“No camera, no recording device, no laptop, none of this palm pilot nonsense or a cell phone. Paper and pencil, a book, maybe a bilingual dictionary. Anything beyond that (a) can be stolen, and (b) intimidates people you encounter. The more double-A batteries you carry, the more you distance yourself from the people you're writing about.”

“Don't you think that's the main reason people find [writing] so difficult? If they can write complete sentences and can use a dictionary, isn't that the only reason they find writing hard: they don't know or care about anything?”

“The more I write the more I learn about writing. It is easy to say what looks good or sound good on paper until you experience it for yourself.”

“Rule #1: You may bring only what fits in your backpack. Don’t try to fake it with a purse or a carry-on.Rule #2: You may not bring guidebooks, phrase books, or any kind of foreign language aid. And no journals.Rule #3: You cannot bring extra money or credit/debit cards, travelers’ checks, etc. I’ll take care of all that.Rule #4: No electronic crutches. This means no laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera. You can’t call home or communicate with people in the U.S. by Internet or telephone. Postcards and letters are acceptable and encouraged.That’s all you need to know for now. ”

“People will be much more likely to help you if they can see you're trying to help yourself.”

“Holy shit! Where's a cell phone camera when you need one?”