Rolf Potts's Blog, page 96

How many websites do you need to plan a trip?

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Planning a trip can be a logistical tangle.  At any one time, I’ll have more than half-a-dozen tabs open in my web browser, each a different website.  For example:

Wikitravel – Get general info.
Air Asia – Find cheap flights in Asia.
Hostelworld – Book hostels.
Urbanrail – Look at subway maps.
Travelfish – Read hostel and guesthouse reviews in Southeast Asia.
Facebook – Find friends who live there.
Gmail – E-mail friends for recommendations.
XE.com – Calculate currency conversions
World Time Buddy – Figure out time differences.

Cross-checking between so many sites can be daunting, even for an experienced vagabonder. The new site Georama aims to change that by tying together different travel needs into one online platform. The slogan is “Plan. Book. Share.”  Still in private beta, but you can sign up to get advance access.

It’s certainly an enticing prospect. You’d save a lot of time from flipping from one site to another. On the other hand, it seems very much like the same idea behind web portals. Yahoo and MSN are prime suspects that the portal model can seem bloated in this age of lean, agile, focused applications.

Would you use Georama? What sites do you use for travel planning? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Original article can be found here: How many websites do you need to plan a trip?

The world is not as small as Google Earth depicts it

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

“The world is not as small as Google Earth depicts it. I think of the Lower River district in Malawi, the hinterland of Angola, the unwritten-about north of Burma and its border with Nagaland. Nearer home, the urban areas of Europe and the United States. I do not know of a book that recounts the daily life in a ghetto in, say, Chicago; the secret life of a slum, or for that matter, the anthropology of Muslims on a depressed “sink estate” in the British Midlands. The world is full of jolly places but these do not interest me at all. I hate vacations and luxurious hotels are no fun to read about. I want to read about the miserable, or difficult, or inhospitable places; the forbidden cities and the back roads: as long as they exist the travel book will have value.”

–Paul Theroux, “The places in between” Financial Times, May 27 2011

Original article can be found here: The world is not as small as Google Earth depicts it

Vagabonding Field Reports: Going home- Perth, Western Australia

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Cost:$37 a day

This isn’t a true reflection of expenses in Perth as I have been staying and eating with relatives. A large chunk of my costs are beer related and I am not a heavy drinker so expect to pay two to three times this much if you aren’t couch surfing and eating in.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

On a beautiful, sunny day at Cottesloe beach a friend of mine pointed out the aircraft carrier ship USS Carl Vinson docked off the coast. This warship was the one that Osama Bin Laden’s body was brought to in the Arabian gulf, prior to being disposed of at sea. This man-made behemoth was a reminder that not all is well in other parts of the world and was in stark contrast to the calm and peaceful surroundings.

 

The view from Cottesloe beach. USS Carl Vinson is at the distant left. People love to climb and jump off the pylon in the foreground.

 

Describe a typical day.

 

After waking to the jarring squawk of an Australian raven I eat the breakfast of champions- Weet-bix and vegemite on toast. I go for a run in the morning before it gets too hot, after which I head to the beach with my little brother. We laze around in the heat, take the odd dip in the cool water and inevitably decide to buy exorbitantly priced ice creams, usually a Golden Gaytime or Rainbow Paddle Pop- the best Aussie ice creams usually have slightly homoerotic names. After the beach we seek out some glorious meat pies for lunch and head home. I’m usually pretty tired from all this hard work and require a nap in the afternoon. The night is spent catching up with old friends and family, preferably with some cold beer at my favorite pub- Little Creatures- in Fremantle.

 

Beautiful beaches, Rainbow Paddle Pops and great beer- some of the best of what Perth has to offer.

 

 

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local.

 

An old friend of mine threw some new Aussie slang at me when he referred to CUB’s during a chat about how wealthy Perth is right now due to a sustained mining boom. CUB’s is an acronym for “cashed-up bogans”. A bogan is essentially a derogatory term for an Australian version of a redneck or hill-billy and CUB’s refer to these bogan’s that have found themselves with a lot of money in recent times but still retain their rough ways. By rough ways I refer to things such as heavy drinking, displaying terrifyingly awful tattoos and the liberal use of the word c***t as a term of endearment.

