Top travel destinations in the world.

FRANCE:
France is the most visited country by tourists as the countryis rich in culture and has some of the finest places to see. Villas in France, the French wine and weather make a fantastic reason to see the country.
SPAIN:
Spain is the second most visited country in the world with more than 50 million tourists visiting it annually. A tour of Spain would include a visit to its famous cities Barcelona and Madrid. Apart from sampling some ethnic Spanish food and wine one can see some of the most beautiful architectural designs on the buildings of Spain. 
ITALY:
Italy an important tourist destination in Europe is a favorite with honeymooners and all romantic souls. Vacations to Italy are an invitation to spend ones time indulging in the senses be it eating delicious Italian pasta or drinking some of the best Italian wine, seeing Italian art or simply breathing in the scented air of the country
USA:
USA is a top destination for tourists. Holidays in USA are an experience in diversity as the country is diverse in its weather conditions, the composition of the population and the topography. This diversity has led to people defining USA in their own terms and one can see the states of USA having a distinct identity of their own. 
MEXICO:
Mexico is a top world destination for people to visit. Be its ancient pyramids lost in the rainforests, or its flaming hot dishes, or simply the colorful people of the country, to travel to Mexico is to be a part of a larger adventure.
CHINA:
China has grown as a top tourist spot as the people of the country and their unique culture attract people from far and wide. The impressive Great Wall of China and the tasty food of the country make every China holiday well worth the time.

Hit the Road !

There are over 300 million Americans. Less than 30% of them have passports. That means Americans are not traveling abroad. And 50% of those who do leave the USA are traveling to either Canada or Mexico. So, why is it that Americans are not traveling overseas in larger numbers?

Realistically, money and time are the two biggest factors in our estimation as to why Americans don’t travel abroad. Airfare is costly and flying is a hassle. Meanwhile, Americans on average get around two weeks of vacation a year– not enough to get abroad, get over jet-lag and start enjoying another country. In reality, many of those vacation days are used here and there for extensions on Thanksgiving, for family birthdays or other small events, and that results in, usually, less than two weeks in one chunk for travel. Its not surprising that Asia or the Middle East seems out of reach to Americans who have around 7 days to travel, explore and return. That doesn’t sound like a vacation, it sounds like a gauntlet.

In contrast, the average worker in Europe gets around a month of vacation. By law, all countries in the European Union must allow all workers four weeks of paid vacation at a minimum. Even part-time workers who have worked more than 13 weeks are entitled to their month of paid vacation. This isn’t accrued, its a right. And that doesn’t count public holidays, which are paid days. Americans get 13 days, on average, though some companies have adopted even stricter vacation plans for entry-level employees, like the company Mike worked for in Minnesota. They told him his two weeks of vacation were “To ambitious for an entry level employee.” To which Mike said “audios!” (Chart above shows average PAID vacation days by country)

Meanwhile, workers in the USA have longer daily hours, on average, then their European counterparts. This is interesting because the average salary (even taking into account cost of living) is lower in the USA on average. For example, countries in Europe have a standard 40 hour work week and depending on the country there are laws in place to put a cap on how many hours of overtime per week and year an employee can log, according to the Federation of European Employees. And although the 8 hour day wasn’t always in place, it wasn’t until 1937 that the Fair Labor Standards Act was signed into law and the 8 hour work day (44 per week) in America became accepted as a baseline for a new standard. (Chart above shows average work week by country and gender).

Granted, there are social implications to these differences in Europe and the US. For example, Europeans are taxed at a much higher rate and companies have to sell products at higher prices to follow labor laws. However, the work-life balance in Europe does seem to be more balanced than in the USA, where success is more important that enjoyment to many. Still, the differences are drastic, and many health related problems in America are stress related, possibly stemming from overwork and lack of holiday time.

Along an entirely different chain of thought, perhaps one reason for the shortage of Americans traveling is fear. American movies constantly have foreigners as the ‘bad guys’ and a general lack of knowledge about other countries and their cultures in the US may lead many to think it isn’t safe anywhere abroad. When the media constantly cover problems abroad in uniquely terrifying language, its no wonder people think the entire world is dangerous. Meanwhile, Americans don’t speak a second language, and this limits their capacity to travel abroad with confidence. Luckily, English is the language of travel, but to many places (Africa and Asia) even English won’t suffice. The American education system should require students to learn a second language fluently by the time they graduate from High School. What language they learn should be their choice, naturally, but it holds people back from traveling, working abroad or even understanding a second worldview when they are limited to one language. Ideas are only as solid as the language in which they are expressed, so learning a whole new language is like learning a second culture, a second way of viewing the world. Americans (myself included) miss out on this when they don’t learn a second language as a child.

