Varanasi’s Old City is a confusing place, to say the least. The narrow streets twist and double back on themselves or branch out to disappointing dead-ends. Just finding your hotel can be a challenge. Here’s a chance to test your wits — can you find your way to the Vishnu Rest House?

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One of the first places I intend to visit in Bangkok is the Buddhist Amulet Market by the Chao Praya River. The Thai people seriously love their amulets and wear them constantly for protection or blessings of all kinds. They love them so much, in fact, that it has become a multi-million dollar business — some financial research groups estimate sales over $500 million US per year. Providing a handsome income for temples, the amulet business has even lead to crime sprees when specific amulets became a mega-hit.

At the market, you can find amulets to fit any budget, from 10 baht to 1,000,000 baht — you can probably guess which end of that scale I’ll be looking at.

Crafted by monks at various temples across the country, many talismans include ashes from burned sacred texts or temple incense, dust from holy places, or even dirt from sacred graveyards. These ingredients increase the magical power and give extra protection to the wearer. The talismans are then prayed over intensely by the monks and further imbued with sacred power through rituals, in a a modern mix of Buddhism and pre-Buddhist shamanism.

Best of  all, apparently there is an amulet for everything — they can can bring you good luck, true love, prosperity, protection from evil, invisibility, or relief from all kinds of problems and ailments. Got a rash on your wedding tackle? A stalker on Facebook? There’s an amulet for that.

So here’s how the contest works: simply leave a comment below with your best guess at the final weight of my backpack when I leave for Thailand, and a note on what kind of amulet you want (crazy sex, luck in Vegas, fertility, etc). 2 days before I leave, my pack will be loaded and ritually weighed. Everyone who comes within a half-pound of the correct final weight will get a free magic amulet from Thailand, hand-picked to fit their request. I’ll scour the market top to bottom to find one that matches your needs, as best I can.

Winners will be contacted via email and asked to provide a snail mail address for shipping. Please know that I never share email addresses with anyone and I’m far too lazy to spam you. I’ll mail you the goods from Bangkok, but I have no idea how long it will take to reach you. I also can’t guarantee that it will survive the journey, but I’ll do my best to pack it securely.

For those wanting to be all scientific about this, here is my packing list. Go ahead and laugh — I deserve it.

Last day to enter: February 24th, 2010. Thanks for reading this far and good luck!

Nomadic Matt and Gap Adventures have announced a contest, in which they are giving away a two week Costa Rica trip to the person who can best answer this question: “Why do you want this trip, and what do you hope to get out of it? … Just tell us why you deserve this lovely prize.” Contest Link

Strangely enough, this trip begins the same month I intend to leave on my 1+ year journey around the world. The coincidence seemed too much too ignore, so I couldn’t resist throwing my name in the hat.

Answering the Question: Why Do I Want this Trip?

I want this trip for the same reason I’m traveling around the world: I want to see as much of it as I can, while we’re both still here, and to learn how to move through it while leaving the smallest possible trail.

We live in an interesting era: modern air travel has made it possible for nearly anyone to travel the world. What was once reserved solely for the uber-rich is now available to a poor boy like me.

At the same time, however, this increased accessibility and global communications networks are rapidly diluting our cultural differences – languages are dying and cultural traditions are degenerating into mere stage shows for tourists. On my first trip abroad, I checked into a hotel in Madras, India, only to hear Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” pouring out of my neighbor’s room at full volume. I love Willie – don’t get me wrong – but that’s not one of his best tunes.

The impact on the environment is even more pronounced. We are burning through resources at an unbelievable rate. We are not killing the planet — we are killing ourselves. I want to visit, learn from, and pay tribute to those who are trying to slow and, hopefully, reverse this trend.

Making My Case: Why Should I Win This Trip?

1.  I’m Fat and Out of Shape
One thing I’m hoping to do with my journey around the world is to motivate everyday people to get out and explore this incredible planet of ours. You don’t have to be rich, famous, or athletic – you just have to commit to doing it. Most travelers will leave me far behind while hiking trails on the sides of the Arenal Volcano – I move at the speed of your average arthritic grandmother. But, while the others plow noisily ahead, I will be quietly wheezing by the side of the trail — taking photos and making notes. (Pro tip: setting up a tripod can gain you several minutes of recovery time.)

I also have a much higher chance of seeing the local wildlife up-close, as animals are more likely to approach while I’m unconscious.

2. I Don’t Speak a Lick of Spanish
After two years of study in high school, about all I can manage in Spanish is finding the beer and the bathroom (often in that order). Hopelessly inept with languages, I get by with pointing, gesticulating, and dancing about like a monkey. Again, I want everyone who reads this to know that they, too, can travel the world even if they have barely mastered their mother tongue (and are willing to dance like a monkey).

