Rolf Potts's Blog, page 107

Pre-trip planning: an upcoming series of posts

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Eight years ago I left India and swore I'd never go back. The hassle. The beggars. The children, constantly tugging at your shirt as you walk down the street. The steadfast staring. The need to always be vigilant for potential scams.

India is a tough place to travel.

But due to a combination of free flights (using credit card miles) and a long desire to get back to the Himalayas, I booked a trip to Delhi, against my better judgment. I am here now, writing this from Indira Gandhi International Airport. There are four men staring at me, somewhat creepily, from the opposite row of benches. A Buddhist monk just walked by, wearing an orange North Face fleece jacket over his saffron robes and slippers. Crowds of confused foreigners gather at the overpriced coffee shop, commiserating about their missed airport pick-ups. Two young Indian men stroll past, holding hands; I am momentarily startled by their open display of homosexuality until I remember that here, male hand-holding is a sign of friendship.

India.

For my inaugural posts on Vagablogging I've decided to do a month-long series on pre-trip planning. There's a lot of planning that goes into any trip, and while it can be stressful, the excitement of travel starts when you begin imagining your upcoming adventure. Several weeks before my trip, I was already picturing myself snowboarding in thick powder, being swept away by the awesome Annapurna views, and digging into a yak steak after a long day of trekking.

Each of us differ in the way we plan, and I hope that in the comments after each of these posts, you'll weigh in with your own tips. In my first post, I'm going to cover flights and pre-trip research. In the second I'll cover insurance, in the third gear, and in the fourth, the way that technology over the last decade has changed the way I travel.

As for me, I'm about to step outside into the raging mob of touts waiting for me outside the glass. After all the pre-trip planning, my journey finally begins.

touts outside Delhi airport

Original article can be found here: Pre-trip planning: an upcoming series of posts

The tech blog that digital nomads have searched for

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Electronics to bring on the road. Photo: Abigail Elder / Flickr

Are you a digital nomad?  Chances are, you wrestle with dodgy Wi-Fi, electrical adapters, and figuring out what apps could help you travel more efficiently.  You don't care which startup just had a big IPO or the latest viral meme.  What you'd like is a convenient guide to what gadgets you need.

Enter Too Many Adapters.  A site by digital nomads, for digital nomads.  They cover all the different types of digital tools a modern-day vagabonder might use.  The back story behind the name is appropriately international:

Suggested in Siem Reap, refined in Reykjavik and completed in Chiang Mai, developing this site ended up being a truly global experience.  Brainstorming for a name took a while, but looking at the mess in our respective backpacks eventually told us what it needed to be.

The site is already off to a good start, with articles on a wide array of electronics.  One of my favorite recent posts was, Could I travel with just a smartphone? Goes beyond a simple tech review to really dive into the feasibility of using a single mobile device for your daily necessities while on the road.  With smartphones becoming multipurpose devices, it's certainly an attractive idea.  But can its functionality rival that of of a laptop?

I'm amazed at how far things have come along.  Only a couple of years ago, the only electronics I brought on my travels were a digital camera and an unlocked cell phone (not a smartphone).

How about you?  Do you bring a lot of high-tech gear with you on the road?  Or do you keep it simple?  Share what's in your backpack in the comments.

Original article can be found here: The tech blog that digital nomads have searched for

Travelling with a guitar helps indie travel

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

A guitar gets me behind a Railway Reservation counter in Ayodhya, India... / picture by Davide Antonello

Last week, Lindsey Rue's post on Vagabonding inspired me to reconsider slowing down to enjoy the music from another perspective: the musician's.

I have been a punk rock guitarist for the best part of my twenties, and I have started to love travelling because of the long, inspiring van drives linking venue A to venue B across beautiful unfolding scenery. At that time, the goal was to hit a stage, play a great show, set the crowds "on fire", and leave excited for the next town. As I started travelling for the sheer pleasure of vagabonding a few years later, the experience I made as a touring musician proved very helpful in many ways. However, besides an MP3 player filled to the brim with my favorite classics, I preferred not to include music on my travels. In fact, music was such an overwhelming part of my previous life on the road that I preferred to put it aside, and enjoy travel to a different extent.

