Rolf Potts's Blog, page 20

Travel is ruining my kids

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Travel is ruining my kids. 

And me, for that matter.

It’s true.

All of our well meaning efforts for a broad education, liberal experiences in the “real world,” and our sincere efforts to raise kids who are cultured, multi-lingual and have some perspective on the diversity of the history, geography and human family of the planet have back fired.

Sure, they’ve been to the big museums in Washington DC, London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, and beyond. They’ve hit the culture highlights of Bangkok, Vienna, Jakarta, Singapore & Boston. They’ve learned their history first hand climbing pyramids in Central America, peering into American bunkers in Vietnam, and playing gladiators in the ruins of Roman colosseums in Tunisia. But instead of making them better people, people with depth of understanding and perspective, it’s ruined them

Case in point: Ezra, at six years old, standing in the middle of Notre Dame de la Guarde, the fantastic fisherman’s cathedral in Marseille says with authority, “Well, it’s nice, but it’s no Sistine Chapel.” He then proceeds to go out and play in the courtyard instead of marveling over the boats hanging from the ceiling.

They’ve made the classic American road trip, with seven of their best friends, no less. Ridden their bicycles nearly 10,000 miles and are au fait with the finer points backpacker culture (the good, the bad and the ugly.) They know how to haggle for hats and cab fare and they know, from experience, why they should pay top dollar for T-shirts and olive oil. But their privilege is completely wasted on them.

Case in point: Ezra (again… poor kid, perhaps he’s the worst because he’s been traveling the longest, proportional to his age) after a magical boat ride through a cave coated with glowworms, the likes of which are found few places in the world, he shrugs and says, “That was cool… but… well… it’s no Carlsbad Caverns!”

They’ve had fresh buffalo mozzarella in Rome, mole in Oaxaca, and Pad Thai on the island where it was invented. They’ve eaten a wide swath across continents, like the locust-teenagers they are. But it’s ruined us all. Thirty cents a kilo for clementines in Africa, twelve cents a piece for avocados in Guatemala, a buck a kilo for kiwis in New Zealand, mangos that melt in your mouth in Mexico, dragon fruit in two colours in Thailand, black bread to die for in Germany, meringues as big as your head in France. My mouth is watering as I type… we’re doomed forever to culinary disappointment.

My children have been ruined for food forever by their travels.

They’ll never be satisfied with a slice of American cheese. They’ll always compare the cost or the quality with that place in the world where the absolute glut on the market drove the price through the floor and we gorged ourselves until we couldn’t eat one. more. bite.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, to have their first Shakespearean play be at the Swan Theater in Stratford-Upon-Avon and their first opera at Sydney’s opera house. Now I realize that those were just two in a very long line of terrible parenting decisions that have doomed our kids to disappointment forever. How will adult life ever measure up?!

Are they going to spend their whole lives trying to replicate that perfect winter of learning to make coffee and chocolate from scratch, or in search of a mango that just doesn’t exist outside of the tropics? Probably. Are they going to be perennially disappointed by local theater and back yard adventures? Not likely. If there’s one thing traveling kids get a grip on it’s the precious nature of “local” and “back yard.” Will they appreciate the gift of what they’ve experienced? Eventually. I was about 20 before the gift of my childhood dawned on me. Would we do it any other way? Definitely not. In this case, the ends definitely justify the means.

Original article can be found here: Travel is ruining my kids

Almost no place is really obscure anymore

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“The global landscape used to be a theater of various shadings — sunlit fields and canyons of dark obscurity, trackless jungles, and misty Shangri-las. Now the whole world is like a cineplex when the lights have come on. Almost no place on the surface of the planet is really obscure anymore. Satellites watch it all and can let you know to the millimeter how far continental drift moved your swimming beach last year. What’s up along the banks of the great, gray-green Limpopo? How’s traffic on the road to Mandalay? What’s the snowpack like across the wide Missouri? The Internet or Google Earth will tell you.”

–Ian Frazier, “The Tale-Telling Days Are Over” Outside, Nov 2012

Original article can be found here: Almost no place is really obscure anymore

A gift guide: top 10 gifts for travel-lovers

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Christmas is right around the corner. But what do you get someone who loves travel’s intangible thrill, feeling of a plane taking flight, or adventuring into distant worlds and getting to know themselves deeper?

How do you shop for someone like that?

Answer: you give them gifts to further their travels. Or remove some pesky hurdle in their travel. The greatest gift you can give is to aid them in their travel quest.