Traveling outside of earth

From Paper Article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9230801/Astronomers-find-new-planet-capable-of-supporting-life.html

The planet lies in what they describe as a 'habitable zone', neither too near its sun to dry out or too far away which freezes it.

And the discovery could help answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe, which has been plagued astronomers and alien fanatics for years.

Scientists found the planet, Gliese 667Cc, orbiting around a red dwarf star, 22 light years away from the earth.

Red dwarf stars are the most common stars in the neighbourhood of the sun, usually hosting planets called gas giants, which are not composed of rock matter.

Re-analysing data from the European Southern Observatory, the astronomers found Gliese 667Cc is a solid planet with roughly four and a half times the mass of Earth.

The University Göttingen and University of California scientists have calculated the planet recieves ten per cent less light from its red dwarf star than the Earth gets from the Sun.
As the light is in the infrared area, the planet still receives nearly the same amount of energy as the Earth, meaning water could be liquid and surface temperatures could be similar to ours.
Astronomers are hailing the plant as the 'Holy Grail' of discoveries, as 20 years ago scientists were still arguing about the existence of planets beyond our solar system.
Since the discovery of the first extrasolar planet in 1995, astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 760 planets beyond the solar system, with only four believed to be in a habitable zone.
One of the most successful tools of planet hunters is the High Accuracy Radial Planetary Searcher (HARPS) telescope, which measures the radial velocity of a star.
Scientists using this telescope analyse the small wobbles in a stars motion caused by the gravitational response of a planet, determining the position and size of a planet indirectly.
Currently, they can detect planets which are 3-5 times the mass of the Earth but, in the future, they could detect planets which are smaller than twice the mass of Earth.
Steven Vogt, an astronomer from the University of California, said: "It´s the Holy Grail of exo-planet research to find a planet orbiting around a star at the right distance so it´s not too close where it would lose all its water and not too far where it would freeze.
"It´s right there in the habitable zone - there´s no question or discussion about it. It is not on the edge. It is right in there."
Guillem Anglada-Escudé, of University Göttingen, Germany, said: "With the advent of new generation of instruments, researchers will be able to survey many dwarf stars for similar planets and eventually look for spectroscopic signatures of life in one of these worlds."

Paying it forward

Im glad to say that in late August of this year I will be allowed to return the hospitality that was give to me by my dear friends Giampaolo, and possibly Stefano. It will be an honor to take the Italian dairy farmer to Vacaville, and to drink all the Toasted Head wine we can. Something I definitely have become aware in my new traveling experiences this is the part that becomes even more special. I have been lucky enough to see some amazing places in the world, and now it is my turn to show off some great places in our country. We wont be wandering too far away from this area, but I look forward to being an ambassador to Nor Cal and taking them to places all across this area. So if you see some dudes in speedos floating down sac river in August (I wont be one of them), you'll know why.

Hiking: the cheapest form of traveling

Look around you: while you are reading this, you are, in all probability, surrounded by walls and when you look out from your “little cell”, all you will be able to see is a bigger cell, one with more and higher walls, a network of thousands of little cells just like your own, stretching all the way to the horizon and beyond. This is what is called a town or a city. Towns and cities are where we eat, sleep, and raise our kids, where we are born and where we make our living. Isn’t that already enough time spent in cities? I don’t know about you, but the last thing in the world I need to see in my holidays is another city. In my holidays, I want to feel the sun on my back and the wind in my face. Fortunately, there is a perfect recipe for doing this: it’s called HIKING

I spent many of my “most precious days of my working years” in networks of prison cells that looked very much like the one I have at home: spa towns, shopping towns, museum towns. Or, worst of all, one of the soulless holiday toy towns on the Mediterranean Coast. (Benidorm: twinned with Mordor.) But I’m no Daniel Boone Much as I might want to, I do not know how to suck the sap out of a cactus once my water bottle is empty and which rodents will provide a tasty snack if I feel peckish but have finished my supply of sandwiches. Neither do I know how to fight a grizzly bear. I may want to break out of my natural habitat, but in the real wilderness, I would be a danger to myself, as much without a clue as a deer in the middle of Piccadilly Circus.

