“One way of making famous landmarks more comprehensible is to look for surprises, good and bad, that go beyond what you are expected to encounter there, details that open you up to the raw imperfections of the encounter itself.”  –Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate – which is a redo of episode 229, which didn’t air properly due to technical problems – Rolf and The Vagabond’s Way book club participants discuss how to break out of standard tourist routines and see places in unexpected way (1:30); how to get beyond the transactional, “taxi drivers and bartenders” layer of travel (10:00); how to become more independent of technology and smartphones as a traveler and find the “wisdom of place” (16:00); and the travel photos Rolf wishes he had taken when vagabonding 20 years ago (23:00).

Discussion moderator Luke Richardson is a traveler, author, and DJ based in England.

Notable Links:

• Rolf’s online book club signup
• The Vagabond’s Way, by Rolf Potts (book)
• Kalash people (tribe in Pakistan)
• Up Cambodia without a phrasebook, by Rolf Potts (essay)
• Henry Rollins Travel Slideshow (spoken-word tour)
• White Zombie’s J. Yuenger on long-term travel (Deviate episode)
• Before Sunrise (1995 film directed by Richard Linklater)
• Paris Writing Workshops (Rolf’s creative writing classes)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.