Chris Backe's Blog, page 77
August 17, 2017
A review of Angloville: one-on-one volunteer English teaching, anyone?
Long time readers know I used to teach English back in Korea from 2008 to 2013. New readers? Now you know. Years before I became One Weird Globe, I was Chris in South Korea, teaching English to Korean kids (and some adults) while living in Seoul. I haven’t taught English since Korea, though, having focused on the blog, writing books, and more recently making tabletop / board games.
Fast forward to July 2017, when a friend I made in Croatia told me about Angloville. The setup, as it was explai...
July 25, 2017
Destination: Zaña, Peru – centuries-old Spanish ruins and a bizarre slave museum
Set the time machine for March 2016 — yep, it’s been over a year since we meandered along the western coast of South America. This destination, however, remains one of the strangest we’ve come across in awhile.
Today, it’s a ghost town with just a few small signs of life. Located about 50 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean and relatively close to the Andes mountains, this area of Western Peru has been inhabited for millennia. The area was mined for gold and silver during the 16th and 17th cen...
June 30, 2017
6 startups travelers and digital nomads should watch (mid-2017 edition)
Some traveling, some game designing, some writing (What the Florida), and some thinking about the future. We’re in Bucharest, Romania as this post is published — a city where the buildings haven’t impressed, but the people have. There’s plenty of English, especially among the more entrepreneurial types (that Tour of Communism was done in great English, for example), or those that actively seek international connections.
It’s the future I was thinking of whe...
June 28, 2017
The weird stuff in Norway I can’t wait to see
We’re in Europe now, and although Norway isn’t on the ‘going to visit tomorrow’ list, it’s definitely on the ‘must visit before I die’ list. Here’s what stands out as weird in my research, in alphabetical order by city.
Alta Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
Image via Flickr from bjaglin (picture not from this particular hotel)
Quick! What’s one single word you’d use to describe Norway? Cold? Icy? Snowy? Sure, all good. This is the northernmost ice hotel on the planet, meaning you’ll see ice everywhere...
June 16, 2017
Review: Bucharest’s Tour of Communism and the Jewish Trail
If you’re a long-time reader of One Weird Globe, you know I don’t go on many guided tours. When we do, it’s because the information out there isn’t all that helpful or there’s more to the story that’s not on the internet. In other cases, there’s a personal story best told by someone that lived through the times or has seen how the city has changed. Here in Bucharest, the tourism industry is best seen through the eyes of the locals taking tourism offerings into their own hands.
Enter the Tour...June 9, 2017
11 pet peeves that ensure your place doesn’t get the coverage it deserves — and their simple solutions
Bloggers like myself take pride in showcasing what a place has to offer, and some places make it easy to make them look good — exhibits are well-lit, guides are friendly, and signage is plentiful. Some places can be a bit harder to love — their budget prevents needed upgrades, the price doesn’t quite match what’s inside,...
June 7, 2017
Explore the only garbage truck collection in the United States
I know, I know, you’re coming to Florida for beaches and all sorts of other places. Why on earth would I go out of my way to find a place that barely gets any visitors? Come on — this is chance to take in some vehicular history the average public has only a passing acquaintance with. Sure, the lumbering trucks might wake you up in the early morning, and you might be able to dr...
June 5, 2017
Destination: the eclectic ‘Smithsonian of the South’
Welcome to the Lightner Museum, the self-described ‘Smithsonian of the South’. While researching my next book, What The Florida, I came across this oddball in St. Augustine, and it ended up being one of my favorite places in the city.
The first big surprise: despite being in the historic Hotel Alcaza...
May 31, 2017
First impressions, the Bucharest edition
As this post goes live, we’ve been in Bucharest for just under a week. We’ve settled into our Airbnb, meandered through the Old Town a couple of times, and figured out the local grocery stores. That means one thing: we’re ready to rock Romania.
Some first impressions of Bucharest coming right up!
We ain’t in Kansas anymore, Toto.Bucharest is the sixth-largest city in the EU (behind London, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, and Paris), and with almost two million residents, there’s a lot going on. There...
May 29, 2017
The digital nomad countdown to a new country — how we do it
If you’re just getting started on a digital nomad journey, you’ll quickly learn the transitions from one place to the next are like pit stops in a race. Doing them well means you waste less time, make fewer mistakes, and spend less money while making a smoother transition from A to B.
7 days before leavingBy now, you’ve probably made your plans on where you’re going next, where you’re staying, and how you’re getting there. If you haven’t, get those plans in order post-haste. We’re finding i...
