Interview With Marcello Arrambide of Wandering Trader Travels
Marcello, please tell my readers about yourself. What made you want to start wanderingtrader.com?
Initially, the blog was a concept to bring traffic to a day trading company that I was partnered with. We figured that people who wanted to travel the world wanted a way to make money and day trading has very low start up costs in comparing to most other business. Most importantly, it allowed people to have their freedom by doing anywhere in the world. As I started to blog what it morphed into was my own personal travel blog about the stories I tell. I also combine day trading and traveling to allow other day traders that want to travel the ability to have resources about where the best places are for internet, etc.
In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the best food? and the worst food?
Worst food, Chile. One thing that I thought was actually cool was how they loved ice cream in the capital, Santiago. They love that stuff so much that they actually put the ice cream in their signature drink! Ice cream with alcohol, what could be better than that? lol.
Best food, I don't think that I could choose one because I have so many favorites. The steak that I would buy from the fresh markets in Buenos Aires, Argentina were incredible. I would buy 10 fresh steaks for roughly $10 and have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The King Crab in the southern city of Ushuaia is absolutely incredible as well. I couldn't go without mentioning some of my roots with arepas of Colombia and Venezuela. There is nothing like an arepa at 4am after partying, absolutely nothing. In Africa, it was a pleasant surprise to find so much fresh food; no preservatives, no steroids, everything is absolutely fresh.
When you first started traveling, did your family support your decision?
What family? LOL. I have always been the type of person to just go with the wind so I didn't talk to my family before leaving. I left and then talked to my family when they were sending me messages on facebook about why I was partying in Argentina. I think that if you love something you shouldn't stop anyone from doing it.
If you had to choose one favorite destination, which one would you chose?
There aren't any favorites, each country that I have visited is unique its own right. The diversity in Canada, the great people of Colombia, Israel, and Zambia, and Ethiopia, the tourist attractions in Argentina, the culture of Colombia, the safety in Ethiopia. I could go on for ages but really can't pick a favorite. It's like choosing which kid is your favorite and that you just can't do!
What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
I don't think this is so much of the least exciting, it has more to do with how I was feeling at the time. After going 100% in Argentina I got to Santiago, Chile and I just became bored. With time, after visiting the Atacama Desert and the Perito Moreno Glacier, I had my motivation back. Every place that I have traveled is interesting especially because I place a strong focus on getting to know the people. Even when there is nothing to do the people always make it worth it.
Did you always have a love of travel or did you develop your passion for traveling as you got older?
I have a unique background when it comes to travel. I say that I am half Italian & half Spanish but technically I am from all over the place. I am quarter this and quarter that, whenever someone asks me where I am from I say Earth. I was born in Venezuela, raised in the United States, Venezuela, and Italy, and had already been to roughly ten countries by the age of 16. My life was raised around travel so it has always been in my blood. One day I just decided to pick up and leave and thats what I did. Bought a flight with a week notice and left.
What impact has wanderingtrader.com had on your life?
It has opened my eyes to the range of possibilities in both the internet and the world. One of the biggest things I had to learn was patience. Most bloggers start because they are passionate about what they are doing and eventually they look at the business side of things. I came from the opposite end, looking at it from the business end and now getting really passionate about it. English was my second language so I'm very lazy when it comes to writing in English. The site has also taught me how to plan my life better. I have managed to balanced my travels around the world (roughly 20 or so countries so far in the last year and a half), run a day trading business, train other day traders, and even have time for what I love to do.
What has been the most surprising destination you've been to? Meaning, you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally a differnet experience than you had imagined.
Suriname & Zambia. I never dreamed of visiting a place like Suriname that was so interesting. They actually have a mosque and Jewish synagogue that site right next to each other which is unheard of today. I know that you see that in very holy places like Israel but there is no other place in the world where you see that. In Zambia, I was completely blown away at how open and interesting the people were. I just thought it was going to be another African country, boy was I wrong. Everyone is curious that people come up to and ask you questions and they even listen to Salsa and Reggaeton! Salsa & Reggaeton in Africa!
If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential in your life, which destination would you chose?
I think because of my background I am less influenced by other cultures because I have grown up with so many different influences. It's why I feel at home when I travel. Even living in Florida for part of my life, the United States is a melting pot of people from all over the world. I used to study in D.C for roughly 3 summers and that exposed to me people from places like Haiti, Africa, and the UN corporate type lifestyle that I see everyday in Africa. I honestly couldn't choose just one destination.
What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
JUST DO IT. There are ways to travel for a few dollars a day, there are places that you can go in the world where you can live on $300 a month, there are even places where you will get put up (house and food) for 100% free. Don't let anything stop you and just go have a good time. Travel is the best teacher and traveling for so long I can truly agree with that
Thanks Marcello for the interview. Please visit Marcello blog @ Wandering Trader