A well-supported team!

I may never win an Oscar, Emmy, or even a Bloggie, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t give an acceptant speech. So – here goes; we couldn’t have made it to the Mongol Rally finish line without the support of our amazing sponsors. We utilized each and every one of them during our journey and all rejoiced that we had them on our ‘team’. If you are a future rallier, then you may even want to consider these tools for your trip! Here’s how we used their products on our journey:

All Ways Rentals (New Zealand) – They bought our Nissan Almera for us! We never would have even made it to the start line without them. They had advised us that a 4 door Almera would be a good choice for this journey and they were absolutely right. Prior to leaving London they even serviced it for us and provided a couple of new tires which we were very thankful to have. The Hot Box lived up to our expectations and ended up raising approximately $4000 for charity once we reached Mongolia! It was a sought after vehicle as people stopped us all over the country asking to purchase it from us.

Our car the first day

The last day...with a bit more wear on the car!

Intrepid Travel – They fueled us up all the way to Ulaanbaatar! Thanks to the Intrepid trip raffle, we rose $2000 to put towards fuel for the trip. We were a little worried at first that the $2000 wouldn’t take us very far, but once we drove out of Europe the fuel prices dropped and we were able to make it the entire way on our $2000 budget! Not only did Intrepid help us raise this money, but they also bought our carbon offsets for our journey!

Fill her up thanks to Intrepid!

Track24 Solo – This little device was not only tracking our progress, but it provided peace of mind. Every day the satellite tracking device would sit on our dash board (or sometimes our back window nestled in a roll of duct tape) sending a signal to the satellites every 10 minutes; thereby plotting our position on a map. The great team back in London and Dubai would update our facebook accounts daily with the latest satellite view and occasionally put in their own commentary about our camping choices. This was also a way to send text messages back to our team of social media experts (SMAC) once we were out of email/texting areas. We’d send a text via the Track24Solo and they’d post it to our twitter hashtag. Finally, the device also provided a ‘panic’ button that we thankfully never had to use. The little red button was safely nestled under a red protector on the back of the device. If we had pushed it, then an immediate message would have been sent out to our emergency contacts we had identified earlier. I think some of the other teams we ran into could have really used this feature!

The track 24 was a lifesaver!

Panic!! Panic!!

SMAC – Candice Walsh and Cailin O’Neil were our team on the ground helping us keep our sites and social media accounts running when we no longer had access or time in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia - Ottsworld Hijacked!  They put up with our neurosis and posted blog posts for me as well as posted to Facebook and twitter accounts. Then the world of WordPress threw them a curveball in the form of a malware attack on my site which shut it down. While I was driving through Mongolia my site in shambles, but luckily I had Warren Talbot on my side and he was able to fix everything while I was slowly driving along avoiding potholes.

One Sim– I must admit I didn’t have many expectations of One Sim in the beginning as I don’t normally use a cell phone when traveling. I simply turn my phone off and rely upon wifi connections or do my research/planning in advance. However, little did I know that the world One Sim card would turn out to be a life saver many, many times on this trip! As we entered Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan we used it numerous time to make calls to various hotels, hostels, and apartment rental places as we frantically looked for places to stay. We used it to communicate with other teams via text messages. And finally, the most important thing we used it for was to tweet our updates in text messages while driving through Mongolia. This was the only thing that really kept us connected throughout the entire journey.

Two Nav Compe GPS – Our GPS navigation system helped tremendously getting in and out of the various cities we drove through. When it’s mapping functionality ran out when we left Europe, we thought we’d be putting it away, but we discovered another use for it…the compass and driving data. We used our Two Nav all the way through Mongolia to ensure we were going the right direction as well as to know how far we had gone (which was never as far as we had thought we went!) This really helped us understand where we were and if we could make it to the next village to fix the flat tire or not!

Oh London – Thanks to Oh London our team had a comfortable apartment (or in London speak…a flat) to stay in while in London the week before the rally. This was invaluable as we were able to work together to get the supplies we needed, pick up our car, and get the car prepped for the journey. Plus, it helped us save money in the expensive city of London by cooking for ourselves in our apartment all week. The location was perfect for hopping on the tube and getting to see the sights pre rally.

Cooking dinner at our Oh Loondon! Apartment

Roomorama – Even though Roomorama came aboard at the last minute their contribution was greatly appreciated! They provided us apartment lodging in Brasov Romania, Kiev Ukraine, Volgograd Russia, and in Ulaanbaatar after we finished. It was a great way to stay in a central location and get to see some of the sties even though we were moving through the cities quickly. Lodging can be one of the most difficult things to deal with in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but Roomorama had great apartments in these lesser known cities that were perfect for our team. Plus – the apartment we had in Kiev was da bomb…I really didn’t want to leave!

Dave finishing off dinner in our Roomorama apartment in Ulaanbaatar

Nox Audio – They kindly provided us each a set of audio earbuds so that when we got sick of each other in the car we could listen to our own music! Music and earphones are essential for any road trip!

