Comments on: Interview: Greg Roach Wants You To Make A Spiritual Pilgrimage http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/ Online travel magazine dedicated to exploring travel in the 21st century. Offering travel news, compelling interviews, online travel tools, and more. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:14:28 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Greg Roach http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/comment-page-1/#comment-90308 Greg Roach Fri, 01 May 2009 06:05:24 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=1306#comment-90308 We often lead pilgrimages to climb Mt. Moses in the Sinai. I love how remote, rough and difficult it can be. I love the austerity, both of the place itself and of the accommodations to be found there (which are extremely basic). I love the way the setting sun lights up the 4th century chapel built on the peak of the mountain. I love the weary stumble, after hours of climbing, back down the mountain, as an utter riot of stars becomes visible in the growing darkness. I love stinking like camel and being covered in dust. I love driving deep into the countryside to talk and eat with local bedouin families. I love the long grueling ride back through the desert to Cairo. And I love, after days of roughing it in the wilderness of the Sinai, checking into the Mena House Oberoi, having a hot shower, and sipping a margarita by the pool with the great pyramid filling the sky like a mountain. To me that's all spiritual. And the one experience gives me a fuller appreciation of the other. Peace! We often lead pilgrimages to climb Mt. Moses in the Sinai.

I love how remote, rough and difficult it can be. I love the austerity, both of the place itself and of the accommodations to be found there (which are extremely basic). I love the way the setting sun lights up the 4th century chapel built on the peak of the mountain. I love the weary stumble, after hours of climbing, back down the mountain, as an utter riot of stars becomes visible in the growing darkness. I love stinking like camel and being covered in dust. I love driving deep into the countryside to talk and eat with local bedouin families. I love the long grueling ride back through the desert to Cairo.

And I love, after days of roughing it in the wilderness of the Sinai, checking into the Mena House Oberoi, having a hot shower, and sipping a margarita by the pool with the great pyramid filling the sky like a mountain.

To me that’s all spiritual. And the one experience gives me a fuller appreciation of the other.

Peace!

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]]> By: Amy Mosher http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/comment-page-1/#comment-90297 Amy Mosher Fri, 01 May 2009 02:00:23 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=1306#comment-90297 I thoroughly enjoyed Greg's article as I too resonate with the value of spiritual travel- we are enhanced by the experience and the attitude, respect, and honor we choose to interact with amongst those we meet can bless the locals we meet. I've traveled through 40 countries in the last 16 years and the most mind-blowing for me was Egypt. I went with Spirit Quest Travel and am still in awe of the sites, information, and experience of the trip. I thoroughly enjoyed Greg’s article as I too resonate with the value of spiritual travel- we are enhanced by the experience and the attitude, respect, and honor we choose to interact with amongst those we meet can bless the locals we meet. I’ve traveled through 40 countries in the last 16 years and the most mind-blowing for me was Egypt. I went with Spirit Quest Travel and am still in awe of the sites, information, and experience of the trip.

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]]> By: Ian MacKenzie http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/comment-page-1/#comment-90285 Ian MacKenzie Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:33:14 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=1306#comment-90285 @Tim - I think to automatically put asceticism above comfort is a bit too simplistic. There's a time and place for all types of travel. Sometimes, roughing it helps cut through the mental chatter and pushes people to their limits. Other times, the focus of a journey may shift to other aspects that are enhanced by relative comfort. As Greg says, it matters more about the awareness you bring to the experience. @Tim – I think to automatically put asceticism above comfort is a bit too simplistic.

There’s a time and place for all types of travel. Sometimes, roughing it helps cut through the mental chatter and pushes people to their limits. Other times, the focus of a journey may shift to other aspects that are enhanced by relative comfort. As Greg says, it matters more about the awareness you bring to the experience.

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]]> By: Halle Eavelyn http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/comment-page-1/#comment-90278 Halle Eavelyn Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:47:17 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=1306#comment-90278 In response to Tim: Spirit Quest Tours has had hundreds and hundreds of people join us on completely 5-star trips that have changed their lives - in some cases radically. We come from the school of thought that it's a lot easier to focus on your interior journey when you're not having problems with a broken AC. That said, there is no better or worse type of spiritual travel - as long as you grow yourself because of it, it's more a matter of taking the kind of trip that appeals to you. You're right that our guests skew older, certainly older than teens most of the time! So for them, a focus on luxury makes sense. Please note that we do get "down & dirty" during the day, giving our groups a real feel for the locals and the locale, but we just don't rough it when it comes to meals and beds! In response to Tim: Spirit Quest Tours has had hundreds and hundreds of people join us on completely 5-star trips that have changed their lives – in some cases radically. We come from the school of thought that it’s a lot easier to focus on your interior journey when you’re not having problems with a broken AC. That said, there is no better or worse type of spiritual travel – as long as you grow yourself because of it, it’s more a matter of taking the kind of trip that appeals to you. You’re right that our guests skew older, certainly older than teens most of the time! So for them, a focus on luxury makes sense. Please note that we do get “down & dirty” during the day, giving our groups a real feel for the locals and the locale, but we just don’t rough it when it comes to meals and beds!

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]]> By: Tim Patterson http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/30/interview-greg-roach-wants-you-to-make-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/comment-page-1/#comment-90277 Tim Patterson Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:08:01 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=1306#comment-90277 Good interview. Interesting that Greg feels luxurious travel can be just as spiritual an experience as roughing it. Maybe, but I disagree. I think rugged travel enhances a spiritual journey, and that's why we really emphasize rugged travel at Dragons. Then again, Dragons programs are for teenage students, while Greg's programs are for an older crowd, so that makes a big difference. Good interview.

Interesting that Greg feels luxurious travel can be just as spiritual an experience as roughing it. Maybe, but I disagree. I think rugged travel enhances a spiritual journey, and that’s why we really emphasize rugged travel at Dragons.

Then again, Dragons programs are for teenage students, while Greg’s programs are for an older crowd, so that makes a big difference.

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