Ever stumbled upon the perfect café, sequestered deep in the quietest corner of a buzzing city, and just had to share the secret? Ever wanted to be part of that secret? Travelistas Lynn Lau and Abby Bender combine their journalism and travel experiences to bring readers Notes From A Café: Travel stories from the deep end, a refreshing cure to the usual stodgy travel resources. Notes From A Café revolves around the love of travel, with articles covering countries from Belgium to Norway to Malaysia, along with tips and resources to fellow travelers interested in the non-touristy side of exploring the world.
Celebrating the joie de vivre of traipsing the globe, Lynn and Abby feature their stories and secrets under headings such as "Voyage Vignettes" (focusing on the thick and thin of personal travel accounts), "Foreign Foibles" (cultural gaffes and taboos), "Travel Tips" (a grab-bag of information and suggestions for travelers), and "Roaming Reviews" (frank guides on true must-see's and definite stay-away-from's).
A random selection of our articles:
So you’re going to be stuck in a plane for several hours, where the dry, stagnant air sucks the moisture right out of you. It doesn’t help that recent airline regulations limit the amount of liquids and moisturizer you can bring aboard. I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m in a plane for long periods of time, my skin turns positively gray. So what’s a traveler with sensitive skin to do?
Include Burt’s Bees Carrot Seed Oil Complexion Mist in your carry-on, that’s what. You may only be allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, but a good mister is absolutely worth the space. And with 100% all-natural ingredients such as rose oil, carrot seed oil, and patchouli oil, this particular mister gets a big thumb’s up. Just give a shake and acouple of good spritzes whenever your skin starts to feel drawn and tight, and you’ll find yourself remarkably refreshed.
Its website description says the Carrot Seed Oil Complexion Mist is specially designed for “mature” skin, but don’t let that deter you if you consider yourself young-at-heart. Carrot seed oil has amazing properties, including relieving stress and rejuvenating skin. Indeed, its anti-inflammatory nature is known to help treat dry skin, rashes, and dermatitis. An all-natural way to relieve eczema? Count me in!
If you’re old-school by nature, Burt’s Bees also offers the complexion mist in lavendar. The best part is, a mister is not restricted to just plane travel. Weary after a long drive with the air-conditioner on full-blast? Spritz on! Dull eyes after hours in front of the computer screen? Spritz on!
If you’re shopping for other kinds of misters, remember to avoid anything with alcohol in its contents. Alcohol-based products are bad for the skin, and terribly drying, which is the last thing you need when you’re on the go. Read the ingredients carefully before buying.
If you’re the crafty type, you can make your own complexion mist. Just be sure you know what you’re doing, as working with essential oils needs careful attention. For a lot of oils, pure equals extremely potent, and that can sometimes counter-intuitively harm the skin. You’ll have to dilute carefully measured doses with distilled water. Your local aromatherapist can be a big help in showing you how to make a mist that’s tailored specially for your needs.
A Travel Tip about soothing dehydrated skin would not be complete without a reminder to drink lots of water. So chug the H20 — just because you’re on the move doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look fresh and fabulous, so fill ‘er up!
Most people, when they go overseas, tally the fantastic things they have accomplished during their stay. Such as how many chateaux they have visited, how much fondue they’ve eaten, or how many tchochkies they’ve purchased for Aunt Bessie.
Me, I tally pickpockets. Specifically, how many pickpockets I’ve beaten up. Don’t let my pretty face fool you—to date, I’ve come in contact with five pickpockets and beaten up all of them.
Actually, I’ve only beaten up two pickpockets. Well, really, I’ve only “beaten up” one. And I didn’t really do the “beating” part, because my black-belted beauty-queen friend was the one who threw the punch. But when my dad was mobbed by a gang of three pickpockets on the Paris metro, I stepped on one’s foot and hit him with an umbrella. Which half-counts.
Pickpockets happen. They happen whether you’re in Paris, London, Madrid, and anyplace in between. And, while every traveler has been warned at least five times to “keep your passport close!” and “split up your money in case your purse gets snatched!”, a lot of us come from nice neighborhoods in a country where the public pickpocket population is pretty … petite.
Yes, it is smart to have a money belt, passport pack, and all those other lovely contraptions that you can staple and glue to your skin to keep your valuables as close as possible. And always be sure to have copies of your passport stored in separate places—and distribute your credit cards, travelers checks, and cash into different pockets or bags to “diversify” your wealth and lessen the risk of losing everything.
