{"id":71,"date":"2009-04-27T08:44:14","date_gmt":"2009-04-27T07:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/?page_id=71"},"modified":"2023-03-31T10:42:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T09:42:40","slug":"lists-faqs-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/?page_id=71","title":{"rendered":"Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 21 Best films of the 21st Century<\/a><\/p>\n

a personal response to a recent list where worldwide critics did their poll of polls<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

5 top traveller’s tips<\/span><\/p>\n

Always ask for a better room in a hotel at the same price. Because there always is one.<\/p>\n

Take teabags<\/p>\n

Give up lettuce completely when abroad. \u00a0It’s not a hardship.<\/p>\n

The best way to get over jetlag is to see both sunrise and sunset as they unfold, and the subtle light changes then can help re-set your body clock. This works. \u00a0Don’t try to sleep it through in the hotel room with the blinds down.<\/p>\n

Try not to\u00a0be paranoid – much better to be open and full of trust with people. \u00a0And the ones who are paranoid always get mugged anyway.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

\"Rodrigo<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Read Hugh’s ‘top 10 South American journeys in literature’\u00a0 as chosen for the Guardian<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0 .<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

\u00a05 favourite movies set in Mexico [as occasionally quoted in Tequila Oil<\/a>]:<\/span><\/p>\n

Touch of Evil.<\/em>\u00a0 Orson Welles:\u00a0 \u2018I don’t speak Mexican.\u2019\u00a0 The movie that shows that as soon as you go south of the border, the bombs start going off…. Charlton Heston surprisingly convincing as a Mexican.\u00a0 Welles superb as a director.\u00a0 And that famous tracking shot.<\/p>\n

From Dusk til Dawn.<\/em>\u00a0 Tarrantino has fun.\u00a0 Of course the vampire bar is really a pre-Columbian temple…\u00a0 You knew that all along.<\/p>\n

Build My Gallows High.<\/em>\u00a0 Only a brief but potent Mexican sequence – and the great and sexually-charged scene when Robert Mitchum dries Jane Greer’s hair.\u00a0 Even by film noir standards, a completely incomprehensible plot.<\/p>\n

Treasures of the Sierra Madre<\/em>, with Humphrey Bogart and\u00a0its iconic line about how Mexican bandits ‘don’t need no stinking badges’.<\/p>\n

Night of the Iguana<\/em>.\u00a0 Richard Burton’s best film.\u00a0 The Mexican Pacific coast looks pretty good too.<\/p>\n

also honourable mention t<\/span>o<\/span>\u00a0Red Rock West<\/em> for following dialogue between runaway couple at a bar:<\/p>\n

Girl:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u2018Goddam, I love tequila.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t we go to Mexico. You\u2019ve been to Mexico, Brad.\u00a0 What\u2019s it like?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u00a0Brad:\u00a0 \u00a0\u2018Hot.\u2019<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

5 things you can still do in recession London for just \u00a32.00 or under<\/span><\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Rent a deckchair in Hyde Park for the afternoon and watch the world go by<\/p>\n

Unlimited refills of Miso soup at Yo! Sushi.<\/p>\n

Private Eye:\u00a0 good value and needed more than ever in a\u00a0 pompous and corrupt world.<\/p>\n

Take a ride on the top of a No 9 double decker bus.<\/p>\n

Buy a packet of nasturtium seeds:\u00a0 incredibly easy to grow on any soil (indeed the worse the better almost) and a multitude of flowers for that bijou windowbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0.<\/div>\n
5 things to do in Peru if poor:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Go to Bolivia. It\u2019s cheaper.\u00a0 The Island of the Sun, just over the border from Peru, is particularly recommended if you need to rest up, spend little and enjoy the sun.<\/p>\n

Learn Spanish.\u00a0 Life is more expensive if you can\u2019t speak it.<\/p>\n

Arrive at Machu Picchu in the afternoon when the tour groups start to leave \u2013 someone may give you their 50 US$ day ticket and you then have the site to yourself in the best hours before sunset.<\/p>\n

Learn to travel slowly.\u00a0 But take taxis in towns sometimes – at a handful of cents, it\u2019s a luxury you can afford.\u00a0 Also remember that a\u00a0 shared taxi (or colectivo) can be almost as cheap as a bus and a lot faster.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t eat in cheap restaurants (or Chifas<\/em>, Chinese restaurants) where you can\u2019t see the kitchen. Any money saved will go on antibiotics.\u00a0 Buy fresh produce from the market or eat street food cooked in front of you like anticuchos<\/em>, beef-hearts, or choclo y queso<\/em>, corn and cheese.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

\u00a05 things to do in Peru if rich:<\/span><\/p>\n

Give generous tips and remember that the average daily wage is a few dollars.\u00a0 Don\u2019t haggle over pennies.<\/p>\n

Take the Orient Express train between Cusco and Puno.\u00a0 Have a drink in the observation car and remember that scene from Double Indemnity<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Stay at the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco and the Pueblo in Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Fly everywhere or at the very least get the most expensive bus service.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Take a suitcase of educational supplies \u2013 like solar-powered calculators \u2013 and give them to kids or better still schools and teachers in any remote villages. \u00a0You can also buy them in bulk at Cusco’s El Paraiso market for $5 each.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

