GoMad Nomad Travel

By Stephen Bugno

In the past 14 months, I’ve driven across the United States more than 16,000 miles (25,750 km) during two extended road trips. Some of my earliest travel memories are from a Vegas to Albuquerque road trip through the southwestern US as a nine year-old. Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a good journey on the road.

Good road-tripping to me means experiencing the places you travel through by interacting with people, absorbing the landscapes, eating the regional foods, traveling greener, not spending excessive money, supporting the local economy, and slowing down to enjoy yourself.

Stay off the Interstate

This is a point I’ve been trying to drive home for the past few years. The interstate—while occasionally scenic, is never interesting. Nothing worthwhile happens on limited-access divided highways except making good time. Even Steinbeck would agree with me. His 1962 Travels with Charley revolved around avoiding the interstate. If you drive the back roads, the scenic byways, the old US highways, your trip will be much more interesting.

Don’t stop at chains

McDonald’s and Arby’s, Wendy’s and Pizza Hut are not interesting to travelers—nor are they healthy. Mom and Pop dining establishments are generally unique, sometimes quirky and occasionally healthy alternatives. You’re more likely to run into locals and have an opportunity to try regional specialties and even eat local or fresher food. And what’s more important about a place than its cuisine?

Another one that’s important to me: no gas station coffee. It’s worth it to get a good cup of coffee at a coffee shop or diner. At least I know I’m supporting a local business while perpetuating my caffeine dependency.

Photo credit: Juno Kim

BYOS—Bring your own stove

You can’t eat every meal out—nor would you want to. Cooking your own food means a lot of things. One, you’ll be eating healthier. Two, it means you have the chance to buy local, fresh food. One of the greatest pleasures of my recent road trip through New England, was stopping at random farmers’ markets. I was buying vegetables in-season and supporting the local economy and small producers. Many times, coops or individuals will have their own fruit and vegetable stands right outside their homes, so you won’t even need to catch the weekly markets. Shopping this way also gives you an inside look at local food politics and movements (like the availability of grass-feed beef, organic produce, and raw-milk cheese).

Indulge in the local specialties

Taste wine in northern California, feast on lobster in Maine, eat Po’ Boys in New Orleans, have a sourdough breadbowl in San Francisco. This is what makes travelling so much fun.  Vermonters take their cheese seriously and Quebecers are proud of their maple syrup—enjoying their specialties makes them happy. Save your money for what’s important—I’ve always said I’d rather sleep uncomfortably and eat well.

Stop in small towns

This one makes sense all-around. While I don’t agree with my friend Gilbert’s idea that “big cities in the United States are not interesting”, I do see his point. The strengths of the United States are its natural and geologic wonders. Also, I would argue, it’s in the small towns and rural areas that the essence of the nation really shines through. Furthermore, whether it’s Kansas or New Hampshire, people in small towns are really friendly. On an economic level, supporting the economies of the little towns is a good thing—and they are less-expensive than cities. Fewer cities in your itinerary means less traffic, less trouble finding parking spots, less overall stress.

Make it longer—Take it slow

Try to minimize your daily driving and take more time to enjoy the places you’re traveling through. Sometime I plan two days to drive to a place I know I could easily make in one driving day. The truth is, I will find something of interest along the way, and in turn will stop to spend a few hours, even if it’s just to linger over a long coffee or take a walk through a town park. I’ve done plenty of intensive sightseeing and trips with filled itineraries, and while I don’t regret those experiences, I’d still prefer to take it slow and not only “see” things, but try to soak in the atmosphere of the places I’ve traveled so far to see.

Drive slower

Making a few minor adjustments can make your road trip as economic and environmentally-friendly as possible. While driving isn’t the greenest option, it’s still better than flying in most cases. First thing you can do to save gas (petrol) is by slowing down. You’ll get better fuel efficiency by not driving like a maniac. Also try to reduce the amount of stuff you bring along; a heavier car wastes more gas. Additionally, make sure your tires are inflated properly and the engine air filter is clean.

Pack a tent

Traveling with a tent allows the obvious: camping and opportunities for backpacking (trekking). Camping saves money over hotels, and wild camping, if you can find it, saves money over campgrounds. A good tip for camping in the United States is to try to find National Forest land, where you can camp for no fee. This works well in the western US where there is a plethora of public lands. Trekking can be a good way to break up a long road trip. On recent road trips, I hiked multi-day treks in the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Sierra Nevada of California.

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Stephen Bugno has been road-tripping since before he could see over the steering wheel. He’ll brake for free camping, a coffee refill, or to wait for moose to cross the road. He’s just returned from Southeast Asia and has now set off to discover the places a little closer to home. He blogs at BohemianTraveler.com

Dear GoMad Nomad,

My wife and I have been retired for a few years and have done a bit of traveling in Europe and South America. Our sights have now turned towards Asia and thinking about places where healthy retirees could go far on savings.  My wife has always been interested in India, but from what I’ve heard, that just sounds like a difficult place to travel.

Serving up snacks at a street stall in Little India in Penang, Malaysia

I’ve read your article on Malaysia and have been advocating this destination as an alternative. We’re now at a bit of an impasse, and I’d like to hear your ideas about the pros and cons of both countries.

-Baxter from Oak Ridge, TN

Dear Baxter,

Malaysia and India are both very worthy travel destinations that meet your lower-budget requirements, but they are very different beasts.

You’re right, India can be a difficult place to travel: physically taxing for travelers of any age. But it can also afford plenty of luxuries, it all depends on your travel style and budget. But more noteworthy, India can be mentally exhausting. India rearranges everything you thought was normal in our world. You will witness the extremes of humanity. It requires a very open mind and non-judgmental attitude.

There really is no place like India. Its diversity of peoples, languages, cultures is unparalleled. It is intensely spiritual: the birthplace of four of the world’s great religions.

If you are mentally and physically prepared and open to the challenges that India presents, it can be a very worthwhile and rewarding destination to travel.

After a recent to Malaysia, I left the country pleasantly surprised. I liked Malaysia because of its fusion of Asian cultures: Malay, Chinese, and Indian, as well as the distinct and very delicious cuisines that come from each of those cultures.

Malaysia is a rapidly modernizing country, and transportation is quite comfortable and easy to get around with air-conditioned coaches zipping from city to city.

Similar to India, Malaysians speak English well enough to facilitate everyday necessities and allow for conversations with locals to make your trip more meaningful.

Prices do vary, from region to region, but overall Malaysia is very affordable and what I call a good-value destination, meaning it’s not super cheap, but you get good quality service and products for inexpensive prices. Read my post on Malaysia: What it Costs.

Plus, there are some great things to see in Malaysia: world-class beaches, jungle trekking, wildlife viewing, diving/snorkeling, hill-stations, and the rich history and architecture of colonial settlements.

I really don’t have any negatives to tell you about Malaysia, except that the rapid modernization might leave you feeling that it’s not as exotic as you expected.

Hope this helps in your decision making process.

-Stephen

Have any retirees traveled to either India or Malaysia?  Leave your comments below…

By Noel Lau

“There’s no cheap way to get to Machu Picchu,” said the guide who was trying to sell me a tour. Seeing Machu Picchu had always been a dream of mine but I wasn’t going to join a tour. Getting to Machu Picchu can put a dent your pocket. I was at the end of my South American trip, so I couldn’t afford the expensive Inca trail nor did I want to cheapen my experience there by taking the train.

The ruins close up: Terrace planting field on the left, temple in the center and living quarters on the right.

Arriving in Cuzco, I set out to find information about an alternative route I’d heard from other travelers. I found that it’s quite easy and straight forward; I could do Machu Picchu in two days. So that night, I went back to the hostel to pack a small bag and left my big one at the hostel. Most hostels allow you to do that without extra charge.

The Alternate Route

The next day I left quite early to catch the 7am bus from Cuzco’s Santiago bus station to Santa Maria. There are departures every 15-30 minutes. The bus ride usually takes around 6 hours and cost 15 soles ($5 US). However, since it had rained heavily two days earlier causing some landslides, my journey took eight hours. Besides two German travelers, most of the people on the bus were locals returning to their villages after doing their business in Cuzco. Women and men with gurney sacks and shopping bags squeezed their way into seats, while salesmen came on board and talked for hours selling all kind of medicines and goods.

Local women selling food on wheelbarrows by the side of the road.

At around 12pm the bus stopped at a small roadside village. We got off the bus to be greeted by local women and children selling cheap ($ 1-2 US) and delicious food on wheelbarrows. There were passengers from other buses and lorry drivers too. The whole road was blocked for us to have lunch. It soon became a market place with people standing, sitting and squatting in the middle of the road enjoying their meal.

I arrived in Santa Maria just after 3pm. It’s a tiny crossroad hamlet with a few shops and restaurants. There are combi (shared taxi) waiting to take people to the nearby villages. The one I took cost 8 soles ($3 US) and took 45 minutes to the village of Santa Teresa. As this alternate route becomes popular, drivers will charge foreigners more, so make sure you bargain and check with the locals if they are paying the same. The road to Santa Teresa is unpaved and there are many blind corners. My heart stopped every time the car turned a sharp corner or drove close to the edge to let on-coming cars through; it didn’t help that I was sitting at the window and could see the 200m drop to the ravine below.

When I got to Santa Teresa I took another combi to Hidroeléctrica (the hydroelectric plant and the last train station) for 4 soles ($1.50 US). Since there are not many people going there, it could be a long wait to fill up the combi. I was lucky to be with the two German guys and we found an old man going that way as well so we got to Hidroeléctrica in 30 minutes. If you don’t want to wait, you could walk there in two hours. And if your timing is right, you could hitch a ride with the lorry that takes workers to and from the plant. On my return trip, I hitched a ride this way from the plant to Santa Teresa.

Me at the beginning of the track along train track to Machu Picchu village.

From Hidroeléctrica, you could take the train for 18 soles ($6 US) and in 30 minutes you’ll be in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu village), but there are only 3-4 services a day. Or you could walk along the train tracks for 10km to get to Aguas Calientes.  We decided to walk. We chatted, enjoyed the view and saw some small ruins. When it got dark, I was lamenting for missing out on seeing the scenery but then fireflies came out of nowhere and accompanied us all the way. I felt like I was in a fairy land. That really made my day.

Shoestring Accommodation and Food

We arrived in Aguas Calientes just after 7pm tired and dirty. We went straight to the Tourist Office to get the entrance ticket for Machu Picchu. It costs 126 soles ($45 US) for adult and 63 soles ($22 US) for students with ISIC card. At night Aguas Calientes is like a well-lit amusement park surrounded by dark imposing Andean Mountains. There are hotels and restaurants to suit all budgets, however finding something for shoestring budget proved to be a challenge. Finally we found a room for 12 soles ($4 US) each at Hotel No.1. There’s no street name, so to find it, go up the street where the Tourist Office is and take the 2^nd right turn, you’ll see it at the end of the street on your left just before the river. But the hot water was out so after a freezing shower, we went out looking for food.

Macchu Picchu from a look out point.

Not wanting to pay $10 for a meal, we decided to explore the little village. On the next street just behind the hotel, we crossed a bridge and found ourselves surrounded by locals, there were no tourists at all. We entered a simple but nice restaurant and had a set meal for 8 soles ($3 US); it was delicious and filling, just what we needed after a long day. As not many tourists venture to that part of town and it’s where the locals hang out, things in the supermarket are cheaper. We bought our snacks there for the climb to Machu Picchu the next day. You can’t bring food into the site, but bottled water and snacks are allowed in a small backpack.

