Nifty Thrifty - travel without compromise

Vancouver Convention Centre: 5 ways to make the most of your break time

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 03:44:00 +0000

One great things about the Vancouver Convention Centre is that it's in a perfect spot, jutting out over Burrard Inlet, with floor-to-ceiling windows that give you a great view of the North Shore mountains. The bad thing is that you are all too aware of what you're missing out on while you're sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in yet another seminar. Which is really all the more reason to make the most of your break time.

Whether it's a 15-minute coffee break or an hour over lunch, here are five Vancouver experiences worth skipping the buffet line-up for.

1. The Seawall - Vancouver's seawall is legendary. Most people will tell you to rent a bike and follow it around Stanley Park. If you don't have that kind of time, VCC luckily sits right on the seawall so you can run downstairs and get a breath of fresh air as you walk around the outside of the building. You'll even find info signage around the perimeter so you know what you're looking at.

2. Flightseeing - You've probably heard the floatplanes taking off and landing in the harbour all morning. You don't need to be heading somewhere to experience one of these 'craft - both Harbour Air and West Coast Air offer 20-minute "flightseeing" tours, taking you over Vancouver with a spectacular view of mountains, city and water. You'll need to check in about 25 minutes in advance so this is really a lunch break option. Bonus: you'll get access to free wi-fi, 49th Parallel Coffee, newspapers and snacks before you take off. (Map here)

3. Bella Gelateria - As good as the coffee and pastries might be during your conference coffee break, they probably won't be as good as the gelato at Bella Gelateria across the street from the VCC. They use only the best ingredients and they usually have at least five different chocolate choices. For those with dietary restrictions, they have soy milk, yogourt and coconut milk options. As a bonus, if your session gets out late, they're open until at least 10:00 pm. (Map here)

4. Tickets Tonight - The Tickets Tonight booth in Tourism Vancouver's Visitor Centre is Vancouver's version of the TKTS stand in the middle of Times Square in New York. Offering half-price, day of performance tickets for arts and culture events in the city, a trip across the street to this spot could cheaply solve your question of what to do tonight. The Visitor Centre in itself is more than just a brochure distribution point - purchase sightseeing tickets here and enjoy a discount for most attractions. (Map here)

5. The Marine Building - In a city as young as Vancouver, the Marine Building qualifies as a bona fide historical landmark. Built in 1929, it's a shining example of Art Deco design. True to its name, the designs on the outside include crabs, fish, boats and starfish. Make sure you push through the revolving doors and have a look at the embalmed lobby. (Map here)

I'm back...

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 02:48:00 +0000

It's rather fitting that the very last line of the post of this blog mentioned how much trouble I have keeping a journal. Turns out that the same is true of a blog. But I'm once again filled with the feeling that I really can do this. I mean, why not? Lots of other people do it, and while there are plenty of them that are better at travel writing than I will ever be, there are plenty of them that really are not.

Here are some of the things that have happened since the last time that I blogged:
- I spent three weeks in the south of India, having all kinds of amazing experiences with my amiga, Emily.
- We hosted the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and I was plenty busy working with international media that came to the city to cover it.
- I spent a month in my beloved Mexico City attempting to improve my Spanish.
- I left my job at Tourism Vancouver and started my own media relations company, Fever Pitch Marketing Communications.
- I spent two weeks in Germany for a conference, and I had sparkling wine (and a whole lot of other things) every single day that I was there.

Things are different since the last time I was here. And so, I am going to try again.

I won't blog about my Fever Pitch clients, even though they're fantastic. The journalism student in me just won't let me do it. But I will likely write a lot about Vancouver, which is where I spend the most of my time. So if you stumble across this blog and have questions about Vancouver, drop me a line. I know it pretty well.

(If you're interested in what spurred me to come back, it was the TBEX '11 conference, held in Vancouver this weekend. All that talk of travel blogging just made me want to get back on board.)

