Update and Book List

Hello! I'm still alive, I'm in Philadelphia, and I'm generally doing well. I arrived home on March 21.

Maybe a bit hairy.

I need to write posts that cover the two months I spent in Tunisia, the few days I was in Barcelona, the week or two I was in Morocco, and the harrowing adventure that was the evacuation flight (I'm lying - the flight was fine). That said, I've always had a hard time sitting down and writing - having my housemates blasting the TV at all hours has not helped my concentration. And, I mean, it's not like I can go to a coffee shop and write :(

That said, I can read things and type them here. With no further ado, a list of books I read (* - started but didn't compete) over the past 20 months:

Interphase Gear Update Number Two

As I've traveled, I've gained and lost stuff (not weight, unfortunately - despite what you may see in pictures). To continue in a transparent manner, I wanted to detail a few things that have hopped in and out of my bag.

• I finally wore out my flip-flops and bought a new pair in the Philippines (~$10 in Coron). This pair is currently falling apart as well, which is annoying, as I'd hoped they'd last longer).
• RC left a nice gray quick-dry polo shirt with me in Malaysia.
• My shoes also died and I bought a new pair in Adelaide, Australia. The shop I went into didn't have the exact ones I was wearing, so I bought a waterproof pair of the same brand (Keen). I'm so glad I did - especially with that waterfall hike in Indonesia. I kept the shoelaces.
• My cargo shorts ripped, which meant I was down to one pair of "outside" clothes. I purchased two additional pairs of shorts (6 AUD) from a thrift shop near Brisbane, Australia. As a note, I'm going "all shorts" as I'm traveling in warm climates - it also saves a bit of weight in my bag, I suppose. I had to get one of the new shorts taylored to add a fly (100,000 IDR).
• My least favorite pair of socks is dying. I'm debating replacing them, as I think I can make due with four pairs.
• Aaron left a tote bag that folds to the size of a golf ball, which has proven useful.
• I sent home three notebooks with Dan. Given that I'm only halfway through one big one after a year of travel, I don't need to carry them around.
• I have acquired two plastic peanut butter jars which I've cleaned and put odds & ends in to stop them from rattling around. These seem to be working better than plastic bags and I might acquire a couple more.
• I acquired a second lock - a tiny keyed luggage lock. It was necessary for a hostel that couldn't accomodate a normal lock (i.e. my combo lock). Now it's in my life forever, I suppose.
• A new box of Pepto chewables! Thank you Dan. I had ran out upon reaching Georgia.
• An even bigger quick-dry towel. I "stole" this from Dan. My other two were fine, but there were a few situations where a larger towel would have come in handy.
• I acquired and immediately sent home a t-shirt from a Japanese baseball game.
• Various pens have come and gone. I now have a red pen.
• My friend in Brunei gave me a bunch of little souveneirs - some I've kept and some I've given to other hosts and friends.
• I am in a constant state of having too much soap / shampoo or having too little. There seems to be no in-between.
• Various medicines have come and gone. I generally keep something for pain and for a cold, just in case. I think I also have some seasickness pills too.
• A waterproof "diving" bag with a hole in it. It's just the right size to keep toilet paper and a handful of things dry in the case of rain / splashes.
• Six thin moleskines - one of which I've given away - which I will eventually write in.
• One purple echidna stamp.

On Hats

This is the smallest of small travel tips, but I find myself repeating it to new travelers all the time: wear a hat - preferably something distinct. This serves two purposes in addition to the obvious ones related to sun and fashion:

• When in a crowd, especially when on a tour with a new group of people, a hat helps one stick out more than a shirt or something similar. I know that people have found me (and thereby the rest of a tour group) by looking for my hat from above. I know that I've used this trick to distinguish a driver or guide in a crowd of similarly attired folks.
• When dealing with officials, the act of removing a hat makes a good first impression and shows a little respect. For example, when passing through customs or talking to a ticketing agent, I wait until I've made eye contact with the person to conspicuously remove my hat. While this is anecdotal, this act of overt submission (as opposed to not wearing a hat or keeping a hat on one's head) seems to smooth whatever interaction enough that, while others in line may have issues, I'm waved through.

As a bonus, when flipped over, a hat keeps keys, coins, and all that junk from your pockets in one place when going through an x-ray machine or on a bedside table.

I will, eventually, write up posts for my final six weeks in Australia and this past month in Indonesia, I promise!

My Perfect Hostel

After eight or so months of travel, I have some opinions regarding what makes a good hostel. These opinions range from obvious to minute, but I hope, maybe, this reaches someone in a position to make my or a future guest's stay a little more comfortable.

BOOKING

Money - It can be a pain for me to figure out what the most efficient and effective way for me to book a room is. I've had places that offered the same price online as in-person, I've had places (like where I'm staying) that offer discounts when I book online, and I've had places that offer a discount if I pay in cash (most of the Philippines). As such, I've resorted to only booking two days at any new place online and then inevitably extending using whatever method makes most sense for me. As it stands, if I were to open a hostel, I would make sure to accept online bookings, then empower my employees to negotiate cash/in-person prices, especially for extended stays.

Listings - I'm looking for three photos when I book online: what the bed looks like (see BED section), what the bathroom looks like (see BATHROOM section), and a view from the street so I can find the place. I have declined to book places with fifty photos of every single bed offered because I couldn't figure out if the bathrooms were clean. I've specifically booked places with a handful of photos because they were clear and concise. I really don't care to see big group photos of people playing beer pong - I understand that's code for "this is a party hostel", but please tell me you have something else to offer (e.g. a decent bed).

