So you’re out in the world shopping for some hookers? 

First off, you must be aware of the issues and debates surrounding prostitution worldwide.

Pro Ho: As it goes, prostitution is the oldest profession in history (were there hookers before doctors?). People who side with the legalization of prostitution  generally believe women should have the choice to sell their bodies as commodities given the ancient demand for the services they provide.  Since you will not find a place in the world without  hookers (legal or not) why not create systems that are better able to regulate the conditions, salaries, benefits and safe health practices of the sex industry?

No Ho:   No Ho supporters will tell you why not.  They believe legalizing prostitution brings with it many negative effects. Since legal hookers cost more (due to the cost of regulating the practice), competition is pushed underground which proliferates child prostitution, AIDS, forced sex trade violence and drugs.   Their view is the market, as any other business, operates on a “what’s the best deal I can get for my buck” mentality. If you can get a hooker (forced sex slave or not) for a much cheaper price per hour than a legal brothel “escort”, they believe you won’t care about the politics involved as long as you’re getting laid for less.  Then there’s the whole religious and moral side of things…

While both sides of the argument have validity, OTP isn’t here to judge or tell you to stay away from paying for sex, if that’s something you want to do. What we do ask is that you be informed about the international sex industry and that you choose morally and wisely based upon your own judgements. With that said:

Lets get you hooker’d up!

Amsterdam

Status: Very famously legal
  

Like to window shop? Then you will absolutely love this. Gorgeous girls (independent contractors that pay rent and taxes for their own windows) lounge around in lingerie in big, red-lit, glass display windows and offer their services for as cheap as $80 bucks per hour. All you do is walk, look, pick and get down to business behind the curtain of the window booth. The Red Light District is also a beautiful, eventful, old area of Amsterdam so getting a ho or two, then going to a coffee shop, theater or nice restaurant is completely acceptable.

Australia

Status: Legal, as of 10 years ago.

The Boardroom is Melbourne’s most organized, most awarded, cleanest brothel. They also offer a selection of men for the ladies, which is fair. You pay around $73 for room rental and are required to give your hooker/man-stitute at least $82 (for ½ hour). In the Sydney area? You’re in luck. Brothels in Sydney is dedicated to finding you a good hooker in Sydney. You can search by price, business name or featured brothels. If you’re into the kinky shit, check out Salon Kitty’s where its all about BDSM (what the f*ck does BDSM stand for? well: Bondage & Discipline/Domination & Submission/Sadism & Masochism. Just a good ol’ time really).

Switzerland

Status: Legal

Prostitution became legal in 1992 and the first brothel, The Petite Fleur opened in 1998 in Zurich. Although all prostitutes must be Swiss citizens, pimps and sex traffickers have found ways around the rule and continue to buy and import mostly Thai women into the trade. Since Thai women are presented with a language barrier in Switzerland, they avoid trips to the hospital for necessary health treatments and check ups. Instead of looking for an untrafficked, authentic Swiss hooker, try getting a tantra massage (same great benefits of sex, minus the diseases and promotion of sex slavery). The Swiss are already known for their fantastic massages. Tantra massage adds a bonus rub-down of your most tense areas. It will cost you about 100-200 euros for a 90 minute session and both guys and girls can play. At Manumagic, in Basel, Switzerland, you can request a male or female masseuse (or both at the same time actually) and if you’re hard to please, you can purchase a 3 hour long massage (although at that point, you’ll probably have serious blue balls and chaffing).

Thailand

Status: Illegal on paper due to Western pressure.

Thailand is usually synonymous with sex tourism. Thoughts of grimy old men paying for child sex slaves for the duration of their stay instantly come to mind. We won’t lie, this does happen (20/20 wasn’t kidding) but more legit hooking is pretty common as well. Phuket, if the name alone doesn’t give it away, is full of brothels, hookers and massage parlors. Although, as Phuket is one of the most popular sex tourism spots, you will be in the mix with a lot of sleezy guys who get boners for underage, sex-trafficked girls. Go get a Pattaya Bar Girl. At these bars, a girl will cost you about $45 for the night and the ho selection is very diverse (and by diverse, we mean some trannies are in the mix so if that’s not your thing, check out our How to Avoid STDs, Rabies and Trannies Abroad article for assistance).

Russia

Status: Illegal but decriminalized.

In Russia, you won’t find official brothels. What you will see is fairly unattractive men with beautiful Russian girls hanging on their arms. What’s up with that? Well, think about this: how is prostitution any different from buying a girl dinner (money) in anticipation of sex and the girl eating her dinner (exchange of money) and feeling obligated to reciprocate with sex (prostitution). You hear girls say “well you know you’ll have to put out for that”. In Russia, this is the case, but more overt. Both parties know the terms involved in the “companionship”arrangement. As long as the man spends money on the girl, the girl will have sex with him, simple. So wear the best thing you brought in your backpack (you can unwrinkle things by hanging them on the bathroom door while you take a hot shower), go out on the town and pick yourself up some one-night lovin’.

• In many countries outside of the United States (with Nevada being an exception), prostitution is legal (or at least very decriminalized). To list several: the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, Portugal, Israel and even our northern and southern neighbors, Canada and Mexico.
• Buying prostitutes on the street (anywhere in the world) is a bad idea because of several factors: You don’t know the girl’s situation (forced prostitution, underage, on drugs, etc.), her health or whether there is a pimp around the corner waiting to take your money and beat you senseless. Besides, since you won’t have a car while you’re backpacking, pulling up to a hooker on the street on your bike would probably not work so well.

