Savvy travelers probably know these things, but I know some who are still behind the curve and going abroad soon. So here’s an update: Though many report having no problems at all using their US mag-stripe cards and ordinary ATM cards abroad, make sure your credit or debit card has a smart chip. The global...

Being at the end of a four months stint across most of Northern India, I feel obliged to share a bit of technical tips to make your trip in this kaleidoscopic country a bit less daunting , and much more rewarding. As the biggest problem in India is the human number, the crowds and the...

Warning for men: if talk about female cycles makes you uncomfortable or queasy I’d suggest you skip this post! ************* Ladies, we can’t all live in the remaining hunter-gatherer cultures where ones menstrual cycle is a sacred celebration. Nor are we still band from our own households for three days like the old laws in...

This article is the sixth in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 , Post # 2 , Post #3 , Post #4 and Post #5 In my last post I concluded that vans are the ideal...

Hitchiking, working our way around the world or couchsurfing are all good ways to save some money on the road, but being able to travel without spending anything has always seemed impossible to me. As Anna recently posted, we may get free flights with credit cards’ air miles ; however, as far as I know,...

As independent travelers we discuss the best light weight gear or how to save pennies. But what about something that weights nothing and can’t be bought: common sense. Like, pavement is more slippery when wet. Rolling down the highway earlier today, I recalled a lesson my Grandfather taught my mother. “Drive five miles slower when...

Let’s face it, finding time and discipline to write well on the road can be really, really tough. Traveling takes a lot of mental stamina. At the end of a long day, once you’ve found a dinner and settled into the hostel, the last thing you have the mental juice for is thoughtful writing about...

This article is the fifth in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 , Post # 2 , Post #3 and Post #4 In the past article of this series I gave a spotlight on the major...

A few weeks ago, Marcus Sortijas published an interesting piece on Vagabonding describing the Couchsurfing experience in the United States. As I am a Couchsurfing aficionado and have travelled more than 10 Asian countries using it, I would like to spend some words describing how this beautiful service works in another side of the world....

Yesterday I came across this article that addressed updating Child Labor Laws in America. And tried desperately to wrap my brain around a logical explanation, why restricting youths from agricultural involvement was a good idea. After a period of extreme frustration with the absurdity of the issue; I settled with the fact at its core,...

This article is the fourth in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 , Post # 2 and Post #3 In the last article of this series I mentioned that a band may decide to book their...

This article is the third in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 and Post # 2 In the previous posts I have described how to prepare yourself to find shows and thus increase your performing experience....

Last week I talked about road trips; but another more eco-friendly way, with a hint of old-fashioned charm, is to travel by train. Check out more reasons. The World Train Travel Guide provides a break down, by continent, and has up-to-date news and deals. If you’re interested in exploring the U.S.A., the direct Amtrak site...

Exploring the world is a treat at any time of year, but a traveler is especially lucky to take part in local celebration. Whether watching la Semana Santa parade from a Valencia balcony or firing super soakers for Thailand's Songkran festival, nothing beats the awe-inspiring experience of participating in local fete. Holidays give the traveler...

Cost/day: $0.8/day Guyana isn’t really that cheap. However, if you’re creative and have some skills, anything is possible. I worked at Dadanawa Cattle Ranch for two and a half months in exchange for food and board. Most of my money went towards toiletries, insect repellant and beer. Being frugal was easy because the nearest town...

The essence of travel writing resides in the stories we live on the road: from the narratives of greats such as Chatwin, Theroux, Darlymple and others, to the tiny weblogs of your latest holidays, we are surrounded by more travel literature than what we can possibly consume. Some of it provides outstanding quality and catches...

A decade ago gas was 98 cents a gallon. I took a three month sabbatical from my job, rolled down the windows, cranked up the song “ Life is a Highwa y” and with my dog riding shot gun, hit the open road. “Do it while your young.” people kept saying me. I skipped stones...

This article is the second in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. (Read the series’ introduction and Post#1) In my last article I was stressing on the necessity to improve your bands’ live performance by playing as many shows as possible ....

This article is the first in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it (Read the series’ introduction ) To be able to travel with your music, and I mean being able to get paid – even a tiny bit – to play, one...

Most people will never understand the thrill of being on a stage because, actually, they have never been. That complex array of mixed emotions, gut feeling and embarrassment which sometimes spawns some of the World’s greatest awesomeness may be related to travel in many ways. As I previously wrote , by bringing an instrument on...