Travel Tip: How to Host Couchsurfers

Hosting couchsurfers is a great opportunity for people who haven't yet traveled much, or who have traveled a lot and miss travel and travelers. Instead of going out to meet the world, have the world come to you.

Generally speaking if you make a couchsurfing profile and list yourself as having a couch available, you're going to get a couple messages a week asking if someone can stay with you. Hosting is a lot of fun, and usually results in a free drink, meal, gift etc of some sort (or at least a grateful backpacker doing your dishes). Not to mention invitations to stay with new friends all over the world.

If you're not comfortable opening your home up to strangers, that doesn't mean you can't help. One of your status options is "Meet for Coffee." Surfers often take people up on this. It's good for them to meet locals who can tell them about all the best things to see, do, eat, drink, etc in town. Plus you get to meet people from all over the world.

If you are ready to invite travelers to stay on your couch, switch the status to "yes" or "definitely." As the host, you have complete control over who comes to your place. Read profiles, talk to people a bit, and then choose who you'd like to host.

There are a few things you can do to make your experience a safe and fun one:

--On your profile, there is a section you fill out called "couch information." If you want to make sure people are actually reading your profile before sending requests, in the middle write the following sentence: "If you've read this section, please include the word "______" in your request." Obviously you pick the word. I do this to sort through people who actually want to stay with me vs people who just want a free place to crash and have spammed 100 people in town.

--When you get a request, look at the person's profile and check it for references and vouches. If any are neutral or negative, read them carefully before dismissing the surfer outright. If there are no references or vouches, it's your call, but I don't recommend hosting that surfer.

--Familiarize yourself with your local couchsurfing events and make some friends in the CS community. They can help you out in most situations.

--Never feel it is your obligation to host anyone, no matter how desperate they claim their situation to be. If they're out in the cold at midnight in a rough city and claim you're their only hope, that is entirely their fault, and it's not your responsibility to save them. They screwed up their planning. If you want to help such people, find a cheap hostel online and direct them to it.

--If for whatever reason you don't feel like hosting anyone for a time, do yourself a favor and change your couch status to "Maybe," "meet for coffee," or "No couch available."

--If you find you really enjoy hosting, change your couch status to "definitely" (you will come up in more searches) and consider joining a last-minute-couch-request group. Most cities have their own, just search for your city under the community tab, and look at the groups. These are for people whose hosts have backed out on them at the last minute, had planes canceled, or who are just lazy. You'll find a lot of very grateful friends this way.

Next, a few tips to make your guest's stay a good one:

--Know the cheapest public transit routes to your home from airports, bus stops, and train stations. Most couchsurfers are on shoestring budgets and are used to sitting on public transit for a long time.

--Get a couple maps of your town for surfers to borrow. These are going to be very useful to them.

--If you don't have one, open a Skype or Google Voice account. This will let you text international cell phones cheaply and easily, which is handy if you're trying to rendezvous with a guest who brought their cell from home.

--Don't feel that you have to provide constant entertainment or information. Couchsurfers as a rule are very self-sufficient and grateful for you simply letting them come to your home. Usually, if they need something, they'll ask for it.

That should be enough to get started. Happy hosting!

Travel Tip: How to Couchsurf

So you're ready to make like this puppy and crash somewhere new? We all need a place to sleep, and if you've followed the last couple of posts, you'll know why I think couchsurfing is a great travel tool. This post will help you surf your first couch.

First things first, go to couchsurfing.org, and set up your profile. Fill it out as completely as you're willing to, and go ahead and be a little quirky about it if you like. Memorable and interesting people have a much easier time finding hosts. Make sure you upload a recent picture.

Next, get your profile verified. This means locking your address into the system, getting your postcard, and entering in the validation code. I also suggest donating to complete the verification process, but that's a personal decision.

You're almost ready. Here's the most involved step. It will take a little time and help to do, but I highly recommended it if you want' to find a host: get another couch surfer to write you a reference. The best way to do this is to find a friend who already knows you and is on couchsurfing.org. (Seriously, if you're someone who I know well, and you want a reference, email me with your profile address and I'll write one for you). Post a status on Twitter or Facebook saying you've just joined and want to know if anyone else you know is involved. You'd be surprised which of your friends and family might respond. If it's an especially close friend or family member who has more than three vouches, they might vouch for you (don't ask for this though, it's not polite).

If you really don't know any other couchsurfers, it's time to go out and meet a few. Go to the community tab of the website, and search both events and group for your hometown. Then go out and meet the surfers. You'll have a good time, and you'll make some friends on the site, who can then, if you hit it off, write a reference for you.

Once you've got a completed profile with picture, verification, a good positive reference, you're ready to start looking for a couches.

A good time in advance (a week or more before your arrival date, if possible), start searching for a host. Hit the Surf/Host Tab and hit Couchsearch. Enter in the location you're going to surf (and if you feel like it, some qualifications about gender, age, interests etc) and you'll get a list of hosts. from this list, you are going to choose several to message, asking to stay on their couch.

One trick, before reading profiles: I like to sort the search results by "last login date." The surfers who appear at the top are probably the most active hosts who log in the most often and check their messages. They're often sent fewer couch requests than the people who show up at the top by default, and are more likely to respond to you.

Here are the things to look for:
-Do they appear trustworthy? What do their references say? Do they have a picture on their profile? Have they been vouched for/verified?
-Do they like where they live? After safety, I consider this the most important thing to look for. A host who is passionate about their home can make your stay absolutely incredible. A host that hates where they live will not.
-Do they speak your language? All users list the language(s) they speak and rank them in terms of proficiency. Their grasp of English of course is usually evident from what they've written on their profile.
-Where in town do they live? Is it somewhere you want to stay? Is it safe? Convenient?
-What's their "couch" like? Do they smoke? Have pets? Are you going to be on the floor or in a spare bedroom of your own? Most profiles will have pictures and all will have a description of their "couch" and their house rules (if any).
-Does this look like someone you would want to spend time with? Do you have interests in common? Do like to party as much/little as you? Did you study the same things, or are you pursuing similar careers?

Once you've picked out a few of your favorites, it's time to start sending them request. As a surfer, nobody minds if you message more than one person. I usually send requests to 5-10 people every time I want to couchsurf. However, quality of request is far more likely to get you a place than quantity. Here's how:

Read your potential host's profile carefully, and then in your first message to them write something that makes it obvious that you read their profile.


This is the most important thing you can do when requesting a couch. Hosts like knowing that a surfer has chosen to write to them for a reason. Even if I copy/paste a request message to several people, I always include at least one sentence specific to each host showing that I read their profile, know who they are, and actually want to meet them.

After that... just wait. You should get responses soon.

Or not. There's one other trick you can use for major cities. Under the community tab, click search group, and then search for your destination city. You'll find a message board for surfers in that city. Go to their group's message board and look for something along the lines of "emergency/last minute couch request group." Drop them a message there. If you're lucky and have a good profile, you might find a host that way. But make sure you read your potential host's profile carefully before accepting.

And that should get you on your way to surfing your first couch. Best of luck! Stay tuned for tips on getting started as a couchsurfing host.

Travel Tips: Couchsurfing Safety

The very first question most Americans, especially American women, ask me when I tell them about couchsurfing, is "How can you know if you're going to be safe?" It makes some sense, you're staying with someone you don't know. How do you know that this isn't an axe murderer whose couch you're sleeping on? How do you know you're not hosting a kleptomaniac? How do you know that couchsurfing is safe?

The answer is in three pieces of security provided by the website's structure: References, Vouching, and Verification. Together, these things make couchsurfing just as safe as (or safer than) any other method of travel. These items are all listed on every couchsurfer's profile. The goal of listing them is to make couchsurfing more like staying with a friend of a friend than a complete stranger. Every surfer has an online profile much like they do on Facebook-- pictures, listed interests, a bio, lists of other couchsurfing friends they've connected with. So before you meet the person, you know a little about them. But it also has these three items that you won't find on any other site.

References- Anyone who meets, stays with, or hosts any couchsurfer can write a reference on that person's profile, listed as either positive, neutral, or negative, categorized as to whether they were a guest, host, and/or travel buddy, along with comments. When someone writes you a reference, it appears permanently on your profile-- you can't edit or delete it, only the writer can do that. If someone was a great guest or host, they'll have a lot of positive references. If they steal and break things, or put people in uncomfortable positions, they will have negative references. If you see someone who has a negative reference, it will be featured prominently on their profile. When you have negative references, it becomes hard to surf anywhere or host people, so you always want to do you best to get positive references. Conversely, if you find someone who has a negative reference, always read the comment section to see the reason. Sometimes people leave negative references for reasons that might not affect you (miscommunication, personality clashes, etc). and it is up to you to decide whether it is really a red flag or not.

