Budget Travel

Low-priced smarTours

2012-02-06T11:30:00.002-05:00

Last year my friend Marilyn talked about having taken a safari to Kenya, and this year she is planning a Russian river cruise. Both are with a company based in New York called smarTours, http://smartours.com.
She said they were a good deal, so I decided to check out their Web site and I tend to agree. While I am not generally a fan of tours because I believe they insulate you too much from the real experience of travel, in some circumstances they are advisable, even preferable. For example, I imagine it would be a lot of hassle, very expensive (and possibly dangerous) to visit the African wildlife parks on one's own. Some people do it, but for most of us a tour is the best way to go. I certainly enjoyed the photo safari tour I took.
Smartours has a 12 day trip visiting some of the top game parks in Kenya, and the price starts at $3859 including air fare from New York and taxes. The river cruise Marilyn is taking from St. Petersburg to Moscow along the Volga lasts 12 days and prices start at $2789 including most meals and a lot of sightseeing. A similar cruise along the Dnieper River and Black Sea in Ukraine has a base price of $2669. Single supplements are generally reasonable.
One trip that intrigued me was for 14 days to Turkey, including Cappadocia, Ankara and Antalya, starting at just $1899. This works out to about $130 per day, a very low rate for everything that is included.
If you like tours, this company may be worth checking out.

Cruise Ship Discounts

2012-02-01T09:17:00.003-05:00

There's nothing like a picture published worldwide of a half-sunk megaship off the rocky coast of Italy to make people think twice about taking a cruise. The tragedy of the Costa Concordia will not, I hope, have any lasting negative impact on the cruise industry, but it is bound to make some people think twice. That in turn is leading to price reductions, even on some very expensive cruises.
The website http://vacationstogo.com keeps track of cruise bargains, and there are some amazing ones out there, such as Seabourn Cruises starting at about $300 per day, a huge reduction from normal fares on this luxury line. Some bargain cruises start at less than $100 per day for short cruises in the Caribbean. When you consider that a cruise includes not just lodging but meals and transportation, even $300 per day per person can stack up well compared to other forms of transportation.
The lines usually make a lot of money on shore excursions, but by researching your cruise stops in advance you can often figure out ways to see the sights at lower cost. For example, in Piraeus, the port for Athens, you can take the subway downtown instead of an expensive excursion, and walk up to the Acropolis on your own (provided, that is, there are no strikes on the subway or at historic sites.)
While ship travel is generally very safe, security at sea is always a concern. The tendency of the cruise industry to promote cruise ships as floating hotels may lure passengers into too much complacency. The last time I sailed on the QE2 (the ship, not the monetary policy) in September, 2001 I was reassured when the Sunday service included the singing of the traditional sailors' hymn "Eternal Fatheer Strong to Save" with its line about those in peril on the sea. That seemed to be a ship where safety was not taken for granted.

Clearwater Beach Bargains

2012-01-26T11:56:00.003-05:00

I recently returned from spending time in beautiful Clearwater Beach, a resort on the west coast of Florida (and in some ways wish I were still there.) I was pleased to discover that there are still many bargains in the area, particularly on restaurants. This is now high season, so lodging bargains are scarcer.
Most restaurants in this part of the world serve basically American fare, though there are also ethnic eateries. One of the best of the latter is the Columbia Restaurant, a Cuban place with more than 100 years at its original Tampa location. There are several branches, including one on Sand Key where in good weather you can eat right beside the inland waterway, where you can sometimes see dolphins frolicking. I usually have the arroz con pollo or chicken with yellow rice, a filling dish I remember from childhood when I visited the Tampa restaurant with my parents. At $8.95 it is a tasty bargain, especially considering it is served with warm bread. The large house salad is also very good, a meal in itself.
Bob Heilman's Beachcomber on Clearwater Beach is known for its good but pricey home cooking. But at the associated Bobby's Wine Bistro, you can enjoy a burger and a glass of good wine for a very reasonable price--less than $20 per person, and it too comes with warm homemade bread.
The Sandpearl is a new luxury hotel that stands on the site where the Clearwater Beach Hotel was for about 100 years. Its restaurant is moderately priced for lunch, especially if you pass on the alcohol. I was not much impressed by a grilled chicken sandwich, but a friend raved about a steak sandwich that cost $12. This place has a great view of the beach, and pleasant service.
Perhaps the best bargain among the more elegant restaurants is at the Island Way Grill on Clearwater Beach. It is an early bird special, which means you have to order by 5:30 p.m. But if you do, you get two early dinners for $25, and low prices on house wines and house drinks. Best of all, the meals are filling and very tasty. Try the salmon croquettes or other seafood dishes. I particularly love the mashed potatoes made with pungent wasabi mustard, which come with virtually every choice. Save this restaurant for a time when you are especially hungry.

Some Good News about Airlines

2012-01-19T05:27:00.003-05:00

At last I received a cheque from Continental Airlines (http://continentalairlines.com) reimbursing me for the cost I incurred last July for a hotel room when my connecting flight out of Cleveland was cancelled for mechanical reasons. It took more than four months, partly because it was hard to discover from the airline's Website what the proper procedure was to request a refund. Continental is in the process of merging with United Airlines, so this may also have had something to do with the delay. In any case, it is good to be aware that refunds in cases like these can take a long time.
My friend Margaret (yes, same first name) recently flew for the first time on Toronto-based Porter Airlines (http://flyporter.com) and reported a good experience. Her route took her from Montreal to Toronto's Island Airport, where she said facilities were good with free coffee and wi-fi, and on to Chicago's Midway Airport. Porter flies the Bombardier Q400 series turboprops, a short takeoff and landing plane. This is not the same STOL plane I remember that used to fly between Ottawa and Montreal, but a new quieter version. According to Margaret, the centre aisle is very narrow (fortunately she is slim and in very good shape) and there is limited on=board space for carry-on luggage. On the positive side, there was a free snack and free wine, beer, coffee and soft drinks.
Porter is growing quickly, and now offers service not just within Canada but to many U.S .destinations. In April of this year they will begin service to Washington DC. I'm not sure what Margaret paid for her trip, but the price must have been very competitive because she is one of those people who often crosses the U.S. border in search of cheap flights.
Earlier this week I had my second experience with West Jet (http://westjet.com) on flights from Tampa to Montreal via Toronto. It was a very stormy day across the Ohio Valley and central Canada, but we made it with just about an hour's delay at Toronto. Service was good and even included free beer or wine on the second leg of the journey, but I wish some West Jet flight attendants would not confuse themselves with stand-up comedians. It's all right to be friendly and casual, but some of them take it too far and seem somewhat unprofessional.

January Travel Bargains

2012-01-11T13:01:00.004-05:00

January is probably the cheapest month of the year to travel, at least in the northern hemisphere. Because it follows the holidays when many people have overspent, few choose to travel for pleasure this month. Accordingly, hotels, airlines and cruise ships tend to drop their rates to try to attract guests.
My most recent visit to New York City was in January about a decade ago. I was pleased to find a nice hotel room in a convenient location for something in the area of $120, plus of course the city's pesky hotel tax and various other taxes that brought the nightly charge to about $150. Imagine my surprise, then, when on checking prices on http://orbitz.com recently, I found rates for January in chain hotels in midtown for less than $100--the Best Western President Hotel at Times Square has rates starting at $95, while the Hilton Garden Inn New York on W. 35th Street offers rooms for as little as $98, I suppose we have the economic downturn to thank for the lower rates.
And it's not just in New York--in Washington a room at the Four Points by Sheraton at 12th and K can cost as little as $80. Even the elegant Mayflower, haunt of the rich and famous, has some offerings starting at $149, while for $125 you can score a double room with full service kitchen at the Carlyle Suites Hotel at 1731 New Hampshire Avenue. The latter option would be especially good for families and longer stays, since eating in is almost always cheaper than eating out.
In Chicago, the pleasant Allerton Hotel has rates as low as $119 a night, while the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown beats them by $10.
If the cold of northern cities does not appeal, consider Las Vegas or a Caribbean cruise. Prices at some Vegas hotels are amazingly low--from $22 for a room at the Hooters Casino Hotel or at Circus Circus, from $29 at the Excalibur. Online reviews of these hotels are not particularly good, but at these prices can you complain? Or what about a Caribbean cruise for six nights to the Western part of that sea? On one of the ships of Carnival Cruises an inside cabin goes for as little as $309 per person, and you get to visit Key West, Florida, Grand Cayman Island, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
You can find similar deals on other travel Websites and in other parts of the world. January in Europe tends to be cold and rainy or snowy, but since most European attractions are indoors, it can be a good time for a visit. I read one story by an expat who lives in Rome and said it was about the only time of the year when the city is not overrun by tourists and pilgrims.

The Simple Life in P.E.I.

2012-01-06T14:13:00.004-05:00

Last summer my friend and former neighbour Joan packed up her dogs and cats, bought a new car and set off on an adventure. It wasn't just a vacation, she had sold her condo in Montreal and was relocating to Prince Edward Island in the Maritime provinces of Canada. She had bought sight unseen an old farmhouse with five acres of land about a 30 minute drive from Charlottetown, the provincial capital. The house had not been lived in for several years and had some condition issues, which is one reason that the price was, if I remember right, $57,000, far lless than Joan received for her Montreal condo.
The Maritimes are one part of Canada where real estate prices are still reasonable. About a decade ago another friend was considering buying a place in rural Newfoundland, where houses then were selling for as little as $10,000.
I caught up with Joan again at New Year's, and was happy to learn that she is settling in well,, having done a lot of work on the house to make it habitable for winter. Joan enjoys renovation work and is good at it. She has also been fortunate in finding friendly neighbours, and her dogs love being able to run free on the property.
Now that cold weather is setting in and the wood stove is working, Joan has more time to herself and I am trying to persuade her to write some guest posts here or start her own blog about her experience of moving to the country. She grew up in Edinburgh and lived for many years in Montreal, so it is all new to her. Here's an excerpt from her email: "the potato fields are now ploughed over and the other crops, barley I think, are now just stubble and of course the trees are bare. I take the dogs out across the fields at the back of the house twice a day, and into the woods on my property. Weather permitting we go to the beach about a 10-minute drive from here."
Lots of people dream of moving to the country for a less expensive and lower stress lifestyle. Forget Provence and Tuscany, for low-cost living you need look no further than the Maritimes. They speak English, and you have access to all the usual Canadian services including health care, llibraries and universities (health care only if you are Canadian or a legal immigrant, of course.)

Travel Review Sites less User Friendly

2012-01-01T08:56:00.004-05:00

I used to post hotel reviews on the Website http://TripAdvisor.com from time to time. I tried to do it recently, and found that instead of just writing what I thought about the hotel I had to give it a numerical ranking on a number of items and follow a set format. Please--review for free, and also follow their format to the letter. No thanks.
Then I remembered that a friend had talked about writing a review for http://Booking.com, and checked that out. I didn't try writing a review, but noticed that the reviews they gave for one hotel also seemed to have numerical rankings, so I suspect they must have a similar system.
There are a lot of problems with crowdsourcing when it comes to travel, so I suppose these sites are just trying to standardize things to some extent. I guess it's OK for those who are willing to comply with their requirements, but to me it is asking too much of reviewers. It's not like we're getting paid, after all.
In any case, both thesee sites are worth checking for up-to-date experiences of real travellers. But, as always, it is reader beware, since one person's standardsand requirements can be very different from another's. That is why I still rely mostly on guidebooks and sites of travel writers who have a lot of experience.
Happy New Year.

Time and Money for Travel

2011-12-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

Ask anyone who likes to travel why they don't travel as much as they would like, and the answer usually comes down to two factors: not enough time or not enough money. The time factor is very real, particularly for North Americans who are in conventional jobs. We tend to get far shorter vacations than, for instance, Western Europeans. And in these very difficult economic times, many people are afraid to take even the amount of vacation time to which they are entitled, for fear that they will be regarded as not being "team players."For older or retired people, the problem is usually money. Now they have the time to travel, but their pensions don't stretch that far. Health issues can also be a consideration for the senior crowd.I can't claim to have the solution for everyone, but I can tell you that if you are determined to travel there is usually a way. Don't put off that dream trip until you retire--find a way to take it now. Many things can happen in a period of 30 or 40 years that can make that trip impossible or less desirable--changes of government, health problems, environmental degradation, even climate shifts.When I was in my 20s I did what financial planners say you should never do, raided my retirement accounts to fund trips and education, and I don't regret it at all. Travelling when you are young is easier than it will be later on. Even if you are in a career path like medicine or law where you are required to keep your nost ot the grindstone for a number of years, there are often ways to combine travel with professional experience--medical volunteer opportunities, international law conferences, etc.In a business career it is very desirable now to have fluent command of a foreign language, and few employers will look askance at a year or more spent travelling if it allowed you to acquire fluent Mandarin, Arabic, or even the more usual Spanish, French or German. Even with the worldwide spread of English as a second language, those who can converse at a high level in one or more foreign languages can command a premium in the job market.Teaching has always offered plentiful opportunities for travel, via academic conferences, long bacations, and teaching English abroad, and for the most part that continues to be true.The lack of money problem is a little harder to solve, but with research and determination you should be able to keep travel costs under control. I will try in the next year to offer you some new and interesting ways to save money on travel, and I wish you all a Happy New Year.
Labels: career planning, travel budget, vacation time

Year End Review

2011-12-19T13:26:00.002-05:00

We're heading into the holidays, time for a brief review of developments in budget travel this year. It's been a mixed picture. Widespread economic problems have tended to help keep prices down, but have also impacted the ability of many people to travel at all.
And the tendency in developed and developing countries alike toward a bifurcated society, with a few people at the top able to pay big bucks while the majority struggle, applies also to travel. I enjoy Peter Greenberg's travel expertise, and was interested when his blog mentioned new low-cost hotels in New York City. Unfortunately, his idea of low-cost starts at $250 per night.On the upside, there are always new hostels and real budget hotels opening around the world, even in pricey Moscow, and the options for low-cost nontraditional travel are many. In addition to lodgings run by religious organizations, groups such as http://couchsurfing.com and http://friendshipforce.org provide the opportunity to meet and stay with locals at little or no cost.I have yet to experience couchsurfing, and have perhaps written too much about Friendship Force. The latter deserves to be better known, since it is open to everyone regardless of age or ability to put up travellers. Even if you live where there is no chapter of the group, a lot of exchanges are open to non-members, or you may be able to join a nearby chapter. If you are really ambitious, you can get together with your friends are form a new chapter.
On the airline front things seem mostly to go from bad to worse. I have rarely had problems when travelling by air, but this was my year. I am still waiting to be paid $176 Continental Airlines owes me for a hotel stay nearly six months ago. They probably hope I will eventually give up, but that is not going to happen. On the plux side, I was very pleasantly surprised by my first experience in many years of service and equipment on Aeroflot Russian Airlines, even on routes within Russia. It's light years ahead of its Soviet-era predecessor, and of some Western airlines.
Finally, on a personal note I want to offer birthday wishes to one of my best friends, Dr. Valerie Broege.
Labels: Aeroflot, Continental Airlines, couchsurfing, Friendship Force, Valerie Broege

Cruising on the Yenisey

2011-12-13T11:57:00.004-05:00

Several years ago I was fascinated by a traveller's account of a trip on the Yenisey River of eastern Siberia. This river runs from southern Siberia all the way to the Arctic Ocean, and along its upper reaches it is the main transportation artery for many remote towns. I never was able to find any information on how to travel on this river, but have now discovered a way, thanks to the Lonely Planet Russia guidebook.
Sib Tour Guide (http://sibtourguide.com/) is a Website run by a resident of Krasnoyarsk who offers booking for Yenisey River cruises, as well as a homestay with the site owner and his family, and an apartment for rent in Krasnoyarsk, a town on the TransSiberian Railway. Nature lovers can also stay at a typical Russian dacha in the area.
The cruises can last for several days, and the pictures of the ships are appealing. Some cruises run all the way to Norilsk, a major mining centre near the Arctic Ocean. However, Norilsk is closed to most foreigners expect by special invitation. Not a bad thing, perhaps, since it is also one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The chance to see such a remote part of the world in relative comfort sounds very intriguing, at least to me. Cruises run only in summer.

