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Stockholm Through a Lens

Before you get into this eye candy, if you haven’t voted on how we should see the Amazon, head to Theresa’s post just below this and give us your thoughts.

Since I don’t have my own separate blog, and since this is vaguely travel related, I thought I would share it here. This weekend we had a rare nice day in Stockholm, and so I took the opportunity to wander about the city with a camera. Here are some of the images I was happy with.

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There’s plenty of color splashed onto apartment buildings.

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It’s coming up on Easter, which in Sweden means you tie feathers to bare tree branches. Mom, you want to explain that one? It does look nice in big bunches though.

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A row of Swedish fruit drinks outside a store. I like that you can see the buildings across the street.

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An empty pier. It is winter after all.

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An interesting building with Stadshuset (City Hall) and it’s Tre Kronor (three crowns, the national symbol) in the background. Here’s another of one corner of Stadshuset. It kinda looks like it needs to be in a Cingular commercial.

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And I just thought these last two looked kinda cool. Feel free to disagree.

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Face Off #2: The Amazon

All election, all the time. Does it seem that way to ya’ll too or is it because we live in the nation’s capital that we feel this way? It’s all about the vote. Who’s voting, how they’re voting, and why they’re voting that way. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of tired of hearing about it. Obama or Clinton? Clinton or Obama?

So how about having a say on something else, something much more interesting, I dare say, than who will be the next leader of the free world? For instance, where we should go for our Amazon experience. Yes, yes, I think that’s it.

In the second face-off to appear on Lives of Wander, we ask you to cast your vote for the place/manner in which we experience the Amazon, one of South America’s most dominating landscapes. Yes, folks, this is a two-part vote, reminiscent of the days when the president and vice-president ran separately rather than on one ticket. Crazy, I know, but I trust that you bright folks can handle it. So review the options, vote in the poll below, and then leave a comment explaning why you voted the way you did.
(In the first face-off, 67% of you voted for Indonesia over the Philippines, and we’re heeding your advice. No Supreme Court overthrows here…at least not yet!)

Manner of Experiencing the Amazon

Option 1: Rolling On the River
Named a 2008 Dream Trip by Budget Travel magazine, there’s something rather old world about traveling by riverboat. It’s a bit Mark Twainian bargaining a ride with a captain, stringing up a hammock, and watching the world pass by from the deck of your boat. It seems to be a good way to get a slightly firmer grasp on what the Amazon is since you’ll cover a decent amount of ground. And is there a river more exotic than the Amazon? The downside is that being out in the middle of the river, you don’t get to experience life on the ground in the jungle. And from what I hear, some stretches of the Amazon are so broad that you can hardly even see the bank! Imagine that. Other negatives include the fact that the budget boats can be overcrowded and there’s not a lot to do but relax and take in the views. With a little more money, however, you can get aboard a boat designed more for tourists and that includes stops for jungle activities. But does that ruin the authenticity?

Option 2: Jungle Lodge Expeditions
Offering short two day/one night stays to week-or-longer adventures, jungle lodges are scattered throughout the Amazon rain forest. Some are luxury, far beyond the reaches of our dollars. Others are budget-friendly, while a fair chunk fall right square in the middle. Some of the most appealing options I’ve seen are eco-friendly, working hard to protect the rain forest, realizing that the true salvation of the forests may come from tourists. There’s money in tourism, just as there is in logging. And if there’s enough money in tourism, than perhaps there will be less destruction of the forest. A number of the lodges also work with native tribes. One of the difficulties is in sorting out which exploit and which assist. In general, these lodges offer an opportunity to go on nature hikes and short boat rides with guides that can point out the native flora and fauna. It’s a bit of a “best of” experience. A little of this, a little of that. An introductory course, if you will. Our friend Joyce had the opportunity to make a short visit to one and highly recommended the experience. Other lodges that I’ve come across include Explorers Inn, Inotawa Expeditions, New Huao Lodge.

