#there’s no bus in my area. no taxi service. there’s exactly 10 people in my village who have a license. I can’t go grocery shopping.

[bruciemilf]

I can’t explain how fucking inconvenient a lack of local transport is

#here’s the thing. I’m a 21 year old. I don’t drive. I don’t want to drive. not because I have the expectation that #ppl should drive me everywhere. but because I’m unbiasedly aware I’d be a danger to myself and others if I ever got behind a wheel #ok? ok. that means I’m greatly limited to what a person my age — a person settled into an urban environment- is #there’s no bus in my area. no taxi service. there’s exactly 10 people in my village who have a license. I can’t go grocery shopping. #I can’t run errands. I can’t get issues solved. delivery places won’t deliver in my area because the distance is too big #just. GOD. It’s so fucking frustratating watching politicians— my policitians especially— throw their money on stupid shit #when the community structure is barely holding on to life. so fucking enraged #rant #text

[dearchuchu]

Long version.

I'm going to assume anyone who wants the long version is going to read the short version. So I'll skip what was covered there and go into the details.

I had mini bottles, but I drank them all by dinner time with the idea I would just pick up some more for the long flight in San Fransisco. The closest liquor store was about a mile and a half away from our hotel out by the airport, and Mandy, who didn't know my plan didn't like my plan. She also didn't like that I drank my mini bottles that were for the big flight. I always planned on this, but neglected to tell her.

An Uber to the liquor store was 7 dollars one way. Man San Fransisco is expensive. I told Mandy, who was not happy with the idea of spending 14 dollars to go buy mini bottles that I already had (and drank), to go spend MORE money on MORE mini bottles. I, however disagreed.

I decided, it's only a mile and a half, I'll walk. 50 minutes or so, no big deal. Mandy wasn't keen on that idea, but it was much cheaper than Uber. Then I remembered, "Wait, didn't bird start here?" Yes the scooter company bird is in San Fransisco. I said, "I'll just scoot up there!" Alas, no bird scooters out by the airport hotels. Then I remembered I have lime on my phone too! So I loaded up the lime app, and sure enough, there was a lime scooter on my way!

I located the lime, and it's a bike. I think, "that's fine, biking will still cut off at least half the time!" I unlock it, and the lights don't work. It's night time now, so it's dark. I thought, "Wow, this isn't very safe. You'd think lime would have lights on their bikes." I ride up to the liquor store, which ended up being in a nice section of suburban San Francisco. Once in the well lit area I noticed the bike said "ebike" on it, and I saw the motor for pedal assist. It turns out the lime I got was a lemon. It did have lights, the bike was just broken.

I get my WAY overpriced mini bottles, and then look for another bike, this one, hopefully not broken. I find one quickly, and it works great, lights and everything. Let me just say this, pedal assist bikes are super fun! I flew on the way back to the hotel! If you get a chance, ride one, the motor does all the work for you! I even made Mandy try it when I got back to the hotel. She had to admit, even as someone that doesn't enjoy riding bikes, it was pretty cool.

We both get a crappy night sleep, then eat a pretty good hotel breakfast, then off to the airport. Customs was stressful, as it always is, but the agents were in good spirits, because the TSA in San Fransisco is ran by a private company, so they are still getting paid despite the government shutdown. We find our gate, and get the last few things that we need to do online done before leaving the country for a while. Mandy doing work, me looking at cat memes.

Finally we board our plane, we're all set to go, and we sit. Then we sit. We sit some more, then we sit. Then Mandy points out it's been an hour and we haven't moved. No word from the captain, no word from the crew. Just an hour straight of sitting in a tarmac. The guy next to us, which was clearly flying internationally for the first time asked a passing stewardess, "Hey, what's going on? When are we taking off?" And she said "10 minute." Which is obviously bullshit.

We have a friend who works for Delta, and since we're still on the ground in America, we could still contact her, so we gave her the old "What's going on?" text. She looked into it, bad wind off the coast, Delta flights are delayed by 45 minutes. We watched several planes from several other providers take off, or taxi right behind us. We just sat. It was an hour and fifty minutes before we started moving. The FAA says that after 2 hours they have to provide you with a meal. They got in JUST under the buzzer.

I have no idea why we sat there. There was no work being done, no repairs. Delta got all their flights out in 45 minutes. There we sat. The captain never said a word. The staff said nothing. The only reason we knew anything is we have a friend in the industry. We flew China Eastern, for the record. This was strike one.

We get up in the air, and about two hours later they served our meal, 4 hours after getting on the plane. I could tell the service was going to suck, so I asked for a glass of wine, and a beer, and the flight attendant looked like I just kicked his dog. TWO drinks at the same time? Impossible. He did it, but you could tell it bothered him. I'm personally super glad I did.

The food comes after the drinks and the same guy starts handing us food, and we are like, "Woah buddy, what are the options?" This is when it becomes clear none of the staff speaks English. I mean enough for one to two words here or there, but clearly no real grasp of English. Strike two. He responds "Pork fried rice." Now if any of you are unaware, I haven't been eating pork. It's actually been well over a year, almost two now. I've made one or two exceptions, but those were always my decision.

Mandy says, "What about chicken?" He says "No. Pork fried rice." Luckily for me, I already decided I was going to eat pork on this trip, because the Philippines LOVE pork. In fact, in the first hour of being here we already saw a whole pig roasting on a pit in someone's back yard. What's important here is that I had already decided I could eat pork. I didn't want to on the plane, but with a 12 hour flight (14 with the delay), I had no options. Literally. Now the vegetarian behind me... He had quite a bit less options. I think he just didn't eat. Strike three.

It's important to note when we asked for our wine, he used the small cup, and poured a half pour. He also just had a sour expression on his face when he delt with us. I say "he" because we only delt with one guy for the whole flight. He then turned to the Chinese people across the row from us chatted them up enthusiastically, got out a big cup, and filled it up with wine. To the top. Mandy and I looked at each other like, "Are you seeing this shit?" First overt sign of racism, and that's a strike four.

After lunch, they got our trash, and no staff was to be seen or heard of again for four hours. No water. No snacks. Nothing. So in the 8 hours we were on the plane so far we got one shitty meal (did I mention it was horrible?) One glass of wine each, and one can of beer. At the 8 hour mark they came around with water, and we got yet again, the small glass, and a half pour... Of water. The Chinese people got full pours in big glasses. Strike five.

Two hours after our water (which after that first water, they came by on the hour with water) they brought out no doubt the shittiest sandwich I've ever seen in my life. I'm not exaggerating. This sandwich was, a half a piece of bread, with a meat we couldn't identify, no sauce, another half price of bread, then a wilted piece of lettuce the size of a half dollar, that I would have definitely thrown away in my kitchen, no sauce, then another half piece of bread. We were pretty sure this was going to be our last meal on the plane, and we debated eating it or not... But decided we would risk food poisoning because WE HAD NO OTHER OPTIONS. Strike six.

Two hours after that, about an hour from landing they come around with another meal, much to our surprise. Our dude comes up to us and just started to put a food tray on Mandy's lap (I was in the bathroom) she had to ask, "what is this?" And he said "pork" and she said, "Do I not get any options? Is that all there is? Just fried rice pork?" I'm walking up as he goes, "omelet." She says in her SUPER sweet "Fuck you" voice, "Yeah I'll have the omelet then." As I sit down I say, "Yeah I'll have the same. Also can I get a beer?" He just says "No." And pushed the cart away. Ok. Strike seven.

The omelette was covered with greasy soggy bacon. I thought to myself, "good thing I'm ok with this. Poor vegetarian behind me." My guess is, he just didn't eat. For 14 hours. Also, they made Mandy and myself raise our seats to upright while we ate, not the people in front of us, or any other other Chinese people. Outright racism. When they were breaking down the trash, our guy walks by me with an empty beer can from a couple rows up of, you guessed it, Chinese people. It dawned on me he never said, "No, we're out of beer" which is what I assumed. He just said "No." Blatant racism. Strike eight.

Had I not brought mini bottles, I would have been provided with one beer, and one half of a small cup of wine (about a quarter of a glass) for a 14 hour plane ride. Fucking ridiculous. Unacceptable. I will never in my life ride on China Eastern. I will tell everyone who will listen to me to never ride on China Eastern. Don't ride on China Eastern. Don't give them money. Their staff is racist towards white people. It's understandable if you have a domestic Chinese flight to have your staff not speak English, but if the flight originated in the USA, they should at least be able to answer simple questions.

If for some reason this should end up in front of someone at China Eastern, I don't want free rides, just fix your shit.

So we land, we're at the back of the plane, and our bags are no where near us. This is because the plane is full of people that are carrying 3 to 4 carry on "bags" and cramming shit in the overhead that doesn't belong. We decided to just wait it out and keep an eye on our bags until everyone gets done. The Chinese in my experience push and shove, and don't make lines. This is exactly what happened. They push and shove to be the first to get off the plane, to push and shove to be the first on a bus to take us to the terminal. Mandy and I calmly collect our belongings, and get on the bus patiently, and then the doors close, and we head to the terminal. Golf clap for the Chinese. Well played.

Even though we aren't leaving the terminal, we still have to go through customs in China, which consists of 1 getting your finger prints scanned. 2 scanning your ticket and passport, and 3 going to the terminal. There are self finger print scanners at the beginning of the airport, but literally no one uses them. I say "hey Mandy, shouldn't we scan our fingerprints?" She says, "nobody else is, there's probably more further on." There weren't. I said, "Just because everyone is passing it up doesn't mean they are all right." We debated for a second, then just went on with everyone else. Not ideal.

Meanwhile there are passport control people running through the crowd shouting "MANILA MANILA 10 MINUTES THEY SHUT GATE MANILA MANILA!" See, since our plane was 2 hours late, everyone going to Manila was going to miss their flight. This led to the unorganized shit show we expected in China. People NOT going to Manila started running behind these people. Everyone followed into the self serve line, none of them had their fingerprint scans. You can't use self checkout without the receipt from your fingerprint scans. Manila was being let through without it, because they were literally missing their flight. Quickly the agent figured out the entire line eventually was just people blindly running after them, none of them had the correct information, and none of them could go through.

One by one, after waiting through about 30 minutes in self check out, people were sent back to the back of the line to check in with an officer. The fingerprint scanner was in a section that once you left, you couldn't go back in there. It seems logical if you don't think about it.

The check out by a person line takes about an hour. They were randomly letting people skip the fingerprint just to keep the line moving at self check out, that line was shorter, so we tried to see if maybe they would randomly let us through. They did not. They scanned our face, scanned our passport, scanned our ticket, then pointed to the back of the line.

At no point did anyone try to explain what was going on, in English, or Chinese. This could have saved people (read us) at least an hour. "If you have fingerprint, line here, no fingerprint, line here" is that hard? When we finally get to customs (again) they... Wait for it.. take my picture, scan my ticket, scan my passport, and then tell me to go in to the terminal. They did NOT get my fingerprints. They did NOT stamp my passport. Seriously. You can't make this shit up. They made me wait in line for an hour to do the thing they already did, but then just wouldn't let me in.

Now for security. First, we notice no one is taking their shoes off, and Mandy asks me, "Do we have to take our shoes off?" And I go, "I don't think so" and when we get up she asks, "Do we have to take our shoes off?" And the lady said "Yes. Shoes off." Literally a Chinese couple in front of us is going through the metal detector with shoes on. Mandy goes, "They're wearing shoes" and this woman from the people's republic of China looks Mandy in the eyes and says, "No they aren't."

"No they aren't." Let that sink in.

So we take off our shoes. I have 2 of my 6 mini bottles left, which they pull out, say something to the other people in Chinese, and then laugh. I think it was good hearted, but, I don't know the language. We make it through, or so I think, until one guy goes, "Take out power pack." I'm like "Oh, yeah I forgot that in my pack. Sure here." He looks it over, flips it around, and says, "No. You can not take." I'm like "Seriously? Why not? I flew here with that. I've flown all over the world with that!" And he says "I can't tell how strong it is, it's not printed." Which is true, because it's been rubbed off from use. The technical info isn't on there. I used that battery 5 days a week for work. It's been on 4 continents. I've flown with it countless times. Now it's stuck in China.

Mandy got super pissed and started to go off, and I stopped her and said, "It's not worth it. We'll have to get another one." China is not a free state. They don't have freedom of speech. The last thing I want is for this to escalate at all. I just said, "Keep it." And we left it. There was no reason for him to confiscate it. At all. I've never had anyone ever even glance at it. Ever. In any country. Ever. Except racist ass China.

At this point, we just wanted to get the fuck out of China. So this is my final point about China.. I kinda wanted to go at some point, Mandy kind of didn't want to go. Traveling with the Chinese, they are rude, pushy, inconsiderate, don't follow any local customs, they let their kids piss and shit in the street (I've seen it multiple times), and they just suck in general. These are my observations from traveling with the Chinese abroad. Traveling with them on their home turf, turns out they are racist against me as well. That being said, thanks but no thanks. China is officially off my list of countries I will visit. I now have absolutely no desire to go to China. We will never ride any Chinese airline ever again, no matter how good the ticket price. I'll never pay someone to treat me like a piece of shit.

Anywho, we have a bit of a panic getting on our last flight to the Philippines because our gate had only our flight on it, and they randomly closed it. We didn't know what time it was in China, and there were no clocks in the airport (which is insane). We went to get a drink, and our flight was a 9:20. At the restaurant we went to they said, "No food, just drinks" we said, "Ok we will do drinks." She said ok, the we ordered two Johnny Walker blacks, the lady then said, "No. Only beer." And I'm looking at the bottle with my eyes, and we're like, "uhhhh" she then said, we "We close at 9. Only beer." Which were 6 dollars for VERY blah Chinese beers. No thanks.

Well, now we're thinking it's like 5 till or something, then we see our gate is closed, and they're people going dowm an escalator towards our gate, towards our plane. We panic a little, then a bilingual girl comes up, and she straight up goes into full panic. "The gates are closed!" Then some Chinese. She takes off, we follow, she finds someone who works at the airport, hurried Chinese speech, then she takes off, we follow her. She's trying to find a way to that escalator, we are too. She gets us pretty worked up... Finally I'm like, "I'm just going to turn on my phone for a second for it to update to Shang Hai time." it connects... It's 8:18. After running around.

Yet again, we close at 9, so we can't serve you anything but beer... At our restaurant. Racist bullshit.

We get on the plane, no TV on this one, so 4 hours of silence. Everyone tried to sleep anyways. Everyone on this flight was on a similar ordeal as we were. Everyone used China as a layover, so they are all as exhausted as we are. When we land the plane erupts in laughter and applause. We made it. We fucking made it.

Well, to the Philippines. We still had a bit to go to get to our island... For sure. I'll post the rest of the long version later.

[bradshawfrost36-blog]

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[memsmedic1]

Final Days in Asia (May 24, 2019-June 10, 2019)

Back in February, soon after my divemaster internship had started in fact, I was asked if I would consider going to Africa for the summer to help a doctor named Dr. Tosimo, who has been running a small rural clinic in Ethiopia for the past 26 years.

I was already familiar with this doctor because she was the one who had developed the curriculum for the remote medicine training I had taken in North Carolina in preparation for moving to Myanmar. I had been asked at that time also if I could go assist at her clinic but as I was already committed to Myanmar I had to decline. Now however, as my time in Southeast Asia was winding down this would be the perfect opportunity to go and help. The doctor has a semi-permanent assistant now who she had found after they asked me the first time, but she was needing to return to the States for a few months during the upcoming summer and someone was needed to fill in for her.

After expressing my interest to help and corresponding with the doctor and M-EMS for several weeks I was accepted and all set to fly to Ethiopia on June 10th.

On May 24th I went diving for the last time. I was planning on leaving Krabi on the bus in the morning which would give me time to finally do my long deferred packing, but on returning to the dive shop post-dive and checking my phone I found out I could hitch a ride with Nathan from Bangkok out to Kanchanaburi, but only if I arrived no later then the next morning!