To help you, here’s a gift guide of the top ten gifts for travel-lovers:
1. Moleskine journal

An old classic as nothing beats scribbling thoughts in its blank pages while you bounce along the road, staring out the window in search for the perfect word. Its hardy leather cover lasts miles. Eight years and counting, I haven’t had a single page rip out of mine yet. My favorite part — other than how the journal’s edges wear attractively dog-eared — is the pocket flap in the back cover. Perfect for stashing train ticket stubs, receipts, other papers to document your travels.

Where to buy: Amazon

2. Grayl Quest filter

Until you’re stuck on the side of the road, thirsty, in hot sun, you hardly realize the value of water. Never go without fresh drinking water again, wherever you are in the world. In under 15 seconds, you get freshly filtered water. Thanks to the easy-drinking built-in mug, you can drink up right away. Fill, press, repeat, enjoy.

Where to buy: Grayl.com

3. FlyLow Vixen jacket

Light, sexy, and waterproof, this jacket takes London and Moscow’s roughest storms and keeps punching. Originally built for the ski slopes, it has thoughtful design features like three inner pockets on the women’s jacket (compared to a measly none on other jackets), waterproof zippers, and an oversize hood for Boston’s worst storms.

Did I mention it’s lightweight, has armpit vents for regulating your temperature, and folds up into a discrete sleep-able pillow when necessary? She’s everyone’s best friend.

Where to buy: FlyLowGear.com

4. A good book

Some may say a Kindle Fire is better than a book. But I’d argue that a book greatly outweighs a Kindle’s flimsy fight.

A book never requires re-charging, runs out of batteries, dies when you drop it in water. When you’re sitting in the airport, waiting for a delayed flight, a book holds your hand and keeps you company. And when your relationship is finished on the last page, you can make a new friend by passing the book on. A book is truly the gift that never stops giving, especially when that book lingers with you long after the last word.

How to pick a good book: check out GoodReads.com — their reviewers are excellent and have amazing suggestions. Or ask someone in your life what they’re reading and do a quick Google search on the title. The next teacher you stumble across, ask them. Teachers have disturbingly impeccable reading taste.

5. White noise machine

Sleep is vital to good travel. If you can’t sleep, it can throw off your entire mood. Help your vagabonder rest up with a white noise machine. It drowns out ambient noises and soothes you to sleep.

Look for a model that is travel-friendly: small size, uncomplicated, with different plugs to suit country’s outlets. My white noise machine has saved me many restless nights on the road. It’s the first thing I pack in preparation for a trip.

What to buy: Marsona Travel Sound Conditioner

6. Timbuk2 classic messenger bag

Handsome, sturdy, waterproof are three of my favorite words about a bag. The Timbuk2 messenger bag embodies all three.

Small enough to be called a flight carry-on, it comes with a cross-chest strap to prevent the awkward around the waist flop that happen to even the best messenger bags. It has a myriad of pockets, a handy side Napoleon pocket, padded internal laptop slash pocket, and padded shoulder strap.

I’ve used my Timbuk2 to go to Alaska for six days, bike to work, carry gear (and beverages) to football games, and on long weekend camping trips. Thanks to awesome heavy-duty fabric that never gives up a rip, it still looks brand new. And if it does succumb, a lifetime warranty has you covered.

Where to buy: Timbuk2

7. Noise canceling headphones

Sometimes you need a break from the world you set out to experience. This is when noise cancelling headphones will save your sanity.

Noise-cancelling is different than noise isolating. Noise cancelling headphones use technology to block out ambient noise, whereas noise isolating headphones create a seal around your ear (think of padded headphones) to block noise. I haven’t had a chance to try out noise cancelling headphones, but I’d opt for lightweight, compact, and comfortable while still producing excellent sound. According to Amazon reviewers, Audio Technica Noise Cancelling Headphones rated highly on value, size, and sound production.

Where to buy: Amazon

8. Superb quality sunglasses

See your destination clearly with sexy sunglasses.

Look for sturdy construction so they won’t snap the moment you leave the country, UV-protection to protect your eyes, and larger frames to shield the delicate skin around your eyes (i.e. where wrinkles show up first). Get polarized sunglasses to take you easily from land to sea.

I’ve had my Oakley Inmate polarized glasses for four years and they’ve held up well under many miles of travels. A few scratches on the lenses are unavoidable, but I haven’t had any cracking or breaking of the frame. Plus, they came with a one-year warranty with excellent customer service.

Where to buy: Oakley.com

9. City pass (or equivalent) for destination

Opt for thoughtful with this gift and buy your traveler a pass so they can cut to the front of the line at museums, historic cites, and cool attractions in their destination city.

Many cites in the United States have a CityPass allowing you entrance to about six attractions at a significant discount off normal ticket price. As a side perk, you can usually jump to the front of the line. I’ve done Boston and Seattle’s CityPasses and both were well-worth the cost.

