Robyn's Wanderings

Travel bureaucracy

Almost every country has it. It?

In Vietnam, for example, I was told by a guide that if he wanted to leave the country on a holiday he had to have a substantial amount of money in the bank (and proof of it), a good job to return to and apply to his government for a pass.

In India, I was told of a boyfriend trying to go to Canada to visit his girlfriend. Though he applied for a visa, he was denied.

What is this? I am talking about travel bureaucracy. It’s everywhere and it’s not only about leaving a country, but also entering.

For example when I tried to travel between Laos and Cambodia only to be required to pay  an “entry fee” to every man standing along the border in a uniform! Ok, so it was only US $1 per man, but still annoying.

And Bermuda? Well my home country is no different. Seemingly ridiculous procedures surround entering and leaving the country too.

I had always heard some stories, but on my recent trip to Toronto I actually got to be on the receiving end. I’m such a lucky girl!

I will give the Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport customs guy one excuse: it was Christmas Day and I am sure he did not want to work, but lots of people have to work on Christmas. Still, I will give him that small leeway for his response:

“Hi, I need to register my camera,” I said.

“Do you have proof you bought it in Bermuda?” said the small man in a crisp blue uniform as he poked his head out of the barely-wedged-open door.

“Uh, well it was a birthday present, so no I don’t have a receipt.”

“Well, I’m not saying you are lying, but we will not give you a registration. Too many people sneak items into Bermuda.”

Bermuda might be beautiful, but.....

OK, I should explain the policy. Bermudian residents are required to purchase items in Bermuda or be prepared to pay duty of 35% on items acquired abroad.

To avoid the duty, we can register electronic devices (usually the only items we are taking that are the most expensive and hardest to prove you had before you left) before leaving the Island. This registration is delivered in the highly modern form of a yellow slip of paper!

Yes, there is no way you will ever lose that (sarcasm is free).

The yellow paper, however, is not a minor detail. Instead it is a Bermudian resident’s “get-out-of-35% duty” card!!!! Can you imagine?

Why, you ask do we have to pay such a high price? Well, the argument is that if government increase the price of purchasing items abroad, Island residents will be more likely to “Buy Bermuda” (I have my opinion about this economic policy, but that is a different blog entirely).

I have two problems with this checking system:

1. when an item is purchased in Bermuda, no one issues a yellow piece of paper. One might think that is important especially for, I don’t know, a camera which is almost definitely going to leave the island and one that might also be a present that the receiver should never know the price of…..I’m just saying.

2. if I do buy abroad (gasp!) and pay duty on the item, there is no way to show that the payment I make (all 35% of it) directly relates to a camera, etc…. So when I turn-up to customs at a later date there is no way to prove that, if I have not bought my item in Bermuda, that I paid duty on it. (I would show you a picture, but these are such high commodities, an extra form is just not possible to get!)

Instead, the form groups together all goods in a particular category i.e. clothing and footwear, and we pay the duty on the total amount. There is nowhere to actually list the items you are declaring and therefore, no way to reference the duty you paid on them. i.e. the customs’ officer was asking me for something I literally could not produce.

Get-out-of-Jail yellow customs' slips!

Let’s be honest here too, if a traveler manages to outsmart the bureaucratic process that is installed to just put more money in government’s coffers and sneaks their goods into Bermuda…..can we really penalize them at a later date? I don’t think so.

Tourists, you are not exempt! You can also be subject to these problems, especially if you are visiting residents. Travellers are allowed a $30.00 excemption on goods they plan to bring into Bermuda.

Bermudians? Well the first $100 for each household is free and then duty kicks in and so do the yellow slips!

So what happened with my recent trip, you ask….well I had to leave the Island with my camera bought in Bermuda (there was no way to send it home before the flight) and prayed that when I returned to the Island I could outsmart the process.

Did I? Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see what happened…….oh and for some fun travels to Quebec City!

You've got to deserve those beaches!

Our wanderer Emily Ross is coming to the end of her stint living abroad and finds herself flying through Thailand.