I did not realize how wrong I was until this past January 5th, when I decided to pack a little ukulele-sized guitar in my backpack, and embarked on a flight to Kolkata, India. This instrument is custom-made: unable to find a proper suitcase, I had to pack it inside of a small daypack I always carry on my chest, sandwiched among the electronics and my valuables. In such a position,  the fret board sticks out, and is always visible. In little over a month, this proved to be a fantastic way to boost the possibilities of "taking it slow" and "make meaningful connections" as proposed by the Indie Travel Manifesto.

Here is the lowdown on why it worked for me, and why, if you are a musician, you should consider bringing your instrument on the road with you.

Easier immigration procedures

A man with a guitar does not look like trouble. As I reached the immigration desk at Kolkata airport and the officer saw my guitar sticking out, his first question was "Are you a musician?" and the moment after my passport was stamped, and handed back with a big smile. He even asked where I was performing, because he would have loved to come and watch.

Greater interaction with the locals

Every single day I have been stopped by someone asking me about my guitar, and not only in ever curious India; I even got approached by the next standing urinal user at Kuala Lumpur's airport, in a very awkward moment:

"Wow!! Is that a guitar?"

"Yes"

"Wow!! Can you show me how you play?"

"Well, give me a minute, man… my hands are busy!"

Make the street kids happy

Whenever some street kid tried to approach me for money and I had my guitar handy, I instantly pulled it out and started strumming a simple blues. This did not only work great to make them desist; the guitar also made them laugh and smile, transforming a nuisance into a chance to give these kids a break from their ungrateful lifestyle. And maybe new ideas to embrace an artistic future, why not??

Make your hosts satisfied and happy

On my travels, I tend to use the Couchsurfing project massively. It is a great way to get beyond the guesthouse scene, and really experience the local culture by staying with great hosts willing to share some of their lives with you, the cultural outsider. By having a guitar, any moment can be turned into an impromptu jam session, and it is just up to you how to make it end… I generally propose  to perform a little show in front my hosts'  families, friends, and sometimes even neighbors and pets.  So far, they have always wanted for more.

Earn a few bucks as you go

If you carry your guitar when travelling in Western countries such as Australia, Europe or the USA, you may try to sit down at the roadside, put a hat down, and start playing. This is called "busking" and more often than not can generate a little side income to fuel your travels. Cities like Paris, London, Berlin or Sydney and Darwin are particularly good places to indulge in this activity, as their police officers do not care too much about street artists. But be careful because in some places, by basking you are breaking the law, and I cannot encourage it!!

There is, of course, a downside: an instrument, unless you play harmonica, is an extra bag to carry on your travels. And the bigger it is, the more inconvenient it may get.

Personally, I have experienced a deeper connection with people and places by going the extra mile and carrying a guitar on my travels, but you may have a different opinion, which you should share…

Have you carried an instrument on your travels? How did it go? Do you have any memorable experiences or fond memories? As you think, I will play a small blues in E minor to warm up the atmosphere…

Original article can be found here: Travelling with a guitar helps indie travel

Vagablogging presents: Writing workshop with Rolf in North Carolina

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Ever consider learning from the travel writing guru himself? Now's your chance!

Here at vagablogging we all share a common appreciation for the inspiration Rolf penned into his first book. But have you gotten the chance to read his second?

Bundled within the rich collection, Marco Polo Didn't Go There, is something more. The endnotes of each chapter give you a little taste of what it takes to craft a good travel story. But why not go a step further and come learn from Rolf himself this spring (March 31st-April 2nd) in western North Carolina.