However, Paris’ Museum Pass was one of the best I’ve seen: one-time payment gives you free access (and queue jumping abilities!) to over 60 museums and monuments in a certain allotment of time. Perhaps one of the best choices I’ve made was buy that little credit-card-sized pass in the time it saved me in just waiting in lines.

Where to buy: CityPass and Paris Museum Pass

10. GoPro Hero +3

Tougher than a square linebacker, this compact camera is ready to take on the world — and record your adventures while you jump off mountains, dive into lakes, jostle down rocky trails.

About the size of Post-It notes but far meatier, the camera is encased in a waterproof shell. It comes with a dual-purpose clip that attaches to a variety of mounts like chest strap, handlebar or helmet mount. This little guy hangs in the bottom of your bag until you need him to record your white-knuckle, heart pounding adventure in high def, fish-eye video that unbelievably captures your elation. And when you need him, he’s quick to respond and takes amazing photos.

Where to buy: Amazon

Splurge: DSLR camera

Photography extends your travel long after you return home. Hang pictures of your adventures on your walls, breathe in the imaginary Swiss Alps air, and lose yourself in memories.

But that only helps if your photos are clear enough to recognize your subject. DSLR cameras are a god-send to remedy that issue. I do not have a DSLR camera yet (my iPhone takes stunningly good pictures), but cost and size are two important factors. You need something small so you don’t feel like you’re a traveling movie set, and not blow the bank on a camera. Also, I want a camera quick to catch those fleeting moments. Based on my research, Canon EOS Rebel T2i and Nikon D3100 (or D3300) are two very popular options for their smaller price tags and heft.

Laura Lopuch writes at Waiting to Be Read where she gives you the best books to read, which books to avoid, and why deep thoughts are vital to your health.

Original article can be found here: A gift guide: top 10 gifts for travel-lovers

In the Hall of the Baby Jesuses

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

The first time I was in Paris, I went to the Louvre and — like a million other tourists before me — headed straight for the Mona Lisa.

Since the famous French museum houses one of the most extensive art collections in the world, I’ll admit that making a beeline for a painting I’d already seen on countless refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs was a wholly unimaginative act. In tourist terms, hurrying through hallways of miscellaneous masterpieces to seek out the Mona Lisa was kind of like picking one harried celebrity from a crowd of a thousand interesting people and bugging her with questions I could have answered by reading a gossip magazine.

Apparently aware of this compulsion for artistic celebrity-worship, Louvre officials had plastered the gallery walls with signs directing impatient tourists to the Mona Lisa, and I soon fell into step with crowds of Japanese, European and North American tourists eager for a glimpse of Da Vinci’s famous portrait.

Anyone who’s been to the Louvre, of course, will know that I was setting myself up for an anticlimax. The Mona Lisa was there all right — looking exactly like she was supposed to look — yet this was somehow disappointing. Standing there, staring at her familiar, coy smile, it occurred to me that I had no good reason why I wanted to see her so badly in the first place.

Moreover, once I’d left the Mona Lisa gallery and moved on to other parts of the Louvre, I discovered just how ignorant I was in the ways of art history. Surrounded by thousands of vaguely familiar-looking paintings and sculptures, I realized I had no clue as to how I could meaningfully approach the rest of the museum.

Fortunately, before I could fall into touristic despair, I was saved by the Baby Jesus.

I don’t mean to imply here that I had some sort of spiritual epiphany in the Louvre. Rather, having noted the strange abundance of Madonna-and-Child paintings in the museum’s halls, I resolved to explore the Louvre by seeking out every Baby Jesus in the building.

Silly as this may sound, it was actually a fascinating way to ponder the idiosyncrasies of world-class art. Each Baby Jesus in the Louvre, it seemed, had his own, distinct preoccupations and personality. Botticelli’s Baby Jesus, for example, looked like he was about to vomit after having eaten most of an apple; Giovanni Bolfraffio’s Baby Jesus looked stoned. Ambrosius Benson’s Baby Jesus resembled his mother — girlish with crimped hair and a fistful of grapes — while Barend van Orley’s chubby Baby Jesus looked like a miniature version of NFL analyst John Madden. Francesco Gessi’s pale, goth-like Baby Jesus was passed out in Mary’s lap, looking haggard and middle-aged; Barnaba da Modena’s balding, doe-eyed Baby Jesus was nonchalantly shoving Mary’s teat into his mouth. Lorenzo di Credi’s Baby Jesus had jowls, his hair in a Mohawk as he gave a blessing to Saint Julien; Mariotto Albertinelli’s Baby Jesus coolly flashed a peace sign at Saint Jerome.