Option 3: Hoofing it in the Amazon
If we want to get very intimate with the Amazon, then I’m not sure there’s a better way to do it than by traversing the jungle on foot. This isn’t a nature walk; it’s a jungle adventure, with guide, cook, and porter. It is very likely to include bushwacking and machetes. A number of trip organizers offer the option of hiring locals with advanced knowledge of the rainforest to take you on a multi-day hike through the jungle. So long as you vet your guide, and find someone who can speak your language and who seems reliable, it’s an awesome up-close-and-personal experience. Take the wrong guide, and that’s a disaster waiting to happen. With all the hiking I’m going to be doing for the guidebook I’m writing, this option might be tailor-made for me. But then again, sleeping on the jungle floor with all the Amazon’s creepy-crawlies, I’m not so sure. I mean a tarantula isn’t your everyday house spider and an anaconda is no garter snake. It’s not a walk in park, but then again, you don’t think National Geographic gets their awesome footage by venturing a few feet into the forest now do you? No, they get it by venturing down the path that’s not beaten until you’ve stamped it down yourself.

Option 4: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Why take a big river boat when you can row, row, row your own dugout canoe? Okay, chances are you won’t be rowing; most of the dugout canoes have outboard motors, athough I hear they die frequently, so yeah, maybe we will row. Like the hiking option, this is a more intimate way to view the forest, but with the addition of time spent on the water. But let’s be clear here; you’re most likely not rowing on the Amazon river itself, but rather one of its tributaries. A tad bit safer that way, I guess. Again, you work with an outfitter to hire a guide and a cook and then you make your way into the jungle, by water rather than on trails. As with hiking, you spend your nights camped out in the jungle. Days are spent trolling down the river, stopping at villages, and going on hikes. It kind of sounds like the Grand Canyon trip Jeff and I went on, except without the white water and with a completely different type of scenery. But it’s the same kind of idea–travel by water, take a few hikes, camp on the shore.

The Places:
I guess saying you want to see the Amazon is a bit like saying you want to see the United States. Um, what part? It’s a big, big, big (maybe I should just say humongous) place. Almost every country in the northern half of South America gets a piece of it. Did you know that? Growing up I didn’t think “Amazon” without thinking “Brazil,” and I don’t think I’m alone in this. But as it turns out, many of the countries we’re planning to visit have gateways to the Amazon rainforest.

Option 1: Brazil
60% of the Amazon rainforest is located within Brazil. Additionally, the majority of the Amazon river runs through Brazil, so if you actually want to travel on this Grand Dame of rivers rather than one of its tributaries, this is the place to do it. For tourists, Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazon region, is a popular jumping off spot. Many, many boats stop here if you’re looking to catch a ride down the river, and there are also jungle lodges in the area. If you take a look at a map of Brazil, however, you’ll see that Manaus is pretty doggone far away from well most everything else. So while there are flights and such, getting there and back isn’t as easy as it is in other places. But this is iconic Amazon.

Option 2: Peru
Though perhaps better known for its Incan ruins, Peru also claims a section of the Amazonian Rainforest. Manu Biosphere Reserve might be the best known section of it. And it’s not lacking for acclaim, having been named a Living Eden by PBS. This area claims to contain more species of plants and animals than any other place on earth. Fortunately for the earth, but unfortunately for tourists, visits to the Reserve are strictly controlled and aren’t exactly inexpensive. But there are other similar areas in the Peruvian rainforest that are more accessible to the average tourist. Puerto Maldonado, on the Madre de Dios river, is one of the more popular areas in Peru for Amazon exploration. In a nearby lake, 9 of the last remaining 1000 giant otters live, and the area is heavily populated with macaws. Iquitos, believed to the largest city unreachable by road, is another, especially as it is actually on the Amazon River and it’s possible to catch a riverboat from here to Manaus, Brazil.

Option 3: Ecuador
Ecuador is already on our list because of the natural wonders of the Galapagos. I hadn’t given its jungle much thought, and that might be because only 2% of the Amazon is located within Ecuador. It’s not that large of a country after all, and it only gets the far reaches of the Amazon. The good news about that is that most of the access points are within easy reach of Quito. Yasuni National Park, Limoncocha Biological Reserve, and Cuyabeno Reserve are popular Amazonian regions of Ecuador, offering river and jungle experiences. In Ecuador, many indigenous tribes still live in the rainforest and some trips incorporate learning about their lives. Unfortunately, however, it seems that some of these so-called protected areas are being legally exploited for oil.

