Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Stomping through Central America with Philip Roth
With a trip to Nicaragua looming ever closer, the list of what to pack is rapidly forming in my head. Hiking Boots, check. Festive Hawaiian shirt, check. Camera, check. But at the top of my list on every trip? A couple, good, cheap paperback novels.
The truth is, the paperback novel is the most underrated, and most important item in your day pack on every trip. Because so much of traveling involves waiting. An hour to kill at the bus stop might be a cultural attraction at first, but after 10 minutes or so the realization hits that staring at the tobacco stand won't win you any friends, and there never seems to be a lot to really "see" at the bus station. The truth is that having a book gives you something to do - and something to busy your mind during those long waits, or those overnight train rides where you just can't get the sleep you need, because they never turned the lights off in your compartment.
It's also a great tool to meet people. Seriously, hanging out in the hostel of choice in Rio or Munich or wherever, the book someone's reading at the picnic table comes up for discussion. Followed by what Joe Backpacker is reading on his long train rides. Books get exchanged, ideas shared, friendships made. Much like bumming a light for a cigarette got you that first friend in college, your paperback book can do the same thing for you on the road - and without damaging your lungs. (Unless you try to smoke your book - and in that case, just buy the smokes instead!)
When traveling, a book can be your best friend, and it definitely should be something kept in your bag - at all times.
With a trip to Nicaragua looming ever closer, the list of what to pack is rapidly forming in my head. Hiking Boots, check. Festive Hawaiian shirt, check. Camera, check. But at the top of my list on every trip? A couple, good, cheap paperback novels.
The truth is, the paperback novel is the most underrated, and most important item in your day pack on every trip. Because so much of traveling involves waiting. An hour to kill at the bus stop might be a cultural attraction at first, but after 10 minutes or so the realization hits that staring at the tobacco stand won't win you any friends, and there never seems to be a lot to really "see" at the bus station. The truth is that having a book gives you something to do - and something to busy your mind during those long waits, or those overnight train rides where you just can't get the sleep you need, because they never turned the lights off in your compartment.
It's also a great tool to meet people. Seriously, hanging out in the hostel of choice in Rio or Munich or wherever, the book someone's reading at the picnic table comes up for discussion. Followed by what Joe Backpacker is reading on his long train rides. Books get exchanged, ideas shared, friendships made. Much like bumming a light for a cigarette got you that first friend in college, your paperback book can do the same thing for you on the road - and without damaging your lungs. (Unless you try to smoke your book - and in that case, just buy the smokes instead!)
When traveling, a book can be your best friend, and it definitely should be something kept in your bag - at all times.
Labels: books, preparations, travel
Roger, 12:50 AM