Climb to the top

I woke up at 4am and had a small breakfast before setting out. The gate at Puente Ruinas only opens at 5am. From there it’s a steep climb to the top. It took me one huffing-and-puffing-hour. I stopped many times to catch my breath; even chewing coca leaves didn’t help.

Me on top of Wayna Picchu with Machu Picchu below.

Alternatively, you could catch a bus near Puente Ruinas for $7 (one way). The first one departs at 5:30am. There’s usually a queue so make sure you get there early. In high season, I was told that people start queuing at 4:30am.

Your Machu Picchu ticket also allows you to go to Huayna Picchu. But since they only allow 400 people to climb daily, it’s advisable to get there before the many bus loads of people. I was really happy to find out that I was among the first 400. Although it’s another hour of steep climbing from Machu Picchu, the view from up there was spectacular and make Machu Picchu look small and ant-like.

The Return

Machu Picchu far exceeded my expectations. I was so happy and smiled like a fool the whole time I was there. It literally took my breath away. I was there during low season and I was able to find moments and places to be alone to feel the mysteriousness of the place. After spending more than six hours drinking in the amazing sights, it was time for me to leave.

Getting down was much easier. I was back in Aguas Calientes in less than an hour. After a much needed lunch and before starting my return journey, I rested at the main square watching the goings and comings of the people. I saw a local woman combing her daughter’s hair outside her small restaurant as they waited for their first customer; I saw an old European couple, tired and dirty after conquering Machu Picchu, enter an overpriced western restaurant; I saw children in their school uniforms chasing each other without a care in the world; I saw two young Japanese ladies smiling as they looked at photos they had taken. It was hypnotizing. Reluctantly, I started my journey back; the same way I came.

However there is an alternate route: walking along the train track in the other direction, towards Cuzco, for 10 hours to Ollantaytambo. From there, you can take a shared taxi for 10 soles ($3.50 US) back to Cuzco. I was really tired and couldn’t imagine walking another 10 hours.

The going was slow and in Santa Maria, I had to wait four hours for the next bus. I was so exhausted I fell asleep on a bench next to a sleeping old man. I finally reached Cuzco at 2am. Lying in bed overwhelmed by fatigue, a sense of bliss and contentment washed over me. After fulfilling a dream, it was time to dream another.

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Noel Lau has been traveling and working his way around the world for the past decade. Most recently he has been living in Colombia after a year of slowly crossing the South American continent by bus, boat, and plane. He blogs at Wander2nowhere.com

By Stephen Bugno

I want to give independent travelers an idea of costs for traveling in Malaysia because it can be really helpful when planning your budget. I hear a lot of travelers complain that Malaysia is more expensive than Thailand. That may be true in some cases, but I noticed that very touristic places in Thailand, such as beach resorts like Ko Phi Phi, can be more expensive than the average place in Malaysia.

Laksa, a typical breakfast dish in Malaysia

Typically, prices in West Malaysia (peninsular Malaysia) are a bit cheaper than Borneo. Additionally, with the abundance of adventure tourism in Borneo, greater expenses can add up quite quickly. Especially when you factor in flying to and from Mulu National Park, which can easily add an extra $150 US to your trip.

Here is an example of the cost of an average day traveling in Malaysia.

A day’s expenses in Malaysia

Approximately 3 Malaysian Ringget = 1 US dollar.

Breakfast: dim sum, kaya bun (baked), and tea at a Chinese bakery:  5 RM

Local bus to bus station: 1.50 RM

Bus from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan (about 6 ½ hours): 25 RM (bargained down from 30)

Lunch: Beef rendang with veggies, rice and tea at rest area:  6.50 RM

Local bus into city:  .90 RM

Hotel (shared double room at 38 RM): 19 RM

Afternoon tea with banana fritters: 2 RM

Dinner on the waterfront: 7 RM

Lime juice on ice at bar (for free wifi): 2 RM

Total:  68.9 RM = $23.16 US

A fishmonger in Kota Kinabalu's might market

Meals, accommodation, and transport

When I did multi-day treks in the National Park or wildlife sightseeing tours, expenses averaged  $40-50 US per day. Most travelers in Borneo do one or more of these trips, so factor that into your budget.

Prepared meals, transportation, and accommodation are quite inexpensive in Malaysia, although maybe not as cheap as in neighboring countries like Indonesia and Thailand. But if you are careful about spending and stay at the simplest guesthouses or hostels, eat at local kopitiam (“coffee shop” hawker stalls), and use public transportation, you could budget between $20-30 per day. Add additional for above mentioned tours.

Air Asia, Malaysia's budget airline

In my experience, dorm beds have run from 15–40 RM and basic doubles with shared bath from 35-70 RM. Meals at street stalls and hawker centers range from about 1.50 RM for “economy” noodles to 6 RM for a nice bowl of laksa. Long distance buses are a good value as well. The 5 ½ hour trip from Penang to Kuala Lumpur is about 30 RM on a spacious, air-conditioned bus.

Malaysia is NOT one of the world’s great beer drinking nations, so I have almost eliminated beer out of my routine. The cheapest you can find beer is 5 or 6 RM per 330ml can. In bars it is much more expensive (8-20 RM). Being a Muslim-majority nation, you’ll have to search out bars or Chinese owned eating establishments to get a drink. My advice is to save your beer drinking for Vietnam!

Stephen Bugno is currently on a three month tour throughout southeast Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. He edits the GoMad Nomad Travel Mag and blogs at BohemianTraveler.com

By Avery Sumner

I’ve got a full bladder and a thread thin polyester blanket stretched around me. I can’t reach the valve for the cold flow of air pouring over my seat and I can’t get up to use the bathroom because there’s a half eaten microwaved meal on a tray table locking me in place.

Wine barrel airplane. Now that's alternative energy! At Mas de Gourgonnier, an organic vineyard in Provence making a good quality boutique wine as well as olive oil.

Each time I take this flight between France and the United States I wonder how it is I paid (in my free lance world) the equivalent of one or two months’ salary for these conditions. The misery isn’t even rewarded with a rich tale to recount or reflect on later. It’s just a sterile, uncomfortable and really damned expensive experience. Add to that the massive environmental costs of the flight and the fact that if this plane goes down the likely-hood of survivors is, well, unlikely, and voila, you see the inspiration behind this article.

Though I haven’t found an alternative to the flexibility of ocean-crossing flights, I have found some general flying alternatives that make me feel more comfortable about the possibility of these being my last moments. So what could be better than cramming myself on a jet in the final hour? How about cleating the halyards of a sailing vessel headed toward somewhere far, or resting under a blanket of stars so thick I think I can see tomorrow.

Our bus travel in Senegal. Rough going but so much more fun than the sterile airport!

If you share my sentiments, maybe you’ll appreciate some of the alternative ways I’ve found to travel.

Freighter

A good option if you have time and a flexible budget. Contrary to popular belief, traveling by freighter is not cheaper than flying. Freighters generally cost around 100 € a day. From where I live in France to an eastern port in the United States I can pretty much count on 10 days. So for about 1,000 € I can get home one way. My last round-trip flight from Barcelona, Spain to Cincinnati, Ohio cost around 600 €, a big difference from the 2000 € a round trip freighter passage would have cost me.

But if I chose to go by freighter I’d be paying for ten days at sea with meals and room included. In essence, a cruise of sorts, with the added bonus of getting me where I want to go. A friend married to the captain of a working ship recently took her first voyage with him. She wrote me saying:

I had the most relaxing and pleasant three months perhaps of my life – sleeping, eating, reading, walking on deck and seeing the beautiful ocean, seas, gulfs, clouds, sunsets and sunrises as a regular part of my daily life. I also enjoyed watching the ship’s activities as we traveled through the Suez Canal and around the Middle East in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

Most people who travel by ship do it as a cheap way to get away for extended periods. A few books with such accounts are:

Travel by Cargo Ship by H. Verlomme
Running Away to Sea: Round the World on a Tramp Freighter by George Fetherling,
Around the World by Freighter by Bob Hartley
Bureaucrat to Tramp: A Freighter Cruise Adventure by Kenneth M. Peterson
Also the blog: http://goingeast.ca/blog/http:/goingeast.ca/blog/category/freighters/

But if you’re interested in booking a ship in place of a direct flight to a destination of choice, you’ll have to be prepared to pay more, plan more and relax more. Bookings need to be made at least six months in advance and even then, your departure could be delayed as ships change schedule according to unanticipated need.

So for my once a year trip back to the United States I would need to pick a date well in advance and then be prepared to spend 20 days at sea (round trip) with about a week’s wiggle room on either side to account for delayed departures. As difficult as this may sound, it’s entirely possible. The managing director at The Cruise People Ltd [Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ship Service] recently wrote me, “By the way we have a few regular clients in France and we have regular commuters by ship, one of whom does so to/from Australia and another to/from Singapore.” Sounds like I need to get my spontaneous life in order and join the ranks of responsible folks committed to an air-free lifestyle.

Two of the most helpful booking companies in my efforts toward this direction have been:
http://www.cruisepeople.co.uk/
http://www.freightercruises.com/

You can also book passages directly with ships. The friend I mentioned above told me, “I read that French Container Carrier CMA CGM of Marseilles is offering voyages around the world (or parts thereof) on six of their medium-sized container ships.” Going to your nearest port might also prove fruitful.

Another helpful site is http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

Sailing/Crewing

One of the most energy efficient ways to travel is with the wind. Better known as hitchhiking across oceans, travelers wanting to crew on sailing vessels have to work to find the ride.

Berths can be found on charter boats, boat deliveries, cruising sailboats and on boats making ocean crossings, circumnavigations or year-long voyages. The most important thing a would-be crew member has to offer is free time as few people can just take off and leave a job or family for weeks of sailing.

The largest marina in Europe is in La Rochelle, France

Crew posts out of New England, Scandinavia and England can be found in sailing magazines and local yachting newspapers. But the best place to look for positions are at the ports where sailors often set out for ocean crossings or where they stop to re-provision. The key is being there at the right time.

The best ports and seasons are:

• Gibraltar from October to December for Atlantic crossings, April to June for heading into the Mediterranean (also Malta, Rhodes, and Piraeus have similar seasons)
• Canary Islands from October to January to cross to South America and the Caribbean
• La Rochelle in France is home to the largest marina in Europe, could be a good place to find rides to the Canaries or Gibraltar
• Antigua, Barbados, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico from October to November
• Panama any time of year, May for west-bound boats
• Tahiti around July 14
• Singapore and Honolulu, months depending on direction desired
• Miami, San Francisco, Long Beach and San Diego for charter boat posts
• Beaufort, NC is a famous jumping off spot for sailors headed into the Caribbean
• Floyd’s Hostel and Crew House in Fort Lauderdale, FL is good for jobs and crew posts
• Fort Pierce, FL boasts the cheapest marina fees on the east coast of Florida, a good place to find sailors doing work to their boats preparing for long winter cruises

The beach at the marina in Dakar, where world sailors moor for cheap.

Expect to spend two or three weeks at each port searching for a crew position. One way to lessen the cost of hanging around a port is working on a yacht in the harbor. You can get paid for varnishing or painting while gaining a good reference for a would be skipper looking to take you on as crew.

