Stretching Your Limits in the Third World

     One does not need to climb mountains or explore deep caves to test personal limits and increase confidence and independence. Travel in the Third World alone offers the opportunity to check out your capacity for survival if you wander about independently and take some chances. One of the main differences in Third World settings and travel in industrialized areas is how much the traveler is protected by the surrounding environment. To put it simply, the Third World does not take care of visitors to the same extent; you are much more on your own. As I write these words, the first image that comes to my mind is a swaying rope bridge I crossed in a remote area in Southeast Asia. A small group of fellow hikers and I were told there was a lovely waterfall on the other side of the bridge so most of us crossed over, obviously one at a time. One man was afraid of heights but he took a chance and went with us. As we crossed, we became aware of an enormous drop below us where the earth had parted many years earlier. We saw the waterfall and made our way back to the main path. The man who feared heights stood on the other side paralyzed by his discovery of the distance to the ground below the bridge. With encouragement, he finally made his way across and we all went traipsing farther along. His trauma was partly due to the absence of any signs indicating that there was a gorge so far below but we all were nervous crossing the swaying, vine-covered structure. I could not help but think about what the last time might have been when an engineer (or even a local townsperson) inspected the bridge we had just risked our lives to cross for the sake of a waterfall. Rope bridges turn up in lots of Third World settings from treks through the Thai countryside to gaps in jungle trails in Indonesia or South America. One either crosses them or misses the fun or the view on the other side.

     Another similar challenge that I recall was boarding ships in Vietnam, Borneo and other places by walking on an exposed plank over water which was either deep or polluted or infested with some undesired inhabitants. I remember a day on the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea when we arrived at a village we wanted to visit and found a thin, fragile wooden bridge at the entrance which crossed a swamp. It looked very unstable and offered only one rope for balance. One crossed it or did not visit that village. After coming so far and being in such a fascinating place, there was really no choice. On another trip, a ride around a lake in Sumatra presented a similar challenge for us and for our car as well. A bridge consisting of a few loosely connected logs and very shaky side rails appeared before us along the road. We got out of the van while our guide helped the driver stay on the logs and we followed along on foot gripping tightly to the unreliable sides. I recall vividly walking along through rice fields in Bali another time and encountering a large log which connected a gap in the path we were on. It looked a bit too challenging for us initially and we debated retracing our steps until a local woman came along from the other direction carrying a large basket of goods on her head. She walked across the log without hesitation or nervousness at all. That inspired us to do the same although with significantly less certainty. We saved backtracking a couple of miles had we not done so. Such bridges and logs and other hazards exist in the Third World in reasonable numbers. The traveler is certain to encounter such obstacles.

      But there are many other challenges along journeys in out of the way places. We have witnessed stones and boulders blocking our path along "highways" in the mountains of Pakistan. We have driven on unpaved, mile high roads around curves with no markings and no way to discern oncoming traffic. We have come close to running out of gas in deserted rural areas where no one made sure there was a supply available anywhere near where we traveled. Of course all of these challenges exist in countries where the medical facilities are often minimal or absent. Should the traveler sustain injuries, he is on his own. That is just the way it is.

     Yet here I am. My wife and I made it through all those challenges and we are better off for the experience. We know that people can survive and even enjoy themselves without all the protections that customarily surround us to make our lives safer and our health more secure. We do not advise timid friends to follow in our path but we attribute much of our travel satisfaction to the confidence we have gained in surmounting such challenges just like the millions of people do every day who live in such places. We have learned that conquering obstacles is good practice for the daily demands of life and helps to keep our usual challenges in proper perspective.

Valle de la Luna, Bolivia

Surrounded by the Third World

     One more byproduct of travel in the Third World is the incredibly low price the shopper pays for intricate, artistic and representative artifacts in areas where workers are horribly underpaid and most appreciative of any cash they can get for their creations. That is an unfortunate and painful situation for the craftsman who commands so little reimbursement for his or her time and labor and talent. In some places, workers join in cooperatives and can get a fairer price for their goods but such arrangements are relatively rare. Whenever we shop, we seek out cooperatives for our purchases. Even then, the cost of interesting items is extremely low compared to the industrialized West. Bargaining over prices in the markets of the Third World is also fun so long as the traveler remembers that money means more to the sellers there than it does to the visitors.

