They recently put in a pool and I was helping build the wooden deck around the pool. They have build an immaculate garden with all kinds of fruit trees and vegetable plants. They are completely organic. They have also build a reed water filtration system and two compost bathroom outside. It’s a pretty amazing set-up and I was able to learn a lot.

There is also an English/French language exchange once a month where they get about 50 people in attendance. They have b&b guests coming and going. They also hosted a concert with a turn-out of about 75. There was always something going on and it was a very friendly and energetic atmosphere.

After that I headed to the Riviera. I went to Cannes and Antibes for three days. The weather was perfect as I relaxed on the white sand and read my book. It’s a beautiful area, however I thought the beaches are nicer in California. I love La Jolla in San Diego and Newport in OC. I think there is more wealth walking around in the Riviera and the yachts docked there are amazing, but I would take CA beaches over French beaches any day.

Now I’m staying with an American family near Toulon, France. The father is a helicopter pilot who works for a Russian billionaire who owns the largest yacht in the world. The wife is a mother of 2 year old twins. It’s really cool staying with an American family. This is the first one on my travels, so it’s been great with the Mexican food and American tv. I’m now addicted to Mad Men the series. It’s a really relaxed atmosphere. From here I plan to go back to Spain and see the running of the bulls in Pamplona which is in a couple of weeks.

Check out my other travel tips and stories at http://www.traveleuropeonabudget.com

Every year there are families and friends that volunteer for this procession. The same people each year carry a “float” from their church to a large plaza and then back to their church. The float is often large and heavy and they require several men to carry them. When they walk you can only see their feet shuffling underneath the base. They often take breaks and the float is set down and they rest and then with a loud metal ding they lift again and carry on. This is always followed by an applause from the onlooking crowd.

The men carrying this float sometimes and not all wear a metal nail band that makes them bleed, an most of them walk the trip barefoot. Doesn’t sound too painful right? The only thing is that this procession last for 3 hours.

Preceeding the float are men from the KKK at least that is want they look like. I wasn’t able to figure out why they are dressed this way. There are also women and children dressed in black, carrying a flag a cross, or a crown of thorns placed on a pillow. After the float is the somber band playing sorrowful music which adds to the cheerless atmosphere.

The float itself is the same one used every year. They are often very old, but highly cared for. Each float we saw depicted different things. One was of Christ on the lap of Mary after being crucified, another was just of Mary sitting with beads surrounded by candles. All three processions we saw met in the same plaza and then returned from where they came. Only to sit in their storage until next year.

I walked the city with my good friend Isabel who lives in Barcelona and kindly played tour guide for me and knew quite a bit about his life and works. He led a very interesting life and seeing his works made me want to learn more about the man, his life, and about architecture. If you have been lucky enough to see some of his works you probably asked yourself the same question I did. Where did he draw his inspiration?

A lot of his buildings are very cartoonish and like walking into a fantasy world. There are very few straight lines, because he took examples from nature to design his work and in nature there aren’t many lines. He was ahead of his time. He often took recycled glass and tile to create his works and was often criticized for his methods. If it wasn’t for some private funding from wealthy families, we would not be able to see his works today. In fact he was going to be a priest, because he was a very devote Catholic, but he decided to give back to the community with his artistic abilities.

He died at the height of his fame in 1926. He was crossing the street when he was struck down by a passing tram. In his pocket were his drawings to his most famous work the Sagrada Familia, which still is not completed today. In his drawings there are no dimensions so builders today still do not know how large he intended this project to be. The project still requires a lot of donations and private funding to be completed, which is mainly the reason it is constantly being worked on.

A trip to Barcelona is not complete without a visit to his Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and some of his other works scattered throughout the city. When you do visit them and see their uniqueness, like me you will want to learn more about this man and his interesting life.

http://www.7knots.com and http://www.findacrew.com
Often times boats need help doing normal and regular tasks on board. This could be anything from cooking and cleaning, to raising the jib, or teaching kids. When they need help they post on these sites looking for crew members. Some require that you have some boat experience but not all. You can find boats departing and arriving in all areas of the world. Sometimes you are required to help cover expenses like gas and groceries. This might be a good option for you if you have little or no boating experience. These positions are easier to get.

