- Micki

Where on earth is Bugibba, and why would you want to go there?

Bugibba is a small coastal town in northern Malta, perched on the Mediterranean sea. Though it’s a small town, its many hotels, restaurants, beaches and vibrant nightlife make it a popular tourist destination for all ages.

The seashore on Malta. Photo by Glen Bowman.

Here are some of the best things to see in Bugibba:

Bugibba Promenade

Bugibba has a well-paved promenade on the seafront, which is perfect for enjoying a stroll and checking out the panoramic views of the sea, land and St Paul’s Island. The shore below the promenade is ideal for sun bathing, swimming and water sports.

St Paul’s Island

St Pauls Island by Peter Grima

St Paul’s Island, which can be seen from Bugibba’s harbor, is a tiny piece of off shore land where it is believed St Paul was shipwrecked about 60 AD . You can visit the Island by boat to see the statue of St Paul.

Bugibba Harbor

One of Bugibba’s colorful boats. Photo by Andrew3000.

At the St Paul’s bay end of the Bugibba promenade check out the small harbor where traditional, colorfully painted fishing boats can be found. The area also has some nice hotels, St Paul’s bonfire church and a Wignacourt (coastal signal tower), giving the town a more authentic Maltese feel.

Language Schools

English language education tourism is thriving on the island and Bugibba has some of the best English schools in Malta. The area welcomes such tourism and provides a fun and safe environment for young learners. For example, from this summer (2013), the IELS Club Residence Summer School of LAL schools is based in the 4 star Topaz Hotel, offering great accommodation for their customers.

Visit Surrounding Areas

The Golden Bay Malta. Photo by Brian Harrington Spier.

From Bugibba it is easy to access many other towns and resorts in the area. Some of Malta’s best sandy beaches such as Golden Bay are only ten kilometers away. There is a regular bus service in the area as well as boat transportation and harbor cruises.

The Bugibba Temple

The Bugibba Temple is an ancient monument which was built as a sanctuary for the worship of the Deity. The megalithic building, which is now preserved in the grounds of a hotel, is open to visitors.

Bugibba Square

Bugibba bus. Photo by Felix O .

Bugibba Square is a nice place to spend afternoons in the sun and it is arguably the best place to be in the evening. There are restaurants, pubs and clubs which have a lively atmosphere once the sun goes down. The side streets coming off the square also have some of the best bars and clubs in the area.

Bugibba Driving Rock. Photo by Andrew3000.

What are you waiting for? Malta is such a great place, you definitely have to visit it this summer!

This guest post was kindly provided by Katty.

That being said, we found the people in Istanbul and pretty much all of Turkey to be very friendly and open. Our hearts go out to everyone in that country and we hope for a speedy return to peace and prosperity.

If you plan to visit Istanbul, follow two simple safety precautions: Stay well away from any protests and demonstrations, and seek the advice of your local government (Canada, United States, the United Kingdom) on the current situation.

Istanbul in 6 Hours:

If you find yourself in Istanbul, with just an afternoon to see the sights, this itinerary should get you to the city’s main attractions with a bit of time to spare.

We usually like to travel slowly, taking the time to discover the character and hidden treasures of a city. Unfortunately, based on a hectic schedule, we found ourselves with only an afternoon to check out Istanbul’s main sights.

After the initial panic subsided, we got busy and set up an itinerary that would let us check out the must see attractions quickly. Luckily, most of Istanbul’s main sights are within easy walking distance in the old city in Sultanhamet.

The map below is the itinerary we followed. This route starts at the Blue Mosque and ends at the Galata bridge, but you could easily reverse the direction.

Blue Mosque

Built from 1609 to 1616, and visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, the Blue Mosque’s domes billow upward into Istanbul’s sky. Know by most Westerners as the Blue Mosque, it’s also called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish). It’s outside courtyard is about the size of the interior and shares a lot of the same structural plans. The visitor entry is via a back door on the eastern side (on the opposite side of the Hagia Sofia museum).

Free of charge, the mosque is open daily from 09.00 till dusk. Since it is still a working mosque, the mosque closes for 90 minutes at each prayer time. This time changes daily depending on the earth’s position however mornings are usually the safest time to arrive. As their site says, “Avoid visiting a mosque at pray time (Especially Midday praying on Friday) or within a half hour after the ezan is chanted from the Mosque minarets.” Here’s a link to the changing prayer times.

Women are asked to wear a head covering when entering the Blue Mosque. If you don’t have a scarf, the mosque provides some free for your use. Male or female, if you’re wearing shorts or a short skirt, you’ll be asked to wrap yourself in a piece of cloth, again given by the mosque  for free. Flash photos aren’t allowed inside. Before walking into the Mosque, you’ll be asked to take of off your shoes and place them in a plastic bag (free) that you’ll carry with you as you walk through the Mosque and exit the other side.

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sofia

I’ve never seen a building as stunning as the Hagia Sofia. The architecture of the Hagia Sofia is especially awe inspiring, considering it was built in 537 with materials taken from all over the empire, including columns from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and stone from Egypt and Syria.

Originally the crowning glory of Constantinople (New Rome), the city was eventually conquered and the church was converted into a mosque for nearly 500 years before finally becoming a museum in 1935.

Admission to the Hagia Sofia museum is 25 TL for adults and kids under 12 are free. Visiting hours are from 09.00 – 19.00 (the last ticket sale 18:00), and it is closed Mondays.

Hagia Sophia minbar pulpit

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)

The Basilica Cistern, built in 542 AD, is the largest of the ancient cisterns underneath the streets of Istanbul. Descending into the cistern feels like you’re visiting a sunken palace. The cistern could hold up to 80,000 cubic metres (2,800,000 cu ft) of water, but today there are around a foot or two at the bottom, and home to some surprisingly large fish swimming among the columns. Make sure you wander all the way to the far left-hand corner of the cistern to see the two Medusa heads.

The Cistern is open from 9:00 am to 18:30 and costs 10 TL for adults, while kids are free. The entrance is across the street from the Hagia Sophia. Signs leading to the Basilica Cistern are named Yerebatan Samici, the cistern’s Turkish name.

Basilica Cistern by Allie Caulfield

Lunch Time!

You should be getting hungry by now. There are a bunch of good restaurants just Southwest of the Basilica on the streets of Yerebatan Caddesi and Divan Yolu Caddesi. We ate at Fuego restaurant and the food was decent. Prices were reasonable for the area, and supper came with a free appetizer of tzatziki, hummus and bread.

Tip: If you’re really in a rush, you can grab an ear of roasted corn on the cob or roasted chestnuts from a vendor when you leave the Basilica. There’s a small park just South of the Basilica where you can rest on the grass and enjoy.

Grand Bazaar

Jammed with literally thousands of stalls, the maze-like Grand Bazaar was originally built in 1455. You can find everything here from food to trinkets to Turkish carpets.

Unfortunately, we spent a little too much time in the Hagia Sofia (and wow, it was worth every second), so we arrived just a bit too late too see the Grand Bazaar in all its splendor, though we were prepared to bargain hard and be constantly bombarded from vendors.