Montreal Budget Hotels-Centre West Area

2011-12-08T16:37:00.003-05:00

Recently my friend Ewa Jarmicka of Toronto said she was visiting Montreal and wanted to locate a nice, inexpensive place to stay in the west central area of the city, home to some expensive hostelries like the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth, Chapeau Champlain, and the Sofitel. At first I was stumped, but then I remembered the hotel run by the YWCA at the corner of Rene Levesque Boulevard and Crescent Street. Back in the day, I stayed there when I first started working as a business reporter at The Gazette.
Ewa was able to get a single room with bath there through http://booking.com/ for $67 a night, and reported that the place was basic but very clean. She said she would be writing a detailed review on the booking.com Website.
Not far away, the YMCA near the corner of Stanley and de Maisonneuve and right opposite a Metro entrance also has rooms for rent, but they lack private bath, so rates should be even lower.
Closer to the YWCA is a new budget hotel in a renovated Victorian greystone called Hotel A2K, where rooms start as low as $67. This hotel is run by the same people who manage the popular Indian restaurant next door, the Buffet Maharajah, and based on the pictures looks quite nice.
Montreal has become a fairly expensive city in the last few years, so it is good to know that there are still options for budget travel even when the university residences are filled with students, not tourists.

Advice for Travelling Light

2011-12-04T09:59:00.003-05:00

I have discovered a Website, www.onebag.com, that offers a lot of information on various types of luggage for those who want to travel with just one bag, thus avoiding checked bag charges and the hassles of dealing with luggage that is too heavy for comfort.
While I applaud the concept of travelling light, I did not find myself agreeing with all of this writer's advice. His concept of keeping a packing list is useful, and something I do for each trip. But I have never travelled without checking a small bag, and never expect to. With current restrictions on what can be put in carry-on bags, it is just too difficult. I find it essential to carry small scissors and relatively large quantities of various gel products, larger than the 3 ounce size allowed in carry-ons.
For me what works best is checking a small wheeled bag, small enough to be a carry-on, and taking a large very lightweight carry-on that I bought for $10 many years ago. The checked bags too are inexpensive, purchased at a dollar-type store near my home, and have stood up remarkably well.
If you are determined to travel with just a carry-on, the Website could be useful, since it includes reviews of a number of different types of bags. Surprisingly, the writer recommends not using wheeled bags. To each his own.
However you do it, though, do keep the weight of your luggage down. I recently travelled with a group where everyone except me was worrying about being over the limit, I think it was 50 pounds, for both checked and carry-on bags, and they didn't seem to be having much fun at the airports.
A disadvantage of travelling light is that you may have to buy items along the way, but that gives you a chance to interact with the locals and observe trends in retail around the world. For example, I had to buy a light weight blouse in Russia and the only place nearby was a Zara store. A wash and wear cotton blouse was nicely made, but cost about $70, more than twice what a similar item would probably cost at Zara in Montreal.

Guest Blog on New Zealand "Bargains"

2011-11-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

My peripatetic friend and fellow travel writer Paul Glassman sends the following about his recent travels in New Zealand:
"New Zealand is exotic and scenic and homey and surely one of the places to see before you depart. But oh, the sticker shock! With a currency that attracts unwarranted attention from speculators, visitors can be in for unpleasant surprises as the value of the NZ ollar travels like a yo-yo. On a recent day, eggs cost 40 cents a piece, butter--an export item--was over $7 a pound in local markets, and gasoline came in at over $6 (all figures in US dollars.)
Do your homework, though, and you can bring costs into line.
Stay in motorcamps or older hotels in country towns. "Holiday camps" have a range of accommodation from campsites to motel rooms. A good value are cabins, little private rooms with common bathrooms and showers otuside. Price per night can range from $35 to $45. As a bonus, there are shared kitchens. Even if you don't cook for yourself, these are great places to meet your fellow travelers of all ages. In the center of older towns, similar values can be found in hotels that seem to come straight out of Gunsmoke. There's a sink in the room, and a bathroom down the hall.
Check the Inernet for bus passes with companies like NakedBus.com and MagicBus.co.nz.Conditions can be abstruse, but generally you can hop on and off at national parks and beach towns that are otherwise difficult and expensive to reach by public transport.
For flights, check JetStar.com. In a high-priced landscape, fares can be as low as $50 between Auckland on North Island and Christchurch on South Island.
Compare rental car offers. While Hertz has small cars for over $80 per day, Jucy.co.nz will set you up for as little as $22 daily, with a vehicle that is a few years old.
Restaurant prices seem outrageous, until you consider that tax and service are included. Service workers earn a fair wage, and tipping is considered a strange American habit. And considering high food prices in stores, you'll often find fair value when you eat out.
If you're shopping for your own food, best values are at supermarkets and warehouse stores in urban centers.
Prices for day trips, bicycle rentals cruises and the like are still more than I (and perhaps you) would like to pay, but if you follow these tips, you should keep your costs at a reasonable level. Not to mention that the fjords, glaciers, volcanoes, beaches, wines and flora are priceless."

Amazing Bargain Tour to Russia and Ukraine

2011-11-24T09:05:00.004-05:00

If you are looking for a low-cost trip to Russia and Ukraine, it will be hard to beat one being offered by Friendship Force (http://www.friendshipforce.com/) starting next May 1. The trip includes a week's homestay in Lugansk, Ukraine and a week's homestay in Moscow, and is organized by the FFI club of Brisbane, Australia, but open to all. Cost for the two weeks? A mere $525 U.S.

Naturally, this doesn't include air fare, visa cost or insurance, but it is still incredible. It is easy to spend $525 on one night's stay at a luxury hotel in Moscow alone. I was sorely tempted by this trip, but will probably pass because I would be replicating the Moscow sight-seeing I did on my FFI trip earlier this year. Much as I love Moscow and its sights, I'm more interested now in improving my Russian, which could stand a great deal of improvement.

Lugansk is a smallish city in southeastern Ukraine, the more industrial part of the country. While it isn't known for its sights or history, I imagine the home hospitality will be amazing.

Right now there are still 25 places available on this tour, and you can find out more about it on the Friendship Force Website--click the segment marked "Experience the World" and scroll down.

Pictured above are some of the beautiful embroideries that were for sale in Zaporozhe, Ukraine, not far from Lugansk, in 2010.

Free London Attractions

2011-11-18T14:28:00.002-05:00

Check out the Lonely Planet site (http://www.lonelyplanet.com) for an article listing 20 free attractions in pricey London, England. Many of the city;s top things to see are without price, from the British Museum to the Houses of Parliament, the Victoria and Albert Museum to the older and modern branches of the Tate Museum. All the signs are in English, and the locals speak a language you can sometimes understand.
Seriously, London is a wonderful city to visit, even if you have to save up for a while to afford it. The Lonely Planet story doesn't mention it, but you can spend days at places like the British Museum, not just viewing wonderful exhibits like the Rosetta Stone and the Sutton Hoo treasure (ancient gold relics found in an English farmer's field,) but attending lectures by experts and reading your way through the books in the former Reading Room of the British Library, now housed in this museum. Last time I was there I speed read several of the wonderful books on Arabia written by British explorer Freya Stark. While you're in the Reading Room, you can think of some of your distinguished predecessors in this place, from Chrales Dickens to Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
I understand that London can be a difficult place in which to live, with traffic problems, exorbitant rents, and all of the usual urban hassles. But for the visitor the city has an enormous amount to offer, and much of it is free. If you can find an inexpensive place to stay, through a package tour or by lodging at a student residence, it can be relatively affordable. The city is a good winter destination, because while it rains frequently it very rarely snows, and other tourists are few in number.

Beware the Middle Seat

2011-11-13T09:52:00.002-05:00

I recently booked a flight with Travelocity (http://www.travelocity.com) and found that I had a choice of seats on the second leg of my flight. However, all the choices were middle seats. Several years ago seats booked through Travelocity or its competitors seemed usually to be at the very back of the plane. I don't know whether the middle seat thing is common now, but I'm willing to put up with it for savings on flights.
On this trip I changed at DCA, otherwise known as Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. In Montreal if you are flying to this airport you use a special gate, and a security official came in and told everyone to leave while she "secured the area." I'm not sure how she did this (there was opaque glass blocking my view,) but she was holding a long metal implement with a mirror on one end of it, similar to the instruments border guards in the Soviet Union used to put underneath vehicles entering or leaving that country by land borders. They apparently did this to check for bombs or stowaways (though I don't think there were many people then trying to sneak in.) Today, with the rise of the national security state it isn't just in totalitarian regimes where one encounters walls taller than the one that used to divide Berlin--think Israel and Palestine, or the U.S. and Mexico.
On the bright side of this trip, this time there was no requirement to stay seated for an hour before landing, as there was for a while after 9/11 on flights into Reagan. This flight was lovely, right over leafy northwest Washington and Georgetown, my old 'hood, along the sparkling Potomac past the Washington and Jefferson memorials and onto the runway.

Airline Complaints Website

2011-11-07T18:36:00.002-05:00

I recently discovered the site http://www.airlinecomplaints.org, where travellers can register their problems with airline and view the experience and advice of their fellow sufferers, er I mean travellers. You need to register to post a complaint, but you can find some useful advice without registering.
It's now been more than three months since I sent a letter to Continental Airlines requesting payment of a hotel bill incurred when that airline cancelled my flight for mechanical reasons. (Airlines are required to put travellers up when a cancellation is for mechanical problems, but not when it results from weather problems.)
I called the airline again last week and was assured a supervisor would call me back later that day, but to my complete lack of surprise I heard no more from them. I am determined to collect the money Continental owes me, but based on what I read on the Website it may take quite a while longer. Unfortunately, it is not just Continental that gets a lot of complaints from customers. Wish I had some good advice for these types of situations, but other than not travelling by air I can't think of any.

Another Heartland Hotel Bargain

2011-11-03T13:26:00.004-04:00

My peripatetic cousin Pat Piton has unearthed another good hotel deal in South Dakota, one of the states he visits regularly. This one is the Ortman Hotel and Brick Oven Restaurant in Canistota SD, where a single room with bath but no television or air conditioning goes for just $23.95 a night, or $27.95 if you stay just one night. Most rooms have both TV and AC, and start at $33.95 for one, $37.95 for two, and four dollars more for a one night stay. These prices were in effect in 2010, may be slightly higher now. The telephone no. of the hotel is 1-800-801-3132.
I think Pat must take after our great-grandmother Lucie, who moved from Quebec City to Chicago in order to become a successful milliner back around the turn of the 20th century. He has an amazing eye for a bargain. During the summer he found a place to stay at a nurse's residence in Sheridan WY for only $15 per night. Just goes to show that if you look, you can often find inexpensive places to stay.

More Monastery Madness

2011-10-30T08:55:00.004-04:00

I recently discovered a good online source for lodging in monasteries, convents and guest houses with religious affiliation. It is http://www.goodnightandgodbless.com/accommodation.htm. It covers places around the world, not just those in traditionally Christian countries like Italy, France and Belgium.
For the most part, monasteries and their ilk provide clean, quiet, lodging for travellers at lower cost than hotels with similar amenities. Since the beginnings of monasteries in the early Middle Ages, some religious orders have made hospitality for travellers and pilgrims a large part of their mission. That tradition continues today, sometimes in surprising places.
Even in the hedonistic beach resort of Mombasa, Kenya you can take refuge in a guest house with Christian affiliation. And in pricey Reykjavik, Iceland, there is a Salvation Army guest house right downtown where a single room goes for about $60 a night.
Some other interesting choices include the New Valama Russian Orthodox monastery in Finland and the Monasterium Poort Ackere in the centre of medieval Ghent, Belgium, At the latter, rooms start at 46 euros per night. And who knew that monasteries catered to spa travellers? At least one does, near Kobelnz, Germany, where nuns with training in mind-body wellness operate a health resort in the picturesque rolling hills near the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers.
For extensive travels, you might want to invest in one or more of the three guidebooks associated with this site.

Universitetskaya Hotel

2011-10-24T13:09:00.002-04:00

I have discovered another budget priced hotel in Moscow, an expensive city. No sorry, it's not in the Kremlin, but it is well located near Moscow State University, hence the name Universitetskaya Hotel (http://www.hotel-universitet.ru.)
I had heard of the hotel before, but thought it was open only to people studying at the university. It is managed by the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church, and open to all. (However, the hotel's Website talks about its quiet, homey atmosphere, so don't expect party central.) Single rooms with bath and breakfast start at 1800 rubles, about $75, and basic doubles start at twice that amount. There is free parking, a rarity in Moscow, and the hotel is in a green area of the Sparrow (formerly Lenin) Hills.
It sounds like a good bet for those looking for a peaceful refuge in a busy city that is not far from downtown. It is rated three stars and is 15 storeys tall.

Tour d'Afrique for Bicycle Adventures

2011-10-20T11:45:00.003-04:00

For those who enjoy cycling and camping, Tour d'Afrique (http://www.tourdafrique.com) provides plenty of choice in overseas adventures. The company, based in Toronto, started out offering a bicycle tour from Cairo to Capetown, the length of Africa. They still offer this option, but have added many others.
I learned about the company by attending a very interesting illustrated lecture in Montreal by Victor Breedon. I had seen the lecture announcement, about a tour by bicycle from Istanbul to Samarkand, and knew I couldn't miss it. The Silk Road through Central Asia is one of my dream trips. I assumed Mr. Breedon would be a young man who had done the trip on his own, which would be a remarkable accomplishment. To my surprise he turned out to be 60-something, and to have done the trip with a group, still a remarkable accomplishment. He said that the trip, which lasted about two months, cost in the region of $6,000.
The entire Silk Road trip goes all the way to Beijing, but it is possible to take only some segments of the route, as Mr. Breedon did. Tour d'Afrique also has other routes through South America, North America, Europe and Asia. Most of them involve some camping and some nights spent in hotels. Buses accompany the bikers and provide refuge for those who become exhausted en route. Crossing the Andes or the KaraKum desert as their trips do, I would be in the bus all the time I suspect.
For the more adventurous, though, these tours sound like a very good deal. Be prepared for rugged conditions--on Mr. Breedon's trip they went through about a week when they were not able to bathe, and as for toilets, best not to ask. I wish someone would offer a Silk Road trip on donkeys or camels.

Yelp.com Hard to Access

2011-10-17T13:39:00.003-04:00

I was hoping to use the Website http://www.yelp.com to talk about my experience with Continental Airlines http://www.Continentalairlines.com (I'm still waiting to be reimbursed,) but found that I was not able to sign on to the site. My computer is reasonably new, so I don't know what the problem was.
On a brighter note, I was finally able to get through to comeone at Continental who gave me information I should have been given a lot earlier. She said that in order to receive reimbursement for a hotel I paid for when a flight was cancelled for mechanical reasons, I needed to send in the original receipt from the hotel (I had sent a copy.) Now I have to go through the whole maneuvre again, wait for mail to be received and sent, etc., etc., but it does look as if I will finally be getting back the money I was promised. It would be very helpful if the airlines could set out clear guidelines on their Websites on what to do in cases like this, since it is very difficult to reach anyone who can be helpful by telephone.
Incidentally, I discovered that at least with Continental, I should have pressed the button for feedback rather than the one for refunds (go figure.) I can't promise this will work with other airlines.
My travel problem pales in comparison to one I heard about last night, from a friend who was pickpocketed in Rome and lost all his ID, passport, credit cards, cash etc. the day before he was supposed to return to Montreal. Luckily he was travelling with his girlfriend who was able to get him some money. He said the Canadian embassy in Rome was not helpful because it was a weekend and they were closed. However, he was able to get on his return flight without a passport even though everyone except his travel agent had told him it would be impossible. He got on the return flight by going to the airport and speaking with a supervisor of his airline. Just goes to show you should never take no for an answer, and that travel agents can be worth their money.