So... I frantically rushed back to my room as fast as my tiny rental motorbike would take me, showered and packed at lightning speed, drove back into town and returned the bike, got picked up by one of my friends from the dive shop, went back out to my room and threw all my luggage into the back, and quickly drove out to the bus station. I had just enough time to finish buying my ticket before the bus pulled in and all the passengers immediately started boarding!

The next morning, after riding all night on the bus, I arrived in Bangkok where Nathan would be flying into from Yangon in a few hours. After landing he picked up our Thai ambulance out of long-term parking and then fought his was way through the almost impossible Bangkok traffic to pick me up at the bus station. From there we drove out to the school property in Kanchanaburi and spent the afternoon visiting and walking around the property and picking fruit including pineapples, mulberries, green tamarind, and karonda (there was also one single solitary cashew but I don’t think that counts).

The next day, May 26, Nathan had to drive up to MaeSot for some business and I rode with him and Shiloh since we wanted to spend more time together and I could also visit my friends at Sunshine Orchard one last time, at least for the foreseeable future.

After getting into town, we found a hotel with a swimming pool just for Shiloh (hehe) and spent the evening swimming and hanging out. In the morning we drove across town and unloaded all my Thai stuff off the ambulance onto the pile of Burmese stuff I’d already brought across the border at my friend’s house in MaeSot, then Nathan drove me over to the Songtau station, where after sad final goodbyes to Shiloh I caught a Songtau out to Sunshine Orchard.

All my little friends were so happy to see me again, because when I’d visited them in February on my way to pack up my stuff in Myanmar, I’d told them all- Saw Nee Htoo, Saw Gwe Lay, Mu Wah Wah, Mu Ju Ju, Ngenge, Coo Coo Pah, Che Che Pah, Ta Lee Tha, Timothy, Isuzu, Charlotte, Ei Ei Phyu, Choh Met, Owo Toe Myat, Em Ah Htoo, Pah Daw Du, Naw Gu Gu, Lay Wah Paw, Lay Wah Htoo, and Lay Wah Say among others, about my impending move to Africa in June, and that I may not see them again for a very very long time. They have been used to seeing me nearly every 70 days for the past few years when my Burmese business visa expires, and always look for me walking down the hill from the Songtau stop with delight.

As always, it was a wonderful experience. I helped out around the campus with sweeping, cooking, and washing dishes, and also got to play tag, hide and seek, soccer, go swimming in the creek, and read lots of stories to the children.

I was planning to stay for nearly two weeks until after the commencement ceremony for the new Thai school year, and then take a bus down to Bangkok to catch my flight to Ethiopia. But after I’d only been at SO for a few days M-EMS contacted me and asked if I would be able to travel to Yangon that very next week and teach one last important class before I was out of the area.

Even though saying yes would mean cutting my time cushion down to a razor thin margin I decided to accept, and after saying even sadder goodbyes than before, went back to MaeSot to deal with travel arrangements, my luggage, and applying for a last minute Burmese visa.

I was planning on sending my luggage to my Aunt and Uncles house via a private courier service, but they wouldn’t take anything that wasn’t packed in their own boxes which completely defeated the purpose, plus I realized I wouldn’t have time to pick it up and get back to the airport in time for my flight anyway, so I had to trust everything to the tender mercies of the Thai postal service, which has been less than kind to us over the past several years. They were already closed for the day however which meant I would have to attempt to mail my stuff on the morning I was supposed to go to Yangon.

So, early on June 4th I took a taxi to the post office which I had been told opened at 0800. As it turned out, my information was incorrect and the post office didn’t open until 0830. They were unlocked though so I sat in the lobby where everyone studiously ignored me until exactly 0830! I’d hoped to just ship everything to the airport post office and pick it up on my way to check in to my flight in Bangkok, but then I found out that Thai post offices don’t give the option to ship to General Delivery like in America, only to an address. That meant I had to book a hotel room that I wouldn’t even be able to sleep in since I needed an address to ship to.

Just after 9 o’clock I was finally on my way to the border, right when I should have just finished checking in at the bus station.

Coming into the Thai Immigration side of the border I saw that there were 14-16 people ahead of me at the window I needed to get stamped out at, when usually there’s no one at all.

Snaking through immigration I looked at my watch and saw that I was entering the no-mans-land of the nearly 1 kilometer long bridge just after 0930, and started walking/running across to the Myanmar side of the river.

Quickly clearing Burmese immigration I hailed a motorbike taxi and sped off towards the bus stop dreading the sight of an empty parking spot or even worse; the bus just pulling away as we drove past to make our u-turn!

Amazingly, the bus was still there and better yet, they had an empty seat for me!

After purchasing my ticket, as I was putting it away in my pocket I suddenly realized that I had completely forgotten about the 1/2 hour time lag of Myanmar compared to Thailand, which definitely saved me a world of trouble on this occasion!

I spent the long day on the bus organizing and reviewing the instructor materials for the Advanced Assessment and Treatment of Trauma (ATTrauma) class that I would be teaching over the next couple of days.

At one of the rest stops, two guys who didn’t speak any Burmese or English approached me and motioned that they wanted to trade some American dollars for Burmese Kyat so they could buy food, but I only had 27,600 Kyat (worth roughly 18 dollars) minus what I’d need to pay for my own food. I’d never traveled so perilously low on money before, but I hadn’t been able to exchange any before I got on the bus either.

At first I said no and they left to ask some other people but eventually they were back. I’d decided I would give them everything I didn’t know for sure I’d need for food and taxi, but fortunately there was a Burmese guy sitting nearby who overheard and said he was willing to trade instead which was a great relief!

Arriving in Yangon I took a taxi out to the training center and went to bed. I spent the whole next day printing out my lecture notes and class handouts and setting up the classroom.

On the 6th and 7th I taught the class to the three doctors who needed the certification and hung out with my coworkers one last time on the 8th.

Early on the morning of the 9th I took a taxi to the Yangon airport and flew from there to Don Mueang, the regional airport in Bangkok. From there I took a bus, SkyTrain, and the airport rail link over to the hotel where I’d tried to ship my luggage, expecting the worst, but amazingly it had all arrived in one piece!

I took a shower, got my luggage repacked properly, and rested for a couple hours, then I caught a taxi to Suvarnabhumi (sue WAN uh poom), the large international airport in Bangkok that I would be flying out from. My flight departed for Africa at 1:45 AM on June 10.

[prorevenge]

I was doing you a favor by playing the long game...

I too was playing yet another long game by holding on to this for so long.

SO I had read earlier today the owner of a previous job of mine passed away. This was a place that tried to screw me pretty hard and I took some pro revenge on. It drug up some angry old feelings, so why not take an equal dose of catharsis?

WARNING: This is a doozy so strap in if you dare, no TL;DR it wouldn't do justice.

So this takes place almost a decade ago. I was working as a department manager for a fairly large privately owned pest control company. Their color scheme was black and yellow, much like the taxi's the owner's dad used to drive. Since the taxi industry would be around for ever(hello Uber/Lyft) so would this pest control company, (this is important later) or so the owner used to parrot constantly. My job was to over see the techs doing treatments and set their stops and generally manage assorted insect control services, inventory, payroll for that dept, etc etc. I had taken the job from the owners son who took it from the previous manager who they demoted and yet stayed in the dept...this is important later. The owners son was a late 30's early 40's man child. I mean if he had dialed it back a few degrees he would have been an awesome guy, but anytime booze was involved he was a mess. If it was weed, he turned into the stereo typical obnoxious stoner making nothing but bad Jamaican accented jokes. He also hit on anything younger than him that moved...while being married w a pregnant wife. But I digress, the owner was a piece of work too, old Jewish guy who was as racist as he was old, not with any kind of seething hatred. Just a "this is the way it is" type attitude. My fave line of his, "The sky is blue, Ch#@ks know math, N@&ers are lazy, Jews know gold. What else is new" Like it was the most clever thing of all time. Finally now on to the revenge and need for such.

I had been at said job for about two and a half years, while there I had gotten engaged about 6 month earlier. Due to the awesomeness of my staff I invited about 10 employees to my wedding(it was going to be big due to the wife's family and mine's tiny so..) including the owner his son and the previous manager. I should have felt the ripples in the water when I had planned the trip to propose. The day before I go the owner comes in to do something with a big job and I tell him of my vacation plans as he is looking at the schedule. After I tell him of the somewhat expensive accommodations (I was proposing to my then gf), he literally says, "that's a great idea I haven't been there in years, I think I'll go tomorrow too!" I think he is joking, but he immediately tells his son who was taking over my work that he needs to take over for him and be a presence at the job site. Then tries to demand I clear a day out of my booked vacation schedule for us to meet up with him so he can take us out to some expensive place or some crap. On that one day during the trip he ended up no call no show-ing after we invited him to meet and hang with our family. We spent about an hour trying to call/message/email the guy and he never responded the entire trip. I get back he starts cracking lame jokes about how I ditched him to get engaged...that really pissed me off.

It gets better. Over the course of the next few months strange shit starts happening. I am forced to let go of a few of my techs for BS reasons like the 3 strike rule of attendance randomly being enforced without writ-ups or even verbal warnings. One guy had a 3 month old kid with his GF and I had to let the guy go because of a 3rd lateness of over 5 min from almost 90 days earlier and the previous two being almost 2 years old with the notes of in-climate weather and no routes that day (they also denied him unemployment and tried to enforce a 90 day no compete clause that would have stopped him form getting a job w the competition). Then I get a high priority job of going through back logs of unpaid services and start trying to preform collections with me receiving a % of what I collect(that I was never paid). Over the next month or two I keep getting odd things thrown at me to make money which don't have much to do with my regular job. Till one week where the entire office gets the flu. The owners son, previous manager(now just an officer worker), my assistant and about half the techs call out over the course of the week. I still come in with a 102 fever and goddamn doctors note in case I need to bail, just to get everyone set up and do as much as I can before almost passing out 3 days in a row. I get the entire day's work done by 1pm and leave all with the boss's son's approval. He was thrilled things were still working while the plague rampaged on. But not the owner apparently. I got pulled into the office and yelled at about not taking initiative and calling out all these days...he sounds like he is about to fire me before he asks me if I have anything to say for my self. So I correct him and he looks really shaken and then tells me some BS about the EPA stepping in and making us reduce the number of services we are allowed to do from quarterly (4x a yr) to a trimester schedule (3x) all while paying the same price. Guess who got to call almost every paying customer and try to get them to swallow that? ::raises hand::. So I take care of that over another two weeks and once again get called in to the office. Saying we cannot have this anymore and the EPA is crashing down hard on us and I just keep giving out too many services because the EPA really said we are not allowed to treat more than 2x a year and they lied to me throwing me under the bus(turns out that was a lie too they were trying to get up to stop treatments all together). Knowing I never had the power to authorize a single extra service without consent from the owners. So they had to let me go...only 4 month before I was going to get married. It got a bit intense as emotions ran high, the asshole of a son tells, "My dad told me to fire you a while ago for attendance but I knew you were getting married and I didn't want to mess that up so I played the long game for you man...." In an office with no strict punch schedule for the office workers as we were salary and constantly did things like get food for the office or have to run errands for the business and get stock from another location. Along w/ the EPA bullshit he tells me he just couldn't have a dept with two other managers in it who made less than I do doing the same job. They also tried to block my unemployment with falsified paperwork, claiming unsatisfactory attendance. Tons of bullshit and I never got a strait answer as to why I was let go till I did some investigating. Turns out the old manager who was just an office hand was being put back in the spot she was fired form because she offered to take a 33% pay cut form her old salary and the son just didn't want the extra work.....So they tried to scapegoat me for EPA violations and tried to tell the rest of the office my fuckups were the reason people were let go and the department was going to close.

So now that you've read all that you may have a bit of a feel for why I took my revenge so far and for so long. Luckily I had snapped a few pics of the paperwork I signed upon leaving stating it was due to the EPA infractions. That gets printed out and sent to the department of labor with the rest of their awesome tactics(shorting over time and flat out not paying for paid vacations, time card edits). That lead to tens of thousands of dollars lost in pack pay and fines being levied. The guy w/ the 3 month kid I had to let go told me he eventually settled for almost 35k in back pay... My next stop was the EPA, who much to their surprise didn't even know the company had kept doing the treatments at all as it was supposed to be stopped altogether. Luckily they knew the deal and that it wasn't just me making treatments all willy nilly like. More fines, for each and every treatment performed by them from about 3 months before they fired me. That had to be in the 6 figure range as there was well over 1.5k treatments done in the time and the fine was supposed to be over 1k each. The problem with the treatments were they were too effective, and were wiping out the type of insect that has beneficial and necessary environmental roles. So the mfers were actually hurting the ecology of our goddamn state for their own profit. I created a few fake FB profiles to still be able to follow the owner and his son on FB and find out not 30 days after their EPA issues my department closed down.

Okay so that was 2006ish, two years pass and I keep seeing my POS old boss, speeding around the area (I lived near the place) in his old ass little red Mercedes. Guess who called the cops worrying about the safety of those on the road around this dangerous car? Guess who eventually got caught for DUI at 2pm in the afternoon?

Fast forward a few years to 2011. Mr Whiz Kahlifa drops the song Black and yellow. Decent track. But remember how my old boss was a super racist fellow? Remember the business' color scheme? So I spent about a month sending him different youtube links to that song, from random email accounts. And finally one of a commercial for the company with Whiz's song over it vs the lame jingle they used. Not two weeks after I stop they change the goddamn color scheme of the place to a horrible red white and blue one. But not exactly red white and blue like the American flag more like the Blue white red of the French one. I wait about a month after the Black and Yellow attack and send him a vid of the French national anthem while a the flag is waving in the background. The next goddamn day the place is covered in that cheesy car dealer red white and blue American bunting and American flags everywhere.

Fast forward again to about 2014 and fuck me if I am not out for a walk, and see that company's sign in a lawn advertising that same old treatment on the same old signs from 06'...guess who got sent yet another email to the EPA w pictures? That one got them in major and local news as being "no friend to the environment".

Last time I went by their place they seemingly had half fleet of what are now used blue white and red covered mini trucks. Plus their call center building was emptied of furniture. Unfortunately they are still in business but are sitting at about a 3 star rating on Yelp and that was after they did the damage control to get it back from 1.5 stars.

Sorry(not sorry) guys, I was just playing the long game for you....

(source) (story by StendhalSyndrome)

#pro revenge #by StendhalSyndrome #prorevenge #pro revenge stories #revenge stories #pro #revenge

[shannrussell-blog1]

In part one of this series, I gave you all the details on what you need to know when planning and booking your trip to the USA, which you can check out here.

In part two, I cover off some advice about transport, how tipping works, including who to tip and how much; what to expect with American food; and handy advice about WIFI, shopping, theme parks and much more.

So, if you’re a tourist heading to the States, let’s get started!

Avoid peak travel times

It goes without saying really but try and not travel during peak times because it will take way longer and be costlier, especially when venturing to the airport. Also, when you’re booking your flights, ensure there is transport available at your arrival times.

I once arrived at LaGuardia airport in NYC after midnight only to find public transport had stopped for the night and there were only a few taxis coming back and forth at that time. Luckily, I got one but we broke down on the ride there. That’s another story.

If you have to travel in peak hour, ensure you leave extra time for your journey.

Be aware that traffic is travelling in a different direction

Traffic is driven on the opposite side of the road to Australia (so the right). Get in the habit of looking both ways when crossing just in case you forget. This also helps when you get home because it can take a little while to adjust back, especially if you’ve travelled there for longer than 2 months. This goes for when walking past people too. You may find you will do a funky dance with people as they subconsciously expect you to go past them on their right rather than their left.

City bus tours

Hop on/ hop off buses are a great way to check out most US cities. You can buy tickets online ahead of time, onboard or at certain stops. It can sometimes be cheaper to buy at the stops as the guides can suggest which bus routes would be best for what you want to see. The buses give you an idea of the city super quick without your legs getting exhausted.

Bring sunscreen, a

The hop on / hop off bus tour in NYC is a great way to see the city without getting tired. 

Driving in the USA with an Australian license

If you’re on a holiday visa in the USA, there are some states that will allow you to drive with your Australian license for a short period of time. But, I would recommend that if you want to be covered, especially when driving across the US, obtain an International Driver’s Permit before you leave Australia.

