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Online Travel Communities

April 29, 2008

Today is my website’s one month anniversary. It’s been a good first month. I’ve changed the design of the site about three times but I’m enjoying where it is at now. There are still more things to do and to add but for the post part the site is done. I’ve developed a good reader base for one month and I think with increased exposure, I’ll continue to grow my readers.

One thing that will certainly help is all the travel writing I’ve been doing. I should have looked into this years ago! I’m now writing for about 3 online travel magazines, I have a potential deal with Lonely Planet, and I’m looking into writing for a few more travel magazines. Things are looking up!

These travel communities have proven an invaluable resource and help to me. Not only have they helped me improved my writing but they’ve exposed me to other travelers and travel bloggers. Additionally, these websites are an invaluable source of travel information and stories.

Sites

Matador Trips- A new website dedicated to stories on travel, travel advice, travel tips, travel dos and travel donts. This website is by long term travelers for long term travellers. I highly recommend it and you can find my articles posted on this site. I have one coming up about the Top 10 parties in the world!

Vagabondish- Another travelzine. Originally built as one man’s blog, the site has expanded into an online travelzine where travelers share their stories and tips. Unlike Matador, this is geared more to personal stories from the road.

Expatriates Blog- A new website about expatriates and their experience overseas. I’ll be writing for this site too!

The Freshman Traveler- A website dedicated to connecting young college aged travelers. It’s a good community website and has a good forum function

Additionally, there’s a lot of awesome blogs out there by other travelers. I’ve putted some in my links section. I’ll be putting more soon. I enjoy reading them and I’m sure you will too!

A weekend in England

April 28, 2008

My weekend in England has come to an end and now I am in Holland. England was a blast, even if it was only for a very short time. I had a lot of fun, Chester was a nice city to see, and I met some good people. I even got to meet up with a friend in London for lunch. Lunch in London. Dinner in Amsterdam. Not a bad life huh?

Today, I am off to explore the Dutch city of Utrecht. My friend says there is not much to see here but, since I’ve never seen it, it will all be something worth seeing….at least to me. The rest of the week will be spent in Amsterdam enjoying Queen’s Day.

As promised, I’ve uploaded photos. You can view all of the photos from Chester by clicking here.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the weekend:

Chester Country Road

Clocktower

Town

The local Church

Weird English Sauces….I’m still wondering what the difference between English Mustard and regular Mustard is….

English Country Home…

There’s more in gallery!! I’m off to explore The Netherlands…

The Saturday City: Chester

April 26, 2008

In honor of me being overseas, today’ s Saturday city will be about the one I’m in-Chester, England. It’s is an old city, dating back to Roman times. Chester was founded in 79 A.D. as a fortress for northern expansion. The city itself is still surrounded by ancient walls and has one of the most complete wall systems in England. The city grew in importance during the early industrial revolution but is now no longer a center of industry but a modern suburb of the larger city of Manchester. Chester is the typical embodiment of a “typical English town” with its Victorian buildings and cottage homes.

In the two days I have been here, I’ve really enjoyed my time. The train ride up led me through country, the English country side and surrounding estates. All the rain makes England a very green country! Chester itself a quite town. I was amazed by the quietness that always seemed to envelope me- as if though there were no inhabitants of the city. You rarely hear the sounds of cars or people or even birds except in the downtown center. It was like out of the movie The Langoliers- civilization was all around me but I couldn’t find it.

The Chester center looks like something out of an old novel. The pictures here are pretty representative of all the buildings. Charles Dickens would be proud. The old taverns, the hotels, and little shops all have retained their charm and original paint. I’m not sure if that was on purpose as a way to preserve their past or they were too lazy to modernize. I’m guessing it was the latter.

The homes in Chester are typical Victorian. I keep waiting for Mrs. Havisham to come out in a wedding dress sometime. Small cottages with bricks and criss-cross wood fronts and glass window. It’s all very Dickens. Chester is a big tourist destinations for day trippers and those who like horses. Beginning in May, they have horse racing and everyone comes out in the their Sunday best.