Things to consider before signing on to crew:

• Do you have enough extra cash for airfare home should you find yourself in a bad situation (Most major airlines give a 25 percent discount on one-way fares to seamen/women repatriating? You’ll need proof that you’ve been removed from a vessel’s crew list at a foreign port).
• Can you get along with a crew 24 hours a day for weeks on end?
• Why is there a vacancy on the vessel?
• Will you be charged for food and fuel, if so what is your share?
• What will your duties be?
• Is there a written contract for the exchange?
• If you’re the only woman on board, have you made a few short trips with the crew before taking off for a long voyage?
• What experience does the captain have?
• What shape is the boat in?
• Are you traveling light, with only one bag or back pack?

For more advice get a copy of Lin and Larry Pardey’s Self Sufficient Sailor.
The chapter Hitchhiking across Oceans is very detailed and full of personal experiences.

Mailboats

For island hopping voyages, a great way to see local life is to travel by mail boat. They’re slow going, but the price is right and the vantage point about as real as you can get. A good place to try this traveling style is in the Bahamas where mailboats reach the most remote out-islands in the chain. http://www.bahamas-travel.info/mailboat.htm

Over Land Travel

It’s really hard to resist dirt cheap deals through European airlines like Ryan Air and Easy Jet or US companies like Jet Blue. I know, I could fly to Morocco for 50 € tomorrow if I wanted. It takes a genuine commitment to traveling with a conscience to decline such offers. Just consider the gigantic carbon footprint left by jets and the insulated poor quality of experience you get from them. Remind yourself why you’re traveling in the first place and you’ll easily bid adieu to jets for good.

Train Jaune here in the Pyrenees. It's a slow going electric train that dates from 1910. It runs along the mountain sides offering stunning views.

Though expensive, nothing beats the comfort or adventure of traveling by train, especially super fast trains like the TGV in France. And if you do your research, buses can often be quite economical. In my department in France I can take the bus anywhere I want to go for 1€. Though not necessarily the fastest mode of travel, the experience is almost never dull.

If you simply can’t afford mass transportation prices, ride-shares are economical and gaining in popularity. Unlike hitchhiking, where timing and benevolence are chance, ride-sharing is a planned carpool with everyone sharing gas expenses. Sites like Craig’s List in the United States, Allostop in France and Mitfahrgelgenheit in Germany are good places to start. Often times independent local bookstores, coffee shops and natural food stores will post ride shares on bulletin boards.

But if time is no consequence, the richest traveling experiences are always on your own power. When you know your traveling lifestyle is sustainable for budget and planet the choice is easy.

Get inspired to pedal

Bikes in Burgundy at the hotel Le Cep.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/
http://www.pedouins.org/history.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/euhansen.html#rollyourown
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?

Get inspired to walk:

http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/
http://www.go4hiking.com/news/a-very-long-walk.html
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805859/k.BFA3/Home.htm
http://www.cdtrail.org/page.php
If You Only Walk Long Enough by Steve Cracknell
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail By Bill Bryson

Contributing writer Sally Kay has been traveling through South America for 17 months, from Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina, all the way to Cartagena in the north of Colombia. She has covered many of those miles by hitchhiking.  I was about to meet her in Colombia but she got temporarily held up in Ecuador after being robbed. I was intrigued by her hitchhiking, especially alone as a woman, and I wanted to bring her story to our readers. So she answered some of my questions via email.

Sally Kay above Santiago, Chile

GN: First, the stats: How many times, roughly, have you hitched? How many countries? What was your longest ride?

Sally: I’ve probably hitched about 100 times, give or take, in seven countries.  My longest ride was with a friend across Argentina from Rosario, in the east almost to Salta in the west. When the truck driver stopped for the night we unrolled our sleeping bags and slept beside the semi.

GN: How many years have you been traveling like this? When was your first hitch?

Sally: I am relatively new to hitching.  My first ride was in 2009, but I was hooked from the start.

GN: The question most people want to know: Are you ever scared hitching as a female? Do you usually hitch with a male companion or another female? Is it safe?

Sally: I have been in slightly uncomfortable or awkward situations, but nothing scary.  Like anything else, I think it’s important to be safe about it. I have hitched alone and with another person without problems, but it really is safer to have a partner while hitchhiking.

I don’t think it’s unsafe for a woman to hitchhike alone during the daytime (depending on the place) and by no means would I advise against it, but a woman and a man together is definitely the best combination.  Whether or not you are actually a couple doesn’t matter, it gives that impression and discourages awkward overtures.

GN: I am biased about hitching in my home country, the U.S., because I think can be more dangerous than other places. Have you ever hitched in the States?

Sally: I think that it is more dangerous in the States.  I have thought about it, but the closest I have gotten to hitching in the States is Craigslist rideshares. The main reason I say this, is that while people will tell you hitching is dangerous all over the world, in South America people who do hitch, recommend it. In the States, hitchhikers have warned me that it is too dangerous for a girl alone.  There is also the added problem that hitching is illegal in many states and police will often fine hitchhikers.

GN: What was your easiest country for getting rides? Your most difficult?

Sally: Chile was probably the easiest country to get a ride in. The roads are wonderful, many people have cars, and everyone seems willing to give hitchhikers a ride. I hitched from La Serena on the west coast to Mendoza, Argentina in a day, getting one ride after another.

Colombia was by far the most difficult country to get a ride in. Though Colombians are wonderful people there is still a fear of kidnappings and guerillas. The government even has run announcements warning drivers not to pick up hitchhikers. This sadly makes hitching in Colombia almost impossible.

GN: Any stories of over-the-top hospitality?

Sally: That’s part of why I love hitchhiking.  It’s pretty standard for truck drivers to buy hitchhikers meals when they stop to eat, which is always nice.  I have had truckers offer to pay for bus tickets when we weren’t headed to the same place. I have had truckers invite myself and a hitching partner sailing with them.

I think probably my favorite over-the-top hospitality experience was traveling with a friend.  A truck driver called ahead to the city we were visiting, found us a hotel room, and paid for our accommodation.

GN: What has been the most frightening part of hitching; when were you worried the most?

Sally: I have been pretty lucky and haven’t had any really frightening experiences.  Once I hitched with a trucker, it was pretty far, but I thought we would make it to our destination before nightfall.  Much to my surprise he pulled over and stopped for the night and ended up making advances on me.  It was extremely uncomfortable but I told him quite firmly that I wanted no part of that and wanted out of his truck.

As soon as he realized I was serious about it, he apologized profusely and was extremely embarrassed, but it could have gone quite differently.  After that, I never hitched alone after dark or on extended trips where there was any possibility the driver would stop for the night.

GN: Why Hitch? Are you trying to save money or just after some adventure?

Sally: Hitching is more than just a way to save money.  It is a great way to meet some extremely interesting people you wouldn’t otherwise encounter, see a different side of countries, and some amazing nature along the roads.  It is also wonderful to see how kind so many people are, hear their stories, and get an entirely different perspective on life.

I hitchhiked with one miner who had grown up in a family so poor the nine children had to share four pairs of shoes when they went to school.  Half the children had morning classes and would bring the shoes back for the other children to wear in the afternoon.  Not only did the miner have fascinating stories, but he took me and my travel partner to the mine he worked at and let us stay in this amazing house made completely out of salt, with salt tables and benches!

GN: Any advice to anyone out there, especially for females who are looking to travel by thumb?

Sally: There are a million ways to hitchhike, but I’d be happy to give a little advice to help get some new hitchhikers started.

• Do not get into a truck if you get a bad feeling about the driver or the vehicle.

• Bring a map with you. That way you will be able to see the best route to where you want to go.

• Starting early is another good idea, especially for women, but for men as well. Drivers rarely pick up hitchers after dark, and with good reason. You and the driver want to be able to see one another.

• Smile, do a dance, look the driver in the eyes, and make yourself stand out.  Drivers want to pick up hitchhikers who will be good company and pass the time.

Sally has written Ten Things she should know before couchsurfing: Tips for Women and A Hitchhiker’s Guide to South America for GoMad Nomad. She blogs at: Adventuresse Travels

Interview by Stephen Bugno

Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

One of the highlights of Nicaragua, Ometepe Island, or La Isla de Ometepe, should not be missed on a trip through Nicaragua.

Get to the island on a ferry boat ride from Rivas, crossing the choppy waters of Lake Cocibolca. The twin Volcano peaks Concepcion and Maderas rise out of the lake and dominate the island. There are a few villages around the island with hostels, guesthouses, and farms to stay at.

There is no shortage of places to volunteer around the island either. An orphanage, organic farms, and a biologic field station all welcome volunteers. I met an American couple staying at Hotel Hacienda Merida who lingered there for a couple weeks teaching English to the local kids in exchange for free accommodation.

Besides volunteering and farming, you can swim in clear springs and climb the volcanoes. But don’t expect any views from the top of Maderas or Concepcion because their peaks are covered in cloud forest. It was actually so cool and wet at the top that my hiking party didn’t even want to continue down into the crater of Maderas.

For an awesome guidebook to Nicaragua, I recommend Moon Nicaragua (Moon Handbooks)

For more photos of Nicaragua visit my album on Flickr.

Text and photos by Stephen Bugno

Submit your photo of the week to be featured at GoMad Nomad with a link back to your blog!  Send a photo with a paragraph or two describing the photo or your experience to gomadnomadtravelmag [@] gmail.com

The docks at Moyogalpa

The trail through the cloud forest on the top of Maderas Volcano on the Island of Ometepe, Nicaragua

A fish dinner at our hostel in Merida, Ometepe

Cascada San Ramon on the Island of Ometepe in Nicaragua

A view of Concepcion Volcano on the Island of Ometepe in Nicaragua

By Sally Kay

The Couchsurfing Project is a great tool for the curious and thrifty traveler.  The project idea is a cultural exchange in which members are the type of people who want share their culture and to learn about others.  Couchsurfers want to get to know more than just the tourist attractions: they are travelers, not tourists.

I have been a member for almost three years now, surfing, showing people around my city, and hosting.  As fantastic as couchsurfing can be, there can be a dark side too.  Because of that, as a woman, especially if you are a woman traveling solo, you do need to be careful.  In some countries, in the Middle East for example, it is better to couchsurf with women.  However I do not like to limit myself as far as hosts.  Here are a few guidelines to make your experience the best it can be.

A couchsurfing party

Read your potential host’s profile carefully

Couchsurfing isn’t about getting a free place to stay; it’s about cultural exchange, getting to know the real place.  Don’t send a request to people you don’t think you’ll get along with.  Everyone has different criteria for choosing hosts, but I try to contact people who share my interests, have hobbies I find interesting, seem like I could learn from, or who would just be fun to spend time with.  Traveling is a lot more fun when you’re with people you like.

Only contact members with filled-out profiles

If a person hasn’t taken the time to fill out their profile, they probably aren’t the best choice for a host (or for a guest).  How can you tell what interests you share, what their views on life are, or really anything about them unless they have filled out their profile?

Only contact people with pictures who have pictures

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  If a member hasn’t taken the time to upload a picture then one has to wonder why. (Editor’s note: you also want to make sure the picture is the same individual you meet in person)

Read over the Couch Information

This tells you what the bed is like, if you’ll have your own room, and what the sleep set-up is. It is couchsurfing, so you shouldn’t expect to have your own room, but I stay away from men offering to share their room.  Even if there are two beds in the room, I feel like it’s best not to tempt fate.