A tip for driving is that in most US cities, there aren’t many roundabouts so there is the rule that you can turn right on a red light. For more information on foreigners driving in the US, check out this link here, and to find out about road rules in each state, you can find them here.

Uber

Uber Pool is big in the States and is more affordable than ordering a separate Uber for just yourself. And, if you are a solo traveller, you can meet other adventurers along your journey. Keep in mind though it will often take longer to get to your destination as you will pick up/ drop off other passengers along the way. Also, consider your luggage size and the possibility that it may not fit in the boot, especially if you get picked up last.

When booking with Uber or Lyft, always select on the map where to get picked up from and think about the direction of the traffic. Consider where your pick up location is first before booking as some hotels will only have certain areas that they allow for you to be picked up from.

Keep in mind that some airport locations don’t use Uber because they want to stay loyal to the taxi and shuttle service. I always ask the customer service desk at the airport as they will let you know and give you the best advice about your travel options.

Looking down at all the Uber drivers from the John Hancock Center in Chicago. 

Money & Tipping

How much should you tip?

In terms of tipping for service – 20% is polite, 15% is okay and 10% is rude. Nothing at all is a real slap in the face, even if you think the service was poor. You are not obliged to tip if you think the service was terrible but you may find walking out the door to be very awkward.

Tips are a custom that is given to service related workers, such as taxi drivers, waiters, tour guides, massage therapists and ski instructors. Workers in retail, such as clothing stores, do not need to be tipped. Here are some services that you may ask how to tip for…

USA Tipping guide:

Bag Porter – $1-2 per bag.

Bartenders /Casino drink servers – $1-2 per drink.

Gas Stations – No tipping required. You may tip the pump attendant if they fill your gas when there is also a self-serve option. Or, you may want to tip them $1-2 if they check your oil or help you with directions, or it’s boiling outside or freezing cold. More of a courtesy really.

Hairdressers/ Barbers – $5-$10 per head.

Hotel housekeeping – $2-3 per night in medium to high-end hotels (per couple).

Supermarkets – No tip required. $1-2 per bag if someone helps you to your car.

Uber – No tipping required. You can tip through the app if you want to though.

Valet parking – $2-5 when picking up your car.

Australians are known for not tipping well in America, but you also don’t want to tip more because they simply suggest you do. This is a common theme with tour guides. Stick with 15-20% as a rule of thumb, plus my suggested tips above, and you’ll be set for your stay.

Hot tip! Make sure you get plenty of $1 notes when transferring your cash before you go. It’s always awkward giving the taxi driver a $10 ‘tip’ and asking for $8 worth of change.

Food prices don’t include tax

Food prices generally don’t include tax. Each state is different, so the amount will change depending on where you are.

Be warned because at first, it may seem as though you’re getting a great deal when looking over the menu, so to get a realistic idea of how much your meal will cost, add tax (could be over 9%) and how much you’ll tip and that will answer the cost of your meal. This is particularly useful when going to fancier restaurants if you choose to.

When it comes to tipping, 15-20% is what’s considered polite. 

ATM limits in the US

You can only withdraw up to $500USD at most American ATMs, but if you wish to withdraw more, you need to bring your passport to a bank for them to organise with your card. Be mindful of the fees you will likely incur when using your card before you go, so you don’t get an unexpected transaction charge from your bank.

Carrying cash

There are seven denominations of United States currency, which comes in $100 (also known as a ‘Benjamin Franklin’), $50, $20, $10, $5, $2 and $1 dollar bank notes. The coins available include $1, 50c (rare coin to see), 25c (quarter), 10c (dime), 5c (nickel) and 1c (penny). The banknotes are made of paper so try not to scrunch them up too much or keep them in your pockets… you may accidentally wash them.

Always carry smaller bills with you when going to everyday places in the United States. I tried to buy an $8 meal from Starbucks once with a $100 bill and was turned down because it was too large. When getting your money exchanged, request smaller bills. Often, money exchange companies will give you larger bills because it is easier to count and exchange over to you.

Carry small change with you, especially for street vendors. 

Deposits on hotel rooms

When checking into your hotel, you will likely have to put a deposit down. This can be fantastic if you want to use the credit to buy food, drinks or services in the hotel and just assign it to your room. Usually, the hotel is taking your money in case you don’t pay for things or you trash your room.

Beware of hotel deposits when travelling on a shoestring! They’ll getcha! I was checking into a hotel for 3 nights and they wanted to take out $600! And, this wasn’t including the cost of my room. It was at the end of my trip, so I didn’t have a lot of cash on me. I managed to negotiate down to a $300 deposit. Still a chunk considering that’s US dollars!

It took 10 business days to see the money back in my bank account after. It’s worth noting to keep a deposit stash of money aside if you’re going to a bunch of hotels in a short period of time over there.

Put aside some money for a deposit when staying consecutively in hotels. 

The best time to exchange your cash

Compare rates between money exchange companies to give you the best deal. This is particularly useful if they are in close proximity to each other. Another good option is to order your US money ahead of time, before your trip. You can do this over the phone and request exactly what you need (20 x $10 banknotes, etc.).

If they don’t have the notes at the location, then at least they can order it in and save you a trip down there. Often there is one person working at these booths so expect to wait when rocking up to collect.

Food & Drink

Beware of food serving sizes

Food servings are usually ginormous, so keep in mind that most restaurants can offer you a doggy bag if you don’t finish your meal. Great to pop in your hotel or communal hostel fridge for a snack later on, or a meal for the next day.

A small meal at McDonald’s is like a large sized one here. Be warned because you will be regretting it when you have a food coma shortly after.

The fast-food menus are different

If you love KFC in Australia, it is completely different over in the states. I don’t mean it’s bad, I just mean if you’re hanging out for a Zinger burger you won’t likely find one there. The same goes for Wendy’s.

So, even if food chains have the same name as in Australia, they likely have a completely different menu. This can sometimes be the case even for places like McDonald’s and Burger King (aka Hungry Jacks).

What to expect with differences in food

Terms like biscuits are not cookies over there, they’re more like a scone. Capsicum is a non-existent term, they are referred to as bell peppers, which is good to know when ordering at a Subway restaurant. Lemonade is not like Australian lemonade. It’s a non-bubbly sugary lemon drink, so if you’re after an Australian lemonade, ask for a Sprite or 7UP instead.

Tomato sauce is referred to as Ketchup. If you’re in Chicago, whatever you do, don’t ask for tomato sauce on your Chicago hot dog! They will laugh at you! You may hear about the term, s’mores, which are referred to as ‘some mores’. They’re a great treat for around the campsite.

Cheese can look kind of orange in the States. This is common but can be weird to notice at first considering most cheeses in Australia are yellowish or white. If you see orange cheese, it usually means it’s been dyed. Traditionally, orange cheese was considered to be more authentic cheese to the consumer. Long story short – not to worry, it’s still cheese and tastes amazing as per other cheeses at home.

Expect huge meals, and funny looks if you ask for tomato sauce! 

Nutritional info on meals in restaurants

In the USA, most restaurants, particularly chains, will have nutritional information on the menu. This is superb if you’re looking for something that is lower calorie, especially if you’ve been gorging yourself.

Here’s a hot tip, most Cheesecake Factory restaurants (they don’t just have cake) have a SkinnyLicious® menu. These meals are calorie conscious and I believe are just as tasty. Plus, you will likely feel more energised after eating rather than feel like you want to take a nap.

Beverages

Most places where you can get a drink, like a bar or a club, don’t monitor their alcohol pouring. You’ll find the drinks to be a lot stronger. So, bear this in mind particularly when you’re driving or if you wonder why your head hurts so much the next day.

Coke Zero is quite big in Australia, so I found it unusual that they don’t usually have it in American restaurants. Diet Coke is your next best option.

You will be surprised at how many extra soft drinks they have over in the States, like Pepsi with cherry flavour. The names are slightly different, so if you’re after a Pepsi Max, it is often called Pepsi Light or Diet Pepsi.

Hot tea is not a common drink in the US but iced tea is. And, it isn’t a cold version of a savoury hot tea but a sugary drink that can be quite refreshing. Keep a lookout for them at most restaurants and 7-Elevens.

Top places I would go to for food in the States are:

Buffalo Wild Wings in Times Square, NYC;

Wahlburgers in Boston;

RPM Chicago in Chicago;

Avila’s (Tex-Mex) in Dallas;

In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles;

Cheesecake Factory anywhere but I love the Nashville one;

Buffet dinner at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas;

Patio (American Grill & Cocktail Bar) in Provincetown, Cape Cod… try the lobster! A-maa-zing!

The Thanksgiving burger at Wahlburgers in Boston is not to be missed – delicious!

Identification for bars and clubs

If you’re up for a bit of dancing or want to check out the club scene, expect to be patted down and have your passport scanned. Your Australian Driver’s license doesn’t cut it because it is not a known ID to them and could easily be faked.

You won’t be allowed in with a backpack either, so I wouldn’t even try if you have one with you, to be honest. This may seem frustrating, but it will give you peace of mind knowing that you’re in a safe haven inside as everyone is held to the same security standards.

Check off those once in a lifetime experiences

Travelling anywhere can give you the opportunity to do things you wouldn’t normally do in your everyday life. Experience that high thrill ride ‘Tilt‘ in Chicago or take that helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon at Sunset.

I am a nervous flyer, but the Grand Canyon flight was one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had, and I felt like such a thrill-seeker after tilting 1000 feet down towards the magnificent mile in Chicago. I was so happy with myself to put aside to just give them a go. As cheesy as the saying goes – YOLO!

The helicopter flight I took across the Grand Canyon was an unbelievable experience. 

Use WIFI hotspots

There are hundreds of free WIFI hotspots across America if you want to take a squiz. Usually, hotels offer free WIFI but check when booking beforehand.

Never access your banking or personal information when accessing unsecured free WIFI. You never know who can access your information and you can set yourself up to be hacked.

Download Netflix shows before going to the airport. The WIFI isn’t great so you wouldn’t want to find your show hasn’t downloaded before boarding!

Take a power board and adaptor

Take a power board and a travel adaptor suitable for the States. This way you can plug multiple Australian cords in without having to buy separate adaptors. Also, there are two styles of US adaptors available out there (one with the earth connection and one without), so be aware as to which one you need for your appliances and keep in mind that some places in the States will only have two pin power access in the wall.

US voltage is lower than what we have in Australia. This will explain why your Australian hair dryer may be less powerful than normally at home.

Storing your luggage between checking into hotels

If you’ve realised that you need to check out of your Airbnb early but don’t have a flight until later on – find a hotel where they have a baggage storage room and say you’re just checking out. Sometimes if you’re lucky, they will take your name down and hold them for you. If this doesn’t work, you still have the option of storing at a paid locker at a train station.

Getting talk show tickets

If you love American TV shows, particularly talk shows, check online what you want to see and put in a request for audience tickets way ahead of time. Just make sure they’re in the city you’re going to as most are either on the west or east side of America. Do this in advance and leave the days you want to see the show open to give you more of a chance. Be mindful that most shows will go on hiatus during summer.

All tickets are free, so if they don’t fill up for the day, they give out tickets on the street. My brother and I managed to score tickets to ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ back in 2014 as we were approached on Hollywood Blvd. You have to forfeit your phone though, but it is quite an experience to see the set and you might catch a free t-shirt!

You gotta go to Universal Studios Hollywood if you’re a film buff like me. 

Themeparks

There are lots of theme parks in the States, all offering a different experience. My top parks are Disneyland, Six Flags and Universal Studios. So, have a look into what experience you’re after, and choose wisely depending on who you’re travelling with. If you go to Six flags with children under the rollercoaster height limit, they will not be able to participate which can put a dampener on the day.

Pharmacies are like mini-supermarkets

Always be on the lookout for a CVS pharmacy or a Walgreens. They have an array of snacks and everything you need just like supermarkets, but with the disguise of a name that sounds less accurate for a supermarket.

If you need a snack or drink, a pharmacy is like a mini supermarket, which is super handy. 

Shopping

If you’re a person that loves makeup, you will want to check out the options available in the United States. There is a diverse range but most importantly, it’s a lot cheaper! Say it with me…Sephora, Sephora, Sephora!

If you love a good sports cap like me, look out for the authentic merchandise at places, like Lids. They have different styles, including men’s and women’s, and different sizes (even in width) depending on what you’re after. You can even have them customised with your name if you’d like as well.

Claiming GST back on goods

If you buy goods in the 60 days leading up to a trip and they equal $300AUD or more, including GST, you can claim your 10% GST back at an Australian international airport if you’re taking the goods with you in your carry-on. For more information, head to The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS).

I bought a pair of Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which meant I could claim $50 back in tax. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in time to claim my refund because the line was too long. I’d suggest getting there between 2-4 hours earlier before your flight if you want to claim. Well, that’s if you don’t want to lose out on $$$ like I did.

Tourists hotspots

If you love the States, there is no doubt millions of other people around the world do too. So, no matter what the season, expect to be surrounded by many people, particularly in tourist spots. I was shocked when visiting Waikiki beach to find I had to scramble for an area that was more than 2 metres away from someone else.

Be prepared for the crowds wherever you go in the US.

Using the toilets/bathrooms

I’m afraid to say it, but the toilets I’ve seen don’t flush the other way to us. They suck down in one go. If you notice that there’s no handle on your toilet, finish doing your business, stand up, and in a couple of seconds, it will flush. Also, don’t be alarmed that the bathroom doors have a large crack in between the door and the stall. You get used to it after a while, especially if you ignore it.

If you want to use a toilet while out, particularly in populated areas, you will likely need to buy something to get the code for access to the toilet. Often it will be at the bottom of your receipt. This is to deter people from just coming in just to use the bathroom, particularly at places like McDonalds and Starbucks.

Also, the polite way to ask where the toilet is in the US is to ask where the ‘bathroom’ or ‘restroom’ is. These mean the same thing but ‘restroom’ is used more frequently in restaurants, malls, bars and public places.

So, there you have it, these are all of my best tips and advice for travelling to the states. Whether you’re still planning your trip, or you’re about to set off on your adventure – safe travels and we hope to see ya’ll back here real soon now, ya hear?

  If you’ve been to America, what was your favourite experience when you were travelling there? 

  The post Tips for Travelling in the USA appeared first on Snowys Blog.