Paying for sex is not always an act of desperation. People constantly search for new ways to explore their sexuality and a lot of exciting experiences are available to you abroad. Just know that there is an ugly underbelly when it comes to the international sex industry that you maybe supporting.  Avoid situations that seem sketchy and just don’t be stupid about it. If you’re not feeling 110% about your decision, DON’T DO IT! Otherwise, slap on a rubber and get to work.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2!

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• How to Use Toilets Around the World…
• The Most Pornographic Statues You Must See Around the World!
• What the F*ck is Maslenitsa?
• The 9 Most Interesting Variations of a Hot Dog Around the World
• 10 Unique Places to Celebrate New Year’s in 2010

Travel Blog Dork: Daniel Roy

Website: BackpackFoodie.com

Daniel Roy explores the world through his mouth.  He left the comforts of home in 2009 to journey through Asia, the Middle East and Africa for a year to taste, smell and learn from the world.  The blogs crafted from his adventures thus far make us hungry, horny (his food pictures are borderline pornographic in our eyes) and travel buggy.  Although, the pictures accompanying his articles are a big draw, the real flavor lies in his descriptions of things he’s eaten and the life lessons those edible things revealed.  He breaks down cultural barriers by approaching new food experiences squeamishness-free; seeing the real value of interacting with a country’s people through its cuisine.  Although linguistically, Roy’s articles are crafted with simplicity in mind, the underlying themes he explores are far from plain.  We dare you to read his most recent article entitled, Milk Alchemist, and not let it move you.

The Milk Alchemist:

Roy digs his spoon deep into the life of Manick, a street vendor in Kolkata, India, that has magical milk coagulating powers.   A seemingly ordinary street vendor amongst thousands of others, Manick teaches Roy about India using only milk, sugar, a wok and wisdom.  More than an article about food, this piece reveals Roy’s ability to focus on the important details and finding meaning in things others just pass by.

Roy urges the backpacker to live cheaply, but richly; to eat indiscriminately and with meaning.  A proud proponent of street food (we’re with you Daniel), Roy gives Westerners some great insight into the world of food outside of restaurants.  He schools us on how to approach street food with confidence in his article entitled “Eating at Street Level”. 

Backpackfoodie.com is unique, engaging and revolves around the following philosophy:

“To taste someone else’s food is to know the flavor of their life.”…Word.

Daniel Roy, you are at the height of travel dorkiness and your work is brilliant.

WANT TO BE A FEATURED TRAVEL DORK?…

Travel Dork [Trah-vahl Doe-erk]: A person in love with travel and dedicated to sharing their experiences with others.  A distinguishable human being who has successfully and passionately distributed travel information via travel blogs and deserves appropriate and ample recognition.

If you are this person, submit your inquiry to be featured in our Travel Dork section to submit@offtrackplanet.com

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Popular Articles:

• Top 10 Backpacking Travel Destinations for 2010
• The 9 Most Successful Travel Bloggers of the Year
• The 9 Most Interesting Variations of a Hot Dog Around the World
• The Most Pornographic Statues You Must See Around the World!
• 10 Places you Must have Sex Around the World!

Travel Blog Dork:  David Lee

Websites: Gobackpacking.com & Travelblogsuccess.com

David Lee is a huge travel dork.  His sites, Gobackpacking.com and Travelblogsuccess.com are chart-toppers.  Although various independent travel-related info is available on his site, gobackpacking.com focuses on around-the-world travel.  Inspired by his own 2007 around the world trip that took him to 22 countries in 20 months, Lee pumps out this site with passion.  His articles are informative and

 inspirational to say the least and he has tons of videos that give you a peek into what backpacking the globe feels like (check out Dublin by Night).   He’s also a pro at getting free trips; a recent one being to Rwanda (where he entered a contest for a 6 day trip sponsored by Rwanda Tourism and won).  In our opinion, the best part of his site has to be his “Dare Me” section where he asks his readers to dare him to do something ridiculous for a donation (ranging from a free beer to $100+).  While a lot of people dare him to take pictures with single women in different countries (odd but understandable), Dave has also eaten dog in Vietnam, taken a Mui Tai fighting class in Phuket, Thailand, and went cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa all to complete dares (which is pretty badass).

If Gobackpacking.com wasn’t enough to seal his deal as a travel dork, Dave also runs Travelblogsuccess.com, a site he built to give valuable advice to travel bloggers looking to make bucks.  Using his success with Gobackpacking as evidence that he knows what he’s talking about, Dave breaks down what it takes to make it in the travel blog world.  In fact, he offers a 12-week online tutorial course on the topic for either $29 per month (for 3 months) or $75 flat.  Given his own success, it may be worth a try.

Dave, your contribution to the travel community is priceless and we hope you carry OTPs title of travel blog dork of the week with pride.

*Gobackpacking.com was also featured in OTP’s Travel Bloggers of the Year.

WANT TO BE A FEATURED TRAVEL DORK?…

Travel Dork [Trah-vahl Doe-erk]: A person in love with travel and dedicated to sharing their experiences with others.  A distinguishable human being who has successfully and passionately distributed travel information via travel blogs and deserves appropriate and ample recognition.