There are a lot of people who buy boats in other states or countries and they need people to sail or motor their newly purchased boat to their location. These are opportunities to make some money, but most of the time they require experience. All positions require that you pay your own transportation to get to the boat.

The 7knots website is free. It’s design and layout aren’t the greatest, but it’s free. There are new posts everyday and it has easy access for newbies. But it’s not the prettiest website. Findacrew is a better designed website. Most of the features are free, but there is an upgraded premium membership that costs $75 for 3 months. It also has new posts everyday and positions that have been filled are labeled that way. This is a better website. I think it will continue to grow more.

So there you go, some ways to get your sea legs and have an adventure on the water.

Safe travels.

Paul Simon’s “Graceland”
This is a fantastic collection of songs. Some of his songs on this album are about traveling. For example the song Graceland is about a road trip with his son to Graceland. The sound affects are like you are in a car traveling down the highway going over train tracks. GENIUS. His song You Can Call Me Al has a verse singing about a man in a strange world where he doesn’t speak the language and holds no currency. I always play this song when I”m in a distant land. Great stuff. A must for your ipod.

Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack to “Into the Wild”
Great movie and great soundtrack. Eddie Vedder wrote this for the movie and all the songs are about escaping the mediocre trap of following the norm. It’s very inspirational and motivating to get moving and have an adventure. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, do so now. You won’t regret it.

U2’s “Joshua Tree”
This is the only album I like by U2. I just don’t like most of their stuff after this album. However, this album is magical. I love to blast “Where the Streets Have No Name” and walk a new city on foot. It’s liberating. For me Joshua Tree is about discovering the world.

Dustin Kensrue’s “Please Come Home”
This album really isn’t about traveling, but it is one of my favorite artists and albums. He is a gifted lyricist and whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of home and where I came from. He has a great mix of blues and folk. He makes great use of the harmonica. It’s a fantastic cd and I highly recommend his works. His music with the band Thrice is also earth moving.

Beiruts’s “Gulag Orkestar”
This last one was a difficult choice for me. I had a lot of other albums that I can listen to whole thing over and over again, but they weren’t really about seeing the world and having an adventure. This album also reminds me of my travels in Japan because that’s when I discovered it. Also this band is international so here is a little taste of the world. Don’t worry it’s in English. This cd is a little mellower than my other choices. Enjoy.

Well that’s my list. I would love to hear your comments and read what you have on your ipod when you’re wandering the road. Safe travels.

All year round each town and city in the Valencia area of Spain builds a “float” made out of tiny foam balls. They artistically shape, carefully carve, and finally paint their masterpiece.  This is the “heavenly” part of Las Fallas.  These creations can sometimes reach up to 4 stories high.  The closest thing in the States would be the Rose Bowl parade. These Fallas or floats often depict current events with politicians and celebrities in a mocking/comical way. The 15 or so floats are voted upon and a winner crowned.  The champion each year is awarded honor and a  long life in a museum with previous winners.  The losers are burned to ashes in a glorious blaze, when the clock strikes midnight.  This is not a parade, the floats are stationary and located throughout the city.  So you have to walk a pretty big distance if you want to see them all.

Valencia is literally packed with thousands of  people taking in the glory of these Fallas.  You often feel like cattle being herded through the closed streets of Valencia.  In some areas you can’t move except with the ocean current of people. If you don’t like crowds, this is not the event for you.

The rhythms and beats of drums and bongos fills the air.  The smell of beer and churros hungers your stomach.  The excitement of seeing the next float and hoping to view them all before they are gone forever enters your mind.

SUDDENLY!  Your heart skips a beat and you jump out of your skin as your ears adjust to a ringing sound.  Then you realize it was just another kid with a firecracker.  This… is the pain of Las Fallas.  It’s another tradition the Spanish have.  The kids buy literally hundreds and thousands of firecrackers and they are allowed to lite them off in the city.  A competition is held on the Saturday of the week of who can make the loudest firecracker.  You can feel the sound wave hit your chest.  I was told to keep my mouth open so my eardrums don’t pop.  The competition is at a set hour, but kids are setting off firecrackers at all times of the day and night.  That’s why 90% of the people in attendance are tourists.  All the locals get out of the city, so they can get a peaceful nights sleep.