Moving through galleries full of European art, these Baby Jesuses hinted at the diversity of human experience behind their creation, and ultimately redeemed my trip to the Louvre. What had initially been a huge and daunting museum was now a place of light-hearted fascination.

I’m sure I’m not the first person who lapsed into fancy when faced with a museum full of human erudition and accomplishment. To this day, I’m still never quite sure what I’m supposed to do, exactly, when I visit museums. Sure, there’s much to be learned in these cultural trophy-cases, and visiting them is a time-honored travel activity — but I often find them lacking in charm and surprise and discovery. For me, an afternoon spent eyeing pretty girls in the Jardin des Tuileries has always carried as much or more promise than squinting at baroque maidens in a place like the Louvre.

Part of the problem, I think, is that museums are becoming harder to appreciate in an age of competing information. Back in the early 19th century, when many of the world’s classic museums were founded, exhibiting relics, fossils and artwork was a way for urban populations to make sense of the world and celebrate the accomplishments of renaissance and exploration. Now that these items of beauty and genius can readily be accessed in digital form, however (where they compete for screen-time with special-interest porn and YouTube parodies), their power can be diluted by the time we see them in display cases and on gallery walls.

In this way, museums are emblematic of the travel experience in general. In 1964, media critic Marshall McLuhan wrote that, within an information society, “the world itself becomes a sort of museum of objects that have already been encountered in some other medium.” More than forty years later, that “museum of objects” has been catalogued in ways that even McLuhan could never have imagined — this means that seeing Baby Jesuses where you had expected Mona Lisas might well be a worthwhile strategy outside of museums as well.

In the purely metaphorical sense, of course.

Tip sheet: How to get the most out of museums on the road.1) Know how to approach big museums.

Having just confessed to my own bemusement in the presence big museums, I do have a few suggestions. Many national museums are so extensive that it’s impossible to experience them meaningfully in a single visit. Thus, study up a little before you go, and isolate yourself to one wing or hall of the museum. Make yourself an expert-in-training on, say, one period of Chinese history, or one phase of Dutch art. Don’t just watch the exhibits; watch how people react to them. Be an extrovert, and engage your fellow museum patrons on the meanings and significance of the displays.

If studying up beforehand seems too deliberate for your tastes, approach a big museum as if it were a highlight-reel of history or culture. Walk through the museum slowly and steadily, front to back, noting what grabs your attention. After the initial walk-though, go back to the area that interested you the most and spend some time there. Take notes, and read up on your new discoveries when you get home.

2) Make the most of small museums.

Small community museums can be found in all corners of the world, and they offer a fascinating example of how local people balance the relationship between themselves and the rest of the world. Because their exhibits are humble and anonymous compared to the likes of the Louvre, there is no set of expectations, and no tyranny declaring that you must favor one relic or piece of art over another. Much of the time, this better enables you to see things for what they are (instead of what they are supposed to represent). The secret to exploring these small museums is their curators (and their regulars), who are invariably knowledgeable and a tad eccentric. Take an interest and ask lots of questions, because these local experts will have plenty to share.

3) Let the world be your museum.

If the world itself has become a museum of objects, treat it with the same attention and curiosity you would a formal gallery. As tourist scholar Lucy L. Lippard has noted, a shopping mall, a thrift store, or even a junkyard can be as revelatory in a faraway place as a gallery full of relics. Similarly, daily life in a given neighborhood off the tourist trail is just as likely to reveal the nuances of a given culture as is an official exhibit. Wherever you go as you travel, allow yourself to wander, ponder, and ask questions. Odds are, you’ll come home with a deeper appreciation of a place than if you were just breezing from one tourist attraction to another.

[This Rolf Potts article originally appeared in Yahoo! News on Nov. 6, 2006. All rights reserved.]

Original article can be found here: In the Hall of the Baby Jesuses

Vagabonding Case Study: Jason Jones

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Jason Jones

Hiatus4Life.com

Age: 29

Hometown: Sarasota, FL – USA

Quote: “If it weren’t for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn’t get done.” -Michael S. Traylor

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?

I found you on Facebook, and I have really enjoyed reading the interviews with other travelers. I am so happy to have the opportunity to be one of the Case Studies!

How long were you on the road?

 I am still currently traveling. I left the United States, where I am from, in April of 2013. I am just following my heart, and my heart is telling me to keep going!

Where did you go?

 Since leaving 20 months ago I have backpacked through Central America in this order (El Salvador – Guatemala – Honduras – Nicaragua – Costa Rica – Panama – Mexico) Then I flew to Asia where I stayed for 15 months visiting the following countries in this order (Japan – Malaysia – Thailand – Singapore – Hong Kong – Laos – Cambodia – The Philippines). Then I traveled to Europe (Sweden – Finland – Estonia – Hungary – Italy). And that is where I am right now…Rome, Italy. Next month I will move to Spain!

