Book Review: Going Dutch in Beijing

An easy to read book full of interesting customs from around the world, Going Dutch in Beijing: How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home by Mark McCrum is like a Miss Manners for travel. Chapters on greetings, gifts, food and eating, business etiquette and other topics share what to expect and how to act in different cultures.

What I like about the book is the way it not only tells you the customs, but in many cases, explains the reasoning behind them.

Why does that driver in Thailand tell you he knows where your hotel is, only to drive in circles all through town? It might be a bid to save face, not necessarily that he wants more money.

Why do some people only want to talk about personal subjects during a business meeting? If they are from certain countries, it could be because they won't do business with someone until they've gotten to know them on a personal level.

You will also learn when to show up for a dinner party and when you shouldn't finish all the food on your plate as well as how to act in several other situations. Many times, it is the opposite of what you expect. It can be startling to read what some cultures consider acceptable or offensive when it doesn't match your own beliefs.

This is a great book for learning about the different cultures you might experience when you travel. Keep in mind, variations of these customs might be practiced in different parts of the countries mentioned, but at least they'll be somewhat familiar to you.

Travel Books I've Been Reading

During our road trip out to Colorado and back home to Minnesota, I read two travel books. My favorite was Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison. He writes humorous, easy to read stories about the people he meets in Africa, the tourists he guides, and the wildlife he loves. I definitely recommend this book for anyone with an interest in travel, and in particular, African wildlife.

The other book was Lynette Chiang's The Handsomest Man in Cuba: An Escapade. Riding her bike through Cuba, the author meets a wide variety of characters and through her descriptions, makes you feel like you met them, too. She is a talented writer and her story is actually making me consider a biking trip of my own. I can't imagine a better way to meet the locals.

I also tried reading No Touch Monkey!: And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late by Ayun Halliday, but I couldn't make myself finish the book. The same thing happened last summer when I tried to read Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

I'm trying to follow the saying "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all", but you can get an idea of my opinions if you read the negative reviews for Eat Pray Love and No Touch Monkey on Amazon.com.

Book Review: Smile When You're Lying

After years of writing sugarcoated articles about his travels, Chuck Thompson is rebelling against travel's airbrushed image with Smile When You're Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer. His confessions include brutally honest opinions of the travel industry, tourists, and expats, all wrapped up in a reality that you won't find in glossy travel magazines.

Thompson's reality includes graphic stories of Thailand, living in "disneyfied" Alaska, getting pulled over in Mexico and dealing with magazine consultants. Recounting his experience teaching ESL in Japan, he shows a side of the Japanese that I'm pretty sure you won't find elsewhere. His anecdotes had me alternating between disbelief and laughter. The book also has practical advice for the traveler. After criticizing the common travel tips that show up in magazines and newspapers, he lists 15 of his own suggestions to make travel easier.

Thought provoking political commentary is interspersed throughout the book, and several of the stories have a more serious tone. In one, Thompson explores what he believes is wrong with the Caribbean as a vacation destination. He also writes about the history of the U.S. military in the Philippines and the effects of Western influence on Eastern Europe.

An easy read that will keep you entertained even as it makes you think, Smile When You're Lying is a good book for anyone who likes to travel and doesn't get put off by some colorful language or explicit stories. If some of his rants get too negative or cynical, he does a good job of balancing them out with humorous stories. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "... a Zen-like acceptance of travel as a highly unpredictable animal is the most effective way of approaching it." The same could be said of this book.

A Ramble about Clutter

Photo by mandolin davis on Flickr

I recently read Peter Walsh's book, It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff. Peter is an organizer on TLC's Clean Sweep, one of the few shows that could make me consider having cable tv in our house. I love watching people clean out their homes and get rid of stuff that just weighs them down and gets in their way. Peter is a master at not just showing you how to declutter, but explaining why you save the things you do. Knowing why can help you let it go and prevent the collecting of it in the future.

