Rick Steves in Iran

by Josh Lew on

Rick Steves is the kind of guy who can tell you where to find the best Chianti in Tuscany. No one would label him an intrepid travel journalist… Until now. Steves, known as the host of PBS shows about traveling in Europe, recently went somewhere that few people in his line of work have gone before, Iran.

He spent 10 days traveling through the country earlier this summer, camera crew in tow. Though the show filmed during the trip will not be aired until next January (on PBS, of course), Steves related some of his Persian experiences on his blog.

He was also interviewed recently by Budget Travel Magazine. He related how he found the strict theocracy to be quite stifling, but how Iranian people were surprisingly friendly, good humored, even mischievous. “I’ve never had so much fun talking with people.”

Should Steves Iran journey inspire you to pack you bags, keep this in mind: all travelers are required to be led by a registered travel guide. Sound intimidating? It’s not really so bad, at least according to Steves. “I met a lot of Europeans using a Lonely Planet guidebook, and they technically had a guide, but he was off somewhere having tea.”

Photo from Flickr user Jayne Dough

Good Deed Travel: Building houses in Mexico. The why factor

by Jamie Rhein on

When I told some people I was heading to Mexico to build houses there was a mixed reaction.

  • Some people wanted to know how they could go along.
  • Some thought that this was the greatest idea since sliced bread.
  • Some gave money to help fund our endeavor
  • Some were wary of the value of a bunch of high schoolers and adults descending into Mexico across from Tijuana to build houses in order to make the world a better place.
  • Some thought it was a good idea that we build houses in Mexico to help keep Mexicans in Mexico.
  • One person thought it ironic that I was going to Mexico to build houses when there are so many Mexican immigrants building houses here.

Such are the types of comments people make to those who are embarking on do good travel. Even Rick Steves has something to say.

Rick Steves is wary of groups, such as churches, who go to Mexico to build houses. (See post) In a nutshell, if I’m interpreting him correctly, he thinks these trips are feel good experiences for the participants, but don’t do much to help the world. He likes do good travel, but he doesn’t think this type of trip is it.

“Oh, that’s just great,” I thought as I was watching the video of his philosophical musings. I had already plopped down my deposit money for such a venture.

What was my motivation? Am I just a do-gooder at heart? Or was there something else?

I like the idea of doing good. Sometimes, I do do good, I think. But, being the curious sort who looks at most of life as a grand sociological experiment, I wanted to see what such a trip would be like–and I thought it would be a way to spend some time with my 9th grade daughter. Most of our days are spent flying about our lives at such a speed that we rarely settle down to see what’s going on with either of us. Those of you who have 9th graders know that sometimes getting info from them about their inner workings is like getting gold from Ft. Knox.

I also thought this trip to Mexico would be good for her to learn more about herself and see part of the world she hasn’t been before. Plus, she could see the value of being a do good traveler. She’s a traveler, but doing good has not been part of the focus.

The other truth is, I really, really, really wanted a trip where I could see something new. Seeing something new is how I stay sane. If it meant I had to do something good, so be it.

In all seriousness, because I was in the Peace Corps, I’m careful when it comes to do-good travel. I want to make sure that the organization offering help is not disrupting life in the country where the “good” is to occur. As far as I can tell, Amor Ministries is doing good. It works within the local communities where the houses are built.

This is not meant to push Amor Ministries or a church sponsored trip. This is just what I did. It was an easy fit. Sometimes in life, one just needs an easy fit. No fuss, no muss. There are many sectarian organizations that also do good work.

Although Rick Steves is not too enamored with groups that trot across the Mexican border for a week, I have a different take. It’s been a month since I returened from my journey to Mexico, so I’ve had time to sift through my thoughts.

What I have come up with so far is that because of our trip to Mexico:

  • 12 families have a better house to live in than they did before
  • a number of Mexican kids and American adolescents have great memories of each other
  • several high schoolers from predominately well-off backgrounds had a week where they could just be themselves without cell phones, distractions or mirrors to look into and fret over their appearance
  • adults had a chance to talk to each other about themselves and their lives without interruptions
  • adolescents and adults had a chance to work side-by-side which gave numerous opportunities to just be with each other on equal footing
  • in a pinch, I can build a house that at least puts a roof over my head, a floor under my feet and walls that should withstand wind.
  • because our church has repeated this trip for years, several people have developed a relationship with this part of Mexico and this has had an impact on subsequent work. (More on this in another post.)
  • I’d rather be building a house on a Mexican hillside than sitting out on a beach somewhere, although that beach is tempting, so I’m not opposed to those trips either.
  • Do good travel can be hell on sneakers. (Notice the sole is almost gone.)

Stay tuned for more on this do good travel in Mexico experience. I’ll even share the steps on home buildling.

Good Deed Travel (Mexico here I come): Do-gooder journey with daughter in tow

by Jamie Rhein on

In a few hours, I am embarking on the kind of do-gooder journey Rick Steves is not too fond of. I’m heading to Mexico to build houses with my daughter and a gaggle of teenagers (and adult tag-a-longs like me) who hail from a mostly affluent suburb of Columbus. I don’t hail from this neighborhood, but the trip appealed to me for a couple of reasons.