 

 

Original article can be found here: Vagablogging presents: Writing workshop with Rolf in North Carolina

Rolling with the punches: the art of flexibility in travel

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"The reason vagabonding is so addictive is that, joyfully, you'll never quite find what you dreamed. Indeed, the most vivid travel experiences usually find you by accident, and the qualities that will make you fall in love with a place are rarely the features that took you there."

- Vagabonding

Travel plans, whether for weekend trips or longterm adventures, often unfold much differently than expected. Away from creature comforts and the safety of an unchanging routine, much of travel is left to chance and circumstance, leading to unexpected and treasured experiences and also to disappointments. Botched itineraries, disaster bus rides and bad weather that don't align with preconceived ideas of the perfect experience could leave you wondering why you left the comforts of home in the first place. When the plans change, however, the ability to simply roll with the punches becomes invaluable.

I haven't mastered the art of true flexibility, but this notion began to make more sense after an Italian vacation "gone wrong."

The off-season bargain airfare to Italy seemed too good to be true. Eleven and a half months of work was boiling down to this vacation, and a comprehensive ten day itinerary of wine tours, sun soaked bike rides and pool time left little room for unforeseen changes in the master plan. I would sip cappuccinos and read voraciously at outdoor cafes, reserving afternoons for long jaunts around the city.

What to do when the extended forecast calls for torrential downpours and hurricane winds? Aside from cursing the travel gods who had undoubtedly conspired against me, I could either refresh the weather.com page or modify the plan and enjoy a different side of Florence. I put on my raincoat, bought a 5 euro umbrella and hit the streets.

By day three, I began to realize that museum hopping and hot coffee drinking in the downpours of Florence were some of the most enjoyable days of my travels.

Bumps on the road are frequent reminders that worst case scenarios aren't always earth shattering. As we travel, we continue to challenge ourselves in being open to unpredictability, for travel is an ongoing lesson in keeping it real.

Original article can be found here: Rolling with the punches: the art of flexibility in travel

Volunteering for backpackers: Finding free, flexible opportunities

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

If you've searched for volunteer abroad opportunities, you've undoubtedly learned that volunteering doesn't often come free. You've likely come across many, many organizations that charge fees, often upward of $1,500 per week, to cover accommodation, food and support of a coordinator for the volunteer experience.

Sections like, "Why should I pay to volunteer?," are featured so prominently on these organizations' websites that it's obvious they get these questions often – and for good reason: Most of us who want to give our time and effort to help others don't expect to have to pay to do so.

After coming across several of these sites myself, I began to accept this as the status quo and started thinking about how I'd fund my volunteering. But then I dug a little deeper and found the other end of the spectrum: Organizations that pride themselves as resources for volunteer opportunities that don't charge high fees. These sites often aggregate information about free or low-cost volunteer projects, providing links directly to the NGOs so you can cut out the "middle man" and coordinate your volunteer experience on your own.

This independent approach has an added benefit for long-term travelers – especially those who don't have a set itinerary – as coordinating directly with the NGO often allows for more flexibility regarding length of volunteering and start dates. It also eliminates the need to pay for coordination of accommodation, food and transportation, which most backpackers are already accustomed to doing themselves.

Here are some of the sites that I've found to be helpful:

Latin America- and Guatemala-specific sites (because I was searching specifically for opportunities in Guatemala, I became most familiar with these sites):

VolunteerSouthAmerica.net – This site is simply a list of links to programs in Latin America; if you hover over the link, you can read a brief description of the project before clicking through. The site is a one-man operation by a volunteer from London who was inspired after discovering how difficult it was to find free volunteer opportunities in Argentina. There's also a great FAQ that can help rookie volunteers and backpackers prepare for their first experience.
- For a fee of about $35 and completion of a short online form, Volunteer Latin America will email you a pdf list of 20-40 free or low-cost  opportunities that meet your skills and interests. The projects are mainly environmental.
Entremundos.org – Entremundos is an NGO based in Guatemala that connects volunteers with Guatemalan organizations in need. The site features a free database of opportunities – mostly focused in the Western Highlands region – which include a summary of the organization, volunteer needs and contact information for the program coordinator. If you prefer the assistance of a coordinator, for $40 and completion of a short application, Entremundos staff will assess your skills and interests and organize your experience.
WeGuatemala.org – Similar to Entremundos, this non-profit organization provides a free database of NGOs and volunteer projects, but the locations extend throughout Guatemala and the site also includes a specific section for medical volunteering. The site was started by a volunteer who has worked in 17 short-term hospitals as well as many other medical organizations and nonprofits throughout the country.

