The Lovely Lady Lash of LashWorldTour started the Travel Bloggers Best Dozen travel post for us bloggers to highlight what we think our best travel posts from 2012 are. Think of it as a chain-letter for travel bloggers. We write, nominate 5 people to also write their version of this post, then each of the nominees write the post and nominate 5 more people.
And lucky me got nominated in the first round!
Ok, I MAY have started posting how much I would not mind at all doing this, and tagging Lash and a few other nominees all over Facebook and Twitter. But I would like to think that I was totally one of the first people Lash thought of to nominate. You don’t know if I’m lying (likely) or not (not so likely).
So without further ado, here are my Best Dozen Travel Posts for 2012.
1. Most popular: Top 10 Female Travel Bloggers I’d Totally Go Lez For
This is hands down my most popular post to date! Who would have thought that blatant sexual harassment and overt lesbian desires would garnish 1,134 views in one day?! Guess that shows the depraved nature of my readers. I love you all!
2. Most helpful travel tip: Travel Tips
Yup, I actually wrote a post entitled “Travel Tips”. These are basically a bunch of things I learned while traveling, which range from ‘How to save money’ to ‘How to keep your money safe’. These are all tips from experience, even if I may not follow some of them myself. But I am a sucker for punishment.
3. A post that was surprisingly successful: Best Advice I Ever Got
This post has continuously brought me a surprising number of visits to my blog. It actually has more hits overall than my lesbian fantasy blog, but it looses on being the most popular because the time people spend on this post averages less than a minute, and it has nowhere near the comments. The title is just SEO gold I guess. I also guess there are way too many people who think they can find good life advice on the internet. Sorry people, you just found me. Ha. Ha. Ha.
4. A post I thought was under-rated:Outdoor Escalators of Medellin
I thought that more people would be interested in every lazy American’s dream of not actually having to use your muscles to walk around outdoors. I mean, in ‘poor-old-3rd-world-Colombia’ they have made this very thing we have always dreamed of…Outdoor Escalators! now, if they can just get all the sidewalks to move for us, it would be golden!
But seriously, I find these escalators amazing, and the reasoning behind it – purely to help the people of one of the most dangerous and poorest areas of Medellin, gain better access to food, jobs, and health services – brilliant and humbling. Medellin is nothing like it’s unfortunate lingering stereotype. When I return next month, I plan on getting finished photos, and writing more in depth about this project.
5. Most controversial: Why I Could Give A Shit About the Olympics
I wrote this article in retaliation for the non stop posts, praising the Olympics, that took over my social media feeds this summer. I personally think the Olympics are totally overrated and can’t stand them anymore. Haven’t for years. When the Special Olympics and Paralympics get the coverage and sponsorship that the regular Olympics get, then I will be happy. Also, the title pissed people off. I know what I wrote. I did it on purpose.
6. Most amusing: 10 Ways To Make Friends In Hostels
After about 6 months of living in hostels, and after a particularly, um, interesting couple of weeks in them, I wrote this as a passive aggressive ‘Fuck You’ to a bunch of people I met along the way. It’s basically just a super sarcastic list of things to do (or not) to make friends (piss everyone off) when hosteling.
7. The post I’m most proud of: Donating Bone Marrow
Ok, this sounds like I’m being super conceited and shit, but I’m not proud of this post because I did it.
I’m proud of this piece because I have had a bunch of people tell me that they are going to look into, or said they signed up to be, a bone marrow donor because of this post.
My whole reason for writing this was to erase some of the misconceptions about the donation process, and ask people to just read about it more on Be The Match (the official page for the national bone marrow registry). I am still a firm believer that doing it or not is 100% your choice, and do not feel any different towards anyone for it; I just would like people to be informed on the subject.
It’s not like it used to be.
8. Best travel story or travel perspective: Capybara Ninja Master
To sum it up, this story is about me being a dumbass. Oh wait, I guess that is most of my stories….
This story is about the super secret ancient ninja powers engraved in the DNA of the elusive Capybara creature.
That sound much better. But really, it’s a funny ass story of me sitting down two inches away from a capybara that I didn’t see and what ensued. You should go read it.
9. Best travel adventure: I Flew A Helicopter
Yes, someone thought it safe to put me in charge of large, aeronautical machinary. Jokes on all of you, because as you hid in your subterranean bunkers, I took to the beauiful, cloudless sky like a winter bunny hopping carefree across a field of virgin snow.
I don’t know what that means either, but it sounds kind of amazing, right? Yea, well so was this!
10. Best cultural perspectives or insights: Most Difficult Travel Story
This post was part of the Boots’n’All Indie Travel Challenge 2012. It takes a deep look into the culture of the migrant worker and their daily struggle. Ok. It really doesn’t. But it is about my time migrant working and how I learned that this gringa is “a fucking princess”. Seriously. I don’t know how these guys live like this everyday, but damn do I have insane respect for the them now!
11. Most beautiful: Getting Naked in the Desert – The Travel Blogging Calendar 2013
Look at the beauty that fills this post. The poise. The posture. The regal stance that only someone as beautiful and proper as a true lady such as this, can bring. I mean, I personally think this is some of the most gorgeous portraiture ever taken. Seriously. I’m fucking hot!
12. Best photo or photo gallery: La Gringa Photos
I would pick a single photo or gallery, but since my photography is so stunning and amazing, even Ken and Brendan are unable to pick the best one, because ALL my photos are the best!*
So you can just go see my whole photography collection at my new website: LaGringaPhotos.com.
Music and travel photography that will amaze the eyes and titillate the senses. Also, they are available for sale.
*Note: I have never actually ASKED Ken or Brendan which photo of mine they think is the best, but I would like to think they would reply, “We cannot pick one, because ALL your photos are just so awesome!”. Yea, I totally bet that would be their answer.
OK, now for my nominations…
1. Ken Kaminesky from KenKaminesky.com
2. Brendan Van Son from Brendans Adventures
3. Sarah Spencer from Asia Travel Tales
4. Talon and Tigger Windwalker from 1Dad 1Kid 1CrazyAdventure.
Oh, and yea Talon, I tagged you both because I want to know Tigger’s input on the best stuff you did too.
5. Diana Edelman from DTravelsRound
CHEERS!
About Dani Blanchette
