Volcanic Dangers: Why It Has to Be Avoided

The Iceland Eyjafjallajökull volcano is causing havoc with everything from flowers from Kenya not being sold to British students not being able to get back to school. With losses in the millions per day, the fear is that some of the weaker airlines may not be able to survive the lost revenue much longer. That and the fact there are so many people still stranded may be forcing the airlines to try to force the EU to open up the skies to traffic.

But past experiences with planes and volcanic ash show that engines can be shut down from the debris in the air. The last thing any passenger wants to hear is silence on a plane. In other words, NOT hearing the engines running.

Your plane turns into a GIANT GLIDER…

Iceland Volcano Spews Consonants and Vowels

If you wondered how to pronounce the name of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, you can hear people butcher it and then the last sound bite has a native Icelander saying it correctly.

Eyjafjallajökull = EY-ya-fyat-lah-YOH-kuht – try saying that fast 10 times

Travel Video of the Week
Swimmer Mugged by Octopus for Camera
Man freediving in New Zealand, minding his own business, when his underwater camera is literally ripped from his hands by an octopus. Me, I would have about said let the octopus have the camera, but this guy is able to get it back without harm to himself or the animal. He narrates the action with text and music.

Paris on a Shoestring

Fantastic ideas for the ‘City of Light’. Free dance and theater, inexpensive accommodations, a pretty complete list of things to see and do without the expected cost

Don’t let bag fees make you nostalgic. Airlines’ golden age wasn’t so golden.

Adjusting for inflation, a $168 NY to LA flight in 1959 would cost over $1200 in 2010. Flights to even popular destinations were hard to come by back then. And yet we still complain about air travel (I raise my hand as being one of those people). But just goes to show that everything is relative and people will complain when they don’t know how far we’ve come in terms of air travel in 50 years.

Though Current Tourists to Bangkok Have Lambasted Me for My Worries About Safety, I Continue to Have Those Fears

Arthur Frommer responds to the criticism that I and other bloggers heaped on him about his recommendation to avoid Thailand at all costs. He stands by his advice and says that violence could break out at any time. This is very true but it has been like that in Thailand for the past few years. The situation in Thailand is not going to change anytime soon. So when would he recommend going back there? Never?

Flight Memory

Fellow travel blogger Fly Brother put me on to this site. You put in your travel info and it calculates distance traveled, airlines and types of planes used and puts it all on printable maps. Very cool resource for the travel geek in you.

Struggling with Sexual Harassment by Egyptian Men

An American ex-pat in Egypt relays her tales of being harrassed by men in Egypt on a constant basis. I went to Cairo with a tour back in 2007 and didn’t notice anything except when we went to Giza and the security guards were being a little overzealous talking to a married member of the tour, with her husband right there!

But this is a real issue that I’m not sure Egypt can address because it is more cultural than anything else.

Any ladies who have been to Egypt would like to chime in on your experiences there?

20 Ideal Day or Seasonal Jobs for Travel Writers

The title of this article really should have been “How You Can Make Money While Traveling” because many of these ideas are not just for writers.
How about diplomat? Chef? Cruise ship musician? Or you can go for the old tried and true method – English as a Second Language teacher.

What Not To Do In New York City

A nice list of the famous tourist spots in the Big Apple and alternatives that most people never thought of. I especially like the list of film shoots around the city. Maybe you can get a glimpse of yourself in a motion picture or meet a movie star. That would be a novel way to spend time.

Best Travel Deals and News – April 20, 2010 – How Do You Pronounce Eyjafjallajökull, Sexual Harassment in Egypt, Arthur Frommer and Thailand is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

The last week or so has seen a number of blog posts written about being away from home for the holidays. In fact I recently saw the movie ‘Four Christmases’, about a couple that takes off every year to a new exotic locale for the holidays because they don’t want to be around their dysfunctional relatives.

I take the tack that being away one year or even multiple years is great.