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[tirsaroundtheworld]

Myanmar

Wow, how time has flown! I can barely believe that my month of solo traveling has already come to an end! So much happened though on this episode, I'll try my best to be to the point. 😂 I arrived in Yangon, where I took a few days to get my itinerary sorted, to visit the mighty Swedagon Pagoda as the only tourist before sunrise and to explore in the city and its surroundings by the local circle train. Those few days were full of new experiences; from sleeping in a tiny capsule to joining the complete villagelife in the train to the insane heat to thanaka faces and betel nut spit everywhere. And that was just a warming up, so many highlights followed! # I had more trouble connecting with other travelers than before, which is why I decided to take the slow train all the way to the well traveled Mandalay in the North and to make my way down from there. This train, for which I reserved a surprisingly comfy 'Upper Class' seat to be assured of a spot that wasn't on a crammed wooden bench, took 15 hours and passed a lot of Myanmar on the way. From my window I enjoyed looking at the amazing landscapes, the local life in and around villages and the hectic routines at stations where people go out of their way to sell snacks, drinks and betel nut through the windows or inside the train. Meanwhile the mice were feasting on the spilled foods on the floor and some millions of insects came in when it turned dark outside, what a day! # Mandalay itself is not very interesting, but all the more are the nature and the old villages in the surroundings. I visited the normally crystal clear and bright blue Dee Dote waterfall that had unfortunately turned muddy and brownish due to the heavy rain and thus was slightly dissapointing. More exciting was my daytrip to explore the small ancient capitals of Mingun, Sagaing and Ava on the back of a local's motorbike. We took tiny backroads through rural areas and crossed villages to reach the beautiful old ruins of all white temples, huge statues, unfinished stupas, monasteries and pagodas. It felt as if we went back in time as life in these places seems to have been standing still; people live in simple bamboo houses with banana leaf roofs, washing and bathing is done in rivers and communal baths and horses with carriages are the main means of transportation. We ended the day at the famous U Bein bridge to watch the sunset, which to me was a tourist overloaded and dissapointing ending of a wonderful day. # Together with people from my hostel I took a taxi to Pyin Oo Lwin, some 2 hours north east of Mandalay. In this small British colonial retreat, we visited the Kandawgyi Royal botanical gardens and were blown away by its beautiful and well organized design, its peace and quiet and its size in both volume and amount of species of plants. Amazing! # From Pyin Oo Lwin, we took the morning train further north east to Hsipaw. To get there we had to cross the renown Goteik Viaduct; an ancient, 100 meters high, steel construction that has more than once been called the most dangerous train journey in the world. I wouldn't discribe the crossing as dangerous, but it was very high and living-on-the-edge-y! # Apart from an amazing little restaurant with the best fruitshakes in all the country, Hsipaw isn't much. The town is however known for its amazing trekkings, which I went to experience for myself. I joined a nice group of 4 others on a two day adventure, and it indeed was fantastic! On the first day we walked about 18 km going up lush green mountains through farmlands and forests. On the way we stopped for tea in tiny tribal villages and at breathtaking viewpoints. We arrived in Pan Kam Village just in time for a homemade lunch by the mother of our guide Eric. We learnt about the Shan tribe, witnessed the community interacting around the public bathing area, jammed with the local youngstera, visited the monastery where Eric had been a monk for many years, watched how the harvestes tea leaves were processed, met different families and played with their cute kids, had a very tasty meal and bonded over too much homebrew ricewine. Luckily we had ended the day early, sleeping on flat mattrasses all lined up on the floor of the loft, as the next day started at 5.30 with dad coming in to pray. At 6.00 we all woke up to a local breakfast, after which we said goodbye and continued our path. The second day was maybe even more beautiful, walking through the farmed mountains and off the beaten tracks, and the fact that we were mainly going downhill definitey added to this amazing sensation. Just before lunch we arrived at our final destination, from where a tuktuk took us back to Hsipaw. Wow, it was amazing! 🙌 # From Hsipaw I made my way west to a little and yet undiscovered town called Monywa, with a little help of the local busdriver who insisted on changing his way to drop me off at my hostel's door. After the bustling past days in Mandalay and Hsipaw, I really enjoyed to be all by myself again and to explore the charming place at my own pace. I strolled around the spacious and peaceful town, enjoyed a beautiful sunset from a tiny fairytale-like island in the middle of a lovely lake and ate an extremely delicious meal at the most favoured local restaurant in town. Even though I was all alone, the small curry that I ordered came with an endless amount of side dishes that would all be refilled as soon as I had proudly finished - which is a typical Myanmar kind of service. 😅 An hour's ride in the back of a pickup truck away from the town I visited the majestic Shweba Taung; a huge complex of temples made in caves, also sometimes referred to as the Petra of Myanmar. Apart from the very noteworthy sights, I really enjoyed the free tour some local kids provided me with! # Buses in Myanmar are quite a thing, moving slowly over the not very great roads, continuously stopping to load packages or for a foodbreak and shaking and turning endlessly to cross the mountainous land - and I have not been very lucky.. Desperately trying to avoid the very local, crammed, falling apart, non-airco buses for the too long distances, I still ended up in exactly those for all but 2 of my trips. And on top of these discomforts, Burmese women seem to have the weakeast stomachs in the world and are puking their guts out even on the shortest and smoothest rides. 🤢 I don't even want to think about the terrible busride out of Monywa..! # After the peace and quiet in Monywa I entered the amazing world of Bagan. In this place of jungle, plains and extreme heat (passing 43 degrees Celsius at the peak of the day) some 3000 temples are to be found and explored freely by E-bike. I spent my time cruising around this most sacred, important and incredible place, taking backroutes to find the most beautiful temples, wandering through the super huge impressive buildings and looking for the best viewpoints for the 3 sunsets and 2 sunrises I had, while not seeing another living soul for most of the time! The perks of lowseason, though I was secretly missing the high season's famous hot air balloons to complete the picture. After 2,5 days I moved on, exhausted but completely amazed. 😍 # Another horrible busride away from Bagan was Kalaw: a cute little place full of nothing but a great point to start trekking towards Lake Inle from. And so I went on another overnight trekking experience, this time walking further distances but less climbing and heat. Incredibly luckily avoiding the typical heavy showers of rain, we crossed about 23 kilometers of beautiful countryland and tiny villages of crafts like weaving and bamboo carpentry until we reached our destination for the night. This time we stayed with people of the the Pa-O tribe, after Shan the largest ethnic group in Myanmar, and our Pa-O guide Nan Ei told us a lot about their characteristics, wear, traditions and cuisine. She also cooked us an amazing local dinner in the tiny, one-pot 'kitchen' of the host family. After a this time more quiet and less ricewine involving night, she even woke us up with true pancakes for breakfast! When we were done eating she explained us about Thanaka, the white-ish cream that is made by mixing a bit of water with bark of the Thanaka tree and applied to the face for beauty as well as to prevent sunburn, sweating and acne, and applied it to all of our faces. When all ready, we continued our way to reach Lake Inle. On this second day we covered another twenty something kilometers of lush green, farm covered hills and forest before we reached a tiny village at the edge of Lake Inle, from where a local boat took us onto the lake and around its main sights until we got trapped by major rain. Still having to cross the lake, we got completely soaked but laughed about it and enjoyed the hot shower back at our guesthouses even more. I decided to spend one extra day in the village of Nyaung Shwe to explore the lake a bit more, by boat passing the beautiful floating villages and gardens, iconic bridges and fishermen and by bike cycling around the lake visiting local craft shops where silver and lotus silk was made and taste some horrible wine at one of Myanmar's two wineries. Apart from that one shower upon arrival, I managed to dodge the occasional heavy showers until I boarded the night bus all the way to the south - so very satisfied after exploring this wonderful area. # After probably the most horrible bus ride, taking 17 hours instead of 10 and involving a crazy transfer where a local guy was arranged to entertain me at 5 in the morning and wouldn't accept no for an answer, I arrived in Mawlamyine. My sole reason to go there was to take a boat along the scenic Thanlwin river up to Hpa-an, so I just stayed for one night. In the afternoon I explored the small and not at all touristy town, where an amazing temple complex on a hill overlooking the city, the mountainous area and the river views blew me away. # My boat plan almost fell in the water (😂) because of the low season's quiet, but luckily a super cool French girl of my age stayed in the same hostel and wanted to take the same trip so the captain agreed to take us for a slightly higher price. Still we paid next to nothing and absolutely enjoyed the boat all to ourselves while cruising through the indeed amazing surroudings for about 4 hours, including a stop at the amazingly beautiful Kawhnat monastery about half way. Worth the struggle to get there!! # Joining forces with my new French friend to double the fun and save costs, I spent a great few days in Hpa-an! We joined a betel nut high tuktuk driver and a group of other tourists on a day trip visiting the many beautiful caves and temples around Hpa-an, with as highlight the sunset at the so called bat cave while millions and millions of bats flew out to feed - incredible how many bats came out of that tiny split rock! The next morning we woke up early to climb the notorious mount Zwekabin, with a monastery on the top at almost 3000 meters. The way there was insane, almost completely existing of stairs and taking about 2 hours, but the rain cleared and reveiled the most breathtaking view once we had reached the top, WOW! Still euphoric from this amazing sight and our achievement, the way down felt not nearly as bad. Even though I still feel my muscles, this was one hell of a highlight to end my trip in Myanmar with. A last minute local bus took me back to Yangon, where I enjoyed a good night of sleep, a proper shower and a struggle as I had almost run out of Kyats. 😂 In the end I managed to make my way to the airport using the most local ways for exactly the remainder of my budget, an adventurous way to end an adventurous month. How I have enjoyed Myanmar, the country of the many smiles, the amazing scenery and the most authentic experiences. And all by myself, yess! 💪 Now I am ready to move on to the 14th country of this trip, together my lovely little sister for her month and a half backpacking crash course! 👯 Philippines, brace yourselves, we are on our way! 🇵🇭

#Yangon #Mandalay #Mingun #Pyin Oo Lwin #Hsipaw #Monywa #Bagan #Kalaw #Lake Inle #Mawlamyine #Hpa-an #Myanmar #traveling #aroundtheworld #blog

[tomorrowalways]

Decide To Adopt Taxi Or Limo At Toronto Airport

When you touch down in a wierd city, site and generating thing truly is to have to wait around with regards to your ride. Luckily, when consider advantage among the Denver airport service starting from a quality limo company, your ride is actually going to waiting a person when a person finishes up at baggage insist.

If you need to go during the city to enjoy, which may also be met by utilizing Delhi Airport taxi hastings run. You can attend functions, get a late night parties, try shopping, another occasion in fact. The reason is would seem great these services are available 24*7 each and every day of the entire year. The tariff is not almost all hard regarding pocket as with the associated with a gift cab providers, the competition has risen and these people wants to draw large number of customers for their own reasons. They are providing high quality services at low cost.

It is not a standard service existing soap and washcloths. Most of the time, guests tip the maids for bringing certain items, and which why some deliberately forget to supply bathrooms originally. To lessen the mishaps in your trip, consider taking personal soap and washcloth. Splurging on leading restaurants become on your itinerary, but it also is vital that check for service charges on your bill before tipping. This service membership charge would range from 10 to fifteen percent of your total food bill. Food shopping . and create a reservation at the restaurant well-developed body is stronger. Part on the expenses may think that encounter can include the use of American style toilets abroad.

Exhausted we landed in Panama City. We did get yourself a taxi and my son had said to me to be sure to keep to to have airport taxi since you will come up and just go ahead and drive everyone. They don't have actual taxi's. just cars, jalopies. Additionally warned us that the price is negotiable and generate sure to get that in advance. The short trip into the bus station cost us $50.00.

Book are usually want a safer count. If you opt to have built a safer ride on ones way into a destination, it lets you do be wise to book for cabs. Here's why. Cab and shuttle companies supply a pre-arranged pick up service operates under a regulated organisation. They operate under the tenets and requirements of the law; in addition to this reason, they have their cabs well-maintained to follow that required of them, as almost as much as their drivers are trained to undertake the job. These strict requirements give which you better guarantee of having a safer ride. The same applies to all; like Discount Airport taxi hastings.

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Take an excursion of the waterway and have dolphins chase your boat as guideline explains a person are exactly what you will discover. Visit other small Islands that surround Captiva, such as Useppa.

Be the often most successful tourist, and judge wisely. Instead of a rented car, it is more secure to book the services of taxis. Venice Beach and nearby areas are serviced by one of your most reputed yellow cab services.

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#airport taxi minneapolis #msp airport taxi

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To say I haven’t traveled much internationally is an understatement. That’s part of the reason why this blog is focused more on food than it is travel.  My international travel has only consisted of crossing the US borders to Canada and Mexico. I have a great appreciation for both of our neighbors north and south because each offer great experiences. On this trip I had the opportunity to stay with my girlfriend’s aunt and uncle in Puerto Vallarta. I am so grateful they were nice enough to open their doors to me since this was the first time, I would meet her aunt. And after a few margaritas, we hit it off. If you are ever nervous about meeting the family members of your significant other, Mexico is a great place to do it. All jokes aside they are some of the kindest people I’ve met and we had a lot of fun.

With the price of a plane ticket, we were off to Puerto Vallarta. This was my second time going there, the first time being a graduation present from my folks to go with some friends to celebrate finishing high school. My first trip was fun, we ran the town going crazy, partying as hard as you would expect most teenagers to do. Unfortunately for me, I ended that trip with one of the worst ear infections I’ve had in my life. I got the ear infection by swimming in the ocean one night, because that’s what drunk idiot teenagers do. So, it’s fair to say the trip this time around was a lot more enjoyable for me. Being older, more responsible and thoughtful of how you want to spend your time, was way better then wandering the street like a drunk jackass. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a blast to do when you’re young, but I enjoyed this trip more.

The aunt and uncle rented a condo from VRBO located in what is known as the romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta. The romantic zone has the highest concentration of restaurants and bars and is considered the old town. You will also notice a lot of guys walking small dogs around and the occasional drag queen or transgendered person because the gay community is big in this area. Coming from Seattle, it is not much different than walking around and the capitol hill neighborhood. It’s a great location to stay because you can walk just about everywhere to the river, down to the beach and there are plenty of taxi cabs and buses available to take you further. We did not get raped, kidnapped or murdered or ever have the feeling that that was a possibility. Contrary to what some US politicians would have you believe.

  The airline had lost our luggage on our flight down, so we had to go to the nearest shopping mall to purchase clothes and swim wear. We went to the Liverpool department store which is basically like Macy’s. It is a convenient 10-minute drive from the airport.  Pro-tip, if an airline loses your luggage make sure you ask the right questions like “if I buy clothes, up to how much money will I be reimbursed” because most likely there is a limit. Basically, just try to get as much information as possible, confirmation numbers, contact numbers and don’t go on a crazy shopping spree because they will only reimburse you so much in Mexico, the rest you have to figure out with the airline’s baggage service. The whole situation is a big headache, so use your best judgement. Also, make sure to ask where your luggage was last scanned so you have an idea if the airline knows where it’s located. After shopping for clothes, we spent the rest of the day at the pool. The next day was similar, we got massages and stayed near the condo waiting for our luggage to be delivered. We got a little cranky by the end of the second day after dealing with the airline, but we finally got our luggage that evening.

      The next day we went on a snorkeling trip. I would highly recommend signing up for one of these trips if you haven’t before. In all honesty the snorkeling part isn’t great because you cannot see that many fish. They do allow kayaking and paddle boarding, and if I went again, I would choose to do that over snorkeling. The trip itself is the fun part though, they feed you breakfast, lunch and cocktails on the boat. We saw whales breaching the water and tons of dolphins surfing the boats wake on the way to one of the beaches. They even put on a show on the end of the trip so with that and several cocktails, you’re feeling pretty good as they drop you back off on the docks. The company we went with is called Vallarta Adventures which I believe is one of the largest excursion companies in Puerto Vallarta.

The next day we spent at Los Animas beach. To get there we took a bus which costs 20 pesos ($1.06 USD) that we picked up a block away from the condo. When you arrive at Boca de Tomatlan beach you need to walk down to the pier to catch a water taxi to Los Animas. I believe the cost of the water taxi was 90 pesos ($4.77 USD) and you really feel like you’re in for an adventure when you’re riding in on the way in to the secluded beach. The rest of the day we just spent swimming, ordered a couple buckets of cervezas, drinks, fish tacos and ceviche. We had a great time and amazing service.

That night we had what I would say was our favorite dinner of the trip, at Casa Tradicional Cocina Mexicana. We wanted some of that real authentic Mexican cooking and we got exactly what we wanted. We started with freshly made margaritas with about a half bottle of Don Julio poured into each glass. The server mixed the salsa table side with all fresh grilled ingredients in a mortar and pestle. The salsa was slightly warm from the grilled tomatillos that melted in your mouth every bite. Guacamole was also prepared table side and delicious as expected. For our entrées Sarah ordered grilled octopus and I ordered a molcajete. The octopus might have been the best I’ve ever had, cooked perfectly and my molcajete was amazing.

Casa Tradicional

The next day we just had a pool and shopping day. While walking around town we came across the Blue Shrimp restaurant for lunch. The service and food were great but it’s a little pricey as is most of the restaurants off the beach in town. We spent that evening dining on the roof deck pool at the condo because the resident’s put on a mariachi band pool party. It was kind of an “end-of-season” party for the snow birds who travel down to get away from the winter weather and stay in PV for months. Makes me jealous, but now I have goals to do that some day.

Blue Shrimp

The next day we just had a pool and shopping day. While walking around town we came across the Blue Shrimp restaurant for lunch. The service and food were great but it’s a little pricey as is most of the restaurants off the beach in town. We spent that evening dining on the roof deck pool at the condo because the resident’s put on a mariachi band pool party. It was kind of an “end-of-season” party for the snow birds who travel down to get away from the winter weather and stay in PV for months. Makes me jealous, but now I have goals to do that someday.

