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This Is What A 10 Hour Flight Looks Like Condensed Into 150 Seconds

by Anil Polat | Nov 22, 2016 | Air, Pictures and Video | 0

One of the best features of many smartphones, particularly the iPhone 6s, is the time-lapse feature. Recently, on an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Washington D.C., I had an unexpected opportunity to capture a very amateur time-lapse of the entire 10 hour flight.

The combination of an empty seat next to me, a fairly flat window opening, not to mention a conveniently located USB port to keep charged during the entire shoot made this a fun project for a long flight. In case you were wondering, here is what the ad-hoc setup looked like:

airplane flight time lapse

A boarding pass between the phone and the glass to prevent temperature warnings (and automatic shutoff), plus a vomit bag stuffed into the window for the cheapest tripod ever. Of course, this isn’t the ideal way to take a time-lapse video. Here’s how to take time-lapse videos and the best times to shoot them during your travels, plus a few examples of mine from the Taj Mahal, Tunisia’s Star Wars sets, and more.

7 Good Reasons You Should Visit (The Country) Georgia Soon Or Even Better, Now

by Anil Polat | Nov 17, 2016 | Advice | 6

georgia tbilisi clock

You might not know a lot about the country of Georgia, a lot of which is due to the fact that it’s hidden in a part of the world that doesn’t often make headlines. Georgia is a country that shouldn’t be a travel afterthought, especially in the near future, because pretty soon it’s going to be a destination you’ll be sharing with many more travelers.

Since 2010, tourism to Georgia has almost tripled, so if you’re looking for a place to visit that still feels a bit like you’re discovering it before everyone else, here are 6 reasons you should consider Georgia, probably within the next 2 years.

1. Georgia Has All The Things That Make A Travel Destination Great

In case you’re wondering what the catch is, well, for Georgia, there isn’t one. Georgia is a safe, stable country with walk-able cities full of history and inexpensive, unique foods. Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, is fairly easy to fly to as most major carriers like Lufthansa have direct flights.

tbilisi views

2. Winters Aren’t That Cold

Being in the Caucasus (even having been to Georgia in the winter) it’s hard to get out of the notion that Georgia isn’t a 70,000 square kilometer (~27,000 sq. mile) ice cube during the winter months. Similar to not-so-cold Iceland, Georgian winters are chilly but not unbearably freezing. Tbilisi for example in December is an average of 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit). Still too cold? Temperatures in summer average in the upper 20s C (~85F).

georgian church

3. Free Entry To Many Touristic Sites

Many of the popular places to visit like very solemn Metekhi Church, Tiflis Avenue Art Gallery, and Stalin’s bizarre birth home, are free of charge.

georgian church painting

4. Georgia Is Inexpensive

Although the prices in Georgia, particularly Tbilisi, are trending slightly upwards, you can still get a nice dinner out for around $9 USD. Private hostel rooms at Old Town Hostel are about $36 a night; given these medians if you really want to travel cheap or splurge, you’ve got plenty of room on both ends of the budget spectrum.

georgian street sale

5. Good, Varied, And Unique Cuisine

Georgian food is a mix of Turkish, Balkan, Russian, and Persian flavors not to mention they make damn good wine too.

georgia country food

6. Transportation Within Georgia Is Straightforward

For those of you who enjoy travel by train, you can get to Batumi (wine on the Black Sea coast on an overnight sleeper for $8 a person. There’s also a good bus system, inexpensive as well, for nearby cities you may want to explore plus Georgian Airways has local flights too.

tbilisi metro

7. Not Many Tourists…Yet

As I mentioned earlier, Georgia has seen an increase from about 2 million tourists in 2010 to roughly 6 million in 2015. Georgia was the 49th most visited country in 2014, just under Sweden in overall tourists. For all of the reasons on this list – and much more – Georgia is likely to become a more popular place to travel.

georgian tbilisi cafe

Still, in Georgia now you can feel a bit like you’re discovering things right before everyone else with a more personable experience often difficult to find in more tourist-crowded places. After a visit though you too will be asking why aren’t more people visiting Georgia, a question on its way to being dated soon. Still, there’s time to experience a little more of the best Georgia has too offer, but not long.

