What's in this issue?
TRAVELER REPORTS
Travel News For Travel People
Looking for a tasty meal in Vietnam? How about a nice, healthy-looking 6.5 foot cobra, Eben Strousse asks. Read More
Barukh Shalev ventures to a town of lepers, unable to shake the heavy sadness and cold embrace of death. Read More
After going RTW, Joseph Koch shares his top destination picks. Read More
Becky Dewey only added to the American backpacker reputation while she was in Australia. However, in the defense of the United States, most of her blunders occurred, not because she was American, but because she is Becky Dewey. Read More
In Southern California, you can jam to music, drive a chrome motorcycle, dress your poodle in all purple and lounge around the rich and the famous, all without someone batting an eye. Read More
Go to all the new BootsnAll articles »
If you're planning around the world trip, you'll find plenty of answers to your travel questions, and can read tips and profiles from other round the world travelers.
WHERE NEXT?
New frontiers for modern-day explorers and independent travel
Sixth Stop: Waria Valley, Papua New Guinea
Last year the country was voted one of the top ten places people were least likely to visit - how's that for knowing you'd be off the beaten path? PNG has gotten a bad rap in the past for ethnic in-fighting, but a peace treaty in place since 1998 has been holding well. Watch your bags in Port Moresby and other cities, but if you're coming to PNG, it's probably not for urban comforts. Head out into the jungle and discover tribes that still embrace their roots - and the land they live on.
Read more about Papua New Guinea
Know a hidden destination that you would like to share with other independent travelers? Email Donovan@BootsnAll.com and tell him a place you would like to nominate for our newsletter.
YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED - How To Clean Clothes in a Sink
Learn a new skill: cleaning clothes without a washing machine.
Sink-cleaning is NOT the desired way to get your clothes clean. I don't care what anyone says; no matter how much you scrub, you will not rid your t-shirt of that funky I-just-spent-three-days-on-a-bus-with-chickens odour or return your undies to their original whitest-of-white color. However, if you just can't rustle up the energy to track down some change and walk down the street, or you need to get spic-and-span before your travel companions start hawking your clothes as fertilizer, it will work in a pinch. Here are a few things to keep in mind when scouring away.
1. Figure out what clothes you want to "sanitize". As a general rule, small, thin articles like bras, bandanas, underwear, swimming suits and other such items are far, far easier to purify than thick, coarse jeans, jackets and additional heavy-duty accessories. They're less bulky, faster-drying and rinse-friendly. Tiny items usually take at least a few hours to dry in a warm place, while jeans can take up to two days.
2. Consider your drying options. Do you have a clothing line? Can you string it up between two bunkbeds? Is there an outdoor rack available? Is it sunny or cloudy outside? Is it hot (good) or cold (bad)? Can you drape wet items over railings without fear of them disappearing (or soaking your bed?) Be creative. Lamp shades, chair backs, even the top of your rucksack will work for certain things. Weed out the items that are too big to put anywhere, or don't *need* to be spruced up, in order to make room for other ones. Just make sure you don't "hang yourself out to dry" and not have anywhere to put your damp clothes.
3. Locate and assess the sink. Take a good look at your sink. Although a large mud room or laundry room-style sink would be great, I'm assuming that if you had a laundry nearby, you might think twice about sucking the foul-scented air swirling around that sweatshirt you've worn every day for the past two weeks. This means that your sink is probably standard size, with a "one article at a time" policy. Enterprising folks can risk the irk of their peers and also do the duty in the hostel bathtub or shower.
4. Choose your weapon. Liquid soap will give you the best bang for your buck. Powdered soap tends not to work very well. In extreme cases, hand soap is better than nothing, and will at least give you some self-pacifying suds.
5. Check for Stains. Sniff for especially rancid items and track down the source of the stench. Pre-treat with your weapon of choice by adding a direct hit of liquid soap or showing your offending apparel some love with the bar soap and good ol' elbow grease.
6. Inspect the sink and fill 'er up! Clean out any gross 'sink stuff' like phlegm, hair and toothpaste. The goal is to get your clothes as clean as possible, not win the "where did that come from???" award. If you do have access to an oversized sink, plug it with a stopper and fill it approximately 3/4 full with warm water, adding about ¼ cup of liquid detergent (if available) along the way. If the plug is missing, do the best you can with a bandana or other small item. Make sure to leave room in the sink for the clothes!
7. Divide and conquer. The lucky ducks with a big sink (or tub) should place items in the water, making sure they are submerged and fully soaked before kneading and wringing the items. The purpose is to move the dirty, nasty things from your clothing and into the water. Trust me, you won't want to drink it after a few t-shirt scrubbings. When you are finished, drain the water and then run clean water to rinse out the excess soapy grit.
Those without large tubs of water must scrub and rinse each item individually, running the water to soak the article of clothing. Watch the pressure of the water and don't place items directly below the stream, as they can 'repel' the agua, sending it all over you - and the floor! "Spot treatment" should be your mantra when washing individual items. You may have to wash large articles such as jeans in segments, as only part may fit in the sink at one time. Place paper, plastic bags or a towel below the sink to catch or sop up the extra splish-splash.
8. Twist and Shout. Large-sink lovers have the option of squeezing out the water at the end of their scrub session, while the less fortunate need to do it as they go. Work your muscles and wring water out with all your might, concentrating at the ends where it tends to build. The better you twist, the faster your clothes will dry and the sooner you can smell like...soap.
If you're worried about appearances, avoid unsightly wrinkles and skip the twist-fest - roll the items in a towel to remove excess water instead.
Not near your ultimate drying location? Throw your damp clothes into a few plastic bags to transport them to dry-sky paradise.
9. Hang Loose. Hang and drape your clothes with maximum air-flow in mind. If you must place an item flat, remember to flip it over after a few hours.
10. Fold and Pack. Once your items are utterly, totally and completely dry (unless you love the smell of mildew), take them down, fold 'em up, place them in your bag, and promise yourself that next time, you'll find a laundromat.
For more practical road How-Tos, visit the How To Travel Guide
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TRAVEL TALK
A travelers community for ranting and raving about world
Best of the Boards
A new forum with shortcuts to the top content-heavy, interesting, enlightening or just all-around-awesome threads. Nominate your favorites by messaging a moderator.
Hitchhiking and the Importance of Your Appearance
What would you think if you were driving along a nice, scenic, country road and up ahead loomed a couple of adults, both over 6 feet tall (over 180 cm each), with torn jeans, punk t-shirts/tanks, one with blue hair, the other with green hair. Grinning broadly with packs. Would you give them a ride? Do they stand a chance in hell?
Europe Recommendations and Raves
A new thread full of Europe information. Contains Europe-specific tips, advice and recommendations on everything from Eurail to top links to favorite restaurants on the continent.
SEA Overland Visa Questions
How necessary is it to secure visas to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China BEFORE leaving Thailand on an overland journey?
FEATURED TRIP - Thailand
Thailand Adventures
Check out our hundreds of DIRT-CHEAP adventure trips around Thailand. Plenty of last minute killer deals! Thailand Tours
Information On Trips To Thailand