If you are this person, submit your inquiry to be featured in our Travel Dork section to submit@offtrackplanet.com

Written by:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• Explore a Jungle, Ski the World, Help People in Need with Gap Force!
• Travel Porn Weekly: Bali, Indonesia
• What is a College Degree Worth these Days? The Case for a U.S. Gap Year Campaign…
• The 9 Most Successful Travel Bloggers of the Year
• Top 10 Backpacking Travel Destinations for 2010

Sir Thomas Crapper, although not the inventor of the flush toilet as popularly believed, was a hell of a guy.  The pusher of potties, the bad boy of bathrooms, Crapper advocated the use and development of sanitary plumbing for his entire life.  The world caught on quickly and the use of toilets spread globally.  Since the humble days of Crapper, people around the world have thought of new and interesting ways to drop off their smellies:

Germany- Poo Platform

Like a mullet: business in the front and party in the back (except the party isn’t a party at all; just a bunch of smelly poo landing on a platform) this interpretation of the toilet is quite counter-intuitive.  Upon flushing, water rushes out from the back and hypothetically washes your turds into the hole in the front.  Some major flaws exist with this design.  Mainly, the lack of a water barrier between your goods and the toilet creates a horrid pre-flush smell and upon flushing is likely to leave behind some nasty streakage.  Also, should you squeeze out a larger-than-average load, prepare to suffer the consequences of a close encounter, of the shitty kind.  As mechanically dysfunctional as this thing is, the Germans (and neighboring countries as far as Holland) love it and continue to use it daily.

China -  Squatters

These shit holes (very literally) evoke the image of communism.  Their minimalist construction strips the user of any luxury.  They are bare, rugged and, as it turns out, extremely intimidating.  Countless squatter “how-to” guides exist.  These guides mainly exist to address the fear of falling in.  Let’s think about this: why are you afraid of a toilet? There are so many more things to be afraid of, say: rabid squirrels gnawing on your ankles, global warming, misguided pre-meditated murder and such.  Here is the only guide you will ever need:  see a hole, pull down your pants, squat and go. But just in case you still don’t get it, here is a step by step guide. 

England – The Urilift & High Tank

The urilift was invented to remedy the insane amount of drunk-man piss on the streets of England.  Whether it fixes the problem or not, this thing kicks ass.  During the day, it is hidden in the ground and when the partying begins, it peeks its smelly head to the surface to service those drunk enough to not care that their bare asses are hanging out in the middle of the street.

The indoor variation (above) of the English toilet is also quite interesting.  The water tank is placed very high above your head so that gravity aides in sucking down your load.  For those times when your arms are just not strong enough to flush a toilet, it’s nice to know gravity is there to give you a little hand.

Japan: Extreme High Tech

In Japan, you might be hovering over a hole in the ground (see China Squatter above) or you have arm rests with remote controls that make your stay on the seat very enjoyable and luxurious. The high tech extreme is quite difficult to master.  Like flying a space shuttle, this toilet has buttons for just about any bathroom predicament you may find yourself in, specifically: a noise button to mask the sound of whatever you need to do while in the john (yodeling for instance), one that activates a blow dryer, a clock to time your visit (handy for when you’re competing with your Japanese friends), amongst many intricate others.  It seems like you need at least an associate’s degree in computer technology to operate this type of machinery.

Russia- Seatless

In one of the coldest places in the world, it’s wonderful to know that when you need to go number two and squatting is not your forte, your ass will probably freeze to the porcelain bowl as no cushy plastic seat is attached.  Furthermore, Russians consider toilet paper of any kind a luxury.  So friends, before visiting Mother Russia (and China for that matter), we suggest you build up those quads with lunges and bring along a roll or two for the ride.

Brazil: Button Pushers

Whereas other toilets are set to flush an average amount of cargo, this one leaves it in your hands.  Equipped with a flush button, but no septic tank, your job is to hold the button down for a continual flush until you feel it’s time to move on.  The politics of this get tricky:  for the over-zealous, flush-loving types, this method becomes a huge waste of water.   But if you can control that trigger finger, this flush method effectively avoids dreaded foreign-country toilet clogs.

Australia:  Counter-Clockwise

Why was the counter-clockwise issue ever an issue? Everything will still go down the drain, just in a differently directed spin.  What’s the problem or the fascination? Who notices these things?  You know who? People that stare down at the toilet after they’re done.  We caught you! Its okay, everyone looks at what they produced with curiosity and sometimes pride.  We don’t care which direction it spins as long as it goes down.

Texting to Tinkle

Added bonus fact:  Did you know that in Finland, in order to use the roadside public restroom, you must TEXT MESSAGE a road official to have it unlocked?  Its cleaner, prevents vandalism and gives your texting thumb a reason to get up in the morning.

When it comes to backpacking, very few things are universal across the board.  While we globally share our human need to dispose of waste, different places have developed their own, varied waste receptacles.  There is no need to be afraid of difference as most toilets don’t have teeth and are pretty self-explanatory.  If you still feel like you need a guide so you can approach the shitter with confidence, STA Travel made a pretty extensive how-to.

Finally, this article wouldn’t be possible without Mr. Cromwell.  This man has visited (and used) many a toilet around the world and has gathered his finding on his website.  We tip our hats to you Mr. Cromwell, you are a gentleman and a saint.

