Plenty Of Eastern Europe Content Coming Here Soon

Salutations! Beginning this weekend I’ll be embarking on a five-country tour of Eastern Europe, through Istanbul, Turkey; Belgrade, Serbia; Timisoara, Romania; Szeged and Budapest, Hungary; and Bratislava, Slovakia. (I may stop by Vienna if I have the time.) After that I’ll be spending four days in southern Spain. It should be quite a trip and depending on my internet access I’ll try to find time to post updates here. But you know how these things go – relaxation tends to take over and computers tend to be avoided, so we’ll see. In any case I’ll make sure to provide plenty of intelligence when I’m back if not sooner.

Five Ways To Game The Airlines

1. Check the seating chart the morning of your flight. The day you book your flight and choose your seat, you’ll probably see only a certain number of seats available. Choose the best one for you, but try to remember to look again the day your flight leaves. That’s when unsold seats often suddenly “appear.” You may even find an emergency exit row seat without a fee.

2. Ask the gate agent if any upgrades are available. Corollary of sorts to #1. The day of your flight, especially minutes before departure, is when the airline has a clear picture of what’s available and what they can give away (since it won’t be sold). You may think you’re ineligible for an upgrade, but simply by asking you may put yourself in position for something. I’ve gotten Economy Plus seats with more legroom just by asking day-of. Sure, it’s not First Class, but it’s a nice improvement.

3. If you’re flexible, offer to be bumped from a busy flight. You’ve got to be in the mood to hang around an airport for a few extra hours, but if you’re amenable to that it can pay off in spades. I volunteer to be a “victim” all of the time, most recently from a Delta flight from Atlanta to LaGuardia. That route has a flight every couple of hours, and Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the friendlier and nicer airports in this world, so it was okay by me. (Since it was my return flight I wasn’t in as big a hurry anyways.) I got a $600 voucher, good for a year on any Delta flight, plus some partner flights. A couple on that same flight said they’d been bumped both ways and thus received $1200 each in vouchers.

On another occasion I volunteered to be bumped, it turned out there was no need. However the gate agent told me she appreciated my gesture and instead put me in a seat in business class – which was fine by me. You never know how a little flexibility might pay off.

4. If you’re ever rebooked by an airline, investigate your options. When you book those dirt cheap tickets, they’re usually dirt-cheap booking codes that give you little flexibility. But when an airline rebooks your flights, say in the instance of a missed connection or bad weather, often it will be in a more flexible economy fare. Look into it – go online or call the airline and (again) ask what your upgrade and mileage options are. Just recently I got 125% of the miles on a rebooked coach flight.

5. Miles, miles, miles. Hustling for miles is so easy I don’t see why everybody doesn’t do it. Some people fly across the world and don’t bother to sign up for a program. I sign up for every program I can, and check who’s partners with whom, on every flight. Why not? It’s free, and the airlines are just hoping you’ll forget. If you buy things online with a credit card, an airline card can’t hurt either if you’re careful with it. When I buy things like jeans or shoes online – things I would buy anyway – I always make sure I get at least one mile per dollar. More often than not I get multiple miles per dollar. I’ve gotten 2,800 miles for a single magazine subscription, and 2,500 for a TV. Again, I’m not suggesting you go into crippling debt to get miles. Just be smart about it and exploit the programs as best you can. And even in this era of stripped down perks, membership can have its privileges. Every year I get two free passes to the United Club mailed to me. It’s a helluva lot more relaxing than sitting in the main terminal in Newark International.

Just Travel

Browse the airfare websites and daydream. Run a few searches and see what’s out there. Write down a few bargains for destinations you’ve never been. Think it over and wonder what it would be like to see that place. Resolve that if you buy the ticket you will find a way to make it work. Let your finger hover over the mouse for a few seconds before you choose “purchase.” Let your index finger drop until you hear the click. Exhale.

Go to the bookstore and find the travel section. Let your eyes run up and down the shelves. The sections are like the continents themselves, and within them lie little regions and nations and municipalities. Take in the bright colors – orange, blue, red, white, green. Wonder how there could be so many different viewpoints and experience about any one place. Take a book from the shelf and flip through it. Cities, towns, hotels, restaurants. Safety tips. Health precautions? Your heart skips a beat. Skim it over and feel reassured – someone has blazed a trail for you and taken the time to write it down.