 

We then discussed other Aussie slang and the fact that the vernacular has changed significantly over the years. For better or worse new slang evolves and the old dies away. A sampling of phrases found in Aussie slang phrase books that you are unlikely to hear uttered from anyone under the age of seventy are as follows:

 

Don’t come the raw prawn= don’t pull my leg

 

Technicolor yawn= vomiting

 

Streuth= damn it

 

Cripes= damn it

 

I could go on and on. New slang is always evolving so leave the slang phrase book at home.

 

Describe a challenge you faced.

 

I did all my growing up and went to university in Perth but I have been away for over four years now and have only briefly visited twice over this time period. Because of this I haven’t seen as much of my family and friends as I would have liked in recent times. This has to be the most challenging aspect of traveling and working abroad. It is particularly hard leaving elderly family members knowing that you may never see them again.

 

My grandad is 97 years old and was a pilot in World War II before becoming a commercial airline pilot and flying throughout the world. He and my Grandma lived in Jakarta, Beirut and Tehran at different times and his and my father’s tales of these distant lands were, in part, what inspired me to travel. During his career he achieved the unenviable record of being the first Australian pilot hijacked overseas when his plane from the south of Iran was taken by Iraqi drug smugglers. He flew them to Baghdad with a gun to his head and thankfully escaped unscathed. He is now very frail and has dementia. I know he has lived a long and incredible life, however it is still hard to leave knowing that it is more than likely I will never see him again.

 

What new lesson did you learn?

 

It’s impossible to return to a place after an extended time away and not see it in a different light. It’s easier to appreciate the good things in a place but any pitfalls become glaringly obvious. Perth is a lovely place and it has been great seeing my family and friends again but I have also thoroughly enjoyed the little things like old school ice creams (Rainbow Paddle Pop= best ice cream of all time), the abundance of bird life (never noticed this before) and the Aussie sense of humor. I loathe the overt racism towards the indigenous population that can be encountered at times and certainly don’t appreciate the fact that drunk young Aussie men love to punch each other in the face in pub brawls. Fortunately gun laws are strict so you are unlikely to be shot in the face. When I lived in Perth I was aware of these problems but incredibly they didn’t seem to bother me as much as they do today.

 

Coming ‘home’ has made me very aware of the fact that I am not ready or willing to move back any time soon. I feel a curious sense of displacement now and I don’t really feel that I have a set home anymore. I suppose home is anywhere you can surround yourself with the people you love in a place that holds your interest. Can you lose a sense of this when you vagabond? I can’t make up my mind whether I find this thought disconcerting or comforting.

 

Where next?

Road trip in the USA to the grand canyon and beyond

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Field Reports: Going home- Perth, Western Australia

Special May 2012 fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

As someone who is now in the travel business, I often think back to those first few weeks of planning after my wife and I decided to take a RTW trip. We were clueless on where to begin, and everything seemed completely overwhelming. So when going over article ideas in our editorial meetings at BootsnAll, we came up with a plan for a new series called Indie Flight Hacking, designed to help those people planning a RTW trip.

The premise behind this series is to give guidance and offer ideas on where to go, what to think of, and how to plan an epic, RTW trip. In the first installment of the series, the author breaks down a hub-city RTW trip that visits New York, London, Delhi, and Bangkok. She discusses best times to go, options for expanding this to other cities and countries nearby, and even gives budgeting information for each destination.

In the second article, the author delves into the RTW trip that he and his wife took a few years back. This Classic RTW Trip visits some of the most popular backpacking and long-term travel destinations in the world – South America, New Zealand, SE Asia, and India. In addition the same type of practical information you’ll find in the first article, you will also find sample airfare pricing both for a RTW ticket and a DIY ticket.

If you are planning or thinking about planning a RTW trip, are these types of articles helpful? What more (or less) would you like to see from this new series? Comment below to leave your feedback.

If you do decide to throw caution to the wind and travel the world, the first thing you’ll want to look at is airfare. Your options are many, but be sure to keep your eye on different deals around the web. BootsnAll has monthly deals that can take you all over the world, so be sure to check out the following deals, which are good through May 31, 2012:

Round the Globe -New York – Sydney – OVERLAND – Perth – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – Paris – OVERLAND – Frankfurt – New York from $2899 plus taxes.
Toronto Take Off – Toronto – Vancouver – Shanghai – Hong Kong – Singapore – OVERLAND – Bangkok – Bombay / Mumbai – Cairo – Istanbul – OVERLAND – London – Toronto from $2849 plus taxes.
The Long Way to Europe – New York – Bali (Denpasar) – OVERLAND – Yogyakarta – Singapore – OVERLAND – Chiang Mai – Kunming – Beijing – OVERLAND – Shanghai – Rome – OVERLAND – London – New York from $2649 plus taxes.

