We have just a few days left till we fly from Santiago, Chile back to United States. We’ve been in South America for 6 1/2 months and its been really great.

I haven’t written as many articles in April because I was busy traveling around Argentina and doing a bunch of freelance work on Art of Travel Blogging. Starting May 4th, I’ll be in the US and publishing more articles on our trip these last few weeks.

Speaking of AOTB, we have a new webinar coming out. If you’re thinking about publishing an eBook and perhaps going into self-publishing, you may want to attend.

For the month of May, I’ll be mostly in the US but I also have a surprise announcement for our next destination. Only hint I’m giving is that it’s an island.

Going to Travel Blog Exchange in Denver on June 14th? I am! Let’s meet up if you’re going. Tweet or Facebook message me.

Anything specific you’d like us to cover on Art of Backpacking? Let us know in the comments.

In Santiago, Chile

Links

How To Keep Your Travel Photos Safe, Secure and Backed Up on LandLopers: My guest post over on LandLopers. Useful tips and tools to use to backup your photos.

The Discovery Channel Crashes A 727 Intentionally (Video) on Gadling: I got excited just reading the title. Unfortunately, the video sucked. I want a high quality close up on the crash, damn it!

The Top 10 Mistakes I’ve Made Living In Italy on Do It While You’re Young: This article has inspired me to write my own series of articles with something similar for other destinations. Very useful tips especially for me as I have plans for Italy next year.

No, Not Everyone Can Travel on Someday I’ll Be There: We have several articles here on Art of Backpacking about how anyone can travel but the reality is not everyone actually can. It helps put things into perspective.

How Safe is Egypt After the Revolution? on Travels With A Nine Year Old: Very well detailed analysis on how safe or unsafe Egypt is right now.

Keeping Your DSLR Photography Gear Safe When Traveling on TravMonkey: I always have a problem knowing when to bring the camera and when not to. Luckily nothing has ever happened but I’m always nervous about taking it out. I lose out on a lot of great photo moments because of this. Great tips on here.

From our contributors:

• Christine Amorose Is my heart in San Francisco? on C’est Christine
• Suki Don Bugito : Edible Insects Pop-Up in San Francisco on [Super Duper Fantastic]
• Maria Laborde Life after travel: My depression and learning to live day by day on Latin Abroad

Updates and Links for April 2012 is a post from Art of Backpacking

The recession crushed dreams.

Dreams of retirement… or getting rich in the next tech IPO… or even the dream of a better life for your kids.

For my wife and I, however, the recession was different.

It was the best thing that ever happened to us.

And you know what? It can be the same for you.

Why The Economic Collapse Changed Our Lives Forever

Four years ago things were looking rough. I owned two rental properties – both of which were underwater –  was unemployed and desperate for work.

Somehow I landed not one but two jobs: a travel agent during the day and a waiter at a fine dining restaurant at night.

It sucked.

But you what? Those two jobs helped me pay off my debt and save up for our first big trip: a year long honeymoon through Southeast Asia.

That was in 2009… when the economy tanked. Unemployment hit double digits in the US (many friends back home couldn’t find any kind of work) while the housing market collapsed. Gas prices increased. And suddenly day to day life in the US just got a whole lot harder.

Or so we heard.

Adventure Capitalist: A New Way of Looking At The World

Living in Southeast Asia gave us a fresh perspective on life. We no longer spent US$500 on gas each month, didn’t have to pay for car insurance, never worried about monthly bills and stopped giving a rat’s ass about “the economy”.

We lived richer – and spent less – than we ever could back home. We ate out three meals a day, traveled when we felt like it, laid out on beaches, scaled mountains… whatever we wanted to do, we did it.

Now I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking “OK, I get it… Southeast Asia is cheap. So what? At some point you gotta go back, right?”

Well, yes… you do. But traveling puts something inside you… a sense of appreciation for simpler things in life.

You learn to slow down, to hold long conversations with other people (instead of blindly rushing off). You learn to walk more, worry less and lay off the TV.

And if you want to keep this lifestyle at home, you’ll need to make some changes. You’ll need to escape the “rat race” and thankfully…

Traveling Is The Fastest, Easiest and Best Way To Become An Entrepreneur

Travel by its very nature forces you out of your comfort zone. You’re exposed to new cultures, smells, sights, flavors and attitudes which change your own views.

My biggest change was this: I wanted complete control of my life. I wanted to work on things I loved, see the world and never spend another minute in the rat race.

I was tired of working for someone else… tired of traffic jams and overpriced “necessities”… and after a year abroad I realized that if anyone was going to change my situation it had to be me.