Vouching- A vouch is an icon you see at the top of someone's profile, once some other user has "Vouched" for them, saying they have complete and utter trust in that person. Here's the thing that makes it special: you can only vouch for someone once you yourself have been vouched for by three different people on couchsurfing.org. Each of those people in turn must have been vouched for by three different people, etc, etc. Anyone who has been vouched for has made deep connections in the couchsurfing community, and is known and trusted by those around them. Ideally you should only vouch for someone who you have both hosted and been hosted by, but failing that, just make sure it is someone you trust-- once you vouch for them, anything they do is reflected back on you.

Verification- It's the first and easiest step you can do, because you can do it by yourself. It's a three step process that leads to yet another prominent icon on your profile. The first step is locking in your name and physical address. Once you've done this, the couchsurfing team will mail you a postcard with a code on it. When you get it, you will enter in the code to verify you live (or at least get mail) at this address. This is the bare minimum of verification. The functionality of it is that in the unlikely event that any sort of legal complaint is lodged against a user, the local authorities can at least track them down by physical address. The last step to Verification is optional and only really shows dedication to the concept of couchsurfing- a monetary donation.

Now I know some surfers who object to this donation on principle-- they say that every other aspect of couchsurfing is 100% free of charge and always should be. But creating and maintaining a community that has more users than Facebook had just a few years ago costs an enormous amount of time and money. Since couchsurfing.org has no advertising anywhere on its site, donations are its only source of revenue. I say they've earned it. It's a different amount depending on the country you came from, but it's almost always about the price of one night in a hostel dorm bed in your country (Americans for example pay US$25). It's well worth it.

Together, with the fact that all messages through couch surfing are recorded, these safeguards make the backbone of couchsurfing security and should be the first things you look for when considering any potential host or surfer.

Speaking of looking for surfers, here's a special concern for those wondering "is couch surfing safe for women alone?" First of all, yes, it is. More than a million women are on the site and have had no problems. But if you're still worried, I would like to point out that you can be very specific in your search by gender, age, keywords (good way to find common interests), and specific location. A lot of women tell me they wouldn't feel comfortable staying with a strange man they don't know. Simple answer: restrict your search of hosts to women only.

If you want to read further, I recommend what couchsurfing.org has to say on the subject themselves.

Up next, Tips for surfers, followed by tips for hosts.

Travel Tip: Couchsurf

If you don't know what "couchsurf" means, you are missing out. Couchsurfing.org has begun to revolutionize world travel. It is a social network of over 2.5 million people across more than 200 countries worldwide. And just about all of them are willing to let you sleep at their place for no charge.

It's a simple concept. You let travelers crash at your place, and other travelers will let you crash at theirs. Not just any travelers of course-- people can only come stay once you invite them, there is a sophisticated reference and vouching system to determine if they're trustworthy (and how to hold them legally accountable if they aren't). But as accommodation is typically a huge chunk of any traveler's budget, this method can be a huge boon to those trying to see the world for less.

However, couchsurfing is about more than just a free place to stay. It's about all the things you can learn by being the guest of a different culture. A real guest, not just a lone customer in a hotel room. If you are a thoughtful and conscientious guest, you can learn far more from your host in an hour than you might have learned in a day with your guidebook. Finding a couchsurfing host who loves their home is the best and fastest way to get to the exciting, authentic travel experiences that the people on the tour buses can only dream of.

Likewise, as a host, this is very cheesy, but it's true: you're opening your door to the world. Not only are you meeting people from other countries, but you're meeting travelers from other countries. People with stories from literally anywhere. And from a personal perspective, it's a great way to deal with travel withdrawal, comparing notes.

The majority of couchsurfers are single travelers in their twenties. But I've hosted teens, stayed with 70-year-olds, and met entire families surfing couches together. There are added challenges to these things of course, but they can be done.

If you're curious about couchsurfing, go to the website's community page, and search for the place where you currently live. You'll find a forum of couchsurfers near you. If you're in a major city, they probably have one or several weekly gatherings-- usually just hanging out at a bar or coffee shop. For example, If you're in Seattle, the group usually hits happy hours in various bars around 5pm (rotates every week, check their board for details). In New York there's a Thursday evening event at Affair on Eighth in Greenwich Village that usually gets going around 8:30. Go join them, they're probably the friendliest crowd you'll ever meet.

If you want to learn more about this site and community, stay tuned. I'll have more posts coming soon-- first about what makes the site so safe to use, second about the basics of surfing for couches, and finally a little bit about hosting.

Travel Tip: Beyond the Flight, Rental Car, and Hotel

It's taken a little while for me to realize this, but when I tell most people, especially Americans who haven't traveled much, about my trip, they tend to assume a couple things about how it worked. The assumptions kind of make sense, but they're mostly wrong.

They're based on the way that most Americans travel long distances: you book your flight a month or more in advance, you get a rental car so that you can get around, and you book a hotel room based on how plan on staying.

Since that's how they travel, they tend to assume that over the course of 19 months and seven continents, I was continuously doing all of these things. Nope. I had a handful of flights over the course of the trip-- not many more than most college students do if they fly home for school breaks. I might have reserved myself a hotel room twice. I'm not even certain of that. I never rented a car.

When you think about it, it's a little absurd to think that the flight-rental car-hotel reservation method is so predominant that nobody seems to know another way to travel. I'll admit that routine probably affords the most creature comforts for those who have the money, but it's also probably the most expensive, restrictive, and stressful way you can plan a trip. Even if I'd had the millions of dollars required to do my trip around the world that way, I doubt I would have ever done it.

I think a lot of the strength of this travel regime is that it gives the illusion of security. You'll be guaranteed a way in and back home, at good place to sleep, and a way to get from one to the other. So long as your flight isn't delayed/canceled, your hotel is as advertised, and you can spring for all the little surprise fees etc at the rental car counter.

But I think the other real strength this idea has is that it's all these people know. So here is an incomplete list of alternatives. I'm not saying you have to do things one way or another, but I think more people would travel if they knew more about cheaper and more rewarding things they can use:

Instead of buying tickets months in advance, dealing with airport security, baggage restrictions etc of flying try:

Train. In many countries, this is THE way to travel. In Europe and Japan it's often about the same price as flying, but elsewhere it's a bargain and you can buy your ticket the day of travel without any price repercussions. In some places it even rewards you for buying at the last minute (Trans-Siberian rail, anyone?) You see more of your destination, you can stretch your legs and walk around without fear of turbulence, and you'll meet tons of people. Maybe it's just me, but I almost always end up getting free food from fellow passengers, too. Just bring some snacks to share in return. Check seat61.com for good train resources.

Bus. This is how the rest of the world travels by default. You can buy your ticket five minutes before boarding. In developed countries, if you do it in advance, you can pay as little as US$1 for your fare. It's slow, and a bit more restrictive than train travel in that you can't walk around, but if you're someone who can sleep in a car during road trips, bus may be just the method for you. And in the US, forget the stupid urban myths you've heard about Greyhound-- Bolt bus, Megabus, and Go Bus are just a few of the cheap, reliable companies that are very safe and free of the whatever weird characters you're so scared of.

Boat. These are slower than you probably think they are, but boats are looking for passengers and often crews, and they don't always expect the crew to be experienced. Make sure you meet the captain and other crew first (remember to always ask for permission to board before boarding a boat, it's considered rude to hop on without doing so first) and think hard about whether these are people you want to spend all day, every day with for the length of the voyage. Look at findacrew.com and even Craigslist listings for crew.

Rideshare. Check websites to find someone on a road trip who needs company and some extra money for gas. Multiple websites exist for this but I'm not yet aware of a comprehensive global site. Carpooling.com is probably the closest, though it is quite Europe-centric.

Now instead of the hassle, fees, insurance and licensing headaches of renting a car, try...

Public Transit. It is much more widespread than you think. Even if it's just a rowboat or a van that comes by every day with some dude sticking out the window yelling their destination, you can find public transit anywhere. You might think it's slower, but it's actually often faster than fighting traffic, finding directions, and trying to figure out traffic laws that a local bus driver grew up knowing. Like which side of the road to drive on. It's also a lot cheaper.

Bicycle. This depends a lot on local traffic and weather, but a bike rental is a quick, cheap and easy way to get around most places. Insist on a helmet and lock with your bike, no matter how crazy the locals think you are for doing so.

Walking. You'll see more, you'll get more exercise, and you'll open yourself up to a lot more opportunities than you ever could inside of your rental car by virtue of meeting people and smelling/hearing interesting things and following them. You'll remember more than you would have otherwise as well. Once you get used to it, you'll be amazed how fast and far you can go by foot.

Finally, instead of booking a hotel room, locking yourself into solitude and constrained dates, try...

Connections. Tell everyone about your trip. Someone will almost certainly know someone else who can either put you up or knows someone else who can. One of my most enjoyable stays anywhere was in Hong Kong, where I spent a week with my mother's second-cousin's ex-girlfriend's sister and brother in law. Don't ask outright for a place to stay, but do not be ashamed to say you'd like to meet people. Most people will invite you by reflex alone, if they possibly can. And bring a gift or take them out for a drink/meal sometime. You'll get a free place to stay, and some orientation to your destination by locals.

