At my "elephant world".

I recently read an article about people whose destiny to travel is written into their genes: the wanderlust gene is powerful (*).  

I recall my mother always saying "παιδάκι μου έχεις νέφτη στον κώλο σου" and always knew, long before that scientific research come out, that she was right: I cannot stop traveling...it's impossible to stop wandering.

I dedicate all my travel experience to my mother, who traveled outside her country's borders only once, but I am sure she has voyaged the whole universe through her daydreams.

Kostas Xiloparkiotis

(*) The word wanderlust is a borrowing from German, meaning "passion for wandering," and first appeared in English early last century.

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Ten years ago and .... 15kilos bigger than today.

I am one of those lucky people who have a low but steady income, which allows me to enjoy traveling more than wealthier people.

Traveling is not always about money. People with money (there are exemptions, of course) do not have time for traveling because they have to make more money. They may take their private jet or travel first class to have a long weekend in a five-star resort and enjoy an all-day spa and a diner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, but this does not make them travelers as they do not smell or taste the world around them.

"Big in Japan".

I started this travelogue as a need for me to record my travel experiences and post my travel photography. I often have to run back in these pages either for daydreaming or find a piece of information someone asked me to give, and I do not remember.

I also started this travelogue as a travel guide for other ordinary people like me, who travel economy class and look for cozy 3-star bargain hotels, who travel on buses and trains and boats, and most of all, who enjoy local cuisine at its most. I hope these people find some help in my pages.

Of course, as I love food, this is a travelogue with a culinary twist.   

This travelogue is for people who enjoy food, either it is street food or local restaurant food. It is for people who want to taste what the locals taste, their everyday life. If you are interested in posh expensive restaurants, you will find nothing interesting here.

Of course, as I love taking pictures, this is a travelogue with a photographic twist.

We all know the adage saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Oh well, I try to publish here as many photographs as possible. Most of the pictures are published to give an exact idea of what I describe. However, there are here also photographs that I like, and they add that necessary artistic touch (sic!).

Sometimes I see that I write too much about a place I visit, making it tiring or/and boring for the readers. I understand that our century demands less in-depth reading as the information we receive daily is too much. But, again, I believe the clever reader can omit information he finds not useful for himself.