This is where the idea of Easy Hiking comes in Because, you see, you can really have it all: adventure without the existential risk, a taste of nature that does not involve painting yourself “red in tooth and claw”, a meaningful outdoor experience, which is nevertheless coupled with the experience of spending your nights sleeping between clean fresh linen. "Easy hiking is adventure for beginners"Easy hiking means sleeping in hotels, not trying to go one better on the snail, which carries its own house on its back, but, sensibly draws the line at pots, pans and cutlery. It means hiking in civilized portions of no more than three or four days at a time instead of trying to wolf down an entire mountain range in a single bite. It means taking the time to make a stopover wherever there is something interesting to see: a castle, a country church, a picturesque village. And all that on trails that have been designed for the very purpose of providing you with a pleasant and easy hiking experience. A good easy hiking trail is like a good detective story You never know what to find next except that it will surprise you – within a comfortable band of expectation. Much in the same way that, as you approach the denouement of an Agatha Christie novel, you can be sure that Hercule Poirot’s explanation will not involve ghosts, aliens or time travel, you can be sure that behind the next corner of your trail you will find something charming but not unsettling: a forest, a field, a heather-covered slope, a view of a winding river or a mountain. You will not discover the Victoria Falls. But neither will a band of hostile natives lie in wait for you – or a grizzly bear. And, just as importantly, the path ahead may be steep, it may be challenging, but it will not feature anything that you will not be able to master. That may be the best thing about easy hiking: everyone can do it. "Sprightly pensioner on an easy hike" On any easy hiking trail, you will meet sprightly pensioners in tank tops and short trousers, exposing acres of leathery skin, gentle elderly couples on a Sunday walk, groups of men with pot bellies celebrating somebody’s birthday or a stag night, and prim middle-aged women whose pale-skinned arms tell tales of sheltered lives behind the doors of offices, schools and public libraries. Believe it or not: not all hikers are Olympic athletes and, while we are at it, let us dispose of yet another hiking myth: not all of them are nature fanatics either. Many of them, I bet, could not tell you the names of the wild flowers and trees along the way any more than I could. Everybody gets something else out of hiking While some hikers love to read and study the book of nature, others simply enjoy the sounds of the forest and the smell of the leaves after a light summer rain, and yet others are there for the existentialist challenge of ploughing on through the heat, the dust, the rain, whatever nature throws at them, until they have reached their day’s destination where they can put up their feet, gulf down an ice-cold beer and perhaps light one their favourite cigars. So what do you think: does easy hiking have something in store for you, too? There is only one way to find out: pack your bags and have a go at it. It may change your life – or at least the way you will be spending your holidays from now on.

San Francisco is built on a series of hills and if your are going to explore San Francisco then you need to tackle some of these hills. As part of my test drive of the Ford Escape we took on some of those hills. My personal escape route to San Francisco starts at Ghirardelli Square near San Francisco’s famous Fisherman’s Wharf.

When Domingo Ghirardelli came to California it was to strike it rich in the 1849 gold fields. A failure at mining Ghirardelli instead is known for rich chocolate. Ghirardelli not only bears his name but still produces enough chocolate (and ice cream) to make a stop there nearly mandatory.

San Francisco is the city where “little cable cars climb halfway to the stars” according to the song. This picture shows a cable car climbing up the slope of Nob Hill where some of the most expensive houses in San Francisco were first built. A cable car has no motor. Its sole means of propulsion is a large pair of pliers. The way a cable car works is that each of the 3 surviving cable car lines are a single loop of moving cable. The cable car grabs on to pull it up the hill or to slow it down as it goes down the other side.

Not far from the top of Nob Hill is a point where all the cable car lines meet at the Cable Car Barn and Museum. Come to the free museum to learn how the cable cars work. Here you will see the enormous engines that move the cable and hence power the cable cars. Learn what the markings on the cable car track are. Learn which markings tell the operator to let go of the cable because they are crossing another cable car line. You can also try your hand at ringing a cable car bell.