Tep Wireless – They provided us super internet connectivity (via wifi/mifi) while in the UK. They also provided us units for the rest of Europe, however they weren’t nearly as reliable as the ones for the UK. Overall though – if you are going to travel in England – they are a great gadget to carry with you in your pocket!

And last but not least, a couple of people who sponsored us are also worth my thanks. The talented Hop/Jaunt design team supplied us with our awesome logo for our team seen every time we filled up with gas! And the Indie Travel Podcast  for helping us on the media front get the word out about the charitable adventure!

Looks like my time is up and they are about to escort me off the stage! Thanks again to these great sponsors – we were so happy to have you as part of our team!

I finished the rally – listen to my post race podcast from Heather on Her Travels - Mongol Rally Podcast and get the low down on how it all went from my lips to your ears!

Wifi for your pocket...perfect for travel bloggers!

I’ve been walking around London all last week with a hot pocket…literally.  I’ve been carrying my Tep wireless hotspot device in my pocket as I ride the tube, visit Greenwich, the London Eye, Borough Market, Brick Lane, museums, and friends.  The Tep device was a life-saver providing me a constant dose of internet access, which for a blogger is as necessary as blood flowing through your body.

Tep provided my Mongol Rally teammates and I these tiny little devices for our week in London to utilize as we moved around the city prepping for the Mongol Rally, as well as while working in our London Apartment .  The Tep Pocket WIFI device is small and basically works through mobile signals.  It sends out a wireless signal and allows me to connect multiple devices (laptops, phones, ipads) and utilize internet via 3G.  This helps me get around the issue of not being able to use my American locked cell phone without becoming bankrupt form international roaming charges.

I used the pocket WIFI all week in London and it allowed me to communicate with friends who I was meeting, to find my way around the tube, make skype calls, and use the GPS maps on my phone to not get lost in the packed London streets.  But most of all it allowed me to stay connected and update my social networks while out touring around London.  This was a luxury I don’t often get when I travel with my locked US cell phone.  When I got back to the apartment it was my on-ramp to the internet and allowed me to write posts, upload pictures, and search the internet for the various gear we needed.

The Tep pocket wifi was the most useful device I have used for working and traveling abroad.

In addition to loving the connectivity and freedom it provided me in London, they were simple to pick up and return.  We picked the devices up at the airport and we easily return the devices by mailing them back in a provided envelope – sort of like NetFlix.  The devices came with the proper charges and plug adapters too…so honestly you don’t have to bring anything with you but your laptop and phone…turn it on and you are good to go!

Also, if you are coming to Brittan with your laptop or locked cell phone – check out this great promotion.

We are happy to have Tep as a Mongol Rally team sponsor.  They are also providing us pocket wifis for all of Europe with limited data so that we can stay connected as we drive towards Mongolia!

Disclosure:  Tep is a sponsor of our Mongol Rally team and provided our team with pocket wifis in London and Europe.  However, all of the opinions expressed here though are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Books are weighty...

One of the hardest things about constantly traveling and living a nomadic life is the fact that everything you own you must carry.  This really cuts down on my shopping and actually helps me save money.  Every time I look at that colorful scarf, or cool new camera equipment I immediately think…but I have to carry it.  One of the most challenging things about carrying everything you own on your back while traveling is the dreaded ‘Guidebook Dilemma’.  I love having a real guidebook in my hands to flip through and read, not to mention the maps where I can make notes.  But they come at a big cost…they are bulky and heavy…and quite frankly my shoulders and back scream out in agony at the thought of carrying yet another book.

On my recent travels in Sri Lanka, I tried to go without a physical guide book and attemped simply have a file on my iphone.  But I’m old…and the iphone is small; I found the whole thing a pain in the ass and knew that it wasn’t the right solution even though it was the lighter solution.  While I was on that trip a representative from Sony contacted me about a contest they were running for their new Sony Reader centered around travel.  I immediately thought…this is the answer.  A light electronic file, but something that actually feels like a book.

I was really excited to be chosen as one of the few travel blogs hosting the Sony Reader contest where you can win $10,000 to travel anywhere in the world…yes you read that right.  You’d be crazy not to enter – you have absolutely nothing to lose!  It’s really simple to enter – all you have to do is imagine you’re on your dream vacation and you’re writing a postcard to me from that dream destination.  In your postcard, tell me where you are and what you brought along with you to read.

However if you are a math geek and look at the odds of this contest and think, there’s no way I can win…then consider this:

I’m also giving away a Sony Reader by handpicking my favorite entry from my website readers and giving away one Reader Pocket Edition™ and $25 gift card to Reader Store! Your odds are pretty good for this Ottsworld reader prize – there are only 10 entries so far and any statistician would tell you that these are good odds – so make sure you enter!

Entry ends on April 19th!

Winner selection

Starting April 20th, voting will start to take place at www.readergetawaygiveaway.com .  All visitors to the site will be allowed to vote for their favorite entries and you can begin promoting your postcard to your own online audiences and friends.  The person with the most votes** wins the $10,000 dream vacation and 2 Sony Reader and giftcard prizes!