Juice vendor in the Grand Bazaar. Photo by Alien without a cause.

It’s free to enter the Grand Bazaar, which is open 8:30 am to 17:00 (5 pm). Closed Sundays. There are five major gates. If you’re following our itinerary, you’ll want the Örücüler Kapısı gate which leads to the Spice Bazaar.

Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Market)

The Spice Bazaar is home to a few hundred stalls, mostly selling delicious food items, ranging from lokum (Turkish Delight) to spices, dried fruits, honeycomb and nuts. The smell is absolutely heavenly. Built in 1664 with a long tradition of screaming out their wares, we found that vendors were fairly laid back the day we visited, with almost no one in the stalls shouting for our attention.

Free. Open: daily from 08.00 – 19.00. Closed Sunday. Turkish Delight (lokum), nuts, spices, honeycomb, coffee, teas, candies and various wares. Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi sells good coffee beans.

Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar

Bonus: Bosphorus Cruise

If you have a bit of time to spare, and you’re traveling from May to September, consider a cruise on the Bosphorus. You can pick up tickets at Eminonu, at the IDO/Şehir Hatları Bosphorus lines sales offices at Bogaz Hatti dock (dock no.3). The short cruise starts 2:30pm (14:30) from the Eminönü pier and takes 2 hours. Check times and dates at the official ferry website here. The cruise is a steal of a deal at 10 TL for adults, 5 TL kids under 12, and electronic guides are sold for 7.5 TL.

Galata Bridge

Make your way across Ragip Gumuspala Cd while being awed at the floating  kitchens docked near the bus stops and use the underground walkways to check out Galata bridge.

Galata Bridge Istanbul

Transportation

After walking across the Galata Bridge, you have a few transportation options to make your way home.

There’s an efficient tram that runs back into Sutanhamet (and further West) or along the river’s edge close to the Dolma Bahce Palace. Highly recommended, the tram is fast, cheap at 3 TL for adults, and can save you a lot of time by avoiding the ridiculous stop and go traffic of Istanbul.

You can also hail a cab off the street, but be careful of traffic conditions. We ended up sitting in our cab for half an hour, stuck in traffic, as mopeds whizzed by on one side as pedestrians rushed by on the other. There are also numerous buses running along here, but again, you may run into problems with traffic in this area.

Where to stay

We found Istanbul hotel prices to be surprisingly expensive, so we opted to rent an apartment from Airbnb instead. For less than the cost of most hotel rooms, we ended up with a great two bedroom apartment, with a dishwasher, washer and dryer in a funky, authentic Istanbul neighborhood an easy walk to the tram or ferry station. Check out the listings for Istanbul on Airbnb.

Look like too much work?

If you’re looking for a tour that will help you navigate Istanbul in an afternoon, Viator offers a very highly rated and popular private one day tour. You can check out details on Viator here. The tour includes lunch, and guides you through the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, among other attractions.

Have you ever been to Istanbul? What are your must see things to see and do?

How times have changed.

Today, a Lonely Planet is nowhere to be seen, we carry more gear than a professional sports team (that’s only a slight exaggeration), and we depend on our iPhones for everything from booking apartments to finding our way around a new city.

While we do use a few other travel apps, these are the apps that we go to time and again. You can find each and every one of them on both of our iPhones.

Planning Your Trip

Evernote (free)

Evernote is a great tool for collecting all of your notes in one place.

We use it to collect all of our must see places, notes from great blog posts and even lists of great places to stay.

There’s also a desktop version of Evernote, which we use every day.

Pinterest (free)

If you’re a visual person, you really can’t beat Pinterest as a way to organize great images.

We use Pinterest a lot like most people would use their refrigerator to pin photos of a place they’d love to visit.

You can follow us on Pinterest to check out some of our travel inspirations.

Twitter (free)

Though most people use Twitter as a way to keep in touch, it’s also a fantastic tool for saving money on travel.

Many airlines and hotels announce special deals on Twitter first, and other Twitter users are a helpful source of information on great local food and attractions.

Tip: If you’re a heavy Twitter user, we love HootSuite, which helps you schedule tweets and follow hashtags.

You can follow us on Twitter once you set yourself up.

Booking your Flight

SkyScanner (free)

Skyscanner is our go to site for researching flight costs and finding out which airlines fly certain routes.

You can’t book your flights directly through Skyscanner, but the app can direct you to the airline’s website. Skyscanner’s especially fantastic for researching cheap flights to any destination from your location.

Google’s OnTheFly (free)

We’ve been using the web version of the ITA Matrix for at least six or seven years (which, in Internet time, is almost forever).

Like the web version, the iOS app, called OnTheFly, is reliable, easy to use, and remarkably accurate with airfare prices. All prices include tax.

Like SkyScanner, you can’t book directly with the ITA Matrix.

FlightTrack (free)

FlightTrack is our staple when it comes to keeping track of our flights.

It gives up to the minute updates letting you know if you’re flight is still on time as well as useful info on the plane, airport and gate it takes off or lands at.

There’s a pay version of the app, called FlightTrack Pro that looks worth checking out. It’s $9.99, but gets great reviews on the App Store.

Finding a place to stay

Hotel Tonight (free)

Hotel Tonight lets you book last minute hotel rooms, at a deep discount, for the same evening.

Though it’s quickly expanding into other markets, including Mexico, Hotel Tonight largely offers discounts on hotels in the United States (plus a handful of Canadian cities) and a few major European cities.

Booking.com (free)

Booking.com has become our go to site for booking hotel rooms. It has good coverage around the world.

It’s dead easy to use, and allows us to search for rooms that will fit 2 adults and 2 children (which many other hotel booking apps surprisingly don’t allow).

You can also use the Booking.com  desktop version. There’s also a Booking.com Tonight app if you’re looking for last minute deals as well.

Airbnb (free)

As a family of four, we’ve used Airbnb to book apartment rentals at least a half dozen times this year.

The Airbnb app is easy to use, fast, and lets you view conversations and itineraries when you’re offline.

Airbnbis also available as a desktop version, which we prefer to the app, as it’s easier to compare and view multiple apartments.

Getting Ready to Go

PackingPro ($2.99)

If you’re a list maker, Packing Pro is your app.

It’s not free however we’ve searched for a good free packing app and none of the free apps get good reviews on the iStore.

The pre-trip planning section is especially helpful, and can remind you to do things like buy travel insurance. PackingPro is a great app if you’re taking multiple trips, and want to make quick work of making a packing list.

Clock (free)

Apple’s iStore is packed with probably hundreds of alarm clock apps, each shinier and more packed with features than the next.

Really, for all their bells and whistles, none of these apps can beat the reliable, easy to use alarm clock in the Clock app that is native to the iPhone.

I owe this app for helping us get to at least eight flights on time this year.

Driving

Google Maps (free)

The Google Maps app gives turn by turn navigation and is available for car, public transportation and walking.

We’ve used Google Maps everywhere from driving across Canada to navigating souks in Morocco to hiking near Goreme in Turkey, and it’s been remarkably accurate almost everywhere.

