Alternative Travel: Couch Surfing

If hostels are not you're desired method of travel but you still have a budget to stick to, another alternative is couch surfing. In 2009, I published an article that took an in depth look at what couch surfing involves.

Basically, you register an account with the site that connects you to people around the world who are willing to let you stay on their couches during your stay in their city. In return, you let them (and others) sleep on your couch when they need it.

While I have never engaged in couch surfing, friends who have traveled in this way only have great things to say. A great advantage is having someone locally who can point you in the right direction for the best places to visit, eat and party.

On your next multi-state or - country journey, try couch surfing and enjoy a whole new world.

Safe travels.

Philly Naked Bike Ride

September 5 marks the 2nd annual Philly Naked Bike Ride (PNBR) as the Philadelphia City Paper reports. Starting at dusk riders will meet and ride in the nude, in underwear or with body paint (it's clothing optional). Naked bike rides are happening in many countries throughout the world.

To find out where the ride starts participants have to sign up for the email list at PNBR's website. If you're wondering why people gather to ride bikes naked, the World Naked Bike Ride site states the goal is to celebrate cycling and the human body.

So if you don't yet have any plans for this labor day weekend, check out the Red Bull Flugtag on Saturday and PNBR on Sunday.

Safe and exciting travels.

Are hostels what they used to be?

Traveling the world can be an exciting adventure. For those on a budget, youth hostels have often been an affordable option that allow for a few nights stay in a city before adventuring/ backpacking on to the next one.

But it seems that hostels are no longer what they used to be. Formerly, travelers used to be able to head to any city and show up at a hostel when they arrived. Traveling in such a manner may have given you a sense of freedom to stay in a location for as long as desired. However, now it seems it is a requirement to book hostel rooms (often shared with other people) in advance and also pay a booking deposit.

You do have the choice of staying in a dorm or private room and prices will range accordingly from $10 - $45 per night depending on when and where you stay. Prices in Europe are higher due to the exchange rate. Alternatively, you might consider staying in a one- or two-star hotel if you aren't really particular about where you stay.

For more information about staying in hostels check out Back Pack Europe. A wide range of sites such as Hostels.com, hihostels and Europeanhostels can help you with booking in any country.

Do you have any backpacking or hostel stories?

Safe Travels.

Labor Day

The first Monday in September (this year September 6) marks Labor Day, a national holiday dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. We also mark that day as the unofficial end of summer.

Around the world, labor day is traditionally celebrated on May 1 and is also known as May Day and is characterized by dancing around the maypole and other ancient customs associated with the celebration of spring.

One event happening on Saturday, September 4 in Philadelphia is the Red Bull Flugtag. At 1 p.m. 34 teams will show and test their homemade flying machines by soaring off a 30-foot high flight deck. This is the first time that Flugtag (= "flight/ flying day"in German) will be in Philadelphia and it will be interesting to see the designs dedicated to human-powered flight.

Location: Camden Water Front, Pier 1
                1 Cooper St, Camden, NJ

Gates open at 11 a.m. and the first flight is at 1 p.m.

Most of all this event is FREE and vendors will be on sight selling food and beverages, including beer.

Getting Sick

Something thing that really takes the fun out of traveling is getting sick, whether it's a cold, a stomach virus or an upset stomach. But it's easy to forget that it is just as easy to get sick while you're at home.

While I didn't travel anywhere this past weekend, my bought of food poisoning this past weekend reminded me of my trip to Sharm El Sheikh in 2005.While I did manage to get my scuba license, the rest of my trip I was confined to my bed with what I thought was an upset stomach and later found out was appendicitis.

Not being able to eat at all and barely retain fluids coupled by severe stomach cramps is not enjoyable, but are the symptoms of an upset stomach, food poisoning or a more severe illness.

Whether abroad or at home here are some tips to help avoid getting sick:

1. Find out if it's safe to drink tap water and if it's not, stay away from drinks that may be prepared with it, ice, swallowing water in the shower and brushing your teeth with sink water.
2. Wash your hands frequently.
3. Eat fruits with a peel and that have been thoroughly washed.
4. In hot climates make sure to eat fresh meat and food that is cooked in front of you, especially in open air markets.
5. Trust your instinct: if food looks like it is bad or has been sitting out all day (and isn't meant to) then don't eat it. If in doubt, ask when the food was prepared.
6. WikiHow suggests adding a cap full of vinegar of lemon juice to every 8 oz. you drink to create an acidic environment that most microbes can't live in.
7. Carry Pepto Bismol for quick relief.
8. Drink hot tea, for example green tea or chamomile, which provide useful antioxidants and calm your stomach.

While it's not always possible to avoid getting sick, I hope these tips help you. If you know of any other tips that should be shared with the world, please share them.



Safe travels.

Traveling Don'ts: Menus with Pictures

My mom has always had a rule when we travel: Never eat in restaurants whose menus have pictures in them.

You know the type I'm talking about. They are usually located in the tourist areas of a city and the pictures take over pretty much the entire menu. Such was the case on this past Christmas trip to Roma. While walking the narrow, cobble-stoned streets around the  Pantheon restaurant hosts stood in the doorway calling out to tourists to entice them to sit for a meal. The menus were prominently displayed to the side of the door and any possible guest could simply look at the food served.

I don't know about you, but it reminds of fast food places here in the US and I find that eating in such a restaurant will guarantee a mediocre or bad meal. One of the advantages of traveling is tasting local dishes and the best places to do that are restaurants that the locals eat in. So don't be afraid to explore your destination.

Safe Travels.

New Megabus destinations

Megabus is a wonderful bus service that offers a great alternative to the Chinatown buses in Philadelphia. I have never used Chinatown buses, but from what I hear Megabus is cleaner and not smelly, has air conditioning and WiFi - essential for any traveler.

At the moment the company services 13 states, Washington D.C. and Canada. A great new improvement is the addition of 10 more destinations from Philadelphia. So after you've walked your way around the historic City of Brotherly Love you can hop on a bus to A.C. (Atlantic City), Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Toronto, Buffalo, State College, Washington D.C., Syracuse and Harrisburg.

While it is a requirement to order your tickets online, prices can range from $1 - $20.

On Your Own Two Feet

Whether you decide to book your trip with a travel company or go it on your own, the one thing I would highly recommend is checking out your destination of choice on foot. It is one of the easiest, cheapest and healthiest ways to learn about the place you’ve chosen to visit.

Depending on where you go, you may stay in a hotel that offers trips and packages and while it is nice to go on these, nothing beats exploring on your own (with a little help from locals). What I would suggest is contacting people (family, friends, Facebook even) who know the area before hand or talk to the concierge at your hotel.

If you need some help getting started on walking tours, check out some of the links below…otherwise have fun with your maps.

Tip: Getting lost or wandering down a street on a whim can lead to great discoveries, just stay safe when you do it.



http://www.theconstitutional.com/

http://www.walkingadventures.com/

http://spiritsof76.com/

http://www.bigonion.com/

http://www.sfcityguides.org/

Back to Traveling

Do you love to travel?

I certainly do and while this blog has veered off topic for a while, I thought it was time to get back into its original purpose...and that is all things related to travel.

Stay tuned for posts relating to modes of travel, locations, cool events and more. If you know of anything I should be talking about please let me know.

I find this quote fitting:
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~St. Augustine

Safe travels, wherever you may go