Lansky offers advice on seeing the world

Ryan Moore
Staff Writer
April 8, 2004, Page 5

Not many people can say that after going to the bathroom, they’ve wiped using their own hand. Doug Lansky can.
“In some third world countries the toilets are basically a hole in the ground,” Lansky said. “When you’re done, there is no toilet paper. You are expected to use your hand, and outside the bathroom there is a place where you can wash up.”
Most college students find jobs and start families after graduation. Lansky wasn’t an ordinary college student. After graduation he desired something else.
“I found myself wondering what I was going to do with my liberal arts degree,” he said.
Lansky decided to travel the world for nine years immediately after graduating. Now he is hailed as one of the foremost experts in budget travel.
Lansky spoke about his experiences and offered advice for traveling to Doane students Tuesday evening in Heckman Auditorium.
Lansky provided the audience with his presentation of “How to See the World on a Student Budget.” His PowerPoint presentation, in which he included photos and videos, was based on his personal experiences.
Lansky said that a two-month trip to Europe could cost approximately $5,000, with expenditures of $30-75 daily. Lansky suggested what to take on such a trip.
“The biggest packing mistake is overpacking,” he said. “You should be able to fit everything you need in a regular-sized book bag.”
The packing essentials, according to Lansky, include a sleep sheet, book, pocket knife, sandals, small tubes of toothpaste and shampoo, a full thin towel and light-weight pants.
“You should take one of everything, except underwear,” Lansky said.
One of the Lansky’s transportation suggestions was hitchhiking. Lansky provided some hitchhiking tips such as dressing smart, smiling, making sure there is room for the driver to stop, checking the driver out before entering the car and starting at a gas station on the edge of town.
Lansky went so far as to give suggestions of a traveling reality: dysentery. A good 10 to 15 minutes of Lansky’s presentation consisted of what he called, “squat toilets,” of which he humorously provided pictures and in-depth descriptions.
Some of Lansky’s more interesting experiences include staying in ice, salt and underwater hotels.
He spent time in the Ocean Dome, which is an indoor beach in Japan where there is no undertow and the sand is made of crushed marble so it doesn’t stick to people after they are wet.
On a trip along the Amazon River, Lansky saved his own life by offering a can of tuna fish to a head hunter who awoke him by tapping him between the eyes with a machete.
Originally from Minnesota, Lansky now lives in Stockholm, Sweden with his wife and daughter. According to a press release, Lansky has visited over 100 countries. He has written a weekly Chicago-Tribune syndicated column, hosted a travel documentary for the Travel and Discovery channels and taught journalism at Colorado College. Lansky is also the author of three books: “Last Trout in Venice,” “Up the Amazon without a Paddle” and “Rough Guide to Traveling Around the World.”
Lansky’s presentation was concluded with a giveaway of a free EuroPass, worth about $900, to sophomore Kamleh Shaban.
About traveling, Lansky advises, “When you’re traveling the world, it’s not about seeing the sites that you’re expected to see; it’s about meaningful, quality experiences.”