Adventures On The Road, Imagine: A Vagabond Story
Traveler and author Grant Lingel was kind enough to send me a copy of his new book Imagine: A Vagabond Story. You can read more about Grant Lingel and preview the book on his website. Be the first person to comment on this post and I’ll send you a copy to read as well.
Grant Lingel was 7 credits shy of graduating college he decided to see what else was out in the world as many backpackers do. The book is an honest chronicle of New Yorker Lingel’s first trip as a vagabond down to Mexico and beyond. With little money to his name he just goes – setting the tone for the entire story. Imagine: A Vagabond Story is a slice of time in Lingel’s life and a familiar story for many perpetual travelers.
Initially it’s the drugs and sex that draw you into the story, but despite the occasional jolts along the way, the book falls into a flow and takes you along for the ride. Characters drift in and out of the picture. Corrupt Mexican police, a Texan with a taste for joints, and a beach full of Norwegian women. Events change without reason and plans are made on a whim. There isn’t a point or final destination, it simply is.
Imagine: A Vagabond Story is honest, without being presumptuous or pompous. Lingel is new to this type of travel and his naivety is refreshing and you’ll feel like you’re constantly putting yourself in his shoes. It’s a vivid scene brought to life through the intricate descriptions and details of each hostel, trip, and person Lingel encounters. As the story progresses however it makes you want to step out and get a grasp on Lingel in the ‘outside’ world. What his conversations with his parents were like the days after almost getting arrested or what his college friends back home are up to come to mind.
Lingel provides an excellent insight into a wild world that isn’t so mystical. Imagine: A Vagabond Story is Lingel’s backpacking adventure, without a set plan or permanent characters, save two. Partying, sex, and drugs are all part of Lingel’s backpacking trip as are some odd jobs along the way and one person whose prescience is felt throughout. Imagine: A Vagabond Story is a fun story with familiar elements for most travelers and some new adventures for others.
Airline Feeding Frenzy
October 12, 2009 by Anil P.
Filed under Guest Post
This is a guest post by Kim Kinrade, a novel writer with four publications to his credit. He also writes the blog Travel To Nova Scotia and enjoys showing visitors around Nova Scotia. When not on the road he enjoys renovating his Victorian farmhouse.
The onslaught of à la carte fees by the airlines is another in a growing number of reasons of why the airline industry needs to be run like a public utility. Air travel, like the failed Wall Street and the European banking communities, is too important to be run by CEO’s and their minions. As a result we have a $439USD advertised flight that, with added fees, ends up being almost $700. In fact, two weeks ago, BusinessWeek featured a cover story entitled: “Airline Fees are Big Money; a Whopping 345% Jump.”
This week, with the three biggest American holidays just around the corner, the largest airlines in the U.S. – United, Delta and American – announced they are adding a $10 “Holiday Fee.” This means that from the last week in November until the week after New Year’s they can gouge and extra $10. Now this may not seem like a lot but let’s take stock of what is happening. You not only get the thrill of long line-ups and flight delays you have the opportunity of paying for the privilege. Here are some more fees:
1. Baggage Fees
There has always been an overweight charge for luggage on most airlines but now they are getting creative. For example, on American Airlines, passengers flying within the U.S. pay $20 USD for their first checked bag and $30 for the next one.
2. Meals
Airline food was never great but it wasn’t bad either. You could always be assured that a morning flight would get you coffee and an omelet. Now, if you’re running late you don’t have time to stand in a lie-up at an overpriced, airport, fast-food place. In fact, selling meals becoming a shameless money-maker. Of course Goldfish are still free on most airlines.
3. Counter Services
Airline managers and employees don’t want to meet you. In fact, I don’t think they like people. So, many carriers are going to be adding surcharges for the privilege of seeing you face-to-face but electronic ticketing will be “free.”
4. Movies
Another bit of fun used to be the in-flight movie. The sound was bad and you either saw the movie from a distance or, if it was beside you, you had to crane your neck to see the monitor. Now, they have LCD screens directly in front of you and charge video prices plus the cost of the headphones to watch them. If you can read lips the movies on most airlines are still free – but not for long.
5. Drinks
I don’t drink alcoholic beverages on airliners anymore. This is because I’m older and don’t like to spend the first two days of my holiday getting over jet lag. Actually, I stopped around the time when some airlines (like Air New Zealand) were still handing out free beer. Now if I wanted a glass of wine it would be at well-above restaurant prices. (I believe coffee and water are still “free.”) They say it helps reduce “drunkenness” however some passengers will always find the coin to get drunk and be obnoxious.
6. Seat Selection
This is a real kicker! No more first-come-first-served. You pay between $6 and $20USD for the seats with extra legroom or, for the nervous types, beside an exit.
7. Pillows and Blankets
I never use pillows or blankets on a plane. My coat is good enough. For those who still like the feel of course, artificial weave next to their skin can count on $5.
8. Wi-Fi
Satellite time is expensive. So, charging for Wi-Fi should make sense, right? However, the airline is already paying for it for their own purposes. Now the passengers pay for services the airlines already have to buy.
American air carriers, like other commercial interests, have always been engaged in a “winner take all” scenario. The way they seem to gobble each other up in hostile take-overs reminds me of a small python swallowing a boar. This is how they first got into trouble. So they can use 9-11 or big gas prices as excuses for their gluttony but the spike in fuel and the shadow of 9-11 only lasted a year each. For the rest of those tens years they made money. And now with sky-shopping – a service of online shopping on onboard – passengers buy everything from duty-free liquor to T-shirts at boutique prices.
In other words every seat is a profit center – and still the fees go on.
[photo by: Muffet, en_see89, r5d4]
How I Got Robbed In Guatemala and Other Hard-To-Believe Escapades: Part 10
October 9, 2009 by Anil P.
Filed under Guest Post
This is part of a true story written by Marina Villatoro who writes the travel blog Travel Experta about everything you need to know about Central America. Every Friday over the next two months I’ll be posting another chapter of this adventure. Catch up with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and Part 11 in case you missed them.
We humans are social creatures, no matter how hard we fight it. The need to communicate and share experiences or acquired knowledge is innate. It’s our instinct. Recluse, hermit or loner, whatever her preference, she was the perfect product of seclusion. Within thirty minutes of our arrival we had the wherewithal.
“I run a volunteer program. Our mission: To help indigenous women become self-sufficient. Together we sew traditional pants, shirts, skirts and bags. Then I teach them how to sell it at the local markets. The purpose of this program is for them to take control of their lives and not depend on their husbands. It helps build their confidence,” she proudly stated, “But it is an extremely difficult task. By sixteen-years-old they have their first child and continue having babies until their bodies can’t handle it anymore. Their culture teaches them that from day-one their job is: giving birth, serving and obeying their husbands. So my work is incomprehensible to some of them and most don’t accept it. The ones I’ve had the most success with are widows and single mothers. To my advantage, the community is tight. The women can’t ignore the benefits and are slowly opening their eyes. It will take years for them to fully evolve and become independent, if at all, but in the meantime it’s what keeps me going.”
I Know Something
She uncrossed her legs, covered them with her robe and leaned towards us, secretly. I thought she was going to tell us she was a CIA agent researching the next nuclear testing ground, instead she whispered, “We all know who robbed you. The whole village is well aware of what’s happening. But no one will do anything about it,” she confided, “Why? Because for the past two years he’s been robbing the villagers, bribing the cops and threatening anyone who stands in his way. So tell me… what can the people do?
“This community is no stranger to poverty,” she continued, “They’ve lived without roofs over their heads, food or medical help. Education isn’t an option for them. Not because of its scarcity, but because they have to start working once they turn ten years old to help support their large families. It’s a vicious cycle.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, pensively.
“Their goals become warped. Little boys look up at Chico as a success story. They don’t have any other role models. They aspire to follow in his footsteps. The crook is revered!”