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Designed By: Tiffany Baker & Freddie Pikovsky

Related Articles

• 10 Unique Places to Celebrate New Year’s in 2010
• The 9 Most Interesting Variations of a Hot Dog Around the World
• How to Pick Up Prostitutes Around the World (Part 1)
• Wildlife Volunteer Programs: Work with Really Freakin’ Cute Baby Animals NOW!
• Volunteer Opportunity: One Week Volunteerships + $5,000 Grant

Maslenitsa (Ma-sla-nee-tsa) – Russia’s finest winter time event. A week full of non-stop eating, face punching, bears performing weird acts, sledding in the snow and burning shit up! Maslentisa is more commonly known as butter week, or pancake week, so lets start with the food…everyone loves pancakes.  Everyone loves crepes.  Now imagine if you can perfectly combine the two to make a pancake-like crepe.  The Russians created this food miracle, called it “blini”, and devour them all throughout Maslenitsa.  For serious! To be completely sure that the information you read here fully covers this bonanza, we teamed up with our Russian correspondent, Ekaterina Dmitrienko, to get the inside scoop… 

Food

Maslenitsa celebrates the end of winter and the coming of sunny spring and happens the seventh week before Pascha (Easter) every year.  Since blini are round and golden like the sun, they make the perfect celebratory food.  Festival goers splurge by stuffing their faces with blini, caviar, sour cream and butter.  Falling on the week before The Great Lent (7 weeks of abstinence from all things fun and tasty), Maslenitsa is not for the weak-stomached.  The idea here is to get as much forbidden food and entertainment into your system (40 or so meals this week are highly encouraged) so that once lent comes around, your stomach will be so abused and you will be so exhausted that staying away from milk, butter, meat and fun will be easy.   As far as the fun part goes, Maslenitsa offers up some fun activities to help you shake off a bit of the food coma:

Fists Fights

In order to commemorate Russian military history, men beat the crap out of each other with their fists on the 4^th day of Maslenitsa.  The only rule is “never hit a man when he’s down” which means face punches, crotch shots and wet willies are all fair game.

Bear Shows

As an old pagan symbol, the bear is believed to have magical healing powers (in addition to its mauling and killing powers).  For this reason, trained bears are an integral part of the celebration.  During the show, the bears imitate women putting on make-up, dance and pretend to cook blini.  Isn’t that precious/vicious?

Clown Shows

“Petrushka” the clown is said to make people laugh with satirical performances throughout Maslenitsa.  We’re still haunted by the Steven Spielberg’s IT but if you can tolerate clowns, these performances are very unique. 

Visiting Relatives

The entire festival is characterized by re-connecting with your family and friends.  People often walk from house to house to hang, eat and drink with family and friends.  Throwing impromptu concerts and parties is highly encouraged and while chowing down on blini with everyone you know only adds to the food coma, all the walking you’ll do should melt off some of that butter.

Sled Rides

One thing we all know about Russia in February is that it’s ass-biting cold and covered in snow.  During Maslenitsa, people take advantage of the snowscape by launching themselves down hills in sleds.  If the endless sledding doesn’t burn off those blini calories, on the 2nd day, men are given a free pass to kiss any single girls that happen to cross their paths (kissing burns 30 calories every 15 minutes) so get to it fellas.

Burn Baby Burn!

What festival would be complete without burning something?  On the last day of the festival (Sunday, the day of forgiveness), the Russians burn “Lady Maslenitsa”, a large, buttery fat, figurine usually made of straw.  The Lady embodies winter and is burned as a farewell to the cold and a welcome to spring.  Ekaterina says everyone bows to each other and genuinely asks for forgiveness.

Maslenitsa is interesting in that it’s both a Pagan (saying goodbye to winter) and Christian (indulgence before Lent) holiday.  Since religion was repressed during socialism, this holiday was left uncelebrated for 85 years until 2002.  Thus, people’s whole-hearted indulgence in this festival is partially inspired by the newer, freer, post-socialist Russia.  Regardless of the reasoning behind it, all of the Maslenitsa activities should be celebrated with a blinchik (or 50) in your stomach and a shot of vodka to evoke the true Russian spirit.

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya 

**A Special Thanks to our Russian Correspondant: Ekaterina Dmitrienko

Related Articles

• How to Pick Up Prostitutes Around the World (Part 1)
• How to Use Toilets Around the World…
• Volunteer Opportunity: One Week Volunteerships + $5,000 Grant

Taking a Gap Year is the buzz around Europe.  What’s all the noise about?  Gap Year is a year (or some increment of time) a person takes off to travel before going to college, into a career or in between jobs.  This time off is Europe’s answer to riding out the college/work unfriendly times of this worldwide recession (read up on our crappy economic times in our What is a College Degree Worth These Days article).  Lucky for you, most Americans aren’t catching on to the trend and by choosing to pursue a Gap Year, you can call yourself a pioneer in the practice.  To get you started, companies around the globe have surfaced to help people squeeze the most purpose and fun out of their Gap Years.  One of the best organized has to be U.K.-based, Gap Force.

About Gap Force…

Established in 1989, Gap Force is tailored to your interests so you’re not just roaming around but travelling with a resume-building, educationally specific purpose.  All you have to do is decide that taking a Gap Year is for you and Gap Force does the rest.  Programs are organized by interest, specifically:  TrekForce, GreenForce, OzForce, SkiForce, MedForce and SportForce and are beneficial for acquiring a wide range of skills and experiences.  A few of our favorites:

TrekForce-Learning Leadership Skills in the Jungle

Programs offered in this category are challenging, physically demanding expeditions that are designed to make Indiana Jones proud.  A good alternative to military-type training (without all the unnecessary brainwashing), TrekForce adventures are 4 month programs that begin in Wales and move into the jungles of South America where you take on nature herself and learn night navigation, emergency medicine, river crossing techniques and general badass trekking skills.  Even Jack Osborne got the TrekForce itch.