Hostels. Contrary to popular opinion, in the vast majority of cases hostels are clean, you can get a private room, you can stay all day, you don't have to be a member of any organization, and you don't have to be a certain age to stay there. You will meet far more travelers than you ever would in a hotel. Most travelers you meet will be really interesting people from all over the world. You'll almost always have access to a kitchen and several dozen strangers who would love to cook with you. Plus there are discount activities, tours, and guides available to the destination. I often find that most hostels are better located than most hotels, especially if you like seeing places on foot. Check Hostelling International, hostelbookers.com, and hostelworld.com.

Couchsurfing.org. This website is revolutionizing budget travel. It's only been around for a few years, but it's already at more than 2 million members scattered across virtually every country in the world, and it's growing daily by the thousands. The idea is simple, you make a profile, you get other members who trust you to write you a reference or two (which appears on your public profile and that you cannot edit), and you can then search for other people who live in your destination who have done the same. If you like their profile and they have been endorsed by enough people to make you feel comfortable, you can ask if you can crash on their couch/spare bed/floor. If they like your profile and see you come with good references, they can accept. The result? A free place to stay, and a local host to guide you around. Make sure you bring a gift or buy them a meal/drink. That's actually only the beginning-- there are international meetups, parties, road trips, and a lot more all based on this growing online community of travelers. Once again, it's all at couchsurfing.org.

Apartment Swap Craigslist and other sites are good places to look for apartment swap opportunities if you have a pad you'd like to exchange for someone else's for a week or so. Search for apartment swap and your city of choice, or if you're feeling gutsy, just search for the the city you live in, and see who wants to come to you, and where they can give you a place in exchange.

All these and more can be found in any good guidebook on your destination. I have the most experience with the budget end of things, including Let's Go, Lonely Planet's Shoestring series, and Rough guides. If you have a slightly higher budget, I can also recommend Rick Steve's guides.

Travel Tip: How to Access Your Money While Traveling Internationally

This post isn't going to be about budgets (that might come later). This post is going to be about how you can get cash in different countries. This will be particularly helpful to those who haven't yet left on their trip and are just now planning how they can best get at their cash while abroad.

As an American, I will be writing this from the perspective of someone from the USA. However, you'll find that while some of the particulars in how to prepare for a trip at home are different in different countries, once you're abroad, the principles are all pretty much the same.

Here's what I recommended that you carry with you:

-Credit and Debit Cards with Good Foreign Exchange Rates (One Visa and One MasterCard at least). This is the modern way to pay for things internationally. Visa and MasterCard debit cards work in ATMs in major cities across almost every country in the world, including Syria, Ethiopia, and other places where, if you search online, you'll find warnings claiming they don't work. If you've read more of my blog, you know how many countries I've traveled across. The only one that wouldn't let me take money out of an ATM was Rwanda, and that was only because I had a MasterCard. Visa works in ATMs there just fine. This just meant I had to go inside a Rwandan bank for a withdrawal, plus a fee. When you use your card in a local ATM, you will always have the option to operate the ATM in English, and you will always be given local currency (unless you specifically ask for something else).

Here's the big catch: most major banks slap massive fees on these transactions. Chase, for example, charges $3 for each withdrawal, plus 5% commission on all withdrawals. You can do a lot better than that.

How? By researching better options. I recommended getting a credit card and small checking account with a smaller bank or a credit union, making sure to ask them about what they charge for foreign transactions. Since I'm from Seattle, I use Boeing Employees Credit Union. Last time I checked, their credit card charged 1% on foreign charges, and their debit card charged 1% on ATM withdrawals. Much better.

In fact, if you look hard enough, you might be able to do better than that. For example, if you or a close family have any ties with the military, you can apply for a checking account with USAA-- not only are there no fees for foreign withdrawals, but they refund any other fees charged by the bank you draw the money from. That's unheard of and amazing. Rumor has it Charles Schwab has a similar deals for people considering opening up new accounts with them (the hope being that you use their investment services when you get home, since you'll already have an account with them).

Once again, make sure you have at least one each of Visa and MasterCard, between your credit and debit cards. Visa seems to be slightly more common abroad, but really you should be fine with either. American express will work in a handful of other countries, not very reliably. Discover card is not going to help you.

Finally, don't keep both cards in the same place. If what you keep one in is stolen, you're probably going to need the other one right away.

-American Dollars. This applies to citizens of other countries as well. American Dollars are the closest thing there is to international currency. Euros are the perpetual second, and also not a bad thing to have around in cash. British Pounds are a distant third. I always kept a stash of US$200 for tight spots. Part of it went in my money belt, the other part in a hidden place in my backpack. You will end up spending this at times. The way you can replenish it depends on which countries you're going through. Sometimes it makes sense to change your leftover currency back into dollars, but more often than not it's better to spend it on something useful and withdraw local currency in the next country from an ATM, which will probably be located very near the border. In several countries you will find that you can withdraw American dollars from the ATMs (Hong Kong, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cambodia, and Ecuador all come to mind).

-Phone Numbers to Contact Your Bank Internationally. Most banks offer numbers that will accept international collect calls for travelers in tight spot. You'll need this in emergencies. Keep it where you keep other documents, like your travelers insurance (you do have travelers insurance, don't you?)

And that's it!

...but wait, some of you are saying. What about travelers checks? The answer is, in my opinion, don't bother. They used to be the way to carry money around abroad. And they do still have more security than cash-- if they're stolen you can get a refund, provided you still have the stubs, and they can't be used by anyone but you. The problem is, nobody uses them anymore. This means that in 90% of the world they aren't accepted for anything, and in the remaining 10%, the exchange rates you get for them are terrible. Add to the fact that most places charge you a fee to even issue them, and I think you have a losing proposition overall. At best, they're a good emergency stash. I tried using them in India, and I don't plan on ever using them again.

Oh and one more item. Some people talk about pre-paid ATM Visa cards. They go by a variety of names. They sound like a neat idea. Basically it's a disposable ATM card with a set amount of cash tied to it. The problem is that the ones I've seen get even worse rates than you get from major banks for debit cards. Maybe there are better ones now, but I have yet to see them. Do a little research. If they charge you more than 3% on foreign transactions, or charge you any kinds of flat fees for anything, don't use them.

And that's a wrap! I may follow this up with more in depth tips for money management while abroad (how to most effectively have a parent or other highly trusted person to help at home, plus online banking). But this should help with the access-to-cash question.

Travel Tip: Stay Safe at Night

This is a something I get asked about a great deal. How do you stay safe in a strange place? the answers seem like common sense to those who already know them, so often when you ask, you get not very helpful answers like "just... don't be stupid." So I'm going to try to break things down a bit. If you live in a city, some of this is going to be pretty familiar to you already.

First, the basics. You are not in as much danger as you probably think you are. I've heard inexperienced travelers tell me a lot of ridiculous horror stories of shooting, kidnappings, and random killings of tourists. This is very unlikely to happen to you in the vast majority of places you will visit. The places where it does happen are the ones that are very hard to travel to, and where you probably don't want to be right now anyway. Like Baghdad or Mogadishu. I can guarantee you that if you come to Beijing, you are not going to be stuffed into an unmarked car by people looking to harvest your organs. I hope you're laughing, but somebody I talked to was seriously concerned about this possibility.

What you are in danger of are scams (which I'll cover in another post) and theft. Possibly via mugging, depending on the area. Also, women, I hate to say it, but you are more likely to be targeted, not just for theft, but for unwanted sexual attention. However, in most places you are not in any greater danger than you would be in your home city. So don't panic.

The places where you are in the most danger are in very very packed crowds (as in you are literally squeezing through people) and at night. Since you're probably going to be traveling through more nights than crowds, I'm going to focus on how to keep safe at night.

The basics, you probably already know:
-Walking alone is not ideal. Walking drunk is not ideal. Walking alone and drunk is just dumb. Don't do it.
-Act like you know where you are going, even if you don't
-Be aware of your surroundings- don't look at the ground all the time or talk on your cell phone
-Look relaxed but alert-- panicky people look like they're good targets because they probably don't know the area, and might be carrying valuables.
-Don't access an ATM at night. It makes it obvious that you're carrying cash when you walk away.
-Stick to well-lit areas with some people walking around, and give generous distance to dark, shadowy hiding places
-Don't pull out or show anything of great value (i.e. cameras, jewelry, money belts, or iPods)
-If you are confronted and told to hand over your valuables, don't argue or act like a hero, hand it over.

Now, here are a few slightly less well known ideas I liked to use to stay safe.

If you don't know where you are and don't know how to make it look like you know where you are, pick a random point a couple blocks distant, and walk to it, purposefully. Once you get to it, choose another and do the same thing. Keep doing this until you find a well-lit populated place of business where you can pull out a map or get directions without problems.