What is she going to see? Well that’s why you have to read on:

Apologies. I know it is not Monday. I think my elation at FINALLY finding sun in Thailand has addled my brain and memory somewhat.

Oh, Thailand. I paid you a short visit back in March but oh! How little I did see. Our mission is to rectify that this time around, by moving from the North (for some templing) to the South (for some beaching). Although it wasn’t until our last day in Luang Prabang that we realised…our time in Thailand is preciously short.  We’ve got twenty days to travel cross country before we have to fly back to Hong Kong, collect our belongings and head back home. So, readers, prepare yourselves for Thailand: Express.

Right. So. North of Thailand? We’ve given ourselves a week up here, then we’re flying down to Phuket (because you can’t lounge on a beach unless you DESERVE it. Which means visiting a lot of temples up here).  You can’t (and I mean can’t. There must be an unwritten backpacker law) visit Northern Thailand without stopping by Chiang Mai.

The welcome return of street food

We sampled the Khao Soi (a delicious curried noodle soup) and wandered the weekend markets, taking full advantage of the abundance of street food. That’s one part of Thailand I can’t get enough of – the sheer variety of street snacks. I definitely noticed a shortage of street food in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Sure, you’d get your occasional skewer of meat or nondescript thing wrapped in a banana leaf, but the Thais LOVE their street food like no other South East Asian country. I’m in foodie heaven. Nom.

Because this is supposed to be the half of the trip where we’re not just enjoying all the hedonistic  pleasures Thailand has to offer, we signed up for a day trip. Yes. I know. We haven’t done anything in a big group since VIETNAM. The Cosmos decided to punish us for this by placing us in a group with five gap yah girls (cue shaking fist at sky). This was gonna be a long day.

Karen girls

We signed up for what you might consider to be the ‘taster platter’ or the ‘ADHD special’ of day trips from Chiang Mai. With a day lasting from 8 to 6, we crammed it with as many different activities you could possibly do. We started in an orchid and butterfly garden, then toured various villages specialising in rice farming, weaving and hemp farming (yes).

I wasn’t sure how I felt about visiting the villages – populated by people of different ethnic minorities (including people of the Karen or ‘long neck’ tribe from Burma, where the women wear heavy neck rings to elongate the neck), it felt a bit like a human zoo. It was slightly uncomfortable. Interesting, but uncomfortable. It reminded me of why we’ve been avoiding tours for so long: it’s awkwardly forced, being pummelled by the constant ‘LOOK AT THIS NOW’ structure of the day.

Hallo you.

We then moved on to an elephant sanctuary, where we rode elephants. Having had a near death experience with charging African elephants back in Botswana, the first thing I noticed was how small Asian elephants are in comparison. A promising start. I managed to get myself on the naughty elephant who kept eating along the road, but hey – I can sympathise. Again, not sure how I felt about this – as someone who dislikes zoos, it’s a bit unnatural to be riding elephants, no? But they were very lively and inquisitive and not displaying symptoms of maltreatment, so I was able to placate my inner discomfort for the time being.

After elephants we got FREE FOOD (tofu fried rice and fruit. Yum!). It was at lunch where another difference between Gap Yahs and University students became apparent. Where we helped ourselves to three (or more) plates of the free bounty, they barely touched their first. Oh, they are so young. One day they too shall be students and respect the glory of free food. Especially if you’re gathering strength for an epic hike through rain and mud. Oh yes we did. Crossed rivers on little logs (I would say they were more akin to branches, myself) too. Felt very Indiana Jones. Or somebody else adventurey.

And then onto…white water rafting. Definitely a feature in my List of Things I Never Planned To Do. After the initial terror…I actually enjoyed it. Enjoyed it enough to have been the highlight of the day. Okay, okay, it probably was not the most challenging stretch of river your average adrenaline junkie may encounter but I was invigorated nonetheless! I may have caught the adrenaline bug…which may potentially change the nature of my daytime excursions. Oh, we shall see. Finish the day lounging on a bamboo raft and then back to town for the Sunday night market. WHEW. Done Chiang Mai.

Now onto Chiang Rai….

