I've encountered several backpackers who absolutely disdained guidebooks. They considered it pathetic how "lemming tourists clutch their stupid books, obeying the dictums of some probably drunken and half-crazed writer." Their ideal was to float from place to place, traveling on circumstance and happenstance only.
I usually have a guidebook because it efficiently provides important information, saves time and money, and allows me to travel lighter upon the environment. I also prefer not to be cold, hungry, lost, and/or in jail. Most travelers agree with my view and also carry some kind of guidebook.
You don't want to get into a "guidebook says" routine, though. Use your guidebook as a tool; don't let it dictate everything you do. Many of my best travel times have been in places ignored or trashed by guidebooks, probably because I allowed spontaneity and happenstance to be my guide.
Written by Harvard students on their summer tours, these well-written, annually-updated guidebooks pack a great deal of budget backpacker information in a well-designed format. Begun in 1961 with a student pamphlet to Europe, Let's Go now produces twenty guidebooks, including Let's Go: Europe; Let's Go: Mexico; Let's Go: France; Let's Go: Italy; Let's Go: Spain and Portugal; Let's Go: California; Let's Go: Thailand; etc. Distributed by St. Martin's Press, New York. letsgo.com
Written by Berkelely and other California state university students on their summer tours, these well-written, annually-updated guidebooks also pack a great deal of budget backpacker information in a well-designed format. Launched in 1991 to compete with Let's Go, these twelve guides are also a great value. Distributed by Fodor's, New York. fodors.com
These 140 guidebooks are the unquestioned leader among backpackers in developing countries. Their Travel Survival Kit and Shoestring series books are all packed with great value in the same practical format, which includes many maps and recommendations. They are usually written by two, three, or four writers who compile information as they travel. Lonely Planet guidebooks are updated about every three years. Originally all Australian, some are now produced in California. Distributed in the U.S. by Lonely Planet, Oakland, California. lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides
These British guides strongly compete with Lonely Planet. There are over sixty in the series, from Amsterdam to Nepal to World Music (see bibliography). Published by Rough Guides, London, and distributed worldwide by Penguin. roughguides.com
These U.S. produced Handbook series of fifty guides compete with Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. I'll vouch that Moon's South Pacific Handbook qualifies as literature. Distributed by Moon Publications, Chico, California. moon.com
Begun by the German Karl Baedeker in 1829, these were so popular baedeker became a synonym for guidebook. Some rare book dealers specialize in Baedekers. Today these outstanding guides are beautifully color illustrated, have excellent maps and site information, and are conveniently-sized.
Baedeker guides focus on the educational experience of travel. As for the where-to-stay, where-to-eat, and where-to-get-a-zipper-repaired aspects of travel, they typically only list addresses for upscale hotels in the back. Distributed in the U.K. by the Automobile Association, Basingstoke, Hampshire, and in the U.S. by Prentice Hall Travel, New York.
Begun in 1918, these higher-brow, scholar-written guidebooks are heavy with detailed site information. Blue Guides' Greece is the classic for those with serious interest in classical antiquity. Another interesting title in their series of fifty guides is Literary Britain and Ireland. Distributed by A & C Black, London, and W.W. Norton, New York.
First printed in 1923, the classic South American Handbook is revised yearly. While costing $40, it is crammed with the maximum possible information for the South American traveler. Much information is supplied by readers sending updates, and some is always a few years out of date, but "the Handbook" (as it is universally known by South American travelers) more than compensates with 1500 thin pages of small print in a surprisingly compact format. Published by Trade and Travel Publications, Bath, England, and in the U.S. by Passport Books, Lincolnwood, Illinois.
This British series of fifty travel guides are filled with color photographs and cultural insights. Cadogan's City Guides are pocket-sized and especially good for European cities. Distributed in the U.S. by The Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
Are filled with beautiful photographs and interesting writing by a variety of journalists who know their subject. Insight Guides are best read before your journey to get a feel for the people, culture, and landscape. They also have an overview of practical information in the back. I have nine of Insight's 180 titles on my bookshelf.. Distributed in the U.S. by Houghton Mifflin, New York.