Plan ahead of time when you're going to need a map. If you have to pull out a map, make sure it's folded down to the part you need so that you can pull it out and have it in one hand without unfolding. Basically, make it look like it's something other than a map. Ideally, you'll have already done this before walking out into the street.

Use reflections. Shop windows, car mirrors, and anything glass are all your friends, because they can give you a view of what's going on behind you, without you twisting and turning. If you still have sunglasses on your person, you can pretend to inspect the lenses-- the curved lens is a great way to see what's behind you.

If you suspect that someone is following you, walk all the way around a city block until you're going the same direction you were originally. If they're still behind you, they are following you. Step inside a shop, hotel lobby, or any open, lit building with someone working inside, and tell the person that you are being followed.

If you keep a wallet in your pocket, keep it in the front pocket. If you must keep it in the back, tie a couple rubber bands around it so that you can more easily feel if someone tries to slip it out.

If you are in a place where mugging is reported to be common, carry a second wallet with a small amount of cash and some expired cards inside it. If you are mugged, throw this wallet to the ground and run, if you can.

Finally, use the city around you. The vast majority of people wherever you are is trustworthy and hates thieves and criminals more than they could ever hate you, regardless of your demographic. The vast majority of the city is your friend, and criminals are running scared of being caught by your friend. This is something that will help you stay calm if you're caught in a situation that feels unsafe.

I hope that helps. Safe travels!

Traveler Tips: Q&A from the H.I. Event

So for those who didn't get to go to the Hosteling International event on Monday, I've pulled some of the questions I got that I don't think I've answered before here, and some that my friend Pam answered that I didn't know, plus at least one good suggestion from an audience member.

Q: Should you ever deal with the black market when changing money?
Not if you can help it. It used to be that you could do this in many countries and get a much better rate than you could through an official money changer. I've heard rumors that this might still be true in places like Venezuela, but for the most part, not only is this no longer true, but the black market has almost exclusively been filled by scam artists, especially the ones that just operate in the street at border crossings and major cities. You will get fake currency, bad exchange rates, and slight of hand to trick you into thinking you got more than you actually did.

If you must use the black market, then it's a situation where someone official can point you to the reliable guy on the black market. I have asked police and border patrol personnel and they have helped me with this. I got a good rate with real currency. You'd think the people I asked would rather arrest the people instead of giving them customers, but in some places (mostly Africa), they know this is the only way to change money, so they'll just kind of give you a "if this doesn't work, it's not my fault" spiel beforehand.

Q: How would you feel about driving a car in the developing world?
Eh... I'd be nervous. I wouldn't do it until I'd spent enough time to become familiar with the driving local driving style, roads, and traffic police habits. In East Africa, the police pull over foreign-looking drivers all the time to try to fleece them for bribes. If you don't pay, they find something to fine you for. In South America, people will take blind corners on steep mountain highway with no shoulder or guard rail, and just drift into the lane of opposing traffic. As driver, I know I wouldn't be able to handle these sorts of things without a good amount of practice and familiarization first.


Q: If you need medical attention and you don't speak the local language, how do you find a good doctor and someone who can translate for you?
Doctors all over the world are expected to learn some English. It's the international language of many disciplines in the hard sciences, so they're expected to know some as part of their studies. Finding an English speaking doctor or pharmacist shouldn't be nearly as hard as you might imagine. As for making sure it's a *good* doctor, use local recommendations. If you have made friends where you are, ask them. If you haven't yet met locals, talk to the staff of the hostel or hotel where you are staying, or the local tourist info center. They all know better then you possibly could. Some travel insurance providers will give you an emergency number you can call that will tell you where a doctor they recommend is located.


Q: What are some things you had a hard time finding on the road that you should get at home?
Most things you can get at home, you can also get abroad, but not necessarily the brands or quality you want. Pam talked about how she was never satisfied with foreign band-aids (I never had a problem with this personally, but I didn't use many). I could never find peanut butter when I wanted it, and very few people outside of the US know what root beer is. Also, if you're like me and have big feet, shoes can be an issue in many countries. I had to get special imported ones from an American mall in Quito once. It was expensive, and a little embarrassing. Finally, I get picky about my clothes being packable, quick-drying and decent looking. Shirts I could usually find. But for some reason, finding pants like this was often a challenge.


Q: What's a good way to help secure your room if you have a private one?
Get a little doorstop. I never had one of these, but it was suggested after the event, and I think it's a good one. This assumes of course that you aren't sharing the room and the your door opens inwards, and that the bottom of the door is close enough to the floor for it to work, but in those situations, a doorstop could be handy to make you more secure.

Hope that's helpful. Thank you very much to all who attended! If any of you had a favorite question I haven't included here, comment or email me, and I'll add it.

Travel Tip: How to Plug in Your Electrical Gadgets in Another Country

So, you've brought something electric from home into another country. Most travelers do. Cell phones, digital camera, maybe an mp3 player. These things need charging. To charge them, you need to plug something into a power outlet. So you've got to find a power outlet, and that's when the fun starts.

See, not every country in the world uses the same shape plugs. I've heard of about thirteen distinct sizes and shapes of electrical plug. Worse still, some countries have outlets that put out about twice as much power as others. So even if you managed to force the wrong shape plug into the socket, that hair dryer might just explode. And that's no fun.

So, what's a traveler to do? The answer has two parts: plug adapters and voltage converters.

Read this next line carefully and remember it: you might not need either of them, and even if you need one, you might not need the other.

A lot of people make the mistake of bringing too many gadgets to make their devices work abroad. It doesn't hurt to be cautious, but some of these things just weigh you down. The most common mistake is to bring a voltage converter when you don't need it. But I'm getting ahead of things-- first I'll explain what these things do.

An adapter is the thing you use to make the plugs from home fit in the sockets of the country you're traveling through. So if you have a flat, two pinned US plug, you stick it in a little adapter with a round, two pinned European plug sticking out. Voila, European power to your American device.

The converter is an extra box that goes between your cord and the outlet to make sure you're getting the right amount of European power to that American device. European power outlets for example, give out twice the voltage of their American brethren. So something designed to handle half the voltage could be fried. The converters take care of it by either cutting the voltage down or raising it up depending on a little switch on the back.

Most people get this far on their own. Here's the stuff not everybody gets on adapters and converters:

First, with adapters, yes, there are tons and tons of different kind of plugs you can get adapters for, but no matter where you go in the world, you only need three. There are four basic kinds, and your devices almost certainly already have one of the four, leaving you with three you'll need adapters for. While the outlets might be different in thirteen different ways, one of these four plugs will almost always work. They go like this, as pictured above from right to left: Two thin, flat, parallel prongs (North America, most of South America and Asia), Three chunky rectangular prongs (the UK and most of its former colonies in Africa), two round prongs (continental Europe, a small chunk of South America, most of the Middle East and northern Africa), and thin, flat prongs at diagonal angles to each other (Australia and New Zealand). I've traveled with these four in all of these places, and while I occasionally find an outlet that I can't plug into, I can usually find one in the same room that I can. South Africa, Namibia, and India, for example, all use three round prong plugs, but so many devices are sold in these countries with European plugs, that almost everyone has at least one euro adapter lying around. So even if you don't see it in the wall, a euro plug will get you by just fine.

Second, converters. If you're packing only electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, laptops), you probably don't need a converter. If you're packing more basic electrical plug-in stuff like a hair dryer, you probably will need one. Look at the power cord for an A/C adapter. It'll be a chunky thing at the end or in the middle of the cord somewhere with a sticker or writing etched into the side. Here are the magic words you're looking for: "Input: 100-240V" If it says this or something a lot like it somewhere, it's designed for travel and doesn't need a converter. If there's nothing like that on the plug anywhere (i.e. it's just a cord with a plain plug on the end) it will need a converter.

In my opinion, if you need a converter to use it, you shouldn't bother packing it. Converters are big, heavy, and cost a lot more than a simple adapter set. I don't carry anything that needs a travel converter.

Finally, if you've got a little bit of extra cash, consider going solar. If you look online, you can find compact solar arrays for basic electronic devices like cell phones and iPods. I have one for rechargeable AA and AAA batteries (though it does also plug into the wall). I've met other travelers who have the ones for other devices, and they have been quite pleased with them. Obviously they're only really good for charging batteries where you have some sunlight or fluorescent bulbs, but sunlight is often a lot easier to find than a free electrical plug.

Enjoy, and be thankful I'm not ending this with a stupid pun on the word 'power.'

Travel Tip: Clean Drinking Water, Anywhere

I thought about contacting the company and asking for a sponsorship deal before I posted this one, but I didn't. This is not a paid advertisement, I am under no obligation to tell you anything but the truth.

With that out of the way, I am here to recommend one of the cooler travel gadgets I've been using this trip. It's called a Steripen. It makes just about any water safe to drink, one liter at a time.

