One Step Beyond Tony Fletcher

Why do we travel? Does travel make us happier? Smarter? Braver? Or, given the current climate crisis, why should we travel? What's the difference between a tourist and a traveler? And what's a Digital Nomad and why does that term make some people cringe?
These and many other key, core questions are answered by Nathan James Thomas, editor of the Intrepid Times, and author of Travel Your Way and Untethered, and Dr. Andrew Stevenson, a Professor of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of the new book The Psychology of Travel, alongside host Tony Fletcher.
Some of the subjects, people and places covered in this episode:
"The Sheltering Sky" by Paul BowlesThe sugar ants of the Northern Territory in AustraliaThe joys of buying a brown paper bag in MexicoFlight shaming and why it's a red herringNathan's travels through China, South America, Central Asa and why he now lives in PolandAndrew's cycling tours through Malaysia, Corsica, France and EnglandResearching educational psychology in GuatemalaWhy countries like Iran are not the scary, evil, ominous places they are presented as.Running in Sandakan, Borneo and Yuksom, Sikkim, India.Why walking can be an act of rebellionHow to spell "eudemonic," what the heck it means, and why it won't give you a hangover.Do long-term travelers tend to come from unsettled family homes - or have they all just broken up with a partner and want to get the hell out of dodge?Why encountering people from different cultural groups is a proven way to reduce prejudice......But why we need to encounter them on equal terms.Why staying home can be as bad for the environment as getting on a plane and seeing the worldMonks in Myanmar, and Marmite in Malaysia.
Nathan James Thomas' books Travel Your Way and Untethered are available through:
https://exislepublishing.com/product/travel-your-way/
https://exislepublishing.com/product/untethered/
The Intrepid Times is https://intrepidtimes.com and @IntrepidTimes across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Dr. Andrew Stevenson's book The Psychology of Travel is available through
https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Travel/Stevenson/p/book/9781032104799
and he can be found through https://www.mmu.ac.uk/research/research-centres/hpac/staff/profile/index.php?id=829
Theme song "A Word That Doesn't Rhyme" by The Dear Boys. Listen to the whole song here.
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Jason Freedman and Philip Vondra are outdoorsy New Yorkers with a book just published entitled Beer Hiking New York: The Tastiest Way to Discover the Empire State.
Colin Renton is an outdoorsy Scotsman with a book recently published entitled The Wine Runner: My Year of Hard Yards and Vineyards. 
Host Tony Fletcher (an outdoorsy half-Scot and half-English Brit who also has USA citizenship) talks with Jason and Colin about the joys travel both near and far, about running and hiking and… you guessed it, about beer and wine.
Along the way, the three discuss:
The similarities between craft beer and craft wine, the stewardship of the land and how the taste of that land ends up in the can or the bottle… it’s terroir, people.How Colin set about running 12 races in 12 countries in 12 months, visiting 12 wineries and bringing home 12 bottles of wine.How he set on this ambition with the goal of running his first marathon at age 60How Jay and Philip set about choosing just 33 great hikes and breweries in a State that has hundreds of each.Why the first hike in the book starts from Port Authority Bus Terminal in the middle of Manhattan.Why there is only one brewery in Manhattan but tons in Brooklyn.Why high-ABV IPAs are so popular in New York but why there is much to the State’s beer-making culture than that.The different types of hikes that are available to everyone in New York.The multitude of running options across Europe that are either hosted by, or run through, vineyards.Why Colin chose to avoid the obvious regions within France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Portugal……And why he included runs and wineries from England, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Belgium.The greatest hike on Colin and Philip’s doorstep that they never knew of.The best Belgium beer in New York.How climate change is affecting wine making (and running) all across Europe. And how Colin sought to minimize his carbon footprint with his travels.Why it’s okay to choose not to drink alcohol – and why it’s okay to enjoy alcohol. 
Beer Hiking New York: The Tastiest Way to Discover the Empire State is published by Helvetiq
Jason Freedman can be found at Instagram.com/gunksrunner
The Pain Cave podcast he hosts with Philip Vondra is https://www.gunksrunner.com/paincave
The Wine Runner: My Year of Hard Yards and Vineyards is published by Polaris.
Colin can be found at https://twitter.com/ColinRenton1
 
Theme music this episode is ‘A Word That Doesn’t Rhyme’ by The Dear Boys. 