If you are looking for something a little different in your round the world trip, then start planning your trip of a lifetime with our RTW trip planner And don’t forget to sign up for BootsnAll’s RTW newsletter, delivering special deals, RTW trip planning advice, and resources via email every single month. We also have a Facebook fan page and Twitter page, so be sure to like and follow those to keep up to date on all your RTW travel needs.

Original article can be found here: Special May 2012 fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

Vagabonding Field Reports: A Boat Hop to Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

 

Admiralty Bay, Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

Cost/day:$10

The Caribbean isn’t really that cheap. However, if you’re creative and have some skills, anything is possible. Most of my money went on beer and bus tickets.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

Three men waving a live lobster, barracuda pizza and and an Ugly Man competition.

A recent day typical of my stay in the Caribbean:

6.00am: I woke up on the deck of a yacht with the sun slowly rising over the blue water and green volcanic hills of Bequia island in the Caribbean. The day before, I got a lift with a group of people, going there for the Easter Regatta, on a Beneteau Oceanis 473. I was hoping to boat hop from Bequia to the British Virgin Islands. We sailed from the very fancy Port Saint Charles, Barbados, which took 16 hours. On the way across dolphin kept us company for a while, diving and jumping at the prow, which is quite a rare thing apparently. That was the highlight. Less exciting was the sunburn I got on my face. I never thought I’d be able to impersonate a radioactive raccoon but I guess every new skill learnt has it’s valuable.

 

Dolphin - If you squint a bit you can see them - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

7.00am: Had breakfast on the boat consisting of chocolate spread, bananas and crackers. Food is expensive in the Caribbean as they have to import most of it. The Regatta had generated an industry of men speeding around in dinghies, going from boat to boat, selling fresh bread, fish and lobster, offering laundry services, rubbish collection and water taxis.

9.00am: Trip to the customs office to get signed off the boat and into Bequia which is part of St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

10.00am: Caught a bus to The Bamboo Chute where I had arranged to do a bit of under-the-table work in return for food and a place to stay. I slung my hammock on their back porch, had an amazing view of Admiralty Bay, and a swimming pool all to myself.

11.00pm: Went for a wander along the harbour looking for Rawle who was the Boat Supervisor at the Barbados Yacht Club and one of the regatta organizers. He said he’d help me find a lift North from Bequia. I didn’t find him and instead was accosted by a man called Elvis whose chat up line was: “I want it. Give me some.” the charmer. I took in some sights typical in the Caribbean: fishermen grilling fish on small makeshift BBQ’s on the beach, vans blaring reggae, bright colours and lots of rich sailor-types.

13.00: Went back to The Bamboo Chute and did some emailing, organizing and writing while being attacked by mosquitoes. Called an American physicist who was on Couch Surfing offering a berth on his boat in St. Vincent. (I was planning to climb the volcano, La Soufriere, there.) Unexpectedly, he told me he was looking for crew to help get his yacht to Puerto Rico which is close to the British Virgin Islands or to Trinidad, in the wrong direction.

15.00pm: Went back down to the harbour to find Rawle and had a beer while soaking up the party atmosphere. I met a professional sailor called Shelton who gets paid to deliver yachts all over the world. He said he could possibly get me a lift to Antigua. There are more boats than crew, so if you can get some sailing experience as a volunteer or do a course, often you can sail for free. All some people ask is that you are willing to learn. You can find crewing opportunities on websites like Crewfinder, 7knotts and Sailing Networks. Here is a good page with advice on boat hitchhiking.

17.00am: I randomly asked a Rastafarian playing backgammon if he knew about ferry times to St.Vincent. When I mentioned I needed a lift North he said he could also get me to Antigua but asked me if I wouldn’t like to join him, an English novelist and four other crew on a sail across the Atlantic to Brighton, UK? All l would have to do was get to Saint Lucia.

19.00pm: Got back to the Bamboo Chute and ate the can of beans I had with me. Helped out around the bar for a bit. The owner asked me to go and see if I could bring people there so I headed back down to the harbour.

