Shoes

Special K,

 

In my tirade yesterday, I forgot to mention my shoes.  For a trip like this you want something that looks just a tiny bit dressy but can also take an unbelievable beating.  Lug soles are essentially a must both for traction and for safety (I've already driven a 3/4" thumb tack into the sole of one this trip).

 

Something like a Rockport is the right idea.  I have a set of Gore-tex Timberlands that I wear, but for this trip I've got Irish Setters (an obscure hunting shoe manufactured by Red Wing).  They're great, although I tore them up a little bit on the lava fields in Hawai'i, so they're not as "formal" as they could be. 

 

I always travel with sandals in the third world.  Not for wearing out and about in the world, but for wearing whenever I'm in my room.  I never shower without sandals on because you can't be certain you're not going to cut your feet on a poorly placed tile -- and you can never be 100% certain of what might suddenly come up from the drain.

 

I only wear a sandal that has a back heel component to it because it's common to have a spigot down by the ground and you can accidentally kick it with a tendon if you're not careful.

 

For what it's worth,

b1