5 Explorer’s essentials:
\n<\/span>[as given to Geographical Magazine]<\/p>\n

Petzl head torch.
\nPrefer the ones that have both a tungsten light (for walking with) and long-life halogen (for doing stuff around tent etc..).
\nwww.petzl.com<\/a><\/p>\n

North Face Paramount trekking trousers.
\nLightweight, tough, quick-drying.
\nwww.thenorthface.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Mountain Equipment fleece over-trousers.
\nFor waiting around in the cold for the mules to arrive with the gear at the end of a day’s trekking.
\nwww.mountain-equipment.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

\"hughRab down jacket.
\nAgain, for those cold evenings.\u00a0 As worn in this photo.\u00a0 Model’s own.
\nwww.rab.uk.com<\/a><\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Sigg water bottles
\nI’m not keen on those ‘camel bag’ pouches that you suck water from as you walk they can freeze, get dirty and so forth, in my opinion, a bottle is better.\u00a0 Plus they have all the dents to remind you of\u00a0 previous trips.
\nwww.sigg.ch<\/a><\/p>\n

also honourable mention to:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Black Ortlieb synthetic canoe sacks, for putting them all in.
\nNot that I ever go near a canoe. They may look more like body bags than luggage, but they’re great for gear storage, obviously water-proof \u00a0and rip-proof, even when carried on the back of mules that seem determined to inflict damage.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

And 5 for the day-pack:<\/span><\/p>\n

An Alwych all-weather notebook.
\nFor taking a record of your trip, no matter what the conditions.
\nwww.alwych.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Coca tea.
\nGreat for acclimatisation.\u00a0 Just don’t try to take any back through US Customs.<\/p>\n

Vodka miniatures.
\nExtensive research over the years has shown this to be the cleanest drink at altitude.\u00a0 Not that you should drink at altitude at all really.\u00a0 But if you spend weeks in a field-tent, you\u2019re going to.\u00a0 Then take the coca tea to feel better.<\/p>\n

Aloe Up high-factor sun cream.
\nDesigned for sports people and mountaineering types; \u00a0less cloying than the regular high street brands.
\nwww.aloeup.com<\/a><\/p>\n

A coffee-plunger mug.
\nEssentially a cafetiere that is also its own mug, if that makes sense. Called a Smartcafe One Cup, they are invaluable for incurable coffee-drinkers like me.
\nwww.smartcafe.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

5 things to take to the Peruvian Amazon:<\/span><\/p>\n

Crocs
\nEd Stafford wore them to walk entire length of Amazon.\u00a0 Or Wellington boots (available locally for $10-15). \u00a0But anything in between a bit pointless.<\/p>\n

Sweat bands
\nfor head and wrist.\u00a0 Because you will.<\/p>\n

Rehydration Salts
\nTo replace all that stuff you just sweated, not just for treating stomach problems.<\/p>\n

A plastic rain poncho
\nmuch better than all the fancy Gore-Tex stuff, as breathes more naturally, from below. And means you avoid waterproof trousers, which are like wearing a giant condom.\u00a0 You can buy them for a tenth of the price of Gore-tex.\u00a0 Mac-in-a-Pac do them , among others.<\/p>\n

An umbrella
\npreferably tough \u2018trekking\u2019 fold-up one.\u00a0 You will prefer looking stupid to being soaked.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Some of my favourite travel books:<\/span>
\nAs chosen for The Week magazine<\/p>\n

Benedict Allen, Mad White Giant<\/em><\/p>\n

The punk-rock classic of travel-writing , a raw, visceral account of blundering across the Amazon by someone who\u2019s totally unprepared for the jungle: \u00a0it blew away the old established style of assured British travellers observing the world from under their Panama hats.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Claude L\u00e9vi-Strauss, Tristes Tropiques<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Magnificent, tendentious, infuriating and deeply French.\u00a0 Despite the famous opening (\u2018I hate travellers and explorers\u2019), the book is one long and intense meditation on the need for both, with terrific stories about his expeditions into the interior of Brazil in the thirties and nights spent sleeping with tribes in the ashes of the fire they had lit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Katie Hickman, A Trip to the Light Fantastic<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0An entrancing tale of an English girl who runs away to join a Mexican circus (called \u2018Bell\u2019s Circus\u2019 after the whisky) \u00a0which manages to get under the skin of the country in a way few other books have done.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Raymond Greene, Moments of Being<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0This neglected classic by Graham Greene\u2019s brother is by far the most vivid and funny account of climbing in the Himalaya in the exciting period before the Second World War when mountains were still being found for the first time, let alone climbed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Richard Rayner, Los Angeles Without a Map<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Rayner leaves England and his girlfriend, hitches up with a bunny girl and arrives in LA\u00a0 to produce a gonzo masterpiece, free-wheeling, amoral and perfectly tuned to the city he\u2019s landed in.<\/p>\n

\u00a0.<\/p>\n

WG Sebald, The Rings of Saturn<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0A short walk along the East Anglian shoreline provides Sebald with an infinity of imaginative possibilities, and shows quite how versatile and rich the travel genre can still be, allowing discursions on everything from Swinburne and silkworms to the lost city of Dunwich.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 21 Best films of the 21st Century a personal response to a recent list where worldwide critics did their poll of polls . 5 top traveller’s tips Always ask for a better room in a hotel at the same price. Because there always is one. Take teabags Give up lettuce completely when abroad. \u00a0It’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-71","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":64,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3815,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions\/3815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewhiterock.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}