Even though most people say our house is not cluttered, I think it is. We just do a good job of hiding and STORING the clutter. Those people also don't look in our closets, cabinets and drawers. Like so many people in America, we have too much stuff.

So, I'm in the middle of a major clean sweep of our house. I've done this before as the boys outgrew toys and our needs changed, but I'm going even deeper now. I'm getting rid of stuff we just don't use, and some of it is stuff that I've saved for years.

I'm also making my mother nervous, "You aren't getting rid of anything important, are you?" Important= anything that came from our past. Yes, I am. After 30 some years, I've decided to get rid of my Chrissy doll, my fisher price schoolhouse, and several other old toys. I have taken care of them through 7 moves and 17 years of marriage and I'm done. (Don't worry, Mom, I am keeping some old dolls and toys, just not so many)

I don't need to keep 25 things that belonged to my grandparents when having just 4 or 5 will help me remember them. The other 20 items can go to siblings and cousins. Holiday decorations that we don't put out anymore? Gone. Books we don't read anymore? Gone. Games we don't play anymore? Gone. Clothes we don't wear anymore? Gone. You get the idea.

The more stuff I box up for charities, family, and a possible yard sale, the better I feel. If you want to try it, I've found several helpful articles about decluttering online. If you have any good decluttering stories, I would love to hear them.

Related post: Living and Traveling Simply

I'm sharing the above picture because that is where I would rather be than dealing with all my stuff.

Books I've Been Reading

The Dream Maker by Monica Hannan is an incredible story about one man's determination and dedication to helping poor children around the world, especially in Guatemala. The book shares the stories of children whose lives have been changed by Patrick Atkinson, the founder of God's Child Project. Several of the stories are about orphans from the civil war. At turns joyful and heartbreaking, reading this book made me so thankful for people like Patrick, and made me question the best way I can help them.

Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain by Derek Lambert is an entertaining story about the author moving to Spain with his wife and son. It is filled with vivid and humorous descriptions of the people they meet and the adventures they share as they restore a house and learn about the "real" Spain, the country they've decided to call home. I smiled through most of the book, and I was sorry to see it end.

Living in a Foreign Language by Michael Tucker shares the experiences of the author and his wife Jill Eikenberry as they purchase and renovate a 350 year old cottage in Umbria. Like Derek Lambert, Michael Tucker has a talent for describing the people he meets in Italy. I still smile when I think of the butchers, or Giancarlo, the proprietor of a restaurant in Spoleto. My favorite parts of the book are the descriptions of the meals they prepare at home or eat elsewhere. This book made me laugh, and made me hungry (for food and for Italy). I couldn't put it down.

All three books are great stories that I highly recommend.

From other Blogs...

On Brave New Traveler, Madeleine Somerville wrote a great review of Wanderlust and Lipstick by Beth Whitman. I decided to give the book a chance and ordered it from Amazon.

If you have a great travel story, Ian at Brave New Traveler has put together a list of online travel magazines that publish travel stories.

Traveling Stories Magazine is having a Summer Story Contest, with a prize of $50 for the story that gets the best ratings by August 31st.

Rolf Potts recently wrote some travel articles for the LA Times. They are all great reads, but my favorite was How much money for a dream trip?, where he encouraged saving money by living simply.

Are you looking for a festival to add to your travel itinerary? Go Budget Travel has a list of resources to help you find festivals and cultural events around the world.

The Guardian Unlimited takes a fresh look at the Midwest with an article about Minnesota.

The New York Times explores the last wilderness with an article about north-central Idaho. Another article in the Times gives tips on how to picnic in Central Park, New York City.

Travel Tips From Budget Travel

Even though it came out a few months ago, I just now picked up a copy of The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers. A collection of the best travel advice contributed by readers of Budget Travel over the last three years, these tips are sure to make your life easier while traveling.

I'm not going to review the book, (Willy Volk from Gadling wrote an excellent review of it already), but I do want to share 10 of my favorite tips.