     Yet we all want to bring home with us memorabilia of our travels, items which help us recall regularly some experience in another culture or which contribute to an interest we have developed along the way. Our own home is almost entirely decorated with artifacts we have bought abroad. Our walls feature batiks from Africa and Indonesia, weavings from Laos and Bolivia and Mexico, and, most of all, a fascinating collection of masks from just about every place where they are made. We have metalwork from tribal villages in India and from the skilled artisans of Western Africa, carvings from Ecuador, China and the Philippines, embroidered pillow cases from Thailand and Vietnam and India and old pieces from the Silk Road decorating our shelves and mantels. Each one of these items reminds us of the place it comes from and often we recall the experience of purchasing it or the craftsman we met who created it. These artifacts are constant catalysts for conversations and recollections that we enjoy immensely. You can see what I mean at  http://articles.philly.com/2011-05-01/news/29493351_1_diamond-home-travel-airy-couple

      Perhaps the most significant aspect of this shopping is how inexpensive it is for us dollar or euro carriers. Western currencies are valued in the Third World so the exchange rates tend to be very favorable. Aside from a lovely rug we bought in a store in Pakistan, our most expensive item is a wood and paper mache elephant from Kashmir painted in gold with a rat's tail brush. That finely crafted and unusual item cost us $150.00. These rewarding and attractive items have not added much to our travel costs. Our home is our travels. I can sit in a chair in my living room and look around me revisiting the world I have traipsed through. The Philadelphia Inquirer, our local newspaper, found the decorations in our home so intriguing that they just featured our house in the home section. It was probably the least expensive place I have ever seen written up in that feature. Much more importantly, however, is the joy we have in looking around the house as we move through it and seeing one reminder after another of the wonderful adventures we have been fortunate enough to include in our lives. Do not neglect this aspect of Third World travel.

Aidkah Mosque, Kashgar, China

Be Open to the Unexpected Benefits of Travel

      When we travel anywhere, especially to the Third World, we place ourselves in a different environment with new opportunities. Travelers can enrich themselves and their lives by taking advantage of settings they have never encountered before. A simple example of this was my first safari experience in East Africa. One couple in our small group were birders. I had never had a special interest in that aspect of nature before but I learned from them about the wonderful variety of creatures sitting on the top of trees and poles and bushes and have since noticed far more about the multitude of colors and shapes and habits of birds thus increasing my overall awareness of what goes on around me wherever I may be. When we travel now, I find myself looking upward far more often. A traveler's world expands with every trip.

      More substantive changes in one's life are in the offing as well if we are open to them. I began to photograph my adventures a long time ago. One day in a photo store where I took some slides to have printed as pictures, a woman looked over my shoulder and complimented me on my work. She encouraged me to join her camera club where I soon won a number of prizes for my photography and learned invaluable lessons about photographic technique which I sorely needed. Ever since that time, I have been an avid photographer and entered and enjoyed many competitions. More importantly, however, my photos improved considerably and brought pleasure to many interested people.

      Some years ago, I retired from education and went from showing my photos and telling my stories to friends to actively marketing myself as a lecturer. Since that time, I have had the joy of sharing my journeys with countless audiences at schools, libraries, retirement communities, museums and many other venues. I set up a web site, learned far more about the internet, and developed skills with Photoshop in order to improve the photography I have been doing. All this as a byproduct of travel.

      But there was still more. It almost goes without saying that I pick up the newspapers today and recognize the places where world events are taking place. I can envision these so much more clearly now and I reflect on the people I met there. My connections are palpable and rewarding. Furthermore, I have written a travel memoir, What's an American Doing Here: Reflections on Travel in the Third World, as well as the blog you are now reading. I am consulted about my friends' and relatives' travel plans on a regular basis and have enjoyed being helpful in my responses. All these developments have enriched my life immeasurably. Travel has been good for me--worth every single effort along the way.

