August 21, 2005
Let the packing begin!
OK, I've started packing three weeks ahead of time. Much thought and research has gone into this, but I'm sure to have left out something critical. The most exciting purchase has been the Grundig Yatch Boy 80 Shortwave Radio.
This leather clad toy will allow me to feed my news addiction even in the remotest of locations. Both the BBC and NPR have regular broadcasts over shortwave. I’ve got these romantic notions of what it will be like from watching old WWII movies as a child. The long wire running from the radio up to the roof of my hut on the beach, the high pitched squelch as I concentrate on tuning in, the hourly ‘beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep’ of BBC’s time signal.
Other exciting purchases include my trusty 40L+10L backpack, some of those nifty trousers that turn into shorts, and several hundred Swiss Francs worth of immunization shots. After reading much advice on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree message boards, I am also getting a Leatherman combo knife, water proof pouches, a quick drying towel, and an over-the-shoulder hidden wallet/pouch.
Posted by stu at August 21, 2005 04:49 PM
Comments
Hi Stu!
Looking forwards to reading about your future adventures. Please check the watersupplies...;)
(Seems you´re not rid of the pleasant puffin, hehe)
Yeah, BBC World is a great friend in remote areas of the world, I used to listen to it when living in Tabora, Tanzania (where we had to filter the water ourselves!)
Posted by: the pleasant puffin at August 25, 2005 05:10 PM
Interesting idea, it does conjure up romantic thoughts of times gone by in which "ham radios" (same as shortwave, right?) were used to bounce messages across the globe instead of the internet, TV and telephones.
Enjoy the travels and have fun, I've so far made two extended (3-4 months, not "extended" by many standards but it's quite long by American standards) journeys over to South East Asia and have LOVED both of them. Travel safe!
By the way, I'm "HiggyB" from the Thorn Tree in case it matters, sorry about the bogus email addy but I'd like to avoid spam and all that... :P
Posted by: Tom Higgins at August 24, 2005 03:13 AM