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?

I am a freelancer in the field of Information Securty (InfoSec). I help companies when their websites get hacked.

Did you work or volunteer on the road?

 I have only been working since I started traveling. I just haven’t been able to afford to stop working and start volunteering… yet. Before I left for this trip, I spent a year in AmeriCorps as a full time volunteer for a Literacy Council in Florida that helped teach illiterate adults to read and write for free. Most of our students were immigrants, and working with them sparked a curiosity in me to actually go and see where they came from. Now I am doing just that.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?

Tuusula, Finland holds a special place in my heart. When I was 16 I did an exchange program through Rotary International (ROTEX), and I lived in Tuusula. It was my first time leaving the US, and the experience changed me into a fiercely independent person. Traveling the world alone seems more natural than an act of courage to me.

I was fortunate to return to Tuusula, Finland and stay with my exchange-sister last month. It had been 12 years since I had last seen my exchange family. It was just amazing, and I cannot wait to return.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?

Managua, Nicaragua was a challenge. It was insanely hot when I was there, and my hotel gave away my room when the bus from San Salvador was 6 hours late arriving. I had to find accommodation in the middle of the night with my bags and a shady cab driver… It was a disaster, and I ended up in a roach infested sauna of a place for the night. I had to pull my bed away from the wall into the middle of the room and make sure none of the bedding was touching the ground. Then I slept with headphones on to keep the bugs out of my ears…

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

Most useful: A very small backpack. I found a little backpack that is about half the size of a school one, and I use this thing nearly every day. It is so much better than an over the shoulder bag or tote because those move all over the place, they interfere with your arm movement, they unevenly apply pressure to one side of your neck, they swing around from back to front when you bend over, etc. The school-sized backpacks can get hot and heavy to carry around for many hours, but this little one weighs absolutely nothing. I can carry it all day walking and not even notice.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

The rewards are very personal for me. They are a sense of peace that comes with being true to myself, a feeling of freedom to pursue whatever I want, when I want it– and knowing that if I died tomorrow I would not regret how I lived my life.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

Love life is really difficult on the road. Also, going 2 years without seeing your family and friends is hard. But that’s why I am returning to Florida for 3 weeks during Christmas.

What lessons did you learn on the road?

Lesson 1: The world is small. Vagabonding means you can travel anywhere in the entire world that you want with very little notice. In a way, you almost feel like Earth is just a big city. Countries are just neighborhoods and airplanes represent the metro system.

Lesson 2: If Earth is just a city… it’s absolutely HUGE. I will never be able to visit every little village. Every time I visit one city I learn about 10 more that are close by that I also want to see.

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?

Vagabonding (to me) is just living in the moment and living where you are. Not having a “permanent residence” is what it is all about. “Permanent” is a fantasy and an anchor. Nothing endures, so why not just let yourself go with the current.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?

Don’t spend so much money in the first few months. Learn to live on a budget quickly instead of waiting to be broke before actually scaling back. I would also tell myself to just do exactly what I was doing. I have no regrets.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?

Listen to your hopes!!! Screw everything else around you, and look inside yourself for what you feel will bring you happiness and peace. Be open to the fact that this will change and when it does change, don’t fight it… change with it. Let your heart make the decisions. Use your brain to figure out how to pay for it.

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?

This is my lifestyle now, and I have no plans on stopping until my heart tells me it is time to stop.

 

Read more about Jason on his blog, Hiatus 4 Life , or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Website: Hiatus 4 Life
Twitter: @hiatus4life




 

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Case Study: Jason Jones

Carpooling sites for travel in Europe

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

While frequent flyer miles can help alleviate the costs of flights to a destination in a game-changing way, the travel that happens once in a destination can really add up too. This is particularly true in an affluent place like Europe.

But, as a continent that has a fabulous infrastructure for public transit, it should come as no surprise that even those with their own personal cars find a way to contribute to the public’s transit needs.

Indeed, carpooling is yet another task that the internet is revolutionizing in some way. Europe has a number of websites that exist to connect passengers to carpooling hosts, much as Couchsurfing.com or Airbnb.com do for travelers’ accommodation needs or Uber and Lyft do for local transportation needs

Unlike the short, local jaunts that Uber and Lyft accommodate however, these carpooling sites help you connect with drivers going long distances. For instance we’ve gotten rides for 150 miles or more such as Salzburg to Vienna or Berlin to Hamburg. Or even London to Paris in one case.

 

How it works:

Signing up for many of these sites requires registering a text number. If you do not have a phone that works internationally, we usually communicate with someone back home to use their text number and have them send us the code to complete registration.