Taking a break from the Bamboo train in the Battambang countryside

It’s a little heavy for our wanderer Emily Ross this week, as she leaves Vietnam to visit Cambodia next door. From learning about the after shocks of the Vietnam War to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia proves to be more than just a backpacking destination.

Luckily, though, the children’s smiles and friendly people help make her trip through this little South East Asian country more pleasurable than it might have been. Here’s Emily’s thoughts:

Happy Monday, bloggers!

I write to you from beautiful, beautiful Cambodia. I’m in Battambang, the second largest city in Cambodia (a surprising fact just learned from Wikipedia…as in my opinion it’s tiny!). Surrounded by thousand year old temples, a beautiful man-made lake and the quirky bamboo train, it’s definitely worth a diversion from the typical Sihanoukville-Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route. I feel like we’ve really been given the opportunity to explore the Cambodian countryside. Make sure you nab a good tuk tuk driver (the only way to get to the sights around Battambang…unless you’re on a bike) – it makes a huge difference in terms of how much you see and learn, and you can make a good buddy in the process!

Smiley school children

What has struck me most about Cambodia is the people. Everywhere we go we feel like celebrities – children literally run to the side of the road to wave and squeal a high pitched ‘Hello!’, old and young alike smile when they see us and seem to smile genuinely…they’re smiling Johnny Barnes type smiles rather than laughing at us. People have been helpful, funny and generous. Which is amazing considering everything they’ve been through.

Khmer Rouge interrogation tactics

I’m ashamed to say I crossed the border of Vietnam and Cambodia knowing very little about the Khmer Rouge and the recent horrors in Cambodian history.  I’d heard of the Khmer Rouge. As in, heard the two words before. I didn’t know what any of it entailed. I believe I wikipedia’d Pol Pot after he was mentioned in a Ricky Gervais stand up routine. And when you read about it, when you visit the chilling Tuol Sleng Genocide Musuem (S-21, t he Tuol Sleng prison near Phnom Penh, formerly a school), when you walk in the Killing Fields…it seems surreal. It was so recent, but it seems like something out of a 1984-esque novel, not reality.

S-21: former school turned Khmer Rouge prison and now a museum

I’ve searched through GCSE to A-Level/IB curricula and there’s just no option to study Cambodia. You can study Vietnam, but I suppose that’s only because the US was involved. I can guarantee that most Westerners have only heard of Cambodia because Angelina Jolie adopted from there. I just find it fascinating that millions of people can die and it not be common knowledge – especially considering it’s very, very modern history.

This isn’t a sermon, I’m guilty of it too. I was standing in front of a memorial stupa filled with over 5,000 skulls, bones and rags and was absolutely shocked at my own ignorance of what had occurred. I had a similar experience at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City – I knew the basic history of the Vietnam war, but very little about the atrocities committed by the Americans and the after-effects of Agent Orange. Hollywood doesn’t delve too deeply into that aspect of Vietnam – Forrest Gump sure as hell didn’t go anywhere near My Lai.

Just a few things I’ve been thinking about.

Minh Mang Tomb

Some of us spent Bermuda Day running 13.1 miles. Others spent it walking through Bermuda’s capital following floats. How about spending it in Vietnam?

That’s where our weekly wanderer Emily Ross found herself this May 24! Between tombs and even a bar similar to Bermuda’s Swizzle, our Bermudian found a way to celebrate her home town.

Happy Bermuda Day!

I write from a bus leaving rainy Hue – the thunderstorms plaguing the area have delayed the blog somewhat. Nevertheless, Bermuda Day was not ignored.

We nabbed a cheap boat ride along the river and joined a tour including an old Vietnamese garden house, a pagoda, monastery, temple and the spectacular tombs surrounding Hue. Oh, and lunch. This was all for 3 USD!

I have mixed feelings about tours. I think they’re hit and miss and best to approach them as we are – travel independently but hop on the occasional tour for a day trip, especially in the case of the Hue tombs where it’s pretty ambiguous as to how else you’re supposed to see them.