SkiForce-Worldwide Ski Instructor Certification

For the snow lovers amongst us, this program not only allows you to stay on the slopes all season (and we’re talking some premium French Alps type slopes) but prepares you for a career in ski instruction.  Through Ski Force, participants can acquire worldwide recognized ski instruction certification.  Although this program follows the British (BASI) standards, because GapForce is an accredited sports instruction center, holding their certificate qualifies you work to at snow resorts globally.  They even guarantee job placement upon completion of their level 2 program (BASI2).

MedForce-Working at Hospitals as a Platform for a Career in Medicine

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in medicine, in America, you won’t see anything but the inside of a classroom for the next 7-9 years.  To break up the monotony and put your future career in perspective, join MedForce where you get hands-on experience at a hospital under the supervision of qualified doctors and nurses.  You won’t be given a scalpel and sent into surgery but you will interact with both patients and hospital staff in a meaningful, educational way.  Programs are offered throughout the world, namely Ecuador, Cambodia, India, Belize and South Africa.  While some programs are designed for current medical students, many are offered to those with no previous experience.

Programs offered through Gap Force are not free but, at the moment, are wiser investments than college.  Europeans have been making themselves more employable by taking a Gap Year for decades.  It’s time for Americans to give it a try.  While everyone is sitting in stuffy classrooms all year, you can be out making a difference in the world and adding real value to your resume or developing a meaningful career (not to mention having the time of your life).

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• What is a College Degree Worth these Days? The Case for a U.S. Gap Year Campaign…
• Backpackers Guide 101: Planning & Research
• Backpackers Guide 101: Health & Safety
• 10 Step Guide to Backpacking Europe – What you need to know right now!
• How to Fly Around the World for FREE, seriously!

We got our sticky little hands on something amazing and we are giving this bundle of awesomeness away to one, qualified and enthusiastic reader thanks to Eurail.com!

Host OTPs “Europe by Eurail” and

Win a 1st Class 15-Day Eurail Global Pass and your choice of a FLIP HD Camera or iPOD Nano!! 

Eurail (Eurail.com) is a great company designed to make train travel through Europe more affordable. Instead of buying single ride tickets at train stations (which can become costly if you plan to travel between various destinations), they sell passes that give you the option to get up and go anywhere in Europe at the drop of a dime. Their passes also qualify you for discounts on hostels, ferries and MP3 audio guides (take a look at Eurail.com for full details on the benefits offered). They have different passes based on your traveling needs (single country pass, 3-4 country pass and so on).

What we’re giving away is the mother of all Eurail passes, a Global Pass valid for 15 travel days within a 2 month period, and it’s FIRST CLASS all the way baby! (that’s just how OTP rolls), a $749 value!! You’ll have access to over 21 countries in Europe by train. Since ground transport will be your biggest travel expense, holding on to one of these babies hooks you up, big time! Check out all the details about the pass HERE. Now for the fun part…

 The winner of the pass gets the gig as host of OTPs “Europe by Eurail” - As our guest travel journalist, we’re going to turn your trip video and pictures into an awesome OTP travel webisode. Don’t have a camera? We got you covered…

TRAVELLERSPOINT (http://TravellersPoint.com) The online community of international travellers from over 200 countries, is throwing in the awesome new FLIP MINO HD - this thing is the ultimate portable video device! Already have a camera? you can choose an iPOD Nano! During your trip, Travellerspoint.com is the perfect platform for you to  blog about your trip and share your photos! 

Get your internet celebrity face on…

HOW TO ENTER:

Create your own 1-2 minute online video (any online broadcasting site will do) which will showcase your overall amazingness. We want to know why you’re better than everyone else to be our host. Since you will have access to over 21 countries, mention some of the countries you intend to visit and why they interest you. Nothing sappy; humor and creativity will give you the upper hand. Get crafty (brownie points definitely count if you mention OffTrackPlanet.com and Eurail.com). Send a link of your video with your full name, age, hometown and anything else you want to share with us to:

SUBMIT@OFFTRACKPLANET.COM

All entries must be received by March 22nd, 2010

The Winner will be announced on April 1st, 2010

THE RULES:

1. You must be over 18
2. Contestants MUST HAVE LIVED OUTSIDE OF EUROPE for the last 6 consecutive months.
3. *Winner will be required to send tweets about and during the trip.
4. Possible Reservation Costs are not included 

*Contestant must supply their own portable device(s) to send twitter messages.

Related Articles

• Help Tibet…It’s cooler than wearing a t-shirt!
• Free Travel Opportunity!
• How to Fly Around the World for FREE, seriously!

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute:  we all love animals (sometimes more than humans) and when they get hurt (especially baby ones) we get choked up inside.  Something about little furry baby animals brings out our emotional side.  You can’t avoid getting a fuzzy, warm feeling when looking at this koala for instance.  Still don’t give a crap about baby animals?  Maybe these wildlife volunteerships can warm your cold heart:

Wild Dogs: Zimbabwe, Africa

For the love of puppies!  These dogs are not your average domesticated house pet.  Around since before humans decided to make them “man’s bestfriend”, wild dogs are crucial carnivores of the African savannah and are approaching extinction due to poaching.  This program focuses on education about the value of wild dogs in the area, research and data collection.  Since the conditions of the regions are quite harsh, this volunteership requires you to be in good physical and mental shape.  This program runs for a fixed three week time period and costs $1462 (which gets you primitive housing and some food).  This is an elbows-deep type of volutneership that requires you to be out in the bush for some period of time.  If you’ve got the cajones, apply at EcoVolunteer.org.  