Fisherman's Monument, Mazatlan, Mexico

Those Special Unplanned Days

     Serendipity will likely overtake the traveler in the Third World especially if he or she travels independently. There is no guarantee, of course, that something remarkable will happen on any given day and, as a matter of fact, there is always a possibility that disaster could catch up with the tourist. Nonetheless, wonderful unplanned experiences are part of the Third World traveler's regular menu. Several such moments come to mind as I write this. Perhaps the most mundane of these occurred to me, not in the Third World but on a cruise ship on which I was lecturing. I encountered B.J. Habibie, then recently the president of Indonesia because his brother came to one of my lectures and was interested in what I had to say. That evening, Habibie, his brother and their wives joined me and my wife for dinner. The invitation was formally tendered by the fancy cruise ship and Habibie was grateful for the special attention. He brought a couple of his books as gifts for us and we had a fascinating conversation. We talked about his interests, my experiences and his interactions with various heads of governments. We found that photography was a common interest for us. It was quite a memorable evening culminating with what seemed to be a very sincere invitation to stay with him in Jakarta. I tried not to ask him any embarrassing questions about his government.

     A second very memorable day occurred in the countryside of the island of Sulawesi, the octopus shaped isle not far from Bali in Indonesia. We were exploring the territory where the Toraja tribal peoples live and hoping to witness one of their colorful traditional happenings. We had very good luck locating a funeral which we quickly made our way toward. It was a spectacular sight. There were dozens of tents set up designated for specific groups of visitors-close family, neighbors, visitors, etc. We found a place in one of these and were served food and drink as honored guests while we sat on cloths laid on the ground. We then got to witness the sacrifice of a pig in honor of the deceased- not a pretty site but extremely unique and unforgettable. A wooden carving of the deceased looked on, her spirit probably reveling in the wonderful event held in her honor. What a fascinating example of a traditional ceremony.

      On another day in Indonesia, this time in a small town in Sumatra, we were able to see a bullfight like no other I ever imagined. I had attended bullfights previously in Spain and Mexico although I am no admirer of the sport but this was not to be missed. When we got there, they were just beginning to bring the bulls out onto a field in front of us. We and most of the other spectators stood on a small hill watching the ceremonies below us. There were scores of townspeople below and we realized that they were betting on the two bulls that were brought to the field. They examined the bulls, decided which one looked tougher and places bets with each other about which would win the fight. The fight itself consisted of the bulls looking at each other as they were urged on by the crowd that circled them and shouted for action. Usually, they fight over the territory and the winner is the one who causes the other to withdraw. Sometimes there is actually fighting but often one of the bulls just walks off. The betting is furious and the shouting fills the field. Most of the spectators are within dangerous proximity of the bulls. We did see one actual fight. That was a different kind of day.

     There have been other such opportunities that stick in our minds but the most surreal and amazing was the night we arrived at the Karawari Lodge in the heart of the jungle in Papua New Guinea. We were guests at the small jungle lodge that night along with the Prime Minister of the country and his parliamentary entourage. We knew nothing about his presence until mid-afternoon when he arrived by helicopter and was transported like an African Emperor on a palanquin carried down the hill by several of the local residents. We heard him deliver his speech in Pidgin English (We did not understand a word but neither did most of the crowd) to an assemblage of half naked local citizens sitting on the ground on a hill. Many of them had traipsed countless miles over the hills and through the jungle to hear him. Their faces were painted from ear to ear, their heads were covered with colorful feathers and they brought their entire families with them. It was a scene from National Geographic but we were there.
     But that was not the end of the experience. Back at the lodge that evening, we (a total of six Westerners) sat at a table in the middle of the small dining room. On one side of us were a group of Japanese birders who were shouting "Hai" each time their leader read out the name of a bird they had seen that day. At the next table on the other side of us sat the Prime Minister with a few other politicians while at the head of the room a local band was playing Papua music dressed in straw skirts and penis gourds. Except for the prime minister, we all wound up dancing to the music after dinner. It was the most incredible moment of travel we have ever had. It is hard to imagine anything quite this dramatic happening on a trip to Chicago or Berlin. The Third World is indeed a potentially serendipitous, rewarding place to travel.