The next day we went to Mismaloya beach. To get there you take the same bus as we did to get to Los Animas, on the but window it says “Boca, Mismaloya”. The stop to get there is just a few stops closer than Los Animas and you don’t need a water taxi to get there. From the bus stop just walk down the hill and you will reach the beach. I don’t know if it was the spot we chose, but the chairs were not as comfortable and the service was a little slower there, but what’s the hurry when you’re in Mexico? We did get to rent some boards to go paddle boarding. The water was perfect for it. We also made some friends with the local dogs who just wanted to chill under our seats in the shade and probably scavenge any dropped food. It was another great day, just relaxing at the beach.

The next night we talked the aunt and uncle into finally checking out Pancho’s Takos which is a very popular restaurant downtown that people line-up for. You can’t miss it with their large spit of Al Pastor blazing in the front of the restaurant. We got there at a good time and only waited maybe 20-30 minutes to get the 4 of us seated. The tacos were good, but nothing really mind blowing. We did have to sit right in front of the al pastor spit roasting away, which is really hot and kind of uncomfortable. It is.. what you would expect basically. It’s tacos and drinks. Don’t go out of your way to eat there, but I wouldn’t say you would be disappointed either. The cost of the tacos we ate and about 2 margaritas and 2-3 beers each was only 1,300 pesos. That’s about $69 USD for a 4-person dinner with drinks. I can’t complain much about a cheap and delicious dinner.

After that we spent another pool and chill day shopping. FYI, I’m not good at haggling because I begin to feel bad for the vendors desperate to make a sale. I got called out by Sarah and a passer bye thought it was funny as hell. He said “You must be Canadian?” I said “Close, PNW/Seattle”. We were both like “Yeah close enough”, and had a good laugh.

On Saturday there is a market with food, art and specialty products. It is definitely worth checking out, we shared a really good quesadilla, had some fresh coconut water and bought a couple souvenirs.

The last night on Sunday we went down to the beach to restaurant El Dorado. It had a beautiful view but was the most expensive meal we had on the trip. Partly because the drinks we ordered were $15 dollars each which we didn’t realize until later. The food was good, but the service was really slow. A dinner that should’ve taken about an hour, took about 2 and ½. After that meal we were just kind of ready to get back home since it seemed to take forever.

Well there it is, another great time in Mexico. I really can’t wait to go back. I plan to expand my travel to other regions of Mexico because they do offer different experiences just like traveling to different states in the US. They’re the same but different. Puerto Vallarta is special and I can’t wait to go back again.

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Puerto Vallarta To say I haven’t traveled much internationally is an understatement. That’s part of the reason why this blog is focused more on food than it is travel.  

[travelguideworldtour-blog]

London Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting London

London is among the biggest & most densely populated cities on earth. Additionally, it is a frequent stop on many holiday trips, European vacations, or even last-minute vacations. Everybody wants to visit London! Individuals are interested in it by graphics of bars, museums, theatre, and even royalty. London is actually really just a cultural and fashion capital, a wonderful spot to really go outside, and also an remarkable location to consume. There is always something fresh to complete! The one issue with London is the fact that it is extremely, very costly; it may eat away at your allowance in the event that you are not attentive. Fortunately, you will find a lot of cheap or free things you can do in London which may meet your own time. But simply make certain to budget extra with this particular city — you’ll want it!

10 Top Tourist Attractions in London

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a large, mainly Gothic, church located just to the west at the Palace of Westminster. It really is but one of the very prominent religious buildings at the uk and will be the original place of coronation and burial site for English and, after, British monarchs. The majority of the current building dates from 1245 into 1272 if Henry III made a decision to reconstruct an old abbey from the Gothic design. The construction was later somewhat enlarged: the Chapel of Henry VII has been inserted between 1503 and 1512, whereas both West Front Towers date in 1745.

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Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster is the Chair of Parliament at the Uk. The present building largely dates from the 19th century as it was rebuilt after a fire at an excellent example of Victorian neo-Gothic structure. The House of Commons is found to the north of this construction and can be decorated with green leather upholstery, and also the House of Lords is found south west east and decorated with white leather upholstery.

  St. Paul’s Cathedral

Built in the 17th century, St. Paul’s Cathedral is among London’s most famous & most recognizable sights. The Cathedral has been heroically rescued by fire fighters as it had been bombed during the 2nd World War. Its striking dome has been motivated from St Peter’s Basilica at Rome and climbs 118 meters into the crossover during its summit. This had been the greatest construction in London in 1710 to 1962, and its dome can also be one of the greatest on the planet.

  Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is actually really just a massive city square-foot Lord Horatio Nelson’s victory against Napoleon’s navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The fundamental monument over the square can be one tall pillar which the amount of Nelson stands over London. His island is surrounded by four gigantic dinosaurs and also a run of enormous fountains. More than an open plaza, Trafalgar Square is arguably amongst the very famed city squares in the world, and it has come to be a societal and political site for tourists and Londoners alike.

  Tower of London

Currently home to the Crown Jewels, the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It functioned as a prison out of 1100 into the mid twentieth century. This has caused the term”provided for the Tower”, which . Famous offenders Involve Sir Thomas More, King Henry VI, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard and Rudolph Hess. Now the Tower of London is now still amongst the hottest London tourist attractions.

  London Eye

Situated on the banks of the River Thames, the London Eye can be a enormous, 135 meter high observation wheel carrying 32 outside glass-walled capsules. It gives fantastic views over central London. The wheel will not normally stop to undertake passengers whilst the spinning speed is slow enough to allow passengers to walk off the capsules in bottom level. It’s by far the most used tourist attraction from britain, seen by over 3.5 million people yearly.

  Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace may be your most important house of Queen Elizabeth II though it’s possessed by the British country and also really isn’t the monarch’s personal real estate. Even the Fore-court of Buckingham Palace can be employed for Changing of the Guard, a Significant service and tourist appeal. Between May and July the protector changes daily and on alternative days the remainder of the season. Since 1993, the palace country rooms are around the general public throughout August and September.

  British Museum

Buckingham Palace maybe the essential house of Queen Elizabeth II though it’s owned by the British country and in addition is not the monarch’s real estate. The Fore Court of Buckingham Palace may be utilized for Changing of the Guard, a Substantial tourist and service attraction. Between May and July the shield varies each day and on other days the remaining of the growing summer season. Since 1993, the palace country places are round the average man or woman all through August and September.

  Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a Joint bascule and suspension bridge from London, Across the River Thames. It’s near the Tower of London, that gives it its name, and it is now an iconic emblem of London. Construction started in 1886 and took eight years to build. The bridge includes 2 towers that are attached together in the top level in the shape of two flat paths that are intended to defy the forces of these suspended segments of their bridge.

  Big Ben

The 150 year-old Big Ben clocktower is just one of the greatest attractions in London. The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock tower , however into the 13 ton bell placed inside the tower also carries its name from the guy who ordered the bell, Sir Benjamin Hall. The presentday Big Ben shot has been assembled in 1858 after having a very first bell of 16 loads broken irreparably a couple of decades prior. The clock has turned into a favorite attraction, and it has appeared in several films. From the film Mars Attacks! As an instance the Big Ben is destroyed with a UFO attack.

  Best Time To Visit

Spring starts early at the U.K., which is best in differently jelqing weather (still: package an umbrella). Mild winters and also conventional xmas markets create November and December hot, too.

  London Transportation

Choose in the metro (known as the underground or tube; one ride starts at $2.60) for trucks, ships, commuter trains and flights. Transport is broken up into zones; so the farther the zone is out of central London, the more costly it’s going to be to arrive. If you should be at the town for a couple of days, buy a wise card, and then also consider per day ($9.90) per a week pass ($49.50).

London Weather

  January is the coldest month, with a mean low of 7 °C and July is the hottest month, with a mean high of 19 °C.

  Money Saving Tips

Visit all the free museums – The Majority of the museums in London are liberated — that the Museum of Londonthe British History Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum are great. Get your fill of history without having to spend a pence! The National Gallery and the Tate Modern are free and therefore so are a few of my favorites.

Buy an Oyster Card – This prepaid credit card can help you help save you about 50 percent on each subway. If you anticipate utilizing the tubing alot, make this card! In the event you leave and possess extra on the card, then they can even refund the total amount!

People watch at the markets – Sunday is market day at London. There is the Camden Market, the Portobello Market, the Flower Market, and several thousand more choices. Folks today see, capture amazing photos, and relish local London lifetime without having to spend a dime.

Watch the changing of the guards – The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace are at 11:30am, and also the horse guards in Whitehall shift at 11:00 am. All these are both interesting and free to see because you ingest authentic British flare.

Just walk and explore – London is a enormous metropolis, and also there are amazing historic buildings all over. I walked four hours and scarcely made a dent to the road I had been going to shoot (thus the requirement to find the Oyster Card.) Nevertheless, as soon as you walk and escape the tourist area across the Thames, then you are going to have to see London exactly the way in which the tourists do. You are able to get free maps of revealing walking paths round the funding from some one of London’s tourist advice shops.

Last minute theater tickets – You’re able to obtain last minute tickets into the theater from the state booth at Leicester Square. Availability varies each and every single day, so make sure you make it early.

Skip the cabs – Taxis are very pricey in London and certainly will eat into your budget by simply choosing them . I remained out past once the tube shut night and the cab to my hotel was 31 GBP! If you commence taking taxis anywhere, you are going to wind up spending tens of thousands of dollars every day, so bear this in your mind.

Master the night bus – To prevent taking costly flights, make certain you receive yourself a map of their nighttime bus paths and that means that you may return to your own hotel/hostel on the economical. These buses move throughout the town and in the suburbs. You might even utilize your Oyster card on those buses. In reality, buses are necessarily the most affordable public transport option!

Stay at a Hola Hostel – Hola Hostels is just really a system of hostels mostly in South and Central America, though they currently have locations around Europe, too. They provide you a 10% reduction with their associates, in addition to additional regional discounts for activities and food. Joining is completely totally absolutely free of charge, and also their hostels may also be devoted to environmentally sustainable techniques.

      London Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting London

#London #London Tips #London Travel #London Travel Guide

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Quang Binh, the land of caves, has so much more

Marketing Advisor đã viết bài trên https://www.ticvietnam.vn/quang-binh-the-land-of-caves-has-so-much-more-27/

Quang Binh, the land of caves, has so much more

The magnificent cave systems in Quang Binh have justly hogged the limelight, but there are many other attractions to bask in.

The discovery of the Phong Nha Cave, and then the Son Doong Cave, firmly stamped the central province of Quang Binh on the world tourism map as a must-visit destination in Vietnam. The province soon came to be known as the Kingdom of Caves that has attracted many speleologists, explorers and travelers to visit it.

So far in 2018, the total number of visitors to Quang Binh reached 3.9 million, an increase of 18 percent over the same period last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Beautiful tourism farmlands and western streets have formed in the areas near the caves, but when we took three days off to explore the province, Quang Binh turned out to have far more attractions than suggested by catchy promotion headlines or high-definition photographs.

A panoramic view of Dong Hoi city. Photo by Shutterstock/Loner Nguyen

Downtown Dong Hoi

We took an overnight train departing from Hanoi to Dong Hoi city, the center of Quang Binh. A 30 something dollar fare for a round trip was far more reasonable than the airfare, so spending more time on the train journey was no problem.

The tiny train station welcomed us with unexpected professional services: free wifi, digital billboards and easily available taxi services. We started our adventure by reaching our homestay on Nguyen Du street, a road overlooking the Nhat Le river. Many good hostels offer accommodation at a very reasonable price here. Our triple-bed room cost us about $16 per day.

We chose the dry season, from April to August, to visit Quang Binh, when it is hot and sunny. In the September to March rainy season, we might miss our chance to see the vast white sand dunes, or be unable to enter the famous Phong Nha because of high water levels.

Nhat Le bridge at night, in Dong Hoi city. Photo by Shutterstock/Loner Nguyen 

Our first destination was the Nhat Le Beach, right in Dong Hoi city. We missed the sunrise, but the morning breeze on the beach provided welcome relief from the stuffy weather in the city.

Nhat Le beach was not very crowded, probably because it was not peak season yet. The dialect spoken indicated most of the people there were locals. There are no fancy cottages to rest in, cocktails to drink or exciting water sports to enjoy. All this made the beach even more attractive – just the waves and sand for everyone to enjoy. A rare treat, these days.

Da Nhay beach, thirty minute drive away from Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province. Photo by Shutterstock/vivanvu

We had another beach on the day’s schedule. Thirty minutes in a taxi and we were at the Da Nhay Beach. The taxi driver had agreed on VND300,000 ($12.8) for a round trip. Very reasonable, considering he had to wait and drive us back.

Photo by VnExpress/Bao Ngoc

The Da Nhay beach (Dancing Rock) is strikingly beautiful, with its scattering of black rocks on white sands. We decided to skip swimming, climbed on to the rocks and listened to the waves crashing against the rock. We were looking to commune with nature, and this was happening in a great way.

Since eating out is a big part of a holiday, we were paying extra attention to our stomachs for the first signs of rumbling. A random choice from a row of restaurants on the street was our plan, when our taxi driver pitched in. “You must try the fish porridge here. It’s famous for it.”

What a meal that was! The waitress brought us a big pot of flawless white congee with fish slices and green onions. For about $10 dollars worth, the pot could satiate five people. When we returned to the taxi, we were fully recharged, and thankful for our driver’s advice.

Sand dunes and the sea

After two different kinds of beaches, we were headed to a third sea scenario, this time, one that involved the Quang Phu sand dunes.

Just 4 kilometers away from the city center, this sand dune stands on one side of the promenade that runs along the Nhat Le beach. Goes without saying that the route was very scenic. To our right was the emerald sea and on the left were the white sand dunes.

We stopped at a green tube house on the road that had a sign that said “sand slides”. Locals offer parking services and plastic panels that work like sleds on the dunes. We parked our bikes on the sidewalk, rented three thin plastic panels and climb up the sand dune without much expectation.

Quang Phu sand dune. Photo by Shutterstock/Thanh Le Duc 

The dune did not seem very high, but once we got to the top, the view stunned us for a moment. “It feels like we are walking in the desert, like the Little Prince”, Anh, my companion, cried out.

It was very cool. The wind blew against our face and hair as we slid down the dune, which was really fun. But visitors need to be careful not to carry belongings that can fall off and get buried in the sand right away.

Hungry again

All that “exercise” got us ready for our next meal and Dong Hoi City treats the visitor well, offering many central Vietnam specialties. As a coastal city, it has an impressive variety of seafood on offer, too. On the banks of the Nhat Le river are a succession of open-air seafood restaurants that presents this seafood variety in a variety of dishes. There are several mini food courts around the Dong Hoi and Ga market.

We had dinner at the Tu Quy restaurant on Co Tam street, gleefully filling our stomachs with Quang Binh specialties including the Vietnamese pancake banh xeo, rice cakes, noodles with grilled meat and rice rolls.

The caves, of course

The entrance of Phong Nha cave. Photo by Shutterstock 

You cannot visit Quang Binh and miss out on the province’s greatest pride: the caves. We chose to take a bus to the Phong Nha Cave by bus, a cheap 50km ride that is not advisable for people who do not know Vietnam well. A round trip taxi ride would cost you around VND400,000 ($17.17).

A boat ride is needed to reach the cave proper. A boat can accommodate 12 people, so it is better to share it to lower costs. The journey begins in the dark, a great experience on its own. The cave itself is a marvel, of course, the stalagmites formed over millions of years never failing to inspire awe.

Trekking inside the majestic Thien Duong (Paradise) Cave 

The Paradise Cave, around 70 kilometers from Dong Hoi city, is another must-visit site in Quang Binh province. We booked a day tour to visit Paradise cave and the Dark Cave – Chay river complex. The tour costs VND1.3 million ($55.83), all meals and ticket fees included. If you want to rent a round-trip taxi service to the cave, thrown in another VND600,000-700,000 ($25.76-30.06). Visitors may walk or rent an electric shuttle to reach Paradise cave’s mouth after getting off the boat.