The Biggest Opportunity…

Returning home I got a job at Google (still not sure how that happened). But even though it was a truly excellent place to work… it was still an office. I couldn’t go where I wanted or set my own hours.

It was then I decided to start working online.

And let me tell you: there is more opportunity to make money online than anywhere else. Even though I was born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, there were more employment opportunities online.

Why?

Because online jobs let you apply anywhere… and the biggest opportunity is EVERYWHERE.

And the best part is, as you work online (either as a freelancer or full time employee) you learn the ropes. You learn the technologies which enable you to work from anywhere… you learn the discipline to set your own hours and actually get stuff done…  and most importantly, you learn skills which can help you build your own online business.

My wife and I started our own online business which we now run from, well, anywhere. (As I write this we’re in Quito, Ecuador).

Are we millionaires? Not yet… but we live a very rich lifestyle filled with world travel and the ability to set our own hours.

Why the Economic Crash Might Be Just What You Needed…

If you’re struggling financially, I understand. I really, really do. But maybe this is a sign (or put bluntly, a swift kick in the ass) you need a change. A change in location, a change in lifestyle or even a change in you.

If you’ve wanted to hit the road… do it now. Don’t wait. Excuses not to go pile up faster than BS in a bull ring.

And if you need money to keep going, look into freelance work on sites like eLance and Guru.

You’ll find getting paid in dollars (or euros, or pounds) while living abroad pays better, gives you more freedom and creates an epically awesome lifestyle.

So what’s stopping you?

Why Travel Pays Better, Gives You More Freedom and Creates An Epically Awesome Lifestyle is a post from Art of Backpacking

My brother and I will be taking our first ever road trip together to Quebec, Canada this summer. I have zero experience traveling with kids and could use as much advice from you as possible.

He’s 13 year’s old and we’re leaving from Pennsylvania driving north into Quebec. We’re going to Montreal and Quebec City but it’d be nice to see what else there is to do outside of the cities. Along the way, we’ll probably make a few pit stops. It’s a 7 hour or so drive to Montreal.

I’m really excited about this trip. I’ve been traveling around the world for three years and to a 13 year old, that’s a really long time. We get along super well and he considers me the travel expert that has his own business. We’re both gamers so I imagine there’s going to be some paintball involved somewhere along our trip.

I think this is going to be something really great for the both of us. We’ve never done anything big like this together and I’m usually away traveling and just visiting during the summer months each year.

Planning and What I’ve Done So Far

I bought a Lonely Planet Quebec book that he has been highlighting and taking notes on before our trip. I told him that I’m depending on him to do a lot of the research and so far that has got him really excited to find out what there is to do.

We haven’t really planned out how long the trip is going to be but I’m thinking about a week.

Accommodation will probably be mostly in private room hostels.

What advice do you have for traveling with kids? Any activities you know of in Quebec for kids?

I Need Your Help – Traveling With Kids is a post from Art of Backpacking

While London may be a hot spot this year with the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics, the city is also garnering some attention from beer enthusiasts who have watched the city bounce back in a surprise beer boom as noted by several local beer experts and writers.

While I’m more partial to wine when it relates to culinary travel, I’m an equal opportunist imbiber truthfully, and have developed quite a soft spot for quality craft and microbrew beers.  After a decline in craft beer producers in London several years ago, the city has seen an influx of new microbreweries popping up, many of which are producing some fantastic brews that highlight the qualities that put London on the beer map in the first place.

Here are five spots to enjoy your London holidays with a local craft beer.

Old Brewery

Meantime London Porter (flickr: Bernt Rostad)

Old Brewery is a restaurant and bar opened and operated by Meantime London — one of London’s local breweries.  Meantime Brewery was founded by Alastair Hook, a south Londoner himself.  He graduated from one of the UK’s leading brew schools, and what he started as a small business in his flat back in 1999 has today grown to be one of London’s most respected craft beer producers.

Recommendation: London Porter 6.5%.  While not necessarily the most budget friendly brew, it is a 750 ml bottle and with 6.5% alcohol, not one to chug.

Old Brewery: The Pepys Building, The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich (020) 3327 1280

Carpenters Arms

After a fairly recent facelift, Carpenters Arms has been consistently rated as one of the better spots for a pint in the city.  While they have a lot of draught beer and an impressive selection of bottles from around the globe, their regularly rotating selection of ales features one worth a try — Truman’s Runner Ale.