At the top of Nob Hill is the Episcopal Cathedral for San Francisco – Grace Cathedral. Grace Cathedral is a Gothic style cathedral that would easily fit in in Europe if you added a few flying buttresses.

Grace Cathedral holds two surprises that are popular with tourists. Both inside and outside of the cathedral you will find a labyrinth that you can walk while you meditate. Don’t worry if you get lost in thought because you cannot get lost in a labyrinth. Unlike a maze there is only one very twisty path. Just keep going and you will come out the other side.

At the top of Telegraph Hill is a tower made to look like the nozzle of a fire hose. It was built as a monument to firefighters. The inside of the tower has murals painted during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal program: Public Works of Art Project. Coit Tower and Telegraph hill offer wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge but the parking lot is small and the traffic can be very heavy in the Summer so if you want to visit Coit Tower avoid the middle of the day. The most famous or infamous of San Francisco’s hills is Russian Hill which is where you will find the “crookedest street in the world” Lombard Street. While not the steepest street even in San Francisco it is a fun drive and a popular destination with tourists.

While in DC try to visit the International Spy Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of espionage artifacts. There is also places to visit like the Air and Space Museum, and other vein of geeky, techy adventures. WHY did you go there, exactly? Okay, what was so cool about it? If you are even slightly intrigued by spies, their gadgets, and their undercover adventures, you will love this place. When you arrive, you choose your “cover,” adopting a name and back story. The Boy took this task seriously, writing down all the details of Yuan Zheng, the 39-year old dentist he had become.

Travel in Europe is getting cheaper

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47396554 Travel just got cheaper

Dutch teen sailor completes solo world tour

Dutch teen Laura Dekker on Saturday became the youngest sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation of the world, a year after going to court for the right to make the attempt.
The 16-year-old completed her solo round-the-world journey when she sailed into harbour on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT).Dekker, who left the island nearly a year ago to the day -- January 20, 2011 -- beat the previous record by some eight months.As she turns 17 on September 20, she had to complete her journey before September 16 to beat the record for the youngest sailor to make an unassisted world tour.Her parents and a 400-strong crowd of well-wishers -- on shore and in small boats -- welcomed the teen, dressed in a tee-shirt and beige shorts.Just to get to the starting line, Dekker had to fight her way through the Dutch courts, who at first blocked plans for her to cast off a year earlier -- when she was just 14.The court ordered her placed in the care of welfare officers on the grounds that she was too young to guarantee her safety at sea.She ran away to Sint Maarten, an island of the Lesser Antilles divided between France and the Netherlands, and police had to escort her back home.She finally won her court battle with Dutch child welfare authorities in July 2010 -- after 10 months -- and set sail, originally from Gibraltar on August 21, 2010 in her yacht Guppy.But a change of her planned course led her to make the starting point from her trip Sint Maarten instead.Born on a boat in New Zealand of a seafaring family, Dekker also lived on a boat in the Netherlands with her father Dick and dog Spot before setting out on her voyage.The previous record holder was Australian Jessica Watson, who achieved it in May 2010, three days before she turned 17.But unlike Watson, who circumnavigated non-stop, Dekker sailed from port-to-port and was never at sea for more than three weeks.Dekker's achievement will not be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records however, as it has refused to recognize records by minors which are considered "unsuitable."Neither will the World Sailing Speed Record Council -- the official body that validates such records -- acknowledge the feat.
"All that matters is speed, we don't do any personal records, age doesn't matter," John Reed, the council's secretary, told AFP.

Voluntourism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI7JKGmpCgw
great link to great info

Laying a foundation to budget traveling.

Lay The Foundation

1. Pay yourself first. Contribute to 401k, buy stocks, antiques (I’m kidding), or other types of investment. A portion of your paycheck MUST go to post-travel life. Very fortunate few get to travel for a living, most likely you won’t be one of them.
2. Pay off your debt. Or even better, do not get into debt.  I have lived debt free ever since that. Being in debt also means being in a commitment (to pay it off), which brings me to the next point:
3. Do not get anything that require commitment. Do not buy a house, or a car, or a 2 yr cell phone contract… Do not get pets who live for a very long time either. If you can not imagine living without animals (like me), consider fostering for your local animal rescue. It’s a win-win situation. BIG BONUS: You also get to save a life.

