BootsnAll Travel Community

Rolf Potts, author of the oh-so-fabulous and always-inspiring "Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel" has just come out with a new book, and to help him celebrate we're hosting a stop on his virtual book tour right here on BootsnAll on Wednesday, September 17th.

The new book is called, "Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer" - and to make this book tour stop even more interesting, we're going to give away 10 copies of the book!

To get in on the act, you'll need to leave a question that you'd like Rolf to answer as a reply to this thread by September 17th. Rolf will pick 10 questions from all the ones he receives, and those 10 people will get a copy of his newest book. So put your thinking caps on and fire away with the best questions you can think of!

You can read more about Rolf's new book on the BootBlog.

Mr. Potts,

What hobby is best suited for travel?


BillGlo

Mr. Potts

What would you recommend / advice to single women wanting to travel to countries such as India, how can we get full benefit with least hassles or danger?

Trekker

Mr. Potts

When travelling do you pay attention to travels warnings or do you go by gut instinct at the time?

Why is Rolf not on Bootsnall anymore?

Mr. Potts

Boxers or briefs?

Instead of asking for "to do's" or "must do's"...how about some "don'ts".....


What do you suggest NOT doing when traveling? Or what do you encourage travelers NOT to do, or to AVOID doing, or do LESS of, or something you've done that (if you could do it all over again) you wish you WOULDN'T have?

What do you feel are the five most adventurous things you've done in your life?

Do you think that travelling will ultimately impact the world in a negative way, or at least add to the impact of Cocacolonization/Globalization, causing different cultures to diminish and in the end result in us all having the same culture and values?

What's the biggest mishap that has happened to you while traveling?

What is your opinion of "backpacker ghettos" such as Khao San Road, Pushkar, Kathmandu, etc.? I'm curious because my views have changed quite drastically (and not for the better) from when I first started traveling all those years ago to the present. And what do you think are the world's biggest backpacker ghettos? Thanks!

Mr. Potts,

My husband and I are considering a 2-3 year RTW. We are trying to get up the courage to quit our jobs and sell our belongings...

My question to you is, in all your years of vagabonding and meeting fellow travellers, have you ever met anyone who has regretted their decision? Someone who feels as though they've made a mistake in their life by taking the time to see the world?

Thank you,
Donna-Lee

Hi Mr Potts.

Sometimes traveling has unexpected but extreme moments when something happens that's either highly embarrassing, or highly frightening and dangerous. Has anything happened to during your travels that for you was so out of the norm, so extreme, that it stands out more than anything else?

Ok, I realize I only get 1 question to ask. Feel free to discard this one, but I also would like to know, what's the greatest life lesson you learned in your travels?

Thank you for your time and in reading my questions. I look forward to your future replies.

Simone di Santi

What was your most fascinatingly, uplifting cultural experience?

Kris10

What countries and or industries do you think offer the best opportunities for volunteering to both help the cause and enhance your own travel experience?

You have a house in Kansas. Do you ever feel that places like Kansas are, in some ways, more exotic than, say, Laos or Bhutan, because they are so off the backpacker radar?

Mr. Potts,

I like to travel in places like Colombia, Uganda, Cambodia, and Brazil among others. I like to walk around the towns I'm in looking for photos. I never know whether to take a small point and shoot camera or stick a 35m. camera with a couple of lens in a day pack. I don't like to draw attention to myself. What do you find works best for you?

Greg Ebersole
greg_ebersole@yahoo.com

What's your traveling kit? Meaning, what are you carrying in that house on your back?

happy trails,

- hotspringfreak

Hello Mr. Potts-

When we travel, many of us seem to remember the most bizzare and unplanned events as the moments from a jouney that stick out from the rest. These stories usually tend to be the best for entertaining and sharing what it's like to trot the globe; However, when I close my eyes and imagine my favorite corners of the Earth, I find that the 'every-day' type particularities of a place come forth and dazzle in my memories. I think travelers can find that it is difficult to share the specialness of these unique moments with others upon return.
My question is this: Mr. Potts, can you share any of the less-exciting moments from your travels? How they made you feel/think/act? Additionally, can you share any advice about how to share these ever-important (though less excting) moments with those who ask about our travel experiences?

Thank you for responding and being a part of our travel community!


~kpm

Hi, do you ever go to these arranged traveller's meetings or you think they are a bunch of very sad people ? I see sometimes pictures of the meetings and wonder, if there actually comes some good information out of it or is it a chance to up their egos, e.i. I have been to more places then you ?