Wild Cats: South Africa

So all the cat people don’t feel left out, here is a great volunteer opportunity for you.  Through Cultural Embrace, you can immerse yourself in the Kapama Game Reserve which is home to many wild cat species.  In addition to lions, tigers and cheetahs, this place has black-footed wild cats (‘cause their feet are black) which are only found in Africa, are endangered and so cute they’ll make you want to punch your mother.  Your daily duties focus on the general maintenance of the reserve.  For $1650, your food and tent accommodation is covered for 3 weeks.  As a bonus, an elephant-back safari is included in the fee.  Sundays are days off so bring a big ball of yarn (we’re sure the tigers and lions would love it).

Baby Seals: Ireland

Sadly, the imagery associated with baby seals is of a burly guy with a club beating the life out of them.  This association is linked to the big debate around the annual Canadian Seal Hunt where sealers gather each year to kill baby seals and sell their fur to international fashion designers.  As emotionally hurtful as it is to see these helpless, furry white animals get brutally clubbed to death, the existence if this practice is fueled by a simple supply and demand model where the fashion industry demands white furry pelts and Canadian sealers (i.e. humans that need income to support themselves) supply them.  Activists have successfully chipped away some of the inhumanity on both the supply and demand side and as the current climate stands, donating your money rather than your time seems to be the best way you can help the cause in Canada.   If your backpacking pockets aren’t that deep and you want to save yourself some seals, you can volunteer your time at the seal sanctuary in Ireland.  The Irish Seal Sanctuary is currently looking for volunteers in these areas: writing, driving, fundraising and animal handling.  No experience is really necessary and it doesn’t cost anything other than a plane ticket (shared housing and food is included).   You must be in good physical shape and be willing to commit to the cause for a minimum of 3 months.  Start the volunteer process by filling out their application.

Elephants: Thailand

Remember Dumbo? That guy was damn cute.  Well, here are some real life elephants you can hang with.  The Cosmic Volunteers network offers a two week (and up to 12 months) opportunity to participate in an elephant camp in Thailand.  Here, you will be responsible for bathing, feeding and caring for the camp’s 70, or so, elephants.  $1400 shmakers gets you two weeks of food (weekdays) and accommodations.  Price too steep?  You can get 50% off the program fee for arranging your own accommodations (check out hostelworld.com and couchsurfing.com for cheap sleep options).

Beavers: Poland

You’re always looking for beaver anyway, why not do it in scenic Poland? Beavers are nature’s engineers.  They build dams and gnaw down trees which maintains healthy downflow ecosystems and prevents flooding to vulnerable regions.  Unfortunately, beavers in the Beskid Niski Mountains of Poland disappeared in the 1500s and their absence has left this beautiful region ecologically unstable.  Volunteers are needed to help re-introduce beavers to the region.  The cost for one week is about $870 and decreases every week thereafter.  Housing in an eco-ranch and organic food are included in the fee.  As far as qualifications, you only need to be moderately fit (able to walk 10-15 km, 6-9 miles, your grandma can do that) and passionate about conservation.  Loving beavers is optional but we highly encourage it.  You can reserve your spot on the project throughEcoVolunteer.org.

Giant Pandas: China

OTP’s most huggable animal award goes to the Panda.  So they’re a little vicious but look at this face, so lovable.   Through Pandas International, for about $100 per day, you get to interact with pandas in Bifengxia, China at the Panda Center.  Your duties would include feeding, cleaning and collecting behavioral data (we’re sure you can sneak in a hug during off-hours).  They advise you to get travel insurance to cover the whole vicious thing (find out how through our Backpacking 101: Health and Safety guide).  Also, for $50 bucks, you can have a Panda Party right now.  You get a Panda poster, Panda [piggy] bank, bracelets, stickers and informational materials.  All proceeds go to Pandas International as donations and the Panda party you throw raises interest amongst your friends (maybe organize a group trip to China, it’s cheaper you know…check out STA Travel for group deals).

Great White Shark: South Africa

We think Great Whites are cute despite the whole biting people’s legs off with their twin rows of razor sharp teeth thing.  We wouldn’t go hugging them but volunteering to aide in their survival through the Great White Shark Study in South Africa is like a hug, but safer.   Through White Sharks Projects located in Gansbaai, South Africa, you get to dive deep into the world of the ocean’s greatest predator.  Your time will be spent on a boat, in a shark cage and on Tuesdays, at their Recycle Swap Shop (an incredible community-building idea where local children are rewarded with spending points for bringing in recyclables which then become redeemable for items at the shop).  The first 14-day program costs $1500 and, if accepted for a longer term, the price goes down to only $500 per month thereafter.

Whatever your reason for volunteering to help animals internationally, know that your work will be ecologically important.  Every animal has its own function (besides being cute) in our world ecosystem and their survival is very much intertwined with our own.

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• How to Use Toilets Around the World…
• The 9 Most Interesting Variations of a Hot Dog Around the World
• 6 Volunteer Programs to Help go the Extra GREEN Mile
• 10 Unique Places to Celebrate New Year’s in 2010
• Volunteer Madagascar: Saving Lemurs vs. the Fossa…Whose side are you on?

