India's Ganges Is a Hotbed of Activity, as Was the Aristocratic, Erotic Kuma Sutra

Chet Singh Ghat, a fortress built in 1805. Photos by Joel Simpson.

Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation site on the Ganges.

The Ganga Aarti fire festival is held nightly for 30 minutes, rain or shine.

HEADS UP: Late last year, contributor Joel Simpson was kind enough to share some pointers about traveling in the developing world. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) He did 12 countries! We promised pictures, and they (from nine countries) will be rolling out every other Sunday through around mid-April. Dear Travelers, get ready to have your breath taken away.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

THE Ganges river, which devout Hindus bathe in daily despite warnings of industrial pollution, flows through it. Hindu University is there. It is the site of major Hindu festivals.

Welcome to Varanasi, the holy city of Hinduism.

Barbara – my travel companion – and I chose this city in Northeast India as our base for a seven-day Indian experience, spending a fair amount of time on the river. We would also squeeze in a two-day excursion to Khajuraho, 300 miles away.

The Ganges is a permanent spectacle. A predawn to mid-morning private paddle on it is almost as exciting as the balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey. (http://www.bit.ly/1NWiJFC) Eighty or so ghats – picturesque 18th and 19th century buildings of various designs – line its bank.

I am barely seated in my boat when a man appears selling a “diya,” or devotional candle on a paper plate, surrounded by marigolds. For 90 rupees (about $1.50), I can launch it into the water, thereby assuring myself health and prosperity.

This diya seller slipped into my boat before I noticed. The lighted candle diya when launched with the right hand into the waters of the Ganges would bring health, wealth and happiness — all for 90 rupees ($1.50).

Farther along the river, populating red and white steps, is a line of yoga practitioners, boatloads of pilgrims, silhouetted by the newly risen sun, myriad bathers, as well as colorful boats, including a bizarre submarine with a face.

Children swim naked. Adults pour water over themselves, put it in their mouth and spit it out. A dead body floats by. A buffalo driver waters his burdens. Most curious of all are the cremation ghats: it’s considered very holy to have oneself cremated on the banks of the Ganges. Amid all of this, commerce thrives.

Later, I manage to visit a number of temples in Varanasi, along the way passing stately semi-decayed buildings bedecked with filigree. The streets are thronged – lined with garbage, with cows often taking up an entire lane.

Water buffalo in their favorite place.

One evening I attend the fabulous nightly fire ceremony to the river gods, the Ganga Aarti. It attracts a horde of locals and tourists, many watching from boats. Five priests slowly swing trees of candles around their heads in synchronized movements. (http://www.varanasi.org.in/ganga-aarti)

A very different type of ceremony was common in Khajuraho. It is the home of erotic carvings on 22, 1000-year-old temples that are still in religious use today. The carvings depict the daily life of the royals or aristocrats, including very frank depictions of their lovemaking: the Kama Sutra illustrated in stone. http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/khajuraho.html

Yoga in the early morning.

Contemporary India is rather conservative, so it’s astonishing to see these sculptures on temples that serve the pious. One removes one’s shoes to enter.

Local guides use hand mirrors to point out the erotic scenes. It becomes obvious that these exotic positions were feasible only with attendants.

One of the famous erotic carvings from the temples of Khajuraho, 9th-10th centuries.

Sunset at Khajuraho.

Next: MONGOLIA and VIETNAM

In Jordan: Life, Bedouin Style; Discovering the Treasury and Other Riches of Petra

Inside one of the major tombs with the sun low in the sky. Photos by Joel Simpson.

Our driver cooked us lunch while we explored the area, and we all sat down for a picnic – with hot food! That’s me on the far left.

One of the major tombs in the central part of Petra, overlooking the main thoroughfare.

HEADS UP: Late last year, contributor Joel Simpson was kind enough to share some pointers about traveling in the developing world. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) He did 12 countries! We promised pictures, and they (from nine countries) will be rolling out every other Sunday through around mid-April. Dear Travelers, get ready to have your breath taken away.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

FOREIGNERS might want to avoid the Middle East, since so much lethal conflict is going on there.

But the friendly little Bedouin kingdom of Jordan is an island of stability and welcoming smiles, with a number of world-class attractions to recommend it.

