The Best Comments Of The Month: August 2010
Despite being a very popular month for vacations and travel, many of you have still made the time to drop a comment or two on foXnoMad and I can’t thank you enough. These are just some of the best comments left by your fellow readers from the past month.
- We’ve got gap years and career breaks but Heather wonders what you’d call her style of travel?
- If you’ve had experience with Kathmandu backpacks Joe would love to get your opinion on them. (Thanks Dave for chiming in!)
- There are lots and lots of useful opinions and recommendations about a variety of travel luggage including this one from Darren.
- You hate luggage fees as much as I do! When it comes to getting around them, Earl and John Bardos offer up some crafty tricks at check-in.
- Dominique suggests you don’t forget the value of a pen when you travel.
- Ataturk’s image may everywhere in Turkey, but he also has special significance in Australia as Mark H points out.
- Gillian highly recommends this free walking tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Have a random travel thought you’re just dying to post somewhere – or perhaps can’t wait to write about your incredible August vacation? Now’s your chance, leave a comment and get your own conversation started.
[photo by: Batara (two people chatting)]
Turning Ankara Turkey Into A Tourist Town
Travelers heading to Turkey often skip through or over the country’s capital city Ankara. The big attractions most people come across when researching are hardly enticing to most – a whitewash of quiet museums that look stale against the live historical backdrop of Turkey itself. What Ankara lacks on the surface it makes up for in depth, and you can dig a little deeper to look into Turkey’s past and beyond.
Anitkabir
Modern Turkish history and culture is inseparable from the nation’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Anitkabir is Ataturk’s mausoleum and his symbolic tomb there is impressive, but you’ll learn much more in the unglamorous halls to the right of it. Strolling through the narrow corridors you can read many of his philosophies on a wide range of topics, end up in a collection from his personal library, and see why Ataturk’s image is everywhere in Turkey.
- If you want to go for a walk or jog while staying in Ankara, the several kilometer stone path around Anitkabir is an easy one to follow.
- Almost directly across the the entrance to Anitkabir there is also a free outdoor running track with free weights, workout benches, and pull-up bars.
A smaller memorial to Ataturk can be found in the Ankara’s Ethnographic Museum, where he was buried during the construction of Anitkabir. It’s 3 Turkish lira (TL) to enter but art lovers can go next door to visit the free Ankara Resim Heykel Muzesi (Painting and Sculpture Museum) instead which features art from the Ottoman Empire through the present.
The Best View Of The City For Free – Ankara Citadel
Also known as Ankara Kale or Hisar, the walls of this ancient Hittite castle are free and offer the best 360 degree views of Ankara. It’s over several hundred stairs to the top, and much like the path to top of La Basilica in Quito will test any fear of heights. You’ll also wind your way up through a small town and if you get lost the shopkeepers will give you good directions (don’t ask the kids playing the streets though).
- Unless you’re mortified of heights, don’t stop and go all the way up along the edge of the highest wall. There you’ll be able to see all of Ankara from its highest point. See if you can find Anitkabir and Atakule, two of the most recognizable features on the landscape.
- You can get to the Citadel either by getting off at the Ulus metro stop (a ~1.5 kilometer walk) or by taxi. (Tell the driver “Ankara Kale”.)
Speaking of Atakule, it’s a popular tourist attraction but the restaurants at the top are expensive and the view not nearly as impressive as the Ankara Citadel.
Find The Ancient Romans
Located near Ulus Square, in the same area as the Citadel, you’ll find remnants of Ankara’s Roman past. Within short walking distance of the square you’ll find the Temple Of Augustus And Rome, which is free to visit. Also close by is the Column Of Julian, erected in 362 A.D. in honor of the Roman emperor of that same name.
- The easiest way to find both sites is to take the metro (to Ulus) and use a good tourist map of Ankara.
There is also the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with a recreation of the neolithic site Catalhoyuk. I find this popular museum to be overrated; for a special historical treat visit Konya, one of 5 Turkish cities to add to your itinerary. From there you can take a local bus or rent a car to visit the actual Catalhoyuk, a treat since hardly anyone visits the best preserved and largest Neolithic site in the world. (It is also on the way to Tasucu, a major port for the ferries heading to the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus.) Guides are available at the site open year round and admission is free (although small donations are encouraged).
Many of these places have varying names in Turkish making a good map and the metro the most straightforward approach to finding them. By taxi however, the best way to situate yourself is to tell the driver to go to the “Belis Minaresi” (local name for the Column of Julian) near the “Ulus Meydani”.
Go Pazar (Bazaar) Hopping And Shopping In Ankara
The pazar (bazaar) is an integral part of Turkish tradition and Ankara has its fair share of them although they are slowly losing their relevance in daily life. The bazaars are finding it difficult to compete with modern supermarkets and malls who can deliver more good often for cheaper prices.
- Cikrikcilar Yokusu (Weaver’s Road) – As the name suggests you can find handmade crafts in this area of Ulus at good deals…if you bargain your way to a good price. Up the street there is more shopping at Bakircilar Carsisi.
- Organik Pazari (Organic Bazaar) – Go grocery shopping for a healthy hostel meal at this market which sells locally grown organic produce in the Ayranci district.
There are also two other bazaars worth stopping by if you love markets, the Maltepe Pazari (near the Maltepe Mosque) and the Bahcelievler Pazar. Keep in mind that Mondays are reserved for fresh produce and food products only. Ankara is also booming with modern shopping malls like Armada (with good movie theaters) and stores in Kizilay. All are easily accessible from the Ankara subway system or by taxi.
Pictures And Pitchers
The Kocatepe Mosque‘s confident exterior and elegant interior design is a photographers dream. It also happens to be free as all the mosques in Ankara are. Just remember you’ll have to take off your shoes when entering and be sure to ask if photography is allowed.
- Of course, after a long day sightseeing in Ankara you can enjoy the vibrant local bar scene. There are plenty of places in Cankaya, Ulus, and Kizilay to grab a pint or drink Raki like a Turk.
- Most people begin their trips to Turkey with a stay in Istanbul. Here’s what you can do with 48 hours in Istanbul.
Ankara often gets lost in the bright lights of Istanbul and the shimmering waters of the best beaches in Turkey, but don’t let them prevent you from uncovering the heart of Anatolia.
[photo by: slolee (pazar shopping)]
A Ride And Review Of La Bicicleta Naranja In Buenos Aires
Heavily advertised around hostels in Buenos Aires, Argentina, La Bicicleta Naranja offers bicycle tours and rentals from several locations around the city. Their bike tours are a good way to break down the somewhat overwhelming and certainly sprawling Buenos Aires. La Bicicleta Naranja’s scenic routes and informative guides are a wonderful introduction, or reunion, with Argentina’s capital city.
Breaking Down The La Bicicleta Naranja Tours
The company offers four basic tours each lasting around 4 hours. The tours, known as Buenos Aires to the North, Buenos Aires to the South, Lakes and Woods, and Aristocratic Buenos Aires all cost the same price of 105 Argentinian pesos (~$25 USD) and includes a safety helmet and bottle of water or soda. Reservations can be made online and most of the routes are available at least once a weekday.
What To Expect
The atmosphere upon arrival at the La Bicicleta Naranja office is very laid back although they fail to mention that you’ll need to be a fairly confident rider in good shape. Also, the tour routes tend to take you to near busy roadways (difficult to avoid in Buenos Aires) and often right into heavy traffic. Pedaling through rush hour in Buenos Aires on a bicycle might be a bit more adventure than some people are willing to handle.
- Saturday tours groups are usually larger, but there is less vehicular traffic to contend with.
- The guides stop the group in quiet spots along the way to show you important sites and explain the history behind them.
- Groups are typically 8-14 riders.
- To do either the Buenos Aires north or south tour you’ll need to stop by the San Telmo office. For the lakes and woods and aristocratic Buenos Aires tours, make reservations with the Palermo office.
- Tours are usually in English but can be requested in Spanish as well.
The guides do a good job of making the ride a fairly easy one by directing traffic and often flanking the group, particularly in the busier parts of town. The pace is a bit quick although the guides make an effort to keep a tempo everyone is comfortable with – and yes, there is plenty of time to take pictures along the way.
Seeing Buenos Aires By Bike
You can create your own mental map, see the popular sites, and learn a bit of history along the way by zipping through town. Most of the major parts of the city (i.e. La Boca) are covered in La Bicicleta Naranja’s tours, which subtly show you the stark contrasts of class and development between the various Buenos Aires barrios (neighborhoods).
Burning And Learning
Having never taken a bike tour before I somewhat skeptical of the 105 Argentinian peso (~$25 USD) investment for a 4 hour tour of the south side of Buenos Aires. La Bicicleta Naranja‘s thoroughly tiring tours on their bright orange bicycles (hence the company name) were complimented by the tour’s enthusiastic local guides making me not regret the decision. The knowledgeable guides were able to convey a feel for the various parts of the city and infuse a passion for Buenos Aires’ history for visitors new and returning.
[photos by: Pat Pavanelli (La Bicicleta Naranja), GustavoBuriola (Buenos Aires), paula moya (La Boca in Buenos Aires)]
Add Dollar Signs To Foreign Prices To Trick Your Mind Into Spending Less When Traveling
Converting foreign prices into your home currency and adding its symbol (i.e. $, €, £) to menu prices, bar tabs, and grocery bills may be enough to trick your mind into spending much less money.
People tend to spend significantly more, no matter what the currency, when prices are displayed without symbols and even more when prices are rounded off or don’t have decimal points. This effect is amplified when the symbols you do read aren’t local to you (like seeing Euro signs when visiting France from the United States).
How To Trick Your Mind With Your Local Currency Symbol
Even travelers who are conscious of their budgets tend to spend more money when doing quick conversions in their heads. To best overcome the symbol effect discovered by Cornell University, it’s best to accurately convert a given price down to the decimal in your home currency, and write it with the appropriate symbol preceding it.
For example, 12 for a salad on a menu might be easy on the eyes, but try writing it as $12 or even better $12.00.
Useful Tools To Converting Prices On The Spot
These are some tools you can use to get accurate currency conversions close to real time so you can save yourself from the “dollar effect”.
Currency – One of 5 free and useful iPhone apps for travelers, the Currency iPhone app converts in real time and stores the information for quick viewing, even when you don’t have Internet access. (Works on the iPod touch as well.)- Google – Simply type how much and the currencies you want to convert in the Google search box. For example, “convert 5 USD to GDP”.
- Currency Converter Mac Dashboard Widget – Converts almost all international currencies as well as legacy ones (e.g. German Deutsch mark).
- Currency Converter Gadget Windows 7 – Very similar to the Mac version.
For those of you who don’t have smart phones or dislike carrying them on you, a simple pen and paper with common conversions may help you when ordering a meal that’s “not too expensive.” When all else fails, simply adding a dollar sign next to the prices on any menu (or handy napkin nearby) is likely to subconsciously make you spend less.
Working Against You At Home Too
While the added layer of operating with foreign currency will increase your tendency to spend, the lack of dollar signs has the same effect for you at home too. Hotel and restaurant owners are keening aware of this and manipulate their advertisements and menus to nudge you into spending a few extra bucks. So next time you see a nice rounded off price, convert it into the currency you grew up with (or get paid in) and add the appropriate symbol. Also, don’t forget to add two decimal points over to save even more on your simple travel budget.
[photos by: deltaMike (dollar sign glasses), oskay (pretzel money symbols), cheap eats (menu prices)]