We’ve got the stars and stripes, the Fourth of July and the Liberty Bell.  But nothing screams America more than hot dogs.  They are our national culinary pride and joy.  Not only is August 26^th National Hot Dog Day, we bet you didn’t know about the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (a committee dedicated to that wonderful meat and bun).  From America’s east to west coast, each city swears by its own interpretation of the dog (with Chicago and New York swearing the loudest).  Taking the blank sausage and bun as a starting point, numerous nations have adopted the hot dog into their cuisine and reinterpreted the American favorite to fit their cultural eating habits.  This has produced some strange ass hot dogs, and so we give you the 9 most interesting variations of a hot dog around the world (with our favorite dog of them all saved for last)…

China

Hot dogs do exist in China, but their sausages are just a lot smaller (this is hot dogs, focus).  China has only recently and very cautiously opened their doors to Western influences.  Their traditional food is so carbo-loaded (noodles, rice and all that jazz) that putting a big hunk of meat into a smaller bun makes no Chinese sense.  The hot dog first creeped into China as a sausage wrapped in a dumpling-like dough and has been evolving to suit mostly tourists’ hot dog needs since.  The opening of Orange Dog in the basement of a big shopping center in Shanghai is the epitome of catering to Western hot dog tastes.  Fans of Orange Dog are raving about how “normal” these dogs taste; we think normal is boring.  Bring on the small sausages; moving on.

Amsterdam 

There is no nice way to put it: people go to Amsterdam to get high.  What happens when you get high?  You get the munchies.  The locals here have crafted the most satisfying munchies cure of all.  We give you “The Stoner Dog”.  Thanks to Amsterdam, you no longer have to aimlessly wander between pizza shop and hot dog stand, deciding which one would hit the spot as The Stoner Dog is basically a pizza on top of a hot dog.  Now if they threw some M&Ms and a handful of Doritos on top, the world would be at peace.

Brazil

A good description would be “Hot Dog Soup in a Bun”.  The toppings on Brazil’s version of the hot dog don’t stop and they’re ridiculous.  Just listing them all here sounds like we’re making a dinner for a family of ten.  Nonetheless, here we go, in order of ridiculousness: hot dog, bun, red pepper, green pepper, onion, hot dog ju, a small hard-boiled egg, corn, peas (why with the peas?), parmesan cheese, ketchup, mayo and potato chips (for crunch we presume).  OTP went to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil just to witness it for ourselves and for the above photo opportunity. 

Italy

They did invent pizza so why not hot dogs?  Fear not, Italy is indeed serving up hot dogs, just not in a way Americans are used to.  The Italian hot dog is a large brioche loaf stuffed with sliced (like pepperoni) wurstel and topped with a healthy dose of mayo.   The composition of the Italian hot dog is of German/Austrian (wurstel) and French (brioche) influence and has very little, if anything, to do with Americans.  

South Korea

So somebody had to do it and South Korea took the initiative:  the French fry wrapped hot dog.  While other varieties exist, this one seems to combine perceived American favorites best (with an added punch of deep frying it all) and on a stick.  Some hypothesize that this version is influenced by combining foods left over by American troops during the Korean War; we think it was a message from the gods.  Either way, we’re glad the Korean dog is covered in French Fries and not spare ribs.

Sweden

Their meatballs are perfection.  But as far as hot dogs go, the Swedes came up with some twisted culinary concoction.  The recipe: flatbread, bologna-like dog , mashed f*cking potatoes, one side mustard and the other side green mayo and then…THEN  mayo covered shrimp salad.  Where the shrimp salad (or the mashed potatoes for that matter) fits in beats us but this hot dog definitely covers all the food groups (if mayo had its own food group that is).

Japan

Japan is home to long time hot dog eating champ Takeru Kobayashi (a competitive eating sports icon, because those exist).  But what does Japan, sushi capital of the world, know about hot dogs?  Well, these guys retain their fishy roots in their dogs.  More of a corn dog, a Japanese style hot dog is made up of a seafood sausage and served up with squid sashimi, natto (slimy, gooey, fermented soy beans) and seaweed.   Kobayashi’s secret then must lie in conditioning his stomach with fishy dogs.  Who knew?

Moscow, Russia

There is a bar called “Hot Dogs” in Moscow and while you would expect their dogs to be loaded with beets, potatoes and some sort of stewed animal products (maybe a shot of vodka on top), Russians are just not that big on hot dogs.  Their dogs are regular ketchup and mustard dogs.  So why include them on the list?  Well, “Hot Dogs Bar” has hookers, and the combination of hookers and hot dogs is something we believe is a rarely explored, and quite interesting, pastime.

The Hollywood Hot Dog

Mostly to avoid argument about which one is best, OTP has gone far off the track and selected the Hollywood Hot Dog as our official dog of choice.  Sold by illegal street cart pushers at 2:00 a.m. outside the hottest Los Angeles nightclubs, the aroma alone draws partygoers away from their drinks and out into the streets for a taste of artery-clogging, stomach-punching heaven.  To do this dog justice, we dove deep into its history.  Our discoveries were shocking:  the beloved Hollywood Hot Dog, with its bacon wrapped interior and sultry grilled onion posterior, is actually of Mexican (not Hollywoodian) origin.  This goes to show that globalization has spread our dogs around the world.  

