vaticanus' VirtualTourist Home Page

When all the world is young, lad,
And all the trees are green;
And every goose a swan, lad,
And every lass a queen;
Then hey for boot and horse, lad,
And round the world away.
Young blood must have its course, lad,
And every dog his day.
- Water Babies by Charles Kingsley

VT has become an important part of my life. I enjoy visiting pages, learning about other parts of the world- including my home state of New Jersey, and I particularly like reading about VTer's experiences and impressions.

Below are the pages I feel are most unique and interesting-

One art historian calls it the Periclean achievement of India- the DESAVATARA TEMPLE in Deogarh (MP). It is the crowning gem of the Gupta Empire's finest creative effort.

Degarh overlooks the huge Betwa River, its cliffs carved with hermit cells and caves, a large fort at the summit, a gigantic complex of Jain temples, a beautiful countryside dotted with Gupta temples and, of course, Desavatara. -and that's not all.

The government has finally made the effort to protect this monument and restore the paintings. It's done. Hurrah! The painter was an Indian convert who adopted the Western canon of composition- the result is stupendous- scenes crowd into and overlap one another with juxtapostions of Biblical and historical scenes along with renderings of hell, devils, salvation, etc

The church is located several miles outside of San Miguel de Allende (popular with foreigners who retire here) in the state of Guanjuato a couple hours drive north of Mexico City.

I like to think I can come to some kind of understanding of another culture- but for the Maya- no way. The Mayans understood the universe and their position in it as equally dependent- the gods and humankind shared the same fate. Most of us are more familiar with the Aztec interpretation of this as human sacrifice etc.- but the Mayas preceded the Aztecs and were closer to the originators of these beliefs. Visiting Copan is something like "Close Encounters" - it will shake your imagination for sure.

My interests are art, archaeology, history, and mythology. However, I do have many pictures of Indian society which I hope to add soon to my India pages before I go back again.

I first visited Guatemala in 1984 and returned again and again; usually spending months on each visit. Most people know something of the terrible civil war and the many atrocities and abuses that occurred under numerous US supported military dictatorships.

Tourists will not find this history leaping out at them. Instead, they will experience the gentleness and happiness that seems infused into everyday life and activities.

Development is coming to Guatemala. Vast forests I saw 20 years have been replaced with pastures and corn fields. Population growth is high and the country must deal with a demographic bulge of young, single and unemployed males.

Nevertheless there is much left to see and Tikal- you'll remember Tikal as long as you live.

This is my master list for packing. I select from it what is suitable for the trip I have in mind: camping, long distance hiking, budget touring etc. The list is based on 20 years experience of economy travel. As to the great debate about whether folding or rolling saves the most space when packing- my tests say to ROLL.

CLOTHES
Note: Cotton/ polysynthetic blends dry much faster than100% cotton. Light colors are less attractant to mosquitoes.

Trousers-Khaki trousers from a blend of cotton and polyester. 100% cotton denim jeans take forever to dry
Shorts (100% polyester) with pockets
(useful for going to shower/bathroom)
Long sleeve shirts with pockets (50/50 blend)
T-Shirt w pocket (50/50 blend)
Underwear
Socks (wool cotton blend)

Shetland wool sweater (lightweight)
Thermal T-shirt
Windbreaker
(You may not need a coat with all of the above)
Poncho
Bandana (a 1000 uses for this item)
Hat (wide-brim and crushable)
Water resistant boots
Sneakers (for dry climates)

HYGIENE
Razor
Comb
Toothbrush, floss and paste
Compact mirror
Nail Clipper
Soap (hotel size)
Shampoo (small 1 oz size)
Toilet paper
Washcloth (try Salux- keyword search)
Towel (quick drying material)
Antisceptic Hand Gel
Night Visor for sleeping (or use the bandana)
Ear Plugs for sleeping in noisey hotels
Flip flops (Showering)

MEDICAL
Antisceptic Ointment
Iodine/Betadine
Antibiotics
Tylenol/Aspirin
Anti-Diarrhea Tablets
Band aids
Gauze
Tweezers
Water Purifier liquid or tablets
Snakebite Kit (tropical)
Insect Repellent (DEET)
Foot Powder
Bedbug Powder (get from veternarian)
Sun screen lotion
Mosquito net (available locally)

DOCUMENTS
Passport and Visas
Prescriptions
Credit Card
Cash
Dictionary (foreign language)
Maps
Notebook/Pen
Address/Telephone #'s
Money Belt
Photocopies of passport, tickets, etc
Spare passport photos (2)
Serial #s of equipment (in case of theft)

LENSES
Camera/Batteries/Manual
Lens Cleaner tissue
Film (or memory cards)
Plastic Magnifying Glass
Sunglasses
Compass
Flashlight/batteries (I recommend C-cell size)
Wristwatch w alarm function

MISCELLANEOUS
Gifts (pens, lighters)
MicroTape Recorder/Batteries
Needle/Thread
Lock (to secure pack & pension doors)

FLYING
Surgical Mask (SARS, Flu, etc)
Ear Pressure plugs (designed for those who find flying painful)

CAMPING GEAR
Backpack (I do not recommend packs with lots of external compartments- it's too easy for thieves to open)- better to organize stuff inside the bag using transparent plastic bags
Very light small nylon backpack for day trips
Sleeping Bag (synthetic fill easier to take care of)
Hammock or Tent
(keyword search: Hennessey hammock)
Ground cloth for tent
Machete w. sheath (tropical)- get locally
Waterbag/Canteens/Plastic Jug qt or gal
Small candles (birthday size)- useful to start campfire
Whistle (emergency)

COOKING EQUIPMENT
Plastic cup with handle to hold hot liquids
Plastic bowl
spoon (aluminum)
knife (folding)
Cooking Pot with lid & bail wire

FOOD
Rice
Powdered Milk
Coffee
Sugar
Oatmeal
Salt
Bouillon cubes/powder
Garlic
Chocolate powder (vitaminized)
Kool Aid (tropical)