21:00pm: Bumped into Shelton and the Bajans I had gotten a lift with from Barbados. They were quite merry and looking forward to the race in the morning. Apart from those locals who had managed to get sailing qualifications or into the Merchant Marines the bars were crowded with tourists and sailors. There is a big divide in the Caribbean between the local people who are, in general, black and not so privileged and the affluent tourists and sailors who are, in general, white.

00.00am: Back to the Bamboo Chute which I realised was a bar where only locals went and also a sexy dancing hotspot. Tourists didn’t venture there as it was about eight minuets walk from the harbour. I had a blast serving behind the bar, meeting loads of people, dancing, drinking beer and working with Simone who was a fierce but lovely St. Vincent girl.

3.30am: Ate lobster and chips. Retreated to my hammock.

 

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local:

I met a guy called Ferdinand who exports conch and lobster to neighboring islands and is a whaler. Bequia is one of the few places in the world where they are allowed to hunt whales. Four a year, though they rarely catch that many, with hand-held harpoons and small, wind-powered boats. He said that when they do catch a humpback, and they aren’t allowed to export the meat, it takes the islanders one or two days to consume a whole whale. The next day on the ferry to St.Vincent I saw a humpback and didn’t tell anyone.

 

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

I love how friendly and helpful people are and how safe I felt on the island. I love how even the most arbitrary of conversations can turn into something extraordinary. The scenery isn’t bad either.

I don’t like the divide between local people and tourists and the tensions that creates. I’m really not keen on boat toilets. Though I understand whaling is regulated and part of the culture, I don’t like it.

 

Describe a challenge you faced:

I had to fudge things at customs as I didn’t have an exit ticket or know how I would get off the island. I made up the name of a boat which I said was coming to collect me.

 

What new lesson did you learn?

Other people are the key to your success when traveling adventurously. Also, it’s a joy to travel without any fixed plans. I ended up sailing to Trinidad with the American, physicist, Couch Surfer who gave me a ticket to Saint Lucia in return for crewing.

 

New Friends - Bequia Regatta: Police Seargent and Rafael - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

Where next?

Sailing across the Atlantic. Then back to the Caribbean with perhaps a slight detour via … Senegal.

This is where you can find me and the full story:

My blog: The Absurd Traveler’s Guide

On Facebook and Twitter

Until next time,

Kris

(I’m not a man.)

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Field Reports: A Boat Hop to Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

Vagabonding Field Reports: A boat hop to Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

 

Admiralty Bay, Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

Cost/day:$10

The Caribbean isn’t really that cheap. However, if you’re creative and have some skills, anything is possible. Most of my money went on beer and bus tickets.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

Three men waving a live lobster, barracuda pizza and and an Ugly Man competition.

A recent day typical of my stay in the Caribbean:

6.00am: I woke up on the deck of a yacht with the sun slowly rising over the blue water and green volcanic hills of Bequia island in the Caribbean. The day before, I got a lift with a group of people, going there for the Easter Regatta, on a Beneteau Oceanis 473. I was hoping to boat hop from Bequia to the British Virgin Islands. We sailed from the very fancy Port Saint Charles, Barbados, which took 16 hours. On the way across dolphin kept us company for a while, diving and jumping at the prow, which is quite a rare thing apparently. That was the highlight. Less exciting was the sunburn I got on my face. I never thought I’d be able to impersonate a radioactive raccoon but I guess every new skill learnt has it’s valuable.

 

Dolphin - If you squint a bit you can see them - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

7.00am: Had breakfast on the boat consisting of chocolate spread, bananas and crackers. Food is expensive in the Caribbean as they have to import most of it. The Regatta had generated an industry of men speeding around in dinghies, going from boat to boat, selling fresh bread, fish and lobster, offering laundry services, rubbish collection and water taxis.

9.00am: Trip to the customs office to get signed off the boat and into Bequia which is part of St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

10.00am: Caught a bus to The Bamboo Chute where I had arranged to do a bit of under-the-table work in return for food and a place to stay. I slung my hammock on their back porch, had an amazing view of Admiralty Bay, and a swimming pool all to myself.

11.00pm: Went for a wander along the harbour looking for Rawle who was the Boat Supervisor at the Barbados Yacht Club and one of the regatta organizers. He said he’d help me find a lift North from Bequia. I didn’t find him and instead was accosted by a man called Elvis whose chat up line was: “I want it. Give me some.” the charmer. I took in some sights typical in the Caribbean: fishermen grilling fish on small makeshift BBQ’s on the beach, vans blaring reggae, bright colours and lots of rich sailor-types.