Road Repair, Tribal India

Lakesides of the Third World

     If you like to voyage in watery areas, investigate the many wonderful lakes that abound in the Third World, places of amazing cultural scenes, volcanoes, fascinating villages and practices and exquisite beauty. In our hemisphere, my favorite is Titicaca which sits between Peru and Bolivia. This is the highest navigable lake in the world at about 12,500 feet. A delightful train ride through the Andes takes the traveler to Puno, the main lakeside port of Peru. A brief reed boat ride to a nearby island takes visitors to one of the many, populated artificial islands of the Uros Indians. The Indians fashion these islands solely using the reeds that grow abundantly in the lake. The residents live on these small islands and make their living from catching fish which are then traded at the shore for their other needs and for food. They also weave interesting objects which they sell on the mainland and to visiting tourists. This is an amazing traditional culture and a mini-trip not to be missed. But there are many additional islands on this vast lake. My favorite is Taquile, a hilly island where another traditional society offers the wanderer incredible variations in dress and a cooperative where fine woven articles are sold. Be ready for a good climb if you visit this site however.

     Closer to the Bolivian side of the lake is the Island of the Sun, a hilly, unpaved terrain where one can still see many early Inca buildings. Not far away from there is the Island of the Moon, a former Inca nunnery. Even the nearby town of Casablanca from which one accesses the two islands is interesting. For one site of interest, stop at the big church on the square where you can have your vehicle blessed by the local priest on the weekends. Bikes, motorcycles, trucks and buses are all eligible. Bring a small offering to the church as a thank you gift.

    An even more beautiful site is in nearby Guatemala. Lake Atitlan is a deep caldera, surrounded by cone shaped mountains including three volcanoes. This is a Mayan area though the thirteen villages on the lake vary in their dialects, their culture and their dress. People speak one of two ancient Indian languages which are rather distinct from one another. Most of the villages are accessible from the lake. A public boat takes visitors to three of the more commercialized ones but more independent travelers can rent their own boat and pick and choose the towns which interest them. The return trip to Panahachel, the most popular tourist base can be rough in the afternoon. Our boat seemed to fly up onto and down from the waves that the wind had stirred up. Make your day trip an early one. There may not be a more beautiful lake in the world. And it's not very far away.

     While Asia offers many lake adventures, my favorite is Lake Erhai (Ear shaped lake) in Yunnan Province in the South. The best way to access this spectacular site is from Dali, the nearby Bai Tribal city. The Bai people wear traditional costumes and have festive and colorful markets to visit and they are only one of the colorful Chinese minorities in the area. On the lake itself, there is a large tourist boat (far too large for my taste) which takes people to several sites including an island with a very popular Buddhist temple. Another treat for the visitors is the cormorant fishing on the lake. If you have never seen how these captive birds are used by Chinese fisherman, you will find this just fascinating.

      Another amazing Third World lake is Inle Lake in Burma (Myanmar). The lake supports islands of fishermen as well as markets and temples galore. Most of the buildings are fashioned from bamboo and stand on stilts seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Vegetables are grown on floating islands and cared for by the fishermen of the lake during daytime lulls. In the evening, the lake fills with fishermen who row their boats with one leg while the other is placed on the gunnel of their boat. They toss their nets from this position as well as propel their boats. This athletic wonder goes on all night. It is not an easy life but it is colorful and takes place in a very pretty environment. Additionally, this lake is right in the middle of several minority groups, each of which offers a different culture to observe and learn from. It is a totally fascinating site.

     There are innumerable other places which rival the ones above. I will mention just one additional place that I found especially beautiful. Lake Van is the largest body of water in Turkey and is located in the less visited Southeast of the country. Unfortunately, the water is brackish and the fishing consists of only one small species which the people do take advantage of.  The lake is dotted with islands but the thing that I remember best are the cliffs and mountains that surround it and the especially intense colors of the sunsets one can see at the end of the day there. It, too, was one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited. Try a lake vacation. I think you will like it.

Irriwaddy River, Burma

Choosing the Right Time

     Wonderful, unique happenings abound in the Third World but it takes a bit of research to access them. I strongly recommend a search of holiday celebrations, memorial events, religious festivals and other special moments to be in a particular destination. All things being equal, it is more exciting to be in Salvador, Brazil during Carnaval or at least around Carnaval time to see the wonderful decorations and experience the lively spirit associated with that event. Carnaval dates and places are easy to ascertain but more obscure events take some tracking. When my wife and I decided we wanted to visit tribal societies in India, our research unearthed a celebration we had never heard of. It was called the Bhagoria Festival and it took place in several villages in Madya Pradesh, primarily in the tribal area of the Bhils and Bhilalas. It involved thousands of tribal peoples assembling in dusty towns, dressed and decorated colorfully and imaginatively for the celebrations, a horde of young men and women dancing and flirting and playing music on flutes and drums-all the trappings of a cultural get-together. The festival, we discovered, was an opportunity for young people to meet prospective spouses from other villages and overcome the distances and isolation caused by the sparse, rural nature of their living circumstances. The festival was worth the entire trip. Of course, we did have to stay in tents on the grounds of a local Maharaja to experience this party, but that inconvenience was a very small price to pay.