My daughter is at the age where there is a fierce interplay between popular culture, peers and parents. Before she gets much further on this journey, I figure a dose of helping others couldn’t hurt. Plus, we spend most of our days busy. It’s easy to fall into a barking mode of “What did you eat for breakfast?” “Pick up your room,” and “Get off the phone.” She is a Houdini and could disappear for hours into her room if we let her.

The opportunity for the two of us to go on a trip without the two men in our lives (husband-dad, son-brother) was one to take. Sometimes it’s hard to justify a solo trip without a darned good reason. Helping out folks by building them a house seems like a good justification to head out of the country for a little while. Sharing an experience that I’m hoping we both carry with us, particularly through the next three years before she graduates from high school, is a huge plus.

As trips go, I don’t know what to expect with this one. I haven’t thought much further than spending time with my daughter, but only have a vague idea of what this might look like. We’re packed. Like Rick Steves, I wonder if this house building endeavor is a band-aid approach to the world’s woes at best, and a way for those of us who have more than most to not feel guilty about it. We can build a house in Mexico and feel better, but not have to change much once we return. Given my life at this point, this is about what I can do. I’ll keep my eyes open, though, and see what’s what. Considering that this is spring break for most of these teens, there are some who might have chosen something less physical than wielding a hammer while trying not to smash ones thumb. They could have headed to a beach in Cancun. I’ll let you know what I think about these do-gooder ways once the house is built.

Rick Steves on meaningful travel

by Jamie Rhein on

We’ve written about Rick Steves before. Neil hates him. (Not really, just jealous as all get out) and Aaron explored Steves’ guidebook writing know-how. Not long ago, Justin put some light on Rick Steves’ rap talents, or lack thereof. I catch Rick Steves from time to time on NPR and have some jealous pangs myself.

Recently, I came across this video of Steves on YouTube where he talks about the importance of traveling with meaning. Listening to him talk about what travel means to him provides insight into what motivates any of us to head to a place that is different from where we live. In Steves’ experience, there is an aspect of a spiritual endeavor in the travel he does. “Travel to me brings people together,” he says. “If you are an independent traveler, to me, it’s a spiritual experience.” To him, there is more than going from one tourist spot to another. Admittedly, I tend to agree with him, although I like the tourist hot spot travel from time to time.

I remember when I was in the Peace Corps I felt a bit harsh towards folks who I happened across in my forays to the tourist haven of Fajara, The Gambia. From my perspective, at the time, they were wandering through the world enjoying its bits and pieces without the drive to make life better for anyone while there I was assigned to a village with the mission to “help people help themselves.” I was probably in a whiny phase because helping people was a lot harder than I anticipated. What I really craved was a head of iceberg lettuce and a bag of pretzels, the two things not to be found in The Gambia at the time that I lived there.

There are certain moments in Steves’ talk where he teeters a bit close to the voice of judgment, similar to what I felt, about what motivates people to travel. His ideas are worth thinking about, although, as I’ve become older, I’ve become gentler in my approach. In my thinking, any time anyone sets foot across the border from where he or she resides into another culture, it’s mostly a good thing. One never knows which experience will be the one that changes a life. Plus, for folks who have only two weeks of vacation a year, there’s reality to deal with. Sometimes a person just needs some R&R in order to cope with slogging through life at home. But, perhaps, that’s the difference between travel and a vacation.

Rick Steves on being a guidebook writer

by Aaron Hotfelder on

After 30 years producing guidebooks, Rick Steves could easily throw his suitcase into a closet and spend all his time swimming through his piles of money a la Scrooge McDuck. But the man continues to plug away, meticulously researching various European locales for his eponymous guidebooks. And more power to him.

To many of us, Rick Steves has the dream job– earning money to travel around the world, to think, write, and talk about travel. But in a recent article, he explained the process of researching a guidebook, and how it differs from what most people might imagine (as some Gadling contributors already know).

Rick says that while on location, guidebook writers’ entire days are spent conducting research, and he offers his secrets for how to get the best information about restaurants, hotels, activities, and more. For example, “Checking hotels before 10 a.m. is bad news — — people haven’t checked out yet — and the staff is still busy with breakfast. It’s hard to see a room. Checking late in the afternoon is also bad — everyone’s checked in for the day and places are reluctant to show rooms. Prime hotel-checking time is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

Rick also answers a question I’ve always had about guidebook writers– how do they eat at all those places? Turns out, sometimes they don’t. “Restaurants are a big priority for any guidebook researcher…. I can’t eat everywhere, but I can talk to customers in each place. My reward — just before the kitchens close — is to eat at my favorite place.”

Personally, Rick’s guidebooks have never really fit my travel needs, but I’ll give the guy points for appearing to be one hell of a nice guy. And if you’re so inclined, you can give him points for this as well.

Last year, Neil Woodburn “hated” on Rick Steves here.