My traveling companion Barbara, and I, immersed ourselves for two days in Bedouin culture at the Bedouin Lifestyle Camp in the starkly beautiful Wadi Rum desert in the south. (http://www.bedouinlifestyle.com)

Then we would spend two days in Petra in central Jordan, one of the world’s great archaeological sites, taking in even more extravagant red-rock geology. (http://www.visitpetra.jo/)

In the Bedouin Lifestyle Camp guests sleep in comfortable permanent tents and walk to a common bathroom. Everyone eats in a communal tent, where dinner is cooked underground and dug up with great ceremony, then served buffet style, accompanied by music and dancing.

The famous view of the Treasury, carved in sandstone, as one emerges from the narrow defile leading to Petra. Remember this façade from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"?

Participation by guests is greatly encouraged. Spirits are high – I keep singing to myself (à la Irving Berlin), “I’m a Bedouin, Too!”

The following day we are speeding around the desert in a covered 4x4. During the roadtrip we call on petroglyphs, T. E. Lawrence’s wall, a shop under a tent and two natural arches. “Snowboarding ” on a sand dune is much, too.

Elsewhere, I'd been curious about Petra for years. The American Museum of Natural History staged an elaborate exhibition on it in 2003-04

Petra was home to the Nabateans, who flourished as spice and perfume traders from 100 BCE to 100 CE. (http://www.bit.ly/1B0wspx)

In the communal tent at the Bedouin Lifestyle Camp, music and dancing precedes dinner.

The city acquired wealth as the crossroads of two major trade routes – North-South and East-West. Petra suffered a powerful earthquake in 363 CE, which disrupted its water supply. In another 200 years it would be forgotten.

Walk down a mile-long canyon called the Siq – the main entryway to Petra – and be lead to a view of the Treasury. It is one of the city's most famous ruins. Once inside, nothing prepares me for the raw beauty of its rocks or the roughly eroded Greco-Roman architectural motifs in rainbow sandstone.

The tombs are empty, of course, but very dramatic in the late-afternoon light.

The Bedouin Lifestyle Camp, laid out against a protective cliff face, deep in the Wadi Rum desert.

At the Bedouin Lifestyle Camp, everyone applauds to see our dinner clean, cooked and intact.

Detail of Hellenistic architecture that looks very contemporary, thanks to centuries of erosion.

Next: Nepal and Tibet

TURKEY: Up, Up and Away and Down to Earth Delighting in Beauty and Gastronomy

Sunrise from balloon over Cappadocia, Turkey. Photos by Joel Simpson.

HEADS UP: Late last year, contributor Joel Simpson was kind enough to share some pointers about traveling in the developing world. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) He did 12 countries! We promised pictures, and they (from nine countries) will be rolling out every other Sunday through around mid-April. Dear Travelers, get ready to have your breath taken away.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

IN case you were wondering what happened to Moses' famous staff, the one that turned into a serpent that ate the serpents of the staffs of Pharaoh's magicians (13th Century BCE), it's in Istanbul. I saw it.

It's one of the relics enshrined in Istanbul's Topkapi Palace Museum, the former Sultans' palace and compound, Turkey's version of the Louvre or the Forbidden City. That same room also houses a sword of King David's and Joseph's turban, exceptionally well-preserved for fabric – and who knew he sported a turban?

There's also a footprint of Mohammed in what looks like glazed mud. Topkapi consists of a sprawling walled compound, pleasantly landscaped with masses of tulips grouped by color, and fragrant hyacinths.

From the bejeweled items one sees there in profusion, it's clear that the Sultans denied themselves nothing. One speculates that the "sick man of Europe" – the Ottoman Empire – choked on its gemstones. Unfortunately, no photography was permitted inside.

Turkey was the first stop on a 10-week, around-the-world tour. Of all of the 12 countries that my travel companion, Barbara, and I visited, Turkey was the easiest to travel in. It was also one of the most rewarding, visually and gastronomically.

Neighboring ballon over Urgüp, a town carved out of the soft volcanic tuff rock.

The target area was Cappadocia, known for its curious geology and early Christian frescoes in tiny hollowed-out churches. We took the overnight bus from Istanbul, arriving in Kayseri the morning after. We rented a car and drove 40 kilometers to the tourist hub Urgüp, then its quieter suburb, Mustafapasha. We stayed in the Old Greek House,a venerable mansion reeking with history and color. (http://www.oldgreekhouse.com/en/).