Option 4: Bolivia
Now Bolivia wasn’t even in my wide-angle lens when I got to thinking about the Amazon rainforest, but when I look at map, I can’t figure out why I ignored it. It does, after all border both Peru and Brazil. Thankfully, we live in a very connected world and when I started trolling message boards for information on the Amazon, I kept finding references to a town called Rurrenabaque, which like Puerto Maldonado doesn’t have a lot going on itself but is a starting point for adventure, particular in the Madidi National Forest. Many travelers noted that this was one of the least expensive places from which you could explore the Amazon, and it’s hard to quarrel with that. A bonus feature of this area is that it not only provides access to the jungle but also to the pampas. So you can venture into the jungle, where you’re more likely to see interesting flora than fauna, then travel into the pampas for wildlife encounters with the likes of caimans, monkeys, anacondas, capybara, and river dolphins. It’s like two destinations in one.

Here’s Where You Vote
So I know this is just a tiny bit of information for you to decide on, but come on, go ahead and admit it, it’s more information than you have about most of the candidates you vote for. Don’t even try to lie to me and tell me you know anything about the people you vote to be secretary of agriculture, county judge, or school board member. So study the synopses, do your research (hey, I provided links), and cast your vote. Or just go with your gut. We won’t know the difference.

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Chef Jeff

A few of you have probably heard that I’m back in Stockholm now for about a month to tie up some loose ends, finish up my classes, etc. The trip over was, as usual, uneventful, but I think I’ve finally given up on trying to sleep on flights over to Europe. It never seems to work. I’m better off just staying up the whole time, making sure I stay up the next day no matter how tired I am, and get to bed at a normal time and all is right with the world on day 2. So be it. It means I can watch more movies (I got to check out the Oscar contenders Michael Clayton and Atonement on the way over … they were both excellently done … planes may be the only way I see movies anymore).

But anyway, thats not what I really wanted to discuss. I wanted to continue the trend of food related posting. It’s often a goal of the backpacking types (i.e. us) to cook meals while on the road to accomplish a couple of things: reduce costs, feel more like a local and at home, venture into some “less touristy” areas, etc. I think reduce costs might be the main one. Now I have always kind of gone along with this mantra, but really thought of it in the more idealized sense (kind of like many Americans treat cooking their own food … a rarity).

But I’m proud to say that with minimal ingredients and minimal effort (and minimal costs) I have managed to do my own cooking so far over here and been very pleased with the results. And we’re not talking ramen here. I’ve been having salami and brie sandwiches for lunch (one of my favorites ever). Last night I prepared some pasta with some homemade sauce combining crushed tomatoes, brie for creaminess, arugula for spice and meatballs for, well, meat. I had a delicious spinach and arugula salad two nights ago. Tonight I made tacos (though I was missing mexican cheese … ’twas a shame). And I’ve got some barbecue pork ribs and our chorizo soup in mind soon too. All easy to make and without needing many ingredients or time to prepare. And a lot cheaper than eating out in Stockholm, where meals start at $25 and McDonald’s is at least $10. I just thought I would share my success with all of you. I’d have taken pictures for some nice food porn for everyone, but I was too busy eating =).  Point is, it’s a very doable thing, me being able to pull it off proves that beyond a doubt. We’ll see how well it carries on over the whole month though, my enthusiasm for cooking has been known to wane quickly.

The one issue I’ve noticed, though, is what to do with leftovers. Fortunately, there’s a fair bit of tupperware around here for me to put my things in, but that’s not likely the case at hostels/budget hotels. I guess you just have to eat it all in one sitting. Or carry around a big plastic case with you. Or give it to all the poor, dirty and hungry fellow travelers.

The other thing I’m enjoying about staying here right now is that any time of day or night I’m literally steps away from a machine who’s sole job it is to make me a cup of delicious hot chocolate (it makes coffee for the Swedes, but I don’t drink that stuff). So culinarily, I’m living pretty good right now.