1. For long overnight flights, pack a dry washcloth in a ziploc bag in your carry-on. Before landing, ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot (not boiling) water. Carefully pour the water into the ziploc bag and then wipe your face and hands with the steaming cloth. (p. 88)

2. For long road trips, give each child a map with the route highlighted on it. Along the way, they can match up the town names with road signs you pass, and that way, they always know exactly where you are and how much further you have to go until you get there. (p. 93)

3. If you visit a country where you don't speak the language, pick up a book of your hotel's matches or one of its business cards; they usually have the hotel's name and address printed on them. When you want to return to your hotel, show the matchbook or card to the cabdriver if he doesn't speak English. (p. 160)

4. When you are leaving the hotel, bring postcards of the places you want to see. Show them to your taxi driver, and he'll take you to the spot. (p. 164)

5. Read the fine print on your rail pass. You can often use it to save money on other modes of public transportation or museums and hotels. (p. 166)

6. Easily packable, local specialty foods make great gifts for family and friends at home. To save money, be sure to buy them at a local grocery store instead of a gift shop. Hawaiian coffee, British teas, French mustards and vinegars, Italian olive oil are just a few examples. (p. 172)

7. Using restaurant.com, you can buy gift certificates good at eateries in your destination city, regularly snagging $25 certificates for as little as $5 to $8. (p. 179)

8. You'll spend $60.50 per adult to visit both the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. For $99, an annual membership grants two adults from the same household unlimited admission to both parks for a year, unlimited use of the Skyfari aerial tram, two guest passes, four discount guest coupons, four two-for-one zoo bus tour coupons, and more. To top it all off, most of the $99 is tax-deductible! (p. 190)

9. Instead of paying for a tour of New Orleans' French Quarter, join a free, ranger-led walking tour provided by the National Park Service. The one mile walks depart from the NPS Visitor Center at 9:30 daily. Arrive early, because tours are limited to 25 people. (p. 196)

10. Every Thursday and Saturday at noon, the Downtown Alliance (downtownny.com) has free 90 minute walking tours of downtown New York, including the U.S. Custom House and the New York Stock Exchange. (p. 197)

If you haven't yet done so, I highly recommend you pick up your own copy. It's a great resource for travel tips.

Falcon Guides for Outdoor Activities

Have any of you seen the Falcon Guides? Our local bookstore has some of the Minnesota books on display, including mountain biking, road biking, and paddling. Well organized and easy to read, these guides would be a good resource for planning outdoor activities.

According to the Falcon Guides website, there are guides for several different activities in the United States and other countries. I checked out the guides for hiking and added some to my wish list, including

* Hiking Minnesota
* Best Hikes along the Continental Divide
* Hiking Colorado's Front Range: Fort Collins to Colorado Springs
* Hiking North Carolina

In addition to hiking, biking, and paddling, there are also guides for climbing, camping, surfing, fishing and other activities. If you want ideas for outdoor activities, or places to go, check out the Falcon Guides website for books that will help you plan your next adventure.

Book Review: Tales of a Female Nomad

I just finished reading Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. It is an incredible story of her travels through Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Israel, Galapagos, Indonesia, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, and Thailand.

Rita writes about serendipity, and that is a theme throughout her book. She often travels with no set plans, and is eager for new experiences. She takes advantage of opportunities as they come up, "It's my new credo: say yes to everything."

During her travels, Rita tends to stay in one place, getting to know the people and community. "Wherever I am, I try to participate in the culture, not judge it." Although she did have trouble with this when faced with the strict culture of the ultra-orthodox community of Mea She'arim in Israel. She did not appreciate being considered a second class citizen because she is female, and I don't blame her.

She also struggles with her desire to change things. Living in other cultures, "it is not my place to change their lives. I am here to learn from them, not alter their history." Rita caught herself trying to change things for friends in Bali, where she lived on and off for 8 years and came to care deeply for the people she met. She goes on to say, "When I am tempted to change who they are or rush what they are becoming, it is time to move on."