Truman’s was founded back in 1666 and lasted until 1989 when the brewery and pubs were closed. It made a surprising return in 2010 when two young local beer enthusiasts decided to bring back what many consider to be an integral part of London history.  Their first release is a bitter, “Truman’s Runner”, an ode to the original Truman’s porter that was known as “Runner”.

Carpenters Arms: 73 Cheshire Street, London (020) 7739 6342

Prince of Wales 

Twickenham Fine Ales (flickr: LoopZilla)

Prince of Wales in Twickenham features several local brews, but one of the producers they highlight is worth a mention — Twickenham Fine Ales. These interesting brews have been known to be pretty hard to find outside of the general vicinity of the brewery itself.  One of the more popular year round offerings is “Naked Ladies”, a brew inspired by statues of water nymphs at York House gardens in Twickenham.  If the name of this particular brew sounds familiar, it is the one you are most likely to find outside Twickenham, and is even brewed under license in Belgium.

The Prince of Wales: 136 Hampton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex (020) 8894 5054

King William IV Hotel and Bar

The King William IV is the official brewery tap for what was the adjoining Sweet William Brewery. It was eventually abandoned and, in 2008, Jamie and Lizzie Brodie took it over and managed to brew Brodie’s IPA after only six weeks of cleaning and fix up work.  They now produce over 30 different beers under the Brodie’s name. King William IV has sixteen different beers on every weekend — all of which are just £1.99 a pint!

King William IV: 816 High Road, Leyton, London (020) 8556 2460

The Kernel Brewery

The Kernal Brewery (flickr: Bernt Rostad)

Stop by for “Saturdays at the Kernel” where you can buy beer direct from the brewery, sample a few different pints, and enjoy the neighboring Matlby Street area. From 9am until 2pm on Saturdays, this newish hot-spot is the place to be for foodies.  A number of food merchants, along with Kernel Brewery, moved into this area and you can sample everything artisan foods, coffees, and of course Kernel beers.

The Kernel has been named one of London’s best breweries and has received numerous awards and accolades.  One of the more popular offerings is the India Pale Ale (IPA) – a truly artisanal brew that is inspired both by old-style London porters and stouts, but also US-style hoppy Pale Ales.

The Kernel Brewery: Unit 11, Dockley Road Industrial Estate, London (077) 5755 2636

Photos: Flickr, Bernt Rostad, LoopZilla

This post has been sponsored by London Holiday Packages

London Breweries: Five Spots to Enjoy Local Craft Beers is a post from Art of Backpacking

We did a poll on Art of Backpacking on how much people have spent one year around the world backpacking solo. We received the most votes on below $10,000. It’s possible but I’m not entirely convinced people voted accurately but it’s an interesting number to go by.

Slow Travel Saves Money

What does round the world mean to you? Does it mean going to every continent or just going to two or three? The faster you travel, the more places you go and the more you’ll spend. Is that what you want?

$800 barely gets me out of the South American continent by plane. Airplanes are one of the most expensive parts of traveling but it also gets you to places faster. If you’re only taking buses and trains, it’s a whole lot cheaper but it’s slow. I have no problem with traveling slow and often prefer it but I’ve met people that enjoy jumping city to city by plane. In the end it’s a personal preference but the numbers are there and slow travel will save you money. Since it’s for one year, there’s plenty of time.

Where To Go

It’s difficult to backpack Argentina for $830 a month. Meanwhile, $830 can go a long way in Bolivia and possibly over a month. I’ve been in South America for the last 8 months and its been tricky to budget. While Ecuador can be inexpensive, their neighbor Colombia is not. Uruguay is one of the most expensive countries to visit in South America and yet Paraguay is one of the cheapest. $830 for a month in Uruguay would be really difficult and especially since most accommodations seem to be going at $15+ for a dorm leaving you with only $12 more to spend before you’ve hit your daily budget to stay at the $10,000 a year mark.

Sacrificing What You Enjoy

There’s only so much saving I could possibly do before I start to sacrifice things I actually enjoy. I like a good beer and would happily pay more for a beer I couldn’t get anywhere else. I didn’t realize this when I budgeted my trip to account for things I love to do. I figured I could just live on water and save money. Eventually I got sick of being stingy and started to spend money on things I loved to do while still responsibly spending.

$10,000 for a year RTW possible?

Although below $10,000 won, I don’t think it’s possible to visit multiple continents and consistently travel while only spending $833 a month. If however the traveler stopped at each destination for a month where the dollar goes a long way, then yes it’s possible.

To make $10,000 for a year possible, I think you’d have to plan it out pretty well and avoid countries that may be too expensive, splurging, and definitely traveling slow. A sample itinerary might be Central America then fly to India then fly home.

