“Maps and Mapmakers of the Peace Corps” book and website by RPCV

March 30th, 2008 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

Fellow map nerd and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) Chris Delcher (El Salvador, 1998-2000) just contacted me about his growing collection of Peace Corps–inspired maps submitted by volunteers around the world; he’s actually working on a book about maps and mapmaking in the Peace Corps. The site has hand-drawn maps of volunteers’ villages, and also pictures of map mural projects and the artists, like the one pictured here of Gambian teacher Basiru Trawally, taken by Erica Burman (The Gambia, 1987-1989).

Chris needs more maps drawn by Peace Corps Volunteers during their service for his book and website! If you have any scans or maps you’d like to submit, email him at: cddelcher@comcast.net.

LINK TO PEACE CORPS MAPS

LINK TO TRANQUILO TRAVELER MAPS

Here there be Dragons: Carta Marina Map Porn

July 13th, 2007 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

I stumbled on this delectable nugget while searching for dragon phrases and was immediately sidetracked. It took 12 years for Olaus Magnus to draw the Carta Marina. The famous first map of the Nordic countries with details and placenames was first copied in 1539 in Venice, printed from nine woodcut blocks to produce a document 1.70 m tall by 1.25 m wide. To really appreciate this map, download the file and check out the detail. There is indeed a warning about dragons toward its edges.

The End of the Trip?

September 28th, 2006 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

In a word, nope.

We’re back. A year-and-a-half of travel in Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and Africa.

Back.

In Colorado, where it all began.
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Map: Where in the World is The Gambia?

August 3rd, 2006 | By Joshua | No Comments »

It’s right here, a splinter of river and river bank surrounded on all sides by Senegal. The Gambia is a Mandinka island within a sea of Wolof, though that is a simplistic cultural breakdown of a place which has at least six distinct tribes. We will be traveling a counter-clockwise loop up and down the country (see red line on map below).
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Where in the World is Accra?

May 28th, 2006 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

We are here:

Or, for a closer look, here:
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Map: Our Tanzania Trail

May 19th, 2006 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Dar to Zanzibar, then Moshi to Mwanza (1200 km across the Serengeti), followed by an overnight ferry on the great lake to Bukoba–and the Uganda border. As these three weeks in Tanzania come to a close, I’ve neglected to paint a proper a map. There just hasn’t been time to bust out the watercolors, only this customized shot from a park visitor center. Enjoy.
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Map: Sri Lanka, laying down

April 26th, 2006 | By Joshua | No Comments »

My flat map of Sri Lanka denies the island its normal north-is-up “teardrop” romance, but laying it on its side, it looks like big-headed whale, don’t you think? Colombo the eye, rail tracks the teeth. . .a blunt-headed giant of the sea, swimming south while casually dumping on India. Maybe? Maybe not.
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Map: Two Weeks in Laos

March 26th, 2006 | By Joshua | No Comments »

[flashback post, painted map a month late] By boat, bus, and second-class bogey, we float and poke down the Mekong, across the northwest corner of Laos; on our way back to Bangkok, and beyond.
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Map: Darjeeling to Delhi

November 16th, 2005 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

Since we orginally opted for a domestic flight from Delhi to Calcutta (back in August), our current westbound journey by rail and bus completes our bragging rights to a subcontinental overland crossing — from Pakistan’s Hunza Valley to the Bhutan border.
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Map: Birpara Town, Jalpaiguri District, North Bengal

October 4th, 2005 | By Joshua | 5 Comments »

When I showed my map of Birpara to Tay, and asked her if I’d missed anything, I was startled when she immediately declared “Yes!” and went on to list everything that was omitted: trucks, cows, rickshaws, bicycles, people, honking, piles of shit…
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