Run your searches for hotels and hostels. Make a list of the clothing and necessaries you will bring. Sandals and tennis shoes. Shaving cream and toothpaste. A day pack and a camera case. Wrap your head around the local currency. Spend your free time on language learning sites. “Hello.” “Please.” “Thank you.” “How much?”

Mention your trip to your friends. It turns out one of them has been to that very place before and has a restaurant to recommend. He had a blast, he said. He wishes he could go with you. You’re feeling less nervous and more excited with each day.

The day is here and you’re at the airport. Take a deep breath and summon your inner Buddha for the security line. Laugh at the guy ahead of you who forgot to remove his watch. Roll your eyes at the TSA agent’s salty attitude. Grab yourself a beer at a cheesy airport bar. Talk to the bartender – she’s met someone from literally every place on earth.

Board your plane and take your seat. Grab your book from your bag. Zone out while you watch the other passengers. Who are they? Are they beginning their trip like you or returning home? Smile at the person seated next to you. Make a little small talk. Eat what you can of your airline meal, watch half of a Matthew McConaughey romcom and then drift to sleep.

Awaken at the crackle of the PA – it’s the pilot speaking and you’re ten minutes from landing. Rub your eyes and look out the window at the dawn. The clouds give way to land; it looks like farmland. Soon you’re seeing subdivisions and streets and cars, swimming pools and soccer fields. Brace for the bump as the wheels hit the pavement.

Follow the crowds through immigration and customs. You didn’t sleep well but you’re wide awake. Pick up your bag at the carousel and walk out the exit. There are cab drivers hustling for a buck here just like back home. Talk to one and make a snap judgment – he seems legit and the price is right.

As your taxi flies down the highway into the heart of town, gaze out the windows. A lot is different but many things are the same. You see a couple of Toyotas pass you by. There’s a Coca-Cola ad on the side of a building. The radio is playing Lionel Richie. In the distance, you see an unfamiliar skyline. Within it are millions of people going about their lives, again different in some ways and similar in others. Soon you’ll be among them, and a few other travelers like you.

Relax and enjoy the rush of anticipation. The journey has only just begun.

Five Ways To Keep Travel Costs Low (Without Roughing It)

1. Use Public Transportation. This can be one of the more intimidating steps for the uninitiated. What if I take the wrong bus? What if it’s dangerous? In the internet age, there is really no excuse for not answering these questions well in advance. In many European cities, for example, a taxi will cost you an arm and a leg. A bus or metro ticket will be a couple of euro, and they’re usually clean, safe, and efficient.

Of course this it won’t always be a better deal. Buses in Rio can still be dodgy for foreigners. And some countries are so affordable that taking a cab is a no-brainer. Always consider the costs and benefits.

2. Wake up for the free hotel breakfast. This is not so much an American tradition, although many mid-range hotels like Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites are making strides in more elaborate breakfast buffets (as well as evening cocktail receptions) included in the room price. Overseas, “breakfast included” is more the norm, although the quality and quantity may vary. For all of its foodcentric culture, Italians seem to find toast and coffee sufficient. Yet many hotels and guesthouses take pride in the spreads they lay out in the morning. I am not a “morning person” (meaning I’m a normal, healthy individual), but on the road I make an effort to wake up and smell the coffee, danishes, eggs, bacon, cheese, croissants, and cereal. When you know you’re going to be out on your feet all day, why not indulge?

A side note: Just because you don’t have to leave the hotel to eat, doesn’t mean you should show up to a dining room in your pajamas. This is not something you would see in most countries, but sadly it’s an all too common occurrence in the good ol’ USA. C’mon – it takes 20 seconds to throw on a pair of blue jeans and a shirt. Although I suppose I could be scolded for wearing a hat to the table in the morning. You’ll have to take my word for it that a baseball cap is far less offensive than my morning hair.

3. Buy groceries or eat take out for at least one meal per day. Restaurants prey on your hunger and fatigue. They can sense your exhaustion and desire to be served. They’re clever bastards, always setting up shop at the exact location where your feet get tired and your stomach starts growling.

Don’t give in. Your travel budget will balloon if all of your meals are dine-in. Lunch is the perfect meal for cost-cutting since you’re already out and about. Stay out and about. Stop in a market or bakery and pick up some fresh bread, cheese, and fruit. There are plenty of places to sit down, nosh, and people watch. I had one of my most memorable meals in Italy sitting in a random square in Rome’s Centro Storico and wolfing down a sandwich made at a local deli. In Puerto Rico I eschewed $12 burgers for $4 empanadas. If you know the food’s safe you can even try a little “street meat” from the local food vendors. Save your money for a relaxing dinner to cap the day.