Her experience with the orangutans at Camp Leakey in Borneo sounded so familiar. Then I remembered the chapter on Borneo in Catherine Watson's book, Roads Less Traveled, where she described working at Camp Leakey with Earthwatch. Both authors also have similar stories about cremation ceremonies in Bali.

The similarities don't end there. At the end of her book, Rita shares, "While I am here, wherever that may be, I want to be 100 percent here. One of the most important things I have learned during the last fifteen years is how to enjoy and savor the present." When I read Catherine's travel philosophy, I wonder if the two authors have ever met.

*** In the odd way that things happen, yesterday, while I was finishing this story, some other blogs posted articles about some of the very experiences I was reading about. Jamie Rein at Gadling wrote about Spanish Immersion in Guatemala, Eileen Ogintz at Smarter Travel wrote about visiting the Galapagos Islands, and Pam at blogher travel wrote about homestays and mentioned Servas, the service Rita sometimes uses in her travels.

Book Review: Lois on the Loose

If you've ever thought about riding a motorcycle from Alaska down to Argentina, you might want to read Lois on the Loose: One Woman, One Motorcycle, 20,000 Miles Across the Americas by Lois Pryce. Her incredible story is filled with adventure from the very beginning, and will either make you start planning your own trip, or cross that crazy idea off your list of things to do.

Early in the book Lois writes, "A road trip isn't about being somewhere... it's about going somewhere." I liked the sound of that, but as I read the book, I wondered if her focus on "going" was at the expense of enjoying the places she passed through.

She admits to having White Line Fever, "that old gnawing obsession with what lies ahead, and an inability to simply be in the time and place." That focus helps Lois keep going during some of the more unfortunate parts of her trip, but it also means fewer descriptions of the places she stayed during her travels.

Her best writing is in the descriptions of her adventures on the road and her interactions with other people. Her experience with a police officer in Vancouver, British Columbia, and her reaction to the backpackers in Vilcabamba, Peru are two examples that made me laugh, even as I knew (hoped) they weren't typical.

The most vivid descriptions are about one of her companions, Amalia. As I read about her, I couldn't help but think that Lois should have had TravMonkey's list of ways to ditch your travel mate. Of course, as soon as I think Lois can't possibly take any more of Amalia, something horrible happens, and I'm left feeling awful for my uncharitable thoughts.

As if to prove her philosophy that a road trip isn't about being somewhere, after 286 pages describing her journey, Lois writes one paragraph about being in Ushuaia. If you are looking for a great story of adventure on the road, I recommend this book. If you want to read about the places on Lois' route, I'd look elsewhere.

From other travel blogs:
Vagablogging has another review of Lois on the Loose, and Justin Glow has an interview with Lois on Gadling.

If you lived here, I'd know your name

Alaska is on my list of places to visit, so when I saw If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende, I picked it up.

Heather writes the social column and the obituaries for a local paper in Haines, Alaska. Her stories about neighbors who have died and the things she learned about them are insightful and touching.

Haines is a fishing community, and working on the gillnetters, the boats used to catch salmon, can be dangerous. When you read about the loss of a young fisherman who drowns at sea, you grieve for his family. Heather's description of the events is chilling, and you can picture it so clearly; the boat going down, the family and friends gathered for news of the rescue. When you read about the community's reaction, you get a glimpse of what it would be like to live in Haines.

When Heather supported a workshop on homophobia at the local high school, she came face to face with another difficult part of living in a small town- confronting intolerance among your neighbors in a place where there is no anonymity.

Heather also talks about her day to day life. I enjoyed her stories about smoking fish in her backyard, and picking berries with friends. She has a practical outlook, and lives a simple, but rich, life with her family in a wild and beautiful place.

Book Review: A Walk In The Woods

Whenever I visit a bookstore, I look for interesting stories in the travel section. That is where I found A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson.

The author writes humorous, and thoughtful, descriptions of the Appalachian Trail, the people he meets while hiking, and his interactions with a friend who joins him on the trail. He adds commentary on the National Park System and the history of the trail and he does it in an insightful, easy to read style.