See: How To Save For Your RTW Trip

A More Reasonable Number

There’s no magic number since it really depends on where you go and how you travel. I’ve seen a whole lot of articles on the internet on how much people have spent in a year. AOB has two of them (Cost Summary of 11 Months RTW and Figuring the Figures: Budgeting an RTW Trip). Through all the numbers that I’ve been seeing, my guess is $20,000 is a good number to go by for a true round-the-world solo backpacking trip. This is hitting multiple continents, staying at cheap accommodations around the world, airfare, and a few activities. Of course the number really depends on how long you stay at each destination. Stay for three months in Japan and watch that number go way higher.

What do you think? Could you travel around the world for only $10,000?

The following article has been sponsored by Easytobook.com

How Far Could You Get With $10,000USD? is a post from Art of Backpacking

While traveling through Belize in general can be quite affordable by many backpacker and budget traveler standards, the line begins to blur when you look at some of the more popular island stops in the country.

Caye Caulker is regarded as the backpackers’ island of choice in many instances, though its overly laid back atmosphere leaves some travelers longing for more.  If you are hoping to just get lost on a small island and completely unwind, Caye Caulker is the perfect spot for that.  Whether you spend a day relaxing at “The Split” or renting a bicycle and cruising around the tiny dirt roads, you are not likely to find a place more chill than Caye Caulker.

Lazy Lizard at The Split on Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker’s bigger and more well-known neighbor Ambergris Caye has more nightlife, bars, and restaurants to choose from, but it is often skipped over by budget travelers due to lodging costs.  The island has definitely seen a boom in luxury resorts, a few with per night rates exceeding the monthly travel budget for many long-term travelers.

However, the island’s main town of San Pedro is home to a hostel, Pedro’s Inn, which is a happening place to be not only for tourists, but also as a regular hang out for many locals. Unfortunately, during high season, rates at the hostel may fluctuate so you may find that for just a bit more, you can get a beachfront standard private hotel room.

If you are looking for an affordable hotel option in Ambergris Caye, consider the Conch Shell Inn, which is right on the beach, and conveniently located near dive shops, the water taxi dock, and many of the town’s bars and restaurants.

The Conch Shell Inn on Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Conch Shell Inn offers 10 rooms, each with a shared verandah or patio.  It’s a no frills place that has a loyal following from many divers, one of the main tourism draws to Ambergris Caye.

During off-season, April 15 to November 14, you can snag a room on the ground floor for $64 US a night, or an even better deal is to book for five or seven nights for with more of a discount.  Five nights is $288 (savings of $32) and seven nights is $381 (savings of $67).  All rooms feature one double and one twin bed, which can make it comparable to many hostels elsewhere when split between two or three people.

All rooms at the Conch Shell Inn have a double and one twin bed

While air conditioning is available (for $10 US per night), the ocean breezes that blow through the large ocean-facing windows make it unnecessary.  All rooms include wireless internet (free), mini fridge, television, and Tempur-Pedic beds – a huge upgrade from most hostel and budget hotel beds.

The hammock on the second floor is the perfect spot to relax in the afternoon while catching up on a blog post or two, and there’s no shortage of people watching opportunities from the verandah.

With its ideal location right in town, popular bars and restaurants are just steps away. Next door is Cholo’s Sports Bar, a popular locals’ hangout, and just around the corner from Conch Shell Inn is one of my favorite spots, Lola’s Pub.  Kayleen (one of the owners) and Trevor (one of the bartenders) are the people to chat up as they have the scoop on what’s happening around town and can share some of the island’s “must visit” spots.

If you are a morning person, the Caribbean Sea facing side of the island offers stellar sunrises and the Conch Shell Inn provides a great spot for photographing them…if you can drag yourself out of bed at 5am after a night of partying.

Shared verandah looking out on the beach -- great for sunrise photos!

The one drawback to the Conch Shell Inn is you are not likely to just show up and book a room. With only 10 rooms and a pretty popular following, it’s often sold out, especially during holiday and peak periods. I was there during a sold-out week — Valentine’s Day, President’s weekend, and Carnaval.  So, if you have a firm time on when you plan to visit San Pedro, email for information and any other deals they may be running, or you can book directly online as well.

You may be thinking this is not very budget-friendly. Obviously everyone has their own definition of “budget “ based on their way of travel, but as far as island accommodations go, the Conch Shell Inn is a steal for its oceanfront location right in town. It’s one of the best deals on the island – especially when compared to many of the $300 and $500 a night options for larger beachfront resorts and luxury condos.