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Not Quite All Our Worldly Belongings

When it comes time to take a trip, the most important packing decision isn’t what clothes to take or what shoes to leave behind; it’s what bag to put it all in. We’ve all been saddled with the wrong bag at some point or another: the duffel that feels like a concrete block when it’s packed, the rolling suitcase that repeatedly flips over as your run for your flight; the backpack that makes you feel as if you’re going to topple over backwards. On a round the world trip, the last thing you want is to be aggravated by your bag, since you’re going to be spending lots and lots of quality time with it. (Lisa Lubin, a fellow round the world traveler, referred to her bag as her boyfriend in a recent blog post.) Last weekend Jeff and I, having picked up the bags he ordered from the REI sale, set about to deciding what we were going to use to lug around all the worldly possessions we’ll need.

A backpack is pretty much the only way to go on a trip such as this. If you’re doing a grand tour of world capitals, then maybe you can consider a rolling bag, but even then, think of those cute cobblestone European streets and imagine your bag bumping along them. Not pretty, right? And since we’re sticking to third world countries and chicken buses, a backpack it is. But what type. As we see it, there are two main options. One option is a travel backpack. This option is noted for its large zippered opening, which allows you to lay the bag flat and pack it in a manner similar to a duffel bag. It often features a zip-off daypack, and a panel that zips up to cover the straps and thus make it more airplane-friendly. Eagle Creek is a well-known manufacturer of this style of backpack. The second option is a trekking backpack. This pack can be identified by its top-loading style and its more streamlined style. These are the type of backpacks that people use on long hikes/treks, and are thus designed with comfort while carrying as the primary concern.

Loads and loads of RTW travelers will tell you that you’re an idiot if you choose to carry anything other than a travel backpack. Yet, despite much searching, neither Jeff nor I have found a bag of this style that we like. The problem I’ve had with most is the way in which they distribute weight. I feel like I’m going to end up on my back, legs flailing in the air, like an overturned turtle. I’m also not pleased by the starting weight of these packs. Since 25 pounds is already 25% of my bodyweight (and the maximum weight I plan to carry), I don’t want to start out with a pack that weighs 5 pounds empty. That’s more than one pair of shoes…and yes, I do plan to take four, and no don’t try to convince me otherwise.

So I think we’ve decided to go with the trekking style pack, which in the end, makes the most sense for us, as it’s what we are most comfortable with. It will also be ideal since we plan on doing a number of treks (Patagonia, Inca Trail, Anapurna Circuit, etc.) during our trip. But unfortunately, making that decision didn’t really put us any closer to choosing our bags. As you can see, we have a lot of options. (And this isn’t even showing the bag Jeff picked up on REI clearance a few days later.)

We were able to weed out a few of these relatively quickly, however. Both the blue-checked Gregory pack and the yellow BCA pack were determined to be too small, and the Eagle Creek pack was determined to be too large. (It’s also a travel backpack, and was never seriously in contention, although Jeff makes good use of it on his travels back and forth from Sweden. He left yesterday with that bag in tow, carrying much more gear for his one month stay there than we plan to take for our entire year. Given it is winter, and he does plan to travel to the Arctic Circle [more on that in a future post].)

So, how to make the final decision? We could only think of one good way and that was to get together all the gear we planned to take, pack it up in each of the bags, and try each on. And that’s what we did—digging through our drawers, cabinets, closets, and storage area to gather up all we planned to take. Being the listmaker that I am, I already had a packing list saved on the computer. Here’s what the gear looks like laid out. (Sorry, our bedspread makes a poor background.)

And then, fully aware of the pain that digging through a backpack (especially a toploader) in search of one shirt, sock, or pair of underwear can be, we organized all of our gear using stuff sacks and packing cubes. Hopefully, we’ll stay in most places for a number of nights in a row, allowing us to unpack and spread things out, but for those one night stays, this system will help us stay organized. The picture below shows all of my clothes, except socks, bras, and underwear which were in another small bag that didn’t make it into the picture. Not bad, huh?

My two contending backpacks were a 45L ultralight REI pack and a 52L Osprey pack. The Osprey is a new purchase, the REI pack has been on a number of trips with me, including our adventure through the Grand Canyon.

Jeff’s contenders were both REI packs, one the 50L Gemini that he’s used on our previous trips and the other a new 65L Ridgeline.

