With my superficial knowledge of its geography (some 18,000 lush, volcanic islands) and culture (mostly Muslim, with Hindu, Buddhist, animist, Chinese and Dutch inflections), wouldn't Indonesia — and specifically Java, its cultural and political center — be the perfect spot to plunge blindly into for a week, without guidebook, map or personal contacts?
It is a driving map, but will be useful in combination with guidebook maps to determine where the hikes are.
Because almost all guidebook maps are folded into the books, they are often as fresh today as when they were printed.
Guidebook maps, supplemented by hand-drawn versions from insiders, help; the Librairie Nouvelle bookstore in the Ville Nouvelle, outside the medina gates, usually stocks the most detailed guide, Hammad Berrada's "Fez From Bab to Bab, Walks in the Medina" (in English and French editions), with 11 gate-to-gate walks.
There, in a cozy mezzanine-level space, the classic travel texts of guidebooks, maps and phrasebooks are grouped with literary fiction, memoirs, romance novels, spy thrillers — books that, at first glance, might not be what the average traveler would think about packing in her suitcase.
Their firm, Sargent, Farsari & Co., dealt in smokers' supplies, stationery, visiting cards, newspapers, magazines and novels, Japanese and English conversation books, dictionaries, guidebooks, maps, and photographic views of Japan.
Read guidebooks, maps, websites, message boards and even novels set in the countries you plan to visit.
The pass comes with a 100-page guidebook and map and $8 of phone calls.
The cover article on Jan . 15about exploring Jerusalem without guidebook or map referred incorrectly to the lands that the wall that is still under construction separates.
A guidebook and map of the route can be bought for 18 euros, or $23.50 at $1.31 to the euro, at several kiosks around the city, and can be viewed online at rutadelmodernisme.com.com
You can also buy tickets for the Ruta de Modernisme ($3), which includes a guidebook, a map and discount tickets to the Palau de la Música and three museums.
