May 18, 2009
I’m taking a temporary hiatus from this blog while I write my first book, a travel memoir based on Inkslinging in Africa.
This is not the death of my travel blog. I’m hoping to take another extended trip — South America, maybe? — and when I do, you can read all about it here.
In the meantime, I’ll be blogging away over at Aspiring Author, which details my writing pursuits.
Thanks for stopping by!
March 20, 2009
Since my return to the States, dozens of people have said to me, “I wish I could do what you did.”
I usually tell them: “You can. Why don’t you?”
The answer is always the same. “I can’t leave my job” or “I don’t have the money” or “I have too many responsibilities.”
The truth is, you can skirt around nearly all of these obstacles if you really want to see the world.
Sometimes we get so sucked into the rat race that we forget who’s making decisions in our lives: we are. We take on all those responsibilities, and we can shed them if we want to.
I know what you’re thinking. “It’s not so easy. I have a mortgage payment!”
Of course it’s not easy. Dropping everything to travel requires a change of mindset, and a few sacrifices.
You’ve gotta think outside the box. Do you really need that apartment or house? You think you do, but you probably don’t. This is one of the easiest excuses to fix. Give it up or sell it, and get a new one when you come back. Maybe after you see how other people live, you’ll have a different idea of what you want anyhow.
January 31, 2009
Saturday, Jan. 31
Albany, NY
With help from readers, I’ve put together a list of most popular blog posts. Here’s your chance to scroll through and make sure you’ve read the best stories.
Cameroon:
Homecoming: I reunite with a polygamous family in the village of Fongo-Ndeng.
Feeding and healing: A night of celebration for a grieving family.
The gift of school: Money collected from readers of this blog to pay for school was cause for joy in Fongo-Ndeng.
A very long layover: Unwilling to pay a bribe? Unable to leave the airport.
Madagascar:
Special delivery: Why I took the risk of carrying a package from a stranger on a flight.
Old, wrinked and inspiring: An unusual bunkmate had a strong impression on me.
Zen: High on travel.
Overnight debacle: An adventure I’d rather avoid: sleeping in a not-so-safe bush taxi station.
West Africa:
Jean and Lolita: Watching a sick boy in Burkina Faso connect with a chimp.
Desert by camel: Experiencing a sandstorm in Timbuktu.
Making much from mud: Exploring Djenne, Mali, where all buildings are made of mud.
* If there’s another post you’d like to see included here, let me know and I’ll add the link.
January 28, 2009
Most independent travelers headed for developing countries know to bring a money belt, invest in a pair of durable shoes and abide by simple food rules: boil it, peel it, cook it or forget it.
Here’s some less common advice, tips I wish someone had told me before my trip to Africa.
Love your mozzie net.
If you need a mosquito net, buy one that includes poles and sets up like a tent. (I use this Skeeter Defeater from Long Road Travel Supplies.) Hangable nets are useless when there’s nowhere to hang them.
Learn to Skype.
Skype, a free service that allows you to make calls over the Internet, is the cheapest way to call home. The drawback: for it to work well, you’ll need a solid Internet connection, which can be hard to find in some developing countries. If you plan to Skype often, you may want to bring your own headset.
Be your own office assistant.
Create sticky labels with addresses of anyone who deserves to get a postcard. You won’t have to carry an address book, and you’ll know you sent all required postcards when the labels are gone.
Buy visas along the way.
It take s a little planning, but buying a visa in the country adjacent to where you’re going is usually cheaper than buying it from home and requires less paperwork. Just make sure there’s an embassy for country #2 in country #1, lest you get stuck without one. Remember to ask about multi-country visas, which also can save you money.
Cipro for the sicko.
Convince your doctor to prescribe several doses of Cipro, or Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections — pretty much anything that forces you to spend your entire day squatting over the toilet. Since travelers often suffer from stomach bugs in developing countries, it’s smart to have this drug handy. Bring Bacitracin ointment, too, and use it; even small cuts become easily infected in developing countries.
January 27, 2009
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Albany, NY
Madagascar’s in political trouble.
I got the details from online news. But I heard first via e-mail from a Malagasy friend.
Ony, who I met during a visit to the children’s home where she works, lives in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, where the riots are taking place. She traveled with me for a few days because she’s trying to familiarize herself with various parts of her country so she can work in the tourism industry, one of the most lucrative job sectors on the poor island.
She wrote that life has been “very hectic” because of tension between the president and the opposition party, which has resulted in strikes, riots and fires in the streets of the city.
“We are very scared with this situation but hope they will find a solution soon,” Ony wrote. “No work until life is back to normal.”