Provide detailed information on archaeological sites, museums, cathedrals, etc. If you are fortunate to visit Palenque, the Pyramids, Angor Wat, or Alcatraz, I highly recommend budgeting $10 for a good picture guidebook (usually available in English and on-site) to read and compare as you wander. These books can really make the rock come alive.
Photo: I see....
These nineteenth century European guides are favorites of today's consummate traveler and travel writer Jan Morris, who treasures her Murray's Handbook for Spain (1845). Aldous Huxley writes of Murray's, "It is delightful to read on the spot the impressions and opinions of tourists who visited a hundred years ago, in the vehicles and with the aesthetic prejudices of the period....The voyage ceases to be a mere tour through space; you travel through time and thought as well."
Ferrari Publications produces gay- and lesbian-friendly guidebooks, which list hotels, restaurants, bookstores, bars, meeting places, telephone help lines, etc. They also contain articles about gay life in various countries. Books include Ferrari's for Women, Ferrari's for Men, Ferrari's Travel Planner, and Inn Places. These books are updated annually and, according to Ferrari, are "very accurate." Available from bookstores and: Ferrari Publications, P.O. Box 37887, Phoenix, AZ 85069. Tel. 602-863-2408.
The Spartacus International Gay Guide lists bars, clubs, discos, baths, beaches, hotels, campgrounds, cafés, restaurants, bookstores, etc. of interest to gay men. Written in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Available from bookstores and: Bruno Gmünder Verlag, P.O. Box 11 07 29, D 10837 Berlin, Germany. Tel. 49 30-254-98-200
For every city they list a couple of the cheapest hotels and hostels, a few museums, cathedrals, major sites, etc., followed by ten pages of detailed restaurant reviews. (I'll bet you think I'm kidding.)
Samuel Johnson Guatemala Reading List
Most European cities big enough for a stoplight have some kind of tourist office somewhere. Indeed many large European cities have a tourist office at the airport, one (sometimes two) in each of the main train stations, and several more in the city center.
The tourist office almost always has free or cheap maps and dozens of pamphlets detailing the inestimable glories of their city. As soon as you get to the front of the line the clerk hands you a pile of tourist literature.
When my turn comes I usually first ask what cultural events are happening around town. Then I ask about a local English language newspaper that lists the week's or month's happenings. Lastly I ask about the cheapest possible accomodation. Hostels and campgrounds are usually clearly marked on the map and circled by the clerk. I'm well on my way if I leave the tourist office at least thinking I know which way to begin going.
Many tourist offices offer an accomodation-finding service for free or a few dollars. Note there is often a separate, longer line for this. The clerk makes the calls and finds a room, then directs you there.
1. The highest spot in town is usually high on my agenda. Having a look from up there is an aid in your future navigation. You will also feel more at home, more relaxed, and have more empathy for the city.
2. I sometimes keep a small compass in my pocket for navigating large cities. With a map and compass I often only need one street sign and a few seconds to determine directions. Without a compass much depends upon my physical and mental state, which are not always dependable. A compass is especially useful when coming up from the netherworld of a subway.
3. The best travel, wherever you are, is simply checking out the local scene. What could be easier?
Travelers do not have to go without news from back home and around the world. The International Herald Tribune is widely distributed in Europe, somewhat less so in Asia. A compilation of the Washington Post and the New York Times, it was begun in Paris in 1887 for the American expatriate community in Europe. It's always a treat to relax at a café with a copy of the IHT.
The Wall Street Journal has European and Asian editions, and USA Today is also widely available. The Miami Herald International Edition is the pre-eminent American newspaper in Central and South America, if not the pre-eminent newspaper in Central and South America.
The English newspapers The Guardian and The Times differ from American newspapers in that their reporters interject more of themselves into articles than is customary in the U.S. This may take the form of opinion or humor. Both are acclaimed for in-depth reportage.
Belizean newspapers, on the other hand, make no pretense whatsoever at objective reporting. Depending upon which political party they support, one paper may report a thoughtful speech of the highest statesmanship, while another proclaims it a pack of stuttered lies by a thieving scoundrel.
