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I always take a sarong; I've used it for a towel, a beach
wrap, a dressing gown, a cover to change under, a baby carrier, protection
from the sun while wandering around a ruin, a head cover for entering a mosque,
a shawl when I was cold, a cover for the bed in cheap hotels which often
don't give you one, or theirs is too grotty to use. These days my one splurge from my draconian go-light regime is my iPod.
The size of a deck of cards, it holds all the music I own—roughly
400 CDs. I spend a lot of time alone on the road, and music keeps me company.
Whether it's zoning out to Kitaro on an overnight flight or listening to
Mozart with my morning coffee or being serenaded by Bruddah IZ on the lanai
of a Molokai hotel room, my music sets the mood. The problem is that I've
also got to pack the recharger, and I also pack along a really cool set of
portable speakers by Sony, which fold down to the size of two stacked CD
covers. But they've also got to have their power cord, too. So the whole
package is somewhat larger than the iPod itself. It used to be my money belt—no, not the kind that holds your passport
and goes under your clothing, but an actual leather belt that has a zipper
in it so you can stash folded currency in it for emergencies. I still take
that, with a few $100 bills and a bunch of singles for tips and bribes zipped
in, but the most important thing for me now is a photograph of my wife and
two daughters. Nothing's more important to me than being reminded of those
three sweet souls back home. I always take a tiny battery-powered alarm clock with large glow in the
dark numbers on it. That way I never have to rely on a hotel switchboard
to give me a wake-up call. And to predict the unexpected, I always pack a
tiny Tarot card deck. I always, always, always leave on a trip with a novel or other piece of
literature (memoir!) about the place I'm going to. When I went to Provençe,
it was Marcel Pagnol's memoir. When I went to the San Juan Islands it was
Snow Falling on Cedars. Right now I'm in Hawaii, and it's Shark Dialogues.
These books help me be more richly in the spirit of a place. Also, I always
travel with small trinkets from my home, Hawaii, to give to people who are
exceptionally kind to me on the road. Packages of macadamia nuts are flat
and relatively light and a wonderful hors d'oeuvres for a host in any country.
They were a big hit in Tuscany. I like to tuck two $100 bills away. When I run into a situation that is
beyond my financial comfort zone, I pull out and spend the first one. And
somewhere along the line, I find someone who is kind to me, or who needs
it more than I do, or whose day I simply feel like making (because this always
makes my own day, too) and I give the second one to them. On a different
note: I also always take earplugs. The Targus DEFCON 1 Ultra Notebook Computer Cable Lock and Motion Sensor
is the one little travel device I never leave home without. This lightweight
and unobtrusive device holds a retractable stainless steel cable with a motion
sensor that gives a 95-decibel shriek when disturbed. Lock it to the security
key in your laptop and loop the retractable cable around a table leg, a luggage
cart...anywhere. I hang it on my hotel room door or hook it on my tent zipper
then set the motion sensor and sleep in peace. The cable is long enough to
be looped around anything—your camera strap, purse, backpack, and luggage.
Even the stealthiest of thieves don’t have a chance. And best of all
it’s priced under $50. You never know what sorts of biting critters you'll encounter abroad. I
once got into a nasty swarm of mosquitoes in Trinidad; the welts ended up
itching for more than two months. Since that experience, I don't leave home
without something to stop bug bites from itching. I find aspirin works better
than the topical treatments, but generally take both. My current favorite
topical (recommended by my pharmacist) is a product appropriately named “Itch-X,” which
claims to “stop itching instantly” and actually works darned
well. But my number one essential item when traveling is family photos. Lightweight
and easy to pack, they’re a great way to begin communicating with others
when you don't share a common language. And, when you do speak the same language,
family is one of the things people often ask about. Photos are also good
for moderating the occasional spell of homesickness. Finally, when the leeches
and bug bites get too bad, I have only to glance at the family member I affectionately
think of as “Fang,” as a reminder to count my blessings. I take along a sarong (which can be used as a towel, a sheet, or an item
of clothing) and a small role of duct tape. Also a headlamp flashlight—hands
free is key. I bought a flat metal tin of Nivea Creme at the ubiquitous Boots in London;
this version was so much more satisfying and indestructible than the usual
plastic containers found in the States (although since I have seen tiny tins
at Long’s Drugs). I slip it into a pocket of my suitcase and don’t
have to worry about the stuff squirting all over my undies like plastic bottles.
Nivea is the perfect travel product as it can be used as a hand cream, moisturizer,
eye makeup remover, and cuticle cream. Nothing is more blissful after a day
of sightseeing than a long bath, then massaging my tired tootsies with Nivea.
But if all that weren’t enough, I cracked up when I went into a leather
shop in Florence and discovered the staff massaging Nivea into the leather
jackets. “After all, it’s skin,” they explained. Since
this discovery I use it on the road as a shoe polish, folding up some tissue
and rubbing it into my loafers. I chafe easily, especially when traveling when I often spend days on end walking. Just recently I’ve discovered a terrific product that does what talc, lotions and other skin ointments never seemed to do effectively — actually prevent skin damage. It’s called Body Glide, and it’s used by marathon runners, Navy Seals, cyclists and others for whom chafing can be a major problem. Body Glide comes in a stick deodorant-type applicator and you can use it anywhere you might chafe or blister — feet, thighs, under bra straps, etc. It stays on even in hot, muggy weather (and underwater) and creates a non-greasy kind of waxy barrier on your skin. This is one of those products that you’ll never be without, once you’ve tried it.
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