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Thursday, October 30, 2003
PALOLEM BEACH - STATE OF GOA, INDIA
I am back on the beach and life is good.
GOA , INDIA - BEACH WITH BOAT
STEVEN FROM KOH PHAN GNAN
While returning down the beach from the Internet Café yesterday I met up with an old friend from Koh Phan Gnan, Thailand. He screamed out,
“Andy,”
As we met in that area where the waves meet the land. The hard parts of the sand, but still wet and cool. I felt a little disrespectful because I could not instantly remember his name, and he remember mine. But I remembered him very well. He is from Britain, but has probably not lived there for years. Probably the true expatriate.
He was the one that turned me on to the small room at the back, because we were both living the same. I had moved into the front of the same place, while he was in the back. So by coincidence or maybe just good backpacker skills. We have both migrated around the planet to another beach paradise, and even the same huts.
I was very excited to see him because I knew I had a friend and good conversation to follow. It is hard to classify him. He travels from place to place, but will say for up to 6 months in one location and then leave for another. Since I last met him he has been in Bali, northern India, and now to Goa. Of course he probably stopped in a lot of places while in transit.
Here is a photo of him sailing his large kites.
STEVE FLYING KITE
MOVE AND MOVE AGAIN
The first couple of nights I stayed in the excellent set of bungalows that Natasha had chosen. But after visiting with her and adjusting to Goa, I moved to the lower rent district. I was paying 350 a night, then found a hut on the beach for 200. Moved in yesterday, but by the end of the day had already moved again to the back of the community of huts. They have a few concrete rooms connected to the family quarters. I still have my own room, and my own entrance door, but now I am in an extremely secure room. Makes me relax. Plus a lot more relaxing and quiet. The other one had too much wind, and noise from the waves. I have to walk down a path through the palms while passing a couple of pigs, or other people type things. A toilet, a hut surround by junk, and piles of this and that. Sort of a disarray of miscellaneous crap they need to throw away or put away. So it looks like I have found a home for a few weeks.
NEWSLETTER
I thought I was all prepared to send this newsletter before I left England then everything goes afoul. So I am waiting until Tuesday to get back on a better timeline. Sorry.
TRAIN FROM MUMBAI TO GOA
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
NEW ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
That is not true on second thought. Had the same problem in Ranong, Thailand. There is a light in my room. Presently this morning there is no electricity. But last night when I arranged to rent this room there was a light. I have a screw in type socket that enables me to plug in my computer. The problem in this room is that the light bulb is not a screw in type. It is a double prong type like some Christmas tree lights, or a light in a 12 volt car system. You push in and twist. I may have to tap directly into the wires.
So I have moved from the high rent district to the low rent. More of a backpacker feel and less of a tourist feel. A couple of Israel girls are my neighbors, so life is good.
GOA INDIA
I am presently on the beach in Goa, India. This is not a city. Up till now I thought it was a city. Now I know that this is a State and not a city. Everyone talks about going to Goa, but I cannot remember them saying a certain beach, or specific spot in this State. It is located about 250 miles south of Bombay or Mumbai. They have decide to take an Indian name and get rid of the “English” name. So that is the confusion.
I have not updated my world and a lot has happened. Lets see I was in London. Peter came down to stay and I guess look for a job in London. He was staying in another Hostel down the street. So he was in Earls Court area also.
We went for a couple of walks. He is constantly on me to be tourist or encouraging me to see the local attractions. He is one-half English and one-half American. I would say he is more American then English but he would say he is more English. But he is proud of England and wants me to see everything. He knows I take picture of everything so who is sure of his exact motivations.
Some guy from the Guardian Newspaper in London is emailing him to ask questions about Iraq. This is good. I encourage him to call up the guy and give him better details. They met on the Lonely Planet Thorntree. I think it is Thorn.
But we walked around. I was searching my soul for what I wanted to see. I had already seen the big stuff. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the London Bridge. I decided to pass on the British Museum until next time around the planet. It needs more, and deserves more then a one day stop in an look. So next time for that.
In the end I said,
“I want to see where Charles Dickens lived or wrote about.”
So we went off searching for Charles Dickens. We went down to the City of London. London proper is a metropolis and a lot of smaller cities combined into one huge city. I suppose even in Earls Court I was not actually in London, but another city connected to London. It is too big a bother to figure out all this. I was in this big area called London.