Budget Travel Russia

2011-10-10T11:11:00.003-04:00

Russia must be one of the most difficult countries in the world for the average budget traveller. The main reason is the plethora of restrictions that the Russian Federation continues to impose on foreign visitors--not just expensive visas that are difficult to obtain on your own, but registration requirements that make it almost impossible to travel around the country other than on a pre-arranged itinerary.
Therefore, a Website like http://www.budgettravelrussia.com is a welcome addition. Much of this site is still under construction, but what is there is useful, especially information for those planning to travel across the country on the Trans Siberian Railway. The site offers advice on what to bring, even on which berths to choose depending on your budget and number of companions, if any.
The site inlcudes helpful links to hostel and hotel booking services, as well as information on some of the country's best known tourist attractions. Once all the items listed on the home page actually exist, the site will probably be even more useful.
According to some surveys, Moscow is now the world's most expensive city. Having been there recently, I do not believe this. Perhaps for certain types of top end travellers and expats living there it is true, but certainly not for the average visitor. A ticket on the very extensive Moscow Metro costs about $1 (compared with $3 in Montreal,) and it is possible to find a quite decent hotel room with huge delicious buffet breakfast for less than $100 a night. That is very hard to do in most large cities of North America. Food costs are comparable to those in North America, and some items (vodka, beer, wine) are considerably cheaper.
This is somewhat tongue in cheek, but another method to visit Russia on a budget is to visit Ukraine instead. Ukraine does not have the extensive visa and registration requirements that plague the Russian traveller, prices there are comparable to or lower than in Russia, and the country is quite similar. In fact, the Russian culture which has now spread so widely, across the largest country in the world, originated in Kievan Rus.

Currency Volatility

2011-10-05T10:01:00.003-04:00

Fluctuations in the value of currencies can have a big impact on travel costs. In recent weeks the U.S. dollar has gained significantly and is up nearly nine cents against the Canadian dollar, more than 10 cents compared with the euro.
While it is impossible to protect yourself totally against the impact of currency changes on travel costs, there are ways to minimize the problem. Once you have committed to a trip by buying an airline ticket or a tour package, you can estimate what your out-of-pocket spending will be in foreign currency and go buy that amount. (Currency exchange offices usually have slightly better rates than banks.) Then, whatever happens, you will have enough money in local currency to enjoy the trip.
If you travel to a particular country or region frequently, it can pay off to stockpile some currency for future trips, either in cash or in travellers cheques. (I still have some Swiss franc travellers cheques I bought in the 80s--not a great financial investment, but psychologically comforting.) Canadians are fortunate in having the possibility of opening bank accounts in U.S. dollars. I have one account that actually pays a little (very little) interest.
And if you visit one particular country very often, you may want to open a bank account in that country.
Any readers who have other suggestions on how to deal with currency issues, I'd like to hear them.

Where is this Mosque?

2011-09-30T14:19:00.003-04:00

You would be forgiven for thinking it is in Tehran or Tashkent, but in fact this handsome building is in St. Petersburg downtown near Gorkovskaya Metro station. You might also think it is probably a fairly recent addition to the city, the result of migration of Muslims from the "stans" of the former Sovier Union or elsewhere, but in reality it has stood since 1913, before the Russian Revolution diminished the role of religion in public life.

Since its founding St. Petersburg has been a cosmopolitan city, and this heritage is reflected in many beautiful places of worship. Most are Russian Orhtodox, but they include a Jewish synagogue built in 1869, a Buddhist temple built in 1913, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches.

There is so much to see in Petersburg that you probably won't have time to visit more than a fraction of it, but it is nice to know it's there.

Pictures from Siberia

2011-09-25T14:41:00.002-04:00

Last night I invited some friends over to see a selection of pictures from Siberia and elsewhere in Russia, of which the above shot of a Bactrian camel near Listvianka was one.( Only two or three people fell asleep.) Unfortunately I knew nothing about this camel, but since he appeared to be tethered in fields surrounding a wooden architecture museum I suspected he might be a tourist attraction.

I was impressed, since he was the first camel of his type I had ever seen outside a zoo. I was also interested in some of the questions people asked about the trip, such as whether we got to wander around on our own very much. I had to admit we did not, surveillance was almost as tight as it had been in Soviet days. I don't know whether this is a feature of Friendship Force tours generally, or simply of such tours in Russia. Russia does still restrict travel by foreigners, by forcing them to say where they will be staying during the period of their visas, and then having their visas registered in each city they visit. However, within cities travelling around on your own is no longer a problem.

In case of the particular circumstances of my visit to Siberia, the ability to wander around alone would not have been a big benefit. I was staying in a very comfortable house in a suburb of Irkutsk that was itself within a gated community. I did wander around some, but the only place to go was into fields or, if you wanted a very long hike, past a great number of other comfortable houses down to the gate house near the highway.

Distances in Russia and especially in Siberia are very great, so wandering around alone is not something many people would be comfortable doing, I suspect. And while very good travel experiences can come from such excursions, in travel as in life there are always trade-offs. The chance to get to know some Russians and to be a guest in their homes seemed to justify the small price of a certain arount of restriction.

I am often surprised by the misconceptions people, including myself, have of certain regions and countries. That is one of the great joys of travel, the ability to peel back at least one or two layers of the onion that constitutes other countries and cultures. On this trip I was very pleasantly surprised by Siberia, and also astounded by the extent of the icy mountain ranges I could see from the window of the plane as we flew over Greenland en route from Moscow to Washington DC.

The Bronze Horseman

2011-09-17T15:43:00.003-04:00

This statue of Peter the Great, unveiled in 1782, is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg. Located near St. Isaac's Cathedral, it inspired Alexander Pushkin, Russia's mnost beloved poet, to write his famous poem in 1833, just four years before his own death in a duel.
"And thus he mused:From here, indeed,
Shall we strike terror in the Swede;
And here a city, by our labour
Founded, shall gall our haughty neighbor."
In the poem, the writer imagines himself being pursued down St. Petersburg's streets by a horrifing statue of the Czar come back to life on his horse.

Jet Blue Deals Today

2011-09-13T10:40:00.003-04:00

It's a short term offer closing at 6 tonight, but Jet Blue airways is offering some good deals on travel between the U.S. and sun destinations. For instance, Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau for $39 each way, Boston to Bermuda for $89 each way. Travel must be on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but the offers last until mid December with the exception of two dates in late Nvoember for U.S. Thanksgiving.
Check out http://www2.jetblue.com/deals/cheepstreats/.

Celebrating the End of School

2011-09-08T15:36:00.002-04:00

I mentioned in a previous post the ceremony of Last Bell for the end of school in Eastern Siberia. The shot above is of some girls in Irkutsk wearing the colourful costumes they don for this event. Except for the red sashes and the lenfth of their skirts, I was reminded of the traditonal costumes of black and lace worn by Bretons in France.

There was, particularly before the 1917 Revolution, a strong French influence in Russia. Many members of the upper class spoke French (or English or German) better than Russian. Could the costume have actually originated in France? An interesting speculation.

Nightmares from the USSR

2011-09-03T15:35:00.005-04:00

Yes, that is the actual name of a tour of Kazakhstan organized by Kazakh Tours (http://www.kazaktours.com,) a company operating from the Netherlands that runs many itineraries in the far-away country that sound absolutely fascinating. On the Nightmares tour you visit not just two labour camps that once formed part of the Soviet gulag system, but also the remains of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and some other attractions. Except for the price (1000 euros for six days,) sign me up.
When I returned from Siberia earlier this summer, the question I was asked most often was whether I had an opportunity to visit any of the gulag camps, and my answer was no. I think it probably takes an outsider to understand the somewhat morbid appeal of places like this to the Western tourist. (Consider all the Nazi concentration camps and Holocaust memorials that now draw droves of tourists.)
Kazakh Tours also offers a number of other interesting glimpses of this little-known but very large country, the ninth largest in the world. Kazakhstan still retains close ties with Russia and has had the same ruler since independence in 1991. About a decade ago the capital of the country was moved from Almaty in the south east of the country near the border of China, to Astansa on the northern steppes not far from western Siberia. Astana has received mixed reviews, but it sounds very intriguing for its monumental modern architecture if nothing else.
If you have ever watched a Russian space mission on television, you may not have realized it was actually taking place at the space centre in Kazakhstan. Unlike many of the other "stans," Kazakhstan is relatively rich because of its oil and mineral wealth.
Now that this part of the world is opening up to tourism, it is good that a company like Kazakh Tours is developing options to see it. While independent travel in the region is possible, it sounds as if it would be pretty difficult without a lot of patience and a good command of Russian.

Waiting for the Train at Port Baikal

2011-08-31T14:43:00.005-04:00

My friend and travel mate on the Russia trip, Carol Ann Stoney, is shown above while we were waiting to board the Circum Baikal railway in late May. Carol Ann and her family farm in southern Wisconsin, and I had not met her or any of the other fellow travellers before the trip.

Our backgrounds are fairly different, although we're both only children from the Midwest.

Carol Ann is an amazingly talented and hard working person, always doing some kind of handiwork while sitting in a bus or plane. She and her husband attend a farmer's market in Dubuque, Iowa every Saturday, where they sell mainly vegetables and fruit and samples of her crocheting, embroidery and knitting. Believe it or not,she and her husband has hardly missed a Saturday in 40 years. Carol Ann created a beautiful embroidered table runner for our lovely host in Irkutsk, and was kind enough to add my name.

I really enjoyed travelling with Carol Ann and the other Friendship Force(http://www.friendshipforce.org/) members, mainly from Dubuque but including some from Nevada and Texas. I'm a convert, having recently sent in my application to join the FFI chapter in Montreal. If the people I met on this trip, both American and Russian, are typical of Friendship Force members, I can't think of a nicer group to join.

The Catherine Palace

2011-08-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

Several of the most interesting buildings in St. Petersburg are not in the city itself, but in the suburb of Pushkin, formerly known as Tsarkoe Selo or Czar's Village. The wing of the Catherine Palace above looked expecially pretty with colourful flowers in front, I thought. This palace was built by Catherine the Great and named for her mother, Catherine I.

The most famous exhibit in it is the Amber Room, where photographs are forbidden. Originally a gift from Frederick the Great of Prussia, it was destroyed or disappeared sometime during World War II, when Leningrad was besieged by the Germans for some 900 days and this palace fell into German hands. The room visitors see now is an exact replica of the original, and was a significant artistic achievement in itself. It took many years, and was financed mainly by a German company in honour of the city's 300th anniversary in 2003.

Other interesting displays include costumes worn by the Empress Catherine, a beautiful ceramic clock in the entrance hall, and rooms that contain furniture similar to what would have been used in the 18th century.

If you go to Pushkin, don't miss visiting Peterhof, the even more spectacular palace built by Peter the Great that is renowned for its monumental fountains.

Twitter for Travel?

2011-08-23T09:45:00.004-04:00

I've recently signed on to Twitter (http://www.twitter.com) and you can follow me (s0mebody, please) @Westmount Writer and am discovering some travel deals advertised there. For instance, Jet Blue Airlines is supposed to post deals on Tuesdays that you can follow as Jet Blue Cheeps (cute, yes?)
A few other airlines, travel companies and writers are also listed. For a time I was being followed by a site called @London England that was supposed to be posting discount deals every day in London. When I checked a couple of days ago there didn't seem to be any activity--perhaps they were delayed by the riots?
This is an experiment with Twitter--am trying to figure out how to link posts for this blog to Twitter. Not sure how it will work out, but any source of travel bargains in these economically difficult times is worth checking out.
I would be pleased to hear from anybody who has found good travel deals through Twitter. I suppose it could be especially useful for people on the road with their mobile devices.

Sergiev Posad

2011-08-21T15:45:00.002-04:00

The beautiful church above is the Cathedral of the Assumption in the St. Sergius Trinity Monastery at Sergiev Posad, one of the holiest places in Russian Orthodox Christianity. If you ever saw the old film The Russia House, some of the outdoor scenes were shot here.

The monastery was founded by Saint Sergius Posad in the mid-14th century. The saint, who helped organize opposition to the Tatar occupation of Moscow, is a favourite of Russians. He is said to have been somewhat like Italy's Saint Francis of Assisi, a person with a special relationship with animals.

Today the monastery, which was closed for a while during Soviet times, is again very active. Some 1,000 or so young men study here for the Orthodox priesthood, and visitors to the complex are required to dress modestly.

I found this large monastery to have an atmosphere of holiness similar to that of only a few other places I have been. During my visit I lost my sunglasses, and decided to say a prayer to St. Sergius to find them again. Then I recalled leaving them in a church, and when I checked they were where I thought they would be. Not a miracle perhaps, but very helpful.

The monastery and town of Sergiev Posad lie about 75 kilometres east of Moscow. For more pictures of and information about it, check the Website http://www.sacred-destinations.com

House on the Embankment

2011-08-18T14:37:00.005-04:00

One of the more pleasant ways to sightsee in Moscow, notorious for its traffic, is on a river cruise. Cruise boats leave from Kievski Metro station, and a two hour cruise costs about $20. Among the many interesting sights you pass is the infamous House on the Embankment, showm above, on the south bank of the river near the Kremlin.

In the 1930s and 1940s many of Stalin's top generals and other advisers lived here. The building is said to contain secret staircases that security forces used to listen in on and arrest many of these people. Most of the people arrested were never heard from again.

Today the building is once again a very desirable place to live, with expensive apartments. On top (not really visible here) it boasts a very large silver coloured Mercedes-Benz symbol, ironically for a former Communist stronghold. It is, however, appropriate in light of the close ties that now connect Russia and its old enemy, Germany.

My Cottage on Lake Baikal

2011-08-14T11:02:00.005-04:00

The cottage below is the place where I actually stayed, overlooking the Small Sea of Lake Baikal, courtesy of my Irkutsk host. It has a large kitchen, four double bedrooms, two half baths and a shower room, as well as a large lounge with a gorgeous view of the lake. It is one of a group of cottages that are for rent, managed by a company whose Website is http://www.baikal-fregat.irkutsk.ru/.

The cottages are very clean and comfortable, and it is possible to rent an entire cottage or just a room in a shared cottage. Prices per person average $30 to $50, depending on the season. You must bring your own food, since it is hard to find restaurants or food stores nearby. Remember, this is the Wild East.

There are legends about the rejuvenating effects of bathing in the lake, or just washing your face in it. This is one of the few parts of the lake where people do actually swim, because the water gets fairly warm in late summer (at least warm by Canadian standards.)

What I noticed at Baikal was the clean air, such a relief from the air quality in Russia's large cities. And if you stay up late enough that other cottagers have turned off their lights, you can get a great view of the night sky, something most of us can no longer see at home. I had good intentions of staying up to see a lot of stars, but succumbed early.

The top photo is of the largest cottage in this complex. If you go, you will need to rent a four-wheel drive vehicle, since there is no actual road leading to the cottages.

Boats in Irkutsk

2011-08-11T10:43:00.002-04:00

The above picture shows the ice-breaker Angara with small boats piled in front of it, at Irkutsk. Siberia is known for its fierce winters--I was told that most people put their cars in storage for the winter, and the ice-breaker keeps the river open. The river bank at Irkutsk is lined with small cafes where locals relax in summer.

According to a small guidebook on Irkutsk, in summer it is possible to travel from Irkutsk by hydrofoil to Listvyanka, Peschanaya Bay and as far as the mysterious Olkhon Island, noted for its wildlife.