13.00: Went back to The Bamboo Chute and did some emailing, organizing and writing while being attacked by mosquitoes. Called an American physicist who was on Couch Surfing offering a berth on his boat in St. Vincent. (I was planning to climb the volcano, La Soufriere, there.) Unexpectedly, he told me he was looking for crew to help get his yacht to Puerto Rico which is close to the British Virgin Islands or to Trinidad, in the wrong direction.

15.00pm: Went back down to the harbour to find Rawle and had a beer while soaking up the party atmosphere. I met a professional sailor called Shelton who gets paid to deliver yachts all over the world. He said he could possibly get me a lift to Antigua. There are more boats than crew, so if you can get some sailing experience as a volunteer or do a course, often you can sail for free. All some people ask is that you are willing to learn. You can find crewing opportunities on websites like Crewfinder, 7knotts and Sailing Networks. Here is a good page with advice on boat hitchhiking..

17.00am: I randomly asked a Rastafarian playing backgammon if he knew about ferry times to St.Vincent. When I mentioned I needed a lift North he said he could also get me to Antigua but asked me if I wouldn’t like to join him, an English novelist and four other crew on a sail across the Atlantic to Brighton, UK? All l would have to do was get to Saint Lucia.

19.00pm: Got back to the Bamboo Chute and ate the can of beans I had with me. Helped out around the bar for a bit. The owner asked me to go and see if I could bring people there so I headed back down to the harbour.

21:00pm: Bumped into Shelton and the Bajans I had gotten a lift with from Barbados. They were quite merry and looking forward to the race in the morning. Apart from those locals who had managed to get sailing qualifications or into the Merchant Marines the bars were crowded with tourists and sailors. There is a big divide in the Caribbean between the local people who are, in general, black and not so privileged and the affluent tourists and sailors who are, in general, white.

00.00am: Back to the Bamboo Chute which I realised was a bar where only locals went and also a sexy dancing hotspot. Tourists didn’t venture there as it was about eight minuets walk from the harbour. I had a blast serving behind the bar, meeting loads of people, dancing, drinking beer and working with Simone who was a fierce but lovely St. Vincent girl.

3.30am: Ate lobster and chips. Retreated to my hammock.

 

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local:

I met a guy called Ferdinand who exports conch and lobster to neighboring islands and is a whaler. Bequia is one of the few places in the world where they are allowed to hunt whales. Four a year, though they rarely catch that many, with hand-held harpoons and small, wind-powered boats. He said that when they do catch a humpback, and they aren’t allowed to export the meat, it takes the islanders one or two days to consume a whole whale. The next day on the ferry to St.Vincent I saw a humpback and didn’t tell anyone.

 

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

I love how friendly and helpful people are and how safe I felt on the island. I love how even the most arbitrary of conversations can turn into something extraordinary. The scenery isn’t bad either.

I don’t like the divide between local people and tourists and the tensions that creates. I’m really not keen on boat toilets. Though I understand whaling is regulated and part of the culture, I don’t like it.

 

Describe a challenge you faced:

I had to fudge things at customs as I didn’t have an exit ticket or know how I would get off the island. I made up the name of a boat which I said was coming to collect me.

 

What new lesson did you learn?

Other people are the key to your success when traveling adventurously. Also, it’s a joy to travel without any fixed plans. I ended up sailing to Trinidad with the American, physicist, Couch Surfer who gave me a ticket to Saint Lucia in return for crewing.

 

New Friends - Bequia Regatta: Police Seargent and Rafael - Photo by Kris Arndt

 

Where next?

Sailing across the Atlantic. Then back to the Caribbean with perhaps a slight detour via … Senegal.

This is where you can find me and the full story:

My blog: The Absurd Traveler’s Guide

On Facebook and Twitter

Until next time,

Kris

(I’m not a man.)

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Field Reports: A boat hop to Bequia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

Travel for free. Really.

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

What do us travel aficionados love more than free travel? That’s right: nothing.

Money is the one thing that often prevents us from going off and seeing the world.  Flights are the main expense, running from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on how far-flung you’re trying to get. Free travel—and specifically, free flights—are the holy grail of the travel addict.

Over the years, I’ve heard all kinds of rumors about free flights. There were those courier companies that supposedly paid for your flight if you transported a suitcase or two. And apparently you used to able to show up at airline counters and fly standby at much cheaper prices, the rationale being that the airlines were happy to accept a lower payment for the empty seats. These days, it is the last-minute tickets that are astronomically expensive.

Today’s incarnation of free travel comes in the form of airline miles, and it’s no rumor: in the last few months alone, I’ve flown, for free, roundtrip from Israel to India, roundtrip from Israel to Portugal, and one-way from Tel Aviv to New York. All using miles garnered without setting foot on a single flight.

I earned my miles last year by signing up for three credit cards that offered huge sign-up bonuses: 100,000 British Airways miles for the Chase Visa, and 75,000 American Airlines miles each for two Citi cards.  That’s a quarter of a million miles for three credit cards.

I stay abreast of the latest offers by regularly visiting ThePointsGuy, a site that has netted me more practical travel benefits than any other website, ever. ThePointsGuy writes cleanly and clearly about airline miles, credit cards, hotel bonuses, and the like.  There are many other decent miles-related sites out there—Frugal Travel Guy, MommyPoints, Million Mile Secrets, Dan’s Deals and others—and of course the longstanding FlyerTalk is the mother of them all. But for me, ThePointsGuy—better known to his readers at TPG—is my first stop, and should be for anyone who is serious about free travel.

Original article can be found here: Travel for free. Really.

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding BlogA fellow trave...

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

A fellow traveler recently asked me for some advice, and it sparked a thought I wanted to share.

She’s in her twenties, interested in Croatia, and likes to have fun in the sun. So, I suggested Pag and Havar, two lovely islands off the Dalmatian coast. I recall describing them as “Ibiza in the Balkans”. They’re big party destinations for the party-on-the-beach-all-night crowd. Now she’s planning a trip to Croatia and is interested in visiting those islands because of my comments. She asked me if I had any had suggestions for the best party hostels on the two islands.

Nowadays, the term “party hostel” doesn’t quite have the same siren call for me as it did ten years ago. In fact, I shivered just reading it. It brought to mind many good times and good friends, but also hangovers and sleepless nights when I was exhausted from my travels.

It also provoked another thought; I have mixed emotions about recommending these two islands to people. While both are fun, scenic (set in the sparkling Adriatic), and dotted with historic little coastal towns, it’s easy to get caught up in the “Ibiza of the Balkans” hype.

This would be my advice: Go if you must, but don’t lose sight of the genuine treasures of the Adriatic. Though it’s not a hotspot of twenty-something activity, the stunning old city of Dubrovnik—perched dramatically on the Croatian coast overlooking the turquoise sea—is well worth a visit. Force yourself to slow down and soak up a little of its romanticism and rich history.

Sometimes it’s the simpler, more intimate experiences that stay with you, like clambering onto the city’s crumbling medieval walls for a front-row, goose bump-inducing view of the ancient town at sunset. Listen to the bells toll, as they have for half a millennia. In my experience these memories tend to linger long after the night’s hazy recollections and next day’s hangover have faded. They’re free, and the treasures are available to anyone who stops long enough to appreciate them.

That was my advice. I hope my friend keeps this in mind while in search of the “place to be”. At least for one day.

Original article can be found here:

Vagabonding as a rock musician: a step by step guide. Post #5: Some useful suggestions to tour Europe

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

This article is the fifth in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 , Post # 2 , Post #3  and Post #4

In the past article of this series I gave a spotlight on the major touring markets around the world. I said that Europe has the biggest draw because of its geographic compactness, good touring conditions, receptive crowds, and fans who actually buy plenty of records.

So, what are some helpful suggestions to tour in Europe with your band?

Firstly, try to get familiar with some of the booking agencies that may make this happen. There are literally dozens, bigger and smaller, and located in several countries, so just do some googling according to your band’s genre. In terms of independent booking, one of the best has been MAD Tourbooking based out of Germany, possibly the most “alternatively receptive” European country. Another good agency is Teenage Head booking based out of Kortrijk, Belgium.