Flowers at the Garden House

On the weekend we joined a group to see the beautiful Halong Bay just outside of Hanoi and were really lucky. We spent the night on the boat, all our meals were included (and were so, so yummy), we got to kayak, swim, and were lucky to be in good, relaxed company. We got the cheapest one available (50 bucks) and don’t feel we missed out. Tours are also a good way to meet people. However, having chatted with someone who’d travelled through Thailand, Cambodia and Laos with a tour group, my conviction that tours are best appreciated in small doses was reaffirmed.

Your schedule is now controlled – don’t expect free time to loll on the beach whenever you like. You also have no choice in travel buddies. Also, in the case of our Hue tour, the entrance fees for the tombs were not included and lunch was not as generous as our Halong Bay experience. Although we were warned about this beforehand, don’t expect tours to be all inclusive. Despite good experiences thus far, I would strongly suggest avoiding tours – unless they’re unavoidable. Never undervalue your independence, travellers!

River Boat

Ooh, and a word of warning – be wary of getting ripped off, especially in Vietnam. So far we’ve been fine, having long ago settled into a comfortably paranoid mistrust of every price (thank you, Hong Kong!) but we’ve heard a number of backpacker horror stories and from the sound of it Vietnam has been one of the trickiest countries in South East Asia.

My advice: question every price, avoid taxis (walk instead! Oh, and hostels often have free pick-up from airports, train stations and bus stations), don’t assume anything’s free (we once were charged by a restaurant for hand wipes given to us before we even ordered, these are common and usually free in Vietnam but don’t let your guard down!) and ask around. Learn what you ‘should’ pay for things and what to avoid from other people’s mistakes. It’s always useful to chat to other travellers. Don’t be shy!

Celebrating bermuda day

After tombs, we headed back to Hue and began our May 24^th celebrations. After a few potent free potables and a pool match between the Commonwealth and the Paddies, we left our mark on the Swizzle style bar by scrawling our Bermuda Day greetings pon de wall. As one of our acquaintances noted, she never imagined she’d be celebrating Bermuda Day in Vietnam. I suspect similar ‘I never imagined’ experiences are certain to follow.

Now, off to Hoi An! I’m super excited.  Backpacker word of mouth is that I won’t want to leave. I’m certainly looking forward to getting there. We’re trying our luck with the bus having travelled by train from Hanoi to Hue. The bus is cheaper and oddly faster – although everything in Vietnam runs perpetually late. So far, so good. I’ll keep you updated!

get out there before you miss it

Good Morning Thursday, you are an evil one standing between me and the last day of the week. I will forgive you, though since you brought me Emily Ross’ latest blog!

Yes our wanderer has completed here wandering through Hong Kong’s daily life and now has the chance to visit South East Asia. Maybe you thought she would be happy to have finished her studies? Nope.

Instead our wanderer wants to stay or at the very least, convince others to take the chance to – STUDY ABROAD! Here she tells us why:

Hello blogoverse!

Sorry I’m late – it’s been quite the whirlwind of a final week in Hong Kong. I can’t believe my CityU experience has come to a close: it seems like only yesterday that I was sitting on a plane bawling my eyes out ,  numbering the weeks in my planner so that I could count down the days til I could get my butt on a plane back home. Don’t judge me! The first week of settling is always the week I show my true, wimpy colours. Seven days after arrival I’m guaranteed to have a whole new (aka a ‘real’) perspective.

Yes, looking through my planner I see written on Monday, January 3^rd the words ‘Hong Kong’ and a sad face. And now on Wednesday, May 18^th we find the words ‘moving out’ accompanied by a similar sad face. Oh, how times doth change.

Yes, studying abroad can be scary. Yes, there is always ‘something’ to persuade you not to – ‘Google says my uni has a higher ranking!’ ‘My significant other will miss me!’ ‘Who will do my laundry?’ ‘They might not have Kraft Dinner!’ ‘Toilets.’ ‘I’ll get homesick.’ ‘It’s easier just to stay put.’

Oh, be quiet.