 

Multi-continent sites:

VolunteeringForFree.org – This site highlights a unique route to finding volunteer work: It lists hostels that help their guests find volunteer opportunities with local organizations for free.
FreeVolunteering.net - Working under the philosophy that "your time is a sufficient contribution; additional financial donations should not be mandatory," this site includes a relatively small database of free and low-cost opportunities.
WorldwideHelpers.org – Worldwide Helpers uniquely requires volunteers to register (for free) to view the opportunities, contact the organizations and apply for projects. The site only features free or low-cost opportunities.
Omprakash.org – This organization clearly has a strong mission to help others and features an easy-to-navigate database of projects as well as opportunities to connect with other volunteers. Omprakash also offers competitive grants to help fund travel and living expenses for those aspiring to volunteer.

 

After weeks of researching and narrowing my options, I decided on an opportunity in Guatemala I'd found through Entremundos. I've found working directly with the NGO coordinator to be seamless, simple and flexible – in fact I've changed my arrival date twice with no problem. I also was pleasantly surprised to find that the NGO has provided support regarding details for arrival, transportation and accommodation recommendations – so there would have been no need for an official "middle man" coordinator anyway.

All I have to do now is show up to their weekly volunteer meeting when I get in town, and I'll be ready to start volunteering the next day. It's the perfect amount of informality yet structure for a backpacker like me.

Original article can be found here: Volunteering for backpackers: Finding free, flexible opportunities

The merits of slow travel

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

The struggle to slow down is one well known to many travelers, especially if our time in a given place is limited.  To take in the sights, to eat the notable local cuisine, to see the arts and hear the music – travel "to-do" lists can be inexhaustible and overwhelming (and pointless…).  So, as Lindsey Rue encouraged last week, slow down and enjoy the music.  Take your time.  Study the landscape, note the lines of convergence all around you, the architecture, the faces and clothing of the people on the streets, the nuances of the cultures and interactions before you.   Drink deeply and breath easily.

Sound simple enough?  It's often not.  It takes a conscious effort – one that can be alien to those out of practice.  But it's worth it…

Consider Van Gogh.  Aside from his slow descent into an all-encompassing depression, he's known for his vibrant post-impressionistic paintings of rural France.  Particularly his depictions of Olive groves and Cypress trees (Most notably "The Starry Night").   On paper, there is nothing about his work that smacks of brilliance, yet what ole Vinnie did better than anyone else at the time was slow down.  He saw, through his powerfully unique artistic eyes, the way the breeze teased the Cypress trees and how the light and form shaped the Olive groves.   Vincent, while not a notable traveler perhaps, is an excellent poster boy for slow travels, for taking things in slowly, revisiting the same scene over a day or week or months to broaden his understanding.  Through this he was able to possess the beauty he witnessed and capture the moment.  He took the ordinary and, through deliberate study and pain-staking art, made it extraordinary.

We can't all be Impressionist painters, but we can capture the moments that are happening all around us.  If, and when, you next find yourself in an outlandish location trying to avoid an embarrassing sequence of moments (from linguistic mishaps to cultural misunderstandings), stop as soon as the situation allows and recognize the scene, the setting, the light, the people.  Step back from whatever self-imposed, artificial pace you may have adopted and instead spend an afternoon on a park bench with a sketch book, a journal, a camera, or simply an open mind, and if you can accomplish this, you're tapping into the same perspective and approach to life that Van Gogh and other artists rely upon – to intimately know the world through slow and purposeful study.

