Edmund Wilson, some important person who did some important thing, once said, with a great deal of pomp and importance, “no two persons ever read the same book,” (BrainyQuotes), something to bear in mind as you go traveling. Not only do you need something to whittle away those long hours on the bus, but books are also a great bridge between strangers, especially when it comes to trading well-used tomes.
Indeed, some hostels have a 2:1 trading ratio, demanding that you give them 2 books in return for 1 of theirs. Or, you can buy them at “discount” rates. As well, some even have a grading system depending upon the books “popularity,” often an objective measure, it’s condition, and whether or not they have it. Particularly valuable items include Lonely Planet travel guides, brainteasers, and Harry Potter. In fact, books are such a pivotal part of traveling that I no doubt will be mentioning them several times throughout the course of this journey. Just to emphasize it.
In Brazil, skipping ahead a bit, I stayed in a Hostel in Natal where I picked up a book called, “My Family and Other Animals,” by Gerald Durrell. The book itself was good, the story of a boy dealing with an eccentric mother while living on the Greek Islands. But what was really interesting about this particular volume was meeting the person who had left it at that Hostel, a month later, and 500-someodd miles away. I was rereading it, he saw it, and the rest, as they say, is obvious. We struck up a conversation, and ended up hanging out for a few days.
Traveling really makes you appreciate that the world is a small place.