Interview with travel blogger, the Expert Vagabond

Brendan van Son interviews Matthew from Expert Vagabond:

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from? Who was your favourite Ninja Turtle?
My name is Matthew, and I'm a hopeless travel addict. I share my devastating addiction with strangers through my adventure travel blog, Expert Vagabond, and on twitter. I'm originally from the small state of New Hampshire in the USA, but was most recently living in Miami working as a nightlife photographer.
Raphael is the coolest Ninja Turtle by far!

You've been travelling a while now, what keeps you sane?
Well assuming I am sane, I guess the fact that every day on the road is completely different is what keeps me going. You never know what new surprises are in store for you around the next corner.

You just crossed through Central America. Give us a tip on an off-the-beaten-path spot in the region.
In Costa Rica, a country that's seen its share of tourists, I was able to get away from the masses at Rio Celeste Waterfall within Tenorio Volcano National Park. You can often have that magical place all to yourself.

What is the key to a good adventure holiday?
A freshly stocked first-aid kit.

You're away for long periods of time at once. How do you keep in contact with friends and family members back home? How do you maintain those relationships?
Skype and Facebook do the job pretty well, along with the occasional postcard.

Food is such an important part of culture, what's one place you loved the food?  What's a place that you hated it?
I'm not picky, I'll eat almost anything. I can't say I've ever hated the food anywhere. So far my favorite place to eat was a street grill behind the main Cathedral in Leon, Nicaragua. Cheap and delicious empanadas, juicy chicken, plentiful gallo pinto, and tasty pork. Met some great people back there too. You can stuff yourself for $3-$4.

You just went through Panama, which other than the Canal has largely been neglected by tourists until recently. What does that country have to offer the adventure traveller?
Well the best adventure in Panama is to explore the notorious Darien Gap. It can be difficult, dirty, and dysfunctional, but despite popular opinion, odds are good you will NOT get kidnapped while you're there. You'll probably get bitten by something though. Those odds are pretty damn high.

Give us your number one item everyone should travel with, electronics excluded.
Earplugs! I'm a bit of an earplug connoisseur. My favorite are called HEAROS. They are super comfortable, even when sleeping on them. Great for drowning out the sound of Howler monkeys screaming at you while hammock camping in the jungle. That and drunken Australians in your hostel.

What's the key to staying safe on the road?
Try not to drink too much. A majority of bad travel incidents I know of involved alcohol, including my own.

This is your chance to brag.  Where are you now, and where are you headed in the near future?
Well at the moment I'm back in the US working street corners and stealing copper wire so I can afford my next travel fix. Not too exciting. But next month I'll be in South Africa swimming with great white sharks, chasing lions, and dancing with Zulu warriors. Obviously I need to seek treatment for my addiction soon before something bad happens.

Have you got a question for Matthew? Leave it in the comments section below. Then head to twitter and Facebook to share your thoughts with the rest of the Gecko's community.

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