Once midnight strikes, each float has a set time they are to burn, so that people have a chance to see different floats burning.  The method that they do to start the fire involves a rope of firecrackers and once it is going they throw some sort of bag onto the flames which really make the fire big.  The surrounding buildings are covered in a protective wet plastic in order to prevent the city from going up in flames.  It is truly a sight for the pyro in all of us.

Before this festival I talked to many Spaniards to see if they have been to this event, and the response was most of them had but only once.  They wouldn’t go back.  Now that I have experienced the joys and pains of Las Fallas I guess I wouldn’t return either.  Once, was enough.

Keep a journal!
I started one when I began my travels. I went to Japan to teach English for a year and half and that was my first time abroad. I documented everything and I feel it really helped my writing. Even three years later I love to go back and read what was happened and what I was thinking about. I still continue to update it when I’m on a bus ride between cities or staying with someone with no internet or tv.

Read!
Most of the hosts that I stay with have books. Most of the time they don’t care when you exchange a book for a book. I always have a book on hand for those slow times. Hostels usually have those book exchanges as well. Another good option is a used book store or a street market with used books for a dollar. I never buy new books anymore. Plus a book isn’t too heavy to carry around in your backpack, it’s a cheap and light form of entertainment. I’m always on the lookout for a good book, so if you have any recommendations let me know.

Study the local language!
No matter what country you are in it goes a long way to speak the language. The people always appreciate it, it makes your life easier, and you can get deeper into the culture. Most of the time fluency isn’t the goal, but it’s fun learning some basic words and phrases. I recommend loading up your MP3 player with some free language podcasts. You can also pick up a dictionary, most guidebooks have a small dictionary or there are a lot of free apps now for smart phones.

Channel your creativity!
Find your creative side and discover something new. Find something you always wanted to do. This could be sketching, painting, writing, poetry, lyrics, photography, anything that allows you to express yourself. These are all good examples because it doesn’t cost a lot to get started and all the supplies are easy to carry and travel with. You’ll find that your free time is filled up with being creative as well as productive. If you get good enough with your artistic side you could even sell it at a market.

So next time you find yourself with some free time, productively fill it up.

Teach English!
If you have any teaching experience or your TEFL certificate you can find some private English lessons or something more permanent. Networking is key for private lessons. Word of mouth is vital.
Here are some websites you can check out to find some teaching work either private lessons or with an organization.

Work on a Vineyard!
Want to getaway from the big city life, escape to a vineyard and earn some spending money. Be forewarned this is not easy work though. You are outside in the heat of the day doing backbreaking work. You often work 8+ hours a day. The vineyard will pay you some decent wages and sometimes they will even house and feed you. It’s a good way to save up some money and then continue your travels. France is fairly easy to find work, often times you can walk onto a vineyard during harvest season (August, September) and get some work. Italy and Spain are also similar. You can do the same with olive farms as well. These are all over the place just like vineyards.

Work in a Bar!
Let’s face it getting a legal work visa in Europe is near impossible for us travelers. So is finding legitimate work because of taxes. So your only option is finding a job that will pay under the table. There are only a few opportunities to do so and that is working in a bar or restaurant. Try the ones that get a lot of tourists. It definitely helps if you speak the local language, but because you also speak English it’s a big plus especially for those tourist destinations. Just walk in and ask if they need help, sometimes it can be that simple.

Become a Photographer!
If you are a traveler and not just a tourist I recommend getting a good camera. My photos are my souvenirs. Practicing photography is a very fun hobby and traveling allows you to see some amazing sites that allow for spectacular shots. I recommend the jump up to a DSLR camera. You will instantly notice the improvement in your photos when you upgrade from the common point and shoot. In addition to amazing photos you can actually make some money as well. Here are some websites that you can upload your pictures to and sell to the public. It’s not a lot of money, but it can add up.
http://www.dreamstime.com
http://www.fotolia.com
http://www.shutterstock.com
http://www.iphoto.com
http://www.everystockphoto.com

Buy and Sell Antiques!
This was a recent discovery. I was staying in Spain and met a man from England who is an antiques dealer and I thought “This makes sense for travelers.” He is now living in Spain, but there is no reason a road wanderer couldn’t do this. There are literally thousands of street markets or “rastros” all over Europe usually taking place on Saturdays and Sundays. He wakes up early on these days to get the pick of the crop. Then he negotiates prices for antiques he knows he can turn and sell for a profit. The only thing he has is a car to transport the goods. But we travelers can simply purchase smaller stuff that is easily transportable. Then you could sell it online or to an antique store and even sometimes at the same street market you just bought it at. He has done this several times. Most time he doubles his money. Not a bad way to earn some quick cash. I tagged along with him a few times to learn the ropes.