Because you come back and appreciate your family and friends when you get back.

Take me for example. This time last year, I was on the other side of the planet…

Tokyo for Election Night 2008

On a plane to Hong Kong on Thanksgiving

In Macau for my birthday

Ethiopia for Christmas

London for New Year’s and

Paris for the Obama inauguration

Were there times I got lonely on the trip? I can’t say I did. I was too engrossed with the trip and experiencing everything that I didn’t notice that I wasn’t with my relatives. But I still had ways to be connected with others on these special days.

I remember heading to the phone shacks of Addis Ababa to call my parents on Christmas.

I was with my aunt, uncle and cousins in London. In Paris I connected with ex-pats watching the inauguration. Same during Election Night ’08 in Tokyo. Spending huge bucks in Macau was fun when I had cool people to hang out with. So you find a way to enjoy yourself, just like you would/should ANY OTHER DAY when traveling.

Being home this year, I take more joy in being with my family since I wasn’t with them last year. Mom’s sweet potato pie tastes better. Watching football on Thanksgiving – priceless. You remember what you had before and glad to be home to experience it again.

Best Gift You Can Give – Is To Not Be There?!?! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Travel News and Deals – September 22, 2009 – Volunteer To Travel. Travel Mishaps, Secret Paris, Homestays For A Better Trip is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

If you know any great travel stories or tips we all should read, please send it to me and I will put an acknowledgment of your contribution in the posting.

Love hotel business zooms despite downturn

Someone I met at the hostel in Tokyo stayed in a love hotel. Said it was cool for a night, but not for an extended stay. The prices quotes in the article were a little high compared to the ones I saw when I was there. Another reason I love Japan and all its ‘quirkiness.’

Thailand’s “Banana Pancake Trail” and 5 Insider Tips for Escaping it

Everyone is reading the same guidebook you are. Then you get all the tourists in the same spot because it was highly recommended by the guidebook. Meanwhile you don’t see any locals and all the prices are raised because tourists frequent the spot. Get off the beaten path, not just in Thailand, but anywhere you go.

Pamplona: Spain’s morning run

Some great pics and video on the running of the bulls. The article gives the historical significance of the festival. Oh, you thought it was just men and women running for the lives every year and that was it? Nope there is actually some meaning behind all of it. This year someone was gored and killed, but that didn’t stop people from running in front of and behind ‘Los Toros’ the next day.

Crash survivors need counseling more than their luggage

USAirways went above and beyond to recover the personal items lost in the Hudson. But some are saying what is more important is the psychological and emotional trauma of the flight. I’m going to stick up for the airlines now: When does their responsibility end to the passenger, especially when the accident was not caused by anything USAirways did or did not do?

Blog Your Way to Antarctica

Another contest, this time submit your photo and you can be selected to go on a cruise to Antarctica.

Ready to ditch Your Credit Card? Not So Fast

The news reporters who have on combat helmet and body armor in a war zone for a living would probably have some great ideas on travel.

Travel News and Deals – July 14, 2009 – Free Trip to Antarctica, Tokyo Love Hotels, Running With the Bulls, Budget Paris is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

One of NoDebtWorldTravel.com’s loyal readers, TJ, took off on a trip to Europe in the last few weeks. Using some of the information he found here, he had a great time.

Here is his field report from London and Paris.

Where did you go and how did you decide to go there?

Me and a friend took a week and went to London and Paris. Our planned trip to Egypt was called off due to the kidnapping of several tourists there. We started kicking around ideas and decided on London and Paris. Neither of us had ever been to Europe and we figured those two cities would be a great place to start our European adventures.

Prior to this trip, the only time I left the country was to go to the Caribbean or Mexico. Oh I did journey to Kiribati once, but that’s another story.

How long was your trip?

8 days and 7 nights

Did you use hostels? What were your criteria for choosing the ones you stayed at?