Tip! We always search our destination on Google Maps before we leave, and make sure not to close the app if we’ll be away from a WiFi connection and don’t have a data plan in whichever country we happen to be in. This way, the map will still be in the map’s history if we can’t get online. If we’re heading to two places, we’ll open one in Google Maps and another in the default map app.

Gas Buddy (free)

GasBuddy gives you crowd sourced prices on the cheapest gas wherever you happen to be.

The app will let you search for different types of gas, and gives gas station addresses and amenities (like convenience stores).

GasBuddy is very popular in North America, where gas prices can vary greatly even at gas stations only blocks apart.

Eating

Foursquare (free)

Foursquare gives useful user reviews and recommendations for restaurants, grocery stores and attractions around the world.

Foursquare lets you check into places you’re visiting, and you can leave reviews, photos and tips. When you check in, Foursquare broadcasts your location to your friends, so it’s not the best app for those who want their location to remain anonymous.

We’ve found that restaurants outside of urban and tourist areas tend to have fewer recommendations on Foursquare, so this app is less useful when you’re somewhere remote.

Yelp (free)

The Yelp app has great maps and user reviews of the best places to grab a bite to eat around the corner or across the country.

Yelp restaurant reviews tend to be longer than those at Foursquare, making it useful if you’re looking for detailed information on a new place to eat.

Getting Around

TripAdvisor Offline City Guides (free)

We used the TripAdvisor Offline City Guides constantly in Marrakech, Istanbul and Toronto.

As the name suggests, these guides don’t need an Internet connection, making finding restaurants, hotels and attractions a snap when we were on the go.

One downside of the city guides is that they’re only available for major cities right now.

One of the nicest things about it is the offline map modes when you’re too cheap to buy a data plan.

Google Translate (free)

You can use the Google Translate app to translate to and from over 60 languages with a nice auto detect feature if you’re not sure which language you’re inputting.

You can now download translation dictionaries for Android devices, and it’s rumored that these will be coming soon to the iPhone so you don’t need to be online.

It also allows speech input and you can hear the translations spoke. Very handy when trying to make your taxi driver understand you and you’re late for your flight.

Weather

The Weather Channel (free)

Reliable, and easy to use, the The Weather Channel® app can get you weather forecasts for almost any location on the globe.

The The Weather Channel® Max app has some increased functionality, but the new user interface is getting mixed reviews.

Currency

XE (free)

The XE Currency app lets you convert currency with a simple click.

The app lets you type in an amount in one currency, and then see the conversion in a list of currencies. Xe can compares over 180 currencies.

XE Currency Pro ($1.99) is ad free and lets you monitor twice as many currencies as the free version.

Calling Home

Skype (free)

The gold standard to which all other Internet calling programs aspire, Skype is reliable and easy to use.

Calls to the US and Canada are nearly free, and you can call other countries for some of the best rates on the net.

It features video calling and speakerphone capabilities.

There’s also a hugely popular desktop version of Skype .

magicJack (free)

Though we primarily use Skype for calling home, there are times that it’s down or not working reliably.

Reliable and simple to use, the magicJack app is a great Skype alternative.

The magicJack app is an app version of the famous majicJack device that plugs into a USB port on a desktop computer.

Calling to Canada and the US is free and you can get a free number and voicemail with a new account.

Talkatone (free)

The Talkatone app uses Google Voice protocols to power its calls.

Like Skype and the magicJack app, Talkatone makes its calls using a WiFi connection. You’ll need a Google account to use the Talkatone app.

We use Talkatone to make free calls and SMS text messages to Canada and the US. It’s worked for us in Mexico, Europe, Morocco and North America.

Sharing

Facebook (free)

Facebook is really a must have app for sharing travel photos and updates with friends and family.

We use our Facebook page to share photos and updates you won’t see on the blog.

Instagram (free)

An easy to use, fun photo sharing app, Instagram is a must have for anyone under 40 (and a heck of a lot of folks older than that).

It’s great fun to use, and easy to boot with tons of filters and fun effects.

The only huge negative to Instagram is the fact that it was bought out by Facebook not too long ago, making privacy and photo ownership issues a potential concern going forward.

Vine (free)

A relative newcomer to the social apps scene, Vine lets you share short videos from your iPhone.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Vine’s six second video format.

Vine’s a blast to use, but I’m not entirely convinced it will stay around for the long haul (though I famously said that about Twitter a few years ago, too).

Networking

iNet (free)

The iNet app lets us check the devices on our local network and tells us the IP address of all our other gadgets when we’re trying to share something locally.

iNet also lets us know who’s sharing our internet connection and lets us verify that we’re not sharing anything we’re not supposed to.

Speedtest (free)

Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test does a speed test to see how fast your internet connection is.

It’s a vital tool when troubleshooting bad internet connections or even when choosing a room and decent internet is a must.

Tip! Because we travel with kids, we use our iPhones and iPad to help occupy our kids when they’re far past the point where stories or games will amuse them. Check out Charles’ list of great drawing apps for the iPad (most of these are also available for the iPhone).

Do you have any favorite apps for travel? Let us know in the comments.

When we pulled up a map, it became clear that there was one last place we needed to check out  before we left this part of Spain behind us. Only two hours south was an iconic landmark that I had heard about since childhood and never really thought I’d ever see in person.

View of Gibraltar across the golf course in Spanish town of Alcaidesa

Gibraltar, or more specifically, the Rock of Gibraltar, stands almost 1400 feet high and was once half the famed Pillars of Hercules. This gargantuan monolith marked the limit of the known world for thousands of years. It’s even one of the latest known Neanderthal habitations on the planet and so we considered it our duty to see it all for ourselves.

Of course, to get the kids interested and on board with the extra few hundred kilometers to our already lengthy drive up the coast, we had to sell it first. We told them that not only was it one big hunk of rock that we were going to get to drive up but if we checked it out, they would also be able to see the last few remaining wild monkeys in all of Europe there. I don’t have to tell you, if you want to get kids to co-operate, just say monkeys and you’ll have their guaranteed approval. With the kids raring to go we jumped into our rented car and left Seville on a new adventure.

Gibraltar sits in an enviable position at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea and is only nine miles away from Morocco in Africa. Only 10 days before we had passed Gibraltar while riding the bus down to Tarifa before jumping on a ferry to Tangier. We already knew that the Straits of Gibraltar that separate the two continents are some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and the traffic that flows through Gibraltar is nothing short of staggering.

Conquered by the early Phoenicians, then taken over by the Romans, historically, Spain has had a difficult time holding onto this area of the world. Around 700 AD, Gibraltar was again conquered by an invading force and was placed under Islamic rule for over 700 years before finally being recaptured again by Spain. In the 1700′s, Gibraltar was then taken over by the British and, though there have been many attempts of the Spanish to regain it’s land, Gibraltar has remained a British territory since then. What this means for Gibraltar is that it’s population and background is a giant hodgepodge of cultures and ethnicities.

Gibraltar from the Upper Rock

This is even evident as you queue up to cross the border. Since the UK (and hence the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar) is outside of the Schengen Visa Area, entry into and out of the country can be a huge hassle. With car queue lines sometimes lasting for hours, a lot of people are reluctant to drive into the small area. As a result, it’s become quite common for people to park on the Spanish side and just walk in across the border.