You need to make sure that the agency – or yourself, when booking alone – is familiar with your flying needs, if any: there is no point in landing into Spain and have to pick up your van in Hamburg, Germany. Make sure to consider these logistics as you browse for international flights, assuming you are an American band looking for your first taste of European stages.  For example, some of the cheapest fares from the USA into Europe would land into Ireland or the UK. Nevertheless, these two countries offer less security in terms of shows’ guarantees, as most of the promoters have to pay high fees to rent halls or clubs and make the show happen. If you have time, you may budget a few days traveling overland from the UK, or catch a low cost flight into Mainland Europe, but this really has to be timed and checked according to your schedule and the location of your last show.

Circular routes, for this reason, are ideal: Europe is small enough to be crisscrossed in a matter of days, yes, but gas prices are prohibitive, and travelling in a van crammed with people and gear will make such prices fluctuate even further. Trying to travel by train is an option you may consider, but this poses a big question mark regarding your backline: if you are able to manage getting a full backline in any city you will play, train travel in Europe is a very feasible option: consider the pretty affordable Interrail travel tickets. They allow unlimited train journeys in different areas of Europe, for a limited number of days, and can be used to catch overnight trains as well.

So, let’s say you will start your tour in Northern Germany: you may decide to play a circular route going to the Netherlands and Belgium, then moving down to France and Spain. To come back eastwards, you can play Southern France and Northern Italy, then hit the ex-Yugoslavian republics and cut up through the Czech Republic and back into East Germany:  from here, easily close the tour where you started. This would maximize your appearances all over Europe, also giving you proper time flexibility to squeeze in some sightseeing, and make sure you will not waste any petrol money as you will never backtrack. This is, however, easier said than done as most clubs are picky when it comes to book bands on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you may have to accept door deals or difficult geographic movements in exchange for a place to play and a place to crash for that unlucky weekday night.

Petrol is also so expensive that you may consider leaving home your backline, and rent a car with a GPL fuel system: this would cut transportation costs considerably, but poses the problem of having a much reduced trunk space because of the gas tank’s size. Another reason why packing light is a must!! But realistically, factor that as long as you may easily borrow an amplifier and a drum set, you will have to travel with your own guitars: hard cases cannot be bent to fit a small car’s trunk space… and most extremely, you will not be able to deepen that new acquaintance you made at the show on the backseat of a little car full of equipment…

Based on my own experience, vans are always better. More expensive to rent, but more comfortable, more professional for a band image, and at last, an eventual place to sleep when everything else on the road fails.  I will talk more about vans in a future section, as this topic is a very important one and should not be overlooked. Until then, take out the Euro map, and start drawing circles!!! You will succeed!!

Original article can be found here: Vagabonding as a rock musician: a step by step guide. Post #5: Some useful suggestions to tour Europe

Talk to strangers. Share stories.

Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Light filtered through oak leaves as the sun sank over Beaver Lake in the Ozarks. I’d pulled my car over at the closed Country Store displaying a Padi diving sign in the window. In bold letters pressed onto the tinted glass of the white SUV was the information to the local dive school. Upon raising my mobile to take a photo of the phone number (rather than writing it down) an older gentleman stepped out onto the second story porch and smiled down at me. I initiated the conversation,

“Do you work with the dive school?”

“I do.” He said.

“Forgive me, I’ve never been freshwater diving; is there visibility down there…is there anything to see?”

“Visibility is about thirty feet, with lots of fish like catfish, bass, and trout. We’ve even sunk a few old cars, a helicopter and plane to attract fish habitat. It’s a shame they tore down all the old houses before they filled it. Now just the foundations and a few bunkers remain…which we go explore.”

“Foundations?” I said, “Bunkers? Then this is a man-made lake. How deep is it?”

“Two hundred feet in the middle. It’s the first dam on the White River. The lake started filling up the day I was born. My daddy was part of the planning process that helped create it.”

We exchanged a few more words before I spun around to watch the sun dip below the horizon. The lake now had much more depth for me after talking to him.

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You just read a short story that came about because I made an effort to talk to a stranger and fish for a bit of what lurked below the surface. As you move about the globe, make an effort to listen or fish for stories—simple or extravagant—because, like Barry Lopez wrote, “Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.”

Don’t just take my word for it. Listen to what the author of “Writing Away” and editor of “Best of Women’s Travel Writing” tales, Lavinia Spalding, said about how sharing stories can effect global change.

If you have a short story to share; please do so in the comments below. If you’d like to write a bit longer one; please feel free to email it directly to me.

Original article can be found here: Talk to strangers. Share stories.