“But something must be done. Isn’t anyone doing anything to stop it?” I demanded. Was this how the mafia began? The bad seeds taking over the gardens, one by one, until all of the flowers were infected.
“He is so feared, and he knows it, and in turn it fuels his ego. He is a monster with no regard for human emotions or compassion. The only way to end this is to lynch him!” She announced this as though she just thought of this brilliant idea and was ready to strike. I think I’ll sit this one out.
“How awful! How can you live like this? Aren’t you scared of him? I mean, you live here all by yourself and it doesn’t seem to be very secure. Plus, there’s no one for miles around you. What do you do to protect yourself?” Janka protested.
“I was robbed three times. All non-violent, thank god. He usually works when there’s no one at home. By now I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t keep anything of value in the house… Don’t get me wrong. I’m still nervous, at times. But this is my home, after ten years, I am known and respected for my work. Furthermore, I help Chico’s mom and two sisters. Their father died years ago, when he was about nine. His mother raised three kids on her own. Back then it was unheard of for a woman to work. So can you imagine the poor woman’s struggle? But ever since I started working with them six years ago, they are doing great. I guess, out of familial loyalty he leaves me alone, and so does his gang…” she shrugged. “Would you like to try on some clothes?”
Not Your Typical Wardrobe
“Huh?” I snapped out of my daze.
“Are you ready to see some clothes?” she smiled kindly.
“Sure,” I uttered, a bit surprised how quickly one could change subjects.
“My closet is upstairs. Please don’t mind the mess, I was busy last night and didn’t have a chance to tidy up.”
Was she referring to the crumb on the kitchen table or the coffee bean I dropped on the counter? The house was spotless. It reminded me of model homes real estate agents use to advertise as ‘The-house-of-your-dreams’: sterile, unused, furnished and ready for immediate occupancy.
We followed her past the remaining four rooms on the first floor. The living room: decorated in a Victorian style, with purple couches, a love seat and cast-iron candlestick holders in every part of the room, including one on top of the fireplace. The office: pastel purple walls, white desk with nothing on it and a white swivel chair. Library: deep purple wallpaper, a huge yellow throw rug, and bookshelves stacked to the ceiling. The fourth room: stark, purple.
What was with the purple?
A lilac-colored wrought-iron spiral staircase deposited us onto waxed hardwood floors sporting four closed doors and direct sunlight from the solar-paneled roof. The first three doors, she briskly mentioned as we walked past, belonged to a guest bedroom, guest bathroom and her bedroom, with a bathroom inside. She turned a copper knob of the fourth door and opened it inward—The Closet.
This was no ordinary closet! It was more like a miniature department store specializing in theatrical costumes with suits of armor looming imposingly in the doorway, Victorian and medieval wedding gowns, veils and shawls hanging regally from medal racks, Venetian masquerade costumes, feathered masks and wigs splayed out by the wall, elegant business suits, tuxedos and men’s sport wear hanging opposite to the first clothes rack, and a myriad of other unnecessary garments used for Broadway-Style productions strewn about on the floor. There was more! Three wooden trunks were opened with tiny benches for deciding what to wear.
“What in the world is all of this?” I blurted out. No wonder she wasn’t being robbed. The guy wouldn’t have any clue what to do with this stuff.
“I like clothes. I buy and sell costumes,” she replied uncomfortable with my reaction.
“To whom? Is there a demand for this?” I raised my hands, bewildered. This was one weird lady.
“There’s a small theater group in Panajachel. They put on different productions throughout the year and buy some articles from me now and then. Others I keep for myself.”
I noticed little beads of sweat emerging on top of her brow and in the depths of her cleavage.
“Do you wear them? What do you do with them?” Words rolled off my tongue. I simply couldn’t make sense of it all.
“I don’t wear them, I enjoy them…but, enough about that! In the trunk by the window are regular clothes that don’t fit me. I think they’re your size. Give them a try.” She pointed, her eyes nervously darting from me to Janka to the trunk and back to me. Her cheeks turned the color of her robe. She was deteriorating.