My stay at The Conch Shell Inn was complimentary as part of a media tour, but all views and opinions are my own. 

Budget Accommodations in Belize: Conch Shell Inn on Ambergris Caye is a post from Art of Backpacking

Buenos Aires has one the highest number of hostels than most cities in the world. Dorms go for typically $15 to $25 a night and privates for $20 to $40 a night per person. Since there’s so many hostels, there’s a whole lot of crap. One hostel I stayed in had three 3 story bunk beds in a tiny room with no lockers. It was one of the worst hostels I’ve ever stayed in. There’s also a ton of party hostels and boutique hostels but expect to pay a lot more.

Read: Buenos Aires Apartment Rip Offs

Buenos Aires is not a cheap city. Prices fluctuate like crazy so any guide book you read can be totally different in just a few weeks after publishing. It’s alright if you’re staying perhaps two or three nights but if you plan on staying for at least a week or more, I definitely recommend an apartment instead of a hostel. Sometimes an apartment can be cheaper than staying in a hostel! It works best if you’re traveling with another person to split the costs with.

Getting an apartment gives you a chance to live like a local. In our apartment, we had our local cafe shop, butcher, mini supermarket, bakery, and laundry mat all within two blocks. Since we had lived there for three months, they all knew us. Our cafe knew us so well that he would take out our drinks without even asking us. Our laundry mat would ask us how our stay has been so far and what we’ve done. And I got to speak chinese at our local chinos supermarket. Buenos Aires is a great city but it’s the culture that makes Buenos Aires really special.

Unfortunately, renting an apartment is not easy. Many of the landlords like to take advantage of the foreigners and change them more. With some preparation, it’s easy to avoid getting ripped off and have an enjoyable experience in what I call my second home.

Don’t

Craigslist is popular in Buenos Aires. You’ll find a ton of listings and at first they seem great. Don’t be fooled though as most of those prices are listing prices for per week rentals and having sort through the junk is just a waste of time. The title’s doesn’t give you enough information if the price is weekly or monthly. I’ve seen many apartments through Craigslist and most were not great. You’ll have to fish through an enormous list to get anything worth looking at.

Do not leave the apartment until you were paid your deposit back. If you’re taking a bus or plane that leaves at 3PM, tell them your plane leaves at 1PM or earlier instead. Give yourself lots of time for the inspection incase anything goes wrong. You don’t want to feel rushed while they hold your deposit.

If you’re booking on websites like Airbnb, Wimdu, 9Flats, or Roomorama careful when they ask you if you’d like to avoid the fee and pay in person instead. The fee these websites charge might be worth paying as it gives you extra protection from scams.

Don’t ignore your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable with the place and you don’t know why, just sign the contract.

Don’t assume your landlord knows about every damage. Point it all out during the initial check-in inspection.

Make yourself as much mate as you want in your own apartment

Do

While the landlord is there doing the initial inspection, take as many pictures and videos as possible. Make sure the landlord is aware and with you while you’re doing this. It’ll scare them off from scamming you of things that had nothing to do with you.

Review the contract and ask them to have it translated into english. Seems common sense but in most cases, they only have the contract in spanish.

Ask if they cover electricity. Electricity has become a huge problem in Argentina. If they cover electricity, ask them how much they’ll cover. That information needs to be on the contract. This is especially important if you plan on arriving during the summer months of January and February as it gets extremely hot in this city.

Chances are the person you’re contacting knows english. However, if you don’t speak spanish well, I would suggest getting someone who does to go with you for the inspection.

If you’re staying with a family, ask as many questions as possible BEFORE signing the contract. Are there house rules? Can you come home at any time? Can you bring friends over? Quiet time? I’ve heard stories of people being restricted on what time they were allowed to cook and could only use certain pots and pans. Don’t let that happen to you.

Call your landlord immediately when anything happens to the apartment. Water leaks, small damages, glass breaks, etc.

Do you have any other tips?

How to Rent an Apartment in Buenos Aires is a post from Art of Backpacking

I’m good at arguing in spanish and especially in Argentina. They love to get angry in Buenos Aires and I’m always calling them out on it. It doesn’t make the situation any better but it makes it better for me. Even when the situation doesn’t involve me, I seem to get involved. Once a guy hit the bell for the bus to stop one too many times and he got yelled at. I told the bus driver to chill out, be quite, and pay attention to driving. He wasn’t too happy about that. But unfortunately, I learned that this is what you need to do to survive in this city. You need be aggressive sometimes or they’ll run all over you.