The next morning we were picked up by Goreme Balloons for a 5 o'clock hot-air balloon ride. It was one of the high points (literally and figuratively) of the entire trip! At 7, I watched the sunrise over the rugged terrain, sprinkled with about 50 other colorful balloons (from an equal number of balloon companies), each carrying 12 passengers. (http://www.goremeballoons.com/)

One of the best preserved frescoes in the tiny churches of the Goreme Open Air Museum.

The balloon ride afforded views of the famous pinnacles, the “fairy chimneys,” the tent rocks, here and there striated with bands of iron oxide (orange) and manganese (black) marching through their forms. Visible, too, is what seemed like an entire village carved into the soft volcanic tuff rock.

Awaiting us back at the hotel after the balloon ride was a breakfast feast of a sumptuous breakfast with halvah, feta, dried fruit and preserves and a very tasty apricot and blackberry jams.

Love Valley.

Later at the the Gorême Open Air Museum, we saw carved-out chambers that had been used as tiny churches, no bigger than a kitchen, but often decorated with the most extravagant frescoes. Dating back 700, 1000, 1200 years, some of them are horribly defaced but others are in fairly good condition, their colors brilliant.(http://www.goreme.com/goreme-open-air-museum.php).

Elsewhere, a hike down Ilhara Valley allowed an exploration of random holes in the cliff-face, which turned out to reveal elaborate frescoes of rows of churchmen, horribly defaced.

The following day we marveled at two “underground cities” of Derinkuyu (http://www.goreme.com/derinkuyu-underground-city.php) and Kaymakli (http://www.goreme.com/kaymakli-underground-city.php), which went down five levels and eight levels, respectively. They could provide enough air, water and food to hide 5,000 people from invaders for six months.

View of underground city of Kaymakli.

The earliest of these cities were dug out 4000 years ago. When the Christians arrived, they extended them farther down. Our itinerary included visits to places with names like Selime, “a troglodyte village” carved into conical rocks, and Keslik Monastery, similarly carved. The monastery is home to 18th century graffiti alongside the 9th century frescoes.

En route to the monastery one can pass Love Valley. Its cap-rocked pinnacles are so phallic that the name was unavoidable.

Back in Mustafapasha a delightful discovery is the Doll and History Museum. It is also a guest house. Small local museums inevitably offer surprises such as artifacts of lives of centuries past, local artworks and whimsical constructions. This one shows off the sweep of Turkish history and culture – through dolls!

Mustapha Kemal declaring Turkish “independence” from the Ottoman Empire, represented in dolls at the Doll and History Museum, Mustafapasha.

Incredibly, all of the dolls were made by one woman over the past 30 years, including the great sultans and sultanas, Turkish street merchants, philosophers, poets, janissary musicians, dervishes and Mustapha Kemal himself on the day “independence” was proclaimed. She had even captured the likeness.

Her son curated the museum while she stayed out of sight in the kitchen, surrounded by the products of her prodigious canning. I managed to meet her nonetheless.

Next: JORDAN

Around the World With Joel Simpson in Two Hours

Joel Simpson will be showing about 1200 images from his 10-week round-the-world tour – "Around the World in 10 Weeks–In Two Hours" – from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center.(WAH Center)

Visit http://www.wahcenter.net/2015/01/around-the-world-in-10-weeks-in-two-hours/ to learn more about "Around the World in 10 Weeks––In two Hours."

Pisidia Has It in the Bag(s) for Everyone in the Family

Pisidia bags and accessories at the Republic Collective holiday pop-up shop. Photo by Jonathan Miller.

HEADS UP: Dilemma: The last days. YOU: bewitched, bothered and bewildered. US: elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are, of course, on the case. Practically every day through 24 Dec., we will introduce at least one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). Now stop your fretting.

THEY are sleek, stylish, sometimes even a little sexy, and sensible.

They are bags and accessories from Pisidia. The collection has been making a splash in parts of Europe and Australia and is now attempting inroads into the United States. Already, Pisidia is a name being whispered and a bag appearing on red carpets in Hollywood.

What's all of the fuss about? Well, aside from the aforesaid, the products come in some pretty nifty colors –15 in fact – such as rose pink, Caribbean blue, sunrise yellow, and b&w. And they can be a family affair, meaning every member in the family can be sporting one of Pisida's 21 products.

One particular aspect of Pisidia, which its makers like to draw attention, is their assertion that it is the first and only handbag & accessory line made from silicone. Every piece in the collection has stitched-silicone as a component.

