Chris Backe's Blog, page 83

Open once in a blue moon – places you really need to plan ahead to reach

Some places are so awesome that the world can’t handle them being open all the time. Plan ahead to see these places and you’ll be rewarded.

I’ve collected a number of places from bloggers around the world, and added a couple from my own travels

See the Buddhist temple open one day a year in South Korea

Where:Mungyeong city, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
When: Buddha’s Birthday (April or May)

Bongamsa isone of the nine founding schools of Zen Buddhism in South Korea, and dates back to the 9th...

Destination: the Larco museum, the museum with the ancient Peruvian erotic pots (NSFW)

Home to the country’s finest collection of Pre-Colombian pots – and some naughty / NSFW works that make it worth the trip.

Named after Rafael Larco Hoyle (1901-1966), the collection houses45,000 pieces in all in a former mansion. It’s easily one of the country’s finest collections, and allows you to look inside the storage rooms to see what’s not on display.

A quipu / khipu, a large collection of knotted strings that may contain messages – no one as yet has decoded them, however.

To be sure...

Canadian stereotypes: busted, plausible, or confirmed?

Before we entered Canada, a few stereotypes had made themselves known. How true are they? Time to find out. People love their Tim Hortons.

Ah, come on Chris, who doesn’t love some Timmie’s? That’s what I thought as well – thecoffee-donut-and-light-meal chain has thousands of locations across Canada. No way you’d have that many places if it weren’tpatronized. It helps that the man behind the name (Miles Gilbert “Tim” Horton) is the co-founder and a retired hockey player. For tourists jonesing...

Life as an expat: what to do about your mail?

It’s one of those classic questions – and I’m here to say there are plenty of ways to handle your snail / paper mail.

Photo by veggiegretz

If you’re moving to another country, there are plenty of loose ends to tie up, and quite a few of them have to do with receivingsnail mail or paper mail. You might not get that much if you’re a millennial, but think about it – credit card statements, bank statements, newspaper or magazine subscriptions, utility bills…

Step 1: Set up electronic statementsw...

Destination: the equator – and our search to find the middle of the earth in Ecuador

The country is named after it, after all.

With the equator being so close to Quito, wecouldn’t help but take in a couple of sites dedicated to it – and naturally, there’s a twist to them.

We start the story at the Mitad del Mundo just outside of Quito…

Most mainstream places aren’t on ourlist of places to see, but theMitad Del Mundois a decently done tourist attractions for the masses. The five-ton, 30-meter-tallpillar as seen above is the main attraction, with a solid yellow line supposedl...

Question from a reader: staying safe in South America

A friend and reader I’ll call T.D. writes in:

I’ve read some almost unbelievable stories on those Quito and Cuenca FB groups regarding what seems to be rampant petty crime, and more. You’re an extensive traveler and I know you’re savvy (and you’ve just been in Colombia) but they make it sound like a person is inevitably going to be robbed and possibly “express” kidnapped at some point.

For background, we livedin Colombia for six months (July 2015-January 2016), and traveled through Ecuador (J...

An introduction to What Three Words – the future of addresses is here, and it’s even better than GPS coordinates

What happens if your travels take you to the middle of nowhere?

If you’ve done any traveling off the beaten path, you’re probably aware of the limitations of whatever address systems happen to be in place. I’ve had to use anaddress like ‘6 kilometers down an unnamed dirt road from the highway’ because that’s all that exists in some parts of Thailand.

That’s also the reason why I’ve used and loved GPS coordinates for years.

Beyond the fact they’re specific to a small point on the planet and...

8 Things You Have to Give Up To Get the Nomad Life

Ahh, those rascallydigital nomads.

We must make the nomadic life looks like so much fun. In reality, there’s a lot we give up to have the lifestyle we do – and it ain’t always pretty.

On one level, I’m proud to be able to hold everything I own in two suitcases and a computer bag. I can jump on a plane for most anywhere in the world with almost everything I own and (shouldn’t!) bepaying any overweight fees. That said, a choice for the nomad life means somethings have to go.

One important thing...

The comprehensive guide to European city cards (late-2016 edition)

Whether you’re taking in one country or the whole continent, most European cities have a special card that offers some special benefits to tourists. Which ones are worth your money, though? Which ones should you pass on? Plan your trip through Europe the smart way!

If this title sounds familiar, that’s because I also put together the mid-2015 editionand early 2016 edition European city cards not too long ago. This one is published in late August2016. Reviews that are more than one year old h...

A tale of three car museums: the Lamborghini, the Ferrari, and the… Trabi?!

While traveling across Europe, we took in three distinctive styles of cars and the museum dedicated to them each. Two are worthy, but there’s a clear winner in this blogger’s opinion. Which one? Go on, guess. First, the Lamborghinis…

Officially called theCentre Eccellenze Lamborghini,the Lambo museum is best approached from Bologna.

Inaugurated in 2001, the Lamborghini museum showcases Italian craftsmanship and avant-garde technology. Beyond the two-story museum there’s also a factory tour,...