Round 1

Two years ago I visited Buenos Aires and lived there for 4 months. I got an apartment in Recoleta for a decent price and gave them my deposit of $630USD as well. It’s one of the richest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. I was happy about its location and the apartment itself was okay. It wasn’t fancy but it had everything I wanted.

Literately a week or so before I left, a pipe broke. I found out because my landlord called me that the neighbors below called that there was water leaking into their apartment. The water leaked from below the bathroom sink. A small tiny hole that continued to leak water throughout the entire day while I was out. As you can imagine, this flooded the entire apartment.

My first apartment in Buenos Aires. 13th floor view of Recoleta.

The landlord wasn’t too happy about it. There was nothing I could have possibly done to create that hole. I cleaned up the disaster for hours. The water flooded the bedroom and living room but those rooms had wooden floors. As the water dried up, the wood started to rise. It created uneven floors. I told my landlord and they said they’ll look at it later. Well check-out time came and I was about to leave for Salta. The landlord came and checked out the apartment. The uneven floors and water leaking from the bathroom made her angry. They never once since the event came to check out the apartment. She said she’ll give the deposit to my uncle who lives in the city and didn’t say anything else. I thought everything was okay.

Weeks followed and I never heard anything about my deposit. Apparently they were blaming me for the leak and the floor. They had to pay for an entire new floor and repairs that leaked down into the other persons apartment. I thought to myself, how would it ever be possible that I would cause a leak in the bathroom sink? I use it to brush my teeth and wash my hands, that’s it. I continued to try to call but they simply ignored me. I lost my deposit and gave up.

Round 2

Fast forward to now. We just finished having an apartment for 3 months in Buenos Aires that we found online located in the city center. Prices went up dramatically since two years ago but as normal, we put in our deposit. Only $500 for the deposit this time but nearly double the rent. We paid the deposit via PayPal but the rent in cash. We had a few issues with the apartment in the beginning like the chair and BBQ being broken before we even checked in and the place being a bit dirty but we went with it anyway. We had done all of our negotiations with someone hired by the landlord to take care of it all. We hardly ever spoke with Nora, our landlord.

Once we had a huge flood in the entire apartment because there was a hole in the window which caused water to come in when it rained. Having learned from my last experience, I must called a million times to both Nora and the other guy. Neither of them paid any attention to me. I stopped caring. If they wanted their apartment ruined, I’m okay with that because I tried calling them about their water leak. Nora continued to ignore us of any other issues we had with the apartment.

Second apartment.

Check out time came and Nora came by to inspect the apartment. We were leaving to a new city that day so we had to catch a bus after. Nora told us everything looked good and that she’ll walk us down. Having learned from my last experience, I told her I just wanted to make sure the deposit is processed before I left since I won’t be coming back anytime soon. Her mood changed fast. She continued to look around the apartment but now more angrily. She starts to complain about ridiculous things. We did the best that we could to clean the entire apartment. We swept, mopped, and scrubbed, for hours just to make sure everything was perfect and exactly the way it was before. Apparently, it wasn’t perfect enough.

She started to examine things in more detail. Her first complain was that the couch had stains on it. Next it was that the bottom shelve of the oven was dirty, a part that we never used. She called the guy she hired that has our deposit and started to claim that the entire apartment was dirty. She said it in a way that made it sound devastating. It was apparently so bad that she would have to hire a maid to clean everything and also send the couch for cleaning. Throughout the entire experience, she only complained about two things being dirty but still only said the whole apartment was dirty.

At this point, I was furious. Every time I called her about her apartment flooding or a chair being broken, she didn’t care. All of a sudden she cares about her apartment? My theory is that because she knew I wasn’t going to leave until I had my deposit money, she was going to find things to complain about. Here’s why…

January and February are the hottest months in Buenos Aires. It’s unbearably hot. We had the air conditioner on for those days because it’s difficult to function or sleep in that kind of heat. We never left it on while we went out. It was only on while we were at home. Electricity has become expensive in Buenos Aires though. According to the contract, all utilities is covered by the landlord. Technically no matter how high the utilities bills were, it was to be covered by the landlord. It didn’t matter, she wanted to charge me more for the electricity usage. She knew I’d argue about the contract so she never mentioned it, only the guy she hired did. If I were her, I’d put a limit on the contract of how much could be spent and anything over would be paid by the person renting. That’d make sense to me. Instead, she charged me more by finding things wrong with the apartment so she can make up for the electricity bill she didn’t expect to pay so much for. What did she think, that I wasn’t going to put on the air conditioner during the summer months?