While most of Chester’s allure and charm comes from its Dickens feel, there are a few things to do in town. The highlight is the wall. The old city is surrounded by an ancient roman wall that’s a 45 minute walk and allows you to see a variety of the old city, the racecourse, the river, the new city, and a few historic land marks. It’s a good starting point. The most famous part of the the wall is the East gate. On top sits the 2nd most photographed clock in all of England.

Besides the wall is a historic Cathedral, which since it was 4 pounds to enter, I didn’t go in. But it was really nice outside. There are a few ancient roman ruins on southeast part of the city. There’s also an old castle that is now a museum. If you also fancy it, there’s some river boat cruises. Overall, the highlight for me was walking around and just “being” in my vision of England.

I like Chester. It’s a nice city and gives you a typical English experience, if there is such a thing. Chester is the type of city you see in brochures advertising England- country homes, fiends, old Victorian buildings, and lots of “quaint” shops. The city is definitely worth an overnight stay or at least a day trip from Manchester or Liverpool.

Touch Down!

April 25, 2008

I am here in merry ole England, a big jet lagged and relieved. I almost didn’t make it to my friends house. The cost of the train ticket online had jumped to 140 pounds (300 dollars). That was a little bit more than I could afford but with some last minute Skyping and luck, I got a return ticket for 60 pounds. More than the twenty pounds it originally was but still manageable. Now, I’m chilling in Chester for the weekend before I go proclaim my love for all things orange in Holland.

On the train, there also happened to be a big group of guys getting pissed on the worst Australia has to offer- Fosters. That also seems very English. Getting drunk in the morning. Reminds me of all those days in Asia. Those British tourists love to drink!

I’m off to go explore Chester now and start taking those copious amounts of pictures. I am having problems with my camera batteries. They don’t seem to hold a charge that long anymore. I think after two years, they’re useless and when I go back home, I’m going to have to invest in new ones. Maybe I’ll just buy a new camera so I can take better pictures for you all. Now wouldn’t that be something worth donating too! *wink* *wink*

Going on Vacation

April 24, 2008

The time has finally arrived for me to go on vacation. In a few hours, I’ll be boarding an Air Canada jet to take me to London. I’m going to spend three days visiting a friend in Chester before I fly to Amsterdam to celebrate the Dutch holiday of Queen’s Day. All in all, I will be gone for 10 days. It’s going to be a good tease for when I go back to Europe for 2 months this summer!

I’m very excited. I’ve never been to England before so I’m looking forward to getting a taste of English life. I’ll be back in England in August to spend a month visiting friends and seeing more than just Chester. It will be interesting to see just how expensive England really is and if everyone really has bad teeth. I think though what I’m most excited about is the accent. I love British accents and to be surrounded by them for three days will be utterly amazing.

Then it’s off to Amsterdam. I’m overjoyed to get back there. In 2006, I was there for over 6 weeks and made a lot of Dutch friends. I’m excited to see them again, visit new places, and celebrate the Dutch holiday of Queen’s Day. I’ll be decked out in my orange! I’ve even got my friend Kristen to come join the. This will be her first time in the city and we will be showing her a good time.

Expect lots of dispatches from the road as well as copious amounts of new pictures.

Are Guidebooks worth it?

April 23, 2008

A few months ago, it was reported that Thomas Khonstamm made up stories he wrote for Lonely Planet saying he never went to the country he was supposed to review. The story received wide press coverage about the credibility of guidebooks and travel writers. In reality, he was assigned to write about the culture and history of Columbia not review destinations. All the reviews and local information were done by people who actually live in the country. (but it was good PR for his book.)

There was a lot of talk that this might bring down the guidebook industry. I don’t buy that. People will still buy guidebooks. Lonely planet’s sales might fall in the short term but overall, they’ll be ok. For your average person, a guidebook is still the easiest way to get information. But, it begs the bigger question, are guidebooks worth it? Yes but only for the basics.