Probably everyone has heard of the Silk Road, but in Irkutsk I learned about the Tea Road that used to connect Irkutsk with Kyathka on the Mongolian border. Tea is perhaps the favourite drink of Russians, rivalled only by vodka. Until 1992 there was a large tea-packing factory in Irkutsk that shipped its products throughout the old Soviet Union.

Not Time to Panic

2011-08-08T15:25:00.004-04:00

I probably should start a new blog on investing, but in the meantime I feel compelled to say that today's big market sell-off in New York and elsewhere is not a signal to panic. Yes, the markets are under heavy pressure because of the downgrade of U.S. government debt by Standard & Poor's, European debt woes and other concerns.
It may take a while for stocks to rebound, but those who sell during a panic like the present one usually live to regret it. The only individual investors who should be selling stocks now are those who may need the money they have in stocks in the next few months. (And in that case, the money should not have been in stocks in the first place.)
However, bond investors with positions in long bonds might consider selling in the near future. While stocks were down sharply today, bonds including U.S. treasuries were up. At some point, probably fairly soon, interest rates will start to rise and that will lead to a sell-off in bonds, especially those at the long end of the yield curve, 10 year or more.
It's hard to give up the income bonds provide, but the premiums that long bonds have acquired won't last forever. Better to bite the bullet now than wish you had sold them at some point down the road, when the premium has vanished.

Vrubel fireplace, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

2011-08-08T08:24:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed a brief visit to the Tretyakov early in June, and was able to get this shot of one of the interesting objects from my favourite room, the large one devoted to the work or Maxim Vrubel, who worked in the early 20th century. It is a Majolica-fronted fireplace from the home of a rich merchant. Vrubel was one of the best-known Russian artists of the Art Nouveau period.

There is a large qoek titled "The Dream" by Vrubel nearby, with rows of chairs for visitors to contemplate it in comfort. If you don't want to pay admission to the museum, you can see one of Vrubel's mosaics atop the Metropole Hotel on Red Square.

I'm interested in Jungian psychology, and I have long had an idea about exploring the link between the psychology of Jung and Freud, with its emphasis on dreams, and the art work of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Symbolism and Art Nouveau. Maybe someday...

The Tretyakov, which is located south of the Moscow River, is well worth a visit for its collections of Russian art and icons.

The Smolny Institute

2011-08-04T10:37:00.003-04:00

I had heard about the Smolny Institute for the Education of Noble Girls for a long time, and on my recent visit to St. Petersburg finally got to see it (pictured above.) Originally a cathedral and convent, it was made into a girls' school by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. Modelled on the teachings of Voltaire (a friend of Catherine's,) it wasn't just a finishing school. Students were required to live there from age 5 to 18, and to study languages, mathematics, science and religion in addition to dancing are drama.
The Institute is also known for its architecture. It was designed by Rastrelli, who also designed the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, in neo-Classical style. Following the October Revolution of 1917, Lenin closed the school and used it as his government headquarters for some months. (He later moved his government's capital to Moscow.)
The Smolny is located on the main island of St. Petersburg, on its northeast corner somewhat far from most other attractions. Unfortunately it continues to be used for government purposes, and was not open when I was there in May. Normally a few rooms, which have been made into a museum, are open to the public.
If you are interested in Russian history and/or in the education of women (a noble endeavour,) it's a must on any visit to the Venice of the North.

Travel Travails

2011-07-31T16:03:00.003-04:00

On Friday, July 22 I was travelling from Tampa, Florida to Montreal on Continental Airlines (www.continentalairlines.com) with a connection in Cleveland, Ohio. Generally I have been fortunate with connecting flights--I can't remember the last time I didn't make a connection, but I guess trouble has to catch up with us all sometime.
On arrival in Cleveland I learned the connecting flight had been cancelled for mechanical reasons. As cancellations go, that is about as good as it gets since that means the airline is responsible for re-routing you or, if that is difficult, putting you up until the next day. (If you get stranded because of weather you may be on your own.) The Continental rep offered some re-routing options, and said the hotels the airline uses for stranded passengers were full. The re-routing option I chose was through Toronto, but before that flight could take off Cleveland was hit with an enormous electrical storm and a ground stop. The flight that was supposed to go to Toronto was diverted to Erie, Pa., and it was unsure when it would depart.
The agent had said the airline would pay if I found my own hotel, which I managed to do, at a downtown Holiday Inn Express. There was a big convention in town and most hotels were full. The hotel proved to be very nice, but not cheap, $176 including tax, plus another $75 in taxi fares to and from the airport. All the Continental reps I spoke with were very nice, so I assume the airline will pick up the costs once I manage to file the paperwork.
Keep reading for more on the outcome, and on the hotel, which is a former bank building with very large rooms and a generous breakfast buffet.

Siberian Dawn

2011-07-19T10:50:00.007-04:00

I've just discovered still another winning entry in the competition among English-speaking writers on Siberia. It's titled "Siberian Dawn: A Journey across the New Russia" by Jeffrey Tayler, published in 1999. It is based on an overland trip he took from Magadan in extreme northeastern Russia to Poland in 1993, when the shackles of Communism were just beginning to fall off Russia's extremities.

It is an excellent book, but very different from Ian Frazier's more recent book on travelling in Siberia. Like Frazier, Tayler is an American, but considerably younger and with far better command of the Russian language. In fact, he can pass for a native and on checking up on him, I discovered that he still lives in Russia although his most recent book is about the Congo.

His book is quite personal, detailing how he undertook this journey out of a need to live in the present as much as possible, and to penetrate beneath the surface of Russian life in a way that you cannot do when you stay in expensive hotels.

Along his very arduous route Tayler encountered many interesting characters, mainly working men and women living in remote areas. He travelled both by road and by train, and stayed in many dodgy places. Much of his journey took place in winter, the quintessential Siberian season.

Unlike Frazier, Tayler does not allude to earlier Americans who travelled in the region and wrote about it. But he does write well, and obviously has the knack of getting perfect strangers to open up about their lives.

His book is a worthy addition to Western writing about Russia, and an easy read. The house shown above is a typical Siberian wooden house with elaborate trim sometimes called lace, near Lake Baikal on the road from Irkutsk to Litvianka.

Buryats and Baikal

2011-07-17T11:02:00.004-04:00

To the Buryats, an Asiatic ethnic group who live in the region of Lake Baikal, the lake is sacred. The Buryats have their own autonomous region, with its capital at Ulan Ude on the eastern side of the lake. According to Ian Frazier's "Travels in Siberia," a train runs along the southern shore of the lake and connects Irkutsk to Ulan Ude, a trip that takes about 24 hours and sounds fas-cinating. Ulan Ude is also easy to reach by plane from Moscow or other Siberian cities.
But even without visiting Ulan Ude, you will see evidence of the Buryats in and near Irkutsk. They are a shamanistic people, and there are many spots where particular trees and bushes are decked with colourful ribbons that pay tribute to nature spirits. It is a local custom when passing such places to stop and tie a ribbon. I also observed people throwing small coins toward the trees.
The Buryats are believed to have originated in Mongolia and to have travelled north to escape persecution by the Buddhists many centuries ago. Who knew Buddhists persecuted people? Today about a quarter million Buryats live in the Baikal region, and some of their cuisine is popular with locals and visitors alike. A particularly delicious treat is a meat-filled pastry called a pozhe, brimming with hot gravy. Keep reading for information on where to get good pozhes near Irkutsk.

The picture above is of the writer at a Buryat shrine on the road from Irkutsk to the Small Sea of Lake Baikal.

Impressions of Irkutsk

2011-07-13T15:40:00.004-04:00

Irkutsk, which lies six hours by plane or three days by rail east of Moscow, is the capital of Eastern Siberia. A city of some 600,000, it seemed bustling with new wealth and new development, in addition to significant pockets of poverty. In my first three days in Irkutsk I saw three traffic accidents, compared with none on the rest of a three week trip. Irkutsk drivers may be reckless, but most of the cars I saw were shiny and new.
Once known as the Paris of Siberia, it was the place of exile for most of the noble revolutionaries known as the Dekabrists, who were sent here following their failed revolt in December of 1825. I stayed in a large comfortable house in a suburb of the city(gated, naturally) that is named for the Dekabrists. It was strange but pleasant after an uneventful flight that landed at about 5:30 a.m. Irkutsk time to be greeted by a smiling, fashionably attired host who led us to her sparkling clean European SUV. then took us to her home not far from the airport, fed us breakfast and let us rest for a few hours to beat the effects of jet lag.
She later drove us downtown and showed us the sights, including a large park overlooking the wide Angara River. It was the last day of school for Irkutsk students, and the park was full of soon -to- be high school graduates celebrating what they call Last Bell. The girls were dressed in black with lacy white aprons and small headdresses, which reminded me of native Breton costume. They had small silver bells pinned to their dresses, and everyone was in a cheerful mood.
On a later sightseeing tour we visited the square of three churches, two Russian orthodox dating from the early 18th century and a Roman Catholic cathedral built by Polish exiles in the late 19th century. It is the largest Roman Catholic church I have seen in Russia, and still holds services.
The main streets of Irkutsk are still named after Communist heroes, Karl Marx and Lenin, and it is really possible to say, "Meet you at the corner of Marx and Lenin." Some of my Marxist professors would be delighted.

The Cathedral of the Epiphany, built in 1718, is on the square of three churches and is often used as a symbol of the city. It is in a style known today as Siberian baroque. A nearby church, the Church of the Saviour, is built on the spot where Cossacks founded Irkutsk more than 300 years ago.

Travels in Siberia

2011-07-10T14:49:00.004-04:00

That is the title of a wonderful book I'm reading, written by Ian Frazier and published in 2010. Some articles based on the book appeared earlier in the New Yorker. It is a worthy addition to the reams of travel literature that already exist about this fabled, feared part of the world that, as Frazier points out, does not really exist on a map. (However, Eastern and Western Siberia do exist as administrative subdivisions of Russia.)

Frazier is a native of Ohio, like me, and notes that many other Ohioans have been captivated by and written about Siberia. Best known is the great 19th century traveller George Kennan, who is not to be confused with his relative George F. Kennan, diplomat and historian who wrote the article in a 1947 issue of Foreign Affairs that enunciated a containment policy for the Soviet Union that was soon adopted by the U.S. and other Western governments.

Other well-known travel writers about Siberia include Farley Mowat, Paul Theroux, Dervla Murphy and Colin Thubron. I have read books by all of them having to do with Siberia, and enjoyed every one.

Frazier did not become fascinated by Russia until the 1990s, after the Iron Curtain had fallen. He writes of his many visits to the country, his attempts (eventually successful) to learn the language in middle age, an achievement I admire greatly. His trips culminated with a seven week driving trip across country starting in St. Petersburg, and camping out much of the time along with his two Russian guides.

If you hope to visit Siberia some day, or just want to read about what it is like now, this book is an excellent guide.

Circum Baikal Railway

2011-07-05T14:22:00.005-04:00

Baikal, the enormous lake in eastern Siberia, is a place of superlatives--deepest lake in the world, oldest lake in the world, a UNESCO world heritage site containing more fresh water than all the Great Lakes combined. It even has a species of seal called the nerpa, a small rotund animal found nowhere else on earth. The rare Barguzin sable, prized by furriers, can be found along its shores.
However, Baikal is not easy to explore. Much of it is inaccessible by road. Hikers roam trails along the lake, but many of them are steep and forbidding. One way to see a lot of the lake on a day trip, and to enjoy some early 20th century railway architecture, is to travel on the Circum Baikal Railway along the shore of the lake from Port Baikal to Kultuk. This involves taking a bus from Irkutsk to the lake, then a short boat ride to Port Baikal where you board the tourist train. The trip can take up to 12 hours and costs about $50. The price does not include meals or drinks, and travellers are advised to bring their own. At some stops there may be people selling drinks and local delicacies such as smoked omul, but you could be very hungry by the time you reach them.
The train makes five stops where passengers can explore the surroundings, marvel at the engineering and architectural achievements of the builders, and even take a dip in the crystal clear but usually frigid water. On the return trip to Irkutsk the Circum Baikal uses the track of the Trans Siberian Railway, so even if you don't have time to take that fabled train you get to ride on some of its track and roadbed.
I'm a train lover and enjoyed this small train very much. But even if you aren't, it offers a good way to see remote stretches of the lake if you don't have your own transportation. You pass by small wooden homes accessible only by water, and catch a glimpse of the real Siberia away from the cities.

The pretty conductor on the Circum Baikal pictured above belies the impression foreigners often have that Russians don't smile.

Friendship Force International

2011-07-03T13:32:00.004-04:00

I have written before about Friendship Force (http://www.friendshipforce.org,) a cultural exchange organization that offers home stays in various places around the world. However, that was before I had a chance to experience one of their exchanges.
My recent trip to Russia was a Friendship Force exchange organized by the club in Dubuque, Iowa. Most participants were from that club, but there were also two each from Texas and Nevada, and myself from Montreal. We stayed for a week each in St. Petersburg and Irkutsk with hosts, and for another week at hotels in and near Moscow.
It was relatively inexpensive, but it was also an amazing experience. My fellow Ambassadors (as exchange members are called)were uniformly welcoming and helpful, and my hosts in both cities were very kind and generous. Although I knew none of the other Ambassadors when I began the trip, by the time I returned I felt that I had a lot of new friends.
Friendship Force offers more than 250 exchanges a year to destinations around the world, and many are open to non-members. I can recommend the group heartily, and I plan to join one of the clubs either in Montreal or elsewhere. By travelling with a group like this, you have the chance for unique experiences such as visiting an English class at a public school in Vyborg as I did, meeting high level Russians who are eager to meet you, and getting a real glimpse into the lives of Russians who do not work in tourism.
This was my first trip with FFI, but I hope it will not be my last.

Vibrant Vyborg

2011-06-28T14:35:00.003-04:00

A small city in northwestern Russia very close to the border of Finland, Vyborg was once a member of the Hanseatic League of trading cities of northern Europe. The picture above is of a statue of a moose in the largest park in downtown Vyborg.

After a long period of decay, Vyborg is once again showing signs of life. With many buildings that remain from the Middle Ages, when it changed hands between Sweden, Finland and Russia, it is a nice place to stop when travelling from Helsinki to St. Petersburg.
I stopped in Vyborg for lunch once at the end of the Soviet era, and at that time the city seemed very dispirited. I remember seeing an old man walking along carrying a load almost too heavy for him in a heavy downpour, and thinking that he embodied the long-suffering Russian people then.
The main attraction of the city is Vyborg Castle, which dates from the 13th century and is open to visitors for a small fee. It is the site of medieval re-enactments and has a small museum. Also worth a visit is the medieval round town in the city center that is now a folkloric restaurant with tasty food and sometimes entertainment. The market nearby is a good place to buy handicrafts from the area at reasonable prices. Some of them are similar to what can be found in Finland, since Vyborg was incorporated into Russia only in 1944. There are interesting Russian Orthodox and Lutheran churches, and pleasant parks. One downtown contains the city's library, a monument of modern architecture created by Alvor Aalto--the wavy wooden ceiling in the auditorium is consideres especially interesting.
Vyborg has several good hotels, but checking the ones I could find online I could not find an available date in summer to get a price. This is a good warning to book ahead if you plan to visit this summer, when Vyborg welcomes many tourists, especially from Finland. For information on the city, consult http://www.city.vbg.ru/.
In a subsequent post I'll tell you about a specialized school I visited in Vyborg.