Save, save, save

1. Downgrade. Move to a cheaper place. It’s the easiest way to trim your expenses. I saved a lot month by moving to a smaller AND closer-to-work apartment.
2. Find a cheap hobby to keep yourself away from movies and malls on weekends. Do not get into rock climbing . It’s addicting and expensive. You end up driving very far on weekends, spending money on food and gas. Not to mention the equipment.
3. Cook more. You can save tons by not eating out. I’m serious.
4. Do the many little things that make a big difference in savings. I don’t go to the malls, I put on more layers than turning on the heat, I make my own coffee rather going to Starbucks.

So, that’s the short list of things that have worked for me (and have not). I wish I could give an insider tip on what to invest, or some other big money-saving revelations. But unfortunately, it’s just a matter of making sacrifices (but not too many of them), and attempting to strike a balance between living in the now and saving for the future.

Traveling off the beaten path : Bomarzo, Italy

About 50 miles northwest of Rome just outside the small town of Bomarzo, lies an exceedingly strange garden: (Park of Monsters.) Scattered among several acres of plane trees and shrubs are sculptures unlike any in classic museums or, in fact, almost anywhere in the world. Walk the path and you’ll come to an enormous stone elephant, a dragon enjoying a human meal, a colossal head with a gaping mouth, a horse with wings, a mermaid siren, and much more.

This unusual place, privately owned but open to the public, was commissioned by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini, known as Vicino, in the mid-16th century in honor of his beloved wife Giulia. The designer, Pirro Ligorio, was a noted architect of the time who also designed the famous gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli and oversaw the construction of St. Peter’s cathedral in the Vatican.
The statuary in the Park of Monsters is impressive, if not downright weird in spots, but it’s more playful than frightening, even though giants and dragons are gobbling other creatures. It’s a fine place to take children for a chance to run around outdoors and gawk at the figures. Some can even be climbed on. Among the animals, ogres, nymphs and gods, Ceres lounges with the abundant fruits of the earth in a bowl on her head, while old, bearded Neptune towers over a basin. Thick green moss covers his shoulders. In one corner is an oddly tilted house, the Casa Storta, “Twisted House.”

It’s fun to visit now, but the park was originally designed not to please, but to shock. Vicino had just been through a war, held for ransom, and seen a friend killed, and he arrived home only to have his cherished wife die. The park was to be an expression of his grief. Knowing this makes sad sense of the symbolism, such as the immense head with a wide-open mouth, as if in a scream.   The inscription reads, “all reason departs.”
Centuries later, the surrealistic park inspired artists such as Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dali. Paintings, stories, and even an opera were composed.  Gradually, over time, the park became neglected and overgrown, but it was restored in the 1970s and is now a tourist attraction.
Nearby Bomarzo is a medieval town on a limestone cliff, overlooking the Tiber Valley. It’s a great place to explore on foot, with narrow stone streets and flowers spilling over window boxes. And, there is even a castle fortress at the top of a nearby hill.

Top 20 most expensive cities

giving it out like it wasn't yours.

         

     While having absolutly nothing to write I was browsing for travel news and came across something I found interesting. Numbio.com cost of living survey for 2012 was conducted by more than 23,000 contributors who entered more than 241,000 prices. The most expensive cities (excluding rent) are Trondheim and Stavanger in Norway, followed by Zurich in Switzerland.

Based on 45 goods and services, Numbeo.com's cost of living survey for the beginning of 2012 was conducted by more than 23000 independent contributors who entered more than 241,000 prices. The most expensive cities (excluding rent) are Trondheim and Stavanger in Norway, followed by Zurich in Switzerland.

In Numbeo's survey, New York is used as the base city for the index and scores 100 points, all cities are compared against New York and currency movements are measured against US Dollar and Euro. Tokyo (Japan) scores 135.23 points and is nearly three times as costly as Manila (Philippines) with 47.34 points.

In the 2012, the most expensive cities (excluding rent) are:

1. Trondheim, Norway (188.91)
2. Stavanger, Norway (171.32)
3. Zurich, Switzerland (152.84)
4. Oslo, Norway (152.03)
5. Geneva, Switzerland (146.24)
6. Bern, Switzerland (142.44)
7. Lucerne, Switzerland (139.94)
8. Perth, Australia (139.63)
9. Bergen, Norway (138.79)
10. Tokyo, Japan (135.23)
11. Sydney, Australia (132.39)
12. Adelaide, Australia (129.60)
13. Monaco, Monaco (128.15)
14. Copenhagen, Denmark (123.82)
15. Edinburgh, United Kingdom (122.52)
16. Melbourne, Australia (121.53)
17. Dublin, Ireland (119.56)
18. London, United Kingdom (118.52)
19. Arhus, Denmark (115.96)
20. Canberra, Australia (115.89).        Something to think about next time you want to go to Norway!!

Cinque Terra

The Cinque Terre are one of the most uncontaminated areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Five miles of rocky coast among two promontories, thousands of kilometres of dry-laid stone walls, five small towns castled up on stone spurs in minuscule creeks. For their history and their position, the Cinque Terre have not suffered a massive expansion. The vineyards, typical of this area, have contributed to create a unique landscape with dry-laid stone walls, winding paths, enchanting beaches between cliffs and clear waters.

 

Not only sea, the Cinque Terre offer beautiful footpaths with take breathing view, churches, oratories and old castles, diving, food and wines of first quality.
The Cinque Terre are National Park and UNESCO protected territory since 1997. Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso are the five villages that form the Cinque Terre, suspended between sea and land on sheer cliffs upon the beautiful sea. 

McDonald’s close all their stores in Bolivia, making Bolivia the only Latin- American free McDonald’s.

McDonald's in Bolivia

Would you like some fries with that Big Mac or would you prefer just to go down the street and get yourself an empanada?
It seems like a very unlikely situation, but McDonald’s can now add the country of Bolivia where it came and attempted to conquer the food market and to its chagrin was tossed out. Hardly the exported American dream story it may have hoped for when it opened its first store 14 years ago.
hispanicallyspeaking: After 14 years in the nation and despite many campaigns and promos McDonald’s was forced to close its 8 Bolivian restaurants in the major cities of La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
McDonald’s served its last hamburgers in Bolivia Saturday at midnight, after announcing a global restructuring plan in which it would close its doors in seven countries with poor profit margins.
With over 33 000 stores  worldwide one could suppose that 8 less would hardly make a difference to the world’s largest food vendor’s bottom line. Though what may be at stake isn’t so much the immediate bottom line of the behemoth food chain but the fact that Bolivia represents the only Latin American country to exist without a McDonalds (and perhaps going forward not the only one?) which could inspire a revolt amongst other nations who equate the chain as low brow fast food that leads to health problems or worse American imperialism- something that has never gone down too well with the locals in Bolivia if one judges the leftist stance taking by as some would argue the belligerent Evo Morales, the leader of Bolivia who hasn’t hidden his disdain for private American interests and hegemony in the past, especially his outspoken stance on cocoa production and American politics

Scallywag December 26, 2011 14

Places for cheap travel.

One thing that I have realized from coming back from a trip around the world is that I now have the currency converter widget and when I try to bring it up in conversation I am looked at like I might be from another planet. While I might not be from another planet, I still am pretty rare I guess. So as I daily run thorugh my converter to see how the dollar is doing against other currency, not for financial investments like most people, but for cheap travel investments. Where can I go, and how much will it cost, two main concerns for me and everyone else traveling that doesn't have a trust fund.
Over time, with a lot of passionate research and questioning all my friends who have had great travel experiences I have come up with some places that I would recommend for cheap travel.

Eastern Europe- Some may not know but not all European countries currently operate on the Euro. Some Eastern European countries have maintained their old currency and have a lot of the same old world charm, as you would get in the northern,more expensive areas of Europe. The further east you go, the cheaper it is too. Prague, Budapest, Sofia have plenty of old world charm. In most of these places, you’ll be able to spend less than $30 a day. For a medium range budget, you can expect to pay $50-60 per day if you stay at a hotel and eat fancy meals. Countries in the Baltic, the Ukraine, and Romania are cheaper. Its a poor boys way to see Europe. The REAL Europe without going broke


Vietnam- Vietnam is becoming more and more a popular tourist destination each year. It’s not very developed and compared to other countries in the region, it’s cheap. Moreover, people are interested in learning more about a place American spent so much time fighting in.  I had a friend visit a few years ago and only spent $8 dollars a day while she was there. That included  guest houses,  food, transportation, and some partying. However, Im sure if you allowed yourself $20 a day you might feel like you have a trust fund. I also have a friend returning soon so hopefully I can get as much info out of her as well.



Central America- Most years this area is fairly cheap, however with year long celebrations of the ending of the Mayan calendar, most countries are trying to get their piece of the pie as well, and have seen their flight prices skyrocket as well as what are normally cheap hostels.. Countries like Nicaragua and Honduras are just opening themselves up to tourism and let you experience undeveloped countries.  Guatemala has ancient wonders like Tikal and beautiful beaches, while Honduras has great diving and surfing.You can get by in all of these countries for less than $30  per day and they are a good alternative to Mexico, or Costa Rica. 


Argentina- Another country whose currency has lost ground to the dollar. Argentina is an amazing place filled with history, football, and nature. The food here is excellent and the country is famous for its wine and steak. Buenos Aires is considered one of liveliest cities in the world and most people here speak English. It’s very cosmopolitan and you can get around for less than $40 per day. 


Greece- The falling Euro has made Europe cheaper than even when I was there 10 months ago. However, the Euro is falling because of problems with Greece. Greece was a place I could not afford last year, but with them possibly even leaving the Euro, it has become within reach of even this poor boys pocketbook. With 10 Euro hostels, 20 Euro hotels, and3 Euro Gyros this country is a steal. You’ll get to enjoy beautiful islands, beaches, and delicious food at a fraction of the price of other European countries

India- While India has always been a cheap country, the Indian Rupee used to ride high at 39 Rupee to the dollar. Now, you get 53 Rupee to the dollar. In an already cheap country like India, that money will go along way. Even if you go for luxury, you’ll be hard pressed to spend a lot of money here per day.

Hungary- Hungary is a country with a rich history. , Budapest is marvelous example of old Europe and is on my list for my return this year. During the booming economic times of the earlier decade, Hungary was flying high with a growing economy and a strong currency. Now, one dollar gets you 249 Hungarian Forint, up from 150 in 2008. You can get huge meals in markets for $5, trains for $1 and hotels for $20. It’s a great bargain destination. And the women their are gorgeous!!!

Cambodia- An incredibly cheap country where rooms can cost as little as $2 dollars a night. The currency of choice here is dollars too. ATMs give them out, things are priced in dollars, you get change in dollars, everything is 1 dollar- it makes converting pretty easy. A dollar everywhere can add up but, on the whole, I found the country to be cheap, friendly, and safe. Out of all the countries I visited, I expected the least from it and got the most. Plus, Angkor Wat is there and it’s one of the most amazing historical sites in the world. All of these countries can provide a different and cheap alternative to European countries. . There is still cheap destination. It just requires thinking of alternative destinations. And do you really want to be where the crowds are? Europe’s churches will be there 10 years from now but the jungles of Central America? The rice fields of Asia? The old world of Eastern Europe? Probably not. With a weak dollar, it is time to think and travel different.

Governments travel tips for people looking to explore abroad

• Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency: Let us know your travel plans through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free online service at https://travelregistration.state.gov. This will help us contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization.
  
• Sign passport, and fill in the emergency information: Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.
  
• Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page: Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
  
• Check your overseas medical insurance coverage: Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.
  
• Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws: While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws. The State Department web site at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html has useful safety and other information about the countries you will visit.
  
• Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime: To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.
  
• Contact us in an emergency: Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad and in the U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov. Also note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at 1-888-407-4747, if calling from the U.S. or Canada, or 202-501-4444, if calling from overseas.

Thanks to Blog upp

Thanks to blog up for putting me on a reference site, everything helps
http://www.blogupp.com/directory/top100/en

Excerpt from: Drifting

We hit the grounding running, well, more like 85 on the highway trying to get to California before the sun rose. We screamed down the bend, wondering if the gig in Esparto was going to come through or not.  Were we ever going to live the fantasies we talked about in our canvas, sand beaten tents, in that wasteland of political and spiritual fanaticism bent on keeping us on the edge of insanity? Jackson and I were just fresh out of the service, I’m not going to lie and say we were Delta Force Marines, nope, not even close, we were two electricians in the Air Force, and hated every second of it. How we both ended up with what was the worst job outside of the guys wacked out on heroin, which climbed down rat wholes to chase out Vietnamese in the 70's.

 Jackson had originally enlisted for Paratroopers, but something happened during a physical test and was washed out; empty with death, he accepted the first thing they were willing to give him as long as he could just get out of where he was. You could always sense a bit of shame with Jackson about it, but it would only come out every so often. I, on the other hand, was broke, hated the idea of school, but loved to be around university and the constant flow of ideas and openness that it brought with it.  I needed to do something, just simply get out of town or I was going to be stuck with my friends in Northern California for life.

Somehow during basic training we clicked really quickly, probably for the disdain of our female instructor or the fact that she could grow a mustache at the time and neither of us could muster anything better than blonde hair that resembled the broad side of a peach. We also both had a love of books. I know… different, but for both of us it was a way of rebellion, culture didn’t read anymore, and someone left the movie ‘Dead Poets Society’ in our barracks so both Jackson and  clung to the fact that we were being individuals. That same attitude is what would catch us in the most magical and desperate situations of our life, and it would all come, not in that lousy desert, but in the adventures we had after and what I am sharing with you now.

As we hit New Mexico sometime in the midnight under the full moon, we contemplated our next step, the one that would take us out of trimmed sideburns, 5 am forced wake ups under a cloud of ugly massive mustaches and testosterone filled juice heads waiting to prove that the daily time spent with the latest machine game was well worth it, because now he was going to go blow some fucking Arabs head off and show them that the raging fight he feels in his gut, is his manhood and he will puke it all over you after he kills you to prove it. But hey, we weren’t even around those guys. We were the Brahma Bulls and we didn’t give a fuck unless it meant our spiritual enlightenment, our sexual awakening, or our next drunk story in the morning under a memory of Jaeger and a plate of  eggs with as much gravy as humanly possible.

We were now heading for Chico for a brief stop, week or so, and then down to Esparto to build a deck and catch on with a vineyard and start living life like the men we wanted to become.  Saving for the trips that we had only read about in our wildest of imaginations during mad sessions of booze and trying to convince the local Texas girls I was the next great author and Jackson was the next great Superhero. This whole road warrior trip we were making was not merely a whim of two Vets getting out of dodge and finding a way to live life without having to live within the dominate ways of the culture. We both had signed our life away for 6 years in the spring of 2002. Like I said earlier Jackson came fresh off an injury and couldn’t be around his old man and his father’s not so old, annoying authoritative, annoying, amusing, annoying, wife. While I was fresh off living in a studio garage with my friend Chuck Renoylds and had more Oxycontin and coke in the house than we ever did food or girls. Before Jackson and I enlisted, we both spent our free time with characters of the world that made it their oyster. Books from Twain, Bryson, Kerouac, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Salinger and others made us yearn to be out in the world to live raw like Indian warriors gathering fruits of experience from everywhere our visas would let us.

During our final month of enlistment we were both undecided on what to do. The unknown was as unsettling as much as there was a sense of comfort within not knowing, until Jackson received his monthly “good mom” package loaded with cookies, books, pictures and newspapers.. Well in one of the nickel add magazines we saw our future inside of an eight font biblical rhythm. A vineyard owner by the name of Rick was looking to have a deck built and possibly might have an open spot for a few guys for the next season. Well, being the Twain like spirits we called as soon as we seen the advertisement and convinced Rick that we were the next coming of Jesus. We were to meet him three weeks from Monday and he told us to have sleeping bags ready, because we could camp in the vineyard if we wanted. Wow! We were about to embark finally on our own satori’s and we were embracing it with a full head of steam.

A new adventure

So, after a lot of back and fourth, I have decided I cannot stay in the same spot for very much longer, and I am going to embark on a solo adventure back to Europe; specifically Italy, and eastern Europe. This trip is going to be a little more reasonable, only a month long. My pocket book couldn't handle anymore than that. The trip is currently scheduled for the end of July to the end of August.

I am starting this blog far earlier to prepare myself on numerous fronts, and make sure I can turn this blog into something better than the last, which will also make for a better experience for the followers and anyone else who randomly clicks on the site. I am going to be upfront with all of you, that they more you click on my links and follow the blog the more it can help me make this trip even better ( $$$$). So from now till July, if you have any travel links, advice, criticisms, or anything else please feel free to do so, Im not Bill Bryson so anything will help...

Thanks, and I hope this trip will be even better than the last for you and I