Before I get off my soapbox, here's a reference point from my own travels – I snapped the accompanying photo while hurriedly rushing through NYC's Museum of Modern Arts in 2010 (8 hour lay-overs…love 'em, hate 'em or use 'em).  I rather like the shot.  It's doesn't fail or excel on any artistic level, but it does tells about a moment.  To most it's about a young man who is experiencing what is arguably Van Gogh's greatest work through his phone rather than through his eyes.  One could say that it speaks to the level of disconnection we have in today's society; of our inability to separate ourselves from technology.  I can't speak to that.  What I can say is that the moment the image speaks of to me is my own and that is a moment of loss.  I spent ~60 seconds watching him fumble the phone out of his pocket, waiting for the camera app to load, frame his shot and then take the picture (rinse, wash, repeat…).  I wasn't basking in the brilliance of Van Gogh's work at all, but was instead trying to capture another person's moment and not capitalize on my own.  Being in the city only on account of a layover, I was pressed for time, and after taking the shot didn't stop to truly revel in "The Starry Night". My mind had already turned to the setting sun, my bus connection back to JFK and the trans-Atlantic flight I was about to board.  So caught up in taking pictures and worrying about the logistics of my trip, I had lost the moment.

In our travels, we would do well to take a step back from anything resembling a hectic pace and go slow, for the experience is less about the going and more about the being.

Wishing you happy, and slow, travels.

Original article can be found here: The merits of slow travel

"Museumitis" is becoming a common disease

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

"Museums are inextricably related to that phenomenon known as "tourism." Both museums and tourism are relatively modern phenomena which were once exclusively the province of the rich and powerful and which developed, especially during the Victorian era, into institutions for the ordinary citizen. Both are "public" in that they are mass phenomena that take place away from the private home, and both involve the magic of a "trip," an out-of-the-ordinary experience. As the crowds increase and heretofore inexperienced classes of visitors arrive, cognitive dissonance begins to cause some to be frustrated and others to be bored. "Museumitis" is becoming a common disease; after half an hour or an hour of what is supposed to be a pleasant experience, the visitor gets turned off, develops headaches, and feels tired. This is due at least in part to the fact that a museum is a strange place in that the subject matter slides past the walking visitor like a kaleidoscope, demanding attention and a change of focus at a pace not experienced elsewhere. In a museum, as opposed to in a church or school, the tempo of the experience is controlled not by the person orchestrating the event but by the visitor himself; and thus a heavy hurdle of the decision-making falls upon the visitor, who must decide to move on or stay, to avoid the crowd or be pushed on at a difficult pace, to read or not read the labels, to glance at or study the exhibit."

–Nelson H.H. Graburn, "The Museum and the Visitor Experience" (1977)

Original article can be found here: "Museumitis" is becoming a common disease

The fastest way to find great hostels

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Mediterranean Hostel Front Desk. Photo: Oh-Barcelona.com / Flickr

Hostels vary wildly in quality.  Some are total fleapits; others are so luxurious they rival hotels.  How can you find the quality hostels instantly?

The website Hostelworld.com announced the 2012 winners of the "Hoscars," their awards for the best hostels in the world.  Users around the world voted for their favorite places to stay.  The establishments are clustered into an amazing variety of categories.  You can find hostels based on size, region, popularity, and many more characteristics.

Portugal had a strong showing, completely sweeping every award for "Ratings Criteria."  These were things like "Most Fun," "Best Location," and "Best Staff."  It's eye-opening to see one country rack up so many awards.  They must be doing something right.

Do you have a favorite hostel that's not on the list?  Tell us about it in the comments.

Original article can be found here: The fastest way to find great hostels

Sacred Skin: the art of spirit tattoos in Thailand

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Before you decide to get a tattoo from one of the many long haired, rasta-looking Thai men in the foreigner-inking business during a holiday in Thailand, think twice. There are enormous differences between the design you are going to get, and the rigid ink lines we can sometime spot etching a Thai person's skin, spurting timidly from under their clothing.

