rss feedGPS devices are plentiful – but paper maps of China still useful and have sentiment
In this day and age when people tote GPS units and Google has its Street View, there is one simple question regarding these four maps of China:
Why do I still carry them in – out of all places – my laptop computer bag?
I can get wireless Internet connection on my laptop and log on to mapping services from Google, Yahoo and MapQuest. And people are accustomed to the automated voices from GPS devices: “Turn left in 100 yards.”
The answers: Back in 1994, I pedaled my Bridgestone mountain bike on a solo trip for 1,200 miles in China. I didn’t have a cell phone. I couldn’t speak Mandarin.
These Nelles Verlag maps, a compass and dozens of strangers guided me to the right places. I also studied the sun hovering in the sky to make sure I pedaled in the right direction – south.
I’ve misplaced my compass. I want to safeguard these maps. There is another reason why I want these maps nearby.
