Today's Topic: Worst Experiences! 1) What do you hate the most about traveling? I hate repacking my backpack. The moment I get to a hostel (or any other kind of accommodation), things come flying out of my bag as I rush to see my surroundings. It's like this everyday. Things- clothes, toiletries, shoes, books, towels, etc.- almost never return … Continue reading Travel Talk Tuesdays 4/8: Worst Travel Experiences
Tag: Drugs
Streets and Scenes of Bogota
Colombia. Drugs. Violence. Guerrillas. Death. Corruption. There is a common misconception within the US- and other first world countries- that these words are synonymous. I decided to write my Master's thesis on La Violencia, or "The Violence", in Colombia to prove that this notion was terribly false. From 1948 to 1958, the country experienced a massive … Continue reading Streets and Scenes of Bogota
The Truth about Travel Addiction
Addiction. It's a strong word. It is also very, very much overused and, in my opinion, not taken seriously enough anymore. People commonly refer to themselves playfully as "shopaholics", "chocoholics", and so on. "I'm so addicted to that show!" "I'm totally addicted to cat memes!" "OMG, I have a major shoe addiction!" Sure. You like something- … Continue reading The Truth about Travel Addiction
Bolivia’s Route 36: Not Your Average Bar
"La hoja de coca no es droga" was the slogan on t-shirts and posters everywhere when I was in Bolivia back in 2004. "Coca leaf is not a drug." Judging by the plethora of barrels and garbage-bags filled with the stuff everywhere in stores, on street sides, and the little green pieces stuck in locals' yellowing … Continue reading Bolivia’s Route 36: Not Your Average Bar
Five of My Favorite Travel Books
As a writer, traveler, and prolific reader, I often consider that I haven't read many "travel books," since I usually don't delve into travel memoirs. Usually, when I go to the travel section of a library or bookstore, I end up thumbing through a Lonely Planet travel guide, or musing through the colorful pictures of … Continue reading Five of My Favorite Travel Books
Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: A Gonzo Kinda Life
I first heard of the expression, "buy the ticket, take the ride" when I read Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aide Acid Test. At the time, while I tripped along the words, riding along in the Magic Bus with Ken Kesey and his gang of acid-trippin' hippies (including Neal Cassady and Hunter S. Thompson), I had never read anything by Hunter S. Thompson. … Continue reading Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: A Gonzo Kinda Life
Chronicles of a Travel Addict 