Start blogging!
Travel writing can be lucrative if you know how to write. Start a blog if you haven’t already and set up a google adwords account and start earning some money with ads. You can earn some cents when someone visits your site and clicks on the ad. This isn’t a huge amount but the more readers you get the more you can make. It’s something you should be doing anyway to document your adventures. A good way to quickly and easily start is with wordpress.com or blogger.com. They are both free and user friendly. You can also do affiliate programs on your blog and sell products similar to what you are blogging about. Like Amazon for example. Every little bit helps.

There are also a lot of magazines and websites that will pay you for travel articles. Some will pay you a good amount per word and more with photos. Www.matadoru.com Is a good place to start for the more serious writers. It gives great writing advice and even has a class you can take. They can also put you in touch with the travel sites and magazines.

The most important thing to remember is to be creative. There are endless possibilites. Good luck and safe travels.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is basically the same thing. Most people now days don’t even know what they are celebrating, they just know it’s a good party. So on Saturday when the peak of the week culminates into one crazy night my brother and I went to Pago which everyone told us was the best place to go in the area. Pago is about an hour south of Valencia in Spain.

Now when I say the Spanish know how to party, I’m not exaggerating at all. They don’t eat dinner until 9 at night. They don’t go out until midnight and the party usually doesn’t get going until 2. A typical night out doesn’t end until 8 am. Even then some dance clubs don’t even open until then. So needless to say my brother and I were expecting a crazy night out. I put together a costume with the stuff I could find in the garage of my host. I was some kind of a drag queen gypsy. It was the best I could do. We were excited to get out because for the past 5 weeks we were cooped up in a beach house without much social contact.

Our host who we were staying with dropped us off in Pago about 10:30 pm with a bottle of champagne. It was all she had, which we were grateful for because it loosened us up a little. I found it very comical that my brother and I popped open the bottle in the middle of the street like two guys were celebrating something. We got some looks and just laughed. About midnight we made our way to the center of the city where there was an impressive size stage with lights and a live band. There were outdoor booths serving 1 euro shots and 1.50 beers. We had a few beers and observed all the people in their costumes and enjoyed the crowd. I was surprised at the children and families out that late at night. It was cold and it didn’t seem like a kid atmosphere, but I found that people of all ages party together, it’s not just the 20 something crowd.

I think it was about 1 am when the live band stopped and then about 5 men all with different types of drums started playing in the street and slowly marching down the main street to a destination unknown to us. We just followed the giant crowd. We were like 3,000 rats hypnotized by our . So with beer in hand we marched for about an hour mingling with the giant crowd and meeting lots of people while practicing our Spanish. The drumming finally stopped and we arrived in an industrial area which was closed off for the party. Here there were five stages with live bands all blasting their music. There were also about 100 booths serving food and alcohol. The were warehouses converted into clubs for the night. Those didn’t start getting crazy until about 7 am until then the party continued in the street with about 50,000 people or so we heard. So we danced and drank in the streets partying until dawn with the Spanish.

So recently I spent a day and night at a Beneficio (hippie commune) in a small town in the south of Spain in a town called Orgiva. My brother and I were picking olives in a nearby town and many people were telling us about this place. Most of them had bad things to say about it. “Don’t go there, the place is disgusting and dirty. The people are nudists. They all smoke pot.” We decided to go see the naked, pot smokers for ourselves.

There was a British man named John who was picking olives with us and he wanted to go as well. He was pretty much a hippie anyway. He is traveling around the same way as my brother and I but he is in a van. He said he would drive us all to the commune. So the three of us took our weekend off and went into Orgiva and bought some potatoes and bananas to share with the hippies, because apparently it’s rude to arrive with nothing to share. John has some experience because he has been to a few and has attended some Rainbows before. A Rainbow is basically a month long traveling commune that goes all around the world.