There you have it.  Hot dogs are unstoppable and have permeated almost every crevice of world cuisine.  The simple ketchup and mustard dog has mutated into mashed potatoes, shrimp salad, peas, fish and other toppings more suitable for a garbage disposal.  Nonetheless, the hot dog, and its world interpretations, is a symbol of both American influence and the permanence of culture specific food preferences when confronted with that American influence.   

Written By:  Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• 10 Unique Places to Celebrate New Year’s in 2010
• How to Use Toilets Around the World…
• Wildlife Volunteer Programs: Work with Really Freakin’ Cute Baby Animals NOW!
• Top 10 Backpacking Travel Destinations for 2010
• Volunteer Opportunity: One Week Volunteerships + $5,000 Grant

When bringing your own bag to the supermarket, sorting your plastics and biking to work isn’t enough, green volunteering is your answer to making a real eco-difference.  As much as we are doing our part in contributing to world conservation efforts, so much more is out there.  Step it up by doing just a little more (and in return, get a great travel experience too).  Outdo yourself and go the extra green mile:

Better than Your Own Bag

Refusing plastic bags at the market has become somewhat common practice in the states.  Why do we do it? To conserve resources.  BUT, do you reuse your Ziploc bags, coffee filters and plastic food wrap? No that’s gross, you shouldn’t.  Better ways you can go a little further in your conservation efforts:

Rainforest Conservation in Ecuador/Panama:

DOSOMETHING.COM is currently featuring a volunteership dedicated to maintaining, rebuilding and educating about the natural rainforest at the Monte Saino Reserve in Punta Galera.  To volunteer you need nothing more than an openness to learn, a one month commitment and $400 bucks (which buys you all meals and cabin housing for the duration of your stay).  Daily activities include: planting rainforest seeds, raising and selling products for market, conducting educational conservation workshops, raising crawfish and general reserve maintenance.  So trade your supermarket bag for a backpack and roll up your sleeves (and pants, since you can only get to the reserve by foot, horse or canoe).

Better than Recycling

Sorting things into paper, plastic and aluminum makes us feel like we’re saving the rainforests and freeing up space in landfills.  But for every can you separate, some douche throws two bottles in the trash.  Recycling is a goodwill notion and although it is a small part of contributing to environmental sustainability, recycling isn’t the full extent of what you can do.  Take it to the source:

The Green Volunteers Network

The GREEN VOLUNTEERS NETWORK is focused on providing members with no cost (or low cost) lists of volunteerships aimed at conservation all around the world.  To join the network, you must pay a one-time fee by purchasing a guide book for $18.90 (includes Shipping and Handling).  You will be provided with a user name and password and receive updated online lists of worldwide volunteerships from then on.  Some good ones from the sample list:

• Environmental Advocacy in Guatamala: THIS program, set in a natural rainforest reserve, focuses on reforestation, conversation advocacy and community building.  At about $350 per month (for housing and all food), it’s a super cheap way to get involved in preserving natural resources.  If you choose to volunteer for more than 12 weeks, you get to stay in a furnished house (where you can sort your recyclables until you turn blue) for $50 per month.  You can also get Spanish lessons for an unheard of $3 bucks an hour. 
• Summer Work Camps in Greece: Remember how you planted that tree in elementary school on Earth Day?  Well, this program is like that but on a much larger scale.  SUMMER WORK CAMPS last for 2 to 3 weeks, cost 120Euro (about $174 USD) and aim to plant trees and set up forest fire prevention mechanisms in remote places all around Greece.  This way, you can tan naked for the rest of the summer knowing your laziness is well-deserved.

Better than Biking

We bike to lessen our carbon footprints (meaning reduce the ozone damaging CO2 emissions that gas-powered vehicles spew into the air).  Yes biking is a fantastic form of alternative transportation.  How do you take it a step further?

Recycling Bikes! 

Through the PEDAL POWERED MACHINES program in Central America, you help turn used bicycles into other eco-friendly machines to help sustain farming and business in the region.  What can you make out of a used bike?  Well, washing machines, plows, laptops, electricity generators…you get the picture.  Your feet, though smelly at times, are powerful always.

Reef Check:

Coral reefs aren’t just great scenery for snorkeling and scuba diving but a natural way to control the CO2 levels of the ocean.  In addition to providing shelter for thousands of marine species, reefs maintain a balance between land and water which supports the existence of everything on earth.  Those cars and trucks you refuse to drive have already destroyed a large percentage of world reefs, with the reefs of the Philippines being at the top of the charts (only 5% of their reefs remaining in good condition).  Luckily, there is something you can do to help besides biking.  Headquartered at UCLA in California, the REEF CHECK project is dedicated to protecting the coral reefs of the world and have volunteer availabilities wherever there is a reef (especially the Philippines).  If you have diving experience, are a marine biologist (or studying marine biology), volunteering here would be a great hands-on experience.  If you’re not marine savy, they also welcome photographer and fundraiser volunteers.  Here is a list of countries with Reef Check projects.  You can select your country of interest from the alphabetical list of contacts to see if a volunteership is available.

Our choices to live greener lives is having a positive impact all over the world.  We are collectively using less and doing more. Reusable shopping bags are cutting plastic waste and recycling and biking have become the norm.  But when it comes to truly making a world impact, know that your reach is much greater than just putting a can in the blue bin.

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

Related Articles

• Obsession with the Devil: How Latin America Celebrates Death
• Wildlife Volunteer Programs: Work with Really Freakin’ Cute Baby Animals NOW!
• Volunteer Madagascar: Saving Lemurs vs. the Fossa…Whose side are you on?