Just finished Paul Bowles' 'Travels: Collected Writings 1950-1993' and wow, what a ride! This isn't just travel writing - it's time travel. Bowles has this uncanny ability to make you smell the spices in Moroccan markets and feel the Sahara's heat through the page.

What blew me away were his music-recording expeditions in Morocco ('The Route to Tassemit' especially). The way he describes traditional musicians makes you hear the music. Now I'm obsessed with visiting his private island in Ceylon after reading 'Fishtraps and Private Business'. Trip planned!

The book's arranged chronologically with everything from magazine pieces to kif glossaries (very 60s). Love how Bowles always picks the circus over the cathedral - that's my kind of traveler. His perspective on culture being about living people rather than historical artifacts really resonates with me.

Some criticize the repetition, but I found it helpful for cementing those vivid images of places I now must visit. Morocco just shot to the top of my bucket list thanks to Bowles' poetic yet politically sharp observations.

Pro tip: Read this with a cup of mint tea for full immersion. Warning - severe wanderlust guaranteed!