Last year I became a backpacker. Not a trek-for-days-through-the-woods backpacker, but a travel-cheaply-with-a-backpack backpacker. I can’t remember what drove me to try this style of travel, maybe it was the idea of being able to carry everything you really need on your back. I was heading to Southeast Asia, the ultimate backpacker’s paradise, and it just seemed like the most logical way to travel.
Fitting what you need in backpack is easy enough for a lot of people (a.k.a. men). But with my passion for fashion and history of chronic over packing, it proved to be a challenge. I bought a large women’s backpack at REI and made the mistake of filling it to the brink before my trip had started. I had all sorts of clothing options shoved in there, many of which I rarely ended up wearing. A fellow traveler, noticing my girlie style and overstuffed backpack, commented that I didn’t seem like a backpacker type to her. I took this as challenge, and made up my mind that I could be backpacker, even if my bag was too big and wasn’t sporting the typical earth-toned clothing and zip-off convertible pants that seem to be part of many a backpacker’s wardrobe.
I started off positively, but somewhere along a long hot and humid walk through no man’s land between Cambodia and Vietnam, I began to curse my backpack. I kept thinking how much easier it would have been to have a nice large suitcase on wheels. But soon enough, on my first Vietnamese overnight train ride, I began to see the merits of having a backpack. Those with large suitcases could not fit their luggage in the under bed storage bin. They were forced to leave them in middle of the tiny rooms where they took up space and could be easily tripped on during late night bathroom runs. When we reached Laos, there were no elevators in the guesthouses and I watched the suitcase-clad people struggle to get up the stairs.
Near the end of my trip, another fellow traveler complimented me on how agile I was with my backpack considering how big it was. After making it that far with my backpack that had only become more full, I had grown stronger both physically and mentally. The backpack I once cursed, I now affectionately call Bessie. She taught me lessons about what’s really necessary and allowed me to prove to myself that I am tough and have the ability to endure.
If I was going to do a Southeast Asia trip again, I would have a much better idea of how to pack. But with my upcoming trip to Bolivia and Peru, I have the extra challenge of multiple climates. I could experience 90 degree humid weather in the Amazon and below freezing night time temperatures in Salar de Uyuni a few days later. I have taken Bessie out of storage and I already fear that I am about to over pack. There are a few things I need to remember as I start to fill up my backpack:
My Packing Mantras
I will bring clothing that can be easily layered and mixed and matched and will stick to a color scheme that allows for this.
I will realize that I don’t need to have an outfit in every color of the rainbow. (It’s sad but true that I need to repeat this to myself.)
I will remember that clothing and accessories that will be inexpensive and fitting for the local climate and style can be bought when I arrive. I will leave room in my bag for purchasing cheap local goods.
I learned a few days ago from a fellow travelphile that Anthony Bourdain’s San Francisco No Reservations episode will premiere while I am away in South America. I am not at all into celebrity worship or celebrity anything else, but Anthony Bourdain is my one exception. I will admit I am a little obsessed with him and his travels. I can totally relate to his snarky cynical humor which is always followed by hippie-ish optimism and reflection. I am excited to see Anthony Bourdain’s take on my city so I will have to DVR it or catch a rerun when I get back.
Vieux Farka Toure, son of Ali Farka Toure, will be performing in San Francisco on July 18th at the Independent as part of the annual Afrofunk Festival. Ali Farka Toure was the greatest Malian blues singer, and his son is trying to pick up where he left off by fusing his Ali’s sound with other genres of music. I would love to see the show, but I will be away in Los Angeles that weekend. L’Auberge Espagnole (which is a fantastic movie for the 20-something traveler) features Ali Farka’s song “Ai Du” in a scene where two students from different countries bond over their similar tastes in music. This is a powerful song with alternation between raw vocals and melancholy guitar solos and a steady bassline that drives it forward but never brings it to a climax. Here is a video of Vieux Farka Toure covering this amazing song:
There is nothing like travel planning to bring out the undesirable wishy-washy worrywart side of myself. Right after I wrote that I wasn’t nervous yet, the pre-trip jitters crept up on me. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do and see in Peru and Bolivia and how I could fit it into four weeks. From what I’ve read, there will be a lot of local festivities while I am there, including both countries’ Independence Days. It sounds like there is a lot of potential for fun to be had, but it also makes me worried that transportation and lodging could get crowded.
In the past, I have been guilty of trying to do too much on my travels. I start to add on more and more thinking, “When will I ever get the chance to do this again?” Thinking that way can be good in small doses, but too much of those thoughts can easily to wear you out. Another reason for me to not get too hyped up is that attempting to stick to concrete plans while traveling independently in the “developing” world is likely to drive a person mad. The little information I could find on transportation in Bolivia says it requires a lot patience and flexibility.
So yesterday, I took a deep breath and tried to let go of some of my nervous energy. To organize my thoughts, I decided it would be helpful to come up with a “Must-Do List” of the essential places to visit:
Lima- I fly into Lima and want to spend at least a night to visit a friend, see Parque del Amor, eat great ceviche and wash it down with a Pisco Sour.
Cusco/Machu Picchu- Self explanatory!
Lake Titicaca- I will hopefully cross into Bolivia at the lake and then do a little exploration from the Bolivian side.
La Paz- Seems like a very interesting city and good base for getting to other parts of Bolivia. Who wants a llama fetus souvenir? I’m not making this stuff up!
The Amazon- I have always wanted to experience the Amazon but never imagined going to the Bolivian part of it.
Salar de Uyuni- Visiting the salt flat was the impetus for the entire trip!
Santa Cruz- I’m flying out of this city. Doesn’t look like there is much to do there, but it has an agreeable tropical climate and seems like good place to transition the modern world.
After coming up with the list, I printed out blank calendar pages and made up a loose schedule with a generous amount of time for transportation. It seems like I can do everything I want to do in the four weeks that I have, and I could probably make it to a couple other cities in Bolivia. Right now I’m working on making arrangements for Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. I want to get the first week set and then I will figure out the rest of my trip when I get there!
Last year I became a backpacker. Not a trek-for-days-through-the-woods backpacker, but a travel-cheaply-with-a-backpack backpacker. I can’t remember what drove me to try this style of travel, maybe it was the idea of being able to carry everything you really need on your back. I was heading to Southeast Asia, the ultimate backpacker’s paradise, and it just seemed like the most logical way to travel.