We both definitely feel some affection for our old packs…they’re tried and true friends. I, however, must say that I’m a little concerned about the ultralight material holding up on mine, and we both have some issues with size. Though everything does fit into our old bags, they’re both pretty darn full. Not a lot of room for error. As for the new packs, I think we were both pleasantly surprised, considering the sheer number of other packs we’ve tried and rejected. The extra space is nice, although I fear that it might tempt us to pack more than we need, and both proved comfortable. I was very pleased when I jumped on the scale with my fully-loaded pack and found it to weigh only 17 pounds! Admittedly, my toiletries weren’t in the pack and probably a few other odds and ends, but still it should end up quite manageable. (And let me say here that I only plan to carry the backpack at full weight between transportation and accommodations. On our trekking trips, I’ll pack just what I need and leave the rest at our hostel/hotel to be picked up upon our return.)

Final decision, you ask? Well, despite the fact that we filled all the competing bags up, weighed them, walked around with them, did side-by-side comparisons, and discussed every pro/con/detail that we could come up with, neither of us made a final decision. We each still have two bags in the running. But I think we’re okay with that. We’ll make our final choice when we’re packing for real (eek…that will be a bit scary). I think for now we’re content knowing that we each have a pack (or two) that we’ll be happy to heave and ho around the world.

(With Jeff’s old bag, my new bag, and our camera bag, this is what it looks like when everything is packed away. It will be interesting to see if it looks pretty much the same come departure day.)

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Eating the World

We cook at home almost every night, making a wide variety of food. We’ve found recipes we love for some great American Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Indian recipes, and the list goes on. But one thing we have so far failed to make well is the Thai rice noodle dish Pad Thai. It’s one of my favorite foods, dating back to my first exposure to it at Sawadty Thai Cuisine in my hometown. After our latest failure, Theresa vowed not to try anymore and anytime we wanted any we would go to a Thai restaurant. So we went out for dinner tonight at a nice little Thai restaurant near us. And we got to talking about all the delicious foods we’re going to eat on our trip. There’s the steaks in Argentina, the roasted chickens in Peru, the curries and noodle dishes of Thailand, the Pho of Vietnam, the coolness of Ethiopian food (though Theresa is not a fan). It was quite an appetizing discussion, but we weren’t able to come to any conclusion of what we were most looking forward to. So we’re posing the question to you. Where in the world do you think (or know) the food is the best?

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What’s That You Say? Language and Travel

Flagging down a cab in Athens is hard work. Driver’s merely slow down as they approach you, lowering their windows to hear what destination you’re yelling out. If they feel like going there, they may stop and let you in. Otherwise they just keep on rolling. So on one of the first days I’d ventured down into the city by myself after I moved to Athens, I was loathe to get out of the cab I was in even though the driver couldn’t understand me and I couldn’t understand him.

He knew the neighborhood I wanted to go to, but he didn’t know exactly where Athens College was, so he needed me to direct him. He didn’t understand English, and my Greek was still so minimal it didn’t exceed far beyond “thank you” and “Do you speak English”. Signaling wasn’t getting us far, and you could feel the frustration building up in the cab. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the cab driver asked “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?”

Suddenly everything was fine. We both spoke German. I quickly gave him directions, which he easily understood, and then we set to talking about how both of us had come to know German. He reminisced about the years he’d spent there, regaling me with stories all the way to my house. It was a moment of serendipity.

On our upcoming trip, Jeff and I are going to land in many places where our language skills won’t extend far beyond the phrases back in our guidebook. We’ll do our best to learn those, so that while we won’t be able to carry on a conversation in the language of our host nation, we will be able to approach its citizens with at least a greeting in their native tongue. We are fortunate that our mother language is perhaps the one most useful around the world, but we have to realize that there will still be many places where people do not speak it, nor should we expect them to. But if we’re willing to risk bad pronunciation and terrible accents in attempts to speak the language of the country we’re in, we believe that people will be more open to helping us, more willing to find us someone who does speak our language, more likely to try their nonnative-English out on us. This will probably be the best we can do in Southeast Asia and Africa, where we’ll encounter multiple languages in relatively short periods of times.