I hardly ever use guidebooks for accommodation or restaurant information. I use recommendations from other travelers or just try my luck and hope it works out. I buy guidebooks because they make good guides. They provided useful information about a country’s history and environment as well as major attractions, practical transport information, and maps. When I get into new areas, I flip open my guidebook to read up and take a look at the maps or check up the train schedule. Guidebooks are good to have as a back up but that’s it. They shouldn’t be used as bibles.

Because guidebooks have two main faults:

• The information can be dated. By the time the author gets the reviews together, the publisher edits them, the book gets printed, the information is at least a year old. That’s not very helpful as a lot can happen in a year, especially in rapidly developing areas of the world like Asia and Central America. As a traveler, you need up to the minute information and no matter how fast they turn out those guidebooks, they just can’t keep up that quickly.
• They can be vague. There are guidebooks that cover all of America, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, East Asia, the pacific islands- any region you can think of. With such a vast area of coverage, it’s hard to get the depth of information you need. Not all the cities and towns will be on it nor all the attractions, modes of transport, and the selection for food and stay will be very limited. You can only put so much information into those little paragraphs. You won’t be able to get the depth of information you need if you pick up an area guidebook.

Alternatives to guidebooks

There are many good alternatives to guidebooks that are available to other travelers.

• Online Message Boards- Online travel communities like Matador Trips, Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree, Eurotrip, and Boot’s N All are good alternatives to guidebooks. You can post messages and get responses from other travelers. Their information will be much more update and will be much more in depth. Active members and regular postings ensure that people correct misinformation. You’ll be able to get a general consensus. You might even meet a travel partner or two.
• Travel Blogs- Get it straight from the horse’s mouth! Other travelers are a great resource for information. You can view their photos, ask questions, interact with their community, and read stories from their past trips. Some good travel blogs are Almost Fearless, Blissful Travel, Travel Rants, and Collazo Projects.
• Travel Magazines- Sites like Vagabondish, Jaunted, World Hum, and Matador post regular articles on a variety of topics and are updated daily. Information never gets dated on them.
• Citysearch/Yelp!- Online city and restaurant guides can help you find out the best things to see and do in a town. These sites are contributed to by the locals. You can find out what’s hot in town, what events are playing, and good activities from the locals that will know the area best.
• Hostel booking sites- Sites like Hostelworld, Hostelbookers, Hostelz will have a much more accurate, up to date, and in depth guide to hostels around the world. Hostels are also rated by a number of metrics so you can find out what’s good right now not last year.
• Travelers- Travelers are the BEST resource you can have. They are right on the road with you. They’ll give you the most accurate information because they’re just coming from where you are going. Wherever you go, always ask as much as you can from other travelers. One traveler is worth a million guidebooks.

If you haven’t been to a country before and are looking to get some practical information, then a guidebook is worth buying. But remember the limitations of them- they are not bibles. Use them for the basics but use alternative sources to find out what’s hot right now, where to stay, and what time that train actually gets here.

How I do it, part 2

April 22, 2008

As I said, I work and I save. I don’t go out on big nights and am careful about what I spend. I make travel my monetary priority. That’s the most important part of the puzzle. Don’t waste your money. If you are always spending on something else, travel will always seem out of your reach. You need to make travel a priority too. Once it becomes important, you begin to find ways to save.

Once you do that, you have to make sure you spend your money wisely. People, especially Americans, have this image of travel and hotels, of fancy things and shopping, and luxury. All they see is dollar signs but you can have a comfortable vacation without comfortably spending your life savings. A good alternative to hotels are local guest houses and bed and breakfasts. House swap or couch share. They offer comfort, breakfast and laundry but with a more local feel and less impact on the wallet. The owners aren’t big corporations but locals who are thrilled to be sharing their part of the world with you.TRAVEL IS NOT EXPENSIVE!!

TRAVEL IS NOT EXPENSIVE!!

Step out of your guidebook and find those little tiny local restaurants with great food and little tiny price tags. Eat where the locals eat not where Frommer’s tells you. The locals aren’t spending a fortune living in their neighborhood and you shouldn’t either. You travel to see new places not new hotels. So see the place and you’ll find that living locally and traveling differently will save you money and give you a richer travel experience.

