Introduction: A Word About Travelogues

Warning: Those who hate travelogues – and I’m honestly not one who is big on them – might want to skip the essays and go straight to the pictures. This, of course, assumes that I learn how to post pictures. The idea for this site came to me at the Backpacker, the “boutique hostel” voted the best hostel in Africa. (A great place to stay, by the way, if you are traveling alone and looking to meet people.) At the Backpacker, they offer guests the opportunity to add pictures and photos to the Backpacker Facebook site. Despite my six years at IBM and my pride in my ability to quickly grab onto the latest in web developments, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to use this site. In fact, I found it downright annoying at the idea that once signing on I would be thrust into a “community” of more than 40,000 Chicagoians.

So now I’m back to blogging. This is concept I have trouble with. My feeling is that very few of us (including me) lead lives that are interesting enough to write about. Even fewer (including me) have the talent to write about them.

Yet more than six and probably fewer than twelve people have asked me to keep them posted on my trip through South Africa, China, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. (yes, there is an etc – I am certain I’ve missed a country or two).

Blogging is the easiest way to do that. My intent is to focus on photos more than words, but it turns out that posting the words are easy; I’m still having some trouble with the photos. (Johnny – I’m waiting for your instructions to arrive via e-mail!)

If you are one of my friends who actually asked me to “keep them posted,” then feel free to check out this travelogue. (Let’s see how long I keep that up.) If you’re like me, though, feel free to skip the words and go straight to the pictures, which begin in the South Africa section. (I was so wacked with exhaustion in London that I had the energy to shoot exactly one picture – the exterior of my digs in the city.)

The photos will be posted as soon as I figure out how to do that. In the meantime, the travelogue begins.

Another important word to the wise: If you are one of those people who are offended by missing words or misspellings, then don’t read this! Much of what I’m writing here is stream of consciousness followed by a quick attempt to edit. As Tom Kelly knows, that process is frequently followed by sentences that may have glitches. I’d send the posting to him for proofing/editing, but the guy has a real job heading media relations for Chase. (Thanks to you, Tom, and you still have permission to offer editorial comment!)