But since we will be spending five months in the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America (Portuguese-speaking Brazil the lone exception), just the basics isn’t going to cut it. Thus Jeff and I have made the first specific itinerary decision. We’re going to spend the first couple of weeks our trip learning Spanish at an intensive language school in Nicaragua. Jeff, who has a solid knowledge already, will take advanced level classes, while I, my Spanish limited to the few podcasts I’ve been able to get through, will work at a more elementary level.

Why Nicaragua, you ask? Well, Nicaragua has been a hopeful destination on our itinerary for some time. Jeff was able to spend some time there in high school and is eager to return and show me around. Additionally, Nicaragua is very inexpensive, and there are many respected schools in the country. Offered on a weekly basis, the classes are usually 4 hours per day with group size limited to 1-4 people. It’s a total immersion experience with the classes conducted entirely in Spanish. For accommodations, schools offer home stays, which Jeff and I are eager to take advantage of. Not only will a home stay give us an opportunity to practice our Spanish in everyday situations, a home stay will also give us insight into the daily life of Nicaraguans.

While we haven’t yet picked a school, we’re leaning toward Granada as our base. Granada is supposed to be a lovely city, so we’ll have things to do in our off-class hours. It’s also conveniently located near other places we want to visit. We’re also considering doing one week of language classes in one place and one in another, but that’s just an idea we’re tossing around at this point. Here are links to two schools in Granada that have gotten good reviews from other travelers and seem to offer what we’re looking for: One on One Tutoring and Casa Xalteva.

Hopefully after a bit of study at one of these schools, I’ll have the basics down and be better tuned to pick up more of the language as we travel. It’ll certainly be nice to be able to have conversations that are a little more interesting than “Hello. Where is the toilet? Thank you.” Though I can’t say for certain that there’s any more useful conversation than that.

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DVD Traveling

Theresa’s post last week about interesting travel literature inspired some pretty good discussion, and got me thinking. Now, I’ve been known to read a book here or there, and usually enjoy the experience, but in all honesty, I’m not really a book person. I’m more of a movie person. I just absorb things in a more visual fashion I suppose.

So with that in mind, and with tonight being Hollywood’s biggest night, I thought I would put together a list of my favorite “travel movies” related to the areas we will be headed. I’ve also been trying to gather some others that I might watch before we go, but I’ll let you guys vet them for me.

Darjeerling Limited (India) – a fantastic little film by Wes Anderson about a trio of brothers on a train. Just my style.

The Last King of Scotland (Uganda) – the rise and fall of infamous Uganda dictator Idi Amin as seen through a composite Scotsman.

Hotel Rwanda (Rwanda) – one man’s struggle to save hundreds against the genocide there.

The Constant Gardener (Kenya) – a corrupt drug company ruins a diplomat’s life in Africa.

The only movies in and about Africa seem to be serious downers. Anyone got anything a little more optimistic? You know, that would make me excited about going there?

Some other ones I would highly recommend (but not where we are heading) are Everything is Illuminated (Ukraine), Lost in Translation (Japan), the Bourne series (freaking everywhere).

Here’s some others I was thinking about checking out before we left (in no particular order).

Out of Africa (Kenya)

Bridge on the River Kwai (Thailand)

Gorillas in the Midst (Kenya)

The Motorcycle Diaries (Peru)

The Beach (Thailand)

Blood Diamond (South Africa)

Cry Freedom (South Africa)

Hostel (ok, just kidding about that one)

Would you recommend/not recommend these? What would you recommend for me? What movies have you all seen that would fit well on this list? Are there any foreign films that do a great job of capturing the spirit of a country? And what movies capture the essence and the idea of travel best for you?

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Is a minimalist technophile an oxymoron?

Those of you who know me know that I am a bit of a gadget and gear junkie. For those of you who don’t know me: I’m a bit of a gadget and gear junkie. To be fair, I don’t have an iPhone, so I guess I can’t be that much of a technophile. But we do have lots of video game systems, an HDTV, DVR and a storage space full of bikes and camping equipment, skis and snowboards, golf clubs and golf shoes, and so on and so forth. I’ll readily admit, I do like having all of my own gear to go camping or skiing or golfing on a whim (and avoid rental expenses), or to host Super Bowl parties or Rock Band parties.