Make sure your potential host has references…

and read them carefully.  References are there as a safety measure, and you can learn a lot about a person from them.  Sure, everyone starts out without references, but for a woman couchsurfing alone it’s safer to send couch requests to hosts with good references.  If you want to be extra careful then look at the profiles of the people who’ve left the references.

Vouching

Another safety measure in couchsurfing is vouching.  It signifies the person vouching for the couchsurfer trusts that member.  Members who are vouched for are safer to contact.

Stay away from male hosts only offering couches to women

There are always exceptions, but often when a man puts “preferred gender” as “female” this means that the man is using couchsurfing for the wrong reasons: to meet women.  One of the first rules of couchsurfing is that it is not a dating website.  Of course romances can happen; sometimes there is chemistry between two people.  However, if the host assumes something romantic will happen with their guests, tries to manufacture a romantic connection, or feels that the guest is in some way obligated to him, then that is definitely not okay.

Always trust your instincts

If anything gives you a bad feeling about a profile, then don’t send a request.  Intuition is a powerful thing and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Stay with families

I prefer to stay with women, or men living with their family.  Living with your family into adulthood is extremely common in many countries, and the families are generally extremely kind.

Talk to your host first

Send a few email exchanges back and forth, chat on Skype or MSN messenger to get to know your host a little before staying with him or her.  At least for your first few times couchsurfing.

If you don’t feel comfortable in a place then leave.

Go to a hostel or check into a hotel. If something in the back of your mind says that this isn’t the right place then listen. Just because you’ve sent a couch request does not mean that you are obligated to stay the exact number of days requested.  If you feel awkward telling them the truth, then invent an excuse, but always remember: your safety is first.

By following these guidelines and by using a little common sense, you’ll have a fantastic time.  In fact, I find that couchsurfing is actually a safer way to travel; you have a friend wherever you go.  To make things better, you are under the auspices of a savvy local who knows his or her way around the city, give you advice, and want to help.  So what are you waiting for?  Get couchsurfing!

After graduating from the University of Kansas’ school of Journalism Sally hit the road and hasn’t looked back.  She has explored Europe, Africa, South America, and North America, lived in Slovakia, Hungary and Argentina and is currently traveling in South America. She writes about her adventures in the blog www.adventuressetravels.wordpress.com, has had articles in various online travel magazines, and is a travel guru for the website Tripeezy LLC.

Dear GoMad Nomad,

Have you ever been to Iceland, or would ever consider making the trip?  My wife listened to the audio book Frost on my Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer and ever since has been hooked! How much money do we need to save?  How long would you recommend we take to get a good feel for the country, etc.?

-Bill in Pennsylvania

Landmannalaugar Iceland

Dear Bill,

I have never been to Iceland, but from what I hear and read it is a fantastic place to travel—lots  of really cool geologic features, hot springs, volcanoes, great scenery, hiking, ice-climbing, glacier hiking.

How much

Unfortunately, Iceland is notorious for being a very expensive place to visit. But since the stock market crash of 2008, prices have become a little more reasonable for travelers.

Iceland might be the place to do some camping, RVing, or try couchsurfing, hitchhiking, not drinking alcohol, and staying in hostels or sleeping bag accommodation in guest houses and farm houses. Also try self-contained cabins if you’re traveling in a group.

As far as an exact number for your budget, it all depends on your travel style. Lonely Planet suggests the bus riding/camping/self-catering budget traveler could scrape by on $25 US per day. Throw in some comforts like staying at an average hotel, eating out, and driving your own car, you could spend $215 per day. So that leaves a wide spectrum in between depending on your needs and your approach to travel.

How long

As far as time, I wouldn’t go for less than two weeks. It’s a relatively small island, but it’s just more economical and greener to spend more time in a place you have flown to. If you don’t have the time to make a trip exclusively to Iceland, consider stopping on your way to Europe. I know Iceland Air allows free stopovers. Check out this article on How to Make the Most Out of Your Stopover in Iceland.

When to Go

Time of year is important.  High Season is June to August, when the sun only sets briefly each night. During the March and September equinoxes, days and nights are about equal in length. If you go in December, it’s almost 20 hours of darkness.

Early or late winter, however, can be a surprisingly good time to visit. In late January, daylight lasts from about 10am to 5pm, and expenses can be 40% lower during this off-season. And although the snow covered landscape can be beautiful at this time, not all the sites are accessible in the winter. Flights may be cheaper in the winter too.

Get a Guidebook

Iceland (Lonely Planet Country Guide) The Rough Guide to Iceland 4 (Rough Guides) Iceland (Bradt Travel Guide)

-Stephen

Photo credit: Michel Osmont

By Stephen Bugno

It’s finally safe enough

A painting from Medellin's Museo Antioquia

The days of worrying about getting kidnapped in Colombia are more or less over. Colombia’s tourism board is telling us that “the only risk is wanting to stay”. The main tourist routes are established and travel to Colombia is the safest it’s been in years. True, the FARC still exist, but they have been pushed deep into the countryside, mostly in the southeast of the country. Don’t worry, there are plenty of fantastic and safe sites, both on and off-the-beaten-path, so come before it gets too crowded with tourists.

Colonial Settlements

Besides, Cartagena, the crown jewel of all New World colonial cities, there are plenty of gorgeous small colonial cities and towns. Arguably the most beautiful are Barichara and Villa de Leiva. But Popoyan, Giron, Mongui, and the village of Guane make a good case too.  These places have well-preserved architecture and I spent much of my time just strolling through the streets and in some cases enjoying the fine views surrounding the towns. Get to your feet and hike the 180-year-old Camino, a stone path connecting Barichara to Guane.

Colombians

I haven’t met such warm and friendly people in a long time of traveling. The majority of Colombians I came in contact with are outwardly happy and love socializing, dancing, and listening to music. They are open to sharing their upbeat culture with foreigners, so don’t miss the opportunity to join in the multitude of year-round fiestas or Saturday night Salsa dancing at a club.

The Lost City

Photo credit: Sailing Nomad

The Lost City is an archeological site of an ancient city in the Sierra Nevada near Santa Marta. It is accessible by a five-day trek that rivals that of Machu Picchu. The verdict is universal from those returning: it is a fantastic experience and a classic South American adventure. The Lost City was only discovered in 1972 and requires hikers to tramp through jungle and rivers, passing indigenous communities and cocaine producers all the way to the 1200 stone steps that lead to the entrance of the ancient site.

Caribbean Beaches

If your idea of a tropical beach paradise includes spending the night in a hammock overlooking white sand beaches fringed with palm trees, then you’ll like Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Two places in particular you should head for are the pristine beaches and thick jungle of Tayrona National Park and the beautiful bays and clear waters of the remote coast in and around Capurgana, near the border of Panama.

The Unexplored Pacific Coast

Photo credit: svenwerk

Isolated would be a good word to use when describing Colombia’s Pacific coast. Only two roads lead to this vast coastline of 1300 km. The rest you’ll have to explore by boat and plane. What you’ll find there are empty beaches and islands, remote fishing communities, and spectacular whale watching. On Isla Gorgona, the former prison island-cum-national park you can spot monkeys, iguanas and an abundance of flora and fauna.

Coffee Country

Although sometimes cool and rainy, the Zona Cafetera, or coffee country, is a great place to slow down and relax for a few days. Around the sleepy village of Salento, near Armenia, you can tour family-run coffee farms, hike among the bizarre wax palms in the Cocora Valley, or just sit in cafes sipping coffee. For a nice town that sees almost no tourists, head to Salamina, where you can stroll the streets while taking in the great views of coffee farms on the hillsides surrounding town.

Good Value

Colombia’s not the bargain basement that Bolivia is, nor is it as expensive as Brazil, but it still represents a great value for travelers. With hostel dorm beds ranging from $US 8-12, full three-course lunches from $2.50-4, beers for about a buck a piece, you can have a great time and not spend too much money. Why not give paragliding (for $33) a try while you’re in San Gil?

It might get dangerous again

Although, Medellin has made tremendous strides to become a completely livable city again, the crime rate has spiked back upwards in the last two years and people are talking about it. Better get to Cali, Medellin, and Bogota before they get too dangerous again. The worldwide economic crisis has lead to an increase in unemployment, which has taken its toll on Colombian society.

Stephen Bugno has spent the better part of the last decade traveling the world in between English teaching gigs and writing about the places he visits, from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia to the tapas bars of Madrid. He blogs at Bohemian Traveler and edits the GoMad Nomad Travel Mag.

By Noel Lau

An Amazon river boat passes slowly by

What is it about languidly cruising down the Amazon River that strikes people as romantic or exotic? Tales from travelers, documentaries and movies have made this boat ride up or down the cafe au lait-colored river a must-do South American adventure.

Manaus, Bazil: Your Amazon Adventure Begins

Whatever your route is, you’ll either start or end in Manaus—a hot and humid city stuck in the middle of the world’s largest rainforest. The city itself is quite boring except for the beautiful theater, but it will be your base if you choose to do a bird watching or piranha fishing trip into the jungle.

Manaus managed to appeal to me mainly because I wanted to be on solid ground for a while after taking a three-day boat ride from Porto Velho, a Brazilian city close to the Bolivian border. In Manaus, I learned the next boat leaving on the seven-day trip to Tabatinga (next to Leticia, Colombia), wouldn’t be leaving for another four days.

Hammocks on the Amazon River boat

Buying your Ticket

For the next few days I walked to the Manaus Port everyday to check the prices, which ranged from 330-350 reais ($190-205 USD). I was told that you could get it cheaper at the last minute when the captains want to fill up their boats. Unfortunately, I found out two days before the departure that this was the only boat leaving in the next week, so prices kept rising.

I started asking around and the locals told me that there’s another port entrance about 400 meters away where the locals buy. I rushed there and found a ticket for 300 reais ($175 USD). The only catch is that because it’s the secondary entrance, you have to pay a small launch to take you to the boat.

Normally you are allowed to sleep on the boat for the days prior to its departure without extra charge, but the captain was having the boat painted, so I had to stay another night in the hostel. The next morning I left very early to get to the boat. If you are among the first to arrive, you get to pick a good spot to put up your hammock.

The author on the boat

Choosing your Hammock

You can buy a cheap hammock at the market in town. They cost from $5 USD upwards. Or the second option is pay triple the price to get an air-con, cell-like cabin. The boat has three levels; the best place to put your hammock is on the second level at the front. You want to avoid the foul smell and insects from the toilet and kitchen which are located at the rear of the boat.

The bottom level is for merchandise and goods, so if the boat is full and you come late, you might have to sleep among crates and boxes. The top level is an open deck where the bar is located. Whatever you do, don’t sleep there. The one thing all these boats that ply the Amazon have in common is that they like to play music, mostly raggaeton and forro (a type of Brazilian popular music) at an insanely loud volume from the morning, all day until 2 or 3am.

Life on the Boat

Houses along the Amazon

All three meals on board are included in the price of the ticket. Breakfast is served at 6am which is usually biscuits and coffee with milk. Lunch is at 11am, which consists of rice, beans, pasta, chicken or beef. Dinner is the same as lunch and is served at 5pm. We had to take turns during meal times because there were so many people. But don’t worry, there is always plenty of food.

