Travel to hell with Chuck Thompson
Over the holidays, he sent me his new book: "To hell holes and back". The book is about the four places he has always been too afraid to visit (Congo, India, Mexico City, and Disney World), and how he overcomes his fears of them visit. Here's what Chuck said about the book:
Nomadic Matt: What prompted you to write this book
Chuck : Apart from money, which is always the most honest answer to this question, it occurred to me that about traveling in all these years of writing and reading, I would never a thoughtful treatment of the role of fear and paranoia plays seen in travel. Significantly,, factor in all our decisions about where and where not to book a trip. These things
Then there was the issue of reputation. Like some places get bad? Are they worthy? If not, why they have such a hard time, shake it? Is it "the media" error or are there other factors at play?
I am also deeply angered by this scaremongering State Department travel warnings on every third foreign country. Whenever I ever go to a place that I have said, would be dangerous or horrible, it turned out to be mostly large.
Only partly. I mean, I've been really getting intimidated by India and do careful difficult time in Africa. That was never a problem until after the success of "Smile" when I started, introduced at events and as a "travel expert" in interviews or "travel guru." What the hell kind of travel expert there has never set foot in Africa or India? Or can not face up to the largest city in North America (Mexico City)? This seemed like big holes in the CV.
However, and it is a big but I never thought a book on overcoming the only me, my fears would keep readers busy for a very long time. So, I have to get just as a starting point and as a bit of subtext for funny stuff and a few more topics that I found interesting.
What's a takeaway you took from your "hellhole" tour?
The Mexico City is one of the coolest cities in the world and to bring your own toilet paper to Africa. These are two takeaways. Always give 'em more than they asked, that's a good rule.
How did you choose these aims? Was it simply because you would not have been there before? I suppose you could have gone to other places that are just as dangerous.
In the beginning I made a long list of suspected hell holes, places I had no interest in going or even fear. Since I could not get them all, I cut the list down to a core group, the almost complete distribution represents traveler fears. Congo, India, Mexico City, Disney World
that dreaded four covers everything of honest to enter to God danger and violence in Congo to food poisoning and slumdog fraud in India waiting pollution and kidnapping in Mexico city in the Florida sun next little Madison and Cooper for baking the Toontown Hall of Fame tent. And, incidentally, you want scary trip? Check the screeching and screaming six year olds streaming from these alleged attraction. I have not so much bitter terror since the first twenty minutes Saving Private Ryan.
What advice do you have for other people to "dangerous" places or places relating to travel have seen they are simply afraid of?
There is no capacity ever as bad as they tell you it will be. You would be surprised even in war zones, how much normality. I'm his cavalier here and I recognize authentic exceptions. When I say in the book, I'm not a war.
But wherever you have large populations, the people go about their lives does much the way everyone else in the world. They eat breakfast and go to work. They get their children to school. You go to the market. You go to church. You have dinner with their families. And almost always, they love visitors the best parts of their countries, it is not the worst part.
There is a tremendous pressure on the travel writers and travelers usually from trips to return abroad with nothing but touchy feely accounts of beautiful and eye-opening foreign cultures, from which we have so much to learn and these hands -in-the-sea blather about global brotherhood and friendship.
Obviously I do not want to be limited by the feeling. I am happy to call things by their name and when things suck, I have nothing to say against that. But for the most part, it is true that almost always always pays on your trip fears with successful experience and that cultural and personal enlightenment is a great reward in all the hassles of travel can be found.
And what I say about the book? I liked hell holes. It's funny written in Chuck's style, funny, cynical, off color and charismatic. (I mean just look at his interview answers? Well, because imagine how a whole book! Brilliant!) I laughed all the way through. Unlike Chuck's first book, felt this book as one of these travel books, the deep meaning, trying to convey about something. Normally, that's boring, but fortunately Chuck writing style saves the book (and us) out of boredom. He gives us the roughness, makes the journey so challenging and amazing at the same time.
While I liked the book, I thought smile when you lie was better. "Smile" was more a journey through the travel writing industry, with all its ups and downs and insider information. Maybe it's because I get writing straight in travel that I found the book so interesting was. Maybe it's because I read so many travel blogs, the effect of another travel story ( "To hell holes and Back") was not as exciting as it would be for the average person. Who knows! I still loved the book. Chuck Thompson is one of my favorite travel writer because, unlike so many out there, he does not sugar coat travel or turn it into an esoteric path to enlightenment. It gives you the good and the bad and avoids clichés as "picture perfect" and "breathtaking".
I recommend buying this book and his other book, if you want a bit grainy open Write. But as great as "To Hell Holes and Back" is Chuck's first book was better. Then again, it could be because it is more of my interest. "To hell holes and Back" might be more your interest. In any case. Read them both. Thank me in the morning.
0 Response to "Travel to hell with Chuck Thompson"
Posting Komentar