When I first heard about it, I was skeptical. But, before leaving, I asked one of the doctors in my travel clinic about it. She had nothing but good things to say. So, I found one on sale at REI (they're not paying me to write this either), four rechargeable AA batteries with a little solar charger, and I was good to go.

The Steripen looks like a plastic stick with a long lightbulb sticking out of it. The way you use it is to fill up a water bottle with a liter of water, press the button on the Steripen, wait for a flashing green LED light, and then stir it around in your water. The bulb end will light up. After you stir for a couple minutes, the bulb turns off, and the LED flashes green. The water is now safe to drink.

The way it works is that the bulb is a UV bulb. The UV radiation destroys any parasites, bacteria and viruses swimming around the water. It's the biological equivalent of boiling the water for a few minutes, only you don't have to wait for it to cool down after. The water must be clear (no dirt) for the thing to work, and you need to keep it in and stirring the for full period of time or it won't do the job. If you pull it out too early, you'll get an angry little red LED flashing and have to start over.

I have been using this device in seven continents for over a year, and I have not once gotten sick from the water it treated. I trust it with just about any tap water in the world. I will say that it doesn't make the water taste any better, but as long as the water is clear, it can treat it and drink it, (unless it's from one particular cheap hostel in Siam Reap, Cambodia, because that water tastes foul enough to make your stomach turn, even when sterilized).

Bear in mind that this doesn't do anything for water with nasty metals like lead or mercury in it. This is very rare, I've yet to run into it. More common is a few cities where they just dump too many chemicals like chlorine into the water for it to be drinkable in large quantities (so far the only ones I have had this problem with are Moscow, Istanbul, and Damascus) If you're in doubt, ask if the water would be safe to drink after boiling for a few minutes. If so, you can use a Steripen.

The only problems I've run into are with the button itself. After several months in my backpack, the button sometimes doesn't respond to the first press. I often have to try pressing it several times or pressing it very hard in just the right direction to start the thing up. But I just put that down to normal wear and tear, given what it has to go through inside my bag.

This is my answer to the problem of drinking water. The traditional method to this problem is to buy bottled water wherever you go. If you're keeping yourself properly hydrated (which you should be), this causes a huge amount of waste in plastic bottles (most of the developing world, where you'll use them most, can't recycle them). You also have to start getting paranoid about seals and whether bottles you're buying are really just old bottles being re-filled with tap water by local entrepreneurs. Finally, last, and in many ways least, while water is very cheap in places where tap water is undrinkable, it's still an expense that's nice to cut out.

So, my advice? Get a sturdy, 1-liter water bottle, and then go get yourself a Steripen. Now anywhere you have tap water, you'll have safe drinking water.
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I'll use this opportunity to point out a little something on the site I'm trying out. I've labeled it (are you ready for the cheesy cheesiness?) the JTrek Store. I quietly put it up months ago on the right sidebar, but never explained it. Here's my explanation:

If you click the link to the store, you'll find a few things, including several models of Steripens. These are things that either I carry or are a lot like things I carry (smaller sizes or womens' versions for example).

You can buy them there. If you want. A very small portion of the price (1% on most items) goes to my trip. The rest goes to Amazon.com and their affiliates. I encourage you to use the store mostly as a reference list-- if you think you can get a better deal somewhere else, go for it. Check your local outdoor and travel stores as well as the internet.

One other thing, I can add anything you can buy on Amazon.com to the JTrek Store. So if, for example, there's something I've talked about that you don't see on there, feel free to suggest it, and I might add it later.

Or, if you want to buy something crazy like a Segway or a car on Amazon and feel like donating 1% of the price tag to my trip, let me know, and we'll get it on the store for you in time for purchase. I kid. Mostly.

Anyway, that's the deal behind the store. I hope it's useful to you and your adventures!

Travel Tip: Bargaining for Beginners

In many places in the world, prices for just about anything are negotiable. At first, when you realize that the prices you're being offered as a foreigner have been jacked up, and you have to constantly bargain them down, it will feel like a hassle. But if you practice a few techniques and get good at it, something weird will happen. You'll actually start to enjoy it.

Bargaining, when done properly, is a lot of fun. And you can get yourself bargains you couldn't dream of in fixed price institutions at home. It becomes a game, and if you do well, you get prizes at the end.

Now, bargaining is a huge concept that many full books have been written on. There are many many different techniques on bargaining that are all quite valid (and some that aren't). For this post, I'm just going to share a few principles specific to travelers, who are almost always in the buyer position, trying to buy stuff you buy on the road, like bus tickets, room rates, or just little gifts for friends back home.

First up, we'll talk about the advantages and disadvantages for the buyer and seller. The seller is always the one who needs the deal to go through. Without selling, the seller has no job. It's usually in the seller's interest to close a deal as quickly as possible, because that way s/he can sell more deals in the day, and get something closer to the original asking price. The key advantage the seller has over the buyer is that the seller knows the exact worth of what s/he's selling. No merchant on the ground will ever sell at a loss, so no matter how much they mope, don't feel bad about it, they are making money off your purchase. The main disadvantage is that the seller can't control when bargaining ends-- the buyer can walk out any time.

As the buyer, the seller's disadvantage becomes your advantage. Bargaining will never end until you end it, either by accepting an offer, or making an offer you're willing to pay that the seller accepts. You may get stuck on a price, but the decision to either buy or walk away is always yours. The disadvantage you have is that you usually don't know the actual worth of what you're shopping for. If you can change that, you will be in a much stronger bargaining position. Find out how much you *should* pay for something and gun for that target price. Keep in mind that guidebooks are mediocre resource for these things, especially the price of lodging and transport. Much better is asking some local person who isn't trying to sell you anything (or who has already sold you something completely different and can't sell you what you're asking about).

Next principle is middle men and touts. This lesson is easy: avoid these people like the plague. Actually, that's not strictly true, on rare occasions these people can be a good source of information, but in general, you want to avoid middle men at all costs for the simple reason that no middle men would be middle men unless they make money doing it. If you buy a Colombian bus ticket from the guys running around the entrance yelling "Where you go my friend?!" You're paying his salary, probably a friend's salary, the people behind the ticket counter, and the driver. If you go to the counter, you're just paying the counter and the driver. If you're good (depending on the country), you can sometimes get around them all and haggle directly with the driver. The fewer people you have to pay, the less you'll have to pay total.

Next is subtlety. If you ask a seller for a price out loud, in front of other customers, he'll probably turn you down. The reason being that while he might sell one item at that price, he won't want to sell to everyone at that price. This gives us the modern international symbol for bargaining: the calculator. From Bangkok to Bogotá, this little device showing up is how you know a price is open to bargaining. When you ask how much, the seller will think for a moment, punch something into a calculator and hand it to you. That's his first offer. From then on out, no numbers should be said out loud. Make any counteroffer by punching it in and handing it back. That way the offers stay private (though feel free to quietly tell your friends after so they know what they should aim for, price-wise).

If you're going for an item in a shop, don't walk right up to it and stare at it. Sellers watch for this, and know that you really want it and will probably pay more. Browse a few other things first. Ask about them, ask about the prices of several things. Feign disinterest and point out defects. Basically make the seller think (s)he really needs to convince you.

This is more personal style, but I always make the seller make the first and second offers. After the first offer, I usually either nod slowly or fake disbelief (depending on what makes more sense in the local culture), thank them, and start to leave. 99% of the time I will be stopped at this point by the seller, who will say something that usually involves the phrase "special price." I pause, look conflicted, and ask what their "real offer" is, refusing to make one of my own, casually starting to leave again if they balk. Once I have a second offer, and if I think I'm going to buy, then I'll make one of my own offer, a good deal less than my target price. The seller will then laugh, call me crazy, etc. I challenge them for another offer, and the haggling begins. It might seem harsh, but it's all part of the game, and they know that. If you get stuck on a price you don't like, don't be afraid to leave, even if you feel like you've struck up a friendship or started a precedent. Time is on your side, and the bargaining won't end until you decide you want it to.

Also, most sellers will be quick to tell you this themselves, but if you buy many items (or even just two) you can get a better price on each one. But keep in mind how much you're spending total, and whether it's what you wanted to spend in the beginning.

This is just a start. A few other things you can try are playing multiple sellers off against each other, recruiting a friend and playing the good cop/bad cop routine to your advantage, and haggling down a bigger item before changing your mind and asking about the smaller or less expensive one (for an even better price). All of these tricks and more can get you some great deals.

Two last things to leave you with. Don't get too caught up in getting a lower price. Keep how much the local currency is worth in mind and ask yourself if it's really worth holding out over. 5,000 Vietnamese dong more than you offered may sound like a lot, but it's actually about US$0.25. Chances are you can afford that more easily than the person you're buying from. And don't lose your cool. If you're getting angry, walk away from the bargaining and cool off. You'll offend people, and you won't get the deal you want. This is supposed to be fun, they're not all out to gouge you, and insulting people helps nothing. Keep the tone around the same as a friendly arm wrestling match, maybe they'll throw some taunts or jibes here and there, but it's all still a game you could shake hands and smile after. Good luck!

Travel Tip: Street Food Primer

Here's an embarrassing story. In a Beijing bus station, I once remarked to some Welsh backpackers next to me that I'd been eating so much random stuff in China that I could eat just about any food from anywhere and not get sick. Less than ten minutes later, in front of them, I ate my first Mongolian street food and promptly got the worst 12-hour case of indigestion I'd ever experienced. Good thing one of the Welsh guys was a doctor.

My point is, no matter how tough and experienced you think you are, you've got to watch what you eat. This little episode aside, I think I can safely say I get sick way less often than your average traveler. This is because I tend to follow a few rules about food.

These are probably not the rules you think they are.

The Center for Disease Control has a saying about food while traveling: "if you can't peel it or cook it, forget it." This is a great guideline if you feel like living in a giant hamster ball. I can almost guarantee you that you will not get sick from food if you don't break this rule. I can also almost guarantee you that at some point, you will break it. If and when you do, you want to do it in an intelligent manner. That's where me and this entry come in.

Lesson number one: In the developing world, street food is often safer than restaurant food. Yes, you read that correctly. Street food. The food that has made me the most sick while traveling has almost all come from restaurants. The reason why, is that with street food, you see it get cooked right in front of you, and you see who is cooking it. In restaurants, you see neither. The methods the respective cooks use isn't much different. But with street food, if the cook is coughing up black goo into the same hands (s)he's smushing your falafel with, you know to go elsewhere. In a restaurant, you don't know whether that's happening or not. If the food is cooked right in front of you, fresh, by a healthy, clean-looking chef, you're in better shape than if it's sitting behind a glass case with insects buzzing around inside. And if it's in a restaurant, you just won't know-- many of these places aren't subjected to the same food code they are in the developed world, and even in the developed  world, if you've ever worked in the food service industry, you know some of these rules can be... well, I think you get my point.

Lesson number two: usually, if the tap water isn't safe, neither is the ice. This is seems obvious when written, but it's one a lot of of people forget in practice. There are a few countries, mostly in Asia, where ice is actually factory made from safe water. But please take the extra step and check that that's the kind of ice floating in your drink. Ask.

Lesson number three: what's safe for the locals isn't necessarily safe for you, yet. Legend has it that when Japanese baseball superstar Ichiro Suzuki first came to the United States and ate a hamburger, he was violently ill. We all have  little local beneficial bacteria running around our digestive tracts that helps us handle the local food. This differs from place to place. So take it easy for the first few days in a new place to develop your own. Supposedly local yogurt helps with this (though beware, eating yogurt that hasn't been refrigerated properly or that has expired is a fast way to making you sick). After you've been eating tame food (like vegetarian dishes) in a place for a bit, then try moving on to the more interesting stuff.

Lesson number four (this one is important): if the place is crowded, the food is probably good, and it's almost definitely being cooked fresh. This is an excellent way to pick street food vendors and restaurants. We'll call it the sheep method. The reason is that deserted restaurants and vendors are much more likely to leave things like meat lying around in temperatures that let nasty things start growing in it. Then when you order it, it'll get quickly reheated and served. Popular vendors, on the other hand, are having to constantly cook fresh batches to meet demand. And if it's in that much demand from the locals, it's probably because the food is especially good.

That should be enough to get you started. Everyone's body is slightly different, and soon you will develop your own rules for what yours does and doesn't like. For example, I avoid seafood unless I'm near the coast, where the seafood is fresh instead of frozen. Partially to avoid getting sick, but mostly because I grew up in a port city with world-class salmon, crab, etc. and I've become a snob about that kind of thing. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. But remember that trying local food is one of the best parts of traveling, so don't miss out just because you're paranoid about a tummy ache. Bon Appetit!

Travel Tip: Talk to Strangers

People ask me about me how I get into interesting situations, meet interesting people, and walk away from a place with interesting stories. Today, I'm going to tell you one of my tricks for accomplishing just that.

Your mother may have been one of the few mothers to tell you not to talk to strangers as a child. I'm going to tell you the opposite. If you want to get a full travel experience, you need to talk to strangers.

Talking to strangers teaches me about local culture and history, and gives an excellent sense of what's really happening wherever I am. It's the reason I'm never lonely while traveling solo. It also regularly gets me free food, drinks, transport, places to stay, tickets to cool stuff, and invitations to the kinds of things you only hear rumors about in guide books. All I have to do is talk to someone I don't know yet. If you try it, you'll reap benefits, too.

A disclaimer: This does not mean you should wander up at night to the group of shifty-looking characters with baseball bats in a back alley and ask if they can break a $100 bill for you. Please be selective in who you talk to.

If the person makes you nervous, that's not always a bad sign. You just have to think about why you're nervous. If you're just nervous that the cute girl/guy at the bar won't like you, suck it up and go talk to them. If you think the old man on the porch won't speak your language or won't like people of your demographic, just be extra respectful, smile when you say hello, and judge further conversation based on his reaction. If you're nervous that bothering the guy wandering down the street at midnight swinging a machete might put you in physical danger, then maybe you should trust your instincts and go elsewhere.

I particularly encourage you to talk to local people. Fellow travelers are easy to talk to because you already have travel and being foreign in common. But locals are often more rewarding to meet. Ask for directions, instructions, and recommendations. It's flattering and you'll pick up information, maybe some new skills, and, if you click, a new friend or three.

If approaching random people on the street for that kind of thing scares you, we'll start somewhere easier. In fact, we'll start with four somewheres: your accommodation, on public transport, near tourist sites, and in nightlife areas.

For accommodation, it's going to be a lot easier if you stay somewhere with shared facilities than if you stay in a hotel. If you have a single room in the hotel, your opportunities are limited to the busy staff and people you see in hallways, elevators, and other places where extended conversation gets awkward, fast.

If you stay at a hostel on the other hand, you expand meeting places to a shared kitchen, common lounge most hostels come with, and of course the dorm you sleep in. Here are the magic words: “Hey, where are you from?” You can turn to anyone in any hostel anywhere and start a conversation, completely out of the blue, with those five English words. Even better, the staff are usually locals who like travelers, know the area, and often are more than happy to hang out and even show you around town after their shift is over if you take the time to actually talk to them.

As for transportation, especially on long train and boat rides, conversations spring up naturally if you're open to them. Everyone is going to be kind of bored and will be happy to talk to someone from out of town. Even if the “talk” is mostly gestures or passing a phrasebook back and forth. This is where you'll most often score free stuff like food or drinks. Just remember to share some of yours too.

Tourist sites, weirdly, are better places to meet people than you might think. Obviously you can meet tourists. But you should also talk to the staff, especially tour guides. They're mostly local people, most of them will speak English (and a few other languages to boot), and a lot of are often otherwise really bored and happy to have someone to chat with. You'd be surprised how little interest tourists seem to show in these people's lives outside of their jobs. Don't make that same mistake.

Finally, there's meeting people the same way a lot of people meet each other at home: nightlife districts. Pubs, bars, and clubs everywhere are places where you can, by unwritten law, strike a conversation with just about anyone. The only problem is that it's probably the most intimidating place to do it. If you're feeling self-conscious, just remember that 95% of the people you talk to are going to be worrying too much about what you think of them to pass any kind of judgment on you.

These are just a few places to get started. Don't let them limit you. You can talk to strangers just about anywhere you can find strangers, from in a public library to knocking on someone's door to ask to borrow some cooking ingredients. Unless stated otherwise by cultural taboo (see your travel guide or guidebook for details), they're all fair game.

If you're stuck for conversation starters, use props. One of my favorites is food. I've been a lot of places, and I have yet to find someone who doesn't smile when they're offered a cookie. Even if they turn it down, they'll often try to talk to you or offer you something of theirs within a few minutes. Another good prop is anything technological. If you've ever walked down the street with a friend who owns an iPhone or iPod Touch, you know how this works. My little netbook still gets me a lot of attention. But really anything interesting enough to elicit comment (though not offensively so), can work. I still remember walking down the street in Chicago with a bouquet of lilies and having every third woman I passed say something to me (mostly "ooh are they for ME?").

One last piece of advice. Think about the age of people you talk to. I was born in 1986. Almost anyone in the world my age or younger will speak some English, or be with someone else who does. However, if you've got the language skills, try to talk to older people. The older, the better. These are the people who lived the history of their homes and who can teach you more about the culture of a place than any of us youngsters can.

Now get out there and talk to people!

Travel Tip: Get Quick Dry Clothes

Today, I have another tip for you that's simple. When you're shopping for a long trip, especially if you're backpacking it, buy clothing that dries quickly.