“The men have gone abroad to work”, the boatwoman told us, explaining why most drivers and tour guides here were female. Quang Binh tries to send 2,400 – 2,700 people ever year to work abroad.

As we took the first step on the wooden walkway inside the cave, the drop in temperature was immediate. The walkway for the general public is one kilometer long, but explorers can take a tour with experts to explore the next seven kilometers.

The exhilaration begins

It was in the Dark Cave – Chay River tourism area that the excitement and exhilaration began.

The water sports on Chay River are fun and refreshing. Whether it was just swimming and floating around, kayaking of using the zipline, this is where you actually chuck your stress away. Our threesome sailed around in circles in kayak before a guard did us a favor and pulled his back, but it was not an off-putting experience.

The Chay river in Quang Binh province. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Xinh

The zipline was the thrill for us on this trip. The feeling of flying in the air across the river to get to the Dark Cave is not something you get to do on a normal holiday.

Inside the dark cave, full of sharp rocks and slipper steps, there was both the fear and thrill that danger can provide when there is safety at hand, in this instance, we had a guide who knew the place and her job very well. Without her, there would be zero thrill and 100 percent fear – fear that one small mistake can cost us our lives.

We swayed and wriggled till we reached the mineral mud bath. “Come inside, the mud is great for your skin”, said Tuyen, our tour guide. An underground stream carries minerals from limestone blocks in a nearby valley, piling the mineral mud near the mouth of the Dark cave. A mud bath would make your skin glow, our guide insisted.

On the way back, one tourist’s light went off. Tuyen handed him her light and guided us through the dark.

“Don’t worry, this is like my house. I know everything about it”, she said as she agilely climbed over a limestone rock, knowing exactly where to put her feet.

“It is all safe, when you get to know it”.

                                                                                               Story by Bao Ngoc

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[deladane]

Day 18: Sunday, March 18 ~ Disembarkation Day

Day 18: Sunday, March 18 ~ Disembarkation Day

Two years and one day after originally booking this cruise (we booked it with a St. Patrick’s Day special on the Equinox in 2016), and after endless planning and anticipation, our cruise was officially over. They stopped serving breakfast at 8am in the MDR, so I had set an alarm clock for 6:45am to give us enough time to finish packing up our bags before going downstairs to eat.  We were already docked back in Miami when we woke up… before sunrise!!

After a lot of squeezing and smushing, we were able to get our carry on bags closed with the rest of our belongings.  We checked and re-checked that we hadn’t forgotten anything in one of the closets or drawers, then went downstairs to deck 3 for breakfast in the dining room.  I always like to eat breakfast in the dining room on the last morning of a cruise.  They have space at the front entrance to store the rolling carry on bags, and then we can sit for a relaxing and quiet breakfast at our leisure.  The other option is dealing with thousands of people squeezing into the buffet with all of their carry ons, and trying to balance a plate of food while rolling a suitcase through the buffet line.  No thank you!!  We were escorted to a table at the very far corner of the room… I had no idea the dining room went back this far, but if that was my assigned table for dinner every night, I probably would have asked to switch!  It worked out just fine for one breakfast though.

Breakfast menu

The menu is pretty similar to what we had for room service so we both ordered our usual:  omelets and bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese.  I must have been feeling particularly lazy because I did not take a photo of my food this morning.  While we were eating, they walked around with a basket of breads and danishes, a tray of different fruit juices, and a carafe of coffee.  

We were assigned disembarkation number 15, so we listened to the announcements while we ate.  Conveniently, they called our zone just as we finished eating, so we collected our rolling bags from the front of the dining room, carried them up 2 flights of stairs (since there was zero chance of getting into an elevator this morning!), and followed the flow of traffic to exit the ship.  It’s amazing how excited we felt to walk through this gangway 2 weeks ago, and how depressing it was to be back here today.

There were quite a few people ahead of us in exiting the ship, so it took a few minutes to wind through the lines and down the escalator to the luggage carousel.  As opposed to every other cruise terminal I have seen where they line up all the suitcases in a big warehouse, labeled for each zone number, they use airport-style luggage conveyor belts at the Miami terminal.  I think there were 4 or 5 carousels, and each one was labeled for which zone numbers would be on it.  DH spotted our big blue suitcase immediately, so he grabbed it while I towed the 2 smaller bags.  The next step was to go through customs, where we waited about 10 minutes to reach the front of the line, but were then greeted by the friendliest government employee I have ever encountered.  She glanced at our passports and waved us on our way, and just like that, we were standing on Florida soil.  

It was kind of chaotic as we tried to figure out where to stand for ride share pick up.  DH requested an Uber to drive us from the Port of Miami up to Ft. Lauderdale, and it was due to arrive within 5 minutes, but there were so many people walking around with all of their luggage and it was hard to figure out where exactly to stand for the driver to find us.  Ultimately, DH stood out in the shoulder of the road to track down our Uber and waved him over to where I was standing with our bags.  We loaded our bags into his trunk, and then set off for FLL.  DH spent most of the ride napping while I scrolled through 2 weeks of missed posts on social media.  It was not even 9am yet on a Sunday morning, so traffic was light and we pulled into the airport 45 minutes later.

Out driver dropped us off at the departures door for JetBlue, but just as we were pulling up, I realized we should have told him to drop us at arrivals.  We were way too early to check our bags because our flight wasn’t until 6:30pm, so our plan was leave the suitcases in luggage storage for the day. I pre-booked a reservation for 3 bags online through Bagstogo.com for $7 per bag for the whole day.  It was very easy to arrange and I pre-paid by credit card. We were told to look for their booth near the baggage claim, so that meant we needed to get to the arrivals level (duh!  Too bad I didn’t think of that before we got to the airport so I could direct the Uber driver! Haha)  We took the escalator downstairs to the baggage claim level, and after asking the lady sitting at the help desk, we found the small white door hidden against the wall for the luggage storage.  They really need to make it more obvious because we didn’t see it without asking for help. This small sign was on the door to the office:

Notice how small the logo is for Bags To Go?  I was searching for a big sign with that logo… no wonder I didn’t see this sign!  There was a teenager sitting behind the door and she told us she had to look inside all of our bags before we could leave them in storage.  Ummm, really?  She pointed to the sign on the wall which said bags are subject to inspection. Normally that implies that they may inspect bags if they have reason to believe the bag is harmful, not that they need you to open every bag that is left there!  Our bags were packed and locked to take on an airplane… anything we had inside needed to get past TSA so surely it should be fine to leave in a storage closet for a few hours.  I wasn’t thrilled about opening up my suitcase in the middle of a crowded airport, but we had no choice as there was no where else to leave the bags this early. Once the girl was satisfied that our bags didn’t contain explosives or any other contraband, she stacked them on top of each other in the room, gave us a receipt, and told us we needed to pick up the bags before 5:30pm.  That is when their office closes and you cannot leave bags overnight, but it wasn’t an issue because we needed to check in our bags with JetBlue by then anyway.

Now that we were down to just our (extremely heavy) backpacks containing all of our electronics and valuables, we set off to find the Sun Trolley.  This is a free bus that runs between Ft. Lauderdale airport and the downtown riverwalk area.  They don’t let you bring luggage on the trolley, so that’s why we needed to check our bags.  They have a pick up location at each terminal in FLL- just look for this sign near the ground transportation pick up spot.

I didn’t catch this detail when I was reading through the information about the trolley, but they pick up from the airport once an hour, on the hour.  We were incredibly lucky that we got to the bus stop at exactly 10am, just as the trolley pulled up!  Had we taken even one extra minute dealing with the bag check girl, we would have missed the trolley and wasted an hour of our day, so we had extremely lucky timing!  You can’t miss the trolley- it is painted bright red and yellow and is a full-sized bus.

The trolley only operates on weekends, and there is only one physical bus that runs laps back and forth all day.  The ride downtown took about 20 minutes, and the bus driver talked the entire time, explaining the rules of the trolley.  He was actually very funny, although I don’t know if he intended to be!  When he dropped us off at the Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society, he said that he would pick us up at this location every hour on the :40, with the last bus leaving at 4:40pm.  He recommended we go inside the historical society as they can help direct us towards tourism points of interest, so that’s what we did.  

The lady at the front desk told us about the riverwalk and that there are 2 kinds of tourist boat rides.  One is a yellow boat called the Water Taxi and costs close to $30 per person for a 3 hour tour around Ft. Lauderdale.  The other one is Water Trolley that is a red, white, and blue boat, and is free, but only runs a short distance for a 20 minute tour.  She recommended the latter and told us where to find the first pick up location.  It was now 10:30am and the first water trolley started at 11am, so we decided to just go for a walk down to Las Olas Boulevard, and we planned to pick up the water trolley down there.

We wondered around the streets of Ft. Lauderdale and eventually found our way to stop number 4 on the water trolley route at the Laura Ward Riverwalk Plaza at 11:15am.  

It was a very pretty spot along the river, surrounded by high-rise condos and hotels, and with a parade of yachts floating passed us. We sat down on the curb and waited for the water trolley to arrive.

A few minutes later, this big yellow boat pulled up to the dock and we realized it was the more expensive 3 hour tour boat. I guess both boats share a dock since they come and go throughout the day.  I asked the guy who worked for the water taxi and he confirmed that we were at the right spot for the water trolley to pick us up.

That is when things went down hill.  After 30 minutes of waiting and not seeing the water trolley, we started to wonder what was going on.  If the trolley tour is only 20 minutes long, then surely it should have come by our stop by now, right?  We tried calling the phone number on the sign, but no one picked up the phone. Then we started to wonder if the water trolley only runs once per hour just like the sun trolley.  We decided to wait it out until 12:15pm as that would be one hour after we originally arrived, and if it runs once per hour then it would arrive by then… hopefully!

This tiki bar boat floated by at one point. I’ll bet it is a lot of fun, especially for a party or a big group of friends!

Do you know the feeling where you are waiting for someone to pick you up but you don’t know what car they drive?  Maybe it’s just an acquaintance or someone you don’t know very well.  You feel kind of anxious because you don’t know when or if they will ever come.  And you stare longingly at every vehicle that passes by, hoping it’s the one you are waiting for, but it’s not, and it just keeps driving by?  It’s not the best feeling, and it makes time seem to drag on extremely slowly.  Well, that’s how we felt right now.  The lady at the tourism desk hyped this trolley up like it was the best thing we could do in Ft. Lauderdale, and we waited over an hour but it never showed up!  At 12:30pm, we were tired, hot, and bordering on pissed off.  We had just wasted over an hour of our day, and clearly this mystery water trolley was never coming, so we cut our losses and left the riverwalk in search of lunch.

We were just a few blocks away from Las Olas Boulevard, so we walked over there to pick a restaurant.  We considered coming over here back in 2016 but we never made it, so it was fun to check out what we missed out on.  There were tons of different restaurants lining the street, most of which with outdoor seating, and many of which had a DJ or some kind of live music.  It was such an exciting vibe for a Sunday afternoon, and I can only imagine how crazy things must get down here on a Saturday night!  After standing around outside for over an hour, we really just wanted a quiet lunch inside an air-conditioned room.  We decided to go to Mango’s Restaurant and Lounge as they had one of the more affordable menus (many of the other restaurants were over twice the price for each item as Mango’s) and they were able to set us right away since we were willing to eat inside (there was a longer wait if we wanted an outside table).  

The restaurant was nearly empty as the hostess led us to our table.  The waiter came over with a large bottle of water, which he left on the table for us to refill our glasses as needed, and a basket of bread.  As an added bonus, there was a lady playing a keyboard and singing stripped down versions of pop songs, setting the tone for a quiet and relaxing meal. She is sitting in the lounge on the other side of the wall to the right, so you can’t see her in this photo, but we could hear her just fine.

We both ordered the chicken burger, which was a grilled chicken breast with caramelized onions, provolone cheese, and mushrooms, with a side of French fries.  It was simple but very good and we felt much better after our stomachs were filled.

After lunch, we walked back to the water trolley stop.  It didn’t look like the trolley was anywhere in sight, so we just decided to walk back to the historical society office along the riverwalk.  We didn’t realize it, but the whole walk was less than one mile! That’s not much of a tour, and had we known it was such a short route we may not have wasted so much time waiting for the trolley to never show up.  It was a beautiful sunny day, so it was lovely to walk along the river, watching the boats and the other people pass by.  When we were almost at the end of the path, we finally spotted it… the red, white, and blue water trolley was tied up to the dock, with no employees anywhere in sight!  We finally realized that the trolley must not be running today.  I’m not sure if the crew never showed up to work, or if the trolley was broken, or what the reason was, but clearly there would not be a water trolley today.  I was really disappointed that no one made any effort to announce that the trolley was out of service.  There are only 8 pick up stops over a route that is less than a mile long, so it wouldn’t take much effort to someone to go around and post “out of service” signs at all of the stops.  At the very least, they could have posted an announcement on their website (we did check that but saw no indication that it was closed today).  We went inside to tell the lady at the tourist desk what happened, and she explained that she had no idea they were closed today as it is part of a different company and she just recommends it to tourists but she does not work for them.  At least now she knows they’re closed today so she can stop telling people to look for those boats and wasting their time!

We went back out to the river and found a park bench in the shade to relax and people watch for a little while.  We were originally planning to take the 3:40pm bus back to FLL, but we were hot, tired, and bored, so we decided to go back on the 2:40pm bus instead.  If we needed to sit around for a few hours, may as well do it in the bar at the airport where it’s air conditioned!  The trolley pulled up right on time, and we headed back towards the airport to wrap up the end of our vacation.

Pay attention when the driver announces your stop name as you board the Sun Trolley at the start of your day.  Even though we got on at terminal 3, he told us to get off at the Green 4 stop when we returned to the airport in the afternoon. We went back into the terminal to pick up our luggage, and then brought it upstairs to the departures section to the JetBlue bag drop.  Amazingly, when we put the bag up on the scale, it weighed in at exactly 49.9 pounds! There was a short line at security, but that didn’t surprise me considering how many cruise ships disembarked today from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.  We finished going through security by 3:45pm, so we still had over 2 hours to go before they started boarding our plane. Amazingly, we found 2 seats at the bar in Chili’s, and there was even an outlet right there at our seats so we could charge our cell phones.  It was too bad our seapass cards weren’t valid at the airport though because they charged $12 for a pint of beer!  CRAZY!!! I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised considering they have a captive audience, but $12 for a Blue Moon was a bit steep in my opinion.  We drank our beers verrrry slowly so we could hang out there for a while.  When our cell phones were sufficiently charged, we walked over to the food court to pick up a couple of sandwiches at Einstein Bagels to eat for dinner on the plane.  

You know how the rest of the story goes… we boarded the plane around 6pm, took off on time, kept ourselves entertained on the 6+ hour flight by watching TV and looking through photos on my iPad, and landed back at SFO around 10pm local time.  We still had an hour-long drive to get back home to San Jose, so by the time we walked in the door, it was after 11pm… which felt more like 2am on Florida time!  I’m not gonna lie… going back to work the next morning was rough!

Step Tracker Daily Total*:  15,215 steps; 6.25 miles; 3 flights of stairs

*My FitBit was set to Florida time so I made sure to check my steps while on the plane before it reset the tracker for the new day!  This total includes all of Sunday in Florida, plus the 2 hours extra because we went to sleep at 2am Florida time.

So that’s the end, folks!  Overall, it was a great vacation and we really enjoyed our time on the Celebrity Eclipse.  I do kind of wish we could have a re-do with some of those ports on a day with less wind. I feel a bit cheated that I have now been to Bonaire but did not get to snorkel there, and there were several other days when the snorkeling would have been significantly better without the strong winds churning up the water.  One of my photography goals on this cruise was to take a great photo that is half above and half below the water line, and that was completely impossible with all of that wind.  I guess that means we need to book another tropical cruise and try again, but for the time being, we are putting cruising on hold to take a few land trips instead. We will definitely cruise again eventually, and when we do, I promise to come back here and tell you all about it!

#Celebrity Eclipse Cruise 2018 #celebrityeclipse #CelebrityCruises #cruise #vacation #travel #Florida #Ft Lauderdale

[kevingbakeruk]

LIVE: The Bath Instruction speaks with residents and specialists on transport and contamination problems

‘Today is about urgency'Ms Hobhouse

said: “It’s immediate now that we do something.

"We have to take a look at our own behaviour and look at exactly what we do. Today is about seriousness and we should develop a solution and an incentive.

"How do we get ourselves out of the automobile?”

Time for action?Regarding air contamination

, an audience member has asked:“ Talk readies but isn’t really it time for a bit of action?” Talk is over Ms Romero’s talk is now over.

She is taking down concerns which will be passed onto Jon Poole. Dine Romero talking on behalf of the council Air Quality conversation Air quality concerns have actually been raised.“There are a variety of areas where the average No2 levels and considerably higher than

in other areas,"said Ms Romero.

12 locations are higher than average, this includes London road."The greatest development is 15-24 and it might be inferred from this that this is because of the increase in trainee numbers

.” There is also a boost in the older age varieties, which is as we know is

because we are living longer-which I assume is an advantage. “This remark was satisfied with laughter from the audience Modifications to population

She is rundown the audience on modifications in Bath’s population. Dine Romero takes the stage Councillor Dine Romero is now speaking on behalf of the council

.'No fast fix'Mr James stated:"It is solvable and it has actually been the

drop-off point for a number of years and it is safe.” There isn’t a fast repair alternative.

“Question time Question from a

member of the audience:"Bog Island coach park has actually been there for over three

years."I have had my vehicles strike there and that was the third car that week"It is extremely dangerous and they come right into the city centre.

"I don’t see how A, that is sustainable it is an absolute

problem. If we might find some method of stopping those coaches coming into the city.” I think they must

be held out of the city centre. “No time at all for Xmas market responses Mr James was happy to attempt to answer questions on the market, however regrettably, there isn’t enough time. Heated debate The discussion is getting heated up. Wera states:"We are not speaking about the Christmas Market. "We have actually got to focus on

transportation and pollution.” 'Why put food in front of food?’

A cabby states:“I worked while

the Christmas market was on. I have never ever had one person get in the car and say they like it."This year you extended it

to Kingsmead Square.

There are 20 little food business there who were injured when you put food in front of food."Why put food in front of food?"This is triggering a stir among the guests.Question time Questions from the public Could Bath be like Center Parcs?” We wish to resemble

the Center Parcs model.“ You discard your car when you arrive and walk on foot or cycle.”'Sustainable strategy'Talking about the negative effect tourist has

, Mr James said:“ We are moving to a more sustainable technique."We wish to attract the stay visitors, they invest more and they create less pollution."We are really keen to encourage individuals

to use the train and the park and

ride."Airbnb big in the city 830 residential or commercial properties in Bath presently listed on Airbnb.'Tourist is good ’"Tourism is an advantage. It creates employment, it brings investment in.” It also lowers your council tax by about ₤ 80 “₤ 10m visitors”

We’re really proud to host just under 10 million visits every year. That’s individuals who rock up to stay the night. “'Fantastic destination'We create 6 million visitors to this fantastic destination.That’s a great deal of visitors in a small piece of property.

(Image: Antonio Puma) Bath Christmas Market One big thing we do is run, handle and operate

bath Christmas market. Yet it is probably the most questionable thing we do, but it attracts the

many people to the city.It was voted the very best outside event in the country and I’m extremely happy with individuals who pull it together.(Image: Artur Lesniak)Intro to Bath Tourism Mr James:”

In essence, we utilize we

have to do with 25 individuals, 80 per cent female “Bath Tourism speak Next up is David James from Bath Tourist Plus. Sell out event The Bath Briefing audience(Image: Artur Lesniak)

'We should do more'Mr Latham from Bath Health Spa

University:"I believe it’s a variety of things. "I was surprised when I took a look at the numbers, three percent are biking. "We work very carefully with Very first Bus and we prohibit parking on campus for undergrads."We run vehicle sharing plans and fledgling skills so those who aren’t positive cycling can find out."There has actually been a remarkable boost in our performance on sustainable travel.

we can’t be pleased with that. We need to

do more. ” Councillor Shelford asks question Bath Medspa action Neil Latham:“I believe

our university is a really positive financial force in this city.” Question from Bath local A Member of the general public is asking the university agents:“Should the universities be held to the exact same business responsibilities as other companies? No representation without tax."Great deals of trainees cycle 32,126 cycle journeys were made to Bath Spa during 2015/16.

'Not a concern on real estate market ’"We’re not planning a huge development in the variety of trainees. ”“The majority of our students do not position a problem on the housing market. Around a 3rd lease

in the personal sector and this has actually begun to sneak down as we build more lodging. "The Bath Briefing considering the city’s and pollution problems is being held today(Friday, February 23). The argument at BRSLI(Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Organization)in Queen Square

. It is set to include speakers representing

various groups, including the council, public transportation companies and the city’s two universities.Prof Steve Egan, vice-principal at the University of Bath Neil

Latham, primary operating supervisor at Bath Health spa University David James, chief executive, Bath Tourist Jon Poole, company intelligence supervisor, Bath and North East Somerset Council Ian Plain(CE, Cyber Home), Federation of Small Companies Harry Tedstone, chair of Bath Independent Traders Group Andrew Sherrington, operations director of First Bus Malcolm Parsons, principle program sponsor for Network Rail Matthew Barnes, regional development manager for Great Western Train."The services will be brought

forward by a large range of neighborhood groups and activists who will remain in the audience … many of whom are women.”

We’ll be bringing you the extremely latest updates, photos and video from the event.Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01225 322 2213. You can likewise tweet @brontehoward utilizing the hashtag #bathbriefing

Source

https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/live-bath-briefing-hears-residents-1255322

from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/live-the-bath-instruction-speaks-with-residents-and-specialists-on-transport-and-contamination-problems/

from NOVACAB https://novacabtaxi.tumblr.com/post/171760397801

[novacabtaxi]

LIVE: The Bath Instruction speaks with residents and specialists on transport and contamination problems

'Today is about urgency'Ms Hobhouse

said: "It's immediate now that we do something.

"We have to take a look at our own behaviour and look at exactly what we do. Today is about seriousness and we should develop a solution and an incentive.

"How do we get ourselves out of the automobile?"

Time for action?Regarding air contamination

, an audience member has asked:" Talk readies but isn't really it time for a bit of action?" Talk is over Ms Romero's talk is now over.

She is taking down concerns which will be passed onto Jon Poole. Dine Romero talking on behalf of the council Air Quality conversation Air quality concerns have actually been raised."There are a variety of areas where the average No2 levels and considerably higher than

in other areas,"said Ms Romero.

12 locations are higher than average, this includes London road."The greatest development is 15-24 and it might be inferred from this that this is because of the increase in trainee numbers

." There is also a boost in the older age varieties, which is as we know is

because we are living longer-which I assume is an advantage. "This remark was satisfied with laughter from the audience Modifications to population

She is rundown the audience on modifications in Bath's population. Dine Romero takes the stage Councillor Dine Romero is now speaking on behalf of the council

.'No fast fix'Mr James stated:"It is solvable and it has actually been the

drop-off point for a number of years and it is safe." There isn't a fast repair alternative.

"Question time Question from a

member of the audience:"Bog Island coach park has actually been there for over three

years."I have had my vehicles strike there and that was the third car that week"It is extremely dangerous and they come right into the city centre.

"I don't see how A, that is sustainable it is an absolute

problem. If we might find some method of stopping those coaches coming into the city." I think they must

be held out of the city centre. "No time at all for Xmas market responses Mr James was happy to attempt to answer questions on the market, however regrettably, there isn't enough time. Heated debate The discussion is getting heated up. Wera states:"We are not speaking about the Christmas Market. "We have actually got to focus on

transportation and pollution." 'Why put food in front of food?'

A cabby states:"I worked while

the Christmas market was on. I have never ever had one person get in the car and say they like it."This year you extended it

to Kingsmead Square.

There are 20 little food business there who were injured when you put food in front of food."Why put food in front of food?"This is triggering a stir among the guests.Question time Questions from the public Could Bath be like Center Parcs?" We wish to resemble

the Center Parcs model." You discard your car when you arrive and walk on foot or cycle."'Sustainable strategy'Talking about the negative effect tourist has

, Mr James said:" We are moving to a more sustainable technique."We wish to attract the stay visitors, they invest more and they create less pollution."We are really keen to encourage individuals

to use the train and the park and

ride."Airbnb big in the city 830 residential or commercial properties in Bath presently listed on Airbnb.'Tourist is good '"Tourism is an advantage. It creates employment, it brings investment in." It also lowers your council tax by about ₤ 80 "₤ 10m visitors"

We're really proud to host just under 10 million visits every year. That's individuals who rock up to stay the night. "'Fantastic destination'We create 6 million visitors to this fantastic destination.That's a great deal of visitors in a small piece of property.

(Image: Antonio Puma) Bath Christmas Market One big thing we do is run, handle and operate

bath Christmas market. Yet it is probably the most questionable thing we do, but it attracts the

many people to the city.It was voted the very best outside event in the country and I'm extremely happy with individuals who pull it together.(Image: Artur Lesniak)Intro to Bath Tourism Mr James:"

In essence, we utilize we

have to do with 25 individuals, 80 per cent female "Bath Tourism speak Next up is David James from Bath Tourist Plus. Sell out event The Bath Briefing audience(Image: Artur Lesniak)

'We should do more'Mr Latham from Bath Health Spa

University:"I believe it's a variety of things. "I was surprised when I took a look at the numbers, three percent are biking. "We work very carefully with Very first Bus and we prohibit parking on campus for undergrads."We run vehicle sharing plans and fledgling skills so those who aren't positive cycling can find out."There has actually been a remarkable boost in our performance on sustainable travel.

we can't be pleased with that. We need to

do more. " Councillor Shelford asks question Bath Medspa action Neil Latham:"I believe

our university is a really positive financial force in this city." Question from Bath local A Member of the general public is asking the university agents:"Should the universities be held to the exact same business responsibilities as other companies? No representation without tax."Great deals of trainees cycle 32,126 cycle journeys were made to Bath Spa during 2015/16.

'Not a concern on real estate market '"We're not planning a huge development in the variety of trainees. ""The majority of our students do not position a problem on the housing market. Around a 3rd lease

in the personal sector and this has actually begun to sneak down as we build more lodging. "The Bath Briefing considering the city's and pollution problems is being held today(Friday, February 23). The argument at BRSLI(Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Organization)in Queen Square

. It is set to include speakers representing

various groups, including the council, public transportation companies and the city's two universities.Prof Steve Egan, vice-principal at the University of Bath Neil

Latham, primary operating supervisor at Bath Health spa University David James, chief executive, Bath Tourist Jon Poole, company intelligence supervisor, Bath and North East Somerset Council Ian Plain(CE, Cyber Home), Federation of Small Companies Harry Tedstone, chair of Bath Independent Traders Group Andrew Sherrington, operations director of First Bus Malcolm Parsons, principle program sponsor for Network Rail Matthew Barnes, regional development manager for Great Western Train."The services will be brought

forward by a large range of neighborhood groups and activists who will remain in the audience ... many of whom are women."

We'll be bringing you the extremely latest updates, photos and video from the event.Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01225 322 2213. You can likewise tweet @brontehoward utilizing the hashtag #bathbriefing

Source

https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/live-bath-briefing-hears-residents-1255322

from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/live-the-bath-instruction-speaks-with-residents-and-specialists-on-transport-and-contamination-problems/

[shannrussell-blog1]

In part one of this series, I gave you all the details on what you need to know when planning and booking your trip to the USA, which you can check out here.

In part two, I cover off some advice about transport, how tipping works, including who to tip and how much; what to expect with American food; and handy advice about WIFI, shopping, theme parks and much more.

So, if you’re a tourist heading to the States, let’s get started!

Avoid peak travel times

It goes without saying really but try and not travel during peak times because it will take way longer and be costlier, especially when venturing to the airport. Also, when you’re booking your flights, ensure there is transport available at your arrival times.

I once arrived at LaGuardia airport in NYC after midnight only to find public transport had stopped for the night and there were only a few taxis coming back and forth at that time. Luckily, I got one but we broke down on the ride there. That’s another story.

If you have to travel in peak hour, ensure you leave extra time for your journey.

Be aware that traffic is travelling in a different direction

Traffic is driven on the opposite side of the road to Australia (so the right). Get in the habit of looking both ways when crossing just in case you forget. This also helps when you get home because it can take a little while to adjust back, especially if you’ve travelled there for longer than 2 months. This goes for when walking past people too. You may find you will do a funky dance with people as they subconsciously expect you to go past them on their right rather than their left.

City bus tours

Hop on/ hop off buses are a great way to check out most US cities. You can buy tickets online ahead of time, onboard or at certain stops. It can sometimes be cheaper to buy at the stops as the guides can suggest which bus routes would be best for what you want to see. The buses give you an idea of the city super quick without your legs getting exhausted.

Bring sunscreen, a

The hop on / hop off bus tour in NYC is a great way to see the city without getting tired. 

Driving in the USA with an Australian license

If you’re on a holiday visa in the USA, there are some states that will allow you to drive with your Australian license for a short period of time. But, I would recommend that if you want to be covered, especially when driving across the US, obtain an International Driver’s Permit before you leave Australia.

A tip for driving is that in most US cities, there aren’t many roundabouts so there is the rule that you can turn right on a red light. For more information on foreigners driving in the US, check out this link here, and to find out about road rules in each state, you can find them here.

Uber

Uber Pool is big in the States and is more affordable than ordering a separate Uber for just yourself. And, if you are a solo traveller, you can meet other adventurers along your journey. Keep in mind though it will often take longer to get to your destination as you will pick up/ drop off other passengers along the way. Also, consider your luggage size and the possibility that it may not fit in the boot, especially if you get picked up last.

When booking with Uber or Lyft, always select on the map where to get picked up from and think about the direction of the traffic. Consider where your pick up location is first before booking as some hotels will only have certain areas that they allow for you to be picked up from.

Keep in mind that some airport locations don’t use Uber because they want to stay loyal to the taxi and shuttle service. I always ask the customer service desk at the airport as they will let you know and give you the best advice about your travel options.

Looking down at all the Uber drivers from the John Hancock Center in Chicago. 

Money & Tipping

How much should you tip?

In terms of tipping for service – 20% is polite, 15% is okay and 10% is rude. Nothing at all is a real slap in the face, even if you think the service was poor. You are not obliged to tip if you think the service was terrible but you may find walking out the door to be very awkward.

Tips are a custom that is given to service related workers, such as taxi drivers, waiters, tour guides, massage therapists and ski instructors. Workers in retail, such as clothing stores, do not need to be tipped. Here are some services that you may ask how to tip for…

USA Tipping guide:

Bag Porter – $1-2 per bag.

Bartenders /Casino drink servers – $1-2 per drink.

Gas Stations – No tipping required. You may tip the pump attendant if they fill your gas when there is also a self-serve option. Or, you may want to tip them $1-2 if they check your oil or help you with directions, or it’s boiling outside or freezing cold. More of a courtesy really.

Hairdressers/ Barbers – $5-$10 per head.

Hotel housekeeping – $2-3 per night in medium to high-end hotels (per couple).

Supermarkets – No tip required. $1-2 per bag if someone helps you to your car.

Uber – No tipping required. You can tip through the app if you want to though.

Valet parking – $2-5 when picking up your car.

Australians are known for not tipping well in America, but you also don’t want to tip more because they simply suggest you do. This is a common theme with tour guides. Stick with 15-20% as a rule of thumb, plus my suggested tips above, and you’ll be set for your stay.

Hot tip! Make sure you get plenty of $1 notes when transferring your cash before you go. It’s always awkward giving the taxi driver a $10 ‘tip’ and asking for $8 worth of change.

Food prices don’t include tax

Food prices generally don’t include tax. Each state is different, so the amount will change depending on where you are.