**Voting runs from April 20 – 26th.  Participants are encouraged to promote their postcard to obtain votes. When voting begins, entrants will receive an email notifying them to start getting votes and will be given a unique URL for their entry.   Winner will be notified and entry will be displayed on the contest microsite at www.readergetawaygiveaway.com on or around April 28, 2011.

Leaving for my career break 2006

At the end of my career break travels 2008

In Memorandum – Saying goodbye to a dear friend

My throat immediately tightened and my swallowing became slow and laborious. I could feel the familiar sting in my eyes and my abdominal muscles contracting into a knot. I was going to cry; dammit, I was going to cry! I tried to hold back the tears, but somehow it made it hurt more. I took one last look at my dear friend, gently ran my fingers down the back remembering all of the fond memories, and turned around and left; knowing I’d never see my friend again.

After 4 years of living out of my Eagle Creek suitcase, our relationship was over.

Sure, there were signs of it aging now for some time, but I chose to ignore them. The Eagle Creek label was the first thing to fall off, but I didn’t need to label to recognize my old, loyal friend. Next it was scarred a few times, but the durable fabric never actually was punctured. It was tattooed with stickers from various customs and security agents, making it completely beautiful and unique in my eyes. The extractable pull-handle started sticking a year ago; but I knew how to wiggle it just right to make it work.

When the zipper that held the daypack on to the bigger backpack broke, I knew it wasn’t a good sign, but I still wasn’t willing to give up on it. There are always rough times in a relationship, and I knew we could get through this zipperless bump in the road. I simply used the nylon straps to secure the daypack instead.

The broken wheel... 4 years of nonstop travel mileage on that wheel...it held in there as long as it could!

Occasionally the other zipper would get off it’s track, but I was always able to fix it; a labor of love. However, the day when the one of the two wheels fell off – I knew it was the end. I had to put it out of its misery and put it down.

Down in the garbage room of my friend’s apartment.

I remember when I first got it. I must have talked to the REI salesperson for at least an hour trying to pick the exact right pack solution for my upcoming around the world travels in May of 2006. The salesman and I filled the pack with heavy weights and put it on my back to see if it would be comfortable. I walked around the store to test it out. I was nervous about the decision to let it into my life, but that was to be expected. This was my first big career break trip I was ever taking in my life. I was full of nervous excitement for the 6 months leading up to my career break departure.

When I brought it home and put it in my bedroom I would look at it every day trying to get my head around the idea that in 4 months I would be living out of this lovely aqua blue bag every day; this thought terrified me. How would I ever fit everything into it? How would I downsize my life enough to make this work?

I did my test packing a month before and realized it would never work. I had to downsize more. I did. It worked. Soon I found myself in Penn Station with my beautiful new bag ready to depart on my adventure of a lifetime…just me and my Eagle Creek bag.

At the beginning of this epic journey, I had no idea how much of a fixture this bag would become my life. This is why today, as I had to leave it, I felt like I was abandoning it. I thought about everything it carried for me, how it never got lost (a miracle!), how it always stood out in a crowd, and how when I asked and pleaded really nicely, it would fit one last impossible thing inside and still allow me to zip it up.

Oh – the memories.

The final resting place...

Goodbye dear friend, I will remember you forever as you will always be my first around the world bag. Thanks for the memories.

You can find my more formal review of the Eagle Creek Switchback for extended travel on Briefcase to Backpack.

This means I’m in the market for a new bag – can anyone hook me up?!  Help a nomad out!

]]> http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/saying-goodbye/feed/ 16 http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/travel-in-style-and-save-the-environment/ http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/travel-in-style-and-save-the-environment/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:15:13 +0000 Sherry http://www.ottsworld.com/?p=5857

Is your travel gear hurting the environment?

Next time you are in line at airport security take a look around you.  How many people have those little zip lock bags with their fluids tightly tucked away inside?  Are YOU carrying a zip lock bag?  Do you keep the plastic bag and reuse it after the trip, or do you throw it away and use a new one for your next trip?  If you are like most travelers, you probably discard it and get another for your next trip.

CAMENAE Travel Clutch - Stylish AND kind to Mother Nature!

It’s bad enough that oil is still gushing in the Gulf, however you can do your small part for Mother Nature when you travel; throw away those zip lock bags once and for all!  Instead, consider using a durable carry-on for your liquids; a CAMENAE Travel clutch.

Designed to FAA/TSA flight carry-on security regulations – so you no longer have to use and throw away zip lock bags!

Lady Luck meets Mother Nature!

Briefcase to Backpack is giving you the chance to win your own CAMENAE Travel Clutch this week!  Go to Briefcase to Backpack to enter, read the simple entry requirements, enter before July 5th, and hope that Lady Luck is on your side.

I have been working as a consultant for CAMENAE for the past 2 years, so yes, my opinion is probably biased, however that doesn’t change the fact that eliminating plastic bag usage is the right environmentally friendly thing to do.  However you choose to do it is fine with me, I’m merely providing you a suggestion…and a chance to win a FREE one!

Read the Briefcase to Backpack story of how I found my CAMENAE consulting job while traveling around the world on a career break.

Travel Questions? Ask Them!

I get many emails from travelers all over the world asking me questions about my travels.  Here are some of the recent ones that are great to share with everyone!  If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask!

Q:  From Anna in New York city – I’m planning a trip to start in December ’10 and have questions…
Did you travel with a laptop? Was that a good idea or bad?

A:  Yes, I travel with a laptop, however I use it to write and blog while I’m in the road. So I’m probably not the average traveler when it comes to carrying a laptop.  First I would recommend really considering what you want to use a laptop for while traveling.  Once you can answer that, then you can start to figure out what type of equipment is right for you.  For me, a long term traveler, it is really nice to have your own laptop to use for skype, travel research on your next destination, upload photos as a backup, and to simply stay in touch without having to use an internet cafe. However if you’re not a travel blogger, then I would recommend getting a cheap travel netbook (mini laptop) to simply have some internet access, and upload/backup photos.  If it’s cheap, then you won’t feel as bad if it’s lost or stolen. You can now get little travel laptops for about $500 and they are really just used for internet and some storage space.  That way it won’t take up much room, if it gets lost or stolen you haven’t invested a ton, but easier to use than an iphone or droid as you’ll have a full keyboard. Here’s a recent review from PC World about The Best Laptops, Netbooks, and Smartphones for Travel.

Here’s another good post about 7 tips for taking a laptop traveling, the author lists some good things to consider if you considering taking hardware with you!

If you decide to take it with you – then here’s a must read from my friend Anil at Foxnomad (he’s a security guru!) – The Traveler’s Guide to Locking Down Your Laptop

Blogging in Action at an airport in Vietnam

Q:  How did you get internet access?

A:  Depending on where you are going wireless internet may be free, or you may have to pay for it. I can safely say that all thru SEAsia(and most of Asia) – you can find it for free. Also – unlike America, most coffee shops, hotels, and airports also have internet and it’s normally free if you are a ‘guest’ there. Sometimes in Europe you’ll have to pay. If you know where you’ll be staying – you can contact them and find out if they offer internet. When I stay in hostels or choose hotels, I only choose places that offer wireless internet – else I won’t stay there. That way after touring around all day I can sit in my room and write or catch up on emails.

A decent source to find public access Wifi spots is Wifinder – just put in your location and see what’s around you.  It’s not completely up to date, but it will give you a good start if you are researching a travel location.

Finally, I would also highly recommend bringing an ethernet cable with you as you never know when you’ll have trouble connecting wirelessly on old routers, etc.  By bringing an ethernet cable – you may just be able to directly ‘plug into’ the internet and skip the wireless hassles.

Q:  Did you really write and upload photos in the internet cafes?

A:  When I first started traveling, yes, that’s how I did it. – I had a little card reader and would plug in via USB port at internet cafes and slowly try to upload my photos. It was painstaking. Once I started taking my laptop with me, I could at least get the photos on my laptop, even if the internet connection was too slow to upload them to the photo site I keep at Smugmug. So at least I had a backup – which was important to me. Yes, I also did the writing in internet cafes. Which the amount I write now, I don’t think that would ever work for me again. I find it so much easier to have my own laptop to travel with. However it is extra weight and security concerns. That’s why I suggest getting a cheap one for travel.

Q:  What blogging software do you use for Ottsworld?

A:  I use WordPress. We also use it on Briefcase to Backpack, Meet Plan Go, and Auraliya (my many sites!). It’s a great free software that is constantly updated and provides a lot of flexibility – and most importantly you don’t have to be a tech genius! You can have a free acount on WordPress - or simply choose your own host and download WordPress for free and then customize it.

Keep the questions coming!  Or if you have experience traveling with a laptop and want to provide Anna with more info – please leave a comment below!

As most of you know, I have another website that is my pride and joy…Briefcase to Backpack.  It <hopefully> provides inspiration and travel advice to those corporate dwellers that want to desperately escape the cubicle and see the world.  My partner, Michaela Potter, and I have been working really hard  on getting the site up and running; making it visible to those that are considering a career break, but need a bit of a ‘push’ away from their email inbox.

Over at Briefcase to Backpack we are running an exciting new contest; we’re giving away a Millican toiletry bag.  The Millican story is a great inspiration to all briefcase to backpackers because they came up with this fabulous company idea while on a carer break!  Jorrit and Nicky turned their passion for travel into a business after their career break. They started Millican, a travel and outdoor lifestyle brand for eco-friendly travelers, and produce and sell classic, sustainable travel bags and outdoor gear.

And now you can win one of their beautiful products!

Briefcase to Backpack is giving away “Jonathan The Roll Wash” (a $72 value). Inspired by artist, bed and tool rolls, this shape has been used by travelers for centuries. This compact wash bag is a great travel companion with enough space for all your grooming needs.

HOW TO ENTER – see the details at Briefcase to Backpack

We’ll accept entries until January 7, 2010.

One of my best friends (who I love dearly…Angie…ahem) always sends me (and other victims) these crazy ‘chain’ emails. She always begins the email by apologizing for sending it…which I find a little weird. You know the kind, the chain emails where you need to fill something out about yourself and send it one to 5 other friends else you’ll have bad dating luck the rest of your life. I really dislike this…I already have a bad dating life – do I really need to tempt fate and make it worse…is worse even possible? Regardless, even though I love my friends who send these (Angie…ahem), I’m not fond of the concept of e-chain letters; in fact, I hate them. So when my travel friends started ‘tagging’ me in a game of virtual tag, I had the same feeling of irritation.

I tried to ignore it at first. But soon I started getting ‘e-tagged’ so many times that I couldn’t really ignore it. I finally looked at the details of this ‘game’, and to my surprise I found out there were no doomsday consequences; my dating life wouldn’t be ruined, my luck wouldn’t run out, I wouldn’t get fat, I wouldn’t turn into a bad cook, my friends wouldn’t leave me, and I wouldn’t have bad travel karma. After realizing that this wasn’t a typical virtual chain game, instead it was a virtual tag game where travel experts shared their best travel secrets. I was intrigued.

Soon I started reading all of my peers (and taggers) posts about their travel secrets. There was some great travel advice out there from my fellow blogger friends such as Barbara from Hole in the Donut, Jodi from Legal Nomads, Shannon from Travel Tips and Secrets,  Heather Cowper from Heather on Her Travels, and Donna from My Itchy Travel Feet. Ok – maybe I should jump into this game…there are no consequences and you, my readers, get to benefit; what the hell.

The Tag game was started by Katie at Tripbase. The rules are that you are to write a post giving 3 travel secrets, and then tag 5 other bloggers to do the same. I can only bring myself to do the first thing…write the post. Considering how I feel about ‘tag games and chain letters’, I can’t go thru with tagging other people…so the buck stops here for my travel secrets I guess. If you want to see other bloggers secrets, then go to the links I put above; they offer some super travel advice!

Since lots of bloggers are sharing travel secrets, I felt like I needed to tackle tips that were a bit different so I decided to focus my travel secrets on unusual tips for women. Men – sorry, you can surf to some sports site if you want now.

1. Leave Your Vanity Behind
Since I’ve been back in NYC after being on the road for 15 months, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I’ve evolved. 3+ years ago I was a hip business professional working for international retailers. I had more shoes, clothes, and handbags than there were days of the year to wear them; my life was about vanity. When I started traveling I had a hard time accepting my new backpacker style. I tried to hang on to my vanity; I had a hair dryer and make-up in my backpack for the first few months…then I just let it go…and it felt great. I know it’s easy for me to say to not pack your hair straightener or makeup or 5 pairs of shoes…but trust me, you will be happier without these things if you are doing long term travel. You may find yourself feeling more free than ever – I did. I got comfortable seeing my face without make-up, my hair without hair products, and flat shoes instead of heels. If you feel like you still want a bit of ‘flash’ when you travel, then I suggest that you add flash to an average outfit by accessorizing – jewelry is small and can be the focal point of an outfit. So are pashminas. Both of these things are plentiful in many developing countries for cheap…so just buy them there and don’t carry them in your bag!  Plus, it supports the locals – win/win for everyone!

2. You WILL find Tampons in Other Parts of the World
This tip comes from a recent conversation I had with Amanda and Jen from The Lost Girls World and my biz partner Michaela of Briefcase to Backpack. We were chatting about common questions that we get asked and talk turned to tampons. I’m here to tell you that you can find tampons in other parts of the world – so you don’t have to take a year’s supply. Sure, some places are harder than others…so check out your itinerary and have some extras available (but not a whole year’s worth!).  I lived in SE Asia for a year and you could find tampons in grocery stores for expats.  You may need to ask someone where the expats shop, but that will get you pointed in the right direction.  For travel, you can’t beat OB tampons – they are super small and barely take up any space. Yeah – some people aren’t comfortable with the lack of applicator – but the compact size it worth it!

3. You Don’t Have to Answer Every Question
As a solo female traveler – safety is always a concern for me. So when I was in Bali and a local guy asked me where I was staying, immediately my ‘safety radar’ switched on and said “I’m not going to tell you that!” As I continued to travel, I realized that being questioned is part of being a traveler. I was constantly being asked very personal questions,

How old are you?
Where are you from?
Where are you staying?
Are you traveling alone?
Are you married?
Are you with friends?

These questions tend to happen more frequently in developing countries for some reason. I think the culture and personal space issues tend to be quite different than our western culture. Plus – many of these locals don’t know much English and these types of sentences tend to be the first and only thing they learn – so that’s why they ask them. I can remember teaching all of my ESL students the phrases “Are you married?” and “How old are you?”…yet these are things I generally don’t ask people personally! Regardless, if you are traveling alone and you get grilled with personal questions…you DON’T HAVE to answer these questions. In fact, assess the situation and use your head, if you don’t want people to know where you are staying then don’t answer the questions. Instead, start asking the person other things about their country or area, they are normally happy to share information about their country and culture; and you’ve changed the subject.

Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a comment with your girlie tips – I’d love to hear them. Plus I promise you it won’t hurt your dating life!

See the Ottsworld Travel Store

I’ve been busy working in retail this weekend…actually, I’ve been building a store!  No, it’s not a brick and mortar store, it’s an online travel store for Ottsworld readers.  Of course this little project that should have been rather simple ended up taking me about 4 hours, but it’s done now; mission accomplished!

Check out my Amazon store that I’ve added to my site; you can find it in the top navigation under “Travel Store”  I’ve filled it with items that I love and use.  Many of these of the items I used on my Around the World travel – essential for traveling.  There are travel books, travel guides, and travel gear.  I’ve also included the books I used on how to take a career break/gap year and travel, inpirational books I love about finding a new career or making changes, and some of my other random favorite books.   You get all of the security, shipping, discounts and ease of using Amazon.com, but the benefit is that Ottsworld get a small little piece of the $pie for referring you. 

So, if you are considering purchasing a travel guide or supplies, please do so through my store and it helps support Ottsworld (and then purchase more things on Amazon while you are at it!!)  This way I can keep bringing you great travel stories and advice…who wouldn’t want that?!

Shop till you drop!

History Can Be Hard to Take With You

I know that many of you have heard me rave about podcasts – and yes, I have yet another one to rave about. This one is straight from the classroom…Berkeley University.

There aren’t many things I would do different in my life; however, if I could go back to my 18th year, I would change one thing. I would have paid more attention in my high school history class. Mr. Durham wasn’t the best history teacher in the world – but I honestly didn’t have any passion for the subject a that time either. If I would have had some passion for history, then maybe I would have actually taken an American history class in college – but I didn’t and I opted for history of American Jazz instead.

I am one of the many Americans that knows very little (ok – nothing) about American History. Don’t evern get me started on World History…one thing at a time please. Therefore, before I started on my around the world journey, I decided that I better make up for lost time and try to educate myself a bit on American History. As I was searching around the internet, I found my answer…a History podcast!

They don't take up much space

Berkeley University has successfully moved into the technical age and is offering podcasts of class lectures to the world for free. Now – if I were a parent paying college tuition for my kid to attend Berkeley – I’m not real sure how I would feel about this development. However – as a freeloader – I loved it! I downloaded the complete lectures from American History 7B – Civil War to the Present and I took off for my big trip in September of 2006.

On flights or bus rides, and sometimes on runs – I would listen to the History Podcast as if I were a student again. Professor Jennifer Burns had passion for her subject and a great style of teaching. It amazed me at how much I learned. It made me wonder how much more I could have learned in University if I had just had simply paid more attention and enjoyed my classes.

I highly recomend this podcast for anyone – but specifically for travelers. It will provide you a basis for how the world see Americans, why we were involved in various global conflicts, what our stance was on various issues and why, and most importantly – it helped me understand how the US became who we are today and why we act the way we do globally. Now – I didn’t say that I agreed with it all, but it sure did provide me the context and knowledge I needed when I was frequently asked questions about my own culture, politics, and history from other international travelers.

If you are looking for some entertainment for the road – then consider getting educated while being entertained – I promise you that you won’t be sorry!

You can download the podcasts from the Berkley website and listen to them on your computer at this website.

Or on Jennifer Burns’ website, she has links listed on how to listen to the lectures via itunes.
or you can download them from itunes. Just ltype ‘jennifer burns’ in the itunes search function and you will find it.

Man in Athens adding some music to the streets

One of my favorite travel ‘companions’ is my ipod. I don’t know how I would have widdled away hours on buses, in airports, or simply waiting in lines without it while traveling around teh world! I use it for to keep travel information via podcasts, language guides, TV shows, Movies, and just simple music. I have some favorite travel songs that I thought I would share with you.

I have created many playlists that go with my various moods (angry, happy, mellow, energetic, hippie, honky-tonk, emotional, and world), however whenever I feel a bit nostalgic about my vagabond life, I like to listen to my travel playlist. It immediately makes puts me back on a bus in the middle of Morocco…happy days…

I thought I would share that list of songs with you. It’s short, and certainly doesn’t represent all of the possible travel songs I could pick – it’s just some of my favorite ones that I actually own. If you listen to these – you too will want to take off into the wild blue yonder and enjoy the serenity that comes with travel. They may also make you appreciate coming home from your travels!

Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite travel tunes are!  

Sherry’s Travel Playlist:

Island in the Sun – Weezer
Leaving on a Jet Plane – John Denver
Who Says You Can’t Go Home – Bon Jovi
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Mary’s in India – Dido
New York’s Not My Home – Jim Croce
Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash
Winding Road – Bonnie Sommerville
On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
Come Sail Away – Styx
Sand in My Shoes – Dido
Far Away – Ingrid Michaelson
I’m Free – The Who
Holiday – Madonna
Mexico – James Taylor

Photo: Geocaching – all you need is a GPS and an adventurous spirit!

Calling all travel geeks!!!!! There’s a treasure out there that is waiting to be found all over the world and all you need is a GPS and an adventurous spirit.

I am traveling with a small group through the Yunnan province in China. The group is made up of an Australian, a German, and a couple of Canadians – plus my sister and me rounding out the international map. The couple from Canada has introduced us to a new traveling past-time – Geocaching – www.geocaching.com The tagline for the website is “The sport where YOU are the search engine”…very clever.

Armed with a GPS unit – you can locate geocaches all over the world – a treasure hunt of sorts. The ‘treasure’ is called cache (pronounced cash, but it’s not greenbacks). Instead the cache is simply a little notebook and pencil (to write a message), maybe a little trinket from the area, and normally a geocoin. A geocoin is a metal or wood token used in geocaching. Geocoins can be a signature item used by geocachers, left in geocaches to be found by others, kept as trophies or traded. Geocoins are often minted with the name of their state or country of origin, a given geocacher’s name or handle, or anything else. They can be either trackable on the internet (you can see the history of where it’s been and who has it) or untrackable. Trackable Geocaching.com geocoins are imprinted with unique codes and tracked via the geocaching.com website. So I guess if you can’t find time to get away from your job and travel, then you can send your coin to do it for you! See – I told you that this was a bit geekish…but I have to admit – it’s fun!
The process is rather simple – you enter the name of a city or a country on the website to determine if there are any geocache’s in that area. You get the coordinates of the geocache on the website, get some additional clues from the website, turn on your GPS unit and start hunting. When and if you find the cache, the rule of thumb is that ‘if you take an item, leave an item and write in the logbook’.

While traveling through Yunnan Bruce and Margaret, the Canadians, were looking for a geocache. Out of curiosity, Cyndi and I decided to join them, along with our guide Jonathon who also served as our group translator. We walked through the streets of the town at night with our GPS unit and flashlights hunting for the cache. Granted – no one (except for the Canadians) really had any idea what the cache even looked like, except for the fact that it was usually in a small Tupperware container. They had an additional clue that they got off the internet indicating the cache was guarded by water dragons on someone’s personal property and you would need to reach high to get it. Hurray – it looked like we would be trespassing to find the cache…hopefully Jonathon would be able to talk our way out of any trouble that we found ourselves in.

We followed the cache coordinates to within 19 meters that first night – but we had to give up due to the lack of light and the fact that it appeared we would need to go through someone’s yard or house to get it and thought that may be a better idea to do during the daylight. I don’t think it would be good to spend the night in a Chinese jail.

We went back the next day – excited to try to find the treasure. We all decided that the clue about the water dragons could mean that it was one of the establishments (bar, shop, or restaurant) on the road we were on the previous night. Maybe it even had that in the name somehow. Sure enough we came across a bar that fit the description, the only problem was that it was 4PM and it wasn’t open yet. We took our chances and rang the bell and sure enough a young Chinese woman answered the door. Bruce and Jonathon explained that we were on a ‘scavenger hunt’ and a clue led us to their establishment. The GPS unit said that we were within 9 meters of the cache…it had to be the right place! The girl looked at the 5 of us and said “I’m the waitress here – but you can come in and look around.” As we walked into the place – I knew right away what I had walked into – a hash bar. This town was a backpacker town, and where-ever there are backpackers, there is hash. The place was littered with bottles of empty booze, newspapers, chips, lighters, and a layer of dust that was beyond disturbing. The owner came out and introduced himself and once again we tried to explain why we were there. He said – in complete stoner fashion – “Sure – ahhhhh, look where-ever you want” and walked away in a haze. We combed his backyard, upstairs, bathroom, bar area, and any other corner that we were brave enough to look in. He in turn, just went about his business in his backyard as we walked all over his place peering into every crevice. I thought to myself – this guy must be completely baked to allow a bunch of strangers with a GPS to poke around his home like this! As people were scouring the establishment for the cache, I was looking at the décor in disbelief wondering who in their right mind could live like this?! In the bar area they had a wall mural with pictures and molds of caverns looking out onto the neon colored solar system. There were black lights, the couches had dirty blankets thrown over them to hide whatever hideousness lied beneath. There was also a big pit area with a projector. I felt like I had just stepped back in a time machine to my college days – peering into a dirty fraternity house after a weekend party. Oh….I could just imagine the typical night here watching Rocky Horror Picture Show and smoking.