If you get the opportunity, go for it. You know those former study abroad/gap year kids who keep telling you how rewarding an experience it is? They’re not being a-holes. They’re telling the truth. And you could be one of them. And own legit backpacker pants. Funky colours and all.

There’s more to studying abroad than backpacker pants , however (we’re talking studying, not being a layabout gap year ne’er do well. Which I most definitely…was. Also a lovely experience. But a tangent. FOCUS, ROSS). SO. Here are five reasons to study abroad which cancel out all the boyfriends and Kraft Dinners you’ll ever have.

oh, the people!

1)      The People

You meet amazing people from all over the world. If they’re in your course, they share your interests – and could teach you something as they’re coming from a whole different context of study. If not, you can hear about where they come from, their culture, their political views, their views on anything - You will make friends. Do not worry. Everyone there is just as panicky as you are. If not out of common interests, you’ll make friends out of desperation.

You can learn so much from listening to a new perspective. And your travel buddies are friends you’ll have for life. You’re all in the same boat – and you’re not just learning about the world through your incredible new surroundings, you’re also learning from each other.  Plus, the more friends in more countries you collect (er. Make.), the more couchsurfing opportunities should you happen to be in their home country! They might have a pool. They might live in a palace. You’ll never know until you meet them.

oh, the places!

2)      The Places

Oh! The places you’ll go. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the philosophy of exchange students is to take full advantage of every opportunity thrown at you. That means lots of sightseeing and travelling to places you never thought you’d go. I write this blog from Hanoi in Vietnam. The closest I thought I’d ever get to Vietnam was possibly getting to see Miss Saigon live one day. And today I found myself looking out a bus window at so-green-they-can’t-be-real fields, cows with gorgeous doe-y eyes and countless motorcycles…and had that ’wow’ moment you get when you find yourself somewhere you never imagined you’d be. This will happen to you. Often.

3)      Study

Like I said, this isn’t just a goodfernutthin’ gap yahh (my own was OFF THE CHAIN. But that’s another blog). You actually have to do stuff. Work. Study. Do it well. Pass. This is a whole different experience from just travelling. You’ll get access to great new lecturers, facilities, new perspectives, new course options. This year I studied Social Policy and Social Development in China, International Relations and Governance in Asia. These courses weren’t offered at my home uni. There are a lot of great academic opportunities and the experience will leave you with new angles on your essays, a new academic context and a great addition to the ol’ cv.

oh, the food!

4)      Food

I can’t write a blog without mentioning food. Food is such a huge part of culture and has been such a highlight of my experience here. There are so many flavour combinations you’ll stumble across that you’d never have dreamed up – maybe you’ll be more creative in the kitchen in the future! Or if cooking’s a little too ambitious, maybe you’ll simply be more creative with your everyday food choices. You don’t know if you’ll like it until you’ve tried it – perhaps the same could be said for living abroad?

5)      Yourself

You’ll learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of. You’ll realise you’re far more adaptable than you think. Many people start an exchange not even considering working or living abroad in their future…and many people leave with whole load of new career opportunities because they’re now willing to consider it. Studying abroad teaches you more than simply about your ability to navigate foreign fields; it teaches you that you can LIVE in such foreign fields. You’ve done it! You’ve already worked and lived abroad. You can do it again. Cue opening of proverbial doors.

Being plunged into such an extreme and unfamiliar environment can be scary – but it also forces you to address your aims, your values and your capabilities. You will know you so much better by the time you’re finished.

So! You have brains in your head, feet in your shoes – stop making excuses and go for it! You won’t regret it. You know why all the former exchange students say that? Because it’s true.

Hanoi Traffic!

As part of my trip around the world I decided to visit the land of war, tailoring and communism….Vietnam. It was a whirlwind trip after I failed to plan enough time in my visa, but nonetheless it was worth it.

Yes, even the night buses! But why feature it today? Well one of our wanderers, Emily, is heading there soon for her trip around South East Asia (she’s been studying in Hong Kong). So I thought, why not revisit my trip?