But probably a bigger reason why I have all of these things is that I’m a sucker for a good deal. Pretty much all of these things I’ve gotten at a steep discount to retail price. This is great when its something we’re looking for at the time we need it. It is, however, less useful when its something we don’t really need at a time we won’t really use it. I’ve been working on curtailing these kinds of purchases the past few years, since like Theresa says, everything we get will have to be packed up and stored so there’s no sense in getting things we won’t use. They’ll just take up space. But there’s one particular event that’s my greatest weakness: the REI super clearance sale.

For those who don’t live in an area with one, REI is an outdoor gear outfitter based out of the northwest, though they have stores all around the country. It’s a great store with all sorts of gear at decent prices and sales people who – gasp! – actually are knowledgeable about what they are selling. Whenever we are in Seattle we try to go to the flagship store downtown – it’s amazing. But twice a year, it gets better: they mark their regular clearance items down another 50% in their super clearance sale. Now, in the past, I’ve gone way overboard and bought multiple jackets, bags, etc. But this year we narrowed the focus to just things we would need for our trip. Yet still I sit here tonight after picking up our order with my floor covered in gear from REI. Actually having something to shop for rather than just casually looking for good deals may be even worse for my deal seeking habits. We got a set of titanium camping cookware to match the camping stove we also ordered. We bought three backpacking bags trying to find the perfect one for our trip. I bought two soft shells and a pair of pants that don’t fit. Though I think we found a winner with the thin yet warm travel blanket for $8 (to solve Theresa’s trouble shaking the “chillies”).

Anyway, the larger point I’m trying to make with this is that I’m planning on spending a full year on the road with just what I can carry on my back. If I want to get to the finish line without a permanent hunch, I’m going to need to be very selective and minimalist with what I take. This is not something I am used to, or particularly good at, doing. Sure, I’m good at taking relatively few clothes, shoes, and toiletries. We rarely have to check luggage for trips under a week. But everywhere I go I seem to take my laptop, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, iPod, a couple of magazines, etc etc. And its exactly those things I’m going to have to eliminate or seriously pare down. Plus, the open ended nature of the trip is going to lend itself to all kinds of convincing … “I just might need that warm fleece plus the soft shell” or “Why not one extra pair of pants, they could come in handy.” So I’m going to have to be really honest and really critical of how much I will use something. But thankfully, I have Theresa, who’s very good at eliminating excess in many ways. I have a feeling I’ll lean on her a lot through the packing stage (or at least acquiesce when she berates my desire to take something frivolous). I’m gonna say it right now though, one place I will not skimp will be underwear. I’m gonna have enough of those, by god.

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Armchair Traveling

I read as if I’m starving. I don’t nibble; I don’t pick up a book and read a chapter or two and then maybe another chapter or two a day later. I consume voraciously, flipping madly from page to page, often completing an entire book in one setting. When I open a book, I’m transported to a new world that I’m reluctant to leave until I’ve read the last word on the last page. Stopping to go about my life in my world spoils the magic, at least a bit. If I’m busy, I usually end up neglecting books all together and turning to magazines and newspapers for a while. I can’t stand to put a book aside unfinished.

To me, reading is a way to experience a different life, to learn about another culture, to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Sometimes I have a moment’s glimpse into another country, sometimes a look at another time. Sometimes the places I travel to do not exist except for on the page and in the reader’s imagination. Regardless, I learn something new, something that affects the way I interact in the world and with other people.

Often when we prepare for trips, the kind that require luggage and plane tickets and hotel reservations, we spend a lot of time reading guidebooks. We learn opening and closing times, admission fees, bus schedules, and maybe a brief history of the place we are going. That’s well and good, and really quite helpful. But it doesn’t give us a true feeling for life in that country. That’s why I like to read books about the places I’m visiting. Sometimes I read nonfiction books, histories of people and events. But more often, I read novels and short stories. Though I won’t get a plethora of facts from these works of fictions, I’ll get a taste of what people believe, feel, care about. I’ll acquire tidbits of history and notes about problems.

As we prepare for this trip, I’ve set myself a goal of reading a book related to each of the countries we plan to visit. The book can either be about that country or written by someone from that country. Some countries aren’t difficult. India is currently very popular in the American market. Chile has turned out a wealth of excellent writers. Other countries I’m having a harder time finding books for. Here’s a look at a few books that I’ve already read, and a couple of books I hope to read.

