Simply Leave

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Imagine retracing the path of pepper across the earth.

Though pepper now huddles unpretentiously on the table, it has seen the world. It has felt the monsoons of India and the dusts of Egypt. It has shaken empires and to retrace it’s path through history would be a true adventure.

1) Goa, India

This trip could start on the south western coast of India, in black pepper’s native land. Here your bare feet could feel the cool sand in the blue light of dawn. You could wander the spice markets and smell the tangy symphony of every spice at once. You could see the monuments built by the many who conquered parts of this coast to control black pepper. Then you could fall asleep swinging inside a hammock in the sticky red afternoon, listening to the Arabian sea.

2) Alexandria, Egypt

The next stop should be Egypt. From here the roman empire’s fleet of 120 ships would annually depart for the coast of India to retrieve black pepper. In Alexandria you could hear the call to prayer echo through narrow streets. Your teeth could crunch through the warm outer layer of round Falafel balls. You could see the overwhelming scale of things ancient.

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Creative Commons picture by Tawheed Manzoor.

You would never have guessed.

If you were some ancient explorer who happened across peppercorn, you would never guess that it could have such a profound impact on the world. Who would? Standing in the jungle next to your newly discovered plant it would be crazy to think that this small spice, with no noticeable pharmaceutical properties, could drive whole empires to war. But, it did.

Among the forces that have shaped the world, the desire for a certain type of pain is surely a strange one. Yet, the desire for the tang of peppercorn caused the Romans to send a fleet of 120 ships to the Malbar Coast of India…annually. Ramesses II was buried with some of it. Wars were fought, countries were conquered.
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Creative Commons picture by Jule_Berlin.

If “a penny saved is a penny earned,” now may be the perfect time for your trip around the world. Economic facts have intervened and made earning pennies more difficult. Luckily the dollar can still go a long way in many parts of the world, and saving pennies is just a plane trip away. This downturn may be the perfect time to explore the planet, especially the inexpensive parts, for less money than it costs to chill back at home. With a little luck the US economy will be on the upswing again when you return.

Budget travel may be the most exciting way to save money; After a two dollar bus ride up the Ganges you might find yourself dancing in the shimmering moonlight or facing a disgusting toilet in candle light. One dollar you spend next to the Mekong may buy you one of the best meals you have ever had or a night battling bed-bugs. For less money than it costs to buy strir-fry in the States you can spend a day on a Thai beach.

If you are interested, the following are the three basic steps.
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Riding the Italian railway system is like learning how to use hand grenades or trade stocks; if you can avoid the larger downsides in the beginning, you will be an expert in no time. Here are 5 tips to help you sidestep some of the worst problems.

4) Board and Disembark Swiftly

This Helps you Avoid:

Missing your train -or- Ending up in the wrong town

Explanation

In order to keep things moving, the trains stop for just long enough to let people jump on and off. Usually this means the train will be there for just a few minutes before heading on it’s way. At some of the smaller stations the train may only stop for 60 seconds.

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Creative Commons picture by farbfilm.

In Rome red lights are more of a suggestion than a rule.

For pedestrians unaccustomed to crossing steady streams of traffic, this can be a little scary. You end up having to rely on the driver’s ability to miss you. Here are two methods for crossing the street in Rome:

Creative Commons picture by permanently scatterbrained.

The Advanced Method:

1) Make sure that there is enough room for the oncoming traffic to see you

On many roads, you will never be able to get enough room to make it all the way across. Enough space for the drivers to see, and react, to you is the best you will get.

2) Steadily and confidently walk across the road

Drivers seem to like pedestrians to walk at a somewhat constant speed. Because this allows the drivers to predict where the pedestrians will be, the traffic is able to flow around those crossing the road.

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Creative Commons picture by Chris Gin.