      I also mark our Bhagoria experience by the celebration of my 69th birthday in the dining tent where we and other members of our group met each day. (We almost never travel with groups but we had no choice in this case.) In the city where the group met right before our stay in the little village where the festival was held, some folks who knew it was my birthday bought a cake and kept it well preserved for my surprise party. It was a birthday I will never forget. Doing something special on a day which is already special to you is a doubly exceptional experience.

     There are happenings like the Bhagoria Festival all over the world. Almost every culture sponsors celebrations and parties of incredible diversity. These events not only offer a chance to see the people of the area but also to interact with them and take photos of various activities. In Mt. Hagen, a city in the hills of Papua New Guinea, there is a festival where the attendees paint themselves and wear meticulously fashioned, feathered wigs and all sorts of creative jewelry to distinguish one group from the other in a competitive setting. It is incredibly colorful and exciting. In India and Sri Lanka, there are Periheras or parades associated with some temple or other featuring dozens of painted elephants and bands and paraders of all kinds. In Southeast Asia, there are water festivals annually and events like Diwali and Holi are lively opportunities for visitors to India to interact joyfully with folks on the street.

     The difference between being someplace on an ordinary travel day as opposed to the unique time when there is a cultural celebration is probably best illustrated by my favorite festival of all- the Camel Fair of Pushkar in Rajasthan, India. Pushkar is a quiet town of some 15,000 or so inhabitants customarily. During the week of the fair, the visitors swell the population to over 200,000, not including the 50,000 or so camels that are brought to sell or parade or compete in the races. This great animal gathering is combined with a holy day for the God, Brahma, that brings many pilgrims into the city for purification in the lake. It is an incredible event which should be a travel destination for the curious and adventurous but only at festival time. Check out what is happening around the world before you go. You might want to organize your trip around those special events.

Bridge We Crossed, Sumatra, Indonesia

Don't Wait Too Long to Go to that Special Place

     In an earlier blog where I mentioned the indigenous Indians who can still be visited in Panama, I described the Embara of Panama whom I visited on two separate occasions about six years apart. The most dramatic observation I noted during my travel to that area was the enormous change that had come to the relatively remote culture in such a short time. The Embara were half naked in their villages the first time I visited and were now much more fully clothed. The children were almost all attending school by the time of my second visit and were trekking home in school uniforms. The folks we saw at lunchtime were serving us instead of our bringing prepacked lunches on our first trip and sharing what we had with them. The main house of the village was more organized and the formality of the visit had increased significantly. More canoe loads of tourists dropped by also. The most important change to this smalll cultural group, however, was their dependence on outside visitors for income. The government had recently provided help for that purpose but, in exhange, they had prohibited the group from hunting animals in their habitat. The hunter-gatherers were now tourist show persons. I guess a group can't change much more than that. The neighboring group of island dwelling Indians I mentioned in the previous blog had long since been "touristized". They were managing their islands like businesses, charging $1.00 per photo and selling artifacts clearly made for visitors.

    I fully support cultural development and economic improvement customarily. Advancements in agriculture, medical care, self-government, technology, etc. are generally beneficial to the people of the world. But the traveler should be alert to the impact of such changes on the uniqueness and history of the places and people they wish to visit. The most enlightening and interesting aspects of Third World Travel are the differences in how people live in various places. We Third Worlders look to learn from others and how they have adapted to the challenges that life offers them in their environment. Most of the recent changes in those cultures have been the product of assimilation into a larger, more homogeneous culture and these, in turn, tend to weaken the singularity of the group that offers the traveler and the world a special experience. We know how languages are disappearing rapidly from the world's richness and history and the same is true about distinctive subgroups in remote areas.