Travel traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:14:00 +0000

I saw this slideshow on World Hum and had to post it. It's on "eight endangered travel traditions" and it really made me smile because on our last trip we sent postcards for the first time in ages and they were a hit! I forgot how satisfying it is to sit down with a beer, a pen and a handful of postcards, scratch out some kind of "wish you were here" update, and stick them in a mail box. (Actually, it was kinda difficult to find in a mail box in Manhattan of all places. Weird.) Anyway, people loved them.

The other one I love on this list is the guidebook. True, I do a lot of my planning and research online these days, but when I'm on the road, it's the guidebook that keeps on getting pulled out. When we were in Boston, we had an iPhone and a Blackberry between us, but our Moon Guide is what we relied on. And yes, they make pretty great souvenirs after the fact.

I don't know about the journal though... I've never been able to keep one for more than about four days. Sigh.

Hoarding those pennies

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:58:00 +0000

I've always felt that, for most of us, travel is a choice and not a luxury. Years ago, when my husband and I quit our jobs to travel for six months, people were constantly saying, "Oh, I wish I was lucky enough to do that." This annoyed me no end! We weren't handed an inheritance or a winning lottery ticket. We saved up, went without things we enjoyed and managed to find enough money to go and do it. We also had to quit our jobs, give up our apartment and put everything we owned that didn't fit in our backpacks into a storage locker.

We chose travel over career advancement, stability and material possessions like cars and stereos that had two working speakers. AND IT WAS WORTH IT!

We can all do with a little shove in the right direction when it comes to finding our travel budget, so I was thrilled to find this travel savings calculator from TravelMuse. It goes through your spending to find things you can save on this year, giving you more money to travel, and all in a user-friendly, non-spreadsheet-y format.

All I can say is that after using the calculator, I have NO excuse for not travelling this year...

Twitter Takes Flight

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I will admit that I'm new to Twitter, but I like to think that I've embraced the technology wholeheartedly. I ended up joining because (a) even my bank is on Twitter, and (b) I'm a sucker for peer pressure, even from a bank.

There are lots of great ways the service can be used for travel. I've heard of one mother getting her travelling college-age daughter to tweet every four hours so she knew she was OK. The girl got back home and realized her timeline served as a great "diary" of her trip.

But following specific tourism industry suppliers is probably the most obvious way. Visitor bureaus in a lot of city's now tweet, giving you up-to-date deals and ideas for things to do in their destination. Hotels have also taken up the Twitter challenge.

WorldHum reports that a number of airlines have also taken up Twittering - some successfully, some not so much. United Airlines have been advertising "twares", which are short term seat sales, through the medium. So it makes sense that if you're planning on heading to a particular destination sometime soon, it could be worth following specific airlines and hotels to see if you can catch a break. Me, I need to wait for Air Canada to get on-board. Sigh.

Vermont

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:35:00 +0000

I posted a few times here and here about the trip we were taking in April: New York, Boston, Vermont, Portland, Cape Ann, and then back to New York via Boston again. I even managed to squeeze in one post about Boston food before I went "off air".

So let me quickly tackle Vermont. The Vermont leg was spent in and around Hardwick - a place that Kurtis' cousin says used to be known as "Little Chicago" (Diane, I hope you don't get shot for saying this). Lots of family time was garnished by farm visits and a fantastic brunch at Claire's, a co-op restaurant that has now been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler. My frittata is in the photo.

It was fantastic to spend time getting to know parts of Kurtis' family that I had never met before, and be introduced to a place on a very personal level. Often when you travel, you're meeting a town or city for the first time in the most impersonal way - hotel rooms, group tours, tourist attractions and guide books. But the way we were introduced to Vermont was through a wooden canoe kept in the loft space, meeting the very cow that produced the milk in our coffee, and having someone point out their favourite creemee stand.

I won't go into any more detail because there's already a fantastic blog post about it here. A big thank you to Diane, Lucian, Emmett, Miss Beazy and all of their friends and family for their hospitality.