Here’s a story from Reuters that ran this morning:
Madagascar’s opposition promised more anti-government protests on Tuesday and looting shook the capital overnight after the worst day of street violence for years on the Indian Ocean island.
Two people died on Monday when demonstrations against President Marc Ravalomanana’s government turned violent, according to witnesses and security sources. Crowds set fire to a state media building and ransacked shops, with a policeman and teenager killed in the chaos and crushes.
Those scenes revived memories of past political volatility on Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, and will not help the government’s efforts to present the nation as a tourist haven and sound destination for investment in mining and oil.
Political turmoil isn’t unusual in Madagascar. The country nearly suffered a coup in 2002 over an election, and it faced minor unrest around voting time in 2006.
But no one gets used to violence. As Ony wrote, it’s scary — every time.
January 26, 2009
To avoid making the same packing mistakes on my next backpacking trip, I made a (warm-weather) list. I’m posting it here so you can benefit from it, too.
My Packing List
January 26, 2009
Planning a long-term trip? Here are a handful of resources that helped me make logistical decisions, as well as a few that offered inspiration.
The Practical Nomad: How to travel around the world, by Edward Hasbrouck — Of all the how-to guides for around-the-world travel that I got my hands on, this book was by far the best. Advice for independent travelers ranges from how to buy your airfare to figuring out your budget. (The author also posts advice on his Web site.)
A Journey of One’s Own: Uncommon advice for the independent woman traveler, by Thalia Zepatos –The book offers advice, tips and ideas for female travelers.
Gutsy Women: More travel tips and wisdom for the Road, by MaryBeth Bond — Part of the travelers’ tales series, this book is a combo of advice and inspiration for the woman traveler.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert — The New York Times bestseller is a memoir about how a woman recovers from a divorce through travel.
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at large in the world, by Rita Golden Gelman — Another travel memoir, an inspiring one about a woman who follows her whims.
Coming soon: online resources.
January 25, 2009
Sunday, Jan. 25
Back in the States
It’s game time.
Time to write. Time to create. Time to turn all the blog entries from the last six months into one cohesive story, a travel tale that will appeal to the masses. I’m writing a book!
And I need your help. You’ve read this blog for months, and no doubt made judgements on which stories you liked and which you hated. Now I want you to share them with me.
Which blog entries made you laugh? Cry? Stop reading after the first sentence? Or come back to my site first thing the next morning, hoping for another story? Which tales stuck with you? Which did you tell your friends about? Which made you give this blog link to your co-worker in the cube next door?
Comment below, or e-mail me at alexiskgrant(AT)yahoo.com. I’ll put together a list of your favorites and post them here. We’ll create a “Best of Inkslinging,” so I can create a best-selling book.
Merci, merci!
January 16, 2009
Friday, Jan. 16
Back in the States
50,000 hits!
In just six months, the blog has gained 50,000 hits, thanks to all of you readers!
January 14, 2009
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Back in the States
When I travel, I walk. A lot. It’s the best way to explore new places.
But when I explored by foot in Africa during these last six months, my knee hurt, although I wasn’t sure why. It pained me enough that I gave up running for the duration of my trip, hoping rest would help me recover.
I skipped out on climbing Mount Cameroon, which I had considered one of the highlights of my trip. And I popped pain pills even for light hikes.
So one of the first things I did when I got home was see a knee doctor. (Looking back, I should have visited the doctor before leaving for Africa, since even then I was suffering from knee pain. I had hoped it was temporary.)
Two visits and an MRI later, I know why I’ve been in such pain: I have a torn meniscus and a cyst. That meniscus, or cartiledge on the inner knee that allows for movement, is pretty necessary for an active 20-something like me.
To fix it, I need minor surgery. I’ve scheduled it for the end of the month.
Of course the idea of surgery is less than thrilling. But to be honest, I feel relieved to find out what’s been ailing me all these months, ever since I ran a series of trail races in Houston in April. If this surgery will help me get back into running again, I’m up for it.
In fact, I even feel lucky. Not lucky to have an injury, but lucky to have the means to fix it. Africa has a way of doing that — making me feel lucky for everything.
Imagine if Africa was my home instead of a place to visit, if I was a villager in any one of the countries I just explored. I’d be in the same pain, probably working out in the fields every day, cultivating crops to feed my family. Yet I’d likely never have the chance to visit a knee doctor or undergo surgery to fix the injury. I’d be forced to live with the pain.
But I’m an American! I’ve got access to a doctor, a surgery and health insurance to pay for most of it. (Thanks to Dad, who forced me to buy health insurance before I left.)
So I’ll gratefully go under the knife. Two months later I should be able to run again.
|
Subscribe to RSS feed