I continued to argue with her in spanish. She concluded that she’d have to get a cleaning lady and the cost would be $40USD. I tried fighting it but I didn’t care in the end. In the long run, it’s easier to just pay than continue this. $40USD is about 200 pesos. I put the 200 pesos on the table and said here’s the money. She wanted it in dollars though. This was my breaking point. Luckily the guy she hired (whom we had to keep calling because he wasn’t there) broke it up and told Nora to calm down and he’ll give her the dollars and take the pesos. That finished the argument and we waited until the guy sent us our refund via PayPal before we left.

The bedroom

The lesson

If we had left the apartment without waiting for the deposit to transfer, she could have made up any number she wanted to and charged us way more than $40USD. She could have claimed anything and possibly taken our entire deposit. Luckily because of my past experience, we waited until we got our deposit back before we left. She knew I wasn’t stupid.

Now you might be thinking this could to happen to anyone in any city and that’s true but to be honest, Buenos Aires has a reputation for this. The Travel China talks about her experience as well. I’ve heard similar stories about other foreigners that came to Buenos Aires and rented an apartment. Even my own father that was born and raised in this city has had numerous issues with renting apartments whenever he visits.

In the three years that I’ve been traveling, I’ve never had an issue with any apartment I’ve ever rented, hostel, or hotel stay. The two times that there has ever been a complain was in Buenos Aires.

Is it the economy that’s driving people to steal money from others? Is there more emphasis to the present rather than the future?

Have you ever had an issue with renting a long-term apartment in Buenos Aires?

This post was brought to you by  Skypark Secure.

Buenos Aires Apartment Rip Offs is a post from Art of Backpacking

As a backpacker, you are engulfed with travel advice on a daily basis. And when it comes to booking airfare, round the world flights are, quite possibly, the most recommended by those on a gap-year and other long-term travelers. What many don’t stress is that they are right for some, but not all backpackers. This article will help you examine your travel plans and decide whether round the world flights are right for your trip or not.

How many countries/cities do you wish to visit?

The most important factor to decide whether round the world flights are right for you is the number of countries or cities you plan to visit on your trip. It might be wise, and money-saving, to overland part of your journey. Do you only wish to visit Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos? Might be better to fly into Bangkok and go overland to Cambodia and Laos. Want to add Delhi to the equation? Time to look for some round the world flights!

How long will you be on the road?

This factor must be taken into consideration alongside your country/city list. If you only have a few weeks to travel, an around the world ticket might make sense. They allow you to see a lot in a limited time span. On the other hand, if you plan to be on the road for more than 2 months, booking a one-way flight will save you money, as you have the time and flexibility to explore destinations at your own pace, plus be on the lookout for better deals on your flight for your next destination via budget airlines and/or flash sales.

Where are you flying from?

Your home airport and country of your trip’s origin are two important factors when it comes to round the world flights. If you live in a busy hub, say Frankfurt or NYC, it might be cheaper to string one-way flights together. Indeed, how much money you save, or spend, will depend on your route. Do your dully diligence, compare one-way tickets vs round the world flights and decide which is your best bet based on city of origin.

How flexible are you?

Are you a planner or would you rather wing it in most situations? Round the world flights not only work best for those who want a shorter trip and plan to visit big cities, but also to those who have a set itinerary. Why? Round the world tickets offer little flexibility. For instance, they don’t allow you to backtrack (most travel on one direction–eastward or westward).

I still don’t know! Any additional advice?

If you are still unsure, take a look at this bullet list of facts about round the world flights. After reading it, you should have enough information to make an informed decision.

• The more stops on a round the world flight, the more expensive it’ll be.
• A cheaper ticket equals a popular route. Thus, if you wish to travel off-the-beaten path, be prepared to shell out some cash for that RTW ticket.
• Consolidators or “bucket shops” are worth looking into for budget packages in otherwise expensive destinations. What they do is string together one-way tickets, so if you are quite the planner and have time to research, you could be doing this yourself.
• More sacrifices will have to me made, in terms of truly experiencing a culture or skipping a charming small town or two, when it comes to round the world flights. But if your goal is to see as many landmarks as possible across the world in a crunch, a round the world flight is for you.

Have you embarked on a trip with RTW flights?
What was your strategy?

This article has been sponsored by Escape Travel. Top photo: Joel Down, Flickr

Round the world flights: Are they right for you? is a post from Art of Backpacking

George Mallory, upon being asked why he wished to climb Mount Everest is recorded as having replied:  “Because its there”.  Apply this logic to travel and perhaps it goes at least part of the way towards explaining the allure of exploring places that have no place or purpose in the modern world; the religious enclaves, the forgotten principalities, the relics of non existent empires and feudal times.  Why go to San Marino?  Why bend your itinerary and timetable to spend a few hours in Andorra?  Because they are there.  Add to this the fact that people will often put themselves through unnecessary trouble to appear more interesting to other people.