4. Stick to Bed & Breakfasts and guesthouses. Not that I’m against hotels; sometimes they offer great deals and when they do you should nab them. But B&Bs and guesthouses often offer affordable alternatives in hotel districts – or better yet, in neighborhoods that are a little less touristy and a little more local. Since they make their money by reputation and service, a good B&B will go out of its way to pick you up, point you in the right direction, and yes serve you a terrific breakfast. You’ll give up some creature comforts like room service and maid service, but those are inessential luxuries if you’re not planning on spending your time hanging around the hotel.

I used to hold the notion that B&Bs were lame, invasive, and corny. I imagined them as cramped, creaky, and old, and their proprietors as nosy and bothersome. No doubt this perception was shaped by pop culture, especially films like Groundhog Day, where the guests and owners at the Pennsylvania B&B that Bill Murray stays in are half-witted, slack jawed yokels meant to be the butt of his wisecracks. Of course, that’s just a movie, but the image always stayed with me, until I started staying in them. I’ve found them to be pleasurable places to lodge, and incredibly diverse in their personalities than most chain hotels. Sure, there are some bad ones, but that’s what TripAdvisor.com is for. And yeah, I love a good Hilton or Marriott. But if I’m looking to save money and have a more interesting experience, give me a B&B.

5. When staying in a bigger hotel, make use of things like shuttle service, upgrades, and the laundry room. The big chain hotels offer perks too, of course. When you check in, be sure to ask about upgrades. It helps to be a member of whatever club they have, so sign up in advance. You may get thrown into a King Suite with a jacuzzi, or be offered free breakfast (which might otherwise cost $12 and up per person) just for asking. Many chains have complimentary shuttles that run at least to the airport and back. And you may be aware of a hotel’s (expensive) laundry service, but were you aware that most hotels have a laundry room tucked away on some random floor? You can do a wash for the price it costs in a regular laundromat.

Maybe it’s hard to imagine James Bond doing his own laundry, but look at it this way. You want to travel and have adventures, and MI6 isn’t footing your bill. Save your money on laundry when no one’s looking, and that night when you’re out on the town, you can indulge in a delicious martini. Shaken, not stirred, of course.

Six Things To Know Before Going To Honolulu

1. For a tourist trap, Waikiki is pretty chill. It’s packed with people and chain stores, but as tourist traps go, Waikiki – Honolulu’s central beach and hotel area – is about as easy-going a place as you’ll find. People walk slowly, traffic is mostly orderly, and the nightlife – so far as I could tell since I crashed by 11 p.m. every night – was relatively tame. The tourists are happy to be spending time in paradise, the merchants are pleasant, and even the dogs are relaxed and friendly.

2. The ABC Store is a triumph of chain retailing. You probably haven’t heard of it unless you’ve been there, but the ABC Store, or stores, are as common as Hawaiian shirts in Honolulu. In fact, they sell Hawaiian shirts, in addition to just about everything else you can think of: Groceries, coffee, souvenirs, snorkeling gear, fresh fruit, dresses, jewelry, Zippo lighters, medicine, etc. I could go on and on. It sounds like I’m describing the Hawaiian version of a roadside gas station, and I suppose I am. But the ABC Store is geared toward filling just about every single need or want of the Waikiki-based tourist or local. Not only that, but it’s open 24/7 and can be found literally – and I’m using the word ‘literally’ here in its intended manner – on every block in Waikiki, and every half-block in some cases. I’ve lived amidst 7-11s in LA (and now, NYC), and PDQs in Wisconsin, but I’ve never seen anything – not even Arby’s in Minnesota – approaching the ubiquity of the ABC Store.

3. For a more relaxed swim, visit Sans Souci beach. It’s maybe half a mile from the packed beaches around Waikiki, but it’s worth the walk through a beautiful beach park (with one of the best “concession stands” I’ve ever eaten at). The beach seems private because it’s small and adjacent to a hotel, but it’s public. Sans Souci is quiet with mostly adult sunbathers. The water can be chilly, but you can spot some good fish near the reef if you bring your snorkeling gear.

4. The city buses are cheap and efficient. Municipal buses actually go all around the island of Oahu, and you can take them to major tourist spots, including Hanauma Bay, Manoa Falls, even the old Dole plantation on the other side of the island. Private tour buses can charge $30 per person or more to take you to places like that, but the bus costs $2.50 per adult with a free transfer. It’s also a relaxing way to sight-see outside of Honolulu.

5. You can eat on the cheap if you know where to look. It’s easy to spend money on a fancy restaurant with a beach view if that’s what you want to do. But staying in Waikiki does not mean you have to blow your budget on meals. For one, most hotels have kitchenettes. Although grocery store prices in Hawaii are high (and especially around Waikiki), it’s still much cheaper than dining at Nobu. As I said, there’s a decent park concession stand where you can enjoy Portuguese sausage with eggs, fresh pineapple, and amazing coffee (among other offerings) for a fraction of the price at a restaurant – and you’re still sitting beachside! I also recommend joints like Me’s BBQ (thanks, Lonely Planet guidebook), where a container of rice, meat or fish, vegetables, and bean sprouts will run between $7-$10 and can last for two meals (again – using your kitchenette to store and reheat).

6. The weather is perfect and the sunsets are stunning. Temperatures rarely climb higher than 90 or lower than 65, the humidity is just right, and the trade winds are soothing and refreshing. The water isn’t Caribbean-warm but it’s comfortable. And the sunsets are remarkable. But to really appreciate it, you’ll just have to see for yourself.

You’ll Never Find A Cheaper Ticket From NYC To Hawaii Than Right Now

Your eyes do not deceive you, dear reader.

Right now you can book a round trip ticket on Hawaiian Airlines, February 27 – March 6, nonstop from JFK to Honolulu, for $365.

That’s three hundred and sixty five dollars.

I’ve purchased tickets from New York to Wisconsin for prices like that. But Wisconsin is less than 2,000 miles away. Hawaii is almost exactly 10,000 miles from New York. If you buy this ticket you’re paying 3.65 cents per mile. (A $365 ticket to Madison would be around 20 cents per mile. Plus we’re talking Hawaii vs. Wisconsin in winter. No contest.)

This price war has been going on for a few months. We went to Hawaii in January, and bought our tickets in November, when they were in the $500-550 range. We thought that was a real bargain. Since our trip, I’ve been running the prices (because it’s hard not to want to go back). And I’ve witnessed them drop to around $470, then $430, even $420. Now they have broken the $400 barrier.

And it’s not just Hawaiian Airlines. American and United are currently at $397 for those dates, with Delta a distant (but still reasonable) fourth at $427.

On Kayak.com, the prices appear to remain in this range until the week of March 17, presumably because that’s a higher travel period (Spring Break!). But the way prices have been slashed, who knows, in a week or two maybe those dates will come cheap too. All I know is people aren’t buying seats, and the airlines seem desperate. Perhaps it’s because most New Yorkers would rather opt for a three hour flight to Puerto Rico or Jamaica, than a ten hour journey to Oahu. But everything’s negotiable, and considering Hawaii is in the U.S. (read: no time wasted at the airport), has predictably perfect weather, and will get you 10,000 airline miles, I’ll bet people will start thinking differently when they see these prices. For me it was worth every penny.

Random Pic: Tourists And Sailboats At Sunset

From Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Where To? Honiara, Solomon Islands

Welcome to Where To, a new series on this blog. I’ll be generating random cities or towns via geo-pick.com, then researching these dots on the map and telling you why you should (or shouldn’t) visit. It’s the online version of throwing a dart at a map. While I enjoy writing about the places I’ve been, I figure writing about places I’ve never been, and in some cases never heard of, will be interesting. And maybe some readers familiar with these random towns, burgs, metropolises, and crossroads can chime in with their take. All in all it should be a good way to get our travel juices flowing and learn some random trivia along the way.

So far the only rule I’ve established is that I won’t feature a town from the same nation twice in a row (should that even happen on gen-pick.com).

And now, let’s play…

Where To?

Honiara, Solomon Islands, Melanesia.

What can we see there?

Consistent weather, for starters. The average high fluctuates between 86 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit (30-31 Celsius), while the average low fluctuates between 72 and 73 F (22/23 C). December through April appears to be the rainy season, however.

Honiara is located on the island of Guadalcanal, and contains a number of historical sites from World War II. The Guadalcanal Campaign, including the Battle for Henderson Field, took place nearby. Today a war memorial and peace park commemorate the bloody confrontations between Allied and Japanese forces.

The Guadalcanal American War Memorial

Of course there are beaches, including one (Halemai Beach) with bungalows that rent for $100 a night. You can also visit Matanikau Falls, a waterfall that cascades into a cave that was once a shelter for Japanese soldiers. Tours to the falls are available.

As the capital city of the Solomon Islands, Honiara also has government buildings (parliament, etc.), a National Museum, National Art Gallery, a university, a botanical garden, and a central market. Finally, if you get the itch to gamble, there are two casinos in town.

Where can we stay?

There are plenty of hotels serving this city of 65,000 people, including The Honiara Hotel, the King Solomon, plus an airport motel and lodging at the casinos. Budget travelers may want to consider the United Church Rest House.

How can we get there?

There are flights from Nadi, Fiji; Port Moseby, Papa New Guinea; and Brisbane, Australia. Good luck.

Anything else we should know about Honiara?

World War II ended decades ago, but Honiara has been plagued more recently by fighting and rioting between and amongst ethnic Malaitans and Guadalcanal natives. The difference? Does it really matter? Ronald Reagan once posited that if space aliens ever invaded Earth, they probably wouldn’t give two shits who was black, white, yellow, brown, or red. (The guy had a vivid imagination, that’s for sure.) If you visit Honiara, you’re like the space alien and they’re the homogenous Earthlings. In other words, it’s all relative.

Nevertheless, the violence got so bad that in 2002 two diplomats from New Zealand were murdered, and in 2006 riots reduced the city’s commercial center and Chinatown to rubble. According to LonelyPlanet.com, Honiara is on the mend and things have calmed down considerably.

…And Taormina-Giardini as Bagheria

Pictured above the train station in Bagheria, Sicily. Except that it’s not. It’s actually the Taormina-Giardini train station, located well across the island. (I wrote about it in my piece on Taormina.) Take a look at the photo below, which I took in April of 2012, from a vantage point a few hundred feet back:

Obviously the flooring has been updated since photo number one was taken. But why is the Taormina-Giardini station in that image disguised as Bagheria? Was it someone’s idea of a practical joke? Or perhaps an image from a similar but slightly askew universe?

The answer is that Taormina-Giardini was playing the role of Bagheria in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part III. In that much maligned sequel, the Corleones return to Sicily for an opera performance by Anthony, son of Michael. That takes place in Palermo’s vaunted Teatro Massimo, which isn’t far from Bagheria (and, presumably the fictional version of the town Corleone). Here are Michael (Al Pacino), Mary (Sophia Coppola), and Connie Corleone (Talia Shire) greeting Kay (Diane Keaton) after she arrives by train.

That’s just setting the scene. (I want that poster by the way.) A few frames later, we get a look at Michael and Kay, one-time spouses reunited to support their son in his opera debut, as they walk (I believe) north on the platform. Note the clock to the right of Kay’s head, and the biglietteria to the left of Michael.

We took a similar shot (below) the day we arrived. Had I known Godfather III shot a scene here, I might have striven for more accuracy. In any case, you can still see the biglietteria though it’s pretty far back. The clock is obscured by an arrivals and departures screen (also visible, with the ticket booth, in the earlier 2012 photo). Unless the station was altered for the film, which was released in 1990 but takes place in 1979, I’d say it’s in better shape today. In addition to the flooring, globe lamps now hang from the ceiling, the clock appears to be newer and retro-stylized, and the iron work and walls are painted with more contrast. (Although the film was photographed in a muted, dusty palate – nowhere close to matching the brilliance of the first two. In that and other ways.)

As they walk toward the north end, Mary snaps a few photos while Al Neri, Michael’s valet and bodyguard played by Richard Bright, waits by the limo.

I’m not sure if you can actually park there, and I didn’t get a good shot of that end. Here’s a long view looking toward where Neri’s car is, which I remember was where the restrooms were. Indeed, in the first photo, you can see a sign reading toelleta (toilets).

I realized this station appeared in the film upon recently watching it (for the umpteenth time) over the holidays, and only after having traveled there of course. Who knew I’d get so much mileage out of Taormina? Now I can cross another Godfather location off my list. By the way, if you want to see the bar where the hit on Frank Pentangeli was attempted in Part II, it’s on Avenue B and 7th Street in New York:

Random Pic: Sun And Redwoods

In Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, outside Santa Cruz, California.