Obviously, clothing that dries quickly makes life easier if it accidentally gets wet from tropical rainstorms/saltwater spray from friendly dolphins/spilled Oktoberfest beer. Wet clothing that stays wet is uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing. Remember, Murphey's law states that all spilled liquids will magically aim for the crotch of your pants. The longer it's wet, the more stupid jokes you have to make up about your 'little accident.” More importantly, packing wet clothing in you backpack causes problems, including making half of what's in your bag smell awful for the rest of the trip. Actually, that's more of a symptom. I'll let you imagine the problems it indicates for yourself.

The other big benefit of clothing that dries fast is that you can do your own laundry and have it ready to go soon later. Saves time and money over the ho(s)tel's laundry service, even if it “only takes 24 hours.” Since you won't be carrying that much clothing, you're going to need to do laundry a lot more often than you do at home. You'll want a drain plug, some laundry detergent, and a clothesline.

One thing I should clarify: when I say “quick dry,” I don't mean it has to be specialty clothing with a label somewhere that says Quick-Dry(tm). It just has to be made of a material that dries fast. Just take a look at the laundry label. Synthetic materials like polyester are usually the easiest of these to find. Nylon is also good, most commonly found when looking for pants. The material you want to avoid is cotton. Unless it's specially treated, cotton almost always takes forever to dry.

Unfortunately, cotton also what about 90% of clothing is made of today. So we need to find that other 10% I tend to look for sports clothing stores, outdoor supply stores, and occasionally, if I find them, dedicated travel supply stores (tough to find outside the US). Then of course there's the internet (don't forget overstock sites for discounts and googling for coupons before checkout).

An extra note on the specialty travel stores. They are good, but they're often the most expensive option, and you run the risk of walking out with an outfit more suited to a colonial era safari rather than modern Europe, Asia, or anywhere else today. Buy stuff you wouldn't get odd looks for wearing at home.

Now, one thing to note is that even the most expensive SuperDooperUltraQuik-DryMax shirt from BiggAdventure inc. isn't going to dry immediately in cold or damp places if you just ball it up and throw it in a corner. Drying this stuff out is going to take time. If it's completely soaked, it'll sometimes take a few hours. If you're smart, it'll take fewer. Here are three ways to dry your stuff out faster:

1) After wringing it out, roll it up in a dry towel and squeeze. The towel will take a good chunk of the moisture out. Yes, you will then need to dry out the towel, but since you're using it after you (I hope) shower, you had to do that anyway.

2) Hang it up, with space on either side of it, in a place that is warm, airy, and dry. In that order. In other words, hanging it next to your bunk in a heated dorm room is better than on a line outside in near freezing temperatures, even if it is airy and dry out there.

3) Wear it. Given a little time, your body heat actually dries damp clothing out pretty well, as long as you're not wearing much over it to keep the moisture in.

And there you have it! Clean clothing, and a bag that doesn't smell (much). Enjoy.

Travel Tip: You Don't Speak the Language

One of the most common excuses Americans use to not travel internationally is that they don't speak the language. As any Aussie, Kiwi, or Brit can tell you, this is a dumb excuse. More than you probably realize, thanks to a combination of the British Empire, the Marshall Plan, and the budget of Hollywood and American pop music, English is the international language of the world. When two people from different countries with different languages meet, 95% of the time, they will speak to each other in English.

That said, nobody likes the tourist who walks up to locals, asks for something in English, and when not understood, repeats themselves more slowly and loudly. The surprising thing is that most of the people who do this aren't native English speakers themselves (and are probably repeating themselves because they think they messed up). The point, however, is that to have a deeper experience in a country, you need to speak a little of the local tongue.

This is a problem. Learning a language can take years. If, for example, you want to do the traditional backpacker's circuit in SE Asia of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, that's four languages to learn right there, ignoring regional variations complicated enough to make people from opposite ends of each country not understand a word the other is saying. Unless you're an amazing linguist (I've met them, they exist) learning them all could take you half a decade or more. I don't know about you, but I'm not that patient.

So, what do you do? Strike a quick balance. How quick depends on how long you will be in the area. If you're in a place for more than a month, consider at least language tapes or a lesson or two before and during your stay. While traveling abroad local language classes are usually cheap and easy to find. If you're there for a few weeks, get a phrasebook published in your country (if you speak with an American accent and you get a British-based phrasebook, the pronunciation guide will be completely off). If you're not going to be in the country very long, then you just need the very basics. Here's where I usually start:

The first four things I try to learn are "Hello", "Thank you", "Sorry/Excuse me," and here's the big one: "What is ____ in (your language)?" Most people miss this his last one. This question, combined with pointing, is how you're going to actually get a deeper experience out of your travels. Full disclosure: you're going to forget 90% of what you are told almost immediately after they tell you, but that other 10% will come in useful, and there's a good chance that you'll recognize at least some of the first 90% the next time you hear it. More importantly, you are already ahead of the average traveler because you are displaying a genuine interest in this person's home and people, and it takes them out of the awkward situation of bending over backwards to try to communicate and help you in a language they're trying to remember from high school.

Next, learn what language quirks you should be familiar with to be polite. For example, in Spanish, there are two words for "you": tú and usted. Depending on the country, you'll hear both used very often. But if "tú" should only be used with people you are really familiar with (and maybe small children and pets) or you'll offend someone by being overly familiar. In Thai, it is considered respectful to end all your sentences with either "khaa," if you're a woman, or a higher-pitched "krup" if you're a man. Things like that. Guide books will tell you these things-- borrow a friend's if yours doesn't. If you can't find it in a guidebook, you can usually find out at the nearest tourist anything-- hotel, info counter, transit center, or anything else with at least a sign on the wall in English.

If the written language doesn't use characters you know, the obvious temptation is to learn it so that you can read street signs and building names. It's not a bad thing to learn, but that's not really the right reason. Street signs are notorious worldwide for simply not existing when you need them, and major cities' signs are usually transliterated into the Roman alphabet anyway. You're generally better off with a map, a friendly local (remember "excuse me") and a little gesturing. Don't forget the "thank you" afterward.

There is, however, one thing you will want to know written: restroom. There are times when you need to know where the toilet is and you won't want to waste time with a map and gestures. Not every toilet in the world had a little white person with pants or a dress over a blue background on the door.

Finally you'll want a set of emergency words. "Toilet" aside, there are a couple more words you won't need or hear very often, but that when you want them, you want them right away: "Help," "Stop," and "Doctor," should all be in your vocabulary, for obvious reasons. Just don't wander down the street practicing them out loud. Also, while not really an emergency thing, I'd learn the word for "soap." It comes up more often than you might expect.

After that, it's mostly a question of not being shy and remembering to keep a smile on your face. Pass around the phrasebook if you have it. Figure out nonverbal ways of communication (don't underestimate the power of the gesture). Don't be afraid to look dumb and make mistakes. The fastest way to learn a language is to talk to people and read. The rewards are immediate, not just in feeling good about being better than the average tourist, but also in things like free food and drinks, behind the scenes "tours", new friends, and great stories. Even "hello" by itself is enough to turn a suspicious look at a foreign stranger into a big smile.

Travel Tip: Visas

Today we're going to talk about visas in a little more detail. A visa is typically a sticker in your passport that gives you permission to enter a specific country. You don't always need one, but when you do, you need a little preparation.

Before you try to cross a border, double check the exit requirements of the country you're in and the entry requirements of the country you're going to. Guidebooks are okay to check, but these things change frequently, so the best place to find this is online. For American citizens, http://travel.state.gov is your best resource. Other major countries have similar websites maintained by their foreign ministry. British citizens can find theirs at http://www.fco.gov.uk. Canadians have http://www.voyage.gc.ca. Aussies have http://www.smartraveller.gov.au. I could go on, but if you don't find yourself listed here, do a quick google search and/or complain to me. I'll see what I can do.

Never assume that rules that apply to another country's citizens also apply to you. On your government's website, find out your visa requirements. For any given border crossing you will either need a visa in advance, need the paperwork to be issued a visa at the border, or won't need a visa.

If you need a visa in advance, apply directly to the consulate of the country you're going to first. In other words, if you're in Argentina and want to go to Brazil, you go to a Brazilian consulate in Argentina. As a tip, the consulates in outlying cities are usually faster and easier to deal with than the busy embassies in national capitals. The Brazilian embassy in Buenos Aires can take weeks to issue a visa, the Brazilian consulate in Puerto Iguazu can usually do it within 24 hours. If you really have problems with the consulate, try travel and tour agencies, who will take care of it for you for a fee.

In either case, you will probably need a passport sized photo or four, cash, and your approximate dates of travel. You will also be asked for some combination of contact information within the country, and a smattering of the kinds of things you'd put on a job application (recent employer's contact info, criminal history if any, etc), as well as a smattering of other facts that you'll probably know from memory (like whether you have had contact with left-handed albino pot bellied pigs within the last ten weeks). Outside of India, some of the fields on these forms can in fact be left blank, but the more you fill out, the less likely you'll be told to go to the back of the line and finish your paperwork. Often they'll have someone going through the lines and checking this in advance, so you're unlikely to have serious problems.