We chose to stay in semi- budget hotels instead of hostels. Melody made it clear she had to have at least three star accommodations. We compromised. I chose a two star Holiday Inn Express in London, and a supposed three star regular Holiday Inn in Paris. We established a lodging budget and pretty much met it.

What are two MUST see sights that everyone reading this should visit?

The MUST see sights of the trip were the Eiffel Tower, a Seine River Cruise and standing in the middle of the Champs Elysee looking towards the Arc de Triomphe. A West End theatre experience and the free museums of London should not be missed.

Any funny, interesting people you met along the way? In the airport, on the streets, cab drivers, at the museums, etc?

We met an Australian backpacker named Kylie in Paris. She was traveling Europe for a year before going home to work and save money for her next sojourn. While backpacking she had managed to drop almost eighty pounds!! For her next trip she plans on backpacking all the way to Alaska.

We also met a crepe vendor on the street. He loved Obama and actually talked us to death about politics and anything else he could.

There was a hotel clerk who demanded we speak French. So I spoke English with a French accent to him.

I wanted to speak with a runner who “hit the wall” during the London marathon. He was in distress and I didn’t think it would be in proper taste to ask him what happened.

Anything people should be wary of, warned about, stay away from?

London appeared to be very clean and safe. We chose the tube or bus for all transportation. I felt safe the whole time.

The Wimbledon tour and museum were nice but should have been a lot better. It’s a private club, so gift shop prices are high and access to the club is very limited. Unless you are a tennis fan (I am) it can be skipped.

In Paris just beware. We again chose the subway for all our transportation needs. I never felt threatened. However, a cab driver wanted to charge us 80 Euro to go from Gare du Nord to Gare de L’est. It was less than a mile and only one stop on the subway for 1,60 Euro.

Beware of the Gypsy woman. If she asks do you speak English, just keep walking. If you say yes, she starts begging for money. If you say no, she starts begging for money.

Beware of the friendship bracelet. If someone offers to tie some string around your wrist because you are a friend……u really are a friend because they will demand money. Actually, this scam is interesting and I should have tried to speak with one of the purveyors.

Final words of advice?

If you have a desire to travel, plan your trip and just do it. The internet is marvelous for planning. Don’t let your excuses overtake you. It is true where there is a will, there is a way. The world doesn’t begin and end in the US. It begins and ends in NYC. LOL….just playing.

Every year for the past umpteen years I have wanted to go to Europe. For the record I am the de facto travel agent for my friends. They are always calling me to book trips and find fares for them. However, I never would plan the trip I wanted to take to Europe. I always found a reason not to go. The exchange rate is bad. I have no travel companion. I don’t speak the language. I wouldn’t know what to do. I am scared. My momma is scared for me. My daddy said I was forbidden to go. Yeah he said it, and I am very grown!!!

Finally, this was the year I was going to make it happen. When Africa got canceled, I knew I was still going to take a trip and Las Vegas and another Caribbean cruise was not on my agenda this time.

I don’t know what is in store for a major trip next year. Some friends have asked me to plan a group trip to Hawaii. Melody wants to go to Rio and Bahia. Our African connection is planning two journeys to the continent. All of those are good and I may do one or more of them. If they don’t work out, they just don’t. I have a bucket list of places to visit and I will just pick one or two and travel there. If a friend comes along, cool. If not, so be it. London and Paris stoked the fire of desire for travel. I have no intention on letting that flame extinguish.

Paris and London Field Report from a Loyal Reader is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

First let me say our get together in New York City last night was incredible! Those of you who missed it, I am sorry you did.

I’ll have pictures of that over the weekend. If you were there, please send your pictures to me asap and I can incorporate them into any future blog posts.

One topic brought up last night by last by loyal reader Nicole and her friend Sylvia was staying in hostels.

The dorm room style with multiple beds is not the only option in hostels. You CAN have a single room, all to yourself, with a private bathroom in a hostel! Just depends on the hostel you pick.

