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:
Keeping in theme with Abby’s article, one handy tool to make sure you know where you’re going is the ever-simple pen and paper.
Keep the slimmest pocket-sized notebook handy for when you’re at the Metro/RER station, trying to buy train tickets, or when you absolutely, positively need directions and the only person you can communicate with alternates between made-up sign language and wry laughter. If you know the bare basics of the language, but for some reason suffer a mental short-circuit or can’t find the precise word you need, remember, the language barrier needn’t be an obstacle. It can be a starting point.
» Read the rest of Oh, And You Can Doodle With Them During Dull Moments, Too ...
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) ...
You don’t have to visit museums or art galleries in order to get a feel for the local culture. Sometimes all it takes is a trip to the market to find a true representation of the people and their lifestyles. An afternoon stroll through a pasar (market) in rustic Kota Bahru was a prime example of this, as I found out.
Onward, to the pictorial tour!
» Read the rest of A Stroll Through A Pasar ...
It had been a blast visiting my friend Tonje, but now it looked like my trip was going to round off in a sticky situation.
My return flight was through Vigra airport. However, Tonje and I were miles away in Volda, and though Norway might be a good ol’ pocket-sized country, the keyword here is “pocket-sized.” It doesn’t have airports in just any which city. The main method of transportation is by bus. We’d have to take a bus from Volda to Moa, and then transfer onto a second bus that would shuttle me the rest of the way to Vigra. Collectively, a five-or-six-hour journey.
Hey, we decided, no problem. All the more fun and countryside to see before parting.
The problem was, when Tonje checked the bus schedule, there weren’t any buses between Volda and Moa on the day I was supposed to leave.
Mental note: Never choose Sunday as a departure day again.
» Read the rest of A Detour to Ålesund ...
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!