Many major cities around the world have a daily or weekly English newspaper for their English-speaking communities. I especially enjoy these because they provide an intimate view of what's going on politically, economically, and culturally.
The above newspapers are usually available at some newsstands in the downtown area of a major city, although in some far-out countries you many need to go to a major tourist hotel, and then they may be a few days old.
Students Cafés
An often overlooked source of information and camaraderie is student cafés near universities. These are among the best places to find conversation, since people there are usually open to meeting new people, are likely to have at least some skill in English, and are not always students.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
The IRC allows you to chat (via typing) in real-time with people from all over the world among thousands of channels. These range from the infamous "hottub" channel (where everyone pretends to be in the same hot tub) to country-chat channels for every country from Afghanistan to Ireland to Zambia. If you mention on one of these channels you are planning to visit, you may be hit with a wealth of advice and recommendations. Some travelers have even scored invitations through chats on the IRC.
I understood its power while chatting one sunny Texas afternoon with a fellow in Sweden. He ended our conversation with, "Well, I have to say goodbye now, my wife wants me to shovel some snow!"
Common examples of poor decision-making are:
- Setting out unprepared
- Setting out without the right or any equipment
- Not knowing what the hell you are doing
- Biting off more than you can chew
- Not beginning the return hike early enough
Often the one in trouble has made a series of bad decisions to get him where he is. Thus it becomes crucial that this streak is stopped, and some right decisions made. This could be the difference between life and death.
Sit for five minutes and consider the best course of action. Don't act rashly or hastily, especially if that's what you've been doing. If, due to the late-return-hike scenario, your foot has just given way to a shadow causing your head to forcefully collide with a rock, don't immediately stagger to your feet, wipe away the blood, and carry on as if nothing has happened. You may not get a second chance.
The earlier you recognize you are in trouble, or heading into trouble, the better. Self-deception and denial of reality are two of the biggest troublemakers.
The mind has a way of processing information unperceived by the conscious self, and it often comes up with ideas you may interpret as intuition or a hunch, or see through a dream or an omen. Sometimes these ideas come all at once, sometimes you must build them slowly. Don't ignore them.
Eyes, ears, and instincts are the traveler's most important allies.
Travel conditions will not always be favorable just because you want them to be. New Zealand park rangers tell stories of backpackers marching off on arduous, high-mountain treks with sandals on their feet and t-shirts in their packs. In New Zealand even summer weather can become extreme, and these backpackers have neither the gear nor the experience to cope. Several die from falls or exposure every summer.
While I was on New Zealand's South Island an American backpacker was heroically rescued from her sea kayak when a storm blew in. Her two equally inexperienced women friends raced into the pounding surf to pull her from the water. While they had been cautioned to head for shore at the first sign of a storm, they thought they could go on a little further.
I spent three days climbing and exploring Mount Olympus in Greece before stopping two hundred yards shy of the summit. The last bit seemed too difficult to safely climb with my shoes, skills, and somewhat shaky physical condition. My English travel buddy, however, zoomed to the top. While he was gone I saw two separate climbers nearly fall to their deaths, both just catching themselves at the last instant.
Upon returning the Englishman said there was a plaque on the summit memorializing an American backpacker who had fallen a few years before. When I returned to the hostel at the base of the mountain the owner said about one American gets killed up there every year, and when I left for the summit he had wondered if I would be the one that year.
Know your limits, know there are limits, and fall back to enjoy another day if you reach yours.
Photo: Author high enough at 2800 meters.
There is what you know; there is what you don't know. Then there is the great majority of what there is--which is what you don't know you don't know. To minimize your risks while traveling the most important thing is to actively and creatively use whatever you've got to work with.
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By far the best place to get information is hostels. There you can find out everything you need to know, including what and where is good to see and do, tips on work, getting lifts, etc. Pete the Meat, England
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The CIA World Factbook on the World Wide Web (http://www.odci.gov) represents billions of dollars of information and detailed maps you can download on every country and geographic area on Earth. D.B., Everett, Washington