I enjoyed the book so much, I've added it to my personal library, and I've put his other books on my reading list.

Book Review: Too Much Tuscan Sun

I just finished reading Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide by Dario Castagno. It is definitely a keeper for my personal library. The author shares humorous stories about his clients (mostly Americans) and his experiences guiding them around the Chianti region. He also writes about living in Tuscany, including discovering wonderful old farm houses and participating in the Palio, a bare back horse race in Sienna that happens every July and August.

From the back cover, "With wry humor and affection, Dario recalls some of his more remarkable clients- the delightful, the vain, the silly, the ignorant, the ambitious, the amorous, the condescending, the lovely, and the out-right crazy. He also shares an account of his own life and times- his transformation from bohemian layabout to thriving tour guide- and offers an enchanting introduction to the charms of Tuscany over the course of a year."

I couldn't say it any better.


Thank you to Peg Zemke for sharing the beautiful picture from her trip to Italy last fall.

Vroom with a View

Searching the internet for ideas on scooter trips, I found a book written by Peter Moore that I immediately ordered from Amazon. Vroom with a View is about traveling around Italy on a Vespa. The following review intrigued me,

"As an owner of a Vespa with little free time or enough daring to travel solo through Italy myself, I found this book to be a wonderful way to fulfill a fantasy. Moore's writing is accessible to all readers regardless of their Vespa status. It works as well as a travelogue for anyone considering an off-the-beaten-path tour of Italy as it does for those of us with a special love for the joy of riding a Vespa."

I can't wait to read it.

Living and Traveling Simply

The idea of living and traveling simply appeals to me. Getting down to the basics without all the extras. When we traveled to Ireland for two weeks, we each had one carry-on bag (all backpacks except for my small suitcase.) I also brought a bag with my laptop. We had more than enough clothes to wear and things to do. There was so much freedom in that. It’s less to keep track of, take care of, and move around.

We don’t live as simply as we could, but on a regular basis, I will do a clean sweep of the house, especially after reading Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin or The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. These books are about being fully aware of the choices you make and why you make them. For people who go to the store to buy shampoo and conditioner and walk out with a shopping cart full of merchandise and less money in their bank account, these books are an eye opener.

To help with the cleaning out, I sometimes read one of Don Aslett’s books, usually Clutter's Last Stand or Weekend Makeover (previously titled Lose 200 Lbs This Weekend). Both of these books are great for motivation. Another good motivation is watching one of my favorite shows, "Clean Sweep" on The Learning Channel. What a great feeling for those families to get rid of so much stuff they don't need.

To read about traveling simply, I picked up Rolf Potts’ book, Vagabonding. In his book, he talks about how living simply allows us to travel more easily. How, unfortunately, “out of our insane duty to fear, fashion, and monthly payments on things we don’t really need- we quarantine our travels to short, frenzied bursts.” Living simply is about increasing “your personal options instead of your personal possessions.”

In a chapter called “Keep it Simple”, the author states, “The freedom to go vagabonding has never been determined by income level; it’s found through simplicity- the conscious decision of how to use what income you have.” He goes on to say that simplicity “makes you more adventuresome, forces you into sincere contact with locals, and allows you the independence to follow your passions and curiosities down exciting new roads.” I'm reading this, getting excited about how it ties into the books I mentioned above, when I get to his resource section where he lists those two books. I guess that explains why it tied in so well.

To add another coincidence, as I'm thinking about all of the above, I happened to see a special report that a local news station, WCCO, recently did on“Transumer Trend; A Life of Experiences, not Stuff”. The report did not mention any of the above books, but it did tie in to the general idea of fewer material possessions equaling less stress and more freedom. I like that idea... very much.

Catherine Watson and the Sunday Travel Section

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has a Sunday Travel Section that I've read for years. Growing up, those articles gave me a fascination for other places and a strong desire to travel. After reading the stories, I would check out travel books from the local library (this was before the internet) and order travel guides from the different destinations described in the paper. I kept my favorite articles for years, planning travels of my own. Most of these articles were written by Catherine Watson, the travel editor of the paper from 1978-2004.

