Talent Scout
Just before disappearing on her first assignment to Honduras & Guatemala, we pinned down Black Tomato’s newly recruited Talent Scout and discovered why she’s such a successful traveller
I discovered Peru's Colca Canyon, my winning Talent Scout entry, on my year out before university (Leeds, read geography, a fantastic three years). Arequipa, the white city, was on our destination list for some relaxation after the Inca trail. From there, we joined an extended family of Peruvians to search for Condors.
My favourite travel experiences have always been shared with others. I love that special feeling when you’ve found something the world back home doesn’t yet know about, and there aren’t thousands of tourists surrounding you with guidebooks. I vary the pace of my trips with relaxation, culture, adventure and beauty all rolled in to one.
My last trip was to Egypt, battling the summer’s 40-degree heat. Everyone else avoided the temperatures, which meant we had the temples virtually to ourselves. Highlights included a donkey tour (accompanied by a small army of white-suited tourist police) around the Valley of the Kings, and three days on a very basic felucca, with stops for swimming and temples. My favourite bit of the trip was the white desert. We took in some of its really remote towns that were half full of empty concrete flat blocks (a government initiative that wasn’t quiet as inviting as they at first thought). There were no tourists, and it felt a far more realistic way of seeing Egypt than the market stall-lined streets of the major destinations. The white desert is fascinating and there is no experience quite like riding in a herd of camels to your ‘camp’ for the night, a sheet under the stars. Cairo's hustle and bustle hits you pretty hard when you return!
I don’t have an outright favourite destination. My favourite city is Buenos Aires (though I’m off to New York next week so that may change!), favourite wilderness is the Botswana’s Okovango Delta and favourite islands the Perinthian Islands off the eastern coast of Malaysia.
And apologies to any native ‘Brindisians’, but my worst place is Birindsi in Italy.
In my opinion, the best way to get under the skin of a destination is by speaking to the locals. Taking the time to chat to your hotel receptionist or local waiter can make the difference between a nice break and a fantastic experience. It’s important to try anything and go with your gut instinct – how many Londoners would eat Out in Leciester Square? You only need to search a few dark alleys to find the real gems. I also try to use my guidebook as a guide only, and not as a bible.
I was brought up around animals and sport in Somerset, and can’t think of many things I like more than a long walk on the beach on a crisp autumn day, wrapped up against the elements, with a dog to disguise your desire to run and play as a game of ‘catch the tennis ball’. I also enjoy lazy Sundays that start with a big brunch before walking in parks and trying to find bargains in local markets. You get such a sense of achievement when you find something for a good price… forgetting that it will sit and gather dust for six months before you pass it on to the local charity shop. I’m now a trainee management accountant. Really hard work because of the exams, but hopefully at the end of it I’ll have a qualification that I can travel the world with!
Dislikes are easy; my pet hate is littering. Why do people feel entitled to throw cigarette butts and chewing gum on the floor? I hate walking down the street and seeing nothing but the remains of other people’s bad habits. I also hate mangoes! Don’t know why, I just can’t stand them.
Where next? After my first Talent Scout Trip, I don’t know. I want to see everything out there and my ‘destination list’ just gets longer. The buzz you get from going somewhere new and working out how to get around is like nothing else. I get satisfaction from the simplest things, like ordering dinner without resorting to English. Experiencing different cultures – how people react to you and your antics – is something I don’t think I’ll ever tire of. If I had to attribute my desire to travel to one event it would have to be the amazing slides my Geography teacher would bring back after the summer holiday. He wanted his lesson to relate to his travel experiences, and somehow always managed it. I hope I’m getting there too.
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