For devices, the Pisidia tablet bag. Photos from Pisidia Web site.

“You can get so many uses out of it – it's durability,” noted Pisidia owner Jonathan Miller last week at the Republic Collective holiday pop-up shop in Soho, where his brand is given good placement. “It's not plastic; it's not toxic. It's eco-friendly. On a day like today, in the rain, nothing gets ruined because the water will just drip right off.”

A comforting thought if a body is sporting the popular Tablet bag or Laptop bag. Another favorite, JM, said is the All Day Shopper, a large purse that can carry many and sundry items. Travelers might want to turn their attention to the Weekender and Vacationer, two bags that can serve a good purpose for a few days or a few weeks. And they are sized to fly free.

The Pisidia suite earns extra style points for embellishments like the signature P medallion, signature Pisidia hardware, raised Pisidia imprint, adjustable and detachable shoulder straps, as well as leather handles and other leather accents.

The vacationer is ready to hit the road or take to the skies.

The brand has yet more to recommend it. Its name alone suggests as much. Pisidia was an ancient town in Asia Minor (now Turkey) that became a center for some of the first strides of a fledgling Christianity. “It means,” JM said, "standing up for something you believe in. Buying a product that is not only beneficial for you but for the environment as well."

One pouch, but many purposes.

In honor of that tradition Pisidia,whose logo incorporates a “support ribbon,” donates a portion of proceeds from the sale of every product to cancer research. “We also partner with various causes throughout the year to help benefit them when they're in need,” JM added. One of note is the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation (http://www.sugarrayleonard.com/foundation/).

The Pisidia wallet needs fattening.

Typical of bags, the Pisdia brand (from $36 to $598) can also be repurposed. A case – to use a word – in point is the Pen Sunglass bag. It can ferry its namesake contents in addition to makeup, art supplies, mobile phones, keys and coins.

And if the coins don't fit, there is a Coin Purse and Organizer. A bag for nearly every occasion and/or need.

Visit http://www.pisidiausa.com/ to learn more about Pisidia.

Around the World in 10 Weeks: Staying in the Loop and Keeping Others in Your Loop

For night shooting, such as the Ganga Aarti Fire Festival on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India, a lightweight tripod or other camera support is very helpful. Photos by Joel Simpson.

HEADS UP: Welcome to the fold new contributor Joel Simpson, a Renaissance man and generally worldly fellow. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) Indeed, he recently returned from a trip to a dozen countries. Not only does Joel have breathtaking images to share, which will be published shortly, he returns with some very useful pointers for traveling in the developing world detailed here last week, yesterday and concluding today. Take heed, Dear Travelers.

By JOEL SIMPSON

YOU may be gone far, far away. But you need not be forgotten.

Having returned from a 10-week jaunt around the world, I was compelled to share with others how they could do it, too, with the least amount of hassle and hustle. Over the last two weeks I have offered suggestions about important arrangements such as packing, incidentals, transportation and lodging.

Finally, some words about communications and photography. After all, you'll want to share your amazing experiences.

STAYING CONNECTED
So much of the joy of travel is in sharing it with friends and family – most of whom stayed home. We used to send postcards, but in the digital age we can practically carry our loved ones h us. Most people send photos they take with their smartphones right away.

If you maintain a trip blog, however, you can communicate with many more people and offer more information. When it’s all over you’ll have a field record that’s a lot better than your memory.

Most hotels have Wi-Fi. India was the only place where the service cost extra. The real question is what kind of device will you bring. Your smartphone may be enough if you don’t plan to do much writing. But we were both keeping blogs. (My companion's http://www.rtwin70days.com; Mine: http://www.marvels2014.blogspot.com).

My companion brought a laptop computer. I left mine home in favor of a tablet. My choice was the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, for which you can buy a Bluetooth keyboard for $50 (widely available). It fit into my photo vest, easily into my backpack and is about one-quarter the weight of my laptop.

This model has a micro-sd card slot, which I found very useful; iPads do not. Typing is not quite as smooth as on my laptop, but it was certainly doable. Of course, Tab 3 also has all of the versatility of a mobile device, not least of which is the onboard Kindle, which contained the guidebooks I downloaded for the countries we visited.

The one disadvantage of the Tab 3 was that it would not enlarge the maps in these guidebooks, but all the hotels had free printed city maps. It has a very good photo gallery function, good email; I used it to write and upload my blog posts.