Musings from Siberia

2011-06-22T11:01:00.002-04:00

The following is a page from the travel journal I tried to keep in Russia. I wasn't very successful because the trip was demanding and usually at the end of a long day I just crashed.
"Here in wonderful, wild Siberia. Had dinner last night in the apartment of a noted and recently deceased artist. It was filled with colorful paintings and had a view to Lake Baikal and the snow-capped mountains beyond. Just below the apartment building many small boats are anchored in a marina on the river.
"My room in (a different) house looks out on the Angara River also, but across empty fields. The Angara is the only river that flows out of Lake Baikal, we learned. There is a small guard house just below my window."
So you don't get the wrong idea, the guard was hired to keep intruders out, not to keep people in. It wasn't THAT kind of visit to Siberia. In fact, I have not heard of any tours of the gulag in Siberia. If there are tours of slums in Brazil and South Africa, and of Nazi concentration camps, can gulag tours be far behind? There's a possible entrepreneurial opportunity.
In fact, we heard very little about the gulag on our Siberian tour--perhaps it is all too recent in the memory of locals. Understandably, they want to emphasize the positive aspects of this vast, mysterious region.

Moscow plus Four Years

2011-06-19T14:47:00.002-04:00

It may have been my imagination, but I thought the traffic in Moscow earlier this month was not quite so bad as it had been on my last visit in 2007. There were no instances of traffic coming to a total standstill, as had happened frequently before. Perhaps it was because I was in a different part of the city, mainly east and southeast instead of northwest. Or perhaps it was because home for me is Montreal, a city that is suffering through the worst traffic woes I have ever seen this summer on account of crumbling bridges, roads and sewers.
There also seemed to be fewer building cranes in Moscow than I saw earlier, and I noticed that the enormous cavern next to Red Square that used to be the Roosiya Hotel is still vacant, with no sign of activity. If such a prime space is left empty, Russia's economy must not be quite so robust as I thought it was.
However, there are also signs of improvement. The domestic air terminal Sheremeteyevo 1 is clean, pleasant and efficient. Even the bathrooms were marble and sparkling clean, quite a change from the usual Russian public bathroom. Domodedevoyo Airport south of the city center also seemed to be relatively clean and well-organized, better than Sheremeteyevo 2 in the northwest. Both are a long expensive taxi ride from downtown and Metro connections, while they exist, are not convenient, particularly if you are tired after a long flight.

Hotel Vladimir, Vladimir, Russia

2011-06-16T12:39:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to stay for two nights at the Hotel Vladimir in one of the major cities of Moscow's Golden Ring. The Golden Ring, which has long been on my list of top places to see, is a group of old Russian cities located mainly northeast of Moscow. Vladimir is a relatively large city for the area, and for the better part of two centuries in the Middle Ages it was the capital of Russia.
Today it boasts three world heritage sites according to UNESCO--two cathedrals and the Golden Gates of Vladimir, part of the ancient fortifications of the city. It is unfortunately also well known for its high security prison, which has housed noted inmates like Vassily Stalin, son of Joseph, and Anatoly Sharansky, a well-known dissident in Soviet times. The prison is still operating today and according to our guide has recently been the subject of a documentary film for National Geographic.
The Hotel Vladimir is probably the best place to stay in town. It is low rise and older, with wide corridors, nice hallway carpets and pleasant rooms. It has the sumptuous breakfast buffet that hotels in this part of the world seem to offer as a matter of course. Rooms are clean and pleasant, but if you visit in summer ask for a room facing toward the rear. The main street of the city is just outside, and you will want to open the windown because there is no air conditioning.
I made a note that prices in Vladimir are lower than in Moscow, but that does not apply to this hotel. In fact, for dates in June I found a quote online of $82 for a single, $96 for a double, higher than rates at the Alpha Hotel in Moscow.
I suspect the note about lower prices referred to souvenirs, which are everywhere in these small towns and cities.
One of the difficulties with visiting the Golden Ring is that you really need to travel by car or tour bus to see some of the most interesting places, and if you do Vladimir is a reasonably central base camp.

Not your mother's Aeroflot

2011-06-12T12:32:00.004-04:00

I recently flew on Aeroflot Russian airlines (http://www.aeroflot.com) from Moscow to Irkutsk and back, and was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness and newness of the plane, as well as the service. Best of all, all announcements were bilingual in Russian and English.
I did suffer a little nostalgia for the good/bad old days of Aeroflot when a surly unilingual air hostess pushed my travel companion down in her seat when she tried to go to the washroom while the seat belt sign was illuminated. In Soviet times Aeroflot was an accurate introduction to the difficulties foreign visitors were likely to experience on the ground. Today, though, the airline is thoroughly modern. My only complaint was that I could not figure out how to order an alcoholic beverage in economy class. I think the drill is you have to order and pay for it in advance of the meal, but I'm not sure. Another change is that Aeroflot no longer serves Canada, so there is no non-stop flight from Montreal to Moscow as there used to be.
I flew in a comfortable Airbus, and on its Website the airline boasts that its fleet which consists of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft, is among the newest in Europe. No more lurching Turpolevs, and at least on the Irkutsk route, no more scrambling for seats because seats were often unassigned and overbooked.
The flight to Irkutsk is long, six hours, but proved to be smooth and I felt a sense of security knowing that if any problem did arise, we were over land and for most of the trip there was little on the ground to hit except for trees.
Aeroflot is advertising special fares on some routes within Russia, including a return fare as low as 2,000 rubles (about $75) to Mineralnye Vody in southern Russia, a spa town and gateway to the fractious Caucuses region.

Moscow Hotel Bargain

2011-06-08T09:54:00.002-04:00

Last week during a visit to Moscow I spent several nights at the Alpha Hotel, part of the Izmailovsky Park complex of hotels. This is a large but pleasant hotel that caters to tour groups big and small, and the cost of my room, which included an enormous and tasty breakfast buffet, was included in my tour price. When I checked the price online, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the cost of a room at this time of year starts at only $77. Checking prices for September, I found that they were higher, but still as low as $102 per night. The summer price is about half what I paid last time I was in Moscow in 2007, for a hotel situated equally far from the center.
Rooms at the Alpha are basic but very clean, and mine had a tub, hard to find even in Russian homes. The Alpha, which is part of a five hotel complex comprising 7,500 rooms, keeps to the old Soviet system of having an attendant on each floor. You are supposed to leave your room key with her when you leave, and she also keeps track of the minibar and telephone charges. Long distance rates were moderate--about $10 for a five or six minute call to North America.
One big advantage of the Alpha is its location, literally just across the street from a Metro station. The station is listed on my Metro map as Park Izmailovsky, but now seems to be known mainly as Partizanskaya, and it connects directly to the stations near Red Square downtown. Another plus is that it is next to a very large park and to the Izmailovsky souvenir market, an ornate Disneyesque place with turreted buildings that is reputed to have some of the best prices in Moscow for souvenirs. Unfortunately the market is open only on weekends.
With such bargain room prices (for Moscow) there had to be a drawback to this hotel, and there is, especially for summer visitors. Rooms are not air-conditioned, and it looks as if the city is in for another very hot summer. If you leave the windows open for air at night, it can be hard to sleep because of traffic noise--rooms on higher floors are better. I was so tired because of the fast pace of my tour that I didn't have much trouble sleeping, but it is a consideration.
Rates quoted above are from the Website http://www.moscow-hotels.net.

Amazing Siberia

2011-06-06T09:51:00.003-04:00

I just returned from three weeks in Russia, including my first visit to Siberia, storied land of suffering and exile. I can report that there is a lot more to the place than those old tales, however true and valuable they may be.
Irkutsk, capital of eastern Siberia, is a booming cityof about 600,000 inhabitants with lots of traffic and new building. Made famous by the Dekabrist revolutionaries of 1825, it has long been considered the pearl of this vast, underpopulated region. The noble revolutionaries of the 19th century and their wives who voluntarily joined them in exile brought cultrue to this remote, forbidding area. Some of the mansions they built here still survive, along with numerous old churches and even a large Roman Catholic church built by Polish exiles.
Today Irkutsk is home to a large academic community and appears to be benefitting from some of the wealth generated by Russia's oil, gas and mineral development. There is still poverty, but the general mood seems upbeat.
I travelled to Irkutsk as part of a tour organized by Friendship Force, (http://www.friendshipforce.org) an international organization that brings together diverse groups of people who visit one another's homes. My host in Siberia was very generous and welcoming and did a lot to make my stay very pleasant. The same applied to a different host in St. Petersburg. I'll tell you more about the trip with pix in the coming weeks.

International Phones

2011-05-07T10:02:00.003-04:00

I've been checking out international telephones recently, and decided to go with one called the World Phone offered by http://mobal.com. I ordered one but have not yet received it. The phone got good ratings on internet surveys, so I'll see if it lives up to the hype.
Communications while overseas is always a quandry. I considered taking a laptop, but decided that it is just too heavy. And having had my laptop stolen recently, it is also an added worry. I will just rely on internet cafes while travelling. I also thought about getting a Netbook, but on looking into it found it would cost almost as much as the laptop by the time it is equipped with software, and would I really use it when I'm not on the road?
Being a Neanderthal with no cell phone or smart phone, I did not have the option of putting international calls on a regular cell phone plan, as I have seen some people do. And overseas there is always the problem of different electric current and different plugs, just to add to technological hassles.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to trying out one of these world phones and will let you know how it works out.

International Workers' Day

2011-05-01T16:02:00.004-04:00

Since today, May 1, is International Workers' Day in many countries, why not use it as an opportunity to thank the workers on airlines, ships, boats, trains, buses and in hotels and other lodging establishments as well as travel agents for all their hard work? Without them, our trips would not be possible.
How often do we stop to think about the maid at the hotel, the busboy at the restaurant, the Metro driver or all the other people whose work goes into producing a pleasant travel experience for us? Even the much maligned TSA agents help make our trips safer, although they may make us somewhat uncomfortable in the process.
Recent news stories about air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job, and about the rigours pilots and other airline employees endure, often for paltry wages, should make us grateful that there are people willing to do these often thankless jobs.
If you happen to see a travel or transportation worker today or in the near future, tell the person how much you appreciate his or her hard work.

Kiplinger's Choice of Travel Websites

2011-04-25T16:26:00.004-04:00

The U.S. based Website http://www.kiplinger.com/ has a story this week on their choice for the 24 top Websites for travel savings. They include choices for flights, lodging, frequent flyer programs and exchange rates.
I don't completely agree with them--I wonder why they left out two of my favourite sites, Travelocity and Expedia for example--but this is a good article to print out and keep for reference. There is no doubt that with the rise of oil prices and the fall of the U.S. dollar, travel costs are going to be soaring, especially for Americans. Here in Canada we have a little advantage because of the rise of the Canadian dollar to around $1.05 U.S., but that potential advantage is offset to a large extent by higher taxes on air fares and other travel necessities like hotels.
Many Canadians now are travelling across the border to save on flights from nearby U.S. airports, as well as for cross-border shopping bargains in the U.S.

Changes to Aeroplan

2011-04-17T10:24:00.003-04:00

Aeroplan, http://www.aeroplan.com, the Air Canada frequent flyer program I use, last week announced changes that increase the mileage required for flight rewards on some routes. I was pleased to see that it didn't seem to affect any of the rewards I was considering, but less pleased when I discovered some other changes that must have occurred earlier. I've been building up miles for quite a few years, and was thinking I would use them to fly to Chile or to Russia. To my dismay I discovered that South America is now divided into two zones, northern and southern, and I only have enough miles to get to Peru. In addition, Air Canada no longer flies to Russia or anywhere in eastern Europe. The farthest east you can fly in Europe is Greece, and a flight there requires more miles than a flight to Western Europe. The only destination in the Middle East now is Israel. All this is an object lesson in the need to keep on top of these frequently-changing frequent flyer programs, and to use your miles sooner rather than later. Guess I better book my trip soon, and perhaps start looking for a better program. What I like about Aeroplan is that it is part of Star Alliance, so flights on wonderful Lufthansa count for mileage.

100,000 Miles on British Airways

2011-04-07T13:19:00.002-04:00

British Airways offers a Visa card that provides up to 100,000 frequent flyer miles to new members. You get credit for 50,000 miles with your first purchase, and another 50,000 miles after you have charged $2,500 on the card. The annual fee is $95, quite a bargain if you qualify. (I was not able to determine from the airline's Website whether you need to have a U.S. address to obtain this card.) I'm not a huge fan of getting a lot of credit cards just in order to accumulate mileage, but this offer seems too good not to pass along. It is good until May 6. While I like frequent flyer programs, it strikes me as a little silly to spend a lot of time and money just to accumulate miles--but to each his own. And this offer seems so valuable it even tempts me a little. I am indebted to http://www.flyertalk.com for this tip, and am just passing it along.

Ubud OK, Vietnam a Hassle

2011-03-25T07:46:00.002-04:00

A well-travelled friend who recently returned from Asia reported that he really enjoyed time spent on the Indonesian island of Bali, particularly the town of Ubud, which is a center of traditional arts and crafts. Hotels and restaurants were good and inexpensive, the locals were welcoming and there were interesting bicycle excursions.
However, he was not so pleased with Vietnam. There, he said, the beauty of the coutnry was marred by extreme traffic hazards and by the overly persistent people who plagued tourists. He said it was worse than Egypt, which is also known for both these problems. (I personally love Egypt, but have also experienced being harassed by taxi drivers and other touts there.)
Anyway, forewarned is forearmed. Sorry I have not been posting much on this blog recently, but I am trying to put the finishing touched on my suspense novel based in Russia and thought that I might need to concentrate on that for a while.
Writing is a strange game, and sometimes one must sacrifice some writing for other writing. In any case, I hope to be posting more soon.

Charity Begins Abroad

2011-02-28T15:20:00.003-05:00

If you have ever travelled in really poor countries, you have probably wondered how you as a tourist can help out, other than by spending money for food, lodging, admissions and entertainment. Now there's a Website that can help, if you have extra room in your luggage to bring supplies to charities. It's a UK-based organization at http://www.stuffyourrucksack.com, and it has suggestions for travellers to many countries
Most of the places are in Africa, Asia and Latin America, but there are a few in developed countries as well. For example, if you are travelling to Canada, the Salvation Army welcomes (surprise, surprise) donations of warm clothes, mainly for homeless people who sleep outside in the frigid winter and often cold fall and spring. The only European charity listed is in Latvia, where they request a number of items to pass on to poor people who live mostly outside the capital of Riga.
To my surprise there were no charities listed in Russia, which is known among other things for the large number of children who live in orphanages. But the poverty of many of its citizens is a sensitive topic in this proud, powerful country. And with the current economic downturn there is great need also in many areas of the United States, but no charities requesting donations of goods were listed.
It may not be practical for many people to carry extra weight when travelling overseas, but it is a good idea to offer them information on places that can use their gifts. And giving something back is one way to ease the distress that some may experience when travelling in disadvantaged countries.

Everything Everywhere

2011-02-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

Another interesting entrant in the growing list of blogs by people who are on the road long term is http://www.everything-everywhere.com by Gary Arndt. Gary is an American who has been travelling continuously since 2007 and who previously worked in IT. The photos on his blog are especially good.
I read somewhere recently that there are more than 1 million Americans who are permanent travellers. If you add in those from other countries, there must be many millions who are constantly in motion. Trends such as technology, early retirement, the difficulty of finding and keeping jobs are all adding to this number.
While some of these so-called nomads may just be upscale homeless people similar to those who rode the rails in search of work during the 1930s, many others adopt the lifestyle by choice. Of course there are still some traditional nomads--some Bedouin in the Middle East, some Mongolians, some Laplanders and so forth, but their numbers are declining. In addition, these traditional nomads usually travel known paths for grazing of animals, trade, etc. They certainly do not flit around the world on jets.
Is 21st century nomadism among people from affluent countries good or bad? I suspect it depends on the individual nomad and his or her motivations. Certainly it is good to explore other countries and cultures, to learn languages, to test oneself in unfamiliar situations. Many religions consider that all of life is a journey back to God, however one may conceive of him, her or it.
However, community is also important, and while we may be evolving toward a world community, we are far from there yet. I would welcome comments from anyone who has tried or been tempted to try the nomadic lifestyle.