These Sniper Bullet Holes Show How Far Sarajevo Has Come From The Bosnian War

by Anil Polat | Nov 15, 2016 | Culture, Travel | 0

sarajevo sniper bullets

Modern Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a small Balkan city sprinkled with cafes full of stylishly dressed young people. Nearly a quarter of the population is under the age of 25, meaning many were born after the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and as a visitor, you’ll have a hard time believing Sarajevo was under siege for nearly 4 years.

A Generation Lost

I speak with ‘Abdulah’, who leads several tours around the city focusing on Sarajevo’s history of conflict. Abdulah was 8 years old when the war began. He works as a tour leader because he doesn’t want anyone to forget or be ignorant about what happened in Sarajevo – the site of the first genocide in Europe since World War II. Also, he sheepishly admits, because he has no formal education. Abdulah’s primary school years were spent helping to smuggle grains into Sarajevo through the Sarajevo Tunnel, a 1,650 foot (500 meter) long underground passage beneath no-man’s land.

sarajevo tunnel museum

You can visit parts of the Sarajevo Tunnel, open as a museum for around $5.50 USD, open most days of the week.

Sarajevo Roses

He tells us Sarajevo has made a lot of progress in healing but if you look close enough, you’ll see scars from of the war throughout the city. As we walk along the Miljacka River, he notes the small potholes in the pavement filled with red resin, marking bomb craters where people were killed during the conflict.

sarajevo red roses

The paint is nearly faded. There used to be many more but as the years have gone on, newly poured asphalt for reconstruction has replaced these reminders of those lost.

Sniper Alley

Across the river’s waters is the bright, awkwardly yellow Olympic Hotel Holiday Sarajevo. Like Sarajevo’s abandoned Olympic bobsled track, the Holiday Inn was originally built for the 1984 games; later becoming a refuge for journalists covering the war. Walking by it, you’re now in what was known as Sniper Alley. The surrounding mountains as well as high-rise buildings made for ideal sniping locations, the result of which was over 1,000 people wounded, more than 200 killed.

sarajevo holiday inn

Crossing the Vrbanja Bridge, Abdulah tells the story locally known as Romeo and Juliet. In May 1993, deals made with the local government were supposed to grant two lovers safe passage out of Sarajevo. On a bright afternoon day, Bosko Brkic and his girlfriend, Admira Ismic, confidently walked across the Vrbanja Bridge. Halfway across, Brkic, a Serbian, was shot and killed by sniper fire. His wounded love, Admira, a Muslim, died by his side. For 8 days, their bodies laid there, both Muslim and Serbian sides not willing to make the dangerous walk to gather the bodies.

Miljacka river

Facing the Vrbanja Bridge is an apartment building, notable for the bullet holes that dot its exterior. This apartment, the very first photo in this post, like many of the other scars of the Bosnian War isn’t a museum piece. Simply, an apartment building where people still live. For some reason it’s the most jarring of all the war reminders. Perhaps because people live there now, it’s easier to imagine ourselves there today.

sarajevo cafes

You may be wondering if Sarajevo is safe to visit though after a short time in one of the best cities in the world to visit, be surprised anyone even asks the question. How fast Sarajevo has changed is remarkable given its recent history but also a powerful reminder of how quickly any peace can be lost.

5 Reasons To Use Airplane Mode Even When You’re Not Flying

by Anil Polat | Nov 10, 2016 | Tech | 8

Despite the name, airplane mode can have a lot of advantages for travelers whether used on a plane or not. The airplane mode feature on most smartphones and tablets cuts off cellular, wireless, and Bluetooth connections so they don’t interfere with an airplane’s communication systems.

There are a few other handy side effects of airplane mode, however, you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re (literally) on the road, at your hotel, or out wandering around.

1.Extend What Battery Life You Have Left

Cellular communication is the single biggest battery drainer on your phone. To locate cell towers, your phone is always emitting radio waves to see where they are, analyzing signal strength to determine whether a switch to a closer tower is needed, or as is often the case when traveling, looking for a network to roam on.