Since we drove in from Seville that day, we arrived after the crowd had already passed through. To be honest, most people were queuing up to leave by the time we got there. After passing numerous rapidly emptying parking spots leading up to the border we decided to just drive in. There was a small lineup to enter, but we soon realized the short wait was because a plane was landing. Since the main road crossed the only airstrip in Gibraltar, traffic has to stop every time a plane lands. All of us found that immensely funny and joked about life shutting down every time a plane showed up.

After a quick series of questions by the border guard we were quickly waved through. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t get a stamp into our passport however we were excited that we got to drive into Gibraltar and weren’t stuck walking and taking the crowded buses.

Having never visited Gibraltar before, we didn’t know what to expect. That being said, we didn’t expect the plentiful rows of shops, narrow buildings or the hordes of people walking around everywhere. It had also been half a year since we had last been in an English language country. Forgetting that, we always started our conversations in our broken Spanish only to be replied in British English. Luckily, I think they’re used to it so we didn’t appear overly dense.

Knowing that the nature reserve on top of the rock closed earlier than most places in town, we decided to check it out first. Seeing that the majority of Gibraltar town is on the slopes of the mountain, the streets are a crazy warren of winding roads and hairpin switchbacks. There are plenty of signs telling you where to go, but it’s easy to get turned around if you’re paying more attention to the sites than the signboards.

We eventually made our way around the side of the peninsula and quickly realized we had missed our turn as we drove into a long, dark tunnel. We emerged on the far side near the lighthouse and as I pulled the car over to turn around, Cole and Jordan spotted a huge playground with a hundred kids playfully running about.

After a few hours in the car without complaint, we decided to let them stretch their legs and burn off some energy. The playground is easily one of the best we’ve come across in our travels. They had tons of structures for smaller and even bigger kids and lots of room for parents to hang out.

Playground in Gibraltar

It also had a little cafe restaurant with ice cream. Of course we couldn’t say no to that.

Playground on Gibraltar

After a while, we decided to jump back in the car and start heading up to the park. Entering the town from the opposite direction, the entrance up became clear as we slowly zigzagged our way up to the park entrance. A few blocks later, we were waved to a stop in front of a little hut. I quickly walked up and purchased our entrance tickets into the Upper Park Nature Reserve. Since I didn’t have any Gibraltar pound notes on me (they also accept Euros at a slightly higher rate) I paid with my credit card. Besides for the park ticket stubs, that entry on my statement is sadly the only proof we have of ever entering Gibraltar.

For those of you that have never been there, there are a few small roads that crisscross the top of the rock however they’re almost all one way roads. Because of that, driving through the park is fairly linear and you don’t have a lot of options up there. The £10 entry fee per person (half price for kids 5 to 11 and free for 4 and under) and £2 vehicle fee allows unlimited access to St. Michael’s Cave, the Barbary Macaques area, the Great Siege Tunnels, the Moorish Castle and the pathway to the top of the rock.

The first stop for us was at St. Michael’s Cave. These enormous natural underground caverns were a sight to behold. We had walked through the Nerja Caves in Andalusia a few weeks before however right away there were lots of differences between the two. St. Michael’s is very wet while the one in Nerja is more or less dry. There are more little sidetracks at St. Michaels than in Nerja and though Nerja’s main cavern is much larger, St. Michael’s seems better lighted. Both have interesting aspects to them and both feature a concert style seating area and host musical concerts in the summer. As we walked out of the caves and back up the long road to our car we actually saw a group of musicians making their way into the caves from the back end. Unfortunately we learnt that it was a closed appearance.

St.Michael’s Cave

St. Michael’s Cave Stalactites

Since the day was ridiculously hot and we were already late in getting there, we forewent the long climb to the top of the rock. I’m not sure who was happier, Micki who wanted nothing to do with it or me, the one that would have probably had to carry Jordan the majority of the way up and down. In either case, we continued our journey up and around the mountain in our car.

As we crested a bend, the kids went wild and screamed at us to close our windows. Hanging off the small stone wall that separates the road from one helluva long  way down, were our first glimpses of the famed rock apes of Gibraltar. These Barbary Macaques are the last living monkeys in Europe and we heard that they can be quite the cheeky devils. Even the woman we got the rental car from warned us about driving into Gibraltar.

Macaque Checking Out The Views in Gibraltar

It wasn’t until I saw the macaque make a huge leap across the air and land on another cars mirror that I realized what she was referring to. I had heard that they love nothing better than stealing peoples food and whatever shiny object the person is holding but I never considered the damage they might do to the outside of a vehicle.

Cheeky monkey on our car

Sitting comfortably on a side mirror or lounging on the hood or roof, these monkeys are clearly used to people and slow moving cars. Looking through the windows it almost feels like they’re scoping out your belongings. That feeling really hit home after we had stopped a little farther down the road at the Apes Den and got to get up close to a family of them. The kids really loved watching two adolescents chasing each other as the mother slowly groomed their older sibling. We got to see them close up and they seemed almost as intrigued with us as we did with them.

As we made our way back to the car we had one sitting on our hood with an anxious look to his face. He was clearly waiting for us to open the door so he could bolt in and grab something. Micki had to get his attention as I grabbed Jordan and jumped into the car. The noise must have woken the masses since the next thing I knew there were two other adolescents climbing on the roof.

It just so happens that the car we rented had a huge glass roof and Jordan and I watched in awe as the two youths playfully wrestled back and forth just a few inches above our heads. Another one jumped on the back of the car and decided to use our radio antenna as a merry go round. Micki was amazed that it didn’t snap off. Supposedly that happens a lot so if you drive in, you have been warned.

Gibraltar Macaque Waiting to Get Into The Car

After getting the monkeys to focus on me, Micki and Cole jumped inside and we slowly headed off. With three monkeys on the car, and us four safely inside it, this was the monkeys signal to jump back to the stone railing so they could wait for the next motorist to come their way. Everyone had enjoyed our monkey encounter tremendously and luckily the car was still intact.

Our next stop was the Great Siege Tunnels of Gibraltar. Begun by the English in the 1700′s, these man made tunnels run around the mountain in a downward spiral. Created to help bolster the defenses of the mountain, they were loaded with giant cannons pointing in different positions and formed an incredible defense to the besieging Spaniards over the centuries. The amount of work the early workers had endeavored in a relatively short amount of time is nothing short of amazing and the different viewpoints that the cannon holes give to the peninsula below is breathtaking.

View from the Great Siege Tunnels

As we left the tunnels the last place on our Gibraltar list was the Moorish Castle. I would love to tell you all about it, however as we drove up to it we were informed the park was closing so we never got the chance to check it out inside. By that time we were all a little tired anyway and decided to check out the town proper. After stopping here and there and grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to call our Gibraltar day a success and crossed through the gate back into Spain (unlike the entry, everyone was just waved through).

In short it was a great day and as we were making our way to a cute hotel opposite Gibraltar, just outside the Spanish city of La Línea de la Concepción, we stumbled on another great playground for the kids. This one featured a dozen structures built out of ropes and pulleys. The kids thoroughly enjoyed this playground too and when I asked Cole later that night what was the highlight of the day he said it was the playgrounds. When I asked him what about the monkeys, he immediately broke into a genuine fit of laughter and said “Oh yeah, the monkeys… definitely the monkeys.”

Getting To Gibraltar

By Air: Gibraltar has it’s own airport (GIB or Gibraltar International Airport) with daily flights from the UK and a few other countries. Most people fly into Seville or Malaga in Spain. Each city is around two hours from Gibraltar by bus or rental car.

By Sea: Gibraltar used to have direct ferries from Morocco and Spain however those appear to have stopped for the moment. Daily ferries run from Tangiers, Morocco to the nearby Spanish towns of Tarifa and Algeciras. There are hourly buses that run from Algeciras to La Linea daily.

By Road: Gibraltar is located in Southern Spain and there is only one border entrance by land. Most Spanish rental car companies technically allow vehicle entry into Gibraltar although most frown on it do to the macaques. Ask when renting just to be safe or leave it in one of the numerous parking lots near the border and just walk in. Vehicle lineups in summer can be extremely long and can last for two hours. Once you get into line it can be hard to change your mind so decide early what you want to do.

By Foot: If you’re arriving by bus, look for buses heading to La Línea de la Concepción (often just called La Linea) from almost any town in Spain. The La Linea bus station is just a few hundred meters from the border and is an easy walk in.

Getting Around Gibraltar

There are many buses that make the rounds in Gibraltar. If you decide to walk in or arrive via ferry, look for buses along Route #1 to get you up to the nature reserve. You can rent a car from any of the numerous car rental agencies in town as well as mopeds if you’re so inclined. If you are going to the top of the rock, there’s a cable car that goes from the town to the top and back down again. Many people walk down from the top while checking out the sights however it is a bit of a walk to the bottom so make sure you wear decent shoes.

In that time we’ve been to ten countries and set foot in four continents.

As the crow flies we’ve logged over 28,377 kilometers or 17,632 miles for our American friends. In real world distance, it’s probably double that.

That’s a lot of planes, trains and automobiles.

All this with two little kids, way too much luggage and a business to run.

Not that I’m complaining. We’ve had some amazing experiences. We’ve ridden camels in Morocco, went hot air ballooning in Turkey, walked across castles in Spain, got drunk on port in Portugal, and snorkeled with endangered sea turtles in Mexico.

But, damn.

It feels really good to go home. We’ve just landed in Toronto for our first travel blogger conference (TBEX), and this gives me a chance to get my Canadian on again.

Here’s the plan.

I’m going to hit up every Canadian cliche in the book.

A piping hot double double? Count me in. Just add an apple cruller or some Timbits on the side.

A double double – two cream, two sugar. And a dose of deep fried dough with that. Photo by Calgary Reviews.

Heck, I’m feeling so patriotic that if I can find a touque and some mucklucks, I might even slap them on and parade around quoting The Great White North.

Oh, and beer. It’s no secret that we Canadians like our brew.

In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Canada has some of the best microbrews in the world. The only problem I’m going to have is deciding between a Big Rock (go Alberta!) and a Sleemans (in honor of Ontario).

Big Rock vs Sleemans. Photos by Dee West and Calgary Reviews.

Here’s a little known fact. Canadians love their perogies, and I’m no exception. Charles’ mom, in fact, makes some of the best homemade perogies I’ve ever had. (Hint, hint, Mom… just sayin’).

Nothing says home to me like fried bits of dough filled with cheese and pototaoe and served with an artery clogging dollop of sour cream.

Mmm… The fried, potatoey, crispy, doughy goodness that is a perogy. Photo by Helen Cook.

As for the others, Cole is dying for some Taco Bell and Jordan wants a block of good old Canadian cheddar cheese all to herself.

Charles isn’t going to be content until he gets at least 3 generous servings of bacon. Whether that’s at one meal or three he doesn’t really care. Oh yeah, he’d also love some perogies.

Sounds like a good plan, eh?

I exchange a tentative glance with Charles, debating how much I should worry about our little girl’s sudden bond with a 1,000 pound animal. Mohammad, the camel’s handler is completely unfazed by Jordan’s enthusiasm, though I’m fairly sure that small girls with wild golden ringlets don’t fling themselves on top of his camels every day.

Ready to go!

For all their size, the camels don’t look terribly imposing.

Sitting down, they’re as docile as sleepy kittens and lined up neatly, with their gangly legs tucked primly underneath their lumpy bodies. Every so often one of them lets out a disconcerting “nuuuuuurrrr” sound, a deep rumbling that’s something between a cat’s purr and an elephant’s trumpet.

Camel parking lot

Mohammad tousles Jordan’s hair with a smile, and motions Charles to climb up on the saddle behind her. Cole wiggles into position on another camel and I scramble awkwardly behind him.

After a series of commands, and a gentle tug on the lead by Mohammed, our camel’s front legs straighten, and Cole and I are suddenly tilting backwards, staring at the wide blue sky. As we adjust and hold on for dear life, Mohammed gets the camel to extend its back legs, and we’re quickly propelled forward. Now ten feet off the ground, we’re questioning our decision to get on in the first place.

It seems like a long way down from the top of a camel.

On. Finally! Photo thanks to Lam Nguyen

Before we have time to reconsider, all our small group is quickly saddled up and we’re off, with the patient Mohammed walking ahead. He leads the first camel into the desert, with the other camels tied into a neat line behind. Each of us are laughing at the others in our group as we all try to adjust riding a camel for the first time.

Though Mohommad, the handler, leads the camels, we’re traveling through Morocco with Idir, our soft spoken and unflappable guide. Idir, who speaks fluent English, French, Berber, Arabic and a smattering of Spanish, has carefully explained that these are dromedaries (sometimes called Arabian camels) as they have only one hump, and not two. Since they’re all from the same camel family, we tended to use the term interchangeably to his constant chagrin.

As Idir drives away in our comfy 4×4 to help set up our camp for the night, we follow Mohammed into the desert. As our hour long ride wears on, I’m starting to think Idir’s choice of the 4×4 is a very sensible choice.

It turns out that camel saddles aren’t especially comfortable, especially with a seven year old perched in front of you.

It’s about as comfortable as it looks

Our camels pick their way across the sand,with a lilting, rolling gait that resembles a slow motion horse’s gallop. Dromedaries just like these have been used for thousands of years, as pack animals that made trade through the expansive Sahara possible.

Here, in the fading light of the desert, I half close my eyes and imagine a caravan of dromedaries from Southern Africa making their way across this land a thousand, maybe two thousand years ago.

Time wavers, and disappears just for a second.

Desert Shadows Lengthen…

Suddenly, Cole bursts into a giggling fit. The camel in front of us has decided to pee. To a seven year old, this is the highest form of humor.

Behind us, the sun sinks slowly into the golden sand. The road, and the camel camp behind us have completely disappeared from view. There’s nothing here in the middle of desert but us; our little caravan plodding slowly through the sands near the desert oasis of Ouarzazate.