Once registered, you have the ability to connect with drivers who have posted the routes they intend to do along with the payment required. Unlike Couchsurfing, the guest pays the “host”. It’s more like AirBnB in that way. However, we have always found the prices to be cheaper than the other public transit options, not to mention the trip is almost always quicker than these options as well.

 

Car-pooling sites you for Europe travel, by region:

UK carpooling sites:

1.) Liftshare.com/uk

2.) Carpooling.co.uk

German carpooling sites:

1.) Mitfahrgelegenheit.de -(the German version of carpooling.co.uk)

Non-region-specific carpooling sites:

1.) blablacar.com -(the site that seems to be most popular here in Europe.)

2.) Carpoolworld.com

3.) Carpooling.com

 

A few extra notes/challenges:

1.) As suggested above, some of these resources can be challenging without a phone. Even if you have a web-generated text number from apps like “TextMe” and “TextPlus”, sites like this do not seem to function properly with web-generated text numbers. (This is true for resources like Uber and Lyft too.) So even if you have a travel-friendly phone alternative like those mentioned here, not all of them will cooperate with these resources. Specifically ones relying on web-generated numbers.

2.) Even though Europe has a pretty decent coverage when it comes to these car-pooling sites, some regions of Europe are still lacking. For instance we’ve had trouble finding carpooling options to the Balkans.

3.) This car-sharing strategy is virtually impossible if you are a person who doesn’t like to pack light, because drivers often try to fill every seat in their car. Do not assume you are the only passenger taking advantage of any given car-share. If you have more than one or two pieces of luggage, include that in your correspondence with your driver ahead of time.

4.) Sometimes you can suggest the meet-up location and sometimes the driver will suggest a spot that works for them. You may have to do a little traditional public-transiting in order to catch your ride.

 

Conclusion

Of course, another reason I love using carpooling resources is because, like all the other people-to-people resources, it connects you with locals and other travelers.

I mean, in some ways it gives me the thing I love about hitch-hiking without the exhaustion and uncertainty. When people connect with locals, and locals connect with travelers, there’s a host/guest mentality that’s naturally built in and it produces conversations you simply wouldn’t have in the service-provider/consumer environment of traditional public transit.

We’ve had so many fascinating conversations with drivers and most times the hours spent driving just fly by. Next time you are in Europe, remember this carpooling option for your semi-long-distance journeys.

Original article can be found here: Carpooling sites for travel in Europe

Getting Vagabonding or Marco Polo as stocking-stuffers

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

It’s once again winter holiday season, which means it’s time to remind everyone that my books make great stocking stuffers for travel lovers.

Vagabonding makes a great holiday gift for:

College or high school students nearing graduation.

Working professionals who don’t like their jobs, are currently between jobs, or are considering a sabbatical from work.

Friends and family members who don’t quite “get” the gift-giver’s urge to travel.

Anyone who dreams of (or has talked about) long-term travel, but thinks they’re too poor, busy, disorganized, afraid, uninformed, or old/young to actually do it.

And of course my second book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, is not just an entertaining and engrossing read for the armchair traveler; its “commentary track” makes it an offbeat travel-writing textbook for students and fans of the genre.

Both books are available from online retailers. If you’d like a signed copy of Vagabonding or Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, send me an email at books [at] rolfpotts [dot] com.

Original article can be found here: Getting Vagabonding or Marco Polo as stocking-stuffers

We often make do with easy stereotypes of other cultures

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“The problem is that we know little about other cultures, and rather than decent knowledge we are likely to make do with easy and false stereotypes. This is what Herodotus understood all too well. Better still, he knew that only mutual knowledge of each other makes understanding and connecting possible, as the only way to peace and harmony, cooperation and exchange. With this assumption in mind, a reporter takes a plunge into the hive of activity: travels, investigates, takes notes, explains why others behave differently from us and shows that those other ways of existence and understanding of the world have a logic of their own, are sensible and should be accepted rather than generate aggression and war.”

–Ryszard Kapuscinski, “Herodotus and the Art of Noticing,” Lettre Ulysses Award Keynote Speech, October 4, 2003

Original article can be found here: We often make do with easy stereotypes of other cultures

Packing for a longterm trip in a warm climate

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Packing for long-term travel is unique because you have to consider what you may need over a long period of time rather than what you can do without for a few weeks. Questions arise, like Will I need allergy meds? How many books should I bring? How many tank tops do I really need? Is it worth bringing my laptop? Here are some simple tips that I’ve learned from over- and under-packing through the years.

Buy a box of travel space bags

These nifty bags cut the size of your clothing in half. Just throw your clothes in and roll the air out the bottom. A bonus is that it keeps your clothes airtight and wrapped in plastic so you don’t have to worry that your clothes are all now sopping wet when you get caught in that freak monsoon shower.