Here’s what I wrote about Hanoi (for the full version of the account visit here):

I awoke by being thrown off a bus in what the driver claimed to be Hanoi. If I hadn’t seen pictures of the chaotic traffic I never would have believed him and of course there were the ever-present hustlers trying to get us to their hostels. I caved. With backpack in front of him and me behind we somehow negotiated through the traffic. It was clean enough and the price was right (about $8) so I settled in for the night.

My motorbike lift to the hostel

Chaos does not describe Hanoi. Utter mayhem? Maybe. Gets close. There are more motorbikes here than road space and just forget about trying to use a car. Mmmm exhaust fumes.

Now the capital of Vietnam (which is reclaimed from Hue in 1945), Hanoi was also not spared from the war. Instead massive bombings by the Americans managed to destroy a lot of the city and it even hosted one of the most famous POWs, John McCain. In what was called the Hanoi Hilton, McCain, the former presidential candidate, suffered five years of torture and isolation. This former prison was one of my first stops in Hanoi.

Hanoi Hilton (foreground) overshadowed by current hotel!

The Hoa Lo Prison is now overlooked by an actual hotel (slightly and morosely ironic). Nothing, at least that I could see, is said or documented about the POW’s that were held here. Instead it focuses on the Indochina war and the torture by the French.

Then of course I had to go to the Temple of Literature. This was founded in 1070 as a temple to Confucius and the country’s first university was founded here in 1076. It is now one of the most important historical and architectural sites in Hanoi. There are multiple courtyards leading onto one another and even an ATM in one of the last (love the old and new here in Vietnam).

ATM at the temple of literature

This could only be topped by visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Memorial….(note sarcasm). This monstrosity was built to honour a man who never even wanted to be honoured. He never lived in the presidential palace and chose to live in a small bungalow instead ( I guess trying to live the socialism that he instilled).

Right next to this concrete memorial is the tranquil one-pillared pagoda. All in all Hanoi is an easy city to walk around and after an afternoon of sightseeing and with an early start the next day for Halong Bay I returned dodging motorcycles and eager women selling fruit to sleep.

One Pillar Pagoda

A two hour bus ride delivered me and the 9 others destined for a three day, two-night visit to the UNESCO site. Every tour seems to depart from the same 100 feet of dockside so the chaos along with the heat was almost unbearable. That is until I walked on the five-star junk (which is such a bad name for the beautiful wooden, air-conditioned boat that greeted us) where a cold drink and compress greeted me! I was so glad I had splurged on this trip (by splurge it was about $150 for all three days, three meals, one night on the boat and one on the private island) and after at least three overnight buses I figured I deserved it.

Halong Bay….what is there to say? I have never seen anything like it. Forested-green mountains jut out of the turquoise water while monkeys traipse through the expanse and caves offer luminous green escapes. After stuffing myself with crab, shrimp and every type of seafood they could throw at me for lunch it was time to work that off with kayaking!

That night we moored in a nearby cove and with nothing else to do after gorging ourselves on another seafood-stuffed dinner, we all sat on the upper deck watching for shooting stars well into the evening. The next day we traipsed into the Amazing Cave. Yes it is actually called that it is not my poor use of adjectives. Picture Crystal Caves and multiply it by twenty. Nearly 500 to 600 Viet Cong hid in this cave during the war, which should give you an idea how large this stalactite and stalagmite cave is.

View of Halong Bay from the Amazing Cave

From here we transferred to a faster sail boat destined for the private island. With six bungalows and one main house on the entire island there is no electricity all day and at night the stars absolutely glow. Glancing over at the concrete covered Cat Ba Island, where most backpacking tours end-up, I was pleased I had chosen to pay a little extra.

Lounging on the beach and reading, looking out at the natural beauty of Halong Bay was the perfect way to wind-up my tour of Vietnam before boarding my flight back to Bangkok.

I wish Emily all the best and enjoy the trip!! We can’t wait for her tales! It’s an amazing place. For more photos of Vietnam visit My photos.

Where are you flying?

“Miss! Miss!”

I had only asked for water. Why was she running after me? Was I not supposed to take the glass? I turned around.

“You forgot your snack.”