A ringtail lemur in the Parc National de l'Isalo in the Ihorombe region of Madagascar. It is one of the countries where smartphone calls are costly.

Remember to bring enough power adapters. Incidentally, those heavy transformers are no longer necessary. All electronic devices these days accept both 220 and 120 current. It’s best to keep your adapters, battery chargers and cables together in a safe place.

My T-Mobile phone worked in most countries for 20¢ per minute with free texting and Internet access. In some of the more remote countries I was off network, and the price went up to $4.99 per minute (Madagascar, Mongolia), so I switched it off. I could have bought a SIM card but didn’t bother.

PHOTOGRAPHY
If you want good photographs bring a good camera. Do NOT rely on your smartphone. Your camera should have a good wide angle as well as telephoto capabilities – the 35mm equivalent of at least 18mm to 200mm or better. The maximum ISO should be at least 3200.

If possible, select a camera that has no digital delay that can fire off several shots per second. This will be very useful when shooting from a moving vehicle. When doing so, set you ISO to at least 3200 and your shutter speed to at least 1/2000th of a second, shorter if possible. Always shoot in your highest resolution if you intend to keep your photos, and always in color. You can change to monochrome later.

It’s best to use a memory card with no more than 8GB. If it is compromised or lost you won’t lose too data. Have some kind of storage device if you plan to do a lot of shooting. I used the Picture Porter Advanced by Digital Foci, which has a 500GB capacity. (http://www.digitalfoci.com)

You may not need this much storage, but if you’re planning to be away more than two weeks, you can save on memory cards by having an easy-to-use portable hard drive like this one or a lower capacity one such as the Picture Porter 35. You can also see and sort your images on the Picture Porter models.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 is a lightweight and useful travel companion.

Digital Foci also makes a portable power supply called a Battery Porter that comes in three models. Once you charge this device for several hours or overnight, you can charge your smartphone 4-7 times, or your tablet by 1-1.5 times. This is useful when you’re away from power sources or when someone else is using the car charger (if there is one).

It’s also good to have some kind of camera support, even just a tabletop tripod or GorillaPod (http://www.joby.com/gorillapod). I use a lightweight, full-size Silk Sprint Pro II GM tripod with a quick-release ballhead when I’m traveling (http://www.bhphotovideo.com).

It weighs a hair more than two pounds and extends to just under 64 inches – exactly the right formula. These are essential for night shooting. The 18.5-inch folded length fits conveniently into my suitcase. It also provided a rigid splint for my rolled-up Tibetan paintings (around a sturdy core).

I don’t use flash very much, but it’s good to have for convivial group portraits and dimly lit interiors. You might also consider bringing a hand-held video light. These are quite versatile for illuminating details in frescos, for example, and they double as a great flashlight.

Many travelers will want to post their travel photos onto Web sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Picasa. It’s not as straightforward as it may seem, because if you’re serious about your photography, you’ll want to capture the images in high-resolution (printable), but upload them in low or web resolution without destroying the hi-res version for later printing.

It’s easy to download anything onto a storage device such as the Picture Porter, but how can you downsize them to the resolution appropriate for the Web and still keep the high-res images? I’m still searching for an app for phones and tablets that downsizes images (there are several for computers). Perhaps we’ll see one come out soon.

My own solution was based on my amazing Canon 5D Mark III. It is not a camera most people are likely to travel with. It has two card slots, one for an CF card and one for an SD card. I used a micro SD card with the adapter to record in the lowest resolution possible, while recording my hi-res images on the CF card. Then, I removed the micro SD card from the adapter and slipped it into my Samsung Tab 3 (the iPad doesn’t have this feature).

The Angkor Wat temple complex, a prime tourist attraction in Cambodia and the world's largest religious monument, viewed with an image of it taken earlier on thePicture Porter Advanced.

I could then see all the photos I had taken that day and select the ones I wanted in the Tab 3’s memory. From there I could upload them onto my blog or any photo website. Overall, I am pleased with the results ...

Well, that should cover a lot of what you'll need to known for your own odyssey.

Even if you choose only to jot down notes of what you saw, where you stayed, what you ate and whom you met, you’ll find you’ll treasure these memory for years and refer to them the next time the wild goose calls.

Around the World in 10 Weeks: Going From Here to There in the Air and on the Ground

Morning bathers in the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. The Ganges is worshipped as the goddess, Ganga, in Hinduism. Photo by Joel Simpson.