One Step Beyond Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/onestepbeyondpodcast/
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Turtles! Volcanoes! Caiman! Monkeys! Museums! Fumaroles! Scuba Diving! Swimming Holes! And Sunsets! 
Paula is back as co-host for the first time since the Season 1 finale as she and Tony discuss their recent travel to Costa Rica, not only from an environmental and cultural perspective, but also from their uniquely different personal perspectives. Paula had not traveled outside the USA in 35 years, whereas Tony spent almost a whole year backpacking round the globe only back in 2016. Similarly, Tony is something of an (ageing) adrenalin hound who went scuba diving and running the volcanos, while Paula had reasons to want to take it just a little less hectic.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
All the great reasons to visit Costa Rica in the first place: is just 0.04% of the earth's land surface but contains 5% of its species; 33% of it is protected land; Atlantic and Pacific Coasts both readily accessible; no standing Army.How much advance planning should go into a foreign trip and how much should be left to finalize "on the ground".Choosing to travel by public transport with occasional taxi/Uber/Didi rather than being like most North Americans and renting a car.Opting to stay primarily in Air BnBs.Advantages of traveling in the rainy seasonChoosing to avoid the main tourist destinations of Arenal Volcano and Manuel Antonio National Park, going instead for:San José: not the world's loveliest capital city but a veritable gold mine of museumsTraveling to Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean coast and what to do when you miss your connecting busThe 6am canoe trip into the waters of the Tortuguero National Park and the multiple fauna and flora seen on that tripThe turtles of Tortuguero: the cosmic experience of watching green sea turtles lay their eggs and return to the ocean, all while (Tony and Paula were) stumbling round the beach at night holding hands with strangers. (More on sea turtles here)Alajuela, Costa Rica's second biggest city, and its hero Juan Santamaria, who helped achieve victory over William Walker's pro-slavery Filibusteros in 1856, and for whom the local museum (a former army barracks) and nearby international airport is named.The cloud forest of Poás VolcanoThe beautiful "white city" of Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste in the north-west.The vast and vastly under-visited Rincón de la Vieja National Park outside of Liberia, with its active volcano and multiple hiking trails. These include Las Pailas which has close-ups of fumaroles and hot springs, and the steep exposed hike to the Hidden Waterfall, which Tony was the only one to take that day.How Costa Rica is using geothermal energy from its (six) active volcanos to supply 15% of the country's energy.The charming and peaceful Playa HermosaScuba diving from nearby Playa CocoFood and drinkThe national expression of "Pura Vida"Conclusions
Music in this episode: "A Word That Doesn't Rhyme" by The Dear Boys
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In the late 1990s, Michael Dorame was a house music fanatic living in San Francisco, who became addicted to the drugs that kept him dancing all night long in the clubs. After OD'ing twice in three weekends, he found release, relief and redemption in the sport of rock climbing. Now, with producer Aaron Fong and celebrated outdoor sports cinematographer Chris Alstrin, Michael has made a film, Rock-A-Holic, about his story and that of two other former addicts, Ben Polanco and Maureen O'Reilly.
On this episode of One Step Beyond, Michael joins host Tony Fletcher to discuss his life story, those of Ben and Maureen, the allure of drugs and alcohol, the addictive personality and whether it's genetic, and their ultimately much safer addiction to rock climbing. He is joined by director Chris who talks more about the technical aspect of the sport, and the making of the movie. If you are like Tony - interested in rock climbing but never tried it - consider this a perfect primer.
Additionally, if you've ever been to the far side of drugs or alcohol in what you initially thought was pursuit of a good cause - especially something initially wholesome, like dancing in clubs - this will possibly strike a (musical) chord, and show that there can always be light at the end of the tunnel. And if you just enjoy a story with a happy(ish) ending, you'll get it from Michael (and Maureen and Ben).
Warning: Drugs are discussed during the conversation, in detail. But so is dancing. And climbing. And other outdoor pursuits.
Rock-A-Holic Official Trailer - Youtube - https://youtu.be/ce-bVulGvHc
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/RockAHolicTheMovie
Michael Dorame Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockaholic2023/
Chris Alstrin's Professional Reel - https://alstrincinema.com/home
Follow One Step Beyond:
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Tony's other podcast, the [Jamming!] Fanzine Podcast is available via https://wavve.link/JammingPodcast/episodes
Theme song is 'Yes Men'' by The Dear Boys: https://linktr.ee/thedearboys
Logo by Mark Lerner. Photo taken at Arte Sumapaz in Cundinimarca, Colombia.