Sak yant, as these traditional Thai tattoos are called, represents a form of magical protection for the bearers: may it be against accidents, evil, crime, or to give women better chances to attract the perfect soul mate, sak yant are not an indelible way to remember a backpacking trip.

They are applied by a master who gives his tattooed disciples a series of rules to follow in order to keep the protective spell alive, usually starting with Buddhism's five principles. As much as sak yant is despised by upper class Thai society, it is still alive and well, and represents one of the few aspects of Thai culture which have not received massive coverage in the mainstream media.

The gap has been graciously filled last year, when travel writer Tom Vater and his photographer wife Aroon Thaewchatturat have published the first English written book on the subject, Sacred Skin:  a definitive collection documenting their travels across Thailand in search of the mysteries behind one of the last forms of religious tattooing existing in Southeast Asia.

I have reached Tom in Bangkok to get deeper behind the scenes of his trip into the underbelly of contemporary Thai society…

Why did you decide to document this aspect of Thai culture? How long did it take to finish the book?

It's difficult to document an aspect of Thai culture that has not been covered many times before or is not part of the country's official narrative – temples, monks, elephants and beaches. For many years I have been looking for a subject that lies right at the heart of Thai culture….until I came across Sak Yant. Popular amongst working class people and despised by the middle class, Sak Yant are right on the fault lines that divide Thai society. They are the sacred and secret codes of the have-nots which is why the Thai establishment and the ministry of culture take such a dim view of the tattoos, even though they are part of Thailand's everyday life. I am guessing that perhaps 10% of Thai people, maybe more, wear Sak Yant.

picture by Aroon Thaewchatturat

I had been following the Wai Kru (respect your teacher) festivals at Wat Bang Phra for almost a decade. This temple, an hour west of Bangkok, is the most famous tattoo temple in Thailand. Aroon Thaewchatturat and I decided to create a book to collect our observations of the subject… It took about one year to complete.

How was the reaction of the people asked to pose for the shots? I mean, is something that they get as "sacred" suitable to be offered as visuals to a predominantly English reading public?

Once we received an endorsement from the temple and several tattoo masters, the devotees were more than happy to pose. They are keenly aware that they are being discriminated against and that in the eyes of educated Thais, Sak Yant imply criminality and shadiness. Many of our models wanted to set the record straight and the book gives them a perfect platform.

Can you tell me one or two remarkable episodes happened during the book's research?

For me, the most remarkable was the relationship which got to form between the devotees and Aroon. They do not usually take their clothes off, especially as Thailand is a fairly macho-oriented society. The fact that Aroon, a woman, gained their trust and got them to show their tattooed bodies in front of the camera, relaxed and proud, is a real achievement I think.

How do you think sak yant fits into the fast developing contemporary Thai society?

Contemporary Thai society is in total flux, forging an uncertain path between tradition and development. While many educated Thais would like Sak Yant to go away, the sacred tattoos are an essential form of religious and cultural expression for the country's poor – the farmers, fishermen, construction workers, sex workers, boxers, taxi drivers and many more. It is unlikely that Sak Yant will disappear, even if the government were to ban the tattoos and tattoo masters as happened in Laos following the communist revolution. I think that this phenomenon is likely to grow. Many tattoo masters now have websites. Some even go abroad to tattoo Sak Yant, especially to Singapore and Europe. While the official Thai narrative is tightly controlled by politicians and the Thai elite, the Sak Yant, while certainly not a signifier of rebellion, nevertheless offer an alternative story of the country, far away from luxury spas, flash cars and whatever is shown in the media. For the country's poor, the tattoos are a way of writing their own story – on their skin.

Curious? You may purchase a copy of SACRED SKIN here

(all pictures in this article by Aroon Thaewchatturat, reproduced with permission)

Original article can be found here: Sacred Skin: the art of spirit tattoos in Thailand