Two advantages over hotels:

A single in a hostel can still be cheaper than a 3 star hotel…with the same amenities. Anywhere from 20%-60% cheaper.…even more.

The hostel has the advantage of being able to make quick friends and providing resources for cheap or even free activities and events, like tours, museums, bars, clubs, etc.

So don’t throw out hostels because you don’t want to have 5-10 people breathing your air at night. There are other ways to save costs and be COMFORTABLE in a hostel.

Some more places I’ve stayed in:

This is St. Christopher’s Inn in Paris. I stayed here for about $30US a night. A new hostel, just opened in the last year, you can tell they took the mistakes of other hostels and learned from them.

They had a bar/restaurant on the ground floor of the building and free WiFi. Free breakfast (toast, coffee) included. No kitchen for your own cooking.

The lockers that hold your valuables are under the bed and can be locked with a combination lock. They make a lot of noise when you pull them out and open them so you will disturb others if you need something when everyone else is asleep. I affectionately call them “shark cages”.

In Athens I was at a hostel called Athenstyle for about $26US a night. Very nice place and since Athens was quiet (except for the protesting farmers!) I had the 4 bed hostel room to myself for the 5 days I was there. Only thing: 5 Euro ($6.33US) to wash one load of clothes! Too, too much Athenstyle!

They provided free breakfast (toast, coffee) had a full kitchen for cooking your own meals and a rec room downstairs for playing pool and screening movies.
This type of room is called an ‘ensuite’ because the bathroom is in the room. Meaning you don’t have to walk down a cold hallway half naked with your towel and toothbrush.

Claudio, a cool Italian from Milan working at Athenstyle. You’ll find that most of the people working at hostels in Europe are not locals, but travelers who decided to stay in a foreign country and found work at hostels. Definitely adds to the international flavor when you’re in Greece and the guy who checks you in is from Italy, Argentina, Canada, etc.

If You Are Nervous About Staying in Hostels…. is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Before we get full on into Amsterdam, a few things about Paris…

The French are not THAT rude. There are a few among them that give them a bad name.

The French need to curb their dogs more. There were all these little doogie landmines all over the streets of Paris. Apparently they don’t like to pick it up.

Hey Parisians, you can pick up your dog’s poop. It will not kill you.

One thing that surprised me: How antiquated the subway system is. On doors on certain lines of the Metro, the PASSENGERS have to open the doors themselves at every stop. Before I realized this I would be waiting at the door, wondering why it doesn’t open and then someone would push past me and open the door by pushing a green button or lifting a latch.

They are so used to it, I saw some people opening the door while the train was still moving coming into the station.

But beyond all the little stuff had a great time in Paris and would go back again. Tracy, if you see my cell number on your phone you know why!

I went to the Louvre and totally forget the Mona Lisa was there. Here is it!

Kind of disappointing isn’t it? It is much smaller in person. The TV always makes the Mona Lisa seem like a huge, 5 foot tall painting. Certainly not the case. It sits behind protective glass because no matter how many times they tell people not to take pictures, they still do. So the glass blocks the camera flashes that could degrade the paint.

Crowds looking at the Mona Lisa. I think it’s funny. Why is this painting so famous? You don’t even know do you? I’m still not sure myself, and I was there.

But don’t go to the Louvre for the Mona Lisa. It has 35,000 pieces of art and antiquities on display so there is something for everyone. You can spend two weeks there and still not see everything. Amazing! I spent 3 hours in there and I was done. I focused the Egyptian and Greek items. I always find that stuff fascinating.

Also went to the Rodin Museum, where I saw the ORIGINAL 2 foot tall “The Thinker” statue and the much larger version that sits outside the museum. Even took a picture with it.

Don’t worry, the baby in the stroller and the toddler wandering into my shot were both claimed by their respective parents…

Last Thoughts on Paris – And See the Mona Lisa is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

The Eiffel Tower, for 10 minutes at the start of every hour, has flashing bulbs that sparkles all along the length of the tower.