When there is no available network, you phone emits stronger signals to extend its search in the hopes of getting you a mobile signal. This is also true when you’re indoors or moving at high speeds; basically your phone has to work harder to keep you connected to a cell tower.

So instead of getting on Facebook to complain about how you’ve only got 2% battery life left, put your device into airplane mode to conserve what you have left. A phone without a cellular or wireless connection (by the way being on wifi is less power intensive) can still be useful as a camera, notebook, foreign exchange calculator, and more.

2. Save Data On A Local SIM

Depending on how you’ve got your particular phone or tablet set up, there’s a chance you might be wasting a lot of data on a prepaid card due to automatic downloads, app updates, or streaming services. Although it might not be expensive, spending more time topping off a SIM card is less time sightseeing. Sure, you can make a lot of changes to your settings to prevent data leak but chances are when you’re back home you’ll want to set them all back, again, more time wasted. Airplane mode is a quick and efficient solution.

3. Speed Up Charging

In most cases, the more power a device is consuming, the slower it charges because it’s using power at the same time it’s trying to store it. Particularly if you don’t have a phone that supports rapid charging (*cough* Apple) you’ll want to speed up charging so you’re not stuck inside a hostel aggressively sneering at a power outlet. (Telepathy doesn’t help charging time.)

Having your phone on airplane mode means it’s using a lot less power and can charge faster whether you’re connected to a wall outlet or using a portable battery.

4. Fix Wireless Weirdness

Have you ever been told when getting a new local SIM card (or the wireless connection at your Airbnb is flaking out) to restart your device? For phones and tablets, turning airplane mode on and off is essentially the same thing since it causes a restart of most networking services without going through needless reboots.

5. See The World Around You

A 2012 study found that even looking at a mobile phone or feeling it vibrate in your pocket can reduce your ability to complete complex tasks and significantly distract focus. Not only does that mean could be missing the small details of tile art decorating the train station in Porto, but pickpockets as well, who count on mental misdirection.

You’ll see your phone hundreds times before you upgrade it at the next possible opportunity, though the same probably isn’t true of the Taj Mahal. Turning airplane mode on can relieve your mind of messages waiting – most of which are cat memes mom is sending you anyway.

The Best Point And Shoot For Travelers Might Be This 2 Year Old Panasonic Lumix

by Anil Polat | Nov 8, 2016 | Tech | 2

The best technology isn’t always the newest, particularly for people who travel often. Gadgets tend to take a beating when you travel, from jolts of bus rides to constantly being stuffed into backpacks and pockets. A generation or two behind the latest version of a product tends to have its manufacturing bugs exposed if there are any, plus often cost a lot less.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 digital camera is one such device – a combination of excellent photograph quality, features and reliability, not to mention incredible battery life.

From Lumix To Lumix

In 2014 I purchased (at the time one model behind the latest) a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 on the advice of a professional photographer who told me it was the camera to get if I wasn’t interested in a bulky DSLR. Immediately the quality of my photos improved and for nearly two years I took thousands of pictures around the world with a camera I wouldn’t have replaced if it didn’t develop a black spot in the lens after its limits were pushed on a remote tropical island.

Panasonic DMC-ZS45 LUMIX 20X Zoom Camera with Wink-Activated...

In a way I’m glad it did since the DMC-ZS45 is an improvement on the ZS40 in almost every way.

Updating A Bit Behind

The Lumix DMC-ZS45 costs around $239, while the latest DMC-ZS60 will take a nearly $500 bite out of your travel budget. The main differences between the two most travelers would care about is the lack of time-lapse and lackluster video quality (maximum 1920 x 1080) of the DMC-45. To be honest the Lumix line of cameras never took video all that well but they excel in a number of photographic features you typically only find on much more expensive cameras.

A Wider Perspective

You should not underestimate how useful a wide(r) angle lens on a camera can be if you take a lot of travel photos. A wide angle lens (the DMC-ZS45 goes as low as 24 millimeter) means you can get more in a shot from the same place than a camera that starts at the average 35mm. In other words, you don’t have to walk as far back to fit the stuff you want in frame, handy especially when there isn’t space for steps back to take.