3. I Do Stupid Things
Okay, some people will see this as a negative. I don’t. I secretly revel in my seemingly endless talent for getting myself into ridiculous situations. While another blogger might stand atop a rocky outcrop, waxing poetic about the amazing view and how it makes them feel, I will probably trip and stumble into a cactus. The other blogger’s soliloquy will last but one post, but I’ll be complaining about pulling cactus spines from my butt for days. High-brow? No. Entertaining? Your call.

So that’s my pitch. I would love to travel with GAP Adventures and share my adventure with you. If you’d like to learn more about Costa Rica and sustainable tourism while being entertained with beautiful photos and offbeat commentary, please vote for me.

Rollover photos for details — weight, cost, etc.

Gear update here: link

There are still a few things I need to add to this, a rainjacket, clothing and small stuff — but this is the bulk of it. I hope to manage to keep it all under 45 pounds, which is still a lot to carry. On my previous trip to India, I was carrying about 65 pounds, so I am making some progress…

I’m taking a very basic camping setup — tent, sleeping bag and pad. In some countries, I won’t even bother with it but I think it will give me some flexibility and hopefully save me a few dollars here and there. I won’t bother with a cooking setup as I don’t plan to camp extensively. I can survive a night or two on cold food.

Not shown:  lightweight rain jacket, windproof fleece, Vasque boots, journal, backup hard drive, un-mentionables, and marching tuba.

Final List:

Arc’teryx Bora 95 Internal Pack
Waterproof pack cover
Timbuk2 Swig medium backpack
Marmot Hydrogen 30 sleeping bag
Thermarest Prolite 4 pad
Big Agnes SL1 tent, groundsheet
13” MacBook Pro w/ nylon case
Cables, chargers, extra laptop battery
500GB backup drive, wireless mouse
Canon EOS XSi w/ battery grip
Canon 55-250mm lens
Slik Sprint tripod
Canon PowerShot SD870 Elph
waterproof case for PowerShot
iPhone + backup battery
Flip MinoHD video recorder
Yamaha POCKETRAK 2G recorder
Nikon Monarch 8×42 binoculars
Vasque leather hiking boots
Nalgene bottle
Fleece jacket, rain jacket
Small medical kit
3 shirts, 2 pants, socks, shorts
Crushable wool hat, Keen sandals (sandals not included in pack weight)
Silk sleep sheet
Lonely Planet Thailand guide
Toiletry bag and beard trimmer
Leatherman Juice multi-tool
Stuff sacks and compression sack
Minimag flashlight
AA/AAA USB recharger, USB mini-hub
Duffel bag for checking bag

This is my intended route at the moment. Some destinations may be added or dropped as time, money, and whims allow. (Rollover for destinations)

Postscript (12.31.09): I’m now seriously considering dropping Greece and Turkey (would have to rush to get there during nice weather) and adding China instead. I can enter China from Vietnam, then (hopefully) make my way to Tibet overland and drop into Nepal. Anyone have experience with this route? Please leave a comment.

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Thailand and SE Asia – I’ll land in Bangkok in early March, after 30 hours in transit, and spend 2-3 months wandering about Thailand, Cambodia, and hopefully Vietnam. Angkor Wat in Cambodia, some lazy time at the beach, and possibly taking a diving course are top of the list of things to do.

India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka – Flying from Bangkok to Calcutta, I’ll make my way down to Sri Lanka, back up to Bangladesh and onto Nepal.

Nepal – I’ll make my way overland into Nepal for trekking and exploring Kathmandu.

Egypt - I hope to catch a cheap flight from Nepal to Egypt, though I may have to make my way back down to New Delhi to save money. I hope to spend a couple of months in Egypt.

Turkey and Greece – I’ll only spend a few weeks in Turkey, due to higher living costs. From there I’ll make my way to Greece for another 2-3 weeks. Where possible, I’ll camp to save cash.

Venice, Italy – A possible splurge trip, if my budget is holding up; I’d love to take the ferry from Athens to Venice and camp on the Lido. Funds and weather may force me to cross this off the itinerary.

Morocco – Another possible leg. I’d fly from Venice to Barcelona and make my way into Morocco and back to Madrid. Probably a 50/50 chance of this happening :/

Brazil – The cheapest entrance into South America appears to be Rio. Cash allowing, I’d like to explore Brazil before making my way to Peru.

Peru – The main focus of my South American leg, I’ll spend a good couple of months visiting ruins and roaming the Andes.

Costa Rica, Belize, and Mexico – Planning for this portion of the trip is pretty fuzzy at this point, but visiting the jungle, poking around Mayan ruins, and spending some quality hammock-time at a beach with a fruity drink or five should all make for a nice wrap up to my grand adventure. I’ll be carrying a ridiculous amount of gear around the world, so I suspect I’ll need the down time.

Questions or Comments? Email Me!