Congratulations on your job in Boston... sounds like it's a perfect match for your two passions...photography and travel. I'm pleased that your travel bug will not have to be constrained too much by a budget. So when and where is your next trip?
Great to have another blog from you... Sorry you had to defer your South America trip, but you seem to be enjoying yourself in Boston. Is it possible for you to budget time and money for a trip abroad each year as I know that is what you really want to do? Maybe you should teach abroad. My son took the CELTA course and is currently on his gap year in Bangkok, teaching English...a good way to see SE Asia.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the warm welcome back! I usually am able to take a trip each year. However, my South America trip wasn't cancelled for financial reasons. I had to cancel Mexico and the "year of giving adventurously" because I was hired in Boston and didn't want to give up a chance at a really stellar staff position as lead photographer with an international company. Argentina was killed for some personal reasons. It wasn't a budgeting problem.
I will definitely look into the CELTS program though. Sounds fun! Hope you have been well and looking forward to hearing all your stories!
best,
Gaby
Favorite Travel Writers My favorite, who writes with abundant humor, is J. Maarten Troost who wrote "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" about his time on Vanuatu, "Getting Stoned with Savages" about his time on Fiji, and "Lost on Planet China" about his nine months of backpacking around China...much different that the book above as it is after China developed.
Other books I have read about China, either before or after my trip there are: Gavin Menzie's "1421" about Chinese fleets sailing around the world in 1421, "1434" about the Chinese providing 4000 years of their knowledge to the Venetians and Florentines in 1434 thus kick starting the Rennaisance, both books questioning our Eurocentric view of human civiliazation and thus very controversial, and "The Lost Empire of Atlantis" which makes the case for the Minoan Civiliazation being Atlantis.
Also about China are Kissinger's "On China" which is a must read for those who want to understand the Chinese government's worldview, and Collin Thubron's "Shadow of the Silk Road" which tells of his experiences on the road from Xian to Turkey. I have always wanted to take this journey, but think I may be a bit rough for me, as would the Cairo to Cape Town trek...but who knows.
A recent biography I read was Candice Miller's "A River of Doubt" about President Roosevelt's journey down an unchartered river in western Brazil at the end of his life. Actually, I like most biographies about Teddy as he was a most amazing man; an Republican who became a progressive in the best sense of the word.
Other favorite authors are Tom Clancy, James Doss (a humorous Hillerman writing Southwestern murder mysteries), P.J. O'Rourke, Thomas Friedman, Jared Diamond, Levitt and Dubner's Freakonomics books, Malcolm Gladwell...well, now you know why I had to get a Kindle. Sorry for flooding you.
What I'm reading now I'm reading Tom Clancey's latest book "Locked On," and am about to buy through Kindle "Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World" by Michael Lewis. It's abut the abuse of easy credit around the world from 2002-8. Combines my interest in travel and finances. I usually read a chapter from one book and then a chapter from the others, and back and forth. I can have three or four going at the same time...usually different genres so I don't get them confused.
Nice! I do something similar. I am finishing You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers and right in the middle of BossyPants by Tina Fey. I would highly recommend both of them. Any suggestions for my next book? I like biographies, travel memoirs, a lot of non-fiction. But I devour books, so anything you think has great style please send my way!
Truth is stranger than fiction Just finished reading this book. At first I thought it was going to be another backpacking adventure; just more difficult...but I didn't know how difficult it was going to get. Unbelievable...but she couldn't have made it up.
I know! I was so excited to find out it wasn't just another divorced woman finding herself through travel. The world already has an "EAT, PRAY, LOVE". What are you reading now?
Digital travel My latest blog about our trip back east last summer featured my first attempt at traveling digitally. It has its frustrations...especially the Tom Tom navigation. As for hitchhiking, I agree with the guy in Georgia. Anyway, enjoy your travels.
Hitch Hiking I used to do a lot of it, between the ages of 17 and 24. A lot of the people were like the ones you describe in this blog. Pity they all werent. Dont do it alone! :)
You are a 2011 TravelBlog favourite blogger! Check this out, and feel free to add some 2011 TravelBlog favourite anythings of your own. :)
http://www.travelblog.org/Topics/30521-1.html
haha this picture from South of the Border brings back a lot of memories. I live in NC and I have driven down I-95 quite a few times to get to concerts at Myrtle Beach, SC. Looks like you had fun!
Yum! I love Ceviche, I could living just eating ceviche... (in fact I´ve almost been living that way when I used to work in the middle of nowhere and having days off in Lima)
Sometime I tried a trucha´s ceviche in the sierra part of Lima... I have to tell I found that interesting but I´d prefer ceviche from coast fishes or even from jungle fishes, anyway I enjoyed cuz Ceviche es Ceviche!
Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
I read your Traveler article...
good job!