It is advisable, however, to go to the supermarket beforehand to stock up on bread, biscuits, snacks, etc. Make sure you keep them in air-tight bags and hang them on the beam above your hammock. I bought a bag of sweets and by the second day an army of ants were having a party in it. Since all bars on boats sell beers, most boats prohibit passengers from bringing their own alcohol.

There is no routine on the boat besides meal times. We were woken up every day by an ear piercing whistle. Then we had the rest of the day to do nothing. Most locals took to chatting; the men with the men, the women would huddle together to do each others’ nails or exchange gossip, and the children played together—the whole boat became their playground. Backpackers  and travelers tended to seek each other out, exchanging stories, experiences and books. Someone will definitely have a deck of cards or some games to kill the time.

On the shore of a Amazon village

Whenever I could get away from them, I enjoyed sitting on the top deck, watching the lush green jungle pass by. Wildlife watching was my pastime as well. Birds were quite easy to spot, but naming them was impossible. I had never seen such a colorful and diverse array of birds. Once I spotted some monkeys swinging from tree to tree. And I was quite lucky to see some pink dolphins. I got used to life on the boat. It became very soothing to see the wide slow-flowing river beneath me and not be in a rush to do anything.

Stopping in Villages along the River

The boat stopped often in villages to unload cargo, sometimes up to a few hours. Even though most of the villages aren’t very beautiful, I still wanted to step onto solid ground, even for a few minutes, just to break the monotony of life on the boat. I would go into the villages, have a drink and watch life in an Amazon village unfold before my eyes. It was quite hypnotic.

The arrival of boats is usually the highlight of the week for these villages, as they bring home loved ones, supplies, medicine, etc. It’s hard to imagine living in a place so cut off from the rest of the world, where the only connection is days ride down the river. Yet due to modern technology such as TV, phones, etc. these places don’t feel so isolated.

On the second to last day, we stopped in an indigenous village. I was surprised at how modern things are: children wearing hand-me-down western brand t-shirts, young men in stylish sunglasses riding motorcycles, houses built with cement rather than wood. Yet among the western influences, I was happy to see kids still playing in the river without care, their laughter ringing out in unison to the pounding sounds from the women washing their clothes by the river.

Just when I was enjoying myself and growing accustomed to life on the boat, we arrived at our destination: Tabatinga. It felt rather anticlimactic, because I realized that the existence of those few days on the boat was a time-wrapped bubble and now that bubble had burst and reality had rushed in.

Practical Info:

Cities, days, costs
Porto Velho to Manaus           3 days              $60-90 USD
Manaus to Tabatinga               7 days              $190-205 USD

What to bring:
Insect repellent, light blanket/sleeping bag, hammock, earplugs, books, playing cards and a healthy dose of patience.

Noel Lau has been traveling and working his way around the world for the past decade. Most recently he has been living in Colombia after a year of slowly crossing the South American continent by bus, boat, and plane.

By Sally Kay

South America is a huge continent, and a lot of backpackers want to hitchhike through it.  But in this vast continent every country is different, so hitchhiking can vary quite a lot.  Here is a rough guide to hitchhiking in the different countries of South America.

Argentina

The author hitching in Argentina

Argentina is a wonderful country and hands down one of the safest and best countries for hitchhiking.  You may occasionally have to wait a few hours for a ride, but one always comes along.  Argentina might not be quite as easy as Chile, but it is still one of the best countries to hitchhike in South America.  It’s a good thing too, because bus prices in Argentina can be quite expensive.

Bolivia

In many ways Bolivia is a backpacker’s paradise.  Unfortunately, it is one of the poorest counties in South America.  Because of this there are very few privately-owned cars and hitchhiking can be extremely difficult.  The busses, trucks, and public transport are extremely cheap and would certainly be an easier option in this country.

Brazil

Brazil is far and away the largest country in South America and one of the most expensive, but hitchhiking here is hit or miss.  I have had a truck driver offer me a ride all the way to Rio from Santiago de Chile, but often people have terrible luck finding a ride even a short distance.  Brazil is also not one of the safest countries and I would not recommend solo travelers tackle hitchhiking there.  On the other hand if you are trying to save money, Brazil’s bus prices are astronomical and the country is huge.  It might be a good idea to look for a hitchhiking partner to come with you on your tour of the vast expanse of Brazil.

Villa Traful Argentina

Chile

Chile is a fantastic country for hitchhiking.  People pick up both male and female hitchhikers quickly and are extremely friendly.  Often they will buy lunch, pay for the hostel or hotel they drop their passengers off at, and take passengers right to the address they are going.  Even though it is a relatively safe country, I still wouldn’t recommend women hitchhiking alone, especially at night.  Still, with Chilean bus prices quite expensive hitching is a good option to consider.

Colombia

Colombia is an amazing country.  The people are friendly, open, caring, and welcoming; it is unquestionably one of the friendliest countries in South America.  On the other hand, Colombia is one of the hardest countries to hitchhike in. Though people do have their own cars and transportation is more expensive than neighboring Peru or Ecuador, rides are few and far between.  Though the guerilla is chiefly under control and the country is relatively safe, the country’s violent history is fresh in peoples’ minds.  Because of this, many Colombians remain leery of picking up strangers on the road.  The government also has run ad campaigns discouraging citizens from picking up hitchhikers which does not help.

If you do decide to hitchhike in Colombia, remember not to offer or accept food or drinks.  (this does not apply to being taken to restaurants) In the past, kidnappers have used drugged drinks to capture their victims and sharing your water will not be taken kindly.

Hitching with a friend through South America

Ecuador

Busses in Ecuador are not expensive, about USD $1/hour, but it is possible hitchhike there.  You  might have to wait a while for a ride, but someone will pick you up.

Peru

Peru is another of the poorer countries in South America.  Because of this, though it is possible to get rides, people will often ask you to pay for gas.  Many truck drivers will even go so far as to ask passengers for a fare, supplementing their paycheck by giving rides to backpackers.  Busses in Peru are reasonably inexpensive and rather than wait hours for a ride that you will probably have to pay for anyway, the bus might be a better option here.

Uruguay

Formerly a province of Argentina, Uruguay continues to be similar in many respects, kind of a mini-Argentina if you will.  The attitude towards hitchhiking is one of these many commonalities.  Though Uruguay is a tiny country, it is up there as one of the safest, easiest countries in South America to hitchhike.

Venezuela

There are varied reports of hitchhiking in Venezuela.  Some have tremendous luck while others struggle.  As a US citizen I am reticent to go to Venezuela and even more hesitant to hitchhike there.  Because of Chavez and his problems with the US government, if US citizens choose to travel to Venezuela it is easier, faster, and safer to take busses.  But don’t take my word for it, if you are comfortable and confident with it get out there and prove me wrong!

After graduating from the University of Kansas’ school of Journalism Sally hit the road and hasn’t looked back.  She has explored Europe, Africa, South America, and North America, lived in Slovakia, Hungary and Argentina and is currently traveling in South America. She writes about her adventures in the blog www.adventuressetravels.wordpress.com, has had articles in various online travel magazines, and is a travel guru for the website Tripeezy LLC.

Dear GoMad Nomad:

I’m low on cash but still want to travel, what should I do? Go into further debt and live life in the moment, or do the prudent thing and save up my money?

-Broke In Brooklyn

Dear Broke in Brooklyn:

My first advice is to get the heck out of Brooklyn! You’ll save up more money living in the sticks. But, yeah, yeah, I know you want to be at the epicenter of Hipsterdom.

Anyhow, to answer your question: Don’t go into debt! But…you can still travel on very limited funds. The options are limitless.

Since you don’t have money, I’m assuming you have time.  You can spend that extra time that you normally spend nursing PBRs on Bedford Ave, researching and planning out your travel.

First thing you’ll have to understand about cheap/budget travel is that it happens very slowly. You’ll have to opt for the pueblo bus over the bullet train; and if you’re going to hitch, you’ll have a lot of time to perfect your hacky sack skills while waiting for your free rides. So I’d reserve anywhere from two months to a year for this expedition.

If you just happen to have graduated from college and don’t know what to do, check out this fantastic post over at Almost Fearless.

Since you have the time, I would highly recommend volunteering, “helping,” working, and temporarily residing in the places you plan on visiting. This will allow you to actually experience the place and get to know the people you have traveled so far to visit.

Volunteering

This one is tricky. You want to avoid paying a fee to volunteer. I don’t mind helping others, but I don’t like to have to pay for that privilege, and neither should you. Check out these awesome articles for low-cost or free volunteering opportunities in Nepal, the West Bank, and Spain. Transitions Abroad Magazine is also an incredible resource for volunteering abroad info.

Help Exchange

Before I started teaching English in Madrid, I almost took a gig helping an English couple in Brittany restore an old train station into a B & B. I would have helped them for four hours a day and they would have fed me and given me a room in their home. The rest of the day I could spend working on my writing projects with the help of their wireless internet. I used Help Exchange to connect with these people in need of a helper. But the dream was never realized.

Working

Get to the Caribbean or cross the Atlantic while working aboard a yacht. Skippers in ports far and wide are always looking for a crew that preferably speaks their language and may or may not have sailing experience. Good sites to connect skippers and crew: Crewfinders, Yacht Crew Register, or Dovaston Crew.

Temporarily Residing

A great option is house sitting. I kind of want to make a career out of this, except it doesn’t pay very well. Why not take care of the perritos and water Señora Torres’ garden for the month August while she’s vacationing at her other home on the Canaries? You’ll probably need a good reference before strangers will entrust you with their home and animals. Use Mind My House, House Careers, or House Sit World.

So if you combine a little traveling in between some of these ideas, you’ll have a well-rounded trip.  Use couchsurfing for accommodation read up on hitchhiking before you leave.

-Stephen

Two Programs that Offer English-Speaking Volunteers Full Room and Board

By Stephen Bugno

An evening of jamon and vino tinto at Pueblo Ingles

I’m almost as exhausted as they are, but somehow they keep going. This is supposed to be easy for me, right? English is my native language.

They sun is about to set in our small “English Village” but the Spaniards stay positive, excited, and focused despite the long day. We are far from the urban expanse of Madrid, four hours by bus in the sparsely populated region of Extremadura. We are a group of English speakers volunteering at Pueblo Ingles for a week.

Free Room and Board for Speaking English?

That’s right. At either Pueblo Ingles or Vaughan Town, (two different companies that run similar English immersion programs for Spaniards) volunteering as an Anglo-speaker gets you a free week in rural Spain. But it’s much more than that. It’s a great opportunity to meet and form close relationships with Spanish people in a surprisingly short period of time.

It’s also a great way to extend your travels, add something different to your usual holiday, or just save some money on your expensive European vacation. But most of all, it’s an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary in our modern age of fast-paced living and working and just sit down and have a conversation. Well…have lots of conversations, actually.

The Model

in the village of La Alberca

So here’s the concept: pair about 20 Spaniards with 20 native English speakers in a village in rural Spain. Live together, eat together, and speak together about 14 hours a day. It’s exhausting, yes, but universal agreement in the success among the much-improved English of the Spaniards and the satisfaction of happily enriched Anglos.

The core of the program is the one-to-one sessions. During these 50-minute blocks, pairs have the opportunity to stretch past simple and superficial chats. You can sit and drink coffee or go for slow walks. After only five full days, it’s remarkable how open and close everyone becomes, not only with the Spaniards, but even with the other English speakers which come from a diverse range of countries including the U.K., Ireland, Canada, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand just to name a few.