A view of the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe, another famous Parisian landmark.

And if you never heard of the Arc de Triomphe, that’s OK. Got a picture right here for you. It was commissioned to be built by Napoleon Bonaparte (NOT Dynamite) in 1806 after the French victory at Austerlitz. Notice the intricate carvings in the sides of the structure. It is much more impressive in person than a picture can portray.

How do you save money in Paris? Buy your baguette like all Parisians, and have some cheese and meat with it.

More From Paris is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

The best thing about this trip is the people. Not just the new people, but the ‘old’ people you haven’t seen in years.

The Eiffel Tower is the quintessential landmark in Paris. You CAN’T come here and not see it. People would think you are crazy.

Combine those two elements and you get:

My trip to the Eiffel Tower was spent with Tracy, a person I had not seen since we went to college together waaaaay back when. Thru the magic of the Internet we reconnected and it just so happens that Tracy is working on her degree and doing a semester abroad. She just got here LAST WEEK. Isn’t that convenient? So I contacted Tracy and we made plans to go see the Eiffel Tower at night.

The Tower at night, at least for me, is way better than the daytime.

Every hour after sundown the whole tower lights up and there are huge lights beams that project out from the tower’s top, almost like a light house beacon, or the Star Wars Death Star. It can be seen from miles around, and I actually saw it first from the Basilica when taking the Montmarte tour with Phillip..

We went straight to the top of the tower and while one side of the open deck tower is serene with no wind, the other side feels like you’ve stepped into tropical storm winds. Tracy and I had a hard time taking pictures. Tracy’s career as a brain surgeon is not going to fly since she could not keep her hands steady! At least I got one good shot of her…

That’s what we do at nodebtworldtravel.com – Bring smiles to people all over the world

After the tower we went to a local cafe and shared a crepe. A crepe is a thin pancake, similar to the injera of Ethiopia.

Before she dug into it, she realized that I take pictures of everything and stopped herself before destroying this French culinary masterpiece. All I remember was that it had ice cream, coconut and chocolate.

Death Star beams from the Eiffel Tower

Thanks Tracy for making this part of my trip that much more fun!

Tracy and the Eiffel Tower Death Rays! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

I sat in my hostel for 7 hours straight, (no potty breaks!) watching Barack Hussein Obama on CNN International become the 44th President of the United States of America.

There were a few other Americans here, and we had a toast when Obama officially became President and we actually stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

But what would President Obama say today:

Yesterday we celebrated. But now back to work.

Yes Mr. President, I hear you….I’m getting back to “work”….

Phillip the tour guide offered another tour later on that night in the Montmarte section of Paris. This tour was only about 15 people so it was much more manageable for Phillip and didn’t require him to yell as much. We met at the real Moulin Rouge, the one the movie and play are based on. This tour was 10 Euros ($13US) and lasted about 2 1/2 hours.

Basilica Sacre Couer (Sacred Heart) – This church has one of the best views of Paris

One of the few last windmills in Paris. It does not work anymore but still a pretty sight in a metropolitan city

Lapin Agile, the cafe where Picasso, as a starving artist, traded paintings for food from the owner. When Picasso became famous, the owner was able to retire very rich, because he had a huge collection of Picasso paintings.

A full list of sights on the Montmarte Tour is here

You see sights and take pictures, but you really don’t start to FEEL them until you understand their interesting stories and circumstances that bring them into prominence. That why when I go back to London I’ll take the Free Tour, even though I’ve seen most of the sights on my own already.

Again great fun. Afterward the Phillip buys everyone on tour a drink…and I was the only one who took him up on it. So he and I had sat in a cafe, drank a beer and traded travel stories. I can do that now!

Down a side street in Montmarte

What Barack Obama Told Me to Do is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel