8 Recommended Travel Reads

I don’t know about you, but with so much travel orientated material on the web I find it difficult to know where to look and what too read. nevertheless, lately I’ve been doing a lot of looking, and even more reading. There’s some great stuff out there, and here are just a hand full of superb travel orientated sites that I would like to share with you all.

Marshmallow loving Araptirop continues his Backpacking Odyssey through East Africa, providing us with an insight into his adventure through a rich and somewhat humorous writing style. With the bureaucratic morass of Ethiopia now behind him he faces new challenges in Uganda.

Sick of the daily grind, Glen and Isla had a “Sod it. Why not?” moment four months ago and hit the road. So far their journey has taken them from the United Kingdom to Asia, with their Last known Location being Hong Kong Island. Some super photos and a great blog for that vicarious travel fix.

Canadian Chris may even catch Glen and Isla as he goes the other way, traveling from Asia through to England on $5,000 Moose Bucks (or Canadian Dollars, for those that aren’t as hopelessly sarcastic as me). Guys, keep your eyes peeled for a pack with red maple leaf on Currently in Laos, he still has a long way to travel (and hopefully lots more absorbing travelingchris.com Blog entries to post) , and I wish him safe passage and good travel karma. The lucky so and so…

Rambling Traveler Stacey never ceases to come up with the goods in her blog. With a recent flurry of superb photos to drool over and many alluring travel posts, this blog has to be seen. Viewing her updates has almost become as much a part of my morning routine as wishing I were back on the road sooner, having that ‘morning scratch’, and putting the kettle on!

Do you desire to live a life of temperance? Want to give your travel buddies the slip because they get up too early, ’scratch themselves’ too much, and only make brews for themselves? Then the tips from Paul at www.travmonkey.com may be right up your street. Travmonkey’s ‘ Control My travel ‘ experiment, coming up in April, will also be one to watch.

Timen’s ‘Experience Traveling’ site In My Allstars has a plethora of useful travel tips and information geared toward gaining a better insight into the world in which we live and travel. Regularly updated with ‘news, views, and ‘how to do’s’, this is definitely a site worth bookmarking.

Nomad4ever’s spirited journal defines traveling lifestyle issues in Asia. This site contains many a good snippet of information, specialising to a degree in Indonesian affairs close to a traveler’s heart, such as a cultural insight, visas, and the mechanics behind travel within Indo. Although some may say I am slightly biased toward this site, as my next lengthy trip will see me once again revisiting this vast and magnificently diverse country, I still maintain that this is a worthy read for all.

248 days until the adventure begins! Dave at GoBackpacking.com sets off for his solo Round The World Adventure in December 2007, however, the boots are already on! Before the ‘Big Off’ he invites us to share his previous travel experiences, and his plans, saving strategies , hopes and fears for the forthcoming trip on his blog. Considering the high quality of content on offer at this current time on the site in general, this travelogue promises to be a real spin during the RTW extravaganza.

5 Funny Travel Photos – Central America

Here are 5 funny photos taken during my recent jaunt through Central America – at least I think they’re funny… David Bailey – be afraid, be very afraid…

1. Salvoman, El Salvador

Sunzal Beach, El Salvador. I’m a real sucker for building snowmen – but what can do beyond niveous climates? You can build a coconut man, of course. A staggering 3 feet tall (not including his 12ft bamboo, coconut-tipped spear) and weighing in at a good 5 ½ pounds – allow me to introduce Salvoman – the sick, smoking, Salvadoran, surf statue. Building this was clearly a monday afternoon well spent .

2. Funeral Parlour, Honduras

I took this one outside a funeral parlour in Copan, Honduras. Why spend all that extra time and money on a fancy sign explaining what your business does when a picture, or in this case a model, says it all? We were so tempted to go in. If the outside was this good, just imagine how f****d up the inside must have been…

3. ‘La Minga’ Bar, El Salvador

At some point in our lives, we’ve possibly all walked into a bar like this – but at least this one provides written and pictorial warning of the horrors that lurk within. San Salvador, El Salvador.

4. Guatemalan Fanny Tuna

Maybe it’s just me, but this has to be the funniest tins of tuna in the universe. Childish, I know – but allow me to satiate my desire to tee-hee at such immature distractions. Lago Atitlan, Guatemala.

5. My Special Guatemalan Carrot

Ok, so you can now see a trend emerging…
I rescued Dave the Organ-ic Carrot from a veggie vendor in Quetzaltenango (Xela) Market, Guatemala. As soon as I clapped eyes on him I knew he had to be mine. The elderly lady seemed a little confused that I wanted that one, and that one only, but a couple of Guatemalan guys picked up on this bad boy pretty quickly – they knew exactly why I wanted him. As I walked away from the stall, cradling not-so-little Dave, I caught site of these guys now with equally childish grins on their faces. It left me feeling warm and inspired in the knowledge that juvenile humour is truly a universal phenomenon!