Apologies

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I have been lame. I've been back from vacation for a month and haven't posted a thing. My apologies. Where are my manners?

However, I've come to realize that posting five times a week is unrealistic for me. Instead, I will aim to post once per week, and in between, I'll be on Twitter - you can follow me at http://twitter.com/WennoU. Is that OK?

Sorry.

Boston bites

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:17:00 +0000

When you look at the map, Boston looks spread out and a little ungainly. I mean, Harvard is not even IN Boston - it's in Cambridge. But in fact, a short walk takes you virtually anywhere. All the better for working up a thirst and an appetite.

The main attraction in Boston is free (almost). It's called the Freedom Trail and it's essentially a self-guided walking tour of historic sites, mainly relating to the American Revolution. Having not grown up in North America, I've found it very educational (Samuel Adams - not just a beer guy, it turns out) but I've since found out that Canadians don't necessarily know much about US history either.

The Quincy Market is conveniently located in the middle of the trail. Perfect for a lunchtime chowdah. Yes, Bostonians like to make fun of their accent before you do. Finish the trail and you'll be in the mood for a solid dinner. Located just over the bridge near Pier 4 is Sportello, Barbara Lynch's counter-style spot. We had seen a piece on the restaurant's gnocchi in Saveur magazine, and while it lived up to the food porn photography from the article, a chicken liver tortellini really took us by surprise. A shared appetizer, main and dessert, three glasses of wine and two coffees (and two really full bellies) set us back about $30 each, plus tip.

The Bruising-full Game

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:32:00 +0000

One of the best ways to get in touch with a culture is go and see a game. In most of Europe, that would be soccer (yes, I know, they call it football) as it would be in South America. In the US, you have quite the selection: baseball in the summer and either football or basketball in the winter. In Canada, there is no doubt that it's hockey that you have to see.

There is a National Hockey League team in most of the country's larger cities, and if you can get a ticket, then you're in for a slick, action-packed evening of entertainment. But it can be hard to get tickets, and even if you get them, they're plenty expensive. The Vancouver Canucks have sold out about eight seasons in a row, and you can not purchase two seats together anymore.

So what's the alternative? A couple of weeks ago I went to see the Vancouver Giants play and remembered how fun it was to see a game at this level. The Giants are part of the Western Hockey League, a feeder league for the NHL. The players are young and they play like they have nothing to lose. The 14,000 seat arena was packed with vocal fans of every age, but because the best seats in the house top-out at CAD $19.50, there are loads of families and school groups in there too.

So it made me think about experiencing these sports on a more local level when I travel. I'll be in Boston net month and would like to see a baseball game, but the Red Sox are playing the Yankees, and, well, good luck getting tickets for that. But there must be a Minor League team that we could catch somewhere. In India, we're going to try to find a cricket game, and if you're ever in Australia, I highly recommend an Australian Rules Football game, especially those played at the regional level (like the mighty South Fremantle Bulldogs).

After all, what makes a sport quintessential to a nation is not that it is played at a professional level, but that it is played at every other level as well.

(Photo by willowbrookhotels via Flickr)

Table for two?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:41:00 +0000

One of my favourite parts of travel planning (and you know, I have a lot of favourite parts) is deciding which restaurants I want to hit while I'm in a city. And with a trip to NYC less than a month away, there is some planning to be done. In general, I'm looking for a cool place, great food, but not too pricey. It doesn't have to be fancy - in fact, it's sometimes better if it's not fancy at all as I am not a very fancy person.

Last time I was in New York was a couple of years ago and I went to the Spotted Pig, which is a good example of the kind of place I like. It was also fun to see some of my dinner companions' eyes widen when they saw "faggots and peas" on the menu!

This year I'm hoping to try the Spotted Pig's sister restaurant, The John Dory. I'm also interested in a place called Olana which really seems to focus on seasonal ingredients from the Hudson Valley. Looks a little swank, but I can probably forgive them.

Your dream vacation, my pie-and-chips nightmare

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Most North Americans would be surprised to know that Australians and Brits think of Mexico and the Caribbean as dream destinations. You know, the kind of place you would go on your honeymoon or when you retire, and even then, only if you were really shelling out the cash.

In other words, a little like the way North Americans see Bali or Thailand.

From the west coast of Australia, Bali is little more than a 3 1/2 hour flight - closer than Sydney or Melbourne by a long shot and a lot cheaper too. Which is why I went to Bali for the first time when I was 10. And you better believe that it was a long way from being some kind of "Eat, Pray Love" yoga fest. Think Cancun, but overrun with package deal Australians demanding meat pies instead of this crazy foreign food, and watching football on television.

So when people tell me that they want to go to Bali, that's what I picture, not island waterfalls and spiritual awakenings.

Of course, it works the other way too. I'll be heading to the south of India at the end of the year - to me a fairly ambitious trip, to be sure. But when I tell my British cousins, they will likely shrug their shoulders, unimpressed, because they did a week all-inclusive in Goa five years ago.

But if you're looking for deals, the good thing is that while a destination may seem to be exotic to you, there's a chance that someone else has already discovered it and put a package together. So if you're looking for a deal on staying on a beach in Spain, have a look at British sites. If you're looking for a cheap Phuket hotel, check out Australian websites. If nothing else, they'll tell you where all of the package-deal Aussies are staying so you can get out of their way.

Introversion on the road

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:40:00 +0000

I've just read a great blog post by Sophia Dembling on World Hum, where she outs herself as both an introvert and an avid traveller. I thought it was really interesting because when you say you like to travel, people automatically assume that you're one of those people who loves striking up conversation with the stranger sitting next to you on the bus, or partying hard with your new friends from the hostel.

I don't. I am none of those things. Like Dembling, I am happy to talk to strangers if they make the first move, but for the most part, I am happy to explore a city alone (or at least with my travel companion of choice) and prefer, as she says, "sitting, eating, watching. Conversation optional." It's not that I don't want to interact with the locals, it's just that I'm not good with small talk. Hell, I'm not good with small talk at home - why would that change because I'm living out of a backpack?

Peach of a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:47:00 +0000

I grew up in Australia, but until I was about 24, I had never been to Sydney. And if there's one thing you hear about Sydney, it's about the beaches. Bondi, Manly, Coogee - I knew all the names but had never been. They sounded amazing, and I couldn't wait to experience them.

So imagine my surprise when I finally got there and realized, finally, that my own hometown of Perth had beaches that were 10 times better! We're always a little deluded (and dubious) about the charms of wherever it that we grew up, and I had never thought to myself, "Oh yeah, these are great beaches." But they are. They're long and wide, the sand is pale and fine, and you often have to walk through some dunes to get to them. For the most part, they're devoid of commerce, except for the odd kiosk selling cold drinks and hot dogs gritty with sand, and maybe, if you're lucky, a casual cafe restaurant that will make you a mean espresso if you happen to be by in the morning.

Since then, I've been to many countries and found myself thinking, "Nice beach. Shame it's not as good as the ones in Perth." And it turns out that I'm not the only one. Some people in Spain thought this too. Except they run the Catalonia tourism marketing board and accidentally used a photo of a Perth beach to represent the Costa Brava. Oops.

(Story here in The Independent)

(Photo of Floreat Beach in Perth by Allan Rostron, via Flickr)

Priceline High

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:43:00 +0000

In these "tough economic times" just about the only buzz you can brag about acquiring is that from scoring a kick-ass deal. And it has to be something that you were going to buy anyway. Like accommodation in Boston for your upcoming vacation, say, for instance.

I managed to score three nights at the Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Boston for $55/night on Priceline last night. I am euphoric! Boston accommodation is notoriously expensive - even the dorm beds in hostels were going to cost $60/night for the both of us, so $55 for the Courtyard is quite a steal. The Courtyard is not the coolest hotel on the block, but I don't care. I expect to spend my time (and my money) getting out and seeing Boston. Expensively cool hotel rooms are great in places where (a) I can afford it, and (b) there's nothing else to see.

How did I do it? It wasn't my first bid, and I think the trick with Priceline is to start bidding a while before you leave. That way, if your first bid doesn't get accepted, you have time to up it by $5 and try again. I also had a good idea which property it would be as I searched some other hotel sites and saw that the only 3-star property from a chain in that neighbourhood was this one. I also saw that the hotel looked curiously under-priced on other sites, leading me to think that a tour operator had cancelled a room block, or a convention had pulled out, leaving the hotel to suddenly fill a large number of rooms.

In other planning news, we've decided to take the bus from New York to Boston instead of the train. It's $18 each versus $62 each. We might consider taking the train on the way back, though.

Our trip is roughly mapped out like this - three nights in Boston, a couple of nights in Vermont with family, a night in Portland, then four nights somewhere on the ME/NH/MA coast before dropping the car in Boston and heading back to NYC.

Next challenge, finding somewhere on the ME/NH/MA coast that's not too WASPy.

Number Five, Come On Down! India

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:34:00 +0000

At the beginning of the year, I posted my five travel resolutions. Coming in at number five was India - a place that I conceded probably wouldn't see my travel dollars in 2009, but I added it to the list in hope anyway. Well, it turns out that good ol' number five will indeed be achieved this year! I'm going to India!

I'm travelling with a friend and we've decided to stick to the south, from Mumbai down. We'll only be there for three weeks at the end of December, and since it will be a little chilly in Vancouver at that time, we're looking for a little bit of beach time in with everything else that India throws at us.

It's still over eight months away, but I've already started doing some planning (of course I have!). Booking flights is one of the first things - it's expensive to get there, over $2,000 at the moment, but we're hoping the cost comes down a little before we book. I've set up a Kayak fare alert, which sends me a daily email telling me what the cheapest flight for my dates is today.

And of course, I've already gone out and bought Lonely Planet's South India so that I can make sure that I meet as many other backpackers as possible...

Welcome back

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:27:00 +0000

I know, I know. I should have said something. Somehow a whole month passed without me posting once. Actually, I know what it was. It was this. The one-year countdown threw me for a bit of a loop, let's just say. It also means that Nifty Thrifty will likely be on hiatus at the same time next year!

Road Games

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:46:00 +0000

After a bit of talk over drinks tonight, we decided that 2009 was going to be the comeback year for board games, y'know, what with "these tough economic times" and all. But it got me thinking about traveling, and how important games are to traveling. Not vacationing, but "traveling".

With traveling, there is assumed downtime. Time where you are stuck in a particular place longer than you would have liked because of a bus schedule. Or maybe you just finished your book quicker than you thought, and all of the magazines the hotel has are in German. Or perhaps your dinner is just taking longer to come out of the kitchen than you thought.

Seasoned travelers are always packing a deck of cards at the very least. Do yourself a favour and learn more than two card games. This will help, believe me. A friend of mine loved backgammon - a game that she had played with the bare essentials of a board scraped into the sand on a Thai beach, and some malaria pills.

Here are a few of my favourite traveling games:

- Card games: not just limited to regular playing cards, but what about old favourites like Uno?

- Scrabble: sure, a little unwieldy, but there are travel versions available . I must admit that I am coveting the travel version for my purse just to take down the pub.

- Dice games: sure don't take up much space. Yahtzee is probably the most obvious one, but poker dice are pretty awesome too.

- Connect 4: I admit that this is purely the result of being stranded on a beach with no reading material (other than in German - I wasn't making that up), but with a lone Connect 4 game. We played it so much that we started in on Connect 5, Speed Connect 4 etc. I bought a key-ring version for my husband once we got back, and even that got a work-out.

Photo by Andy Siitonen, via Flickr

Get it cheaper

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Tips and tricks for getting flights (hotels, rental cars, whatever) cheaper fascinate me. That idea that you may in fact turn out to be smarter than everyone else and beat the system. Love it! Might not work, but I'm going to have a go anyway - I'm a tightwad!

Just lately, I've been seeing a few new tricks turn up online, and I almost want to book something so that I can check if they work. One trick involves clearing your cookie cache before checking whether the price of the hotel you booked has come down. Apparently, if you've already been to the site, the price for the same date will automatically stay the same. If you clear the cookies, the price goes down.

And today, there's this one on Concierge.com (via Gridskipper). Apparently there are some deals that won't even come up when you search a site like Orbitz. You have to go all the way through to the last part of the booking process for these deals to appear.

Let me know if you have tried either of these and if they work.

Book 'em

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:27:00 +0000

In my own city, I can easily spend a couple of hours in a bookstore. So it's no surprise that given the leisurely pace of a vacation, I can double that browsing time, easily. Especially if there are magazines and cushioned seating.

As I've mentioned before, we're planning on doing a little roaming around Vermont in April, so I was thrilled to read this article in the Boston Globe (via World Hum) that there are four independent bookstores in downtown Montpelier, VT. That's four between a population of just 7,495.

The article made me think about some of my favourite bookstores I've encountered while travelling. Great places to spend some time and pick up some souvenirs that actually get used and mean something to you...

- Elizabeth's Bookshop (Fremantle, Australia): This is in my home town and I spent way too much of my teenage time at Elizabeth's. On a recent trip back I did duck in there once again, and it's still a great place to pick up a secondhand bargain.

- Kramerbooks (Washington, DC): When I'm in Washington, DC I usually find myself popping in here for a browse. It would be a great place to pick up a political biography. Kramerbooks also has a full cafe and bar called Afterwords. I've never been there early in the morning, but I think next time I'm there, I'm going to take them up on their offer of "breakfast and the morning papers".

- City Lights Bookstore (San Francisco, CA): City Lights is an attraction in its own right - it was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and was a hub for beat writers. Many beatnik-worshipping tourists make a pilgrimage to City Lights. The great thing is that it doesn't disappoint - it's a fantastic bookstore, even without all of the history.

- Libreria Rosario Castellanos (Mexico City, DF): You know it's a good bookstore when all the books are in a different language and you're still transfixed for an hour. This bookstore is in the funky Condesa neighbourhood and situated in a beautiful Belle Epoch landmark building. (in photo)

- Tale of the Raven Bookstore (Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba): I know, this last choice is a little quirky, but we spent a good hour in this small bookstore in a little lakeside town. Many of the books are secondhand, and they seemingly accept anything to re-sell. Lots of old cookbook series from the 1970s, books on Polish immigration (in Polish), and instructional wood craft manuals. But the best bit was all the old junk lying around the place - garage sale meets decrepit public library.

Destination weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:26:00 +0000

With all of the pontificating about flowers for the church and what colour the sugared almonds should be, it's easy to see the appeal of a destination wedding.

There's something to be said about deciding, "To hell with all of that. We're eloping to Africa." Especially if you happen to be six-years old and your bride's five.

I especially like how they were ladden with swimming year, and they even thought to bring a witness for the wedding.

Mika and Anna-Bell, this one's for you.

More Cheapo Vegas Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Before I took off for Vegas a few months ago, I posted about the site Cheapo Vegas, and then after I got back, posted some more thrifty Vegas tips. Seems that ideas for saving money in Las Vegas are in high demand... check out this great post on Gadling, which is then offers a link to the LA Times.

Cuba Libre

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:18:00 +0000

The typical winter weather in Vancouver makes this the perfect time to daydream about getting far away from here... far away to places that require frequent applications of sunscreen and liberally dousings of beer. Fair enough, I say. For Canadians, Cuba is a popular beer-dousing spot, and a friend recently asked whether I had any tips for a trip down there. "Well, yes, friend. I do," I replied.

We visited Cuba a couple of years ago, thinking that Fidel would soon kick it and things would start to change. We wanted to catch a glimpse before it got all McDonalds and Coke-ifed. We're really not all-inclusive folk, but the problem is, we could get 10 nights at an all-inclusive resort with airfares for about $200 less than we could get just the airfares to Havana. What we decided to do was take the all inclusive in Varadero, but skip out for a few days and take our own trip to Havana.

There's really no reason not to do it (ummm, unless you're American. In which case, there are plenty of reasons) - Havana is a mere three hours from Varadero by comfortable, regular air-conditioned bus. Here are a couple of pointers if you're considering making the big break-out from your resort:

Your resort is not going to like you visiting Havana on anything other than their officially sanctioned day trips. That means that they're not going to give you another one of those handy wristbands that entitles you to free beer in the resort if you cut it off while you're letting loose in Habana. Be prepared and pack some nail scissors and tape so you can cut off the band (and look like less of a tourist sucker in Havana) and reattach it when you get back to the resort.
You have two choices for accommodation in Havana: nice established hotels (both of the old Cuban and slick European ilk) or "homestays". We stayed with a Cuban family who rented out two rooms in their house, but it was very basic and not for everyone. If you choose this option, be prepared for a lack of electricity and/or water at some stage.
Once you're in Havana, walk everywhere. OK, not everywhere, but most places as they're really walkable and the city is quite safe. Also, that would mean that you had no excuse to take a coco-taxi, and that would be a sad thing.
Havana Vieja is an amazing place to just wander around. The crumbling, classic colonial architecture will both make your heart break and your camera shutter click. There are a number of high-end independent boutique hotels, galleries and stores opening in this area that are worth looking around.
When they say that music is the heart of Cuba, they're not lying. You will absolutely feel closest to the true Cuba when you're in a sweaty bar with a band (whichever band, it really doesn't matter) swaying with the music after a few too many mojitos. Sure - it will be a show put on for the tourists, but it won't be on a stage by the pool in your resort, and that's something.
Keep in mind that you will get scammed when you're in Havana. You can do all of the research you want and put on your don't-mess-with-me pants, but they'll still get you with their tricky compliments and helpfulness. Do your reading and you'll probably just find yourself out a few bucks.
The art in Cuba is amazing. There is plenty of public art (a lot of it is politically charged, as you would imagine) but the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) is a great place to stop to take in collections at a leisurely, air-conditioned clip.
Enjoy the pace. Havana is a city, but the pace of life is unlike a North American city. Sit back and enjoy the rhythm... sit outside a cafe and watch people... settle in on a park bench and take it all in. These are real Cubans and they're taking it in too. Why wouldn't you?

No such thing as a free bed

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Sure, you might not be shelling out dollars, but you're still going to end up paying for sleeping on that couch. Pass over the Hilton on your next trip, and you'll pay for your bed in the currency of undying gratitude (especially if that couch is in New York), lots of chores and maybe some awkward small talk. Just because it doesn't come with a bill at the end of your stay, doesn't mean it doesn't cost you.

And that's why the decision to stay with friends, family, friends of friends, strangers, etc. is not always a bargain. Ask yourself:

How much of an inconvenience is this going to be for my hosts? How big is their place? Am I going to be on the couch in their one bedroom apartment, or in the coach house on their estate? If these are people you don't know very well and they have a really small place, it might be time to reconsider.

Where is this place? Is taking the free bed going to mean that you're going to spend an hour getting to anything that you want to see while you're there? If you're only in a place for a short time, it might be worth springing on a hotel in a good location.

How long am I going to stay? One night might be fine, but sharing your home and routine with anyone for more than a week can get a little tired. Have a look on Craigslist and see if you can housesit for someone or get a cheap sublet instead.

