My Trip Around the World
For four months I lived and studied on a ship. It was a floating university of sorts, a small cruise ship named the MV Explorer. It housed five hundred university students and about a hundred and fifty crew and staff. There was Internet, fresh food and clean linens every day. For being in the middle of the ocean, the amenities were downright cozy. Rumors abound when one lives on a boat. The amount of fresh food was staggering and theories were generated constantly about the ship containing its own greenhouse and grow centers. Or about pirate sightings or exotic diseases infiltrating our ranks. For a while there was a very real concern that we weren’t going to be able to dock because too many passengers had come down with TD after our stop in Vietnam. After India, we were without Internet—what had been deemed as a luxury early on in the trip had by that point been totally taken for granted. When you have a ship full of young, angsty college aged kids, taking away their Internet can cause something of a tailspin amongst the group. People were convinced that a monkey had eaten through the router wires. I heard several first hand accounts of this happening.
While there were no monkeys on board (at least, I think not), and there was no greenhouse hidden deep inside the ship’s bowels, there was an operating room, and rather morbidly, a morgue. While at sea, most nights we would not see any other ships. It is roughly eleven miles from the deck of a ship to the horizon, and rarely does one feel so deliciously, utterly alone as when one gazes out from the railing of a ship and into that vast, undulating darkness.
Spending the Day In a Cuban Jail With My Dad
If you ever find yourself in Havana, don’t try to cheat the system. My dad is the type of person who is always looking for deals, always looking for ways to beat the system. He’s the type of guy who, as the saying goes, ‘goes broke saving money.’
My family and I took a trip to Havana in the mid 1990’s. It promised a new and exciting world that barely any Americans had seen since the Bay of Pigs. I was about ten at the time, so a lot of the appeal and incredibleness of Cuba was lost on me. The snorkeling was fun and the food was good. The people, I thought, wore a little too much spandex and there were an extraordinary amount of old American cars farting around, but I’m sure that if I went back now, with more mature eyes, it would be a totally different place. But my innocence and naivety probably helped immensely on one occasion that will forever live in infamy in family lore and Cuban criminal records.
Essential Backpacking Items for Everyday Life
Developed by years of backpacking and inspired less by my father’s hand-me-down survival training techniques than by Batman’s utility belt, my habit is to go everywhere with the most essential supplies. Everywhere. A bike ride through my neighbourhood is as well stocked against disaster as a trek along the Allegheny Trail.
Of course, “essential” is in the eye of the beholder. But I like to be prepared for any minor inconvenience. “Roughing it” doesn’t have to mean enduring a broken fingernail, does it? Sure, I fall just a bit on the fastidious side, but my Inspector Gadgetism has occasionally come to the aid of a fellow traveller in need.
They Don’t Speak Spanish in Buenos Aires
Five months ago I moved to Buenos Aires to learn Spanish. No one warned me that they do not speak Spanish there. They speak Castellano but more importantly in the Capital city they speak almost pure slang. Babies (nenes), street kids (pibes), parents (viejos) and grandparents (abuelos) will dizzy foreigners with words they know will make no sense. So here it is, the cheat sheet. I am inviting you into the clubhouse…weather or not you will make the cut as a true local (porteno) is up to you. Here are the basics, practice them with an Italian accent and you’ll be somewhat prepared.
First a little history: The foundation of BA slang, Lunfardo, was born together with the tango in the end of the 19th century. The base of Lunfardo has a lot to do with the poor street life and with the immigration that populated the city; originally Spanish and Italian, followed later by Russians, Germans, and other northern European countries. Thus, naturally combining different languages and cultures to harmonize the locals.
Traveling Stories From Around The Web
Carnivals create community! This weeks edition of Stories From The Web is quite diverse as usual.
We’ll begin with Millionaire Mommy Next Door who writes 10 Ways to Save on Travel Expenses posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door.
Hippy Profiling: How Governments and Airlines Profile Passengers
Ever heard of hippy profiling? Surprisingly many countries make legal stipulations to airlines regarding the profiling of their passengers. For example, the Costa Rican government dictates to the airline that they will refuse “hippies” entrance into the country. If the airlines allow someone onto their flight who is denied entrance into the country for being a “hippy”, the airline will be fined and charged for your return flight. This shifts the screening process to the clerk at the airline check-in counter.
While this is official policy, it must all be taken with a grain of salt because if you’ve ever been to Costa Rica you know that its full of “hippies” and I’ve never heard of anyone getting denied entrance for being a “hippy”.
Tips To Volunteer Without Using A Placement Organization
Is Voluntourism weighing down volunteer based organizations or helping them stay afloat?
After reading an interesting couple of articles about Voluntourism by Rob on his site Go Budget Travel, I have decided to help provide some tips to avoid being caught in a volunteer placement program which will ultimately charge you a fortune without the majority of the money going back to the project.
Corrupt Police: Usually The Real Criminals
Bargaining and keeping a close eye on your money is always a challenging affair while traveling in developing countries.
Chris at Nomad4Ever writes a great piece on how to avoid being scammed by Police in Bali. His principals can be applied to most developing countries.
Live Aboard Sailing: The Independent Travelers Dream