Besides the one-to-ones, pairs sometimes join up to form groups of four to discuss issues or solve mock problems. In addition, an hour a day is devoted to various entertainments. There’s even a special program one of the nights.

Requirements for Volunteers

Spaniards at Pueblo Ingles

Basically, Anglo volunteers need to be native speakers and have enough life experiences to keep them talking for up to 14 hours per day. They must also pledge that not a word of Spanish will be spoken by them the entire week; a promise that is taken seriously. An English-only environment is crucial to the success of the program.

Volunteers are offered a nice, private room and three meals a day in a beautiful rural setting in the Spanish countryside. Volunteers are required to take care of their own travel expenses to and from Spain and for accommodation before and after the program. Pueblo Ingles runs a seven-day course and Vaughan Town a five-day.

For More Information

Further information and applications can be found and filled out on-line at the VaughanTown or Pueblo Ingles websites. Programs run year round but most are available from June to September.

Stephen Bugno attended both Pueblo Ingles and Vaughn Town in the summer of 2008 and remained in Spain for another nine months teaching English. For more than a decade he has worked, volunteered, and traveled his way around the world. He blogs at BohemianTraveler.com

Visit Tokyo on a Tight Budget

By Katherine Whatley

Morning in Tokyo Photo credit: Altus

To a foreigner, Tokyo conjures up images of kimono, sky scrapers, Godzilla and crazy fashions. A city with a great vibe, it’s somewhere that any self respecting tourist should visit once. But let’s face it, Tokyo is expensive. It’s easier to spend more and more money than to find great bargains. But, if you know where to go and what to do, it doesn’t have to be prohibitive.

Planning Ahead

Before you even book your flight to Tokyo, be aware of a few things. First, Tokyo is a city with four distinct seasons. From December to early March, Tokyo can get very cold. Spring is lovely, with flowers everywhere, including the famous sakura in March. June is the rainy season which is humid and very rainy. It is incredibly hot and humid in August, think Singapore, so don’t go then if you can avoid it. Try to go to Tokyo from the middle of March to the middle of June and from September to November.

Tokyo is a huge metropolis. If you are interested in beautiful scenery, relaxed atmosphere and old temples, hop on the train to Kyoto or any number of small and picturesque towns in rural Japan. Come to Tokyo for an exciting melting pot of cultures where seeing a lady in kimono next to a goth on the train is an everyday experience.

Survival Tips

Food

photo credit: Nicola Cassa

The first thing you should do is get used to eating a big lunch. Many restaurants have lunch sets on weekdays that are substantially cheaper than ordering a la carte. Usually between 500 and 1000 yen, around $5.40 and $11.00 U.S dollars, these lunches normally come with a main course, salad and sometimes dessert.

For dinner, check out the many fast food chains near stations that cater to the tight budgets of business men on the way home. Noodles and rice bowls or donburi are some of the more popular choices. The meals will typically cost around 400 yen.

Many of these establishments will make you buy a ticket for your meal before you order. Though it may unnerve you to see all the Japanese writing, try talking to the waiters, everyone is willing to practice their five words of English.

Convenience stores or combini are a great place to buy food. Unlike convenience stores in the US, the prepared food is quite good at these combini. There are all kinds of ready prepared meals including salads, onigiri which are rice balls with flavorings, bento which are lunch boxes typically consisting of rice and a piece of meat or fish and, of course the omnipresent cup noodle. Onigiri and salad typically cost around 120 yen and bento cost between 300 and 500 yen. In the summer time, try the cold noodles for a refreshing treat.

What to do

Many Tokyoites head to the few big parks in the city for a picnic on the weekends. Yoyogi Koen, right near Harajuku, is always packed with people eating, talking, walking their dogs and performing all kinds of things. Don’t be surprised to see 1950’s rockabilly dancing next to a trio playing the bongos.

Bring along some of your combini purchases and join in for a break from the concrete. To see some spectacular modern Japanese architecture, go right next door to the National Stadium designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Olympics. The closest station to Yoyogi Koen, is Harajuku station on the JR Yamanote line.

For a more quiet picnic, try Shinjuku-Gyoen. Originally a wealthy family’s gardens, this park with its rolling lawn and big trees is reminiscent of an English Manor garden. Come here during March to see the sakura flowers blooming.Shinjuku-Gyoen has a fee of 200 yen and its closest station is Shinjuku-gyoenmae on the Marunochi line.

Tokyo in Winter Photo credit: Katherine Whatley

Learn to travel on foot. Though individual train rides aren’t expensive, from 160 yen, Tokyo is a city that is best seen by foot. There are no great sights to see in Tokyo, just neighborhoods to visit and take in. Try going to any number of stations to walk around for the day.

Asakusa should be one of the first stops for a first time visitor to Tokyo. It is in the shitamachi, the working class district of Tokyo, and is famous for its Sensoji temple. Though the temple is not particularly impressive, the area surrounding the temple is filled with many traditional snack shops, clothing shops and restaurants. This area is also popular for Japanese tourists and has been for hundreds of years. Every year, on the third weekend of May, Sanjya-Matsuri is held in Sensoji temple. With a reputation of being one of the wildest festivals in Japan, if you’re in town, don’t miss it. The closest train station to Sensoji temple is Asakusa station on the Ginza line.

After seeing Sensoji temple, head over to Meiji Jingu, a shrine built in 1920 to honor the Meiji Emperor. Surrounded by 175-acre man made forest, you will be thankful for this oasis of green after tramping Tokyo. This serene shrine with its austere roofs is totally opposite to the excitement and commotion of Sensoji temple. Meiji Jingu is right next to Yoyogi Park and to the Harajuku shopping area. The closest train station to Meiji Jingu is Harajuku station on the JR Yamanote line.

Harajuku is one of the most popular shopping areas and you can find everything there from Nike to Louis Vouitton to teenage fashions to cosplay stores. Walk down Takeshita-dori to see some crazy teenage fashion then head to the main drag of Omote-sando to see some fabulously designed buildings for international brands. Keep walking to see the famous Prada building built by Herzog & de Meuron, the same architects as the Beijing 2008 Olympics Stadium.

To see some history, take the train to Otemachi station and take a walk inside the Imperial Palace Gardens. Part of the Imperial Palace complex, the section open to the public includes the ruin of the old castle that was destroyed by fire and a prime example of a Japanese garden. Also in the complex is a sizable park with many trees. Take a walk around the complex and look at the great moat. Entrance is free.

Tokyo is a city that can be explored and scavenged on a very tight budget. Just use some creativity and most importantly, enjoy!

Links

• Metropolis, free English language magazine for expats, includes listings: http://metropolis.co.jp
• Imperial Palace information: http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.html
• Japan Guide, guide for tourists in Japan: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

Katherine Whatley is a student who has spent the past 13 years living in Tokyo, Japan. Fluent in Japanese, she enjoys spending her free time exploring the nooks and crannies of her favorite city.

The Wheels of the Combi Go Round and Round

By Danielle L. Krautmann

A Lima bus with a cobrador hanging out

Currently Lima, Peru has no public transportation.  This restricts Limenians to use either taxis, buses, cars, or “combies”.  Charlie and I don’t plan to get a car while we’re here because it’s easy enough for us to get from one place to another.  Plus, with the plan to stay for two or three years, it hardly seems worth it.

Every person you meet has either had a bad experience with a taxi or knows someone else who has. A Peruvian friend of mine took a taxi to get from one fairly safe neighborhood to another.  When he noticed the taxi wasn’t going in the right direction, he said something to the driver.  Sooner than he could stop them, three men approached the taxi, and the next thing he remembers is waking up in a bad part of town on the side of the road.  His money and cell phone had been stolen.  A guy Charlie works with got robbed at knife point in a taxi.  One time Charlie and I were taking a taxi and the driver fell asleep…while driving.

In most of my experiences, except for the frequent opportunist or pervert, the drivers are more or less harmless.  They either charge exorbitant rates to tourists and gringos who don’t know any better, or hit on me the whole time.  They like to ask me questions about myself, where am I from, how do I like Peru, where do I live, would I like to get coffee with them?  They tell me I’m beautiful or sexy (duh), and once, the driver drove along with an obvious erection.  Gladys says not to be friendly, smile, or even talk to the driver.  Wear your sunglasses and a frown.  Every time you get into a taxi, you take a risk.

The payment system is different than in the States.  Since taxis don’t have meters, you negotiate a price with the driver. Before entering the car, tell him where you’re going, all the while scoping out the cab to assess its safety.  If it’s a station wagon, check the back for people or weapons.  If you are a gringo, the driver will give you a price far higher than what you should pay.  “Dies soles,” he might say after contemplating for a few seconds.

Gladys and I with our serious riding-the-bus faces

At this point, you have three options. 1. Take his first offer and pay “el pricio gringo.”  If you’re strapped for time, this is your best option.  2.  Decline his offer and wait for the next taxi who is inevitably waiting nearby.  I often do this before negotiating to show the approaching taxi that I will not accept a ridiculous quote.  3. Negotiate the price.  I’m getting quite good at this.  I will say something like “normalmente yo pago tres o cuatro soles.”  Then he either accepts, drives off because he’s offended, or negotiates further until we come to middle ground.

Suggestions for a safe taxi ride in Lima include:

1. Speak as little as possible to the driver.  In my experience, conversations about myself often lead to the driver either trying to get more money from me, trying to convince me to go somewhere else, or asking me on a date.  I have heard predators will use conversation to distract tourists who want to practice their Spanish.  Meanwhile they might change routes.

2. When you do speak, use as much Spanish as possible to show the driver that you know what he’s saying…even if you don’t.

3. Know where you’re going and if possible, tell the driver what route you would like to take.

4. If you are alone, sit directly behind the driver.

5. Know where the lock to the door is.  Some taxis have auto locks and lock you in when you enter.  Just make sure you can undo the lock if need be.

A quiet day on the bus with very few passengers

In research for this article, I took my first “combi”.  These are mini-vans that go hurling through the streets at top speeds sparing no pedestrians.  They are infamous for hitting people and getting in accidents.  Initially I was not in favor of how close I was squished in between two men, one of whom insisted on making kissing noises towards me for the duration of my ride.  The last of the three combies I took was lacking a floor.  It had wooden boards nailed down along the cross rails between the tires.   I rode along with my feet suspended, fearing for my life as I watched the wheel turn round and round underneath me.  Although not my preferred option, they are the fastest and cheapest way to get around town.

Personally, I prefer taking buses whenever possible.  They are cheaper than taxis, somewhat safer, and far more entertaining.  The equivalent of 40 cents can get you close to anywhere you need to go in the city.  As I mentioned previously, there is no public transportation.  The buses are all private competing companies with no schedules, websites or monthly passes.  “Cobradors” stand on the first step of the bus calling route and street names rapidly like auctioneers.  “Javiar Prado, Prado, Prado, Todo Javier Prado, La Molina,  Molina.”  As the buses quickly approach, you have very little time to contemplate which one you want to take since they rarely come to a complete stop.

Three or four buses approach at the same time, trying their hardest to cut each other off in order to be the first to pull up.  I scan them quickly as they approach, hoping to view one with an open seat.  If there aren’t any, no worries, the cobradors stuff passengers in as tightly as they fit making each journey its own olfactory experience.  You may be lucky enough to be pushed up against the chest of an older woman with musky perfume that stays on you for hours afterward.  On an even luckier day, you have less than an inch of space between you and a sweaty construction worker on his way home from work.  Just make sure you push your way to the front of the bus several blocks before you plan to disembark since, like I said before, they rarely come to a complete stop.  Be ready to jump. As you ride along, you can watch as the standing people get thrown back and forth as the bus forces its way through traffic making brief stops when it gets cut off by other busses.  If you end up standing, your best bet is to keep your knees bent, feet wide apart, with a low center of gravity.  Focus and be prepared for a quick stop-and-go at any time.

While the bus sits in traffic, vendors approach the windows selling cold beverages, snacks and newspapers.  During peak traffic, you can buy sunglasses, wallets, lighters, large maps of Peru or South America, necklaces, pens, and various other trinkets all for sale at the convenience of your bus seat.  There’s a guy I sometimes see weaving his way through traffic selling beautiful handmade pirate ship replicas.  When there are few enough passengers, vendors board the bus and ride from one to three blocks.

First they stand at the front of the bus so everyone can see them.  They sell their pitch, “Hello, my name is Miguel.  I am selling these Pilot pens for a great price.  In a store you can buy them for no less than three soles.  Because you are such beautiful people, I will sell them to you for one soles per pen.”  Miguel proceeds to work his way from the front to the back asking each person individually if they would like to buy a pen.

If you’re lucky, Miguel might be a starving musician who boards the bus to play a song on his guitar, then walks through asking for donations. Despite his filthy attire, pathetic attempt at a performance, and drunken, stumbling gait, people donate!

If you plan to take a bus, hold your purse close to you, try to get a seat, and cross your fingers as accidents are not uncommon.

By Stephen Bugno

Traveling through Eastern Turkey, you’ll lose the tourists, see incredible sights and landscapes, and rub shoulders with marginalized Kurdish population. If you’re tired of the crowds at Ephesus, Olympos, and Sultanahmet, hop on a long-distance bus to the opposite end of the country.

Ishak Pasha Palace above Dogubayazit

After traveling through Armenia for two weeks, a friend and I had to return to Georgia before re-entering Turkey. The Armenians and Turks are still sorting through their differences and the border crossing remains closed.

A month earlier, while transferring buses in Istanbul on the way to Georgia, we had briefly seen the infrastructure development enough to realize that western Turkey and eastern Turkey are different beasts. The shabby, rural roads here couldn’t compare to the sleek new highways zipping in and around Turkey’s largest city. Local folks in the east are much more traditional and conservative; the cities are dirtier and more chaotic, the street kids more aggressive.

After harassing my Russian passport-carrying friend for 20 minutes, the Georgian officials finally let us through to the Turkish side of the border, realizing they weren’t going to get a bribe from a 22-year-old student. We were fortunate not to have had other, more severe, conflicts with authorities based on this prejudice prior to now. The Russians aren’t very well liked in Georgia.

The remoteness of this border crossing makes me wonder if we’re the first non-Georgian/non-Turks to use this route. Just then, across the barrier, driving in the opposite direction, an all-wheel drive Subaru plastered with sponsorship stickers and Saskatchewan license plates passes through as our heads turn in astonishment.

The Turks welcome us with a passport stamp and immediately we’re on the side of a two-lane country road waiting for any passing car. There is no bus service, no cars are coming and there is no town here; just a border post. So we walk a couple miles down the road to a little café and drink a cold soda before a guy pulls over and offers us a ride few miles into Posof, the nearest town. There we pitch our tent in a field on the edge of town and decide the next day’s plans.

Ani

The ruined medieval Armenian capital of Ani

The next morning a bus takes us to Kars, which we use as a base to visit Ani. Although today they lie across the river in Turkey, these are the ruins of the medieval capital of Armenia. It is hard to believe that this complex of crumbling structures, in the midst of hay fields, once rivaled noble Constantinople and Baghdad. We wander around the remains trying to piece together in our minds the grandeur it once held.

The fact that it’s situated in Turkey today infuriates the Armenians. Spend any amount of time in little, modern Armenia and any person will quickly preach about how enormous a territory they once held, “…from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea” using both hands to show.

In fact, many of the cities in eastern Turkey (Kars, Bitlis, just to name a couple) had a sizeable Armenian population until the genocide of 1915, which is the cause of much of the animosity between the Armenians and Turks to the present day. As further evidence, Armenian churches are scattered throughout eastern Turkey.

Dogubeyazit

This beautiful and remote landscape of eastern Turkey is peppered with politics. Our bus passes a few military bases as we wind our way from Kars, south to Dogubeyazit. The population here includes more Kurds and due to its borders with Armenia, Iraq, and Syria, the bureaucrats back in Ankara feel they can’t be too cautious. It’s strange to see bases in the downtown areas of cities, as they are set up here in eastern Turkey.

Nearing Dogubeyazit it’s impossible to ignore the imposing beauty of Mt. Ararat from the dolmush window and the biblical history associated with the mountain. Many travelers come here enroute to the Iranian border crossing at Gurbulak or to climb Mt. Ararat. We came merely to see Ararat from the opposite side and to visit Ishak Pasha Saray.

Ishak Pasha Saray is the half-ruined, 17th century palace set on a high plateau overlooking Dogubeyazit. Building began in 1785 to control Silk Road traffic. Originally with 366 rooms, at one point even the Russians occupied it and the original doors are now in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. It employs architectural styles from almost every period of Turkish history.

Walking the 6 km-long road up to the Ishak Pasha Saray, a car pulls over close to us and stops. “Do you want a ride up to the campsite? Camping is one dollar per person,” a man tells us from inside the car. He’s got a long mustache over his mouth and speaks decent English. We knew we couldn’t beat that price, so we get in.

The man is Parashut: a bit of a legend in these parts. At his campground/guesthouse just above the palace halfway up the mountain he sits down with us, slices a melon, and pours raki shots while telling us about his drive overland to Central Asia and Siberia and about his work. It turns out he’s being so hospitable with us because my friend is Russian and he feels so indebted to the generous Russians he met in Siberia. He also tells us about the documentary he made and the book he wrote about Noah’s Ark, all while pursuing his real passion: mountaineering. He has reached the summit of Mt. Ararat 165 times

Nemrut Dagi

A view inside the crator of the extinct volcano Nemrut Dagi

From Dogubeyazit we skirt along the shore of the massive Lake Van to Tatvan on the eastern shore. Almost by accident we hook up with Mehmet, a long-winded Kurd who trucks visitors up to Nemrut Dagi. Although it has the same name as the popular mountain with the head statues, it is a different place. This Nemrut Dagi is an extinct volcano rising to 3050 meters. After bargaining Mehmet down to a reasonable price, I’m in the front seat of his dusty van, riding out of Tatvan, on to an unpaved road, and over the crest and into the crater. He points to his small Kurdish village in the near distance and invites us for “free camping” at his homestead for the following night.

The crater, 7km in diameter, contains a cold lake and a smaller warm lake. The water of the cold lake is so crystal clear that I see my feet as I’m treading water. We swim in the warm lake as well, lie in the sun for a few hours and pitch our tent in a field of high grass.

In the morning, Mehmet drives the group back into Tatvan and we choose to hike our way out of the crater, first climbing up the steep rim, and then gradually down the grassy slope into his village.  We find his home and met his extended family, who constantly filters in and out of the house. Just after dark, we’re sitting on carpets at the table eating supper. Soon Mehmet arrives home and shows us the little extension he is building to someday have a guesthouse. His grandchildren take us around to see all their animals. The next morning we’re back on the road early, hitching a ride with Mehmet back into Tatvan.

Diyarbakir

men outside the city walls in Diyarbakir

We arrive in Diyarbakir, on one of Turkey’s, clean, efficient, and timely privatized buses. We have come to walk on the city’s massive walls of black basalt; to peer inside to the maze of cobbled streets, beautiful mosques, imposing hans, stately mansions, and intriguing churches. Outside the walls we see the Tigris River’s flow. The streets here are busy in this city of two million and we try our hardest to lose the street kids that aggressively follow us through the narrow twists and turns of the old city streets.

As usual we head to an inexpensive cafeteria-style eatery for some good food and follow that up with some tea. Despite the fame of Turkish coffee, nearly every Turk drinks tea from a tulip-shaped glass sweetened with plenty of sugar.

Passing in and out of the old city we find each of the four main gateways of the six-kilometer city wall and glance up at the 72 defensive towers. The new city is busy too, with plenty of foot and car traffic in and around the multi-storied apartment buildings. This is a predominantly Kurdish city and a place of discontent that Ankara keeps a close eye on.

After a couple days in Diyarbakir, we continue our journey east to the pilgrimage city of Urfa and then join the masses of tourists on the sunny Turquoise coast a week later.

Stephen Bugno spent four weeks exploring Turkey as part of an overland trip from Istanbul to Cairo. His articles and essays have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He blogs at Bohemian Traveler.

By Joy Suthigoseeya

San Francisco is a city where residents have historically lived by their own set of rules and is brimming with an unflinching independent spirit. Where else can you find zombie flash mobs, public pillow fights, an enthusiastic bike and skate culture, a great music and arts scene, more hipsters and gays than you can shake a stick at, and limitless options for amazing food on any budget. Oh yeah, did I mention hippies? Lots and lots o’ smelly hippies.*

San Francisco is famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, its hills, the summer of love, the zodiac killer, the Beatniks, and that brilliant car chase scene in that movie “Bullitt” starring Steve McQueen. 

But it should be famous for its endless taquerias and its mucho quirkiness. San Francisco is like that weird girl you were afraid to make friends with but was always secretly attracted to and would probably make your girlfriend if you didn’t go to the same school. But as it were, you’ve gots a rep to protect.

All the tourists rush to Fisherman’s wharf and Pier 39. And they take a cable car to get there.

But you shouldn’t leave without seeing…Any self respecting “tourist” would NOT skip the Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, North Beach, China Town, Baker Beach, Golden Gate Park or the museums and gardens–notably the Japanese Tea Gardens, or Laughing Sally, who currently lives amongst the relics that make up the oldest penny arcade in the city.

Its original location was by the Cliff House close to the Sutro baths ruins, but in recent years has moved to Pier 45. If you are an early riser you’ll probably enjoy the farmer’s market at the Ferry building where you can get an eclectic sampling of California cuisine at its finest. Finally, if you’re gay you’d be a fool to miss out on SF’s vibrant gay nightlife in the Castro. See moms? There’s something for everyone!

For those with inclinations towards the offbeat, no trip is complete without a stroll down Upper Haight towards hippie hill in Golden Gate Park where you will run into all manners of colorful (smelly) peoples and shops. Don’t worry though, even though the area has been historically sketch it is nowhere near the sketchiness of the Tenderloin, where crack addicts and street hoes adorn many a-corner. Upper Haight just plays host to your standard run of the mill runaways who are in reality harmless, albeit moochy suburban kids.

The Upper Haight could aptly be described as a retail district. There are specialty clothing boutiques, vintage clothing stores, great shoe stores, plenty of smoke shops, tattoo shops, resale shops, and quite a few restaurants and cafes. Not to mention it’s where you’ll find the Haight-Ashbury corner: the epi-center of the 60’s free love revolution. Pick up your Grateful Dead tie dyes here and put the fear of god in your grandmamma with all the free-wheeling liberal ideas you picked up during your visit to SF. If you are into music, make sure you find your way to the end of the Haight Street for Amoeba music, the quintessential music nerd’s wet dream. Sometimes they even have free shows, so be sure to check the local music listings for bands that might be playing there.

