ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper) (09/18/85)
> While in England and Scotland, we slowly shipped back all of the > clothing we brought with us. We then proceeded to wear or carry most > of the stuff we bought. I have a different approach--the "pack-and-abandon" method of travel. I take the shoes that are still comfortable but the soles are starting to crumble, the shirt that has the worn spot on the elbow, the sweater that has the hole near the waistband, etc. Then as my suitcase gets full, I just leave my old stuff (I left shoes, a skirt, and two blouses at our last stop in Israel). In Third World countries, the hotel staff may be very happy with your left-behinds--but leave a note saying "Please discard of these for me" or they may be accused of stealing. The other approach is never bring anything you'll only wear once. When my China tour group arrived at their gala dinner in Hong Kong, all the other women were in semi-fancy evening clothes--I was in pants and a button-down shirt. My starting luggage for the month-long trip weighed 19 pounds (plus 6 pounds for my tote bag). Of course, we have this distressing tendency to buy books. Books are heavy. Ever wrestled a fifty-pound suitcase full of books up three flights of stairs in a B&B? It's no fun. Generally, I try to restrict my souvenir buying to postcards, silk scarves (in China), a deerstalker hat (in England)--in other words, small, lightweight, often wearable, items. Now if you spend your evenings in the disco, and want to buy china for 12, this hasn't been very helpful, but different strokes for different folks... Evelyn C. Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl