The Dust of Several Continents aka “Ode to My Pack”
The Dust of Several Continents……that is what i saw floating around you in my tub. yes, i bathed you lovingly in preparation for our TX-family-visit. i’m terribly attached you, my decade-old pal. how old are you in pack-years? we both cut our travel teeth on our first journey to Africa when we met my sister at her peace corp home in Niger. since then you have been with me to other parts of Africa as well as India, Europe, Turkey, much of the USA and, of course, you were my constant companion for 5 months in Central America. i looked at the brown water and the memories came flooding back. you have been mercilessly thrown on and off buses, planes and boats, dragged across floors, sat upon, laid upon, survived encounters with flowing vomit, fish juice and other substances that roll across floors of the aforementioned buses, planes and boats. you have taken all these indignities with dignity.
my passion for travel began on that trip to Niger, where you first met my back. i never gave you a name because i didn’t even realize how attached i’d become to you until recently. in central america i saw many younger, sleeker, firmer models with fashionable color palettes and a dizzying array of straps, buckles and zippers. they only made me love you more. they made me fearful of the day you are no longer able to contain the burden i carry. i, from this day forward, pledge to take better care of you and prolong your life as best i can. you deserve nothing less. thank you for your faithful service and companionship as we’ve traversed the globe. and here’s to many more amazing journeys!
Tags: backpacks, friends, Travel
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Hello how are you I am from Niger but live in New york city now
I also manage a website about Niger
I found your blog randomly on google
Is your sista still a peace corps in Niger what part of Niger
is she back in the USa now what is her name may be she knows
well here is my webisite i am managing give it to your sista
and tell her to send it to her friends peace corps
http://www.niger1.com is the website
My email is niger1.com
June 9th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Hi Peggy,
Congratualtions on the pursuit and execution of your dreams!!!
I’d like o do th same somday soon with the husband and tot.
Question? Can you give m specific information as to the best wy to get to Holbox Island? Costs? Lodging? Safety? Things to do? Never heard of it until I found your blog. I’d love to travel there next month.
Thanks,
Donna from Dallas
June 10th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
thank you!! I will send you an e as well but i want to be sure you’ve read the post @ http://blogs.bootsnall.com/peggydaly/exploring-holbox.html and the few posts immediately before that (i believe you just hit “previous post” at the bottom of that page. lots of info about stuff to do. also, i recently posted more vids of youtube. you can see them at: http://www.youtube.com/user/peggydaly.
here is the budget way to do isla holbox:
fly into cancun. there is a bus (about $3 i think) from the airport to the main bus station in cancun. if you get to cancun early enough in the day you can head to holbox, or spend the night in cancun and then head out. there are reasonable places to stay near the bus station in cancun. there are 3 buses a day from cancun’s main bus station to chiliqua (8 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm). chiliqua is the town on the mainland where the brief ferry to isla holbox departs. the buses from cancun are timed to meet the chiliqua-holbox ferry. this ferry also runs about every hour in case you get here by other means, like a taxi from cancun. not sure what that costs but it can’t be cheap. it’s about 3 hours.
i think my posts have all the info you need about once you get to holbox. lots of beautiful beaches and water. the town is small and relaxed. if you have any specific questions just let me know. i really, really enjoyed hotel la palapa. it’s super safe and i met an american family who was there with their kids and the kids could pretty much run wherever they wanted.