Wait till you find out what’s in the trunk…
[photos by: mnadi, andi, tom.snaps, JoelZimmer]
Bio
Marina has been living in Central America for over 7 years and her site Travel Experta is all about traveling in Central America. Marina loves to help people plan the perfect vacation to this amazing part of the world! You can sign up for her RSS feed and join the fun on her facebook fan page and follow her on Twitter at @MarinaVillatoro.
Learn New Languages For Free Using These Online Resources
You can find many good resources online that won’t cost you anything to help you learn anything from a few words to passable conversational skills in a foreign language. By putting some time aside on a long flight, during layovers, and in the hotel you can educate yourself on useful skills like ordering a meal.
Best of all none of these online websites, courses, and translators cost you anything and some even offer the benefit of chatting with other students trying to learn the same language as yourself.
Livemocha
One of the most comprehensive free language resources on the Internet, Live Mocha offers lessons in over 29 languages. Liva Mocha offers about 160 hours of language immersion lessons (similar to Rosetta Stone) and isn’t only for English speakers. You can set your home language to any of the 29 offered. In addition to language courses, Live Mocha has an active community of language students and teachers as well as recordings of live conversation.
Live Mocha‘s basic services are free with registration (approximately the first 40 hours of instruction). The premium service runs $12.95 per month and adds the benefit of personal tutors and traditional grammar and phrase books.
Word2Word
A full listing of different free language resources including blogs, name pronunciation lessons, and slang dictionaries. Word2Word itself doesn’t have any language courses or translation services, it just directs you to sites that do. Word2Word is a simple and effective interface, although now a pretty one. You’ll have to fish around a bit to find a good resource for the particular language you are looking for but there are plenty of good options.
Word2Word is absolutely free as are almost all of the sites it guides you to and doesn’t require any registration.
LangtoLang
This simple translator holds over 26 million words and pulls data from over 2,000 online dictionaries making it an excellent place to translate less common words. For most languages LangtoLang also translates conjugated verbs and provides a visual keyboard to type in non-Latin characters.
One of the best features of LangtoLang is the auto-complete which makes it easier to write or find words if your international spelling isn’t so great. Bloggers and website owners can also integrate the LangtoLang search engine into most sites.
Open Culture Free Language Lessons
The website written by Dan Colman is an excellent resource for free cultural and educational media online which includes this list of free language audio lessons. Colman has links to the iTunes audio files as well as the corresponding websites for 37 languages. A useful set of files you can load on your iPod touch and listen to without an wi-fi connection.
Some More Free Resources
- iTranslate - One of the best iPhone apps for travelers, this free application not only translates words and sentences, but stores your previous searches for quick reference.
- Mango Languages – It’s not free but you’ll get a single trial lesson that’s usually enough to learn these 4 word combos you shouldn’t neglect to translate before your next trip.
- Forvo – Listen to how specific words are pronounced. Many words are available but with free registration you’ll get access to all of them.
- Busuu – Aside from the mini language courses, Busuu’s strength is to put you in touch with native speakers of the language you’re trying to learn. It’s a good exchange and you’ll be able to help out others in the community as well.
- Google Translate – Useful to translate documents and entire websites, albeit with some errors. Another way to use Google hacking for your next trip.
- NotesInSpanish – A great (Spanish-only) online resource with audio lessons, worksheets, and videos recommended by Heather.
If You Decide To Pay
In addition to Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur (both of which I’ve found highly effective if practiced often and consistently) here are some of the other best ways to learn a new language. Of course there are probably lessons being given somewhere nearby (give a call to the appropriate embassy to find out) for most languages.
Take The Few Minutes
There is so much free time you have when you’re in transit and traveling. It’s a great time to bum a wi-fi signal and spend a few minutes here and there learning a few phrases and basic words before going to a new country with a new language. The local language is tied to the local culture and you can get a better sense of both by using some of these free language resources on the way.
[photo by: workshifting]
