In the last week or so three loyal MR readers have asked how I prepare for trips, in terms of background reading and the like...
At this point in life the answer is usually that I do nothing other than call up memories of previous cultural consumption. If you are not at that point, Wikipedia is an excellent source for fiction and movies from a country. When it comes to music, consult the various Rough Guides to music; I mean the books, not the mediocre CD collections or the so-so travel guides. Also try the AllMusic guide, either paper or on-line; when it comes to music neither Amazon nor Wikipedia is to be trusted ("why not?" is an interesting question, is it because too many people feel entitled to have an opinion about music?). Bring music on cassette, CD, or iPod, as soundtrack for your trip, and ask your driver to put on Radio East Africa. Finding the best non-fiction books is the hardest category to master. I still prefer shelf browsing at libraries and book superstores.
An MR request is another option. Matt Dreyer asks what I recommend for a trip to Greece and Turkey. Offhand I’ll say Herodotus, the usual Greek classics, Pamuk’s Snow and Istanbul books, Sarkan (a Turkish singer), Sufi music, Greek traditional music from 1930-1950 (there are some wonderful collections, look for the word rembetika), a study of Turkish and also Greek textiles, a picture book on Cycladic art, a book on Greek sculpture at the National Museum in Athens, Norwich on the Byzantine empire, Michael Grant on the ancient world, Lord Kinross on the Ottoman centuries, a biography of Ataturk and there are a few good recent books which survey contemporary Turkey.
Your tips, either general or specific, are of course welcome.
My wife and I have been planning a future trip to Buenos Aires, and your blog posts have been very helpful.
i’m going to san fran/bay area in a couple weeks. tips?
Paul’s remark flies right by me.
Well, going to South Africa last year I was fully prepared in terms of music, knowing all the famous and acclaimed musicians and groups from South Africa. And what was I hearing while sitting in the minibus? Eminem
Greece to Turkey? Xenophon’s Anabasis
Tyler-
Thanks, the recommendations are greatly appreciated. I’m uncertain if enjoying all of them will be consistent with my plan to study for the bar exam, but I’ll give it a shot.
If you’re going to Central America, I strongly recommend getting familiar with Western music from the 80s. You’ll be hearing a lot of it.
Since I hear that you will pay our country a visit…
If you haven’t heard of it, I might tip you about Allemannretten, a law interesting to tourists and perhaps also to libertarian thinkers. Wikipedia has a brief writeup on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam#Norway
Also, an economist may be interested in the partly staffed huts of Den Norske Turistforening. Despite the name, they are unstaffed. What they have is food, which you take and pay for without anyone actually verifying that you do. Why it works? I don’t know, you tell me.
For a trip to Turkey and Greece, I also recommend that you spend some time in Bulgaria. Go and stay at a smaller resort town on the Black Sea (avoid the standard tourist traps like Sozopol, Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, etc.). One of the ritzier resorts north of Varna are good, such as The Riviera – I recommend the Oasis Hotel. Five course meals for 17 Lev (about 8 Euros), beautiful beaches (and people), great weather, and a relaxing culture.
Disclaimer: I am married to a Bulgarian, and tend to be a bit partial to my adopted country
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