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Look Who Wrote On Our Lonely Planet South America On A Shoestring!

It has been a couple of weeks since TACA Airlines swooped us from Mexico City, Mexico and safely delivered us to Lima, Peru. Two weeks?! We can’t believe it either. Cancun still feels like yesterday, and the aftertaste of taco al pastor still lingers on our tasted buds.

We are currently shacking in the cheapest hostal we found so far this round-the-world trip in Arequipa City, a 16 to 18-hour southbound bus ride from Lima (and more than 2,000 meters above sea level). As I lay on our dingy, seemingly unwashed sheets, I flip through the pages of our Lonely Planet South America On A Shoestring in search of economico accommodations in Puno where we’re heading tomorrow.

Until this day, I am overwhelmed by the fact that we are actually using it as reference. You see, the hubby gave it as a wedding present to me. I remember feeling elated when I tore off its gift wrapper and found out what it was. But, I never assumed that we will actually explore South America someday. I just thought that it is, nonetheless, an awesome addition to my pile of dust-collecting paperbacks.

“A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket, and a sense of adventure.” Snapshot from Lonely Planet.

I guess you could say that I am quite obsessed with Lonely Planet’s story (I became so after reading the autobiography). In case you don’t know yet, the founders of this company is a married couple. Tony and Maureen Wheeler did an overland Europe-Asia-Australia trip (among the countries they crossed were Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) for their honeymoon in 1972 to get rid of the travel bug before “settling down”.

During the 1970s, as you could imagine, information was scant. After that epic trip, a light bulb moment led to the production of their very first guide, Across Asia On The Cheap (which by the way they typed and stapled themselves at that time). Its success brought forth the establishment of Lonely Planet Publishing (its name came from misheard Space Captain lyrics which should have been “lovely planet”, but Tony thought it was “lonely planet”), and a second guidebook, Southeast Asia On A Shoestring. Currently, it’s the largest travel guide book publisher in the world! I reckon we all know that.

“Shervin & Gay, Best wishes on your marriage and life journey together, I hope it’s as colorful as Maureen’s and mine had been!” – Tony Wheeler 2009.

Now let’s go back to that guide book of mine. Hubby initially didn’t plan to purchase that particular copy. Months prior our wedding, he contacted Lonely Planet’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia and asked for a message from either Tony or Maureen. Surprisingly they replied, and hubby was instructed to order one of the books so Tony could write a short note on it for me. South America On A Shoestring was sort of a random choice.

It was so fortunate that the staff was able to get hold of jet-setting Tony for a quick scribble. It may be a mere autograph for him, but for me, it’s a lifelong inspiration.

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Gay Mitra
When not backpacking, she teaches her daughter sight words and belly dancing (even if she's not good at it). She's currently eating her way around some hippie town in Australia. She loves talking about herself in the third person.

40 thoughts on “Look Who Wrote On Our Lonely Planet South America On A Shoestring!

  1. Oooh….. Noice!
    Hopefully I can get my Under the Tuscan Sun signed both by Frances Mayes and Diane Lane – it’s worth a shot!
    It’s so sweet that I actually verbalized an “awwww” while reading it! Kainis, kayo na ang may happily ever after!
    Hasta luego!

  2. I almost had an argument with my guest over their book. The guest was insisting on the boat price on the book published a couple of years earlier. It was pure nose bleed explaining why those prices weren’t applicable anymore. It was good though she understood in the end, and she probably had a great time back then.

  3. Theirs (Tony and Maureen) is a colorful life indeed. Just imagine the experiences they both had since the 70’s…and I’m pretty sure (betting on my sando) that yours and Shervin + Luna’s life as a traveling hippie family will definitely be as colorful.

  4. awesome! So great to have received an autographed book and an inspiration indeed Gaye. Super liked this one post of yours.

    I know that your Latin American jaunt is a great one, where I can find snippets of inspirations

  5. Wow, that was a great story. I only have 1 LP and that is about dear old Pinas. Baka kailangan magkaroon din ako for other places para mainspire to go out and explore more. 🙂

  6. I got LP Philippines too Oman 🙂 Yeah, maybe you should get LP Southeast Asia on a Shoestring next? Someone gave that to me as a present many years ago… And it did inspire me to do more backpacking.

  7. Mexico then, now in Peru! Inggit much! Gusto ko din pumunta dyan. Dream ko din makita ang Arequipa at Machu Picchu… you already! Haha… Enjoy your South American travel – Tenga un gran viaje en Sudamérica!

  8. Fantastic story!! Just goes to show dreams CAN come true – even if you didn’t realise it even WAS a dream at first!!

    Your adventures are awesome! Look forward to many more!!

  9. Tony and Maureen are really an inspiration to many. They’ve been to so many destinations some of us could only dream of.

    Super sweet ng hubby mo that he even manage to get a signed copy from Tony himself! That is sooooo cool!!! Maybe your destined to write your own guide books as well some day!

  10. Ang sweet sweet naman ni Shervin! Mark and I prefers LP din. Travel bible talaga! We’ve started collecting the LP Magazines PH edition too! =)

    Maybe you can write for LP babe! Sayang, dapat nag pa autograph na pala ako sayo when I last saw you! For sure matagal na naman bago tayo magkita!

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