This site is dedicated to keeping you motivated, telling tales, and showing you how to travel frugally. The point I’m trying to make here is that you don’t need a lot of money to travel you just need to think differently. Forget packaged tours and expensive hotels and overpriced restaurants and souvenirs. You can still have a luxury vacation without a luxury price. You just need to think different and do a little work to get the deals. Booking that package on Orbitz isn’t going to save you money!

That’s how I do it. That’s how you can do it!

Getting Lost in Costa Rica

April 21, 2008

“Let’s go hiking.” I said in the early morning.
“Ok, we’ll go after lunch.” my companions, Yolanda and Maria, replied.

Hours past and I grew anxious, “let’s go! let’s go!” I said repeatedly, “the day is being wasted!” We were all on a tour of Costa Rica, leaving Arenal national park tomorrow and I wanted to get a good day of hiking around the volcano. Finally, they acquiesced, we hailed down a cab, and were off to Arenal.

It was mid afternoon by the time we arrived and I was bitter we had wasted so much of the day but, the sun set over Arenal lake, and we would get to watch from up high on the old lava fields. That made up for their tardiness. Arenal is Costa Rica’s active volcano. During the day, smoke rises into the sky creating a haze like dust cloud around it. At night, flashes of red can be seen oozing down the sides as nature displays her glory. Watching itis a sight to be seen and, on occasion, big eruptions take place allowing the tourists to “oo and ahh” over nature’s own fireworks display. The entire area is surrounded by old lava fields and thick rainforest making it a wonderful hiking destination.

We told our cab driver we would be back at the entrance at 6 and started off on our adventure. We wandered off trail down old lava fields, wandered on trail through giant lava rocks, and followed weird local animals around. Soon it was getting dark and we wanted to get back to the lake to see the sunset. Looking at our map, we realized we had no idea what trail we were on. Asking a passerby where we were, we thought we found our location. According to where we thought we were, the trail ended soon and there was a turn around.

Instead of doubling back, we decided to finish the trail and take the another trail back to the lake in order to see as much as we could. Alas, it was not meant to be. Our passerby guide had misinformed and soon we deeper into the forest. As the sun continued to set, we got more and more lost. We continued down trails until they ended, doubled back, went on new trails but soon we were totally lost. As day turned to night, the mosquitoes came out to hunt on their confused prey. As the forest grew absent of man, animals came out to frolic. Then there was us, three lost and confused tourists. Our stomachs were hungry and our flashlights were out of batteries. All we had to guide us was a pen torch and the light from our cameras.

Our situation grew worse by the minute as soon the sun was gone and darkness enveloped us. Though we were seeing nature as it was, with hidden animals appearing, no longer scared by the quaking steps of a thousand tourists, our joy was tempered by the thought of spending a night in the jungle. Our tour group was back in town soon to feast on a great dinner while we fought for our freedom.

After what seemed an eternity, we found a dirt road. We weren’t sure where it went or which way town was . The road was on the map and luckily, a science station was marked on it. But which way was the science station? If we went the wrong way, we could be walking pointlessly even longer. So we took a chance and began walking. Luckily, it was the right way. Soon we came to the gate and the guard, informing us we couldn’t call a cab from there, pointed us back the other way and said the main road back into town was a 20 minute walk.

We hit the main road. It was empty. No cars, no lights. The security guard told us where the town was and we began our long walk home. Tired, haggard, and hungry we marched silently, everyone contemplating our experience in their own way. Soon a car pulled by and picked us up. Suddenly, we were animated again, talking and laughing about the whole experience. The mountain, as if welcoming us home, exploded with joy and we stopped, “ooo and ahhed” and took photos.

We joined our tour group, over an hour late and still dirty from the forest. Everyone looking at us and asking “Where were you?”

If only they knew….

House Cleaning

April 20, 2008

The Saturday City: Boston

April 19, 2008

(The Saturday City is going to be a weekly series on this blog. Every Saturday, I’ll write about a city I have visited. I’ll talk about its history, the sights, the people, things to do, and my impressions of it. So sit back, drink your coffee, and enjoy!)

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