Only bring half of what you first laid out

On a camping trip through the Arizona desert two years ago, we had a short stop in Las Vegas. I figured it would be very important to have a nice dress and a pair of high heels to go see Cirque de Soleil. By the end of the night, my feet were so sore that I walked home barefoot carrying the damn shoes and then lugged them around in my bag for the rest of the camping trip. More than once have I brought too many clothes or something bulky thinking it was worth the hassle and then regretted it. You only need the basics.

3-4 tank tops

2-3 T-shirts

5-7 pairs of underwear

1 skirt (for women)

1 lightweight dress (for women)

1-2 pairs of shorts

1 pair of jeans/pants for colder days and your flights

2 pairs of shoes (1 closed toed and 1 pair of sandals)

1 lightweight sweater for cold nights and the plane

It is imperative that you either learn to hand-wash your clothes or seek out laundry services that wash for you. Bring no more than a week’s worth of clothes. You will likely wear an item more than once before washing it, so this doesn’t mean you need to bring seven t-shirts.

Men: Your jeans are bulky, heavy, and they don’t pack well. Sorry. Consider finding some lightweight linen/cotton pants. It’s not weird; trust me. Most travelers switch over to them at some point along the way.

Women: You may also never wear that dress or skirt you brought. Some countries have these for sale at great prices and are more suited to the climate you are in. Forego packing these and just buy them when you arrive. You’ll fit in a bit more with the locals. If you have a favorite piece from home you don’t think you can live without, just bring it as long as it’s lightweight and packs small.

Bring an eBook

You will always finish that first book on the flight to your destination. If you’re heading to Europe, Asia, or Africa from North America your flight/s will be long. Very long. You may not be able to sleep for a chunk of the time. Your book won’t last long. An eBook can be hundreds of books in one and quite compact. Before you leave, load it up with books you’ve always wanted to read from free eBook sites like Project Gutenberg, and download some best sellers or a trilogy while you’re at it. You’ll be set for reading and won’t ever have to carry around more than one book at a time.

Personal Hygiene

Everyone has a different idea of what a must-have personal hygiene item is. Just be sure to keep yourself clean in whatever way is necessary while you travel. Consider these tips to cut down on what needs to be brought.

Solid bar shampoo (packs small, lasts a long time, and isn’t a messy liquid)

Lightweight microfiber travel towel (holds a lot of water and dries incredibly fast)

Bar body soap (skip heavy and messy body washes)

Women: Feminine hygiene products can be hard to find or expensive in foreign countries. Buy a Diva Cup a few months before you leave so that you have time to adjust (it does take a couple months to get used to). The bonus is that it’s small and has a little baggie for storage when not in use to keep it clean. It’s reusable for quite a long time and there’s no garbage. Ladies, this is a lifesaver.

Make medication smaller

Those boxes or bottles they come in are BULKY. If your pills are in a blister pack inside a box, just pull them out. I keep a small zippered first aid kit with all the meds in it. If it’s a blister pack write directions in sharpie on the back. Believe me, if you can’t remember if you’re supposed to take one sleep aid or two, writing down the directions can make a huge difference. You shouldn’t be bringing an entire pharmacy with you, but if you know you usually get headaches, have trouble sleeping in new places, or get motion sick on windy roads, it’s nice to have these already with you. In a top-heavy Indian SUV, making tight turns and speeding down pot hole ridden roads in Southern India, I met my match: motion sickness. A friend with a ginger supplement helped me keep my insides inside and I vowed to never go without this important medication ever again.

Electronics

If you’re not a professional photographer and your photos are all going on social media, you only need one small camera. Something digital that’s lightweight. If you find something waterproof, even better. This may even be your phone. Your smartphone can be an easy all-in-one to save space. It’s a music player, a web browser, a camera, and, if it’s unlocked, it can even be a phone if you buy a local SIM card. If you’re bringing more than this, you should have a good reason for hauling around more gadgets. I’m referring to digital nomads who travel with laptops and tablets for work or photographers who travel with all of their camera gear. These people are in a totally different category for electronics. If you are bringing your smartphone, consider investing in a sturdy case like Lifeproof or Otterbox. These keep your phones safe and waterproof.

Must haves:

A travel power adapter

Power cords for electronics (bonus if one cord can charge multiple devices)

Headphones

Camera with rechargeable battery

Smartphone

Luxury items

If you can forgo a luxury item, then good on you. I’m not there yet, and may never be, because I just feel better about myself when I have a little bit of makeup on. On my latest trip, I had to decide whether to bring makeup or a travel-sized flat iron. I allowed myself one. I brought a tiny bag of makeup (mascara, concealer, and powder) and let my hair be wild and free. My husband, on the other hand, allowed himself a very small hair trimmer (actually marketed as a mustache trimmer) for his beard. It saves him from having to shave and his beard from getting too long and hot. Just remember that when you’re on the road, you’re often choosing experiences over possessions. Don’t let your possessions hinder you.