Be warned because at first, it may seem as though you’re getting a great deal when looking over the menu, so to get a realistic idea of how much your meal will cost, add tax (could be over 9%) and how much you’ll tip and that will answer the cost of your meal. This is particularly useful when going to fancier restaurants if you choose to.

When it comes to tipping, 15-20% is what’s considered polite. 

ATM limits in the US

You can only withdraw up to $500USD at most American ATMs, but if you wish to withdraw more, you need to bring your passport to a bank for them to organise with your card. Be mindful of the fees you will likely incur when using your card before you go, so you don’t get an unexpected transaction charge from your bank.

Carrying cash

There are seven denominations of United States currency, which comes in $100 (also known as a ‘Benjamin Franklin’), $50, $20, $10, $5, $2 and $1 dollar bank notes. The coins available include $1, 50c (rare coin to see), 25c (quarter), 10c (dime), 5c (nickel) and 1c (penny). The banknotes are made of paper so try not to scrunch them up too much or keep them in your pockets… you may accidentally wash them.

Always carry smaller bills with you when going to everyday places in the United States. I tried to buy an $8 meal from Starbucks once with a $100 bill and was turned down because it was too large. When getting your money exchanged, request smaller bills. Often, money exchange companies will give you larger bills because it is easier to count and exchange over to you.

Carry small change with you, especially for street vendors. 

Deposits on hotel rooms

When checking into your hotel, you will likely have to put a deposit down. This can be fantastic if you want to use the credit to buy food, drinks or services in the hotel and just assign it to your room. Usually, the hotel is taking your money in case you don’t pay for things or you trash your room.

Beware of hotel deposits when travelling on a shoestring! They’ll getcha! I was checking into a hotel for 3 nights and they wanted to take out $600! And, this wasn’t including the cost of my room. It was at the end of my trip, so I didn’t have a lot of cash on me. I managed to negotiate down to a $300 deposit. Still a chunk considering that’s US dollars!

It took 10 business days to see the money back in my bank account after. It’s worth noting to keep a deposit stash of money aside if you’re going to a bunch of hotels in a short period of time over there.

Put aside some money for a deposit when staying consecutively in hotels. 

The best time to exchange your cash

Compare rates between money exchange companies to give you the best deal. This is particularly useful if they are in close proximity to each other. Another good option is to order your US money ahead of time, before your trip. You can do this over the phone and request exactly what you need (20 x $10 banknotes, etc.).

If they don’t have the notes at the location, then at least they can order it in and save you a trip down there. Often there is one person working at these booths so expect to wait when rocking up to collect.

Food & Drink

Beware of food serving sizes

Food servings are usually ginormous, so keep in mind that most restaurants can offer you a doggy bag if you don’t finish your meal. Great to pop in your hotel or communal hostel fridge for a snack later on, or a meal for the next day.

A small meal at McDonald’s is like a large sized one here. Be warned because you will be regretting it when you have a food coma shortly after.

The fast-food menus are different

If you love KFC in Australia, it is completely different over in the states. I don’t mean it’s bad, I just mean if you’re hanging out for a Zinger burger you won’t likely find one there. The same goes for Wendy’s.

So, even if food chains have the same name as in Australia, they likely have a completely different menu. This can sometimes be the case even for places like McDonald’s and Burger King (aka Hungry Jacks).

What to expect with differences in food

Terms like biscuits are not cookies over there, they’re more like a scone. Capsicum is a non-existent term, they are referred to as bell peppers, which is good to know when ordering at a Subway restaurant. Lemonade is not like Australian lemonade. It’s a non-bubbly sugary lemon drink, so if you’re after an Australian lemonade, ask for a Sprite or 7UP instead.

Tomato sauce is referred to as Ketchup. If you’re in Chicago, whatever you do, don’t ask for tomato sauce on your Chicago hot dog! They will laugh at you! You may hear about the term, s’mores, which are referred to as ‘some mores’. They’re a great treat for around the campsite.

Cheese can look kind of orange in the States. This is common but can be weird to notice at first considering most cheeses in Australia are yellowish or white. If you see orange cheese, it usually means it’s been dyed. Traditionally, orange cheese was considered to be more authentic cheese to the consumer. Long story short – not to worry, it’s still cheese and tastes amazing as per other cheeses at home.

Expect huge meals, and funny looks if you ask for tomato sauce! 

Nutritional info on meals in restaurants

In the USA, most restaurants, particularly chains, will have nutritional information on the menu. This is superb if you’re looking for something that is lower calorie, especially if you’ve been gorging yourself.

Here’s a hot tip, most Cheesecake Factory restaurants (they don’t just have cake) have a SkinnyLicious® menu. These meals are calorie conscious and I believe are just as tasty. Plus, you will likely feel more energised after eating rather than feel like you want to take a nap.

Beverages

Most places where you can get a drink, like a bar or a club, don’t monitor their alcohol pouring. You’ll find the drinks to be a lot stronger. So, bear this in mind particularly when you’re driving or if you wonder why your head hurts so much the next day.

Coke Zero is quite big in Australia, so I found it unusual that they don’t usually have it in American restaurants. Diet Coke is your next best option.

You will be surprised at how many extra soft drinks they have over in the States, like Pepsi with cherry flavour. The names are slightly different, so if you’re after a Pepsi Max, it is often called Pepsi Light or Diet Pepsi.

Hot tea is not a common drink in the US but iced tea is. And, it isn’t a cold version of a savoury hot tea but a sugary drink that can be quite refreshing. Keep a lookout for them at most restaurants and 7-Elevens.

Top places I would go to for food in the States are:

Buffalo Wild Wings in Times Square, NYC;

Wahlburgers in Boston;

RPM Chicago in Chicago;

Avila’s (Tex-Mex) in Dallas;

In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles;

Cheesecake Factory anywhere but I love the Nashville one;

Buffet dinner at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas;

Patio (American Grill & Cocktail Bar) in Provincetown, Cape Cod… try the lobster! A-maa-zing!

The Thanksgiving burger at Wahlburgers in Boston is not to be missed – delicious!

Identification for bars and clubs

If you’re up for a bit of dancing or want to check out the club scene, expect to be patted down and have your passport scanned. Your Australian Driver’s license doesn’t cut it because it is not a known ID to them and could easily be faked.

You won’t be allowed in with a backpack either, so I wouldn’t even try if you have one with you, to be honest. This may seem frustrating, but it will give you peace of mind knowing that you’re in a safe haven inside as everyone is held to the same security standards.

Check off those once in a lifetime experiences

Travelling anywhere can give you the opportunity to do things you wouldn’t normally do in your everyday life. Experience that high thrill ride ‘Tilt‘ in Chicago or take that helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon at Sunset.

I am a nervous flyer, but the Grand Canyon flight was one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had, and I felt like such a thrill-seeker after tilting 1000 feet down towards the magnificent mile in Chicago. I was so happy with myself to put aside to just give them a go. As cheesy as the saying goes – YOLO!

The helicopter flight I took across the Grand Canyon was an unbelievable experience. 

Use WIFI hotspots

There are hundreds of free WIFI hotspots across America if you want to take a squiz. Usually, hotels offer free WIFI but check when booking beforehand.

Never access your banking or personal information when accessing unsecured free WIFI. You never know who can access your information and you can set yourself up to be hacked.

Download Netflix shows before going to the airport. The WIFI isn’t great so you wouldn’t want to find your show hasn’t downloaded before boarding!

Take a power board and adaptor

Take a power board and a travel adaptor suitable for the States. This way you can plug multiple Australian cords in without having to buy separate adaptors. Also, there are two styles of US adaptors available out there (one with the earth connection and one without), so be aware as to which one you need for your appliances and keep in mind that some places in the States will only have two pin power access in the wall.

US voltage is lower than what we have in Australia. This will explain why your Australian hair dryer may be less powerful than normally at home.

Storing your luggage between checking into hotels

If you’ve realised that you need to check out of your Airbnb early but don’t have a flight until later on – find a hotel where they have a baggage storage room and say you’re just checking out. Sometimes if you’re lucky, they will take your name down and hold them for you. If this doesn’t work, you still have the option of storing at a paid locker at a train station.

Getting talk show tickets

If you love American TV shows, particularly talk shows, check online what you want to see and put in a request for audience tickets way ahead of time. Just make sure they’re in the city you’re going to as most are either on the west or east side of America. Do this in advance and leave the days you want to see the show open to give you more of a chance. Be mindful that most shows will go on hiatus during summer.

All tickets are free, so if they don’t fill up for the day, they give out tickets on the street. My brother and I managed to score tickets to ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ back in 2014 as we were approached on Hollywood Blvd. You have to forfeit your phone though, but it is quite an experience to see the set and you might catch a free t-shirt!

You gotta go to Universal Studios Hollywood if you’re a film buff like me. 

Themeparks

There are lots of theme parks in the States, all offering a different experience. My top parks are Disneyland, Six Flags and Universal Studios. So, have a look into what experience you’re after, and choose wisely depending on who you’re travelling with. If you go to Six flags with children under the rollercoaster height limit, they will not be able to participate which can put a dampener on the day.

Pharmacies are like mini-supermarkets

Always be on the lookout for a CVS pharmacy or a Walgreens. They have an array of snacks and everything you need just like supermarkets, but with the disguise of a name that sounds less accurate for a supermarket.

If you need a snack or drink, a pharmacy is like a mini supermarket, which is super handy. 

Shopping

If you’re a person that loves makeup, you will want to check out the options available in the United States. There is a diverse range but most importantly, it’s a lot cheaper! Say it with me…Sephora, Sephora, Sephora!

If you love a good sports cap like me, look out for the authentic merchandise at places, like Lids. They have different styles, including men’s and women’s, and different sizes (even in width) depending on what you’re after. You can even have them customised with your name if you’d like as well.

Claiming GST back on goods

If you buy goods in the 60 days leading up to a trip and they equal $300AUD or more, including GST, you can claim your 10% GST back at an Australian international airport if you’re taking the goods with you in your carry-on. For more information, head to The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS).

I bought a pair of Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which meant I could claim $50 back in tax. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it in time to claim my refund because the line was too long. I’d suggest getting there between 2-4 hours earlier before your flight if you want to claim. Well, that’s if you don’t want to lose out on $$$ like I did.

Tourists hotspots

If you love the States, there is no doubt millions of other people around the world do too. So, no matter what the season, expect to be surrounded by many people, particularly in tourist spots. I was shocked when visiting Waikiki beach to find I had to scramble for an area that was more than 2 metres away from someone else.

Be prepared for the crowds wherever you go in the US.

Using the toilets/bathrooms

I’m afraid to say it, but the toilets I’ve seen don’t flush the other way to us. They suck down in one go. If you notice that there’s no handle on your toilet, finish doing your business, stand up, and in a couple of seconds, it will flush. Also, don’t be alarmed that the bathroom doors have a large crack in between the door and the stall. You get used to it after a while, especially if you ignore it.

If you want to use a toilet while out, particularly in populated areas, you will likely need to buy something to get the code for access to the toilet. Often it will be at the bottom of your receipt. This is to deter people from just coming in just to use the bathroom, particularly at places like McDonalds and Starbucks.

Also, the polite way to ask where the toilet is in the US is to ask where the ‘bathroom’ or ‘restroom’ is. These mean the same thing but ‘restroom’ is used more frequently in restaurants, malls, bars and public places.

So, there you have it, these are all of my best tips and advice for travelling to the states. Whether you’re still planning your trip, or you’re about to set off on your adventure – safe travels and we hope to see ya’ll back here real soon now, ya hear?

  If you’ve been to America, what was your favourite experience when you were travelling there? 

  The post Tips for Travelling in the USA appeared first on Snowys Blog.

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[fayeintheuk-blog]

Bristol, England

-pictures below-

Who knew a windy and rainy weekend could be so fun? It sure can in Bristol!

After a quick train trip up to Bristol, we checked into our cute little AirBnB. We had planned to stay the night, even though Bristol is very easy to conquer in just one day, so we could explore the night life. Since we arrived late, we settled on Deliveroo (a U.K. delivery service) where we got some delicious burritos delivered right to our doorstep. We chowed down and had some pre-drinks before settling on a club to go out to. We found ourselves headed to Lakota, a club that was noted as popular for our age group. Another big club that was recommended to us was having a sold-out concert that eve so we didn’t make it over there. Lakota is best described as one giant warehouse. The dress code is clearly whatever you can find as people came sporting clothes from a thrift shop, to H&M’s latest collection. The music consisted of local DJ’s from the area. A lot of EDM music later, we learned to appreciate our comfortable Uni town playing Despacito and the latest from the Rap Caviar Spotify playlist. It’s loud, crowded, and confusing to navigate as a new comer. The crowd is for those who appreciate the EDM and the unique beats that a DJ can deliver. We turned in early by getting some food from a local Kebab restaurant and then heading back to our AirBnB via Taxi (note: always make sure you are clear to the taxi driver where exactly you are going… we ended up at the wrong address at first).

So now on to what we really did in Bristol. The day began fairly early (surprise, surprise, I know). Thanks to some helpful locals in a coffee shop, we learned which bus could run us out to the Clifton Suspension Bridge so we could admire the nature views before the rain started. While I haven’t been to the Golden Gate Bridge, or a notable bridge anywhere before, I will say this was an experience like no others. It was so amazing to look out at the running water below, the trees to both sides, and the city of Bristol off into the distance. We ventured up to an observatory but didn’t pay the 5 pounds to go inside and gain one more story for a better view. We did however find a fun rock that had been rubbed down to a makeshift slide (see photos below).

After spending a good 45 minutes at the bridge, we made our way back towards where I bus had dropped us off. We decided to grab food at a nearby restaurant called Clifton Relish. Their burger menu looked incredible but we found ourselves ordering bagels and egg combos from the breakfast menu.

We grabbed the bus (making the most of our all-day bus pass) and headed back towards the City Centre. We found ourselves walking into the Bristol Cathedral, mainly to gain some warmth, but it turned out to be a great decision. It was gorgeous inside. We admired all the traditional architecture and stain glass windows as well as the amazing smell of brownies wafting from their café.

We decided to continue on where we found our first piece of Banksy art, the Well Hung Lover. The city of Bristol is covered with all sorts of graffiti art. While at first thought, it can be easy to assume that this must make it seem grungy or dirty, but it was far from that. It was fascinating to look at and later we heard from a man at a bus stop who commented that all his friends are the ones who had done a good amount of the graffiti specifically around the Stokes Croft area. I his words he said, “it saved the city.” He said if it were 10 years ago, we wouldn’t find ourselves wandering the streets of Stokes Croft. It wouldn’t be safe; it wouldn’t be our scene or our people. He said the graffiti art changed that, it brought the life back to all of Bristol.

We then headed to the St. Nicholas Market (shout out to my mom for always reading up about the next place I’m visiting and then shooting me an email with recommendations of things to do). This place was AMAZING. We ended up all getting split up as we were so engrossed in all the vendors and shops filled with things to look at. They had everything you could want from tapestry’s hand made in India, locally made ceramic pieces, jewelry, clothes, and art. But let’s take a minute to talk about the food. If you go to Bristol, you should definitely build your schedule around this market so you can eat lunch here! We ended up getting small bowls at a falafel stand and it was incredible. They loaded up these little plastic boxes with everything from hummus, falafel, salads, and veggies and then topped it with a dressing of your choice. Such a good afternoon pick me up! St. Nicholas Market had food vendors offering everything from Thai and Chinese to traditional Pies and Pasties, and then sweets and crepes. Whatever you are craving, you could find it here along with so much more.

We ended our afternoon, by reconvening in the Stokes Croft area where we admired another Banksy piece, Wild Wild West. We then grabbed the bus to avoid the rain, but made the mistake of grabbing it going the opposite direction of where we needed to head. So, a lot of confusion, a view of the outskirts of Bristol, and 45 minutes on a bus later, we found our way back to City Centre so we could head back to the train station. We really made the most of that all-day bus pass I must say.

I recommend stopping through Bristol if you ever get the chance. It’s so full of life and culture. A lot to see and experience! Thank you Bristol for a good two days, I hope to be back soon!