We began the hike with our sleeping bags, food, and a three person tent just in case the hippies didn’t welcome us, then we could camp it. On the hike we came up to the entrance and there was a good 100 yards of vehicles on both sides of you. They create a path to the entrance of the commune. Some people live in these buses, vans, and cars, but I didn’t think any of them could run. They were all torn apart and converted into makeshift homes. We met a few people on the road and some were coming from the Orgiva street market where they sell produce that they’ve grown or little trinkets they’ve made. This is the same market where we bought our bananas and potatoes. So we very well could have been sharing the produce with the people we just bought it from. They scored twice.

The commune lies in a narrow valley among the pine trees. It’s really a beautiful setting. We learned that back in the 70’s or so a man bought it and left it in his will to anyone and everyone who would cultivate the land. So the government can’t touch the property and the hippies can do whatever they want.

As we came up to the entrance there is a sign welcoming us and stating the rules. There is no alcohol, hard drugs, and fires. If we wanted to cook we would have to use the communal kitchen. There was a voluntary donation box for visitors and a bulletin board for people to post announcements. There were also some very beautiful, hand painted signs.

We began to see many teepees hidden among the pine trees. Here and there were little patches of land where they were growing different fruits and vegetables. We wondered around for awhile. Soon we found a beautiful waterfall where they bathe and get their drinking water from. Here a mother of two was breastfeeding. As we walked back down the path we saw a naked man walking from house to house. So the nudity quota was filled all within an hour.

We started to walk back toward the main area and we ran into a young French man named Chris. He was a bread maker and sold his bread at the local market. He told us where he lived and said we should come by later that night to get some bread.

As we wondered around some more a man from Palestine dressed in a colorful, homemade robe started to talk to us and show us around. He’s been living there for 20 years and at first was only going to stay for 2 weeks, but he liked it so much he decided to stay. He married a French woman and has 4 kids now and they all live there. Then he showed us the visitors building which was where we would be sleeping for the night. This was a hand crafted hut with a little sink and a propane burner. He told us about the place and what they were working on. Two hundred people live there and more are there in the summer. A lot of people leave and come back depending on the season. He said a baby was born there three days ago. There are a lot of families living there now and because of this they have really improved the area and the conditions. Unfortunately because these children are born off the grid, they do not exist so they can’t receive medical attention, education, or any form of governmental assistance. However, these hippies would have it no other way. After a while he left and said he would return later that night. Just about everyone there spoke English, if not our traveling companion knew a little French and used it with those who couldn’t speak English.

After he left a family of five walked into our hut. They had just arrived from Barcelona and the wife knew a friend here, so they came to check it out. During our conversation the wife left the husband and the three children with us. They had no luggage, no food, and I assumed no money. He was explaining to our friend that they were previously living in a commune but the people there didn’t share, even though his children were hungry. He was upset because most communes have the theory or idea of “what’s mine is yours’” all live to serve the greater good. They soon left in search of his wife.

The Visitors Hut
So the three of us were once again alone in this hut. We ate some snacks we brought and unpacked our stuff into this room. Our friend decided he wanted to fire roast our potatoes so we all set out to find someone with a hot fire going. This turned out to be a epic adventure, which I very much enjoyed.

My brother and I would have happily cooked the potatoes on the propane burner, but our friend was on a mission. We probably asked 5 different homes if they had a fire and if we could cook our potatoes on it. At the time I was getting really annoyed with John for intruding in on these families and homes, but now looking back I’m glad. This allowed us to get a glimpse into the way these people live. They welcomed us into their handmade houses and we saw how they live. I was very impressed with the kitchens they built and how they set up running water. A lot of them installed solar panels, and even have internet. I guess they are tech savvy, pot smoking, nudists.

Success soon followed and we were able to find a Czech family with a fire and we threw our potatoes on it. They would cook for 2 hours so we decided to return later. We went back to our hut and waited there. By this time night had fallen and the magic was about to begin.