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Is Travel Good For The Planet?
This question is tackled by our return guest, the environmentally-focused, award-winning travel writer Shafik Meghji. In a conversation that includes the subject of Shafik's recent book, Crossed Off The Map: Travels in Bolivia, and host Tony Fletcher's upcoming journey to Costa Rica, the pair discuss:
The difference between travel and tourismThe "brownfield rainforest" at Canvey Wick outside London, and the "temperate rainforests" of WalesWhy Bolivia is "on the frontline of so many defining issues that will shape all of our lives wherever we are in the world in the years to come."How Lake Pupil, a lake the size of Luxembourg, dried up in barely two years.How the Amazon rainforest comprises 1/3 of Bolivia and traveling through it can help indigenous communitiesThe natural beauty of Bolivia's rural landscapes and its fascinating citiesHow the migrant indigenous city of El Alto overtook the population of neighboring La Paz in just two decades.Costa Rica's remarkable biodiversity, its eco-tourism, and its 'unparalleled' wildlife.Shafik's recommendation for the perfect travel spot
You can find Shafik at shafikmeghji.com/ and at instagram.com/shafikmeghji/
Read his article on the brownfield rainforest of Canvey Wick
and his piece on the Lost Rainforests of Britain
More info on his book is at
http://www.shafikmeghji.com/#/crossedoffthemap/
The newspaper articles Tony references in the outro are:
On Lithium Mining
On Deep Sea Mining
Follow One Step Beyond:
Instagram is OneStepBeyondPodcast
Facebook is One Step Beyond with Tony Fletcher
Tony's other podcast, the [Jamming!] Fanzine Podcast is available via https://wavve.link/JammingPodcast/episodes
Theme song is 'Delaymania' by Noel Fletcher.
Logo by Mark Lerner. Photo taken at Arte Sumapaz in Cundinimarca, Colombia.
If you like the show, please subscribe, rate, review.
And please sign up for free weekly articles by Tony Fletcher, along with news of podcast bonuses, Tony's other writing, broadcasting, events, books and more: http://tonyfletcher.substack.com


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On this Episode, host Tony Fletcher is in conversation with his old London friend Richard Heard about the latter's recent Great American Road Trip from Chicago to New Orleans, setting out to trace the Story of the American Blues. Covering 1300 miles in 10 days, Richard and his American road partner also visited the Stax Museum of American Soul in Memphis, took in revered Country revue show the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, attended Jazz Fest in New Orleans, traveled through the Robert Johnson Crossroads in Clarksdale, and saw the destruction wrought by a recent tornado in Rolling Rock, Mississippi. As Richard says, "Once I lifted the bonnet [translation: the hood] on the road trip, I thought, 'This is not just about music, this is a really really interesting part of American culture and social history which I didn't really know a lot about.'"
Subjects include:
Planning an American Road Trip around musicChoosing the right travel partnerFocusing on four cities: Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, New OrleansLearning about The Great MigrationThe Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, with Isaac Haye's gold-plated Cadillac, the Soul Train disco ball, the recreated sloping studio - and a history of Black American Music from Gospel on through.The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the Stax songwriters wrote many of their hits.Seeing Buddy Guy jump on stage to jam at his Buddy Guy's Legends Club in Chicago - on the first night of their road trip.Why doing the Tourist Trail in these cities is no bad thingThe best live music of the whole journeyFrenchman Street in New Orleans, with a live music bar every 20 yardsThe Johnny Cash Museum in NashvilleThe magic of Sun Studio in MemphisDriving Highway 61 from Memphis to New Orleans, via the Blues capital of Clarksdale.Planning a return journey: Detroit, Cleveland and so much more
Short videos from Richard's trip can be seen at: https://www.instagram.com/rh64.2022/
Tony Fletcher's books on:
Wilson Pickett
Eddie Floyd
Music from the Streets of New York, 1927-77
One Step Beyond Socials:
Instagram is OneStepBeyondPodcast
Facebook is One Step Beyond with Tony Fletcher
E-mail us at onestepbeyond@ijamming.net.
Tony's other podcast, the [Jamming!] Fanzine Podcast is available via https://wavve.link/JammingPodcast/episodes (Richard was a guest on the first episode)



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