Charles is a evasive individual. I am hard pressed to say. I have never read any of his book. I have tried desperately to read them, but have found the vocabulary too large and difficult to read in comfort. But maybe as I get older and more multi-leveled I can try again. That guy had a vocabulary that would confuse the normal person, or at least me. I cannot guarantee though that I am normal.
So in the end. I have only seen the movies.
“A Tale of Two Cities”
“David Copperfield”
Now “David Copperfield” has my favorite quote of all time in it. Ooops. I hope I quote this correctly. I am working offline and cannot just search the internet for a clean quote. Ok, here goes
Some of you have heard this before. From the first page of the book David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens.
“Whether I shall be the hero of my life, or whether that station shall be held by someone else. These pages will tell.”
I suppose I wish to be my own hero. This has been or cross in front of my world to be claimed when I was about 16 years old. That was more then a couple of years ago. So I have been claiming this one for a long time.
But to be my own hero is in many ways what I strive to achieve. Or probably in the end just to like Andy. No more, no less.
Next story….
Hmmm…
I got up at about 6 am to leave for the plane. The kitchen was locked, so I unfortunately missed a large priority. My morning cup of coffee. I knew also that the price of coffee at the airport would be around 3 dollars USA and this is not acceptable in my world. I would give up coffee if I had to pay that much all the time. Obviously I have not drank at Starbuck much, and do not plan to.
So off to the Underground for a train to Heathrow Airport. This was very easy and quick. The hard part was to know how much to set aside. I did not want to have English Pounds in my possession as I left the country. So was trying to spend all, or converted to Dollars. I sat aside 5 pounds for the Subway or Underground. It is hard for me to fathom, but the priced of the trains in London fluctuated by the time of day, distance, zone, and other miscellaneous variable. I am still lost after a week in England. The system is similar to buying a plane ticket in the USA. Built to confuse, and just give up an pay through the nose. The train to the Airport cost 2.30 pounds. This is about 3.50 cents USA. This is not a cheap fare.
I wait around in the airport. This is one of the worlds largest airports and I did not want to miss the plane. So I was maybe 2-3 hour early. But airports are great places to people watch. But not great places to spend money wisely. But they got you, and they get you in Airports. This is worldwide.
I had to wait until they announce the gate my plane was leaving from, so I was sitting around watching them marquis boards that change numbers and flights all the time. Departures and arrivals.
There was a girl in the waiting area with hair that was about as long as I have ever seen. It was very shiny and silky looking. Amazing to have such healthy hair for being that long. I noted this.
Got on the plane. Normal stuff. Sleep, eat, and feel crowded. I like bus any day before a Plane. They have a lot more leg room. But they do not go as fast. A train has the best leg room. In the end to see the country though a bus will let you see the most from the window.
I flew on Gulf Air. Great plane ride. They had lots of movies. I like a movie on a plane and it always seems like they have very few movies on Planes. But Gulf Air was good and when I got off the plane. I am supposed to say disembarked. That is the right word. Well when I disembarked from the plane my bag disembarked with me. So I was happy. It was in one piece and all the straps still connected. I worry about plane trips. They are the roughest on my bag. I must note to myself while in India to reinforce and fix up my bag to be immune to plane baggage handler. I am not sure that is possible.
BOMBAY OR MUMBAI
It is tiresome to keep repeating this. But the name of Bombay is now Mumbai. So I arrived in Mumbai. I will not share using both name as I please for awhile. OK.. Bombay at 3:45 in the morning. Dark and the airport terminal feels more like a bus terminal in Peru then an Airport Terminal.
We had a layover of 3 hours in Bahrain. I may or may not count this on my list of number of countries I have entered. I think I should not. I did not leave the airport and did not get a stamp. So probably best to leave off.
The Bahrain Airport sold coffee for 3 dollars USA. About the same as London. So this is definitely a worldwide problem. Extortion at airport on coffee. They know I have withdrawal.
The Bahrain Airport looks like a 5 star hotel. Very nice and exclusive feeling. They would be 5 stars if they had a water fountain. I always grade a country by the toilet and water fountains first. So Bahrain is not doing well. They had a squat toilet and no water fountain.
Funny to note. The train from Mumbai to Goa had a western style toilet. So the trains in India so far are ahead of an airport in Bahrain.
I am in Palomen Beach Goa. I hope I spelled that right. But who cares? Natasha a friend and reader of the Blog and Newsletter is here so I planned first to meet up with her. She gave me directions and fortunately my friend Chris sent extremely good directions or I may have missed Natasha completely. But I have made it to Palomen Beach, Goa.
It was difficult to catch the train in Bombay. They have about 5-20 types of fares and very crowded and confusing. There are these people constantly talking to me that want to sell or scalp tickets. Saying the train is full, and I somewhat believe them because I missed the first one to Goa and had to take another taxi to the Victoria Station. This reminded me of the Bus Station in London called Victoria Station. This is a former colony so I am sure the Brits had their nose in on that one also. But if not. So I still blame them.
After the second taxi fare and multiple people trying to get a tip I got an extremely expensive train ticket to Goa. Cost 1600 Rupees. That is about 30 dollars USA. I was expecting to pay 5 dollars USA. It is possible, but I got ripped. So what can I say. I was late for the train, and told Natasha I would be in Goa that day. I arrived at about 10:00 PM. This is against all advice I have ever given. Do not arrive in a strange city in the dark. This is dangerous. Especially on your first day. So as happens sometimes. I ignore myself. If you knew me like my friends or family. You would know that they also ignore me. It sometime is the only way to like me. To listen to me think or talk is annoying. Strangely people would rather read the Blog then listen to me say the same story in person.
I am doing a second NO NO. I am typing on my computer from next to the beach. I can feel the keys getting sticky from the salt breeze as I continue to type. The salt will corrode metal, or make it rust very very fast.
On the early morning tour of Bombay or Mumbai by accident or paid taxi from Train Station to Train Station I saw a few things of interest. Both taxi drives seem to take a tour of all the back streets, so this was interesting. I saw a few cows. I saw people washing or taking their morning shower by dumping a bucket of water on their head. This is not a good sign. Most large cities of the world have running water and the country side does not. Where I am presently has running water. So I will continue to observe the cities. I saw some water fountains along the way here. At train stations they had water fountains. I took a couple of photos from the window.
One had a sign.
“Bacteria Free Drinking Water.”
All the signs are in English and in the local language. I have not idea and really do not care. I think there are too many to be bothered with in India, and the English language is the language of commerce and communication. The guy on the train said it was the language of the Elite. I will let that one go….
So drinking fountains is good. Who knows whether it is good. Natasha met me on the beach today and gave me a bottle of water. I have been getting the water for my coffee from the tap. I am waiting to see if she catches on. She has warned me on multiple occasions that I should not drink the water. I said,
“I need to lose weight, it would be great way to lose a few pounds.”
But life is good on the beach. Always is. I moving from the same cluster of huts as Natasha tomorrow to cheaper set. This one is little too much on the tourist side for me anyway. Too much bar and landscaping and not enough travelers. Just because a person has a backpack does not in my opinion make them a travelers. The line between backpacker and tourist is coming closer. Very hard to tell a tourist now from a backpacker. They both want the exclusive, bar, music, and western food. I hear a guy request a Heinekin Beer today. I was laughing. Where I Peter when I need him? He is a pain in the butt sometimes, but he does not need the pomp and luster to travel. So much of life is fashion. I am always surrounded by fashion.
So I move from the 7 dollar a night room to the 4 dollar a night room. The new one is on stilts and in reality safer. Hard to sneak up a ladder without someone noticing. While the other one is on the ground.
I teased or explained Natasha that the legs made if difficult for Rats to enter the hut. She said very quickly told me that the one I am in presently does not have Rats. I had trouble laughing.
They are drying fish in the sun out front of the Hotel or Huts. There are Rats.
She did not like today that I called her, or said she was
“Very American.”
I did not think that would bug her. She is an extremely patriotic person. I better be careful. I guess no labels. … ooops. That is why she is American. I give up. Oh well. She is from the new country of
“Fruits and Nuts.”
The call it San Francisco and I heard or think they are going to secede from the Union. I sure hope so.
Well, so what do I know about India? Nothing so far. I have saw and airport and a train.
That girl with the long hair sat down next to me in the Bahrain Airport. She ask me if I was going to Pune? I said,
“Hard to say, I do not even know where it is?”
She said,
“It is where I live, and 2 hours from Mumbai.”
I said,
“I am going to Pune.”
Trust me this is a good decision.