How expensive is this destination? How much are you really saving by dossing on someone's sofa? If you're in an expensive place like San Francisco, maybe it's worth it, but in a smaller place, the saving might be minimal for a lot of inconvenience. In which case it might be a better option to meet up with these people for dinner somewhere instead.

If you do decide to couchsurf, make sure that you are tidy, respectful and grateful. Afterall, couchsurfing is a tit-for-tat industry and these people might end up in your living room one day.

Photo by Dave Austria via Flickr

2009 Travel Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Sure, there are the resolutions about taking your makeup off before bed and reading more, but I think you have to have a few fun ones in there too. You deserve it - you made it through another year. They say that those people who write down their goals are like, five times more likely to achieve them or something. Not sure if blogging goals counts (it should), but I thought that I would set down the five places that I really hope to get to this year.

1. New York - This probably doesn't seem like I'm aiming very high, but I haven't taken a zesty bite of the Big Apple for almost two year and I miss it. Also, I impress myself when I say things like, "I miss New York." Sounds so mature and worldly...

2. Boston - Have always heard big things about the town that brought you baked beans, Sam Adams and the Affleck brothers. I'm hoping to combine a visit with a trip to #1 and a road trip to...

3. New England - As I've mentioned here, we're planning a trip and I hope it includes the Vermont Cheese Trail, some lobsters and some desolate looking beaches with lots of dunes.

4. Italy - I'm going to put Italy on the list, even though it's not likely that I will make it there this year. I'm ashamed to say that Italy somehow keeps on getting shoved back down the list due to factors like the value of the Euro/Canadian dollar, the amount of time we're able to take off for, and gas surcharges. But there will always be a reason, won't there? Here's hoping we find a reason to overcome all of those other ones.

5. India - It's true that I once had next to no interest in going to India. This is likely attributable to encounters with lots of post-India backpackers while we were in Thailand. But in the past five years, it's really started to appeal. I won't be backpacking, but instead opting for a step above - you know, the kind of step that has electricity and hot water in your room. I would like to make it clear that this has nothing to do with Eat, Pray, Love - a book that I enjoyed, but nonetheless, didn't speak to me as a traveller. This trip is also unlikely to happen in 2009, but I will have my fingers crossed.

So now I've written them down, let's see how I do...

Peso Pinching

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Mexico City is one of my favourite destinations, both for business and pleasure. It's a city that knows how to have fun, or at least, if this guy doesn't know how to have fun, one of his 20 million Chilango friends will take up his slack.

USA Today has a good article on saving money in Mexico City, but I've never found the place to be particularly expensive as a visitor. I mean, I often stay at the Crowne Plaza for about $130/night and each room has a computer in it. Not just those weird TV/keyboard things, but an actual desktop computer.

One of my favourite things to do in Ciudad de Mexico is walk through a couple of the neighbourhoods. Granted, you want to choose carefully, but Polanco (one of the upper crust areas close to downtown) and La Condesa (a Brooklyn-y neighbourhood that's quickly gentrifying) are both pretty safe for a wander.

In Polanco, Parque Lincon is a lovely quiet spot with a bird aviary, lots of sculpture and fantastic people watching. Right opposite is the more independent retail area with lots of little restaurants, shops and my favourite - the Sumesa supermarket where I will invariably stock up on those lime-flavoured Japanese peanuts and Tajin seasoning. Beyond this area is Avenida Presidente Mazaryk, which is cool to see, but expensive. The main clue is the security guards with machine guns standing outside all of the stores.

In La Condesa, I always take a walk down Tamaulipas from right by Parque Espana down to the big bookstore in the lovely Bella Epoca building. This is somewhere that you want to discover at night, as many of the restaurants are pretty empty during the day. There's some decent small boutiques selling casual gear (I saw some Frida Kahlo Converses that I still regret not buying...), but the real attraction is the cool young Chilangos hanging out and having fun. If you have time, stop by Neveria Roxy for a little cup of delicious ice-cream.

Of course, the best thing about a place the size of Mexico City is that there is always something new (and cheap) to try next time.