Caretaker Jobs

2011-02-20T16:35:00.003-05:00

One way to travel at minimal cost is to work along the way. Caretaking jobs (for homes, ranches, kennels, farms, inns etc.) are the option some people choose. These jobs usually offer a place to stay, sometimes board as well, in exchange for various amounts and types of work.
Some people just want someone to be in their place to keep an eye on things, others require large amounts of work--gardening, cleaning, housekeeping, sometimes even handling reservations or driving. There are quite a few of these jobs, but finding them isn't easy. That is where a publication called the Caretaker Gazette (http://www.caretaker.org) comes in. It is available either online or in print. The cost is $29.95 a year for the online version, $34.95 for the print edition.
From the Website it looks as if most of these jobs are in the United States, but some are inter-national. There was an ad for a stint of several months in England, for example.
The newsletter has been around for years and has been featured in many news programs, so it is not fly-by-night. There are samples of previous issues on the site, and testimonials from customers. One I checked (because the person is a writer) was by a woman who has been caretaking for most of her life. She enjoys it because it gives her a nice place to live and enough time to write, and she finds the physical work a welcome break from working at a computer.
Combining travel and work is a great way to travel more or minimize costs. This could be worth a look.

Packing Light

2011-02-17T14:58:00.003-05:00

We all know that packing light is one of the keys to travelling well on a budget. Usually I do a pretty good job of it, but I always have to check a suitcase. I just don't understand these people who claim they can travel around the world with just a carry-on bag. They are almost invariably guys, but still. I have lost too many precious items to over-zealous security personnel to consider it. And what do you do if they change the rules while you're travelling, as seems to happen a lot?
I try to apply the budget concept to luggage as well as other travel costs. For about 15 years I have been travelling with a big sturdy turquoise tote bag that cost $10 at Macy's. I use it as a carry-on bag. Ir is almost infinitely expandable, a virtue if you want to bring anything new home with you. The problem is that with the length of airport corridors now and the often tight schedules, it can be hard to carry this bag when it is fully loaded. I almost fell over on my side when running between planes in Toronto last summer. A computer plus all the important papers one needs along with essential cosmetics etc. made it too heavy and bulky for easy carrying, so the time has come for its replacement.
The replacement, I have decided, will need wheels. People zipping around airports with their wheeled carry-ons usually look quite relaxed and unburdened. I checked a couple of Website for recommendations for the best wheeled carry-ons, but most were $50 or more, sometimes much more.
. I think I will go with my usual luggage supplier, a dollar-type store run by Chinese people in my meighborhood. I have bought two wheeled bags that I check there for about $25 each, and they have stood up well to years of wear. In fact, I may convert the smaller of them to a wheeled carry-on, thus getting still more use out of it. I'll probably fold up the turquoise tote bag and carry it inside one of the other bags in case I buy more than I can carry in the wheeled bags.
And if I do need to ship more than one bag, I will check with companies like FedEx or UPS, who will ship bags door to door often for less than the airlines charge.

Park, Sleep, Fly

2011-02-14T13:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. I've heard a lot of people complaining lately about the difficulties of air travel. Planes are overbooked, weather problems abound, security people are overzealous, thousands of people get stranded at airports around the world. While it is true that flying isn't as much fun as it used to be, there are ways to reduce stress and increase your chances of having a good trip.
One way is to get to the airport early, even the night before a flight, and stay over at a hotel. The Website www.ParkSleepFly.com offers combinations of hotel stays and extended parking for those who have very early departures. Given that airport parking rates can be very steep (the airport parking at Montreal's main airport is $25 a day,) this can provide significant savings. The deals include transport to and from the airport after you have parked your car.
Rates vary depending on the city of origin--in Montreal they start at $75 at EconoLodge with 3 days of free parking. In Toronto, the Quality Inn charges $85 with 7 days of parking, while in Albany NY the lowest rate is at the Best Western, $98 with parking for 7 days.
Because taxis to airports can be very pricey, these deals could be worthwhile. Driving to the airport, staying overnight and parking your car for a few days could work to be less costly than two taxi fares. The plans are available in many cities in the United States and some in Canada, and Europe.

Cruise Savings with Affordable Tours

2011-02-10T18:22:00.002-05:00

This is a good time of year to save on cruises. Affrordable Tours (www.affordabletours.com) offers some Caribbean cruises on the Carnival Cruise Line and on NCL for less than $100 a day.
Even on the deluxe Queen Mary 2 of Cunard, the minimum rate for a 21-day North Atlantic cruise with stops in Southampton, Hamburg and Oslo, is $2852, or about $135 per day. The cruise leaves from and returns to Brooklyn NY, making it very convenient for people in the northeastern US and eastern Canada. There are a lot of days at sea on this cruise, which could be very relaxing.
I haven't sailed on the Queen Mary 2, but my most recent crossing on the QE2 in 2001 was a far cry from a similar earlier voyage. Cunard is now owned by Carnival, and while some of the fine British naval tradition has been preserved, there is a lot more commercialism on board. Instead of lectures by noted actors and academics, we had people like Lord Wedgewood trying to flog his china. I have not sailed with NCL or Carnival, but from what I have read those lines are even worse. There are a lot of extra charges, and constant attempts to get passengers to part with their hard earned cash.
So be warned that while the basic fare may be low, there will be a lot of extra costs. And don't think you can avoid some of them by, for instance, taking your own booze aboard. At least one of these lines x-rays passenger luggage and confiscates any bottles of wine or spirits for the duration of the voyage.
Affordable Tours also provides discounts on a number of package land tours. It's worth checking with them before booking this type of trip.

Budget Travel in Tokyo

2011-02-07T19:02:00.004-05:00

The February-March print edition of Money Sense,(http://www.MoneySense.ca) a Canadian magazine, has a short but useful article on how to visit one of the world's most costly cities on a budget, and without staying in a capsule hotel. A capsule hotel, for the uninitiated, has rooms that resemble train berths or coffins more than they do conventional hotel rooms. The bath, naturally, is down the hall and the capsule places offer rock-bottom prices (for Tokyo) of around $40 or $50 a night.
The writer has found some budget hotels where actual rooms, sometimes with breakfast, start at about $65 a night. He also recommends buying a pass for the city's extensive train and public transit system for about $19 a day, and an attraction and museum pass for $24 a day. High prices, yes, but this is Tokyo. Best of all, he suggests places in the Japanese capital where you can get a filling meal or snack for between $5 and $10.
If you always thought a trip to Japan was out of reach financially, this article proves that it is not. I did not find the article in the online edition, unfortunately. Money Sense doesn't publish many travel articles, but the ones it does have are generally good, as are many of their more general articles on investments and financial planning. (Full disclosure--I have written for Money Sense.)

Making the Most of Winter

2011-02-02T16:38:00.003-05:00

Now that the 95th major winter storm of the season has hit the eastern U.S. and Canada, a lot of people's thoughts turn to a vacation in the sunny South. That can be a good idea, but there's also a lot to be said for capitalizing on winter where you live or even taking a trip to a destination known for winter, such as Russia.
My first trip to Russia was in winter, and I was happy to see something of the weather which has done so much to forge the tenacious character of the Russian people. Russians really know how to enjoy themselves in the cold, with outdoor swimming, ice fishing, skating, skiing, troika rides and other amusements. The site of Christ the Saviour Cathedral (pictured above) in Moscow used to be an enormous outdoor heated swimming pool that was open and used year around. I have read that since the end of Communism older Russians have taken to getting together in parks on weekends to dance to recorded music, and of course, sip or gulp a little vodka.
Downhill skiing is the traditional winter holiday sport, but it can be expensive. Cross-country skiing is the poor man's preferred sport, and it can be fun. I have recently returned to ice skating, something I had abandoned as a child. It's very cheap or free, good exercise and less injury-prone than skiing. I live in Canada where hockey is a religion, and aside from the outlay for equipment it is a reasonably-priced pasttime with a lot of benefits in terms of exercise. It is high-risk for injuries, unfortunately. Curling is another alternative for the less athletic among us.
Winter hiking and snow-shoeing are other possibilities.
Don't let winter get you down, get out there and enjoy the weather whatever it is.

Egypt's Attractions

2011-01-30T15:50:00.002-05:00

This clearly is not the time to visit, but Egypt is a country everyone should see at least once. Its monumental attractions--the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel--and many, many others are well-known, but equally impressive is the friendliness of the people. Admittedly much of that friendliness is motivated by a desire to make a sale, but Egypt is the only country I have visited where virtually everyone you meet who can speak English will say "Welcome to Egypt."
Egypt was the first country I visited once I had seen much of Europe, and I've returned several times. On that first trip I travelled alone, with only a reservation at the stately if down-at-heel Hotel Semiramis right on the Nile. The sight of the river from my balcony that first morning is one I'll always remember. The Semiramis is no more, but there is no lack of interesting, inexpensive places to stay in Cairo. A quick internet search uncovered several thatlook nice and are very modestly priced--the Arabian Nights Hotel downtown near Al Azhar Unviersity has rooms with breakfast and bath for only $20, while near the Pyramids at Giza the Horizon Pyramids charges $42 for a room with the same amenities.
The wonderful Mena House right beside the Pyramids is a worthwhile splurge. And a Nile cruise is not to be missed, although access to many tombs is restricted now because of the deleterious effect of too many tourists on ancient frescoes. On my first trip I was able to book a cruise on an old-fashioned boat (think Death on the Nile) after I arrived, but to be sure of getting a berth it is better to reserve ahead.
Egypt is not an easy country for travellers, but there are few places in the world with equal historic riches. We can all hope that the riches survive the present unrest, and that order is soon restored in a way that will meet at least some of the popular demands. The long-suffering Egyptian people deserve that.

Dormitory Delights

2011-01-27T19:03:00.003-05:00

There doesn't seem to be any central source of information about them, but rooms in college or university dormitories are still a good bet during school vacations. Many Canadian unviersities open their residences to non-students during the summer, as do some in the United States, in Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Malta and Argentina, among others I have written before about the many options available in student residences in high-priced London during school holidays. Near New York City, Long Island University offers rooms to visitors starting at about $50 a night when classes are not being held.
Usually rooms in residences are considerably cheaper than those in commercial lodging (other than hostels,) and they often come with other perks like low-cost dining options and use of sports facilities. Generally the rooms are singles, with shared bath.
B & J Publications used to put out a book called "Campus Lodging Guide" with details on residences open to visitors, but unfortunately the last publication date seems to have been 1999. If there are Websites offering similar information on a number of such residences in different universities, cities and countries I have not been able to find them. Such a listing, preferably with an online reservation form, would be very helpful to budget travellers.
So, for the moment you have to do some research yourself. If you plan to visit an expensive city during summer or over Christmas, check out its colleges and universities to see if you can book a room and save some bucks. And if all else fails, you can always sign up for a summer course that gives you access to on-campus housing.

Teaching English

2011-01-23T17:54:00.002-05:00

Native English speakers have a particular advantage over speakers of most other languages. Since English has become the de facto international language (replacing French, which replaced Latin,) there has been a large demand abroad for people capable of teaching English to locals.
Native speakers are in great demand, because they can teach the correct accent, slang, etc., and this leads to many employment opportunities abroad.
Who has not considered teaching English in some distant, exotic country? For the adventurous, it can be a rewarding life, and opportunities exist from Chile to Mongolia to Western Europe. Some English teaching jobs, partiuclarly those in Japan and the Gulf States, are very well-paid, while others offer little more than subsistence wages. But they all provide the chance to live and work in a foreign country.
For qualified or experienced teachers, the Website http://www.daveseslcafe.com offers a wealth of information and updated job openings. If you just want to sample teaching English abroad, the site http://www.i-to-i.com has a number of short-term teaching gigs in South America, Asia and Africa. You need to pay for the latter, but rates are usually reasonable and often include some training in the art of teaching your native language (it's not as easy as it looks.) For example, a four-week stint teaching English in southern Thailand costs just $1495 plus air fare and some other expenses, and includes a week of teacher training.
If you are very independent, it is often possible to just go to your desired destination and set yourself up as an English teacher for private students, or connect with a language school there. This is not likely to work in Western Europe unless you happen to hold a European Union passport, since rules on work eligibility are strict in Europe.
I have taught English to speakers of other languages, but so far only in Montreal. I found it both challenging and rewarding. though not very lucrative. For the better paid positions, it is important to have a university degree or two and special training in education or specifically in the teaching of English.

Westjet Review

2011-01-19T14:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had my first opportunity to travel on the Canadian carrier Westjet (http://www.westjet.com) from Tampa to Montreal via Toronto. I booked my one-way ticket through Expedia (http://www.expedia.com) and it cost only $140 U.S., about $60 less than I had paid for my trip down.
My general impression was favourable, given the rigours of air travel today. Most appealing, there is no additional charge to check a bag. I have become used to having to pay $25 or so on most airlines in North America. Both planes were newer versions of the Boeing 737, and while leg room was close to non-existent, seats were comfortable.
Westjet does charge for almost everything on board, and since the airline has gone cashless you could become a very hungry camper if you did not happen to have a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) with you. The only thing available for free is juice or soft drinks and a tiny package of pretzels or a cookie. I sampled one of the sandwiches (turkey and brie) for $6.50 and found it soggy but otherwise OK. I did not try the inflight entertainment (which costs extra,) but was able to catch part of the hockey game on the screen of a guy in front of me.
In Toronto I found the transfer process a little less difficult than it had been last summer with Air Canada. You still need to go through customs in Toronto, then schlep your bag to another area for re-shipping. The area is not very well marked and would be easy to miss.
My flight to Toronto arrived ahead of schedule, and when I got to the boarding area for my Montreal flight another Westjet flight to Montreal was taking on passengers. I asked about getting on it, and was told I could but there would be a $56 charge and I would still have to wait for my bag to arrive on the next flight. I decided to wait for the next flight myself.
Westjet isn't Air Canada's Rapid Air (with almost hourly flights between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and easy re-booking,) but it doesn't cost as much either.
For greater savings on Westjet flights, become a Facebook friend or a Twitter follower and look for the special deals offered on Thursdays until they sell out.

More on Jordan

2011-01-16T11:47:00.002-05:00

An indispensable Website for anyone considering a trip to Jordan is http://www.jordanjubilee.com. It is a labour of love by a frequent visitor to Jordan who clearly appreciates the country. She concentrates mainly on Wadi Musa and Wadi Rum, mainly Bedouin towns where she has made many friends over more than 20 years of travel to the country. She also includes a lot of useful information about other cities and regions of the country. In addition, she addresses concerns many people have about dress, customs and so forth in a country that is at once very familiar and very different.
For travellers relatively unfamiliar with the Middle East (and that includes me) Jordan could be a good introduction. Thanks to its history as a British mandate under the League of Nations, Jordan is a country where a lot of people speak English. It is also the location of many Biblical sites--Mt. Nebo, the Dead Sea, the River Jordan etc. and was the home of many early Christians. In Madaba, St. George's Church contains a lovely ancient mosaic floor map of the region, dating from the 6th century, and the ruins of early churches have been discovered in Petra and Jerash.
Still, Jordan is now primarily a Muslim country, and different rules of conduct apply. Modest dress is a requirement--no shorts or very short skirts except in resort complexes, long sleeves, high necks for women. Most Jordanian women wear a hijab, a scarf tied around the head, but visitors need not do so.
Because it is very compact, Jordan's attractions are generally easy to access. The ancient Roman city of Jerash is just a short drive from Amman. The same applies to Madaba, Mt. Nebo and the Dead Sea. Aqaba, the Red Sea resort known for scuba diving and snorkelling, is only about a four hour bus ride from the capital.
If you are adventurous and know a little Arabic, it is possible to visit most of the country's highlights by public transit at very low cost. On a visit to Salt, former capital or Jordan with many beautiful Ottoman-era buildings, I used a shared taxi from Amman that cost only about $1.