Phew, I wasn’t some rampant water thief that had to be run-down the aisle of the enormous, double-decker Japan Airlines’ plane.

I was a backpacker and I wasn’t used to this five-star treatment.

“Sorry Miss you were asleep when we came by before.”

Ahhh if there was ever a time when nine hours on a plane was worth it, this was it.

This? One of my segments in my around-the-world ticket, which placed me on one of the highest rated airlines in the world. I was starting to understand some of the benefits of these tickets.

Was buying the around-the-world ticket worth it? Yes and…..no. Thanks Robyn, that clarifies everything!

Tough crowd. Ok, I will try to explain. For my first tip I will tell you how much mine cost (just over $5,000), and where I got it from (I purchased my ticket from the One World Alliance, which consists of American Airlines, British Airways, etc… visit www.oneworld.com for more details). But you can also buy tickets from Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com) or if you’re young enough (i.e. 26 or younger) some companies such as STA Travel (www.statravel.com) might help. Be careful, however, because many agencies (other than from Star or One World) do not have flights that start from Bermuda. Sure you could start from New York or Toronto, but then you still need to buy a ticket to these cities and be sure you know when you’re returning home (otherwise one-way tickets can be expensive!)

But with the cost, and this is a big tip two: figure out how much of a ticket you need. Huh? Ok I’ll explain. The ticket I bought was one of the most extensive and expensive (at the time) and it wasn’t necessary. I had sixteen segments. What’s a segment? Well when we talk about segments in around-the-world tickets we don’t mean flights. Nope.

Segments are a mixture of both overland and above-land travels. Example? I landed in Prague via British Airways. My next flight would be from Istanbul, Turkey, which meant I had to get myself from Prague to Istanbul. I could do it however I wanted to, but One World was not going to be involved.

Which leads me to tip three and more on segments. If I were to do the trip again (and I would love to) I would buy the basic level ticket. On OneWorld Alliance, now, that would mean my ticket could cost as little as $3,699 for three continents. What does that look like? Well a sample they give is: Los Angeles-Tokyo-Hong Kong-Moscow-St Petersburg-Madrid-Miami-Los Angeles (obviously ours would start from Bermuda).

And tip four is I would choose the basic ticket because once you land in Hong Kong or Madrid (or basically any continent) there are cheap flights and buses that make travel very easy once you’re on the continent. In Asia there is AirAsia or even Air Malaysia to give you $20 flights from Hanoi, Vietnam to Bangkok, Thailand. That’s got to be cheaper than paying for a four continent ticket, which starts at $5,299.

Riding a Thai Bus

An added bonus and tip five for why buy a basic around-the-world ticket is: their dates are not carved into any stones. Dates can change as often as you like (though the ticket overall is only valid for 12 months from the first date of travel). Believe me that’s helpful when you never know what you’re going to do or who you’re going to meet.

Which means that while on the road tip six is Skype will become your best friend. Well Skype and the OneWorld Alliance or Star Alliance helper at the other end of the line. Sheila (aka my adopted mother) is going to get a Christmas Card.

What is not negotiable? Destinations. Tip seven is to know where you want to go before you call. Maybe that should be number one? Before you book your ticket sit down (or stand-up it’s your preference) and write-down where you want to go. Decide on the cities that you would like to visit (i.e. are you going to go to Australia or give it a miss? Would Thailand be a better visit?) It will make life easier when you try to find the around-the-world ticket that will not have to be altered and cost you more money.

And that brings me to tip eight (which got lost last week!) is changing the destinations on your around-the-world  ticket costs money (about $125) and is almost impossible to do with the structure around segments. Any flight or overland portion will be counted as a segment so if you’ve booked all of the segments in your three or four-continent trip then changing a destination could be tricky unless it mirrors exactly what you had booked. Make sense? Another rule? Tip nine is: you can only go one way around the world. Mine? Bermuda to Europe to Asia to South America to home. I could have gone the other way, but I could not have gone to Europe and then to America (it’s backtracking if you start from an isolated island).

Which direction are you going?