 

Everyone’s packing style is different and priorities will differ from person to person. Be sure you’re willing to carry what you pack and that you have the essentials. Also keep in mind that each country will have different ideas about what is modest and this can often mean bringing along a scarf to cover your head/shoulders if you’re a woman or long pants if you’re a man. Do your research and get packing!

 

Original article can be found here: Packing for a longterm trip in a warm climate

Road Health Tips from an Asthma and Allergy Sufferer

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“Hypoallergenic bedding, pet free and a non-smoking room on a non-smoking floor, please”-that’s my typical request anytime I make a reservation to stay just about anywhere. I move a zillion times on the train if there’s a smoker or heavily doused perfume/cologne wearer near me. Scented anti-bacterial, oils or lotions set me off in an instant and any strong food smell in an enclosed area is a risk. And don’t even put me in any setting a cat has ever been. Seriously…and yet, I happily travel.

When I was teaching, one of the ladies in the office, Lorraine, would always have tissues ready for me come allergy season. And in a school, every season is allergy season-there’s mold, mildew and all things dust! She knew that even with the latest pills and drops my eyes would be puffy, itchy and all shades of red. Regularly, when she asked, ‘how are you when you travel?’-she smiled, already knowing the answer. We do our best to follow the sun whenever possible. Never heading to anywhere in spring or autumn where the pollen counts would go through the roof and aside from a fear of a bee sting allergy, we search for summer sunshine, minimal cold (where my asthma is also aggravated) and nothing floral or feather related at all. The season in which I feel best is summer and that is for what we regularly search. She could see why, at least in the health department, travel makes me happy.

Half the time I can’t tell you what makes my lungs unhappy. Everyone has his/her own triggers yet when I head to the allergist office and look at the poster asking ‘what’s your trigger’…I just roll my eyes…..I have ALL of them! When I travel, my allergies and asthma come with me. I’ve picked up some helpful hints along the way that I hope will make your travels a little easier.

Here are a few tips to hopefully lessen your suffering on the road:

Double check any hotel/accommodation site ahead of times for pet policies and availability of feather/down free bedding (if it’s a local stay ask as many questions as possible)
Carry your own soap/shampoo/lotions if that’s your trigger; often hotel ones are not hypoallergenic
If food allergies are an issue, ask as many questions as possible and if necessary, ask to speak to the chef at any establishment to express your concerns
If heading to a country where you don’t speak the language, consider small business cards with your allergies written in the local language/dialect to be sure you are understood (select wisely)
Bring a sleep sheet/sack with you to avoid contact with questionable bedding


Carry a list of your allergies and the meds you take (including the generic name) along with an extra prescription if you run out
ALWAYS CARRY BENADRYL (or some other antihistamine for reactions)
If in a humid climate, try to find accommodations with fans/air conditioners to make it easier to breathe in the room
ALWAYS check the smoking policies of your accommodation ahead of time and ask again upon arrival
If traveling with others, let them know of your allergies and asthma situation ahead of time


Carry Benadryl or Cortisone cream for mosquito bites (Witch hazel removes the itch in a pinch)
Whenever possible keep the windows up and air-conditioning on recirculate if driving through areas heavily laden with trees or fresh cut grass
Take your shoes off as soon as you enter your room so as not to transfer outside allergens inside
Always carry some sort of scarf or item that can cover your face while traveling (especially if there’s no way to avoid odors in an enclosed space)
Wear sunglasses when outside; this will be one extra barrier for your eyes against allergens
Always travel with two rescue inhalers (LABEL THEM and if traveling with a companion have him/her hold one….same goes for Epi-Pens)
Sometimes, although the outside area is enticing, it’s better to choose sitting inside in a restaurant where you know smoking is prohibited


If without any eye drops or antihistamines, for itchy and puffy eyes brew and cool some black tea and place the tea bags on your eyes (the tannins in the tea remove puffiness and help lessen the itch)
For those interested in aroma therapy, peppermint oil has been proven to assist asthma sufferers and help open airways (this is NOT to be used in an emergency in lieu of a rescue inhaler)
In event of a medical need, remember the hotel/accommodation can always call for a doctor
ALWAYS purchase travel insurance!

 

Take care of yourself and enjoy the adventure. Breathe easy and happy travels.

For more of Stacey’s musings follow her at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com.

Original article can be found here: Road Health Tips from an Asthma and Allergy Sufferer