But have you noticed that the native citizens of these countries don’t wear money belts? How do they keep from getting robbed blind every five minutes?
» Read the rest of How to Not Get Your Pocket Picked (and what to do if it happens) ...
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Shall I sing you a tale of great derring-do
When pickpockets three I did bravely subdue?
(Well, maybe “subdue” is a word too extreme,
But hear out the story; you’ll see what I mean!)
I was living abroad when, wholly by chance,
My brother’s glee club was on tour in France.
I packed up my things, met Father and Mum,
And drove to the north to have us some fun.
At Omaha Beach, where so many fell,
The glee club boys sang of faith and farewell.
Then onward through Caen and Sainte-Mère-Église
In weather so scorching, we prayed for a breeze.
And, then, off to Paris! La ville des lumières!
The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and ladies so fair!
Since I knew the town, I worked with pride
Playing the role of translator and guide.
» Read the rest of Pickpockets, Beware! (or, My Subway Adventure) ...
The first time I went to New York City, I hated it.
It was a bitterly cold January. Jessica and I were staying with her cousins in Philadelphia, and after the hoo-ha of New Year’s had blown over, we decided a day-trip to New York was in order. I actually looked forward to it. Let’s put it this way: when you’re bouncing on the balls of your feet, you’re either trying to recover from poor arch support or you’re brimming with anticipation. My arch support was fine, so there you go.
Jessica particularly wanted to see the Statute of Liberty. I really had no inclination to see the Lady, to tell the truth. Okay, she carried a torch. And there was that toga. I still get a kick out of that bit in Ghostbusters II, when the team enlists Lady Liberty’s help to defeat Viggo and his river of slime:
“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
“Wonder what?
“What she’s got underneath that toga.”
Classic Venkman.
But other than that, it did not pique my interest at all. There were streets to walk! Shop windows to goggle at! Don’t make me go to a statue, for crying out loud!
We went to the statue. “For the view,” Jessica insisted cheerfully.
» Read the rest of Behind the Burnish of the Apple ...
My friend and I were sixteen when we were about to embark on a river expedition. My mother was quite insistent on slipping money into our pockets before we left. My friend shyly declined, but Mum got her way when she pointed out: “Must have when travel, for good luck!”
There’s no denying a Chinese mother when it comes to good-luck traditions.
Still, there’s truth in what she says. You should always have a bit of the local currency in your pocket, even before touching down at your intended destination. I’ve always done this, merely out of habit, but was reminded of its importance some years ago when I and another friend were returning from travel.
We had just spent some hot summery days in Toronto, and were crossing back into the US. Well, “back” for me, that is; my friend was from Europe, and it was her first time visiting. To cut costs, we took a Greyhound bus. Only two things need be said about that experience:
1. Never again take the bus for a 19-hour journey.
2. Never again take a Greyhound bus, period.
It was close to midnight when we reached the border. We, along with other passengers, sleepily shuffled off to the immigration counters for the usual checks. It wasn’t typical this time, however, when the immigration official discovered that my friend (a) was not American, and (b) did not have a single dollar on her.
The official and her supervisor were very displeased, to say the least. “You have to have at least seven dollars in order to enter the country,” they barked.
I blinked, wondering if this number was pulled at random or if it was indeed a standard rule. “Why seven dollars?” I asked.
“Don’t argue!” they retorted.
Consequently, my friend had to walk to the closest ATM — keeping in mind it was approaching the one o’clock hour by now — so that she could withdraw enough cash to fulfil the minimum amount needed to enter the country. I waited, and fretted, back at the immigration station, constantly watching the doors for her return. My relief was palpable when she reappeared, and we boarded the bus again. Needless to say, it wasn’t something either of us would ever forget.
My mother was right: not having money in your pocket when embarking on a trip is bad luck!
Nowdays, most of the travel and customs forms you’ll encounter — whether in Europe or Southeast Asia — will ask how much of the local currency you possess before you’re allowed to enter the country. Therefore, even if you plan to withdraw or exchange money at your destination itself in order to ge better rates, make sure you have at least some of the local currency prior to your arrival. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to trudge over to an ATM in an unknown location in the middle of the night, and that’s no way to start a journey at all!