Still lost? Still not convinced? Well that makes ten easier to give you: convenience, comfort and (another c?) security. Having an outline of your trip via flights provides much needed structure for the trip, while the beauty of booking with the “big-name” airlines does provide comfort (especially when you’re fed gluten-free good on Japan Airlines) that, especially backpackers won’t get on the discount airline, Air Asia between Thailand and Australia. And Security? Well let’s just say that money gets tight, you already have your ticket home. No calling the relatives asking for help.

Which brings us to next week and what are you going to bring home. Everyone has their travel quirks and their collections. What do you bring home? Visit here for your daily travel tips and your Rock Fever Column next week.

Au Revoir!

Halong Bay Junk

It’s a sad Thursday because twelve tourists have drowned when their boat sank in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Fifteen were saved and authorities believed the sinking was due to a wooden board coming loose on the boat.

Authorities also believe those that died had been sleeping in the rooms of the boat (called a Junk) when the tragedy occurred.

There are a few reasons why I chose today to write about this sad event. One: because I have been here before and so it hits home.

And two: because I slept on one of the boats (called Junks) when I was in Ha Long Bay.

What is Halong Bay? Well to start with it is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the North of Vietnam that consists of green, covered limestone mountains that jut out of green waters.

It’s why so many tourists make it a must-see when they visit this South East Asian country.

The way to see it? The traditional route? Well I, and most, started in Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam) and found a tour company that promised to take me into this area of some 775 islets. One night would be spent on the junk and one night on a private island (a lot of people actually stay on Cat Ba Island which is a cliche backpacker’s hideaway. My company had their own tiny island with four huts on it).

Junks sailing through Ha Long Bay

On the day of my cruse the company (as do most) gave me a lift to the dock at the bay (no singing of Otis Redding please) and I scrambled around trying to find my boat (Junk).

When I was there we were shuffled onto the boat and to a cool glass of juice and a wet towelette to help wash away the pollution that builds-up on the dock.

Then it was time to set-sail (or motor, really) out into the glassy and beautiful lagoon.

When we finally anchored there was kayaking to keep us busy and food such as crabs and shrimps to keep us full.

Kayaking past the hundreds of islets in Ha Long Bay

That night we anchored-off in a sheltered pass between some islands and watched one of the longest shooting stars I have ever seen in my life.

The junk also became a place of rest and we all retired to our rooms.

Which is why all of what happened in Ha Long Bay yesterday is so sad. I feel for the families of these lost tourists.

In a place of beauty and serenity their loved ones were lost to the place they went to admire.

I hope that the authorities do take heed of this accident. I hope in the future these junks are checked thoroughly and their safety ensured.

I don’t know what the practice was before, but there needs to be inspections and safety checked more than ever. I would hate for this beautiful place to be ignored by tourists because their safety is not ensured.

One last look at Ha Long Bay

For more photos of Vietnam and Ha Long Bay visit Robyn’s Photos’ page.

Coffee in Buenos Aires

Do you know who imports more than 900 million pounds of coffee a year?

No it’s not France. No, not even the obsessed Argentines. Not even my favourite Vietnam.

It’s Japan.

Yes, it’s true. Apparently Japan imports more than 930 million pounds of it each year, which is more than France and less than Italy.

What does this have to do with travel? Well, sure you could ask, but that would mean you haven’t been to Turkey for their sticky and thick coffee that lines the cup.

Or to Vietnam when they fill the bottom of the cup, which turns out to be enough to keep you up through the night.

Coffee in Cairo

How about sipping in Cairo (when they’re not protesting) at one of the oldest cafes in Egypt? One where the Nobel Prize winning authors sit.

It’s a drink that keeps the world ticking and one that you will never be far from where ever you are. Sure there is tea, but coffee is my poison.

Tea in Turkey!

Of course, I am sad to say that my favourite is Starbucks. Yes, I have been around the world. I have tried coffee in lots of places, but my favourite coffee stop is Starbucks.

Plenty of caffeine in their regular coffee and the quality is guaranteed to some degree everywhere you go. Of course that can’t guarantee the Inca Bucks in Peru!

Inca or Star?