But for now. I will diligently work on my tan. Lose a few of them big French Fries called “Chips” by the English from body. Get down to fighting weight again and ready for competition. I do not care what I have inside my mind. I know the packaging sell and not my mind. And it is getting harder and harder to sell the packaging. But life is good.
Every notice in life that the thing you really want or feel passionately about are easier to attain. I thought that girl with the long hair was special and she must have read my mind. Not a safe place, but nonetheless she knocked long enough to exchange emails.
The sleeper train was good. Air conditioning and I caught up on some of my sleep. Met a Lawyer from India. He also gave me his address. We did not start out on a good foot. He offered to help. I said,
“Every time someone offers to help her. I end up paying a tip, I have paid 5 tips and I have only been in the country 2 hours.”
The kept putting me in these boxed where I had to have help out. So as always if you need help. The dollar will set you free. I am free now, and learning the new systems here.
The Lawyer was an excellent man. He has an arrange marriage of 14 years. Has 2 children and believe this is the best way to get married. His English was great. Spoken like an Englishman. I have trouble understanding the people in England, and I had trouble understating him. So just like England. But he was good fun and helped me translate the English spelled word into the local language so I would get off at the right train stop.
Well. I hope I have bored you stiff. I cannot sleep because I have jet lag, so you get to listen to my rambling longer.
What has been interesting about meeting Natasha is that besides my Mother and Father, I have never really talked with many people that have read my newsletter or blog in person. I get a few emails. But very few that have read any of my noise. That is not correct. There is a couple of other I know. I will leave their names out to be polite.
NOTE: I am sitting out by the sea. Typing on my computer. There is a huge palm tree next to me loaded with Coconuts. Something just hit my shoulder. It is very dark. The waves are crashing and I know them rats also climb trees… aagh. I will look later.
I was told the reason why they paint trees with white calcium in Mexico is to keep the rats from climbing them. I will try to go back to sleep. I need to be sleepy. The waves are about 4 decibel points too high on some type of noise level. All the huts on this beach are really about 100 meters too close to the Ocean for comfort. The salt breeze is making me sticky and the noise will keep me awake. But paradise does not come without a price, and it is more fun in an imperfect world that is exciting then a perfect world that is boring.
Good night.
“Good night John Boy.”
STAGING NEXT TRIP TO EUROPE
I know it appears that I came to Europe or London to be a tourist. But my goal this time was more an effort to discover how to travel in Europe for 6-8 months. Europe is expensive and hectic. Not my favorite type of travel. The biggest problem for me is the need for reservations. This remove the spontaneity and the pure joy of adventure. It can become more of job then an adventure.
I have discovered some ideas to make my next trip easier.
1. Travelers congregate in London and sell their camper vans.
2. It is legal to camp in Sweden along side the road. It may be possible to do this in most of the Scandinavian countries.
3. Renting an apartment for a month works.
4. London is a great place to find a temporary job. Do not need a work visa and they will pay cash. (That is illegal.)
5. I can buy car insurance that covers almost all of Europe.
6. Germany may be a good place to buy a used vehicle.
7. I need to take into consideration loneliness more in Europe. It is more difficult to meet and share experiences. Especially if you are not willing to spend lots of money.
8. My Mother and Father dream of going to Europe.
9. I want to get here in very early spring before the rush and / or crazies arrive.
This listing of idea helps me to think though my trips. I will often make a list of things to do and then never look at the list again.
WOKE
I woke up at 1:50 in the morning. Could not sleep, but actually I thought it was time to wake so went down stairs to the TV room and watched a movie. The movie was “Finding Forester.” An excellent movie and inspiring.
What am I do next? This part of my daily thoughts and the question becomes bigger and not smaller. I now after my Iraq trip realize that I can go anywhere I wish. A person is suppose to know that they have the freedom to travel and do as they wish. But this often is an evasive thought and hard to believe. I seem to fall into a channel and have trouble thinking about where I want to go, and just go to the places that I hear other travelers say is nice.
I try to understand myself, and what is of interest to me? This is not always simple. So I choose a country that seems interesting and then go there. Once I am in the country I experience or hear information that tempts me to visit. Then I go visit.
Yesterday I went on a walk to Hyde Park to catch a bus that would tour the city. This is the double decker type bus and would take me to the main attractions. It cost about 10 pounds for a day ