Bettany Hughes has been a fixture on British television for greater than 20 years. The 56-year-old historian and tv presenter has particular expertise in antiquity and is a sought-after lecturer. She has written several bestsellers, from her first…Helen of Troy: goddess, princess, whore—To her youngest, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: An extraordinary latest journey through history’s best treasureswill probably be released on April twenty third.
Hughes lives in London but spends much of the 12 months abroad, flying about 75,000 miles within the air. Her favorite airline is Sri Lankan Airlines, a legacy from when she filmed a show focused on the traditional Buddhist world. “We had a lot of delayed flights and every time there was a delayed flight they would help with a nice pot of ginger tea in a silver teapot,” she says. “Even when I flew economy class, they took care of me.”
Here are some hard-earned hacks Hughes learned while wandering from the deserts of Turkey to the backwoods of Cambodia.
Never apologize for double packing.
I at all times pack two suitcases, even when meaning I even have to pay a deductible. They each contain either an identical things or almost a duplicate, something like mirror cases. This implies that for those who lose one, you continue to have enough clothes. I traveled alone for the primary time after I was 15. I had never been abroad before and traveled to Italy alone to be within the Alps with someone I met on the beach that summer.
I used to be so frightened of the thought of ending up there and being some kind of liability. Then I began double packing: two tiny, an identical suitcases. I made a schoolgirl mistake last October after I traveled to Trieste, Italy to present a public lecture. “For once,” I believed, “I’ll take a bag. What could go improper?” And Lufthansa lost it. It meant I used to be stuck without my makeup and garments. Four or five weeks later it showed up, but I had learned my lesson.
Try these two tricks for those who’re afraid of creepy crawlies.
When I used to be researching not only Angkor Wat, but additionally Angkor Thom – which is behind Angkor Wat and a bit further away – I actually went into the wilderness, where the tree roots come almost as much as your thighs and also you hack their way through that bushes. I had a guide with me and admitted that the one two things I’m afraid of in life are the dark and snakes. He said, “Don’t worry, look what I have in my bag.” It was a lemon. He said, “I promise you won’t get bitten.”
Whether that is true or not, I at all times carry no less than one piece of it with me now. However, which means at the tip of long trips I often find yourself with a rather shriveled slice of lemon in my pocket. I also wear desert boots from Clarks that go up just high enough on the leg so you do not get bitten. They are only above ankle snakebite level.
Want an insider travel guide to Athens or Istanbul? You must know that.
The best technique to explore Istanbul is by boat, as town is criss-crossed by water. You can take a ferry that goes from one end of the Bosphorus to the opposite or across it, the classic: travel by ferry from Asia to Europe for lower than a dollar. Go to Athens, walk along Adrianou Street, the important pedestrian street, and look to the left. You will actually see the oath stone where Socrates was tried. On the opposite side, almost directly opposite, is the painted Stoa, from which the word “Stoic” comes.
Follow this protocol every time you desire to capture images.
Never forget that you just are a guest in another person’s country. This is at all times my attitude whenever you arrive: you’re a guest, you’re lucky to be there and you’ve to earn the respect of your host. No matter what you are filming with, be it a camera, an iPhone or whatever, respect the situation and be certain you’ve permission.
And by that I do not mean legal permission, but fairly the consent of the people you are with. Make eye contact, make friends. Do you usually say, “Is it okay if I take a photo?” I used to be filming on the Jordanian-Lebanese border and we sat down in a restaurant that was filled with Hezbollah members. We weren’t aware of this and it might have been very sticky. But the undeniable fact that we took the time to elucidate what we were doing – that I used to be doing something concerning the history of Mars, the god of war – allowed us to maneuver on. If we had just gone and brought over without taking the time, it could have ended very badly.
Here you will see that an alternative choice to the crowded excavations of Pompeii.
The Turkish-Syrian border has a few of the richest archaeological finds from 12,000 years of human history. There is a spot calledzeugma, an ancient city that was occupied by the Romans shortly after the time of Alexander the Great and is an incredibly wealthy border town. It was on the border of what was then the Persian Empire. The level of detail of the mosaics discovered there may be simply extraordinary; There are levels of preservation nearly as good as Pompeii.
A fast technique to sensorily check the security of a brand new place? Rely on animal instinct.
I do a “stray pet check” after I find yourself somewhere I’ve never been before. I at all times have a look at how friendly the dogs and cats are. If they cower, people aren’t treating them well and you might want to keep your cool. If the dogs are incredibly friendly, that is a very good sign since it shows that folks are friendly to them. I just got back from Georgia within the Caucasus and I am unable to inform you how friendly the dogs were. They were like emotional support dogs.
Two worthwhile souvenirs that might be purchased in any travel destination.
Wherever I even have traveled on the earth, I’ll at all times buy a shawl and a pot of honey. If anyone knows my programs: I at all times have a suitcase filled with scarves with me. I’ve found that they’ll act as a sunscreen wherever you travel, wipe away sweat, keep you warm, and act as a tourniquet for those who get in trouble. That’s why I even have this extraordinary choice of scarves that I carry with me, from Indian bazaars, souks in Istanbul and Albanian villages. They are definitely not Hermès, but they stand out with their very own authenticity and honesty.
And I even have an archaeological honey collection in my kitchen – a complete side wall. I got here back from Azerbaijan with saffron honey. As a historian, I do know that honey can sometimes last for hundreds of years. I still cannot manage to make use of up the honey supplies I even have because I literally bring it from each place I’ve been.
Two Greek islands which are value a special trip.
I really like the Greek islands. You expect them to be great, but Ikaria is so beautiful. This is where Icarus is claimed to have died when he fell to the bottom and is sort of completely untouched. There are freshwater springs; There aren’t many cars. There is a person named Odysseus of Honey who travels around in boats collecting fresh honey from the bees. It’s a fairly dreamy island. And go to Naxos, one other Greek island from which much of the marble used to construct Greek sculptures got here. But there they were dismantling a sculpture, probably Dionysus or Bacchus, the god of wine, they usually stopped in the course of the river on the mountainside – a half-finished statue. The chisel marks can still be seen.