    So, travelers, the moral of this tale is Do Not Wait for some Future Time.  So many of us put journeys to the Third World (or any place for that matter) in the back of our minds seeking a perfect time. Often that time is an anticipated retirement or some other life event that may make such travel more opportune. While we are waiting, however, the world is changing rapidly around us. New governments rise and induce conformity in many places, i.e., Afghanistan, Libya, Venezuela, Ethiopia, etc., where indigenous tribal life morphs into nationalism.  New technology introduces information  to isolated peoples about the rest of the world and lures the group into competition to match what they see. Much of Africa fits this category. The internet, in addition to its being a very valuable new tool for knowledge is also a powerful culture changer. Who among us does not want to see more representative government in Egypt or Somalia, Zimbabwe or Cambodia. At the same time, adventure seekers who want to learn about the world with its incredible cultural diversity better get moving. It is still a challenging and exciting undertaking but the prospects of such adventures diminish as small cultural groupings with their unique ways of being, talking, honoring traditions and believing reliable narratives, etc. disappear from the earth we live on. Get going, fellow travelers.

Smile and Sadness, Lombok Island, Indonesia

Packing for the Third World

     One question that my friends and followers always ask when they are about to launch their third world travel experience is what they need to bring with them. There are two things to keep in mind when contemplating the answer to this question. The first one is that the people one is likely to encounter in New Guinea or West Africa, Nicaragua or Cambodia are likely to have far fewer possessions than we do. In some places folks own only the clothes they have on their backs- no substitutes, no closets, no fashion consultants, etc. It is hard to underdress for places where that is the case. The second point is that the movement from one place to another can be on a little plane or a small dugout canoe or a rickety bus in certain locales. One does not get luggage picked up at the door and transported to the next town. There may not even be anyone to help with the lifting of your packages. Unless you are on a luxury group trip to Timbuktoo (ha! ha!) you need to be aware of this issue.

     We almost never avail ourselves of laundry services even if they are offered at the places we stay. My wife and I carry three sets of under clothing and socks which we rotate. We wash each evening which gives us a change for each day and an emergency pair of everything. That takes little space in our luggage and does the trick for cleanliness and comfort. We then add in a pair of shorts or two, a pair of long pants, a sweater or jacket (depending on the weather), a couple of short or long sleeve shirts as needed, comfortable shoes and flip-flops for the shower or occasional beach visit. If you have special requirements or interests, you should have plenty of room.

     Our single piece of baggage leaves for the trip almost empty except for the items listed above. We augment the luggage with a small toilet article bag and my camera equipment. Since there is frequently an absence of available medicines in some of the towns we stay in, we take bandaids, aspirin, a general antibiotic and an antibiotic cream, an anti-itch cream, cold pills and lozenges, insect repellant, sunscreen and wipees (clean water is not always available) and tissues. We add on any medicines we take regularly. Make sure to carry these with you if you send any luggage through on a plane.

     What do we do when we need to dress up? We almost never face that problem. We have found that hotels and restaurants will take our mastercard no matter how we dress, we look at least as good as the people we are visiting, and we don't expect to see the people we meet ever again so making an impression is not a goal. Keep it simple, light and convenient. One additional tip is to leave enough space when you depart for picking up some of the wonderful artifacts you will encounter. On the way home, we send our remaining belongings (the stuff we don't throw out) home in a bag and carry the things we purchase in our luggage safely packed for our enjoyment upon arrival. Happy travels.

Tibetan Woman Spinning Wool

Keep Close Tabs on your Travel Guide

    Although we travel alone whenever possible, there are many occasions when we need a guide to ensure communication and to keep from getting lost or delayed. We try to select knowledgeable people from the area we are traversing and we are generally quite pleased with the services we have gotten from these people. We usually save time, have unexpected and rich experiences and get to see places and events we might otherwise not have discovered on our own. But we always keep in mind that our guide may not know what we really want or what our deepest interests are. That's why initial research, a guide book and a strong notion of our priorities enables us to make sure that we go where we want.