Photo: Bruce (right), Jonathan, and the owner opening the cache
Just as we were about to give up and walk away – Bruce found the Tupperware cache! We all gathered around it as it was opened up – even the owner came out of his smoky haze to join us. I’m absolutely sure that he thought that we had uncovered a real buried treasure in his home. I personally expected to find a freshly rolled joint in the Tupperware cache with a lighter…but unfortunately it contained a small notepad, and a geocoin. Bruce and Margaret logged in the book, and took the cache coin and put in some new ‘goodies’ for the next person to find. We thanked the owner profusely and went away with a sense of accomplishment promising him we’d be back for a drink when he opened later that night.

We wandered back after dinner and the bar was transformed into a functioning place instead of a pig pen – I was rather impressed. However –I do always believe that there’s a reason why bars are darkly lit – you really don’t want to see them in the daylight – else you will just be disappointed and mainly grossed out. The darker bar lighting was definitely an improvement for this place! We ordered some beer and celebrated a successful cache hunt under the blacklight and glowing planets on the wall.

Jump for Joy

Podcasts – An Essential Traveler’s Companion
For those of you who have never heard of podcasting – it is NOT:
An alien life form that has come to take over Earth
A new type of fly fishing technique
A new type of vegetable from the pea family
A new type of reality TV show
A new way to cast a movie
It is simply an audio recording of someone sharing information about something. Think of it as a weekly or daily radio show…and it’s free.

Why do I care about podcasts? Because they are a fabulous long term traveler’s companion! Even though this last year has been full of amazing experiences, it’s also been full of a large amount of waiting. Imagine yourself on a 6 hour local bus ride through Morocco. Imagine waiting in an airport in Jo’berg for a delayed flight for a 4 hours. Imagine an overnight train in Vietnam. Imagine sitting in the smelly, hot Indian Embassy in Rome for hours waiting for them to call your number. Imagine a ferry ride in Croatia or an 11 hour car ride in Egypt. Having something to listen to besides music or the person next to you is a wonderful solution to these common travel situations. Podcasts are typically educational and they connect you with the rest of the world. This is how I came across the Amateur Traveler Podcast www.amateurtraveler.com I was searching on the internet for podcasts about travel and I found this gem. A 40 min. weekly show about travel news, travel locations, and online resources…perfect! Before I went to a country I would often go through the archives of the show to see if they had any info relating to that country that I could listen to. I simply downloaded these episodes/shows to my ipod and could listen to them any time picking up information about places to go, things to eat, and tips that the guidebooks don’t tell you.

I have learned Italian, Arabic, and Hindi from podcasts (ok – not fluently, but enough to get me through hello, thank you, and how are you). I have learned about world, technology and entertainment news. I have learned all about digital photography through a podcast – The Digital Photography Show Podcast. I have learned grammar through podcasts – Grammar Girl Podcast. Ok – I know that many of you are wishing that I paid more attention to the Grammar podcat! I even listened to a complete recorded lecture from UC Berkley on American History 101 from the Civil War to Present – it was just like being in college all over again minus the exams and the kegs. It’s such wonderful entertainment that I normally feel guilty that it’s free…I feel like I should be paying for such a service.

After listening to some of my favorite podcasts regularly during my travels, I decided to do something that I never normally do….I decided to become a full-fledged groupie and actually contact some of the hosts from my favorite podcasts to just tell them that I enjoy their show and that they are keeping me entertained and educated while on the road. That’s how I ended up being a guest on one of my favorite podcasts – the Amateur Traveler. I emailed the host, Chris Christensen about my experiences listening to his show during my long term adventure, and sure enough – he bit.

I was a bit hesitant at first at the thought of going on a show and talking about travel. However, one thing I have come to realize is that I know a lot…and that’s not an easy thing to put down in words…in fact, I kind of cringe when I type it. However – deep down, I know that this extended travel has actually educated me tremendously about the travel industry in general. So when he suggested that I come on the show and talk about my travel as a solo female traveler – I thought – why not?! I’m not going to lie…I was pretty excited about this…as if I was back in college and Bon Jovi had asked me to personally join him on stage.

How do I go about getting one of these fabulous free podcasts you ask?
There are a few ways to download podcasts to your computer or your ipod (or similar music player) The easiest way is to go to Itunes Music Store (if you have it) and then click on the Podcast section on the left hand side – start to browse through the massive selection of podcasts that you can download to your ipod. You can also go to Itunes and simply search on a specific podcast and you should find it. Don’t have an ipod – no problem – then you can normally go directly to the podcast’s website instead and listen to the show – just do a Google search on the show’s name and podcast – you’ll start to get some hits. You can also simply browse around the Podcast Network website and see what they have to offer.

If you want to listen to my interview…and of course you do…simply click on this link!
Amateur Traveler Podcast – Episode #107 – Solo Travel As A Woman

Now – I’ve armed you with one of my big travel secrets…how I am able to waste large amounts of time without losing my mind…go forth, podcast, and enjoy! Oh yeah…don’t forget to listen to me on the Amateur Traveler Episode #107– I feel like such a star! And please, please, please drop me a comment and let me know what you think!