On the other end of the spectrum, the ZS45 has a 480mm zoom lens, optically enlarging your view by 20 times as well as a good marco mode, allowing you to take closeup photos from as little as 3 centimeters.

Feature Plateu

For every technology, there is a point of limited returns on many specs. In my tests the DMC-ZS45 powers up and is ready to take a picture in 8/10ths of a second; the DMC-ZS60 (officially) in 1.4 seconds. They both weigh around half a pound (roughly 280 grams). Yes, the DMC-ZS60 has a 24-720mm focal range, enlarging images 30 versus 20 times, and can shoot 4k video. Image quality, both for photos and videos will increase as time goes on, but the differences are becoming less noticeable. Cameras are light but can never be weightless and if you really need extreme zoom, you’re probably won’t ever be satisfied with a point and shoot.

The one spec there is never enough of however is battery life, where both of the cameras are amazing. The DMC-ZS45 officially takes 350 pictures on a single charge, but I’ve routinely taken more than a 1,000 in all kinds of weather. For all the differences between the latest DMC-ZS60 and the January 2015 DMC-ZS45 model, they’re not worth an extra $250 for most travelers. Besides, if you really want one, wait a year or so and it will probably be the cost the DMC-ZS45 is now.

Why Missing A Flight Isn’t Such A Big Deal And What To Do If It Happens

by Anil Polat | Nov 3, 2016 | Advice, Air | 4

The one event most travelers try to avoid at all costs is missing their flight. Whether you you show up at the airport 3 hours early or cut it much closer, fear of missing a flight can induce panic, terminal sprints, and philosophical debates on rush hour traffic flows. Missing a flight can brandish you a careless traveling idiot undeserving to board another aircraft again but like most things in life, stuff happens.

Fortunately I’ve been unintentionally researching for this post for years. Here’s what happens when you miss a flight and what you can do about it.

Under The Right Circumstances

Many of us who’ve ever flown on a route with a connecting flight have missed a flight due to a late connection. In those cases you’re put on the next available flight by the airline, an inconvenience but without the complications of missing your first flight from the airport altogether. This post is about the latter case, when, for whatever reason, you’ve shown up at the airport too late to check-in. The first thing to do is breathe and stay calm, in most cases it’s not the costly end-of-the-world mistake you may be thinking.

Misconceptions

For starters, you’re not the only one. 2% of all travelers who show up two hours before a flight don’t make it and around 70,000 American Airlines fliers have missed flights in the United States alone due to excessive security line wait times alone. Given the numbers of people missing flights, the airlines have incorporated some flexibility for customers to handle such circumstances.

Know When It’s A Lost Cause

Prior to getting to the security line, your major deadline is check-in. For most flights if you’re not at the airline counter 45 minutes before departure, checked bags or not, you’re probably not making that particular flight. You should do all you can to make it on time but know when it’s time to start thinking about alternative options. Trivially stressful events like soccer matches can increase your chances of a heart attack and a missed flight isn’t worth a hospital visit.

Once you’ve accepted the inevitable, begin politically pivoting to get on another flight and pay as little as possible for it.

Black Hat Travel Hacking: How To Miss Flights For Free – The first rule is not to admit fault; a flat tire or traffic accident closing highway lanes are best. (A lot of airlines have a ‘flat-tire’ rule.)

Anecdotally, several airlines have policies that allow passengers to re-book flights with no penalties if they’re no later than 2 hours of the scheduled flight.

Internet Ahead

For close calls (i.e. missed flights within 2 hours) go to the check-in desk and explain your story. (Or as Spock would say, exaggerate the truth.) When you arrive at the airport, be sure to tell the staff you’re running very late for a flight so they can push you to the front of the check-in line – you might get lucky if there are any flight delays.

In cases where you’ve really screwed up the times, say A.M. with P.M., be calm, collected, and use The Art Of War to get on the desk agent’s good side but first call ahead to the airline. At worst, you’re likely to pay a re-booking penalty of $100-200, and while it’s not the best news, it’s a lot better than having to pay for a completely new ticket.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More