The camel in front is still peeing. It seems like it has been spent about a third of our ride relieving itself. I make a note to ask Idir, who seems to have an inexhaustible knowledge of all things Moroccan, about the mysterious toilet habits of camels.

The nomadic Bedouin tents where we’ll lay our heads for the night appear as we crest a tall dune. The camp has hot showers and electricity to charge our iPhones, but you’d never know it as it enters into sight. Other than the telltale row of solar panels, there’s nothing here but a wide expanse of sand and our tents.

Camp for the night

And that’s it. As quickly as it started, we’re off our camels and deposited just outside the camp. We walk, bowlegged and stiff towards the comfy cushions set up between the tents, where a steaming pot of delicious Moroccan mint tea awaits.

Cole is still giggling and we’re all thankful to have tried it but glad to be out of the saddle. After a long day of driving and seeing the Moroccan countryside, that last hour has worn us out.

Jordan just bounds ahead, ringlets bouncing, eager for her next adventure.

Morocco Essentials

Our camel ride was part of a two day, one night, tour with Sahara Desert Kingdom tours. You can contact Sahara Desert Kingdom through their webpage, on Facebook, and read reviews on TripAdvisor here.

Where: We rode our camels on a one hour ride near the desert town oasis of Ouarzazate.

Cost: A two day tour, including meals, all transportation, a camel ride, and accommodation costs around $200 USD per adult, and children are typically half price. Tours are very customisable and can be lengthened to 3, 5, or 7 days and longer if you want to  see more of Morocco or go further into the Saharan Desert.

Where to stay: Our tour started and ended in Marrakech, Morocco. We stayed in one of Marrakech’s traditional Moroccan riads in the Medina of the Old City. Check out our post on how to find the perfect riad in the Marrakech Medina.

If you want to see the world, do something to shake up your life and have a great time doing it, teaching English abroad could be the answer. Take a look at these ten places to teach for ideas on where to start.

Teaching English in Beijing China. Photo by Vagabond Rhythm.

Argentina

If you can see yourself sipping on mate, partying until the sun comes up and travelling around some of the most beautiful settlements on Earth, Argentina is a good shout. Traditionally one of the biggest TEFL industries in the world, English teachers are treated very well in Argentina, and salaries range from 650 to 900 US dollars per month.

China

Though it is an incredibly vast, hugely populated country, China is generally a better option for those looking to teach business people or groups. As a result of its huge industrial growth, Chinese companies are crying out for qualified TEFL teachers to give them the skills to trade with English speaking nations.

Costa Rica

Hailed by former teachers the world over as an idyllic country full of hospitable locals and tropical weather, it’s a great place to spend any amount of time.

Morocco

Surprisingly, Morocco is often overlooked by people wanting to teach abroad, but that is changing rapidly. A shining jewel in the crown of North Africa, the country is a rich melting pot of French and African culture, where teachers can expect a low cost of living in beautiful surroundings.

Spain

What more do you need to hear? Sun, sea, sangria… and some of the friendliest, most outgoing people in Europe. The Spanish language-learning industry is booming at the moment so, as an English teacher, make the most of this growth while you can.

Panama

Linking the Americas together, Panama is a sparsely populated yet immensely beautiful region, with a great deal of tourism and ongoing development. Beaches, rainforests, mountains and a welcoming population make Panama a hugely desirable destination for all type of teachers.

South Korea

Aside from getting the chance to live and work in what is arguably one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, with a rich history and culture, teachers of English as a second language are generously rewarded in Korea, with salaries reaching 2,000 US dollars a month. High standards are expected of those who want to teach English in Korea, but they are treated very well as a result!

Singapore

If you simply can’t live without hustle and bustle, the sound of the city and millions of people milling around you all with their own stories and style, then Singapore is probably for you. As the fourth richest nation on Earth, Singapore is a beautiful country in South East Asia with a huge appetite for language learning. As a teacher of English, you can live very comfortably here.

Turkey

Bridging the gap between Europe and Asia, Turkey is a nation rich with culture, history, food and beauty, making it a great spot for any TEFL teacher.

Brazil

As the heart of South America, Brazil has passion, energy and serene beauty hard to match anywhere else. If you’re up for a hardworking adventure but like the sound of blowing off steam at carnival, what are you waiting for? Pack your swimsuit and get on that plane to Rio.

Hopefully, you have a few few good ideas about where teaching English could take you. Now all you need to do is look at getting qualified, find some of the great online TEFL certification courses available and start dreaming of where else you might like to go.

Cellphones and the internet have paved the way to cheap communication, no matter what remote location you happen to be in. Unfortunately, aging relatives, technophobes and spotty internet often complicate matters on their end.

In this post, I look at some of the cheapest ways to call home and hopefully pave the way for better communication between you and those sitting by the phone waiting anxiously for your call. Though there are hundreds of ways you can get in touch, this post is limited to calling a landline or a cellphone.

Calling home, old school.

Calling International From A Traditional Phone

Surprisingly to some, traditional phones still exist and are used everywhere. Every hotel, hostel and dorm still has a traditional phone somewhere in the building. With international calling services offering calls for around a cent a minute via a regular phone line, it’s not hard on the wallet to pick up the phone and call grandma to wish her a happy birthday.

International calling cards were once the only way to save money when calling internationally and are still available in most stores and shops around the world. If you have nothing else to use, they’re still a great way to save money. Just be careful to read the fine print and make sure the card you buy has decent rates to whichever country you’re dialing.

Many companies also have local numbers you can call to maximize your savings. If you’re in a big center it’s always easier to find a local number to call to minimize your bill, but if you’re someplace remote make sure you find a card with either a toll free number to call or that includes a callback function. Most inbound calls on landlines the world over are free.

Tip: One of the most overlooked aspects of calling cards is focusing solely on the per minute cost. A lot of cards charge exorbitant connection fees. Also be careful of rounding (per second charge versus minute or even block of time charging)  and expiration (some cards expire with no use, some in a matter of months and some at a set time).

Calling Home Using Cell Phone and Tablet Apps

Most travelers these days carry a smart phone or a tablet with them. Whether it’s unlocked and you’ve picked up a cheap local SIM, or whether your normal cell plan from back home is good enough for your simple needs it really doesn’t matter. With tons of apps on the market, all you really need is a WiFi or data connection and you can be talking with Aunt Sally quicker than saying Slide To Unlock.

Many apps from the PC days are still around and actually thriving in the new mobile market. Skype is a perennial favorite and is especially great if the person you’re talking to is technological enough to also be using Skype on the other end. If not, with a little credit, Skype can also make regular phone calls to  your relatives that only have traditional phones. They have plans for every budget and you need to weigh options to pick out the plan that works the best for you. Skype‘s unlimited monthly plans are great deals if you’re a heavy talker.

One of our favorite apps for our iPhone and iPad is MagicJack. It’s the same company that introduced the USB phone dongle for making cheap international calls from a computer years ago. They’ve taken their knowledge of the telecom industry and applied it to cellphones. With free calls to US and Canada and several other countries it’s definitely a good deal for a lot of users. The quality is fairly decent as well. It also features cheap rates abroad.

Google Voice has paved the way for numerous companies to get in on the action as well. If you’re lucky enough to live in the US you can download the Google Voice app. while you’re still in the country and be talking to your friends back home anytime you like. If you’re not, there are dozens of companies and apps that use the Google Voice protocols to connect with others around the globe.

One of our favorites is the free app Talkatone. Since right now calling Canada and the US is free using Google servers, it makes it a very attractive deal. The quality is sometimes a little spotty but in general it works quite well when calling other phones.

One of the nice parts about Google Voice is that you can have a dedicated number. Crazy Uncle John won’t have to worry that he’s being scammed when a foreign number is constantly ringing him up. You can use the same number you’ve had for years and your name will show up on Caller ID just as it always has. It also allows you to receive calls while you’re abroad using the same number as back home.

Calling Relatives From Cell Phones While Abroad

While we’re on the subject of cell phones, there really is no easier way to stay connected with family and friends back home than buying either a local cell phone or a SIM for your unlocked phone. You can buy cheap phones for next to nothing in most markets around the world and a lot of them come with free call credit. They’re often pre-charged and you can usually be talking within seconds of purchasing it.

You can also buy a SIM that works in almost any country from a company like TravelSim. TravelSim has free incoming calls in over 140 countries. You order the SIM card online, and it’s shipped to your home before you travel. These types of SIM cards are great for travelers who are going to several countries on one trip (eliminating the need to buy a new SIM in each country), and they also eliminate any guesswork and huge roaming fees by letting you know calling rates ahead of time.

Tip: A lot of airports and even bus terminals have cellphone kiosks where you can pick up your new phone/SIM as you arrive at your next destination. Be prepared that a lot of them need a valid passport or identification as the telecom industry is heavily controlled in a lot of countries. Once they copy your information down you can be on your way again in minutes.

Depending on the country and provider, you can pay next to nothing for your calls. If the prepaid cell plan doesn’t include cheap international calling, there’s usually an addon you can buy that will drastically lower the cost. If there isn’t, then picking up a prepaid calling card combined with your new phone can be a great combination. You can find this info most places you can buy a cellphone at.

If you’re lucky enough to own an unlocked phone that is compatible with the local frequencies, you can easily pick up a prepaid SIM card while you’re in that country. Ranging anywhere from a few dollars to $20 or $30, once you put the SIM in you can be calling just like you never left home. Like the cheap cellphones, plans vary depending on the country and the provider. Most plans include an option for cheap international calling so talk to whoever sold you the card to find out if it’s better to go that route or the purchase a prepaid card.

Calling Landlines From a Computer

Just like apps for tablets and cellphones, there are a plethora of options out there for people who wish to make phone calls from their laptops while traveling. Skype is very common and with hundreds of millions of users is one of the largest online telecommunications companies in the business. Since it has been purchased by Microsoft, it’s now being packaged with Windows 8 and soon there will be an Xbox app for it as well. As of right now, they have an app for practically every device out there.

Remember these? Photo by Daniel Catt

If you have the need to hold a real phone when you call, MagicJack is a very capable device that lets you plug a standard phone into your computers USB port. The per year license is around $29.99 USD a year but it does give you unlimited phone calls to the USA and Canada and allows you to includes a dedicated number so your friends and family can also call you via a regular phone number no matter where you happen to be in the world.  The new MagicJack Plus now even works without a computer as long as you have a data port.

Google Talk and Google Voice are also great ways to communicate with loved ones back home and I often call my parents right from my browser’s Gmail page while checking my email. With free calls to Canada and the US it’s too easy to pass up.

The Internet Is Only A Fad

Regardless of which product you use or how you call them, your friends and family will appreciate you reaching out to them while on the road. Emails and text messages are great ways to stay in touch but next to siting down and chatting with someone, calling over the phone makes them feel like you’re only down the road and not on the other side of the planet.

In truth, video chatting is even better but if Granny refuses to turn on the iPad you bought her for Christmas and Uncle Frank still only believes the internet is a passing fad then at least you have some way to keep in touch.

For the vast majority of people, the truth is, no matter where you are in the world, you’re only a phone call away.

It’s this chaos that makes Marrakech’s riads a perfect, calm place to escape. We stayed in three riads (in four different rooms) over the course of a week, and had a chance to visit another for a very late brupper (breakfast foods for supper) with friends. The riads ranged from simple budget rooms (Ryad Laarrous) to suites complete with two separate bedrooms and a large living area (Riad Dar Ourika).

What’s a riad? Riads are traditional Moroccan houses that have been converted into hotels or bed and breakfasts. Some are small enough to have only two or three rooms, others have dozens, but most only have five or six suites. They’re always built around a central courtyard, with windows and doors usually facing the courtyard rather than the exterior. From the outside, riads are decidedly unassuming, and even entrance doors are usually simple affairs. The ground floor often holds the dining area, central courtyard and a common sitting room, with individual rooms on upper floors. Most riads also have large rooftop terraces that allow you to bask in the Moroccan sun and watch the sun set over the Medina.

How much does a riad cost?

Rates range from around $35 USD per night for a double room in a budget riad (like Ryad Laarrous, where we stayed three nights), right up into the thousands if your budget can handle it (check out the stunning Dar Anika). We didn’t stay at the Anika (though I really wish we had). You can easily get a double room in a mid-range riad for around $60 USD/night, or a large family suite for around $110/night. You can often even rent an entire riad by contacting the owners directly (most riads have websites, though many are only in French).

Why is there always a water fountain in the central courtyard?

The water in the center courtyard is a form of natural air conditioning. When hot air in the courtyard flows over the fountain, it’s cooled almost instantly. Because hot air rises (and cool sinks), the cooled air stays within the riad’s open air central courtyard, cooling off the building and the rooms around it.

How the heck do I find my riad? These streets are crazy!

Finding your way to your riad is probably going to be the hardest part of your stay. The streets in Marrakech’s Medina look like they were designed by a honeybee strung out on a strong dose of espresso. This is especially true walking through the souks near the center.

Check out this video of the four of us navigating the narrow streets (which would be small for just a pedestrian walkway in North America) on our way to our stay at Riad Ourika in the old Medina. This was our third or fourth foray into the Medina from that riad, and notice that we still got turned around. Twice!

At least our riad had a name and address on the outside. Many are unmarked and often even the street numbers are missing. Google maps will only get you so close to where you need to be so don’t rely on them to get you exactly where you need to be.

So how can you find them? Many riads will have someone meet you at the airport or train station to guide you if you contact them before you get there. Alternatively, you can do what we did, and pick a random kid somewhere near your riad and pay them 10 dirham (about a USD) to guide you to the front door. Your mileage may vary with this approach, as Marrakech is legendary for its touts and hustlers. If you get lost, trust us that within a few minutes you will have someone willing to guide you. Most are very nice but occasionally they can get pushy. Just be firm and realize that for many of them this helpful guidance  is in effect a full time job for them.

What kind of amenities do riads have?

Marrakech’s riads have a surprising number of amenities, including everything from swimming pools, Wi-Fi access, free breakfasts, dining rooms, rooftop loungers and restaurants to onsite massages, spas and hammams. Most will also help you set up tours of the surrounding areas and will hold your bag if you decide to head to the Atlas Mountains or decide to camp out in the Sahara desert for a night like we did.

Swimming pools in most riads are usually fairly small and not heated, making them much more suitable for a plunge after a hot day walking through the souks than swimming laps. Almost all riads offer a breakfast with the room rate and many will also make you a delicious custom Moroccan dinner on site in a private dining room if you set it up a day in advance. We’ve heard from numerous people that the supper they were served in their riad was easily the best Moroccan meal they had in Marrakesh. Of course this wholly depends on the riad you have chosen.

Most riads will also provide you with a welcome Moroccan tea on your arrival or a delicious glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. The Moroccan tea (usually a very sweet green tea with large mint leaves in it) is absolutely delicious and shouldn’t’ be missed.

What’s a hammam?

A hammam (hamam) is a traditional Turkish bath. Many riads have their own onsite hammam rooms and staff, or they can refer you to a hammam nearby. Traditionally, a hammam is a communal experience, meaning you’ll be getting naked in a large room with a bunch of strangers (generally strangers of the same sex, as hammams are usually male or female only). Riads, however, can arrange for couples hammams in their private rooms. The experience can include a massage, or simply a steam followed by a rough soaping by a same sex attendant.

WiFi. Can I get it?

Ah, Internet access, the bane of our travel blogging life. Unfortunately, we had problems with Wi-Fi access in all of the riads we stayed at in Marrakech, despite the riads all advertising Wi-Fi in the rooms. That said, the WiFi signal was strong in all of the riads’ main lounges, and we often resorted to hanging out on the common couches when we needed to connect. You’ll stand the best chance of the Wi-Fi signal reaching your room if you have a room that connects directly to the main area on the ground floor. Unfortunately, this may mean your room is a little bit louder, but it may be a small price to pay for good Internet.

Where can I find a good riad?

We booked all of our riads through Booking.com. They seemed to have the most reviews of all the search engines we looked at, and prices were more often cheaper than booking through the riads themselves.

What’s the difference between a dar and a riad?

In practical terms, none. From what we could uncover, a dar should be a townhouse with a courtyard, while a riad should have a garden. However, many riads in Marrakech don’t have a proper garden.

Where we stayed

Riad Ourika’s Suite Royale

Ryad Laarrous. Decidedly budget, the Laarous feels a bit like it’s falling apart a bit at the seams. Still, it was pretty, with a cozy central sitting area offering a decent breakfast, a small pool, flat screen TVs in the rooms and a helpful front desk staff. Good value for the money however make sure you get a room that faces the inside as road noise from the few rooms facing the street can get pretty loud at times.

Riad Dar Ourika. My favorite of the riads we stayed at, the Riad Dar Ourika had a leafy sitting area and good breakfast. Our room, the Royal Suite (around $116 USD/night was huge, with two bedrooms, an enormous private central sitting area with fireplace and couches, a 15 foot tiled ceiling with skylight, a bathroom straight out of the Arabian nights, and a private terrace to relax on.

Riad Tizwa. Small, lovely, and best suited to couples or singles (rooms aren’t well set up for larger families), this is a charming riad. Our Canadian friends, who met us in Marrakech, stayed here and gave us a tour of their gorgeous room. We arranged for a custom meal on the rooftop terrace, and the cook pulled out all the stops, including rose petals on the table, candlelight, and a delicious spread of fresh fruit, juices, coffee, granola, omelettes and fresh bread.

The email was from Adam Shepard asking us to review his latest book, One Year Lived.

His first book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream, was partly a response to Barbara Ehrenreich’s controversial Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.

In Scratch Beginnings, Shepard’s set out to prove that he could start from almost nothing and have a working automobile, live in a furnished apartment and have $2500 in cash within a year. Where Ehrenreich failed, supposedly showing that those with limited financial resources are doomed to live in an endless cycle of poverty, Shepard succeeded in creating a successful life in one short year.

It’s an interesting premise, and landed Adam attention from the likes of NPR, The Today Show and CNN.

Fast forward a couple of years, and Adam’s email about his new book, One Year Lived, landed in our inbox.

In One Year Lived, Adam chronicles his year trip around the world. The book describes his experiences mustering cattle in the Australian Outback, bullfighting, volunteering with children in Honduras and meeting the love of his life.

It’s an interesting read as a travelogue, following the story of a self-deprecating young man on a trip around the world. Here, he describes bungee jumping in Slovakia.

“One of the guys says to me in broken English: “Just in case line break and you not stop before ground, we really enjoy know you.”

… Screw it. I take a final, lingering look over at Ivana, her expression cheery  and supportive. I spread my arms out wide above my head. I bend my knees. I rise up off of my toes. I curl my head down over the rest of my body. I dive. I soar. An exhilarated shriek explodes through my lips, prying at my clenched jaw. The world opens up. My pulse pounds even harder. I’m dropping. I’m flying. The forest widens, widens, widens—a sea of spiky green spreading beneath me. The fall lasts a day, a week, a month. Three-point-two-five seconds.”

But it’s the bigger themes that Shep (Adam’s nickname) touches on that make the book worth reading.

In the book, he muses, “How does a person muster the courage—or recklessness—to put it all to the side for a year? To shelve responsibility? Alongside heaps of motivation—new places, new experiences, new foods—why does one decide to go and another doesn’t? Whether escaping the mundane or chasing excitement, why do some people talk about their dream to do something anomalous and others actually do it?”

It’s a fantastic question.

What makes one person decide to take a chance, and travel around the world for a year, while another decides to stay at home and forgo that opportunity?

One of my regrets is not traveling earlier in my life. I was was close to 30 when Charles and I set out on our first year long adventure. Why didn’t I go before that? For all the reasons Adam says: I was comfortable, I wanted to go to school, and honestly, I didn’t even know where to begin.

Maybe the reason some people just take off (and why I finally mustered the courage at 30) is something like this (again in Shep’s words), “This—right now, today—this is our time to live, yours and mine. Quality years ahead, presumably, and we’ve already had some great experiences, met some great people, and created some great memories.”

It’s really about an understanding that life is short, that the opportunity that you pass by may never come back again. We’ve written posts on 10 reasons to travel right now, and Shep’s written an entire book filled with reasons why you should travel if it’s your dream.

Why did Shep go? In his words… ”

“I wasn’t angry. I didn’t hate my job. I wasn’t annoyed with capitalism, and I was indifferent to materialism. I wasn’t escaping emptiness, nor was I searching for meaning. I have great friends and a wonderful family. The dude two doors down invited me over for steak or pork chops—my choice—one Sunday, and I couldn’t even tell you the first letter of his name. Most of my teeth are natural. … I felt as if I was a few memories short, as if there was still time for me to go out there and get missing for a little while. Bust out the List o’ Good Times, sell my car, store my crap, stuff a backpack, buy a small mountain of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and hop on a plane. Just this once.”

Sound interesting?

You can find out more about Adam on the One Year Lived website, or on his Facebook page.

Disclosure: We weren’t paid to write this review (though we’re not above it, just in case J. K. Rowling’s looking for reviewers for her new book), though we did get a digital copy of Adam’s book to read.