HEADS UP: Welcome to the fold new contributor Joel Simpson, a Renaissance man and generally worldly fellow. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) Indeed, he recently returned from a trip to a dozen countries. Not only does Joel have breathtaking images to share, which will be published shortly, he returns with some very useful pointers for traveling in the developing world detailed here last week, today and concluding tomorrow. Take heed, Dear Travelers.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

HAVING returned from a 10-week jaunt around the world, where I visited places I’d heard about all my life, as well as some new ones, I’ve been urging people to convert their envy into their own determination to see the wonders in far-flung parts of our world.

Last week, I addressed space- and weight-saving clothing, efficient baggage, incidentals and so on. This week, booking the best transportation and lodging. (http://www.bit.ly/1oyEhi8)

FLIGHTS
Of course, major flights should be booked well in advance. If you’re visiting many countries or going around the world, consider using a flight packager such as London-based Travel Nation (http://www.travelnation.co.uk). Our contact person was Andrea Motta.

Travel Nation put our chosen destinations together in a coherent tour, coordinating many different airlines. You can make alterations in the proposal until you get as close as possible to what you want.

Take advantage of this option because there are restrictions. If you are traveling around the world, you must keep going in the same direction; there is no doubling back.

You'll have to book separately excursions that take you to a city with a small airport or return the way you came. As a rule, do this one to two months in advance of your departure. We found, however, that in certain countries this was not necessary and we booked our internal flights only one or two days in advance, incurring no penalty.

We took five excursion flights apart from our round-the-world package. The two I booked in advance I’m sure I saved money on. These were from Varanasi, India to Khajuraho and back. There was also an international flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Cambodia (the Angkor Wat). These one-hour flights in prop planes were both more than $300.

Our internal flights, though, were all booked shortly before departure and were all pretty inexpensive. They were from Ulaan Baator, Mongolia to Dalanzadgad , Mongolia (the city at the doorstep of the Gobi Desert), from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Hué, and then from Đà Nẵng to Hanoi.

Banyan trees grow all over Cambodia and can be as tall as 100 feet. Photo by Joel Simpson.

The Mongolia internal flight was a mere $140 roundtrip. Enktuya Banzrachg, our Gobi Tours (http://www.gobitours.com; [See video above]) tour operator, a perky middle-aged woman who owns the company, practically took us by the hand to the airline office and helped us book our flight.

She also set up our tour through the Gobi Desert as well as a nearby overnight trip to Terelj that revealed some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on the whole 10-week trip ...More shortly

Around the World in 10 Weeks: How You Can Do It, Too. And Survive / Thrive. And Get Tons of Images – Some of Them Really Good.

Bactrian (two-humped ) camels in Gobi desert in Mongolia. Photo by Joel Simpson.

HEADS UP: Welcome to the fold new contributor Joel Simpson, a Renaissance man and generally worldly fellow. (Read his profile on the “About VP/[Contributors tab,” http://www.bit.ly/1tzS8VW]) Indeed, he recently returned from a trip to a dozen countries. Not only does Joel have breathtaking images to share, which will be published shortly, he returns with some very useful pointers for traveling in the developing world detailed here this week and next. Take heed, Dear Travelers.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

WHEN I told people that I was going around the world for 10 weeks (with someone I hadn’t yet met), most reactions were some variation on “you lucky dog.”

It seemed inconceivable to the majority that I would set out for destinations that were the stuff of fantasy – or cartoons. Of course, a significant number had themselves been to some of the more far-flung places, like India, China and Vietnam.

No one, however, had been to either Madagascar or Mongolia. Further, no one had visited so many countries in a single trip.

Ten weeks is a long time to be away. If you can spare the time, you can certainly do what I did. But if you only have two to four weeks, it is still very possible to visit countries you might have only dreamed of going to and reap the considerable rewards.

What follows are suggestions about how to visit multiple countries over a number of weeks with the least amount of hassle and most amount of enjoyment. It is easier (and certainly less expensive) than you think.

An ExOfficio GIVE-N-GO® LACY™ tank top http://www.bit.ly/1wYihyw. Photo from ExOfficio Web site.

