Have I mentioned before watching the Youtube channel of the Australian travel vlogger who calls himself Fiasco da Gama? Maybe, but I thought I would mention him again.
It's not like every video is brilliant, and I guess he is sooner or later going to run out of things to talk about, but the simple format of watching a not particularly photogenic Australian man in (I think) his 50's wandering around streets in Asia talking to his camera and the locals is more charming than you might expect.
I don't think he has ever explained how he has managed to live like this, financially. He once explained that he worked in Australia until (if I recall correctly) his early 30's, then gave that up to spend the rest of his life wandering through South East Asia (and further a field into Asia) on a shoestring budget. He has spent most of his time in Bali and Indonesia, it seems, and has explained how he was once engaged to a Balinese woman and lived with her in her village, but gave up on the relationship as he felt somewhat isolated and not able to fully engage in village life. I suspect that maybe he had an inheritance that was enough to set him off on such a wandering lifestyle? If so, his economical ways have certainly made the money last.
He has never married or had children, but has made it clear that he is straight. (He felt prompted to address that as he said some commenters have told him he's gives off a "not very masculine" vibe - which is odd given his bushy beard and general demeanour. I think, though, that what causes some people to think that may be his high degree of empathy with people, which is generally regarded as a more typically feminine personality trait than masculine.) He often comments about he loves wandering around where ever he wants, often changing his mind at short notice as to where to go on any particular day, which means he is happiest travelling without a companion, most of whom would want more certainty. Yet he has spent so many years doing this, he clearly has a network of friends who he drops in on from time to time.
This is not the sort of lifestyle I could enjoy long term, I'm sure; but it clearly has suited him and he is generally so positive and respectful of others as a traveller, there is certainly nothing to criticise about his chosen life.
He speaks some Indonesian, which means he can interact with the locals more than the average vlogger.
His most recent videos show him making his way via train across Java from its Eastern tip, stopping in towns that are certainly not on the tourist track and just wandering around, looking for somewhere to stay and eat. And, of course, interacting with locals on the street, who are nearly always happy to talk to him and don't mind being on video.
Given my short holiday last year in which I caught the train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the recent videos have reminded of a couple of things that I reckon are underappreciated:
* the Indonesian train system, at least on Java, is really, really good. Modern, comfortable trains; modestly priced; clean and full of nice staff. (It seems it has been a while since Fiasco did a lot of travel using them, too, since he has commented in these recent videos that the trains and stations are so much nicer than they ever used to be.)
* the Indonesian people are very friendly and welcoming, and often quite charming and attractive, too. Given that the country has significant problems, and Jakarta is a high security city that clearly still worries about terrorism, this was something that I wasn't quite expecting until I got there. But you really do feel, when you see how this older Australian is welcomed on the back streets of virtually any Indonesian city or town, there are a lot of good and welcoming people in Indonesia. (It helps moderate the impression of Islam, too, to a significant degree.)
So yeah, I think this guy is a pretty good vlogger, and gives off a likeable personality. Worth watching, for a while, anyway...
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