There was no electricity so we had no light. We sat talking and eating our bananas, when all of sudden 4 people burst into our hut. I later realized that this was common here, people come and go as they please, you can just enter any teepee or hut, all are welcome. But we did learn that you have to take off your shoes. They are pretty adamant about this and we were scolded for it later that night. Anyway so two young 20 year old girls, an old British man maybe 60, and a mid 20’s man, came into our hut and introduced themselves. I felt like I was at the theater or a circus and they were all characters there to entertain me. It was a such a surreal experience and I remember thinking I have to remember every detail to share later. The people were so typical hippie or gypsy. They were indifferent to everything and wanted to hear about your opinion, but didn’t get upset or argue if theirs was different. They truly lived the life of “no worries.” This crew was such a group of characters each unique and different from each other, you never would have guessed they were friends or even associates. They were all cast in my play.

They asked us questions and about our travels and since we were rookies here they would stay and look after us. One of the girls left to find some candles. There were musical instruments in this room so I figured this was a common room where they gather a lot. The young guy who could play every instrument, picked up the guitar and started playing around and the old British guy picked up the bongos and they started jamming. Soon the girl returned with a single candle and this added just enough light to create an eerie atmosphere. Then she picked up a mini keyboard that you have to blow into to produce music. A crowd soon formed, a bass player showed up and the guy from Palestine returned and picked up another set of bongos. Then they all started improvising some fantastic music. One would start on a melody and then the others would add onto it. It was just a hodgepodge of music, that tickled the ear. Soon the smell of marijuana filled the room and the joints started working their way around the circle. So now the weed quota was fulfilled.

After about an hour of this my friend and brother wanted to go get our potatoes. I was really enjoying the music, company, and atmosphere I didn’t want to go. I was glued to my seat and wanted to ask more questions about their lifestyle, but my traveling companions were hungry and needed to eat. We said goodbye to our new friends and set out to collect our potatoes.

Along the way John met someone in a teepee who said we could sleep there and John promised him some of our potatoes in exchange. So our plan changed and we were now sleeping in the visitors teepee. We gathered our potatoes and gave two to the Czech man with the fire in thanks for his generosity. Then we returned to the man in the teepee and gave him one in thanks.

The teepee was quite large. There were about 10 of us in there and a few more could still have fit and slept in there. In the center was a fire ring and the smoke from the fire went straight up and out the hole in the top. It kept us warm all night.

Also in the teepee we met the family of five again, but the wife had not returned. By this time it was getting late and the husband was trying to put the children to bed. They were not listening very well. We saw that they were hungry by the way they were looking at our potatoes, so we offered them some. They gladly accepted and soon after the kids fell asleep. We found out the husband was very upset because the mother was in search of a friend who was a man. He was now concerned she found him and would not return. We gave him a potato and before he ate it he did a weird prayer giving thanks for it. Silently he lifted his arms up in the air and then brought them together above his head, then down to his face and touched his forehead and then his heart. He repeated it several times. I heard him chant something as well, but couldn’t make it out.

It was now about 11 and I was very sleepy. I crawled into my sleeping bag and prepared for a long night on the hard ground. I woke up in the morning still feeling tired and stiff. I noticed John was gone and my brother wanted to know where he went. I said I would go find him. I went back to the visitors hut and there he was with Chris the bread maker. They were smoking a joint and talking. I grabbed some of our bananas and some of Chris’s bread for breakfast. The bread was surprisingly good. It was flat and unlike any other bread I’ve seen or tasted. It was very heavy and full of flavor. Soon my brother joined us and the man from Palestine came in as well. We talked for about an hour on all kinds of topics and they kept smoking. They would finish a joint and then immediately roll another.

After they smoked 4 or 5 joints we went back to the teepee and saw the family of five together again. The wife had returned and they were all outside enjoying the sun. So we gathered up our stuff and began the trek home.

So here is what I learned from the nude, pot smokers. Don’t judge. They have this very open minded outlook on life that what you thought and did was good for you and who were they to tell you or advise you to do differently. They welcomed everyone and they all seemed to be very happy and content. Even seeing all the children playing and laughing, they all appeared to be happy and never the wiser to the outside world. I began to understand why they were choosing this lifestyle that was so different from my own. I’m not saying I’m ready to up and run away to join them, but I can empathize with them and their ideas. I’m not judging them. I very much enjoyed their theatrical play.