BAGGAGE
The trick of long-distance travel, of course, is to be prepared and to travel light. Now traveling light is a relative concept. Light for me may be heavy for another – after all, I brought one rolling case entirely devoted to photographic equipment. This is more than most people are willing to do. In addition, I had a 28-inch rolling duffle by Osprey (http://www.ospreypacks.com/) and a backpack by Ful (http://www.ful.com/)

It was a lot to haul around, but I was never once charged a supplement for excess luggage weight, to my surprise. I kept the rolling duffle right around 20 kilograms. For all but my transoceanic flights, the rolling photo bag (by Think Tank, http://www.thinktankphoto.com/) was a carry-on. We took three shorter flights where we returned to a base city. In all three cases I used a small nylon bag that folded into practically nothing in my big duffle. And I didn’t take my rolling photo case on those short excursions.

CLOTHING
The next most important consideration for long-distance travel is the type of clothing to bring. ExOfficio (http://www.exofficio.com) is a company that specializes in travel clothing. The company uses fabrics that repel insects. Just as important, the fabrics do not absorb odors, so you can wear the same underwear (and sleep in it) without offending those around you for four days straight. I used to go on long trips with six sets of underwear, which took up a major chunk of space in my main suitcase. No more.

The Netpack Dual Tone Ballistic 28-inch Wheeled Duffel is currently available at Amazon.com, http://www.amzn.to/1tutsMY. Photo from Amazon Web site.

I packed three white T-shirts, four pairs of undershorts (I could have done with three), two pairs of socks, two long-sleeved shirts and two pairs of pants. I also brought two pairs of shoes – one pair of hiking boots and one pair of hiking sneakers – both good walkers. I did have to buy a pair of flip-flops, so it’s good to take a pair along. I'd also recommend a lightweight outer wrap for cool evenings. Zippered is better than pullover because it can be worn open.

I also brought a “fourway” waterproof, breathable coat with a hood and detachable lining that was another complete coat. I needed the whole thing in Mongolia, but it was excess baggage in Vietnam and Cambodia. Luckily, I could stuff it into a compartment in my rolling duffle. Not having to carry it on my arm onto airplanes was a major gain.

My daily outerwear garment was a multi-pocket photo vest, which was extremely handy. In it I carried my passport and travel
documents, notebook, pens, sunglasses, magnifier, tissues, hand sanitizer, as well as photo accessories.

The GIVE-N-GO® SPORT MESH 6-inch inseam boxer brief from Exofficio, http://www.bit.ly/10jh7kF. Photo from ExOffico Web site.

Women may want to use such a thing rather than carry a purse, which takes up a whole arm. I also bought a billed (or brimmed) hat from ExOfficio with a sun protector flap that covers my neck. This is more efficient than a wide brimmed hat and takes up less space.

INCIDENTALS
I packed a liquid detergent and started out by washing my clothes in the bathroom sink. Few hotels had drain stoppers. A good one to bring along is the rubber circular type that covers the whole drain. In many countries, hotels do laundry quite cheaply – in Vietnam it was the equivalent of about $1.20 per kilo.

In the end, I availed myself of this service, though this can be quite expensive in fine hotels. For instance, it was $10.40 for about two kilos in Lhasa; in Tibet they charged by the piece and then added 15 percent.

As for personal accessories, I knew I couldn’t buy along the way the kind of vitamin supplements I take, so I packed about two pounds of them. As I consumed them I gloried in the weight I was liberating. I brought small containers in which I put only my day’s supply of vitamins to take at breakfast. I happen to use plastic film cans, but these are becoming rare.

My large supply stayed in plastic bottles. I dispensed them into multi-compartment bait holders, and then from there put a day’s dose into a film can. I take too many different ones to use one of those seven-day plastic containers.

The Organic High Altitude Help from Shining Mountain Herbs is liquid relief from high-altitude sickness that can be poured into a stainless steel flask for easier transport, http://www.bit.ly/1s7QHcQ. Photo from Shining Mountain Herbs Web site.

You can buy mouthwash, shaving cream, toothpaste, skin cream and so on in most places, especially in cities. To that end, don’t try to take your entire supply if you’ll be gone for a long time. Also many hotels supply the most common of these.

Women should bring their favorite makeup, however, because they may not find what they want, plus it’s expensive in airports. Pack sunscreen if you use it. Also pack small quantities of headache remedies, anti-diarrhea pills and motion sickness pills.

Don't forget altitude sickness pills if you’re going to places with high elevation. There is a homeopathic jet lag remedy that may have helped me on the outbound trip.

It took me about two weeks to get over jetlag completely upon returning home.

Next week: What to book ahead of time and Ground transportation.