    A dramatic instance of this was on a trip in the center of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. We were rolling along in a car toward a small village where we eagerly anticipated witnessing a very strange and unique bullfight that occurs on their market day. I had been reading my guide book along the way and realized that we would be passing one of the rare habitats of the Rafflesia flower, the largest flower on our planet and I was awaiting a stop at that site. At some point I asked the guide when we would reach the forest where the flower grows and he informed me that we were well past that area and that it was not on our itinerary. I replied, "Oh, no!" We were not going to pass up that once in a lifetime opportunity. The guide insisted he could not turn back and indicated that he had to follow the directions of the itinerary. I demanded that we stop at the next town and call the agent for whom he worked. He reluctantly complied. We received the approval from his office to turn around and go back about an hour or so to the location I requested. We got to visit the little village closest to the site of the Rafflesias, got a couple of village youngsters to help us find our way through the forest to where they grew and had a wonderful experience that we will never forget. Our unhappy guide waited for us to complete our trek and continued the drive to the fascinating bullfight that was on the itinerary.

     While the moral of this tale is to make sure you do not miss the Rafflesias along the way, it is also very important that the traveler let a guide know his or her special interests. On a trip up the Mahakam River in Borneo, I mentioned to our guide on the boat that I was a mask collector and had a special fascination with such artifacts. At one point, we pulled into a dock in a tiny village along the river and the guide instructed us to get out and follow him. We walked along a narrow dirt path about a half mile until we came to a hut where the local mask maker lived. He was making masks that are very unique for an upcoming New Years like ceremony that was to take place there. I was able to purchase a magnificent mask from the man who made it in that Borneo jungle village. It is one of my favorite artifacts.  Take control of your trip as much as you can. Your travels will be richer and your satisfaction greater if you follow this suggestion.

Rafflesia Flower, Sumatra, Indonesia

Our Costumed World

     One important way to know that one is actually in a Third World area is the difference in dress encountered in so many of these areas. For those who are interested in cultural variation and interesting photography, places where Western style outfits are the only form of dress usually offer less excitement and opportunity. One does not need to leave our hemisphere to experience dramatic variations. I have mentioned Chichicastenango, Guatemala in an earlier blog. Almost all the Indians in the area wear colorful embroidered blouses or shirts and very distinctive costumes, especially for holidays and celebrations. Not much farther south in Panama, there are several different tribal groups who dress in a unique fashion from the scantily clad  Embara forest dwellers to the commerically influenced Kuna Indians who live on the nearby islands. South America features additional treats from Otovalans in Ecuador with their very distinctive necklaces and Panama hats to the ubiquitous women's dresses with bowler hats, multiple skirts and varied embroidery of Bolivia. Peasants in the hills of Peru tend their sheep wearing colorful home made skirts and blouses. Many villagers dress this way throughout the Andes.

     Africa and Asia offer many more opportunities to experience the wide variety of dress that traditional peoples have created for themselves. In Yunnan Province of South China alone, there are many different groups with totally unique forms of dress from the Bai People to the Yi to Tibetans who have moved to the area and many others. The dressmakers from this area are highly skilled and the costumes extremely elaborate and pleasing to the eye. We stumbled upon a market near Lake Erhai in Yunnan where every single person was dressed in their distinctive cultural fashion. The many tribal peoples in Southeast Asia also distinguish themselves as coming from one village or area by their dress alone. One cannot fail to recognize the Hmong or the White Karen or the Yao people simply by what they wear. Of course, what we are accustomed to considering traditional Indian dress is common in most of the villages of that country as is the dress of rural Chinese but each of these vast nations has scores of tribal people as well who maintain their own traditions and decorations. These are a treasure for the curious and a great opportunity for the photographer.

     Africa offers fantastic variations as well. While there are amazing costumes from the tribes of Niger to the heights of Ethiopia, many of the groups in this area distinguish themselves by face and body painting as well as by dress. Traditional peoples are scattered throughout the continent. One can find find incredible tribal dress in Namibia and equally compelling outfits in the deserts of Mali or Mauritania. The South Pacific area is equally rich in the clothing of the people (or lack of it.) From the hills of New Guinea to the many islands off its coast, people paint their faces often on a daily basis with careful detail and imaginative forms. Their decorating may even be one of the most important and time-taking activities of the day. Among the many treats of Third World travel is the incredible variation that men and women have utilized to cover or decorate their bodies. Take a good look as you travel along.

Woman Smoking Cheroot, Burma