If you crave the nitty gritty and want to see where all the “cool” kids live, go to the Mission. The mission is known for its divey bars, street art (notably Clarion Alley, a side street full of murals from the Valencia end to the Mission end), cheap tasty morsels and shopping in specialty boutiques, indie shops, and thrift stores. Two key stores on Valencia and 19th are the Pirate Store, founded by Dave Eggers, which serves as a front for a children’s writing workshop and Paxton’s Gate, a taxidermy shop and art gallery right next door.

Museums anyone…Check out SFMOMA for modern art, the De Young for contemporary art, and the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences. For a cheaper visit to the academy, try going to Nightlife on Thursdays when they feature prominent SF DJs playing for partygoers from 6-10pm. The music changes weekly so check their calendar for more details.

Best park… Definitely Golden Gate Park, with Dolores Park in a close second for people watching and Alamo Square Park in 3rd for city views. Unfortunately they are currently remodeling Dolores Park and it will be closed until Sept 2011. So stop by Alamo Square Park for a snapshot of the Painted Ladies, made famous in the opening credits of “Full House”. The fourth runner up is Buena Vista Park which has great views of the city as well and can be a lovely, but semi-strenuous jaunt to the top. If you are taking your aging mother, it may be a little too much for her to climb, so keep to the lower paths.

Most visitors don’t know that there are bison in Golden Gate Park and hidden slides called the Castro slides in duh, where else, the Castro! They also don’t know that during the summer there are lots of activities such as free street festivals, free music every weekend at Stern Grove or GG park, or that they show free movies in Dolores park once a month.

Best bar in town…A grungy neighborhood staple, Zeitgeist in the Mission is perfect if you want to enjoy a beer garden atmosphere while chumming it up with the locals. The beers are reasonable, they have pitchers and decent bloody marys and you can get some of the best damn cheeseburgers and potatoes in town for only six bucks. The downside is that they only have two bathroom stalls and three portapotties serving peak crowds of 200+ on a busy night. I’ve witnessed those fill up fast with all the beer-a-flowing, so if you’re a girl, beware because that can spell trouble if you’ve broken the seal.

Beer Bar – Toronado in the Lower Haight, which by the way, is a neighborhood worth visiting if just for a few of the art galleries and cafes within its three block radius.

Cocktail Bar – Want tasty drinks? 15 Romolo in North Beach is a great bar that serves some of the best drinks I’ve had. If you are looking for swank, try Bourbon and Branch. Modeled on the concept of the speakeasy, this is your bartender’s bar, the one where they go to when they aren’t serving you. The drinks are expensive, but what do you expect from one of the best bars in America. You need a password to get in, which you can retrieve through their website. They even have a secret library room that requires a password as well.

Wine Bar – I’ve only been to a handful of wine bars in the city since I didn’t really get into wine until recently. Be forewarned that if you are wine snob you best skip my recommendations and do a yelp for the closest wine bar in the neighborhood you are staying in. Bar 821 is the only real wine bar I’ve frequented out of a few in the city and would say I like it for the ambiance and not so much for its wine. Not to say they don’t have an adequate wine selection, I’m just not comfortable recommending the wines having never looked at their menu. They do serve well made Soju drinks, but ambiance is really the key winner for me at this bar.

Dive Bar – Delerium for rockin’ out. It’s close enough to other bars in the neighborhood if you get tired of hanging in one place for too long. Head over to Casanova for a change scenery or bounce between Kilowatt and Gestalt. But stay away from this area on the weekends. It seems all the bridge and tunnel folk like to hang out in the mission then, so you won’t get as an authentic experience if you come during the week. Other great divey bars that are worth mentioning are the Beauty Bar, The Attic, The Knock Out, Uptown, and the Phone Booth. If you’re lucky you might run into the tamale lady at one of these joints and when you do you HAVE to order a tamale. I don’t care what it is. Just get one. If you do miss her, don’t worry, you’ll get a second chance at the late night drunken food game. When you walk out that door let your nose direct you immediately towards the exquisite smell of bacon and grilled onions. Listen for that sizzling sound and feast your senses upon the bacon wrapped hot dog cart that will soon become the saving grace of your night. Try it with mayo, grilled onions, and jalapeños. It may very well give you a tonguegasm or a stomachache if you are lame.

Clubs – There is a club scene for everyone in SF. Keep in mind that the best way to chase down a good party is to know your promoters. Obviously in this case, it is hard if you are a visitor so the next best thing is go to the nearest music shop, look for flyers according to names you recognize and see who is throwing that party. More than likely they will be throwing other parties you might like and if you end up going to one you will find flyers for other parties probably within the same musical vein. If you are just looking for any old club to dance in, head to Soma (11th and Folsom) where quite a few late night clubs are concentrated.

Note on SF nightlife: all bars stop serving alcohol at 2am so most people start their evening relatively early compared to cities like NY or Chicago, which very often don’t start until after midnight. Once the bars/clubs close there are almost always after-parties that serve alcohol in secret locations or not-so secret locations around the city. But you have to know who to ask or where to look.

And the best coffee/coffee shop… Nestled between buildings on a hidden side street in Hayes Valley you’ll find Blue Bottle Café, which serves up some of the best coffee in the city. But if you’re looking for a place to sit, you won’t find it here as it’s only a coffee stand. For excellent coffee and ambiance visit Ritual Coffee Roasters in the Mission. Bring a laptop and don your Urban Outfitters best and you’ll blend right in with the Mission hipsters that keeps this place hoppin.

Best place to see live music… Bottom of the hill, The Independent, Café Du Nord, The Great American Music Hall, Bimbo’s, Slim’s and for bigger acts The Fillmore, and the Warfield. For local bands the Makeout Room and Thee Parkside or Bottom of the Hill are a safe bet. The best way to find out who’s playing where and when is to pick up a free SFweekly at one of the numerous red newspaper boxes. You can also pick a SF Bay Guardian which has a more political bent rather than entertainment. If you are fan of the interweb go to sfstation.com or going.com to find out what is happening on any given night. laughingsquid.com is good for burning man and anarchist type activities and if you are way into art, fecalface.com is a the guide to the bay area arts scene.
Best place for cheap grub… Rosamunde in Lower Haight for the best sausages in the city. Five bucks gets you their homemade specialty sausage (think wild boar, duck and fig, or the old standby beer sausage) with any two toppings. Head next door to Toronado to wash down your sausage with a beer from a selection of the over 100 microbrews on site. If you’re hankering for Mexican, go down to Mission and take your pick from one of any of the great taquerias that line 16th and Mission. For cheap Vietnamese, Tu Lan in the Tenderloin is a rite of passage. Their claim to fame is that it was Julia Childs favorite place. Yes that’s right, Julia Childs loved this little hole-in-the-wall and as proof they’ve got a fairly close facsimile of her face on the menu.

And for sit-down meal at a good value… Little Star Pizza in Nopa and the Mission has great pizza and has been a favorite among locals for the last half decade. For authentic Chicago style pizza you can’t beat Paxti’s in Hayes Valley. After lunch take a stroll down the block for some great boutiques and designy type shops including Huf shoe store and Timbuk 2 bags or get a delectable cupcake at Miette and enjoy it in newly built Octavia Park.

For vegans/vegetarians or hippies, Café Gratitude is one of the best raw/vegan restaurants in the city. If you’re less concerned about health and more about taste, Golden Era Chinese also serves up a vegetarian-only menu. As a meateater, I’ve never been much for vegan or vegetarian fare, but this place is amazing, especially with their meat substitute dishes! A word of advice though, if you are prone to being easily brainwashed and like to join cults you might do well to avoiding this place since it’s been said that the people that run the place are a cult.

And a meal to spend some money…San Francisco is known as foodie town so it’s extremely difficult to narrow it down to just one restaurant. If I were to mention one, I would recommend Delphina, where you can get amazing pizza in the pizzeria or Italian cuisine in the restaurant section. This is place is the buzz of trendy locals, so more often than not you’ll find the dining room bustling on any given night. Forget about ordering “authentic” Italian in North Beach. Locals know that North Beach is for tourists. For other cuisines go to Dosa for Indian, Sushi Bistro for sushi, Nopa for new American, Bar Crudo for raw seafood, and for the ultimate foodie experience, French Laundry in Yountville for French (reservations recommended).

Best specialty dish of your city is…The white clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl or Cioppino which is an Italian seafood stew. If you want to really get a sense of SF cuisine go for the taquerias, any of the food carts, or Asian cuisine in the Inner Richmond.

I know it’s a cliché…but you can’t leave without hanging out in Dolores park for a day to soak up some sun and people watch, buy some pot truffles or beer and then head to bi-rite creamery on the corner for a delicious scoop. They make homemade ice-cream and I promise you it will be the one ice cream experience you’ll be telling your great-great-grandkids about.

And if you’ve got kids… Regrettably I don’t have many friends with kids, being the consummate single I am, but if I were to suggest some places to take them I would say Golden Gate park is a great place to start. There are plenty of things to see and do in the park that are lowcost to free. Not free is the California Academy of Sciences, but it has great hands-on exhibits with 3D shows and a giant indoor atrium filled with butterflies as well as the Exploratorium by the Palace Fine arts.

Pier 39 has great entertainment options such as a Carousel, Magawan’s mirror maze, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, the wax museum, street performers, and your choice of bay cruises. Up until this winter we had a population of sea lions that live at the pier but they’ve since disappeared and no one knows if they are coming back. I’d say don’t bother with the zoo, you’d be better off going to the botanical gardens or Ghiardelli Square for the ice cream sundaes and free chocolate samples.

Best nearby attraction or city for a day trip… Marin headlands on the other side of the bridge. Mount Tamalpais for a beautiful drive through redwoods and gorgeous views of the bay area. Muir woods for easy hiking and up close and personal encounters with California Redwood trees.

Berkeley and Oakland have a culture onto themselves, so if you want to get a feel for what it’s like over there, it’s an easy 20 minute Bart ride over. You don’t need a car and it’s fairly easy to get around. If you are into wine, of course no visit would be complete without a trip to Napa or Sonoma.

How to sound like a local…Don’t ever call San Francisco: Frisco or San Fran. Locals refer to San Francisco as “SF” or “The City”.

Hella – Use hella in place of “really” or “very” when describing something.

This city guide is taking a hella long time to write.

NorCal – a way to refer to northern California.

SoCal – a way to refer to southern California

Additional Links

San Francisco Festival & Events – list of festivals and events throughout the year

Yelp.com – business reviews site that is popular with bay area residents

SFstation – city guide to entertainment and the arts

Fun & Cheap SF – listings for free or cheap events in and around the city

Fecalface.com – comprehensive bay area arts guide

Laughingsquid.com – coverage of lesser known alternative events in the bay area.

Craigslist.org – free classified ad listings for the bay area and beyond.

*I was actually kidding about the hippies. They have all retreated into the woodlands of NorCal and Oregon after being chased out by yuppies and replaced by hipsters.

Joy Suthigoseeya is a freelance graphic designer living in San Francisco. She attributes her love for travel to her parents who towed her and her sisters around on dozens of family roadtrips across the US as kids. She just recently completed a 6 month around-the-world trip in 2008. When she’s not traveling she can be found blogging at designchick.tumblr.com or creating artwork for her online portfolio at designchick.net.