A Sample of Books I’ve Read that Relate to Places We’ll Visit
1. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
2. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (India)
3. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru) [It’s been a long time since I read this, however.]
4. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Vietnam)
5. Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire (Rwanda)

Too bad we’re not going to Afghanistan (The Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns), Pakistan (Three Cups of Tea), Congo (The Poisonwood Bible), Columbia (One Hundred Years of Solitude), Nigeria (Things Fall Apart), or Japan (Memoirs of a Geisha), since I’ve been introduced to all of them through rather excellent literature.

A Sample of Books I’d Life to Read Before We Go
1. The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin (Galapagos) [Before we rafted the Grand Canyon, we read John Wesley Powell’s account of his discovery trip through the Canyon, and we found it interesting to see places he noted in his journal.]
2. The House of the Spirits or My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (Chile)
3. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (South Africa)

National Geographic Traveler’s Website offers an Ultimate Travel Library, which I’ve been using to get some ideas. But I need more suggestions. So tell me, what book have you read that you think I just must get my hands on before we leave? Leave your suggestions in the comments. (If you’re not sure where we’re going, feel free to suggest a book about any foreign land.)

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This is My Rant

In the last post I wrote, I talked about the influence of American politics on the rest of the world. While writing that post, Jeff and I got to discussing a related idea—how difficult it is to hear other people criticize your country when you’re traveling. It’s almost as if America is family; I can pick on it all I want, but by God, you better not say a negative word about it.

America is an easy target. We wield a huge amount of power, and we often do really dumb things.

I’ll be the first to admit that I think our current President is a moron, that the war in Iraq is a disaster, that our environmental policy stinks. And if you, Mr. or Ms. Non-American, say these things to me during a civilized discussion, I’ll acknowledge that you’re right. But if you just throw out an insult, or if you catch me in a foul mood, I’ll be right up in your face defending America tooth and nail. Though W and I don’t see eye to eye on pretty much anything, you better not tell me that he’s a terrorist. You better not say that our war is worse than the 9/11 attacks. You better not claim that America is evil. I don’t deal in platitudes and gross exaggerations. I don’t deal in comparisons of horrors. I know that America is good. And if you even dare go anywhere near these statements, you better have a damn good answer about what your country is doing to make the world a better place.

Way back when Jeff and I first started planning this trip, I mentioned to him the one thing that I would have a really hard time putting up with. It wasn’t squat toilets. It wasn’t long bus rides. It wasn’t having limited clothing options. It wasn’t even dealing with foreigners who hate America. Most of them don’t know America well enough for their opinions to count. The thing that will be hardest for me is dealing with those Americans, who we’re bound to come across, who love to have pretentious conversations about how stupid/awful/self-involved/arrogant/whatever America is and how whatever third world country they’re in at the moment really has it figured out.

Sure, I agree, the $6 beachfront bungalows and the $2 steak dinners and the $0.50 massages are awesome. But you know why they’re awesome? Because you can afford them. To the people who live in these countries, all of that is still out of reach. Education, health care, a chance to improve their lives…that, too, is probably out of reach. I’m not saying you need to pin an American flag to your backpack the way the Canadians pin the maple leaf to theirs (why, again, do they do that?). I’m just saying that you need to be a little more respectful of where you come from, a little more humble about what you’ve been given, a little more thankful that by the grace of God (or whatever higher power/good luck you want to acknowledge) you were born in a place that might not always do the wisest things or act in the best way but allows you a hell of a lot of opportunity.

I am not a flag waver. I can’t even begin to describe how frightened I was to come home to a post-9/11 world after months away and find flags plastered everywhere and the national anthem de rigueur at every event right down to the ballet. But send me out into the world for an extended period of time, and the patriot inside comes out. During the 2002 World Cup, my roommates and I risked life and limb to wave an American flag and chant wildly at a German gathering as the U.S. played (and almost beat) Germany. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more perfect rendition of our national anthem then when our German hallmates sang it to us (print out of the lyrics in hand) from the balcony as we played wiffle ball on the 4th of July at our Freiburg dorm.

Distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder.