Living right next to Khao San we always seem to end up here whether it’s for a massage, a night out or some good food, unfortunately not everything on this lovely street is so nice to eat.
Everyone has heard of Pad Thai but the Pad Thai vendors on KSR usually consist of salty noodles fried with random shit and plonked on a plate… we’ve had a it a couple of times and always almost immediately regret it, especially when there are so many nice places to eat in the area.
Our particular favourite is Ranee’s!
Ranee's
Never heard of it? I’m not even sure how we did to be honest.
Ranee’s is tucked away down an alleyway running parallel to KSR and I’m yet to see it being advertised anywhere and yet somehow it’s often very busy. Word of mouth clearly is the best advertising you can get.
The food is great, yummy Thai dishes, all for under a 100 baht, pastas and pizzas to die for and some of the best freshly baked bread you’ll come across in Bangkok. I think my favourite has to be the Greco pizza, spinach, mozzarella and feta – delicious!
But it’s not just about the food the garden like setting creates a great relaxed backpacker style atmosphere that is popular with just about anyone and the best bit it won’t break your budget either!
I’ve lost count of how may times we’ve been to this place and just about everyone we know loves it as well, what more convincing do you need?
This past weekend I spent time in the province of Skane (or Skåne) visiting the towns of Ystad, Lund and Malmo which all call the southern area of Sweden home. The last time I was in Sweden I travelled direct from Copenhagen to Stockholm and never even considered stopping to look around this part of the country. I was fixated on visiting the city I’d read about and heard in the news and so on.
I’ll be honest though, had I not been invited by Visit Sweden I don’t think I’d have ever set foot in this part of the world. The thing is though, it’s these little parts of the world that you’ve never heard of that often result in some of the most amazing experiences on your travels. These hidden pockets are the one you always remember well while the stories of Paris and Rome soon fade.
So here’s why I think you should visit Skane and add the towns of Ystad, Lund and Malmo to your travels next time you find yourself in Sweden.
Ystad unbeknownst to me is home to Wallander (think cop show like Frost), a Swedish TV Series. It even has its own English spin-off and between the two series has racked up some 26 movies. I took a tour of the town and the movie studio while there and was amazed by how much of the town is featured in the movies. Perhaps I’m just caught in my Neighbours frame of mind where the same backdrops are used over and over.
You will also find that Ystad has it’s very own night watchman. A tradition dating back to at least the 17th century a lonesome guard blows his horn every 15 minutes from the 4 cardinal points of the tower at St Maria’s Church to let the town know everything is safe and well. While more a symbolic figure these days as the guard doesn’t work all night and the police do all the hard work its a fascinating tradition that I’d never heard of before.
Sunrise in Ystad as seen from my Hotel
Lund is where you will find Lund University, one of Northern Europe’s most highly regarded. The statement must be true because of the 110,000 people who call the city home, 40,000 of them are students.
It was here that I also learnt just how much the swedes love their sushi. Yep you heard right sushi is big here and when you consider the stuff I inhaled at Rå Epok it’s no wonder why. I may still have an untamed palate for sushi but the fact nobody at the table with me held back is enough for me to recommend you check these guys out.
Sushi at Ra Epok
When your done feasting just a short stroll up the road looms Lund Cathedral and Kulturen, an open air museum. The second oldest museum of its type (only bested by Skansen in Stockholm) you will find a range of culturally important items and buildings documenting Sweden’s architectural and cultural past.
Finally you have uber cool Malmo. When a city can lay claim to the highest number of restaurants per inhabitant, a list of boutique clothes stores as long as your arm and a chilled night life you know you’re onto a winner. And if all of that isn’t enough, Copenhagen is only 30 minutes train ride away across the Oresund strait.
For me Malmo’s Old Town was a joy to stroll around as the pedestrian streets fork off in all directions lined with shops as far as the eye can see. The Town Hall dominates the main square here, while just behind it lies Lila Torg. A smaller square surrounded with restaurants that you can tell would become a mecca for anybody looking to relax after a days work or just used to escape the cold of the Swedish winter and enjoy a nice warm mug of Glogg.
Malmo Old Town
While I only got to scrape the surface of what you can see and do during my visit Skane weekend I have to say for a part of the world that I knew nothing about, I’m itching to get back. The only thing missing from my winter experience of Sweden was the snow.
The region was magical without it but I can’t help but feel cheated out of my life long dream to experience a truly magical snow experience and what better country than Sweden to do that in I ask you.
Thanks for checking out my post - Visit Skane, Sweden. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.
I had met Ron at a dive bar on the island of Utila just the night before and had chatted with him about his life here as an expat.We had had hung out, swapping lies while downing several rum and cokes. Tonight, though, there’s a manic gleam in his eye that hints of more than just a rum buzz and the stories are tumbling forth, each more outlandish than the last.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of food that’s not only healthy, it’s medicinal. Like honey, man. Honey can cure all kinds of things!” he shouts, eager to be heard over the music and drunken laughter of a busy Friday night. “You ever had a sty? You know, in your eye?”
I shake my head no and he leans forward and continues, “Honey will clear that right up. Especially a local, organic honey. Rub that in there… it’s the best thing. Wait! No, the best thing… If you really want to get rid of a sty fast, you know what the best thing is?”
I shake my head again, which I’ve been doing a lot tonight. “The best thing to cure a sty is breast milk!” he declares, nodding vigorously in agreement with himself. This time I merely blink, which is kind of a nice change from the constant head-shaking.
“Just last year I had a sty in my right… no, left eye. I was walking down the street here and this local guy about forty years old sees me and waves me over. When he saw my eye, he shouted into the house and sat me down on the porch. He pulled my head back like this and held my eye open.” (Ron helpfully pantomimes all of this so that I don’t lose the narrative.) “His sister –who’d just had a baby– ran out the door, pulled her shirt up and squirted milk in my eye.”
“It was totally healed by the next morning.” He leans back and crosses his arms, nodding once more. I blink again.
“So you’re saying,” I venture slowly, “that a complete stranger held you down while his sister exposed herself and squirted breast milk in your face?”
He leans back and barks a laugh, face screwed up in mock-astonishment. “Well, yeah! You think I’d lie about something like that?!”
The German is in his fifties, with wavy grey hair and a lined face that suggests he collects frowns as a hobby.It’s 9:45 in the morning in Copan Ruinas and he’s here at the ViaVia Cafe to catch a 10:00am minivan shuttle that isn’t running today. He’s not happy.
The ViaVia is one of those catch-all places that functions as a hotel, cafe, tour and transport service. They do it all and in my experience, do it well. I’ll later book my shuttle to Antigua with them and be quite pleased with the service.
“Did you make a reservation?” the cafe manager asks. The German just shakes his head and points for the fifth time to the board with the prices and names painted on it. I haven’t really been paying attention up to this point and am not even sure where he wants to go, so let’s just call his destination “Jerk Town”.
The manager calmly explains. “The shuttle doesn’t stop here if we don’t have any reservations — it’s already gone to the next stop. We didn’t call, so the driver bypassed us. There are no other direct shuttles, so you’ll have to go tomorrow.”
“You advertise a 10:00am shuttle to Jerk Town so you must find me a way. I have to be there today for business. It’s very important!” His arms are crossed, his face flushed, and his chin is thrust out like a mantelpiece. Frown #87 for the day is firmly locked in.
“Ok, ok,” says the manager. “Let me see if we can find something…” He walks off and consults with his assistant, who spreads out several charts and a large map on a desk. After a busy fifteen minutes, he walks back to the German.
“It’s possible but it will take some work. You’ll need to take the local bus to Ass Hat — it leaves in ten minutes. Don’t mind the chickens –they’re harmless– but try not to sit next to the goats. They bite.”
“From Ass Hat, you’ll catch the bus to Karma Sucks but have the driver drop you off at the unsigned crossroads twenty miles outside of town so you can catch the bus to Shoulda Planned Ahead as it passes by. It’s usually running late so you should be fine. If you miss it, sleep in a tree for safety then catch the next one tomorrow.”
“From there it’s a straight shot to Jerk Town and you should arrive just after midnight, about an hour after the taxi stand closes. The transvestites will still be up, though, and they can lead you to your hotel.”
The German has closed his eyes about halfway through this discussion and now just sits there unmoving for a good 30 seconds. I’m starting to wonder if he’s dead when he finally speaks up.
“I think I’d like to reserve a ticket for tomorrow.”
Many people that travel to Britain make a point of heading to Edinburgh. Why? Well, it’s a city rich in culture, heritage and history and there are countless attractions to go and visit. There’s also an abundance of affordable hotels in Edinburgh near to all the major sites, which makes it even more of an appealing prospect for tourists.
Here are our top five must-do things in the Scottish capital.
1. Climb to the top of Nelson’s Monument
The two most obvious attractions in Edinburgh are Edinburgh Castle and Nelson’s Monument, simply because you can’t miss them. So, let’s kick-off our whirlwind tour of the city with Nelson’s Monument, which is close to George Hotel Edinburgh and other central hotels and hostels. It was built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, has 217 steps in total and offers pretty neat views from the top.
2. Learn all about Scottish culture
The National Museums Scotland is made up of several museums, some of which are based in Edinburgh, including the National War Museum and National Museum of Scotland. The latter is free to enter, which is an added bonus. People of all ages can discover all about a range of different subjects at the National Museum of Scotland, from art and design to the natural world.
3. See the daily gun salute at Edinburgh Castle
A trip to Edinburgh Castle when in Edinburgh really is a must for many reasons, including the stunning vista of the city that you’ll get if you make your way to the top. There’s a free guided tour if you’re a bit of a culture vulture and most days there’s a gun salute at 1pm that’s well worth witnessing.
4. Take a stroll down The Royal Mile
Most major cities have iconic streets. In London, for example, the likes of Regent Street and Oxford Street are known the world over. Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is still pretty special. It’s a hive of activity and is crammed with interesting buildings and clusters of bars, eateries and shops.
5. Visit a dormant volcano
No, that’s not a misprint, Edinburgh does have a dormant volcano within its boundaries and is thought to be the only city in the world that can lay claim to such an honour. Arthur’s Seat can be found in the group of hills that surround the Scottish capital and offers the chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre and take in the surrounding areas.
Meet the Author: Tom Armenante Tom is a young budding traveler who writes for many tech and travel sites with aspirations of traveling the world.
We’re one step closer to bidding 2011 goodbye. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I wrote last November’s State of the Savage from Argentina, but then again time seems to always flummox and confound those who study it. I’m one year into my allotted two-year sojourn to make Traveling Savage into a new career. How is it going?
I recently described my state of mind to a friend as “feeling like I’m stuck in a rut in the middle of limitless forest for as far as the eye can see.” Okay, that’s a bit redundant, but it shows the strength of the feeling. I continue to write about my escapades in Scotland and plan new trips, but I have always had the long view of life, and if belief in the financial sustainability of a venture fades so increases the feeling of its frivolousness.
Something needs to change.
I spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas of new but related directions to pursue. Most are crap but some have merit. Then a weird thing happens. I don’t feel any passion or excitement for the ideas. There’s some force, some inertia stopping me from giving them a shot, and so they languish in the junk drawer of my mind. I need some grand idea, some grand work to pursue that capitalizes on the excruciatingly small window where my skills and knowledge intersect.
I need a muse. Is Calliope available?
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield has become my pre-sleep companion thanks to the fine taste of Mike Sowden over at Fevered Mutterings. I believe Mr. Pressfield is the first person to give a name to that innate self-sabotaging force: the Resistance. I recognized it from Seth Godin’s Lynchpin and I recognize it as the foe with which I’m currently locked in creative combat. It’s kicking my ass and my shins and laughing at me. I’m not “doing the work” as Pressfield puts it.
People (mostly my family) tell me I should write a book. My Resistance says, “about what?” Am I kidding me?
My friend responded to my redundant rut-forest comment with a gem: “Perhaps your limitless forest is a dazzling Lothlorien-esque magical land full of as-yet-unknown limitless possibilities rather than a depressing Fangorn-esque forest where no light penetrates and dangerous pitfalls abound?”
My Resistance is not happy.
Plans & Happenings
Last month I talked about a possible trip to Nova Scotia happening in the first quarter of 2012. Perhaps obviously, that’s not the best time to visit Maritime Canada so I’m keeping that trip in my back pocket for now. I’ve got two non-work-related trips to Florida in the span of a month in December and January, which will be sweet respite from Wisconsin’s hardcore winters.
On the Traveling Savage front, I’m currently hammering out itineraries for 2-3 week trip to Scotland in late April/early May specifically to hit the Speyside Whisky Festival. This trip would also likely include a drive up the coast from Inverness – stopping at distilleries – all way to Orkney where I’d spend a few days. Finally, I’m thinking about including some time in the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway in addition to the requisite couple days in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Did I mention my Dad’s coming (and maybe others)?
Before this trip, however, I’m considering another few weeks in either Glasgow or Edinburgh sometime in March. The summer is looking really busy from a non-work perspective with several weddings in the mix so I need to figure out when I can actually afford to be gone traveling. I loved my three weeks in Edinburgh earlier this year and I could vary a similar trip with more jaunts to surrounding places. I’m considering tacking on a five-day stop in Barcelona at the end of this with Sarah where we can re-up our love of Spain and reconnect with those motorhoming mavens over at Technomadics.
Parting Blow
I’ve always believed that I’m a short-form writer and that a book-length project was beyond my ability. I have no evidence to support this belief, so I’m forced to confront the fact that I’m simply scared of undertaking such a project. I’m starting to believe that doing only what’s known and comfortable is the fast track to a boring life. The Resistance hates it when you do what you’re scared to do. So do it.
The enemy of your enemy…and all that. What are you not doing because you’re scared to do it?
I realized I’d been in Australia too long when I dismissed the flight to Hawaii as “just 10 hours.” Before my 14-hour jaunt to Sydney, the longest flight I’d taken was nine hours to Europe from California. Now those cross-country and cross-Atlantic flights just seem like warm-ups for the real thing.
I’ve done about four to 10 long-haul flights a year since I was 16 (my carbon footprint is obnoxiously large, unfortunately), and I’ve got my anti-jet-lag, anti-dehydration, stay-in-as-good-a-mood-as-possible flying plan down to a science.
A glass of wine and Tylenol PM: I’m sure it’s not doctor-approved, but add in my iTunes sleep playlist and an eye mask, and I can sleep for six to eight hours at a time.
Request a special meal: If possible, I’ll request a vegetarian meal. There’s the added perk of being served first, and I’ll take a nice veggie lasagna dish over weird ground beef or dried-out chicken any day.
Bring an empty water bottle: I fill my Klean Kanteen up before heading to the airport and make sure to finish it before I head through security (in the States, it’s impossible to get liquids through the security checkpoint). Then I fill it up again in one of the food court stops in the terminal: just ask if they can hook you up with some free water. Staying hydrated…
Check what type of aircraft you’ll be on: There’s nothing as disappointing as assuming you’ll be watching movie after movie on your flight, only to board and realize that the aircraft doesn’t have individual entertainment screens. You’ll know whether to load up on movies and books, or whether to take your chances on the not-on-DVD-yet entertainment collection.
Walk and stretch: Take advantage of each time you get up to use the toilet to get your blood flowing and muscles moving. Walk to the back of the aircraft, touch your toes, stretch out your arms.
Get on schedule: To avoid jet lag, confirm what time of day you’ll be arriving in your destination. If you’ll be landing in the morning, try to get as much sleep as possible so that you don’t waste a day being jetlagged. If you’re arriving in the evening, stay up and keep busy so that you’ll be ready to get on a normal sleep schedule as soon as you get there.
And once you arrive, don’t account any time for being jet-lagged. Having social engagements as soon as I’m out of the airport forces me to be on-point—no random afternoon naps that mean I won’t be able to sleep that night.
What are your tips for surviving—and thriving on— long-haul flights?
You may remember a little problem we had back in December of 2010 when, during a rare plane trip, a set of brand new Bilstein shock absorbers were taken from our luggage. After months of hassle and frustration we have finally been reimbursed for the value of our stolen property. This does not mean, however, that all is well.
After the shocks disappeared from our luggage we spent almost eight months making phone calls and sending emails trying to figure out who took our shocks and how we could get them back. We were universally ignored or caught in the middle of a he-said/she-said blame game with agents from the Transportatin Safety Administration swearing that the TSA does not take items out of luggage and Continental Airlines swearing that the TSA is the agency which removes restricted items, like shock absorbers.
Ultimately, we had no choice but to send an email to the media relations department at Continental. As legitimate members of the media, this got immediate action in the form of phone call from Gary Meckel a very cordial Continental Airlines “Senior Staff Representative.” Mr. Meckel told us that while Continental had no record of taking our shock absorbers and insisted that the TSA must have taken them, the airline was willing to offer us 16,000 frequent flier miles (worth roughly the $600 value of the shock absorbers) as a gesture of “good will.”
We told him we’d have to think about it, which we did for about 45 seconds. Then we sent Mr. Meckel an email we’d received from a TSA agent who adamantly stated that the TSA doesn’t take items like shock absorbers, the airlines do. In the email the TSA agent even advised “You should persist with the airline to rectify your claim.”
Meanwhile, the TSA assigned an investigator to our case and that investigator told us that paperwork had been found showing that a Continental Airline employee had signed for our shock absorbers. More precisely, someone had put his or her (potentially fake and nearly illegible) initials on the form.
Despite our request to Continental’s Mr. Meckel for a clarification of his airline’s policy regarding the removal of restricted items and a rebuttal (if any) to the TSA’s claims we got neither. We did, however, get a check for the value of our shock absorbers.
This is a hollow victory, however, since the underlying problem we discuss in our original post (see below) remains: airline policies allow employees to remove restricted items without any requirement to account for or log the item taken or be held responsible for the removal in any way. We still believe there’s a Continental Airlines employee out there with some very, very good shock absorbers on his or her truck.
HERE’S OUR ORIGINAL POST ABOUT THE LOSS OF OUR SHOCK ABSORBERS DURING A CONTINENTAL FLIGHT FROM APRIL, 2011:
There are many reasons that the Trans-Americas Journey is a road trip. Now we can add: “In order to avoid being robbed blind by airline staff” to the list.
Skyway robbery
As some of you know, we recently got on an airplane for the first time in years, leaving our trusty truck behind in Guatemala City while we traveled back to the US briefly then on to Argentina to embark on our Antarctic Adventure. Most of our flights were on LAN Airlines but some legs (between Guatemala and the US) were on Continental Airlines.
Knowing that we were going to need to bring some personal supplies back from the US, we booked First/International Business class seats on Continental (using reward miles) because this class gets you a higher baggage allowence plus bigbright orange bagage tags that read “Priority Handling”.
On our Continental flight out of the US we had a set of brand new top-of-the-line Bilstein shock absorbers in one of our duffel bags. After more than 75,000 hard miles over rough roads and countelss speed bumps carrying a maxed out load, the shocks on our truck were feeling the pain.
To remedy the situation, our partners at Bilstein kindly upgraded us to a set of shocks best suited to the reality of the road conditions in Central and South America and we were excited to bring the shocks (which are not readily available in Latin America) back with us and have them installed so we could stop worrying over every bump in the road.
However, when we landed and collected our bags it was immediately clear that one of our duffels was half empty. We opened it up and found a notice from the TSA that the bag had been inspected–and the shock absorbers were gone.
Shock absorber shocker
The orignal cardboard shipping box containing the shocks (and clearly labeled with both our US address and Bilstein’s address) had simply been taken out of our bag. Other items in the duffel, some valuable, were left untouched.
Since the note we found where our shock absorbers used to be was from the TSA we immediately began emailing and calling them. It took more than a month to get a response from anyone and the TSA ultimately told us that they do not remove such items and insisted that it was our airline (Continental) that took them.
Prior to flying we had reviewed the Continental Airlines web site to see if there were any restrictions on carrying auto parts. The sometimes-cryptic list did not specifically name anything that indicated to us that our shocks would be a problem since they were not oil lubricated (which was listed as a no-no).
The Continental Airlines dangerous goods page did list ”compressed gasses” as a restricted item, which we took to mean a cylinder of oxygen or something like that. What didn’t occur to us is that our shock absorbers operate using a small amount of compressed gas.
Fair enough. Our bad. We figured we’d have to file a tedious claim with Continental Airlines then we’d get the shocks back and have them shipped down to us. Inconvinient? Yes. More costly? Yes. But at least there was a solution. Wrong.
It took another series of phone calls and emails to reach Continental Airlines and get our hands on the right claim form which we filled out and returned to the airline as instructed along with a receipt for the shocks and many other supporting documents.
Flyer beware
Now, more than two months after filing our Continental paperwork, we have received a letter from Continental Airlines Claims Analyst Curtis Richmond informing us that his “analysis” has failed to locate the shocks and, anyway, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURNING RESTRICTED GOODS and because we were busy barking up the TSA tree and getting the run-around from Continental employees for so long we were not able file our documents within the prescribed time period which is 24 hours after landing so, according to Curtis Richmond, Continental Airlines is also not responsible for reimbursing us for the value of the goods that were taken from our luggage.
What’s eating us up (besides the loss of expensive and essential belongings) is the impunity the Continental Airlines policy seems to foster. By saying that the airline is not responsible for the fate of restricted items Continental Airlines is, essentially, issuing a license to steal to any employee who sees something that falls into this category.
As long as you know the item is restricted feel free to “forget” to log it and go ahead and take it home. Right now some smug Continental employee is probably driving around on OUR $600 shock absorbers.
We’re pissed and we’re powerless. We’re also without a set of very expensive and very essential truck parts.
And we’re sure that other airlines have similar loopholes in their baggage search and confiscation guidelines. Sadly, a simple Google search turns up many other people with similar stories.
Flyer beware, indeed.
As we await any semblance of a reasonable response from Continental Airlines regarding our stolen shock absorbers we thought we’d share this musical take on Airline angst (this time with United Airlines which recently merged with Continental). Though there’s nothing funny about having major baggage issues with an airline and then getting no compensation or assistance whatsoever, this video had us smiling between the tears.
We are heartened to learn that a Tiger Air passenger recently won reimbursement from the airline for the value of his lost luggage and the excess baggage he paid–but only after he made his own musical stink.
Pathetic but true: it now requires a Hollywood production to get what we used to call Customer Service from an airline. So be it.
This is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel project, a daily blogging challenge with a prompt for every day in November 2011. Check out the prompt at the bottom of this post to find out how you can participate!
2011 was an amazing year of travel for me. I took a small ship cruise to Panama and Costa Rica, spent a week in Portugal, watched friends get married in northern Michigan wine country, visited family in Florida, saw the stunningly beautiful country of Switzerland, fell madly in love with Berlin, traveled to Oregon for BootsnAll’s annual meeting, took a girls weekend trip to Kansas City with my best friend, and explored coastal California.
So what does 2012 hold? At this point, I really don’t know. My husband was laid off from his job in late October, throwing our plans into the air. With no idea what our financial situation will look like, or even where we’ll be calling home in the next few months, we’re hesitant to make commitments. In June, we celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, for which we planned to renew our vows in the south of France. We’re holding out hope we can still make it happen.
If life returns to normal by then, I also hope to plan a big trip in the fall (perhaps hiking across Scotland in October) and at the very end of the year; I’d love to get back to Iceland – maybe for New Year’s Eve – though I also have Chile on the brain, along with Jordan or Iran, or possibly Southeast Asia.
Going into the new year without a single confirmed ticket makes me feel a little sad, but I also feel a bit excited at all the possibilities left open. If a great fare sale pops up, I can jump on it. If a friend returns from a trip gushing about a destination, I might decide to go. A random photo, a compelling video, a special event, or even an amazing meal might motivate me to visit a particular place next. And with no set plans, I can go where those whims take me.
Got any suggestions? Where are you going in 2012?
30 Days of Indie Travel Project: How to Participate
We’re inviting bloggers from around the world (that means you, too!) to join us in a daily blogging effort designed to reflect on how our travel experiences over the last year – or whenever – have shaped us and our view of the world. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.
We’ll share some of our favorites via Twitter and Facebook throughout November, as well as a round-up article at the end of the month, so if you’re playing along make sure to let us know – use the #indie30 hashtag on Twitter, and link to the 30 Days of Indie Travelpage in your post so we’ll be able to find it.
This is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel project, a daily blogging challenge with a prompt for every day in November 2011. Check out the prompt at the bottom of this post to find out how you can participate!
2011 was an amazing year of travel for me. I took a small ship cruise to Panama and Costa Rica, spent a week in Portugal, watched friends get married in northern Michigan wine country, visited family in Florida, saw the stunningly beautiful country of Switzerland, fell madly in love with Berlin, traveled to Oregon for BootsnAll’s annual meeting, took a girls weekend trip to Kansas City with my best friend, and explored coastal California.
So what does 2012 hold? At this point, I really don’t know. My husband was laid off from his job in late October, throwing our plans into the air. With no idea what our financial situation will look like, or even where we’ll be calling home in the next few months, we’re hesitant to make commitments. In June, we celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, for which we planned to renew our vows in the south of France. We’re holding out hope we can still make it happen.
If life returns to normal by then, I also hope to plan a big trip in the fall (perhaps hiking across Scotland in October) and at the very end of the year; I’d love to get back to Iceland – maybe for New Year’s Eve – though I also have Chile on the brain, along with Jordan or Iran, or possibly Southeast Asia.
Going into the new year without a single confirmed ticket makes me feel a little sad, but I also feel a bit excited at all the possibilities left open. If a great fare sale pops up, I can jump on it. If a friend returns from a trip gushing about a destination, I might decide to go. A random photo, a compelling video, a special event, or even an amazing meal might motivate me to visit a particular place next. And with no set plans, I can go where those whims take me.
Got any suggestions? Where are you going in 2012?
30 Days of Indie Travel Project: How to Participate
We’re inviting bloggers from around the world (that means you, too!) to join us in a daily blogging effort designed to reflect on how our travel experiences over the last year – or whenever – have shaped us and our view of the world. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.
We’ll share some of our favorites via Twitter and Facebook throughout November, as well as a round-up article at the end of the month, so if you’re playing along make sure to let us know – use the #indie30 hashtag on Twitter, and link to the 30 Days of Indie Travelpage in your post so we’ll be able to find it.
This is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel project, a daily blogging challenge with a prompt for every day in November 2011. Check out the prompt at the bottom of this post to find out how you can participate!
2011 was an amazing year of travel for me. I took a small ship cruise to Panama and Costa Rica, spent a week in Portugal, watched friends get married in northern Michigan wine country, visited family in Florida, saw the stunningly beautiful country of Switzerland, fell madly in love with Berlin, traveled to Oregon for BootsnAll’s annual meeting, took a girls weekend trip to Kansas City with my best friend, and explored coastal California.
So what does 2012 hold? At this point, I really don’t know. My husband was laid off from his job in late October, throwing our plans into the air. With no idea what our financial situation will look like, or even where we’ll be calling home in the next few months, we’re hesitant to make commitments. In June, we celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, for which we planned to renew our vows in the south of France. We’re holding out hope we can still make it happen.
If life returns to normal by then, I also hope to plan a big trip in the fall (perhaps hiking across Scotland in October) and at the very end of the year; I’d love to get back to Iceland – maybe for New Year’s Eve – though I also have Chile on the brain, along with Jordan or Iran, or possibly Southeast Asia.
Going into the new year without a single confirmed ticket makes me feel a little sad, but I also feel a bit excited at all the possibilities left open. If a great fare sale pops up, I can jump on it. If a friend returns from a trip gushing about a destination, I might decide to go. A random photo, a compelling video, a special event, or even an amazing meal might motivate me to visit a particular place next. And with no set plans, I can go where those whims take me.
Got any suggestions? Where are you going in 2012?
30 Days of Indie Travel Project: How to Participate
We’re inviting bloggers from around the world (that means you, too!) to join us in a daily blogging effort designed to reflect on how our travel experiences over the last year – or whenever – have shaped us and our view of the world. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.
We’ll share some of our favorites via Twitter and Facebook throughout November, as well as a round-up article at the end of the month, so if you’re playing along make sure to let us know – use the #indie30 hashtag on Twitter, and link to the 30 Days of Indie Travelpage in your post so we’ll be able to find it.
I shake my head again, which I’ve been doing a lot tonight. “The best thing to cure a sty is breast milk!” he declares, nodding vigorously in agreement with himself. This time I merely blink, which is kind of a nice change from the constant head-shaking.
“It’s possible but it will take some work. You’ll need to take the local bus to Ass Hat — it leaves in ten minutes. Don’t mind the chickens –they’re harmless– but try not to sit next to the goats. They bite.”
We’re inviting bloggers from around the world (that means you, too!) to join us in a daily blogging effort designed to reflect on how our travel experiences over the last year – or whenever – have shaped us and our view of the world. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.