Take my friend Matt for an example.  When prompted about my upcoming Euro trip, he would invariably raise a finger, and with a sparkle in his eye and devious smile inquire:  “Ahh but are you going to San Marino?  Are you going to Liechtenstein?” He would say it with the confidence of a wise and hardened traveler, but he had obviously never been to either, and probably never would.

Perhaps for this reason my friend Chris and I journeyed westward on an overnight train through Austria, through Liechtenstein to Switzerland, at which point we debarked at 6am and caught the first eastbound bus back into Liechtenstein.  Yes, that’s right, Liechtenstein.  Reader, don’t we seem considerably more interesting already?  Vaguely?  Perhaps by some small increment?  Of course we do.  You probably haven’t been there, you probably never will be there, and you definitely shouldn’t bother.  But to reiterate, I have been to Liechtenstein, this being a testament to my interestingness.

I cant speak for others, but I approach places like Andorra, San Marino, and Liechtenstein with a sense of boyish wonder welling up inside me, the sort I rarely feel anymore now that I’ve reached that age where things like Santa Clause, family vacations and county fairs no longer take hold of my imagination.  I don’t know why, but when in Europe I couldn’t wait to see them, despite all the accounts I’ve read of them essentially being simply small and boring sections of Spain, Italy and Switzerland.  I wanted to be the first to see them, to photograph them, and to do something inside their borders.

Perhaps I am attracted to their minuscule size, their remoteness, and their unassuming silence on the world stage.  In my mind they had taken on some mythical status; lost principalities hidden among mountains and cloud, unseen and unknown to the 21st Century.  It has been said countless times that had Liechtenstein simply been swallowed up by the Swiss, nobody would ever go out of their way to visit that particular corner of Switzerland, especially when places like Bern, Geneva or the Lauterbrunnen Valley were possibilities.  We had to go.

Chris and I settled on Liechtenstein. Having failed to find the time for San Marino and Andorra, we decided that we absolutely had to make it to Liechtenstein, lest our well earned “travel cred” suffer considerably.  All indications pointed to the fact that the place was decidedly un-traveled by both the back-backer and fanny-packer communities, and our minds ran wild in anticipation.  Again the image of my friend tormented me “Ahh but have you been to Liechtenstein?”.  There was no debate, there was no choice.  We had to go, and we scrambled to hash out a plan that would get us to Buchs, Switzerland where our shady intel told us that one could catch a bus to Vaduz, the capital city of this fabled alpine Shangri-La.  We were going where nobody we had ever known had gone before, a country so remote that it had no train station, currency, army, or postal service of its own.  Yes, that’s right, we were going to Liechtenstein.

Hashing out our plans in the Innsbruck train station, I felt a sense of impending discovery far greater than I had experienced with any other country.  Even remote Ukraine, culture shock aside, had been written about before, its history linked inevitably with that of Poland, Russia, et al.  Liechtenstein as far as I knew had no history to speak of.  Apparently it had been part of the Holy Roman Empire, one of countless small realms, yet as the rest were gobbled up or consolidated by other Empires, and entered the 20th Century, Liechtenstein remained a remote principality, its only contemporary fame resting on its reputation as a tax haven.  I found the idea of such a place intoxicating.

We arrived in Vaduz early one morning, and reader, it really wasn’t all that good.  Walking silently through empty streets, we found that the capital city offered little in the way of photo opportunities.  Reviewing my pictures days later, I found one of Chris sitting on a bench staring into a wall.  That’s just the sort of place Vaduz is.  We spent all of 2 hours in Liechtenstein, of which 30 minutes were idled away in a grocery store identical in name and layout to those in Switzerland, buying food with Swiss Francs.  The remaining time was spent figuring out how to leave.

I suspect that the select few tourists who penetrate through to countries such as Liechtenstein or San Marino know deep down that their time and money is better spent on visiting an additional Umbrian hill town or an extra day hiking in the Alps.  Yet they press on for the sole purpose of saying to others that they have been there.  Like them, I had to go.

Not long after returning home, and on the threshold of leaving for a years work in South Korea, I ran into my friend Matt who, upon hearing I was going to be living a year in Asia, raised a finger and with a sparkle in his eye, said:  “Ahh, but are you going to Port Moresby?  It’s the capital of Papua New Guinea.  You should go!”

Port Moresby awaits.

Because It’s There is a post from Art of Backpacking