The Book List

I can't seem to focus on writing anything, so here's a list of all the books I brought with me. Fair warning, this list is 300+ entries long - expect typos and abbreviations. I've bolded the title if I read the book on this trip - there are a number that I've read previously that I felt could use a reread. If I give up on a book, I'll give it a strikethrough (giving up being defined as deleting it from the device).

Inter-phase Gear Update

I figured it'd be worth it to take a moment to describe the changes I've made to the stuff I brought with me. Oh, and for the record, the airline weighed it all as 11.5kg leaving Hawaii.

DISCARDED:

• Ripped jean shorts (this was a painful, but necessary toss - the miser in me wanted to keep repairing them, but they were too far gone)
• Long sleeve REI shirt (an easy trade-in - I hated wearing it)
• Exploded pen.
• A phone charging battery that would not hold a charge

ACQUIRED:

• A second gray REI short sleeve shirt (with trade-in of the other shirt)
• A Space Pen refill (just in case)
• Mid-size hard-back notebook (from Writer's Blok)
• 100 US post card stamps
• A zillion Alaska Marine Highway postcards. I have no idea what to do with these.
• The phone charging battery would be here, but I discarded it less than a week after acquiring it

Along with these, I've made certain clothing / packing changes.

Gears of Tour

As requested, a list of how badly I overpacked things I packed for a two-year trip.

Bag:

• Osprey Farpoint 55 convertable bag. This unzips into two bags - one small backpack (under seat "personal item") and one, well, larger backpack (overhead bin carry-on or "flight's full" gate-checked item). I keep the small bag filled with essentials, important stuff, and one change of clothes and keep it on me at all times.

Clothes:

• One khaki "military" cap
• Three quick-dry (REI co-op sahara heathered) tees
• One quick-dry (REI again) long sleeve
• Two regular tees (one "Phillies" and one "Wacky Rally")
• One short-sleeve casual button up
• One long-sleeve casual button up
• Two white undershirts
• One adjustable cloth belt
• Two pairs of jean shorts
• One pair of cargo shorts
• One pair swimtrunks
• Two pairs basketball shorts (one orange, one black)
• Six pairs of quick-dry underwear (exofficio)
• Five pairs of quick-dry socks (smartwool)
• One pair Keen Montfort shoes
• One pair flip flops

Non-clothing cloth:

• Two quick-dry towels
• One silk pillowcase
• One hankerchief
• One "US Census 2010" totebag
• Extra pair of shoelaces

Flair:

• One pair cheap sunglasses
• One self winding watch
• One Nerd Nite Philly button
• One Ben Franklin in Beaverskin Hat button
• (acquired) One Canadian Flag pin

Tech:

• One Google Pixel 2 XL (with Google Fi service)
• One iclever folding bluetooth keyboard
• One no-frills Amazon Kindle (loaded with ~250 books from Project Gutenberg)
• One crappy AC-USB converter
• One USB-USB-mini (micro?) cord
• One USB-USB-C cord
• Three USB-mini (micro?) to USB-C converters
• One international power adapter
• One international power converter
• One USB stick
• OneMini-SD card
• One USB-C to 3/16 headphone jack converter

Writing:

• Three cheap 8x10" notebooks for everyday stuff (that I suck at using)
• One  5x7" waterproof notebook
• One regular (3x5"?) moleskine notebook
• One mini (1x.5"?) moleskine notebook
• A dozen or so scrap pages for letters
• A dozen or so Philly postcards for host gifts
• (acquired) a dozen or so postcards for sending (or future hosts)
• A half-dozen letter envelopes
• Two 10x12" big envelopes (to send filled notebooks)
• Lots of US Postage (to use in Seattle / Alaska / LA)
• Map of Germany (to explain my 2014 trip)
• Map of Eastern Canada / US (it appeared in my bag)
• Write-up of my 2016 trip
• One-page RPG rulesheet / charactersheet
• Spacepen
• Four misc pens

Hygeine:

• One Foldable travel toothbrush
• Three mini tubes of toothpaste
• Two rolls of floss
• Two tubes of chapstick
• One regular-size underarm deoderant stick
• One small tube of excema cream
• (acquired) two bars of soap (totally didn't forget to pack this...)
• (acquired) one sample bottle of bodywash (which came with...)
• (acquired) 400 pack of q-tips (smallest size they had!)
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• One comb
• Three bic disposable razors
• A couple sheets of chewable Pepto tablets
• (acquired) Small bottle of aspirin
• Several packs of earplugs
• One plan-b packet in case I make a friend and there's a slip-up

Misc:

• Game box (chess, checkers, backgammon, special APS cards)
• Half-dozen safety pins
• One travel sewing kit
• A couple alligator? paper clips
• A few yards of 550 cord
• One mini-M&M container (perfect for odds & ends - might have to find anotherd)
• A few rubber bands
• One flimsy carabiner
• One hundred Philadelphia-themed paper presents for hosts (and bribes?)
• One trusty money clip
• A million napkins
• Passport & passport card
• (acquired) packet of emergency ramen

Money:

• About $500 USD, split between my person and the various bags
• Maybe $150 in Euros and Pounds from my last trip to the EU
• Capital One Credit and Debit cards (no international fees!)
• Chase Credit Card (just in case CapOne freezes my account due to fraud or whatever)