NileGuide 5 with Gary Arndt – Everything Everywhere

This week’s NileGuide 5 interview is with Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere. Gary ‘s been traveling the world since 2007, armed with his laptop and camera and sharing his discoveries with the rest of the world through his blog and photography. Keep up with Gary on twitter @EverywhereTrip.

1. What’s the most underrated destination you’ve been to?

Pohnpei, Micronesia. This is a part of the world that is difficult to get to and most people have never even heard of it. The only way to get to Pohnpei is a flight by Continental Microneisa which flies between Hawaii and Guam every other day. There is only one airline, so that makes the ticket expensive. There are tourist locations at either end of the flight, so most people don’t want to take another long, expensive flight to go to yet another Pacific island, so it gets very little in the way of visitors. In addition to the stunning beauty of the island, it is also the home of Nan Modal, one of the true overlooked wonders of the world.

2. How do you kill time when you’re stuck on a bus or plane?

Podcasts and audiobooks. My iPod is my constant travel companion and listening to spoken word entertainment is more engaging than listening to music. Plus you can learn something. I will also sometimes read a book or take out my laptop and write an article for my blog.

3. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen or experienced traveling?

Finding a moon rock at the national cultural museum in the Solomon Islands. The moon rock had a black market street value of over $5M and was sitting in an unlocked case. It probably would have been months before anyone had noticed if it was missing.

4. What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at a new destination?

Drop my bags in my room, take a shower and walk around the neighborhood. I really do not like arriving in a new city after dark for this reason. I like to get a feel for a place and you can’t do that if you arrive after the sun goes down. Showering is something I do because I normally feel sweaty and icky after a long period of sitting in one spot.

5. If you could give one tip or piece of advice to travelers, what would it be?

Planning isn’t as important as adapting. People try to plan their travels out in such detail that they don’t leave any room open for serendipity. No matter how much you plan, something will happen to make it go off course. Don’t feel afraid of just showing up somewhere without a plan and playing things by ear. That is how the best adventures happen.

[Pohnpei photo by Gary Arndt]