Jordan on my Mind

2011-01-12T14:17:00.004-05:00

I was recently reminded of a trip I took to Jordan in 2003 by a book I read called Naked in Baghdad. It was written by Anne Garrels, an NPR correspondent. She was in Baghdad during the runup to the war, and left via Amman just about the time I arrived there, I believe. She survived the shelling of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad and a lot of other scary incidents.
My original plan had been to go to Iraq, but on arriving in Amman I quickly changed my mind. The closest I had ever been to the front lines in wartime was covering a hostile corporate takeover--what exactly had I been thinking?
I took advantage of being in Jordan to tour that small country at a time when prices were low and there were very few other tourists around. I enjoyed my stay at the Hisham Hotel in Amman, a homey place in a leafy setting near the French Embassy. When I returned to the hotel after a trip down south, they remembered me and had even kept a phone message--that's the kind of place it is. I paid around $40 for a room with continental breakfast. The rate now (from www.hotels.com) is around $105. The Hisham is within walking distance of the Roman Theatre downtown, one of Amman's few historical attractions.
Petra, the ancient Nabatean city featured in an Indiana Jones movie, is the undoubted highlight of the country. It is a huge site with many ancient buildings (the Treasury is the most famous,) and it would take a long time to see it all. Still, you can get a good idea of the place in two or three days, especially if you make use of the donkeys and horses that are for hire. A ticket for three days admission costs about $85. You can reach Petra by air-conditioned JETT bus from Amman for about $11.
I was one of a handful of guests at the Edom Hotel, a modern place in Wadi Musa very close to the Petra main gate. A room cost about $45 with breakfast, as I recall. It was exciting waking up to the call to prayer (live, not pre-recorded) from a nearby mosque. The rate at the Edom seems not to have changed much, according to www.booking.com. Next door, the Movenpick is the best hotel in Wadi Musa and a worthwhile splurge at least for a meal. Rooms start at about $140 per night.
If you are an animal lover, stop and visit the Brooke Hospital for Animals near Petra main gate, where veterinarians care for the working animals of the region for free. I'll be writing more on this pleasant Middle Eastern country--while prices have risen in the past 8 years, it is still cheap compared to many other places in the world.

Yoga Retreats in the Sun or Snow

2011-01-09T17:13:00.002-05:00

Looking for a different way to enjoy a beach or mountain vacation at moderate cost? Consider a trip to a yoga retreat. Yoga is a system of traditional mental and physical practices that originated in India, and continue to be popular for their benefits to mind, body and spirit. Yoga has become almost mainstream as a form of fitness in the West today, but there is more to it than stretching.
If you want to experience a revitalizing vacation, you could spend a night or two in a yoga retreat in the sun for less than the cost of a pair of Lululemon yoga pants. The Website http://www.YogaSite.com lists yoga retreats around the world that accept visitors. There is one called Discovery Yoga in St. Augustine, Florida, the charming original Spanish capital of the state. A bed in a shared room plus one yoga class costs as little as $40 a night. It seems to be one of the more casual and inexpensive retreats.
A little more costly and a lot more demanding are the retreats connected with Sivananda Yoga. You can practice your downward dog on the shores of the Caribbean Sea at Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The charge for a bed in the dorm starts at only $69 a night, but the program is rigourous. It includes morning and evening sitting meditation and two yoga practice sessions every day, and attendance at all sessions is mandatory.
There are also Sivananda retreats in the Austrian Tyrol and the Laurentians of Quebec, but the latter is open only in summer. Kripalu in Lennox MA and the Esalen Institute near Carmel CA are better known retreat centres with extensive programs and higher prices.
If you have a serious interest in yoga or a particular program but cannot afford the cost, it may be possible at certain retreats to work in exchange for room and board, a practice known as Karma yoga.
While all your friends are bragging about their high-priced hedonistic holidays, you can one-up them be discussing your low-cost yoga retreat with its mental and physical benefits.

Cutting Travel Costs

2011-01-06T18:17:00.003-05:00

Today's online version of the New York Times(http://www.nytimes.com) has a story giving 11 ways to cut travel costs in 2011. I didn't find anything particularly useful personally in it, but some people might. The article lists some Websites that can help you save money.
The Times Frugal Traveler column is also a good source of first-person advice on getting around cheaply, and one of their recent columns gives a helpful round-up of various low cost bus services (including Megabus, which I wrote about earlier here) along the East Coast of the United States.
It is hard to find genuine budget travel information today, when most travel writing seems to be geraed to plutocrats, and every little bit helps.

Friends with Flights?

2011-01-05T10:26:00.002-05:00

I have not been able to verify this independently, but I heard on Clark Howard's Money Show on CNN that certain airlines and rental car companies are offering huge discounts for very short periods on flights and cars to people who become their friends or fans on Facebook. I must say I've never considered bccoming friends with an airline, but I suppose it's not a great leap from being a member of a frequent flyer program. Despite our best efforts, most of us seem to be turning from humans into commodities one way or another.
I checked the Facebook pages of several airlines and did not notice anything about discounts through Facebook, but they may exist. If you are a Facebook addict, it could be worth your time to investigate whether they actually exist and are worthwhile for you.

Travel Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-01T08:47:00.001-05:00

Here are five travel resolutions you might consider for the coming year:

1. I resolve to travel more. Lots of things seem to be conspiring against travel these days, from the weather to the world economy to enhanced security measures at airports. But it is in times like these when travel becomes even more important. By travelling we can help break down the barriers that separate people, barriers that make it easier for demagogic politicians to infringe on our liberties by invoking the threat from foreigners or terrorists.
2. I resolve to travel in as sustainable a manner as possible. This means usually favouring non-profit lodgings like hostels, monasteries or university residences over big chain hotels, and locally-owned hotels and tours over those owned and managed by multinational corporations. When you stay at a locally-owned hotel or guesthouse, it is more likely that most of the price of your room will stay in and benefit the local economy. This is particularly important in Third World countries, and is also likely to provide a more intimate, authentic experience of a different culture. It also means travelling by train or bus when possible, rather than air or private car, since mass transit is more ecologically efficient (and usually cheaper.)
3. I resolve to research my destination(s.) Nothing can substitute for adequate research in making a trip more enjoyable. With the ubiquity of the internet, there is no excuse now for inadequate research. Travel sites and blogs (ahem) can be helpful, but don’t neglect regular news sites and those connected with a particular interest of yours. Most cities around the globe now have English-language newspapers, and many of them are online. Guidebooks are indispensable for longer trips, or trips to a new destination.
4. I resolve not to let the budget tail wag the travel dog. Ten or twenty years from now, you probably won’t remember how much that special excursion or wonderful meal cost, but you will remember if cost kept you from doing something amazing. I have three big travel regrets—not taking a helicopter excursion to view Angel Falls in Venezuela, not taking a balloon ride over the Serengeti, and not seeing Berlin before the Wall came down. In retrospect the cost of these trips would have been comparatively insignificant. It’s important to be reasonable about travel costs, but as the ads say, some experiences are priceless.
5. I resolve to try to bring the wonder of travel to everyday life. The metaphor of life as a journey is a cliché, but if we can bring some of the excitement and fresh perspective that makes travel so enjoyable to our interactions at home and at work, we can to an extent enjoy a permanent vacation. Try to view your neighbour, your family member, your co-worker or boss as if you were meeting them for the first time, and your home as if you had just arrived from a foreign country. What would you notice, what makes this place or person different or interesting? What is there to enjoy or admire about this person or place? There’s always something.

2011-01-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

St, Mikhail's Monastery of the Golden Domes

2010-12-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

Very close to St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev and echoing the style of its belltower, St. Mikhail's looks old but was actually reconstructed in 2001. Various monasteries stood on this site since the 12th century, but the previous one was destroyed by Stalin in 1937. Just as with Christ the Saviour in Moscow, rebuilding the church was a high priority of the new non-Communist government after the fall of the Soviet Union.

I didn't actually explore this monastery, but found it another beautiful example of Ukrainian church architecture. This monastery belongs to the Kiev Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, so apparently it is one of the few places in Kiev where the Ukrainian language is actually spoken.

For fans of Ukrainian churches, this is the last picture I will be posting in 2010, but look for more in 2011. Happy New Year.

Europe in January

2010-12-26T10:45:00.001-05:00

January is probably the least popular month for travel in Europe, and that can mean savings and a more pleasant experience for intrepid souls who don't mind cold, damp and the occasional blizzard. I have friends who visited Portugal last January, and liked it so much they are heading back again in the new year.
By travelling in the lowest season you can save on air fare and perhaps on hotels. Best of all, you do not have to deal with the hordes of fellow tourists who can make summer travel at top European destinations a nightmare. And you get to experience Europe more like the locals do, complete with often inclement weather.
The attractions of winter sports are obvious, and culture vultures will find theatre, opera and symphony seasons in high gear in the great cities of Europe. Shoppers can enjoy bargains at semi-annual sales at department stores and boutiques in London and Paris during mid- to late January.
On the downside, you need to be prepared for inclement weather with warm coats, umbrellas and boots, and be willing to concentrate mostly on indoor attractions like castles, churches and museums. This has been an especially snowy winter in Europe so far, and many holiday travellers were strended for days in major airports. A friend in Holland wrote that, lulled by many warm winters, local authorities in most of Europe are ill-equipped to deal with major snow falls.
Whatever the season, it pays to be ready for possible delays when travelling. I like to travel with a book or two, some trail grub such as nuts and dried fruit, and language tapes for the destination country.

The Professional Hobo

2010-12-22T13:45:00.002-05:00

That's the moniker of a young former financial planner from Toronto named Nora Dunn, whose site www.theprofessionalhobo.com contains a lot of useful information on long-term travel and affording it. She does it through a combination of travel writing, volunteering in exchange for accommodation and picking up work as she goes.
She's been on the road for more than four years, but often spends months or more in one place. Her site contains links to articles she has written for various publications, and blog entries by her and guest bloggers. She may also soon be appearing in a television travel show.
Before leaving Canada she got rid of most of her possessions, and writes about what that was like. So far she seems to be enjoying her lifestyle, even though it included breaking up with her travel mate on the road.
I find it interesting that many people seem to be making a long-term lifestyle of more or less perpetual travel. I admit I'm a little envious, and I would like to read how some of them manage all the financial necessities of life--taxes, insurance, communications etc. Do they have someone at home who has power of attorney to handle their affairs? Obviously the internet makes it easier to handle bills and investments online, but can everything be done online?
This is an interesting site with some good suggestions about travel savings, even if you aren't a long-term traveller.

The Eurozone Welcomes Estonia

2010-12-19T12:11:00.003-05:00

The Eurozone and its fiscal problems have been in the news a lot recently. However, from the viewpoint of travellers from overseas, the adoption of the euro has brought many benefits. In pre-euro days virtually every European country had its own currency, and a trip on the continent required many changes of currency with all the associated costs--exchange costs, costs incurred from not understanding how much the currency was worth, embarrassment over not having the right currency.
I can recall once travelling on a train from France to northern Italy that went via Germany, and finding out that the ticket I had was not good for that route, only for the route that stayed in France. I didn't have any Deutschmarks, though, so the conductor finally allowed me to remain on the train anyway. (I was very grateful for not being kicked off at the next stop.)
At present 16 countries use the euro, currently worth about one and a third dollars. On January 1 2011 Estonia will adopt the euro, and a number of other countries are expected to begin using euros in the relatively near future, barring economic and political catastrophes.
In a few years it may be only the U.K., Norway, Switzerland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine that do not use the new currency. Some pessimistic commentators are predicitng, on the other hand, that the euro may fail and large countries like Germany and France may go back to having their own money.
For now, though, if you enjoy travelling in Europe it makes sense to keep some funds in euros. The value of the euro has fluctuated considerably against the dollar, from about 80 cents at the start to over $1.50. By keeping a stash of euros on hand, you avoid having to exchange large amounts of dollars when the rate is very unfavourable. And euros are starting, like dollars, to be accepted in some non-euro countries in the region.

Gites ruraux

2010-12-16T09:42:00.002-05:00

For lovers of the French countryside (and who isn't?) there is a national network of holiday cottages called gites ruraux (http://www.gites-de-france.com) that are often reasonably priced. These are independent dwellings usually located in or near rural areas (there are a few in cities) and they are located across the country and even in some overseas territories of France.
The gites de france Website allows you to choose a region of France and search for places that are available during the desired time. Like hotels, gites have a rating system, from one to five ears of corn. The rating corresponds to the facilities offered and more or less to the price. All gites include at least a room with bath and cooking facilities, and some are quite large and luxurious.
Most gites rent by the week, but some are also avaible for weekend stays. Prices do not include heat, which can add quite a bit to the price in the cooler season.
I checked the Website for places in Burgundy, and found some that charge less than 200 euros or about $260 per week in low season. Considering that staying at a gite offers the possibility of additional savings by cooking at home, this could be a real bargain.
Gites in popular areas like Provence tend to get booked up early for the summer season, so if you dream of living the good life in the south of France next summer, it is not too early to start looking now. Larger gites are especially well suited to groups of family or friends.

Hobotraveler.com

2010-12-12T09:38:00.002-05:00

One of the best Websites I have found on budget travel topics is http://www.hobotraveler.com. It is the creation of Andy Graham, an American who has made travelling and writing about it his vocation for the past 12 years. He has visited 88 countries so far, in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. He blogs about his travels frequently, with photos. In addition to travel information, he provides content and commentary on diverse topics that include politics, society and religion.
Graham's style of travel isn't for most people--he recently wrote about staying in an apartment in West Africa for only $20 a month. The downside was primitive sanitary facilities. However, he demonstartes that low-cost travel is indeed still possible in most parts of the world. One interesting aspect of his Website is interviews with other long term budget travellers. These include a retired Canadian woman in Honduras and a young Finnish couple in Europe. The Website is not complete, in that there are a lot of topics listed that have no associated content. But what is there is compelling including the details about how he manages to travel in some very remote areas and still keep up his Website and blog regularly.
Hobotraveler is a good source if you are researching inexpensive places to visit. You may not be able to travel as inexpensively as the author does, but it is good to know the general cost structure of other countries. He provides details on costs in many different places, and few countries have overall costs higher than those in North America.
Andy Graham funds his travels mainly through ads on his Website, so be prepared for a lot of them. This is a problem I have found with most travel sites--way too many ads. While I understand that everyone has to make a living, I find online advertising intrusive. I have a lot more respect for successful sites like http://www.khanacademy.com, an educational Website, and http://www.craigslist.org. Neither site hosts outside ads, although of course craigslist is itself an advertising site.

Hostels U.S.A. guidebook

2010-12-08T16:14:00.002-05:00

I'm not a big fan of hostels, but reading the Hostels U.S.A guidebook is almost enough to get me to change my mind. The book lists and gives extensive reviews, including a rating system, of hostels in many American states and three Canadian provinces. Some of them sound very appealing.
For instance, there is a hostel located in a former lighthouse in the remote town of Cape Vincent, NY in the Thousand Islands region that receives high praise. The most interesting way to reach it is from Kingston, ON by ferry to Wolfe Island, then another ferry to Cape Vincent on the mainland.
In New York City, where it is hard to find a hotel room for less than $200 a night, the guide reviews seven hostels where a bed costs no more than $50 per night. At the other end of the country, the lightly populated state of Montana boasts five hostels that rate reviews, and they all sound appealing.
Staying in a hostel can permit a visit to an otherwise very pricey location such as Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, summer home to many of the rich and famous. And many single travellers enjoy hostels because they are good places to meet other friendly souls.
Someday I will try hostelling again--I should not let a bad experience at a cold, dirty hostel in Scotland put me off hostels forever.
The Hostels U.S.A. guidebook is written by Paul Karr and produced by Globe Pequot Press. The most recent edition seems to be 2006, so some of the information is out of date by now. For example, the hostel listed in Clearwater Beach, FL is now closed.

Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's National Poet

2010-12-05T14:11:00.003-05:00

This statue of Taras Shevchenko stands in a park in Yalta. Shevchenko was born a serf, but on account of his great abilities as an artist and poet acquired a patron who liberated him and paid for his education in St. Petersburg. Born just at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the poet died in 1861 just a few days before the universal declaration of the end of serfdom throughout Russia. He had agitated all his life for an end to serfdom and for his Ukrainian homeland.
The start of one of his poems runs thus:
The mighty Dnieper roars and bellows
The wind in anger howls and raves
Down to the ground it bends the willows
And mountain high lifts up the waves
It is good to know that much of the Dnieper still looks, after 150 years, as it must have to Shevchenko.
I was surprised to discover that there is a Shevchenko Museum in Toronto, the only one to the poet in North America. Many Ukrainians immigrated to Canada at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries. Most of them went to the Praries, which resemble the steppes of their native land. But even Montreal has a Shevchenko Boulevard, and a Ukrainian caisse populaire.

Long Stays, Low Prices in Europe

2010-12-01T15:40:00.002-05:00

A company called My Europe Base (http://www.myeuropebase.com) has apartments for rent along Germany's scenic river Mosel (or Moselle) in a town called Zell an der Mosel. The Mosel is one of the country's finest wine regions, and vineyards line terraced slopes rising from the river bank behind historic towns.
This is one of the most ancient and beautiful parts of Germany, well worth a visit in its own right. The towns of Trier and Koblenz are not far away, nor is Aix la Chapelle or Aachen, the city where the Emperor Charlemagne was crowned. It has the added plus of being located near Frankfurt-Hahn airport, a major hub for low-cost European carrier Ryanair. Fares from Hahn Airport to Sweden are as low as $17, $16 to Poland, $31 to Ireland or $55 to Bulgaria.
The apartments start at about $200 a week if you stay four weeks or more. They are owned by an Australian couple with experience in the tour business, who saw a need among their fellow inhabitants of the Antipodes for inexpensive places to stay while trying to see as much of Europe as they can.
The benefits of apartment stays include the ability to save by making your own meals, and a more relaxed pace than most hotels offer. They also allow you to meet locals during shopping expeditions, and to experience a city or town as a local does.
I have enjoyed short-term apartment stays in Berlin and St.Petersburg, and would not hesitate to explore apartment living in a smaller town.

Megabus.com

2010-11-28T14:30:00.002-05:00

Intercity bus travel has long been a favourite of those of us who like to save money on our voyages. However, Megabus (http://www.megabus.com) has taken savings to a new level, with fares as low as $1 for online booking.
Megabus operates in the eastern United States and eastern Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, and uses double-decker buses. They have adopted the yield management system long popular with airlines.
Yield management is a system of variable pricing that often ensures that early booking means getting a lower price, and last minute booking is usually (but not always) penalized. It is common now for all types of travel, including hotels and railroads, so it is often hard to tell in advance what a trip will cost.
Megabus operates on many popular North American routes including New York to Washington and New York to Boston, as well as Toronto to Montreal. In the U.K. they serve a number of cities in England and Scotland.
I took a Megabus earlier in the year between Montreal and Toronto. A friend told me I could save a lot of money by booking online, but I chose to buy my ticket at the bus station. Big mistake. I sat across from a woman who paid $10 for a one-way fare, whereas I had paid five or six times that much. Next time I will know better.
Earlier this year one of the Megabuses was involved in a fatal accident in upstate New York when a driver mistakenly took a road where the clearance under bridges was not sufficient for a tall bus. For a time I wondered whether the company would weather this storm, but it seems to have done so, expanding and adding new routes in North America.
Many Torontonians like to travel to Buffalo airport to catch low-cost flights within the U.S. or abroad. Now Megabus offers service to the Buffalo airport from Toronto for as little as $1 plus a 50 cent booking fee.
Megabuses in the U.S. are all equipped with WiFi and power outlets.

Gadling.com

2010-11-24T09:52:00.002-05:00

I recently discovered the travel Website Gadling.com and checked out its budget travel recommendations. The site currently has useful articles on 10 budget firendly destinations in Europe and in the Caribbean. The article on Europe seemed worthwhile-- Bulgaria, Brno, Berlin, Lisbon, Greece, and the South Tyrol were among the destinations featured. A friend who visited Bulgaria this past summer gave it high marks for interesting sights and low prices. I would also choose Ukraine in the same category. Berlin is definitely an excellent big city budget locale, with wonderful museums and cultural attractions as well as an active nightlife.
The Caribbean destinations Gadling chose included only one I have visited, the French island of Guadeloupe. That is indeed a very interesting place, and now there are a number of bed and breakfast type places called gites that are relatively inexpensive. The French islands of the West Indies are a good place to sample a blend of French and Caribbean culture togehter with beautiful scenery and warm temperatures.
The site also has articles about budget travel to a number of cities, so far mainly in North America. I checked their take on the city I know best, Montreal. The story suggests visiting Montreal at a time when few other tourists are there, namely winter, and promotes the city as a closer, less costly version of Europe. I don't quite see Montreal as a European city, but perhaps that's because I've lived there too long.
I also quarreled with the writer's choice of "budget" hotels, both boutique hotels in Old Montreal that charge more than $100 per night even in January and including discounts. There are plenty of less costly places to stay in Montreal-- hotels.com lists nice downtown hotels for as low as $79 a room in mid-January. For those who choose the hostel route, beds are available downtown for as little as $20 a night at Montreal Central on St.Denis in the student-friendly Latin Quarter.
The writer's other tips were good, especially the one about spending a lot of time in the underground city connected to Metro stations to escape the winter cold.

Mad about Monasteries

2010-11-21T09:30:00.002-05:00

Ever since they were founded in the Middle Ages, some monasteries have made it part of their mission to offer lodging and meals to travellers. Today, many still do so. Costs vary, but are usually cheaper than commercial accommodation. In addition, visitors have the advantage of spending time in a quiet, clean environment that lends itself to contemplation.
Robert J. Regalbuto has written a guide to monasteries across North America called "A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses." It lists monasteries that accept guests in every U.S. state and Canadian province. Even in expensive destinations like New York City, it is possible to find shelter in a convent or monastery. The book is available from amazon.com.
Staying in a monastery is a good way to keep expenses down in places like Italy, France, Britain and Spain as well. Eileen Barish is the author of a book called "The Guide to Lodging in Italy's Monasteries" which lists this type of accommodation throughout the Italian peninsula. Rates start at about $30 a night, with meals for a few dollars more. Her Website is www.eileenbarish.net, and it gives information about monasteries in several European countries.
Finally, the Website www.monasterystays.com actually allows you to book rooms in monasteries. An example of one of the places listed is a monastery near Rimini on Italy's Adriatic Coast, where a single room costs about $50.
The majority of monasteries that accept guests are Roman Catholic, but there are also some belonging to the Anglican and Orthodox traditions where guests are welcome. Even some Buddhist monasteries take visitors. In all cases, guests or all faiths and of no faith are welcome.

Travelling Alone

2010-11-17T15:44:00.002-05:00

Whatever its joys and merits, and they are considerable, travelling alone is usually more expensive than travelling with a companion with whom you share a room. While it is possible to keep these extra costs down, it is seldom possible to eliminate them. One good way to save is to patronize only those tours and cruises that eliminate the single supplement, usually by putting you in a room with a stranger of the same gender. I have done this on several occasions and never had a really bad experience.
Staying at hostels where the charge is per bed is another possibility, but it is usually not my thing. However, I have enjoyed hostel stays at the Foyer Hottingen, a super clean and pleasant hotel and hostel for women in Zurich, a very expensive city. Older hotels in French and German-speaking countries sometimes still offer single rooms at not much more than half the price of a double.
University residences, mentioned before, are also a good choice during school holidays for the lone voyager. They provide accommodation in many different countries, but unfortunately I do not know any comprehensive Website for them.
Some cruise lines are starting to cater to lone travellers. The new mega-ship Norwegian Epic has some single cabins and a lounge for passengers travelling alone. Its freestyle dining policy, however, is not so good for singles who want to meet people. When I have taken cruises alone I usually made friends with the people who sat at my table for dinner every night.
There is a Website, http://www.boldlygosolo.com, where the writer provides tips on travelling alone. Like me, she often adds a stay alone to the end or beginning of an organized tour. It provides a good combination of sociability and privacy.
One of the big hassles of travelling alone is dining out at night. I sometimes handle this by having a big breakfast, a late lunch and just a snack for dinner. With many hotels now giving you a minibar, it is easy to stock it with healthy foods like vegetables and cheese instead of the over-processed snacks usually on tap, and to buy your own drinks rather than succumbing to the over-priced drinks in the bar.
Finding a companion who wants to go where you do is another option for the adventurous. In a future pose I will give some suggestions on this.

Embroidery in Ukraine

2010-11-14T13:46:00.003-05:00

This friendly young woman was offering exquisite embroidered shirts and other items for sale at the main park in Zaporozhye. The tradition of embroidery in this part of the world goes back to ancient times. Greek historian Herodotus mentioned fine embroidery in the Balkans and Dacia in 513 BC, and the tradition continues strong today. One of the 11th century frescoes in St. Sophia's in Kiev shows a saint wearing an embroidered belt.

This craft is almost entirely the purview of women. The woman above said she and her mother produced these items, and that it is their main work. The usual motifs combine themes with both Christian and pre-Christian themes, and embroidery is used mainly on clothing, towels and items for religious ceremonies. If you see a troupe of Ukrainian folk dancers, they are almost certain to be wearing lots of embroidery. Red seems to be the most popular color.

Quality embroidery like that above is not cheap, but buying it is a good way to support women in this region and contribute to the continuation of a proud cultural tradition. To distinguish quality embroidery from the rest, check the back. There should not be many knots or long threads.

Khmelnytskyi Statue and Square, Kiev

2010-11-10T15:05:00.002-05:00

From a book by Andrew Wilson, The Ukranians: Unexpected Nation, I finally learned the identity of this statue on a very prominent square in Kiev. The square lies between St. Sophia's and the reconstructed St. Mikhail's Cathedral in the upper town, and honours the Cossack hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who drove the Poles and Polish-affiliated Ruthenians out of the government in Kiev in the mid-17th century.

Wilson's book traces how the idea of Ukraine and Ukrainians evolved over the centuries, culminating in the independent state that grew out of the dismantling of the Soviet Union. Ukraine has few natural borders and has suffered invasions for centuries, but somehow has retained and recently further developed a sense of being a nation separate from Russia and its other powerful neighbours.

Ukraine, like most nations, bases itself on various national myths, and the Cossacks are among the most powerful of these ideas. While it is somewhat academic, Wilson's book is intended for the general reader and provides a good overview of Ukrainian history and development. Books in English on modern Ukraine are not numerous, and this one could be a valuable starting point for further study of the country.

Couchsurfing

2010-11-08T08:10:00.002-05:00

Couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org) is a worldwide phenomenon that allows members to meet and stay with other members in more than 238 countries and territories. The group has more than 2 million members, and claims more than 2 million successful experiences of hosting or surfing. Membership is free.
The group attracts mostly young people, but there are also plenty of older members. Members may be hosts or guests, or both. Hosts are able to specify when and how many guests they can accommodate, even whether they prefer male or female guests. As the name implies, hosts do not need to provide a separate room for guests.
Couchsurfing's mission, according to their Website, is to "create inspiring experiences." There are numerous testimonials from members who have enjoyed either hosting or visiting other members.
The economic advantages of this type of organization are obvious, and for those who are very open and trusting it could be a good choice.

Writing about Weekend Deals on Trazzler

2010-11-05T08:43:00.003-04:00

The Website http://www.trazzler.com provides information on good deals on hotels and interesting things to do near major American cities and Toronto. For example, this weekend the site features a three-star hotel in Bedford, Texas (near Dallas) for $46 a night.The cheapest hotel featured in or near Toronto, the Strathcona, is $92 a night.
Trazzler is expanding and should soon cover more cities, and they are looking for writers to help them grow. If you've ever dreamed of being a travel writer, check their writing contests. And if you love Vermont in winter, they are seeking someone to visit and write up attractions in that state in January.

Kids in Kremenchuk

2010-11-03T15:17:00.002-04:00

Kremenchuk on the Dnieper hardly rates a mention in the guidebook, but this pleasant town on the river has lots of big, leafy parks where the kids enjoy skating. This particular one still has a hammer and sickle insignia overlooking it, and a raffish air.

The dam in Kremenchuk creates the enormous Kremenchutsky Reservoir, the largest body of water in Ukraine. (The Black Sea is bigger, but bordered by many countries, not just Ukraine.)

There is an old-fashioned department store downtown in Kremenchuk, where well-made sheepskin coats were available in the range of 400 euros. A good deal, but unfortunately not on a blazing summer day. While Kremenchuk is an industrial city, there are still some wooden pre-revolutionary small houses with gardens on the outskirts.

Cheap London Lodgings

2010-11-01T08:51:00.002-04:00

In London, one of the world's most expensive cities, cheap is relative. In recent years, however, more options have appeared for low-cost stays.
It used to be that student residences associated with the University of London, the London School of Economics and other institutions of higher learning offered some of the best deals around, for those visiting when they were open to short-term visitors. That is generally during the long summer vacation and at Christmas and Easter break.
In 2001 I stayed for a few days at the High Holborn residence of LSE. It was clean and wonderfully situated for West End theatres, the British Museum and Library, Soho and shopping. It is still fairly cheap, but for next year the price for a single room will rise to around $72 at today's exchange rate. This includes a continental breakfast buffet, but rooms have shared baths, and I have never seen such tiny bathrooms. Some other LSE residences are less expensive. The Website is www.lsevacations.co.uk/residences. The Website www.europeforvisitors.com lists contacts for some other student residences.
Budget hotels are another good choice. These are new, modern places that appear to have very small rooms for low prices. I checked the rate for the Easy Hotel in Victoria for a date in January and came up with $51. The Website is www.easyHotel.com.
The Tune Hotel Westminster, which is actually not in Westminster but south of the river in Lambeth, offers rooms for as little as $15 if you book far ahead on their Website, www.TuneHotels.com. A review warns that there may be a lot of extra charges, but the basic price is amazing.
London is a fascinating city, and with lodging prices like this it is almost affordable.

Scenic Train Bargain

2010-10-29T11:57:00.002-04:00

One of the most scenic rail journeys in North America is also quite inexpensive. The Adirondack, a train that operates every day between New York's Penn Station and Montreal, goes right along the western shore of Lake Champlain, through the Adirondack Park and past Lake George. South of Albany it follows the course of the Hudson River to the city.
You get all this scenery for only $62 one way, or possibly less if you qualify for discounts for students, children, seniors or various other groups. This is far lower than the least expensive air fare, and comparable to bus fare.
The drawback, if you are in a hurry, is that the trip takes just over 11 hours, with a very long stop at the U.S.-Canadian border. But for those with leisure and a hankering for lovely views, it is a very relaxing trip. The part I like best is where the train seems about to fall into the enormous inland sea that is Lake Champlain.
Others prefer the views along the Hudson--lighthouses, sailboats and barges, the beautiful Tappan Zee bridge.
The Adirondack is one of the little known great railway journeys. For more information, consult www.amtrak.com.

Lada Forever

2010-10-27T12:52:00.002-04:00

I liked this juxtaposition of the old and the new in Yalta this past summer--a Lada in front of an Oriental pagoda style mansion under construction. The Lada is the iconic Soviet car that first began production in the early 60s in Togliatti, the Russian town named for a leader of the Italian Communist party. The original model was based on the Fiat 124 and adapted for Russian winters.

It's the car Russians love to hate--sturdy, long-lasting, totally unfashionable. Ladas were sold in a number of foreign countries--the UK, Canada, Brazil, among others, and they are still quite common in poorer parts of the former Soviet Union. Just a few days ago two Russian policemen were killed by gunmen who were driving a Lada in Grozny, Chechnya.

Today only the name lives on in a new high-performance car totally unlike the original Lada.