The day before I apply for a visa, I usually run over to the consulate to make sure I know exactly where it is, what it looks like, and what hours the visa section operates (often they shut down at noon). You can also try to get the paperwork you need in advance, but only trust it if it comes directly from the consulate itself. That's the physical office, not the website; the forms consulates post online are almost always out of date.

Occasionally there will be a curveball. Russia is the most notorious, as of this writing requiring an official invitation from an agency within Russia. This sounds tough, but you can order one online for about $30. A quick search on google will tell you plenty (I personally recommend waytorussia.com). Also occasionally you might find people telling you that you can't apply for a visa in any country except your own. Don't believe this until you hear it from the consular employees directly in person, it's usually just a tactic to try to keep the consulate's workload down.

Speaking of which, you will hear all kinds of rumors about what kinds of crazy things you need for a visa for any given place that will surprise and scare you. Once again, don't believe them unless they come from an official government source, like your country's web portal, or an employee of their country's consulate. Before applying for my Russian visa in Beijing, I was told that I would need a Chinese residence permit by multiple hotels and tour agencies, countless travelers, several unofficial websites, and even by signs posted inside of the Russian embassy itself. When I asked the employees inside, they said I didn't need one. They also said that the rumors I had heard about stamped tickets for onward travel, proof of health insurance, and a recent negative test for HIV were false as well (though if you want something other than a tourist visa for a US citizen, that might be different).

If you need a visa but can get it at the border, life is much easier. Make sure you have all the paperwork, cash (know what currency they accept beforehand, anyone changing currency at these borders will rip you off royally), and photos you need before you arrive. Usually your passport details, a rough itinerary of where you're going (that nobody will double check after you enter), cash, and a passport-sized photo or two will suffice. You will have to fill in similar paperwork as described above, but blank spaces are usually more easily tolerated than they would be when applying for a visa in advance.

And that is how you get a visa! Like most things in travel, the more information you have, the easier it is. So make sure you know what you need before you go.

Travel Tip: Handling Border Crossings

Crossing the border between two countries is a little like a dental checkup. If you've been good, it's uneventful and relatively painless, but you never hear anyone saying "well golly gee, that sure was fun, let's do it again!"

What I am about to describe is what will get you through some of the most obnoxious border crossings in the world. Most border crossings will not be this bad. So don't let the rest of this entry scare you.

There are two kinds of obstacles you will face when going from one country into another: official hassle, and unofficial hassle. Official hassle can include legal entry requirements, border guards, health inspections, and customs. Unofficial hassle can include transport to and from the border, transport across the border, money changers, and other assorted (un)helpful characters looking to either run a genuine business with international travelers, or simply make a fast buck off of people who don't know the frontier.

For both kinds, the best way to avoid it all is to do your homework and find out where the best border crossing for you lies. Occasionally you can save yourself money and stress (plus get prettier views) just by asking around and reading your guidebook. After you've got a favorite crossing, get the specifics on it. If possible, you want to know the hours of operation, each of the administrative fees you need to pay, and the approximate price of transport to, across, and from the border. If there is a particularly notorious scam for this crossing (for example fake officials claiming to sell "required medical insurance" to uninsured travelers from China to Mongolia), you'll want to know that in advance as well, and how to avoid it. Finally check how easy or hard it will be to change your cash from one country's currency to the other once you get across the border. If it looks really hard, consider changing to Dollars, Pounds, or Euros before crossing, or just spending it on food or other supplies before you leave (leaving enough for fees and transport costs). I know this sounds like a lot written down, but once you're actually looking it all up, it won't take that long.

Once you've chosen your border crossing, double check entry and exit requirements online and make sure you have everything else you need to get across the border according to your state department/foreign ministry (more on this in an upcoming post on visas).

After you're armed with information and (if you need it) paperwork, catch your bus, train, boat, plane, or whatever it is that's going to get you to the crossing.

We'll start with unofficial hassle. This is more of concern in poorer countries with less infrastructure and more lax law enforcement.

First is getting there. Get public transport. If the cost isn't posted, watch how much a local pays, or ask two other passengers on board, then pay that amount, making sure you get your change. Know whether your transport gets you to the border, or across it and into a new town (more expensive, but often faster and much more convenient).

Second is money. You will likely get offers to change cash on the street. Do not do this under any circumstances unless you have absolutely no way of avoiding it. I don't care how "official" they are or what badges they flash at you. Some of these people are honest. But many will either try to pull a fast one on you with the exchange rate, and/or hand you counterfeit bills. Just because you've caught them doing one of these things doesn't mean they're not doing the other as well. Find someone who has a rate written up on a sign and is seated in an office or something similar that can't just disappear in the next 30 minutes if you find out you've been ripped off.

Next is getting to the exit station, where you'll get your passport stamped with (surprise) an exit stamp. Know the fees-- if any official tries to ask for a higher fee, gently correct them, and/or ask for a receipt. This is usually enough to set them straight. We'll cover more of this in "official hassle." Double check to make sure your passport has actually been stamped

At this point you'll find some space of no man's land. Sometimes this can be crossed on foot. If you've paid for transport to the next town, you can usually just get back onto the bus at this point. If you can't do it on foot, try to share transport and push past the oh-so-friendly taxi drivers and touts offering, in English, a private ride (unless they're really the only deal in town). Ignore similar friendly strangers offering to help you across the border, as they almost always ask for a fee for guiding you down ten feet of obvious well-trodden paths and make trouble if you don't pay them.

Next is the entry station for the new country. Same process as with the exit one. Once again, double-check that your passport has been stamped, and this time make sure the date is accurate. This is important. If it's not obvious how long you're allowed to stay in the country for, ask.

Finally there's getting away from the border. If you paid for transport all the way, just get back on board. Otherwise, ignore the touts, and follow the locals to the bus stop, train station, or whatever the way onwards is (which you'll know already from having done your homework).

Now that we've covered all that, let's work on official hassle. There isn't much of this in the developing world, but you'll find a lot more of it in modern, developed nations.

The most major source of official hassle is getting a visa. This won't actually come up that often, but when it does, it takes work. I'll tell you more in my next tip post. For now, we'll concentrate on the actual border crossing.

This starts with the exit station. Here you will be handed a departure form of some kind, and possibly a customs form. These are usually very easy: name, date, sex, passport number, expiration date, occupation, and signature is usually all you need. Exit fees are rare as long as you haven't overstayed your visa or entrance limits. Once you have your exit stamp, move on.

The next part if the entrance immigration post. You will usually be given three forms: an entrance form (this will be a visa form if you're supposed to get one at the border), a customs form, and a health questionnaire. Answer everything on the entrance form as honestly as possible. It will be similar to the exit form, but with a few extra questions about your length of stay (exaggerate to at least 30 days unless you now you aren't legally allowed to), purpose of travel (unless you'll be working a paid job, always put tourism-- I've heard of "volunteers" being thrown back onto planes in some African countries) and your contact info and address in the country ("backpacker hostel" and then the city name is usually enough, but the name, address, and phone number out of a randomly chosen hotel in your guidebook is just about guaranteed to work). Aside from the length and contact, fill in everything as truthfully as you can. If you don't know the answer to a question, leave it blank. If they really need an answer, they'll ask for it.

Next is the customs form. If you're a backpacker, the most you'll usually have to declare is the cash you're carrying, and often you won't even need to do that. Just read the form carefully and answer according to your own judgment. If in doubt, honesty is the best policy. Just because you declare something doesn't mean you'll be charged anything for it, but if you're caught not declaring something you should declare, you can be fined, lose the item, or even arrested in extreme cases.

Finally there's the heath questionnaire. Hypochondriacs beware, this is not the time to report the itchiness of your throat or slight upset stomach you just started feeling a couple minutes ago. You will be asked if you have experienced a list of certain symptoms within the last few days like fever, dizziness, diarrhea, etc. Unless you have had one of these things to such an extent that you have seriously considered visiting a doctor about it, do not check yes next to any of them. These forms are not trying to weed out those with indigestion or the common cold, they're trying to weed out H1N1 flu, the West Nile virus, and other serious pandemics. If you answer yes to these questions, you will still likely be allowed into the country, but not after a long round of poking and prodding, not only for you, but possibly everyone else who is sharing your vehicle into the country as well.

After your paperwork is in, you will be handed your passport. I know I mentioned it already but this next step is the crucial one that many people mess up, so I'm saying it again: open your passport and check your new entry stamp, and how long you are allowed into the country. If it's not clear from the stamp, this is your best (and often only) opportunity to ask.

And that's it! Usually anyway. Often there will be a little extra you'll have to deal with, but these guys are pros and if they don't tell you what you're supposed to do, someone else in line with you will. After that, congratulate yourself on entering another country, get out there and have fun!