Michael Yessis at World Hum interviewed Ms. Watson in 2005, when her book, Roads Less Traveled: Dispatches from the Ends of the Earthwas published. In the interview, he asked about her travel philosophy. Her reply is worth reprinting here:

Go everywhere you can.

Be passionately curious.

Talk to everyone who’ll let you, especially the quiet people.

Stay till the bitter end. If the ceremonial lasts all day, so do you—you never know what’ll happen at the end.

Be able to turn on a dime. Throw out your itinerary if something better comes along, and it always will.

Don’t sweat the small stuff—or the bad beds, or the bed bugs, or the wet shoes or whatever. The discomforts will pass, the shoes will dry, and the memories will last.

And maybe more than anything: Commit to the trip. Commit to the moment. Really be there.

"Roads Less Traveled" is a collection of travel stories from her time at the Star Tribune. A story from the book, Incident in a Spanish Church, was posted on World Hum at the same time as the interview. A new dispatch, Unlocking Beirut, was recently added to the site. If you missed the book when it first came out, I encourage you to pick it up now.

*Photos from Mykonos, Greece

Books set in Ireland

If you have an interest in Ireland, I recommend reading McCarthy's Bar, written by the late Pete McCarthy.In the book, he describes visiting Ireland, always following his rule, “never pass a bar that has your name on it.” He has a way with words, with vivid and humorous descriptions of the people he meets and the places he sees. It's one of my favorite books.

I also like the books by Niall Williams and Christine Breen about moving from New York to a small town in County Clare. O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in the County Clare is the first of four books about their life at Kiltumper Cottage.They include such interesting stories that I was sad to reach the end of the last book.

If you know about other books set in Ireland that you can recommend, please add them to the comments section.

Planning a Trip

When I am hit by a desire to travel somewhere, I enjoy the planning almost as much as the trip itself. I like to read books, look at maps, search the internet and talk to people who have been there before. I get ideas from books, movies, television shows, travel magazines, articles in the newspaper and online, and friends and family.

For our trip to Ireland, I bought Dorling Kindersley's Ireland (Eyewitness Travel Guides). My favorite travel book, DK is perfect for initial trip planning. Beautiful pictures and short descriptions of highlights helped me create a list of must-sees. Once I had my list, I was able to draw up a rough itinerary.

I took the itinerary to TripAdvisor, one of my favorite travel websites. Using the search option in the Ireland forum, I read previous posts on the areas I was interested and made changes to my itinerary. I then posted it on the forum, and sat back as people who have been to Ireland before, live there, or are planning their own trips, wrote in with advice, suggestions and travel tips.

Based on the experiences of those on the forum, I revised the itinerary several times. Some of the advice included links to good Ireland travel websites. Visiting those sites, I got more ideas to add to our list. I also read trip reports from people who recently traveled to Ireland, learning from their recommendations.

Trip Advisor has information on lodging and attractions where you can read reviews of specific places. We used this feature when selecting where we stayed and where we visited. I highly recommend visiting this website while planning a trip.

After reviewing several travel books, we selected Frommer's Ireland 2006 for more detailed information than DK Ireland. We also bought an Ordnance Survey map of Ireland and a detailed map of Dublin.

Because of space constraints (we were determined to do this trip without checked baggage) we left the Frommer’s guide at home and kept only a list of places to see, restaurants to visit. This was a mistake. Frommer’s had quite a bit of information we could have used during our trip, especially in Dublin.

After several months of planning, we went to Ireland for two weeks. We didn’t follow our itinerary exactly, but enjoyed the unexpected. We also had lists of options, not rigid detailed plans, and that made our trip plans more flexible. We had a great time.

I recommend bringing a small journal on your trip to write details of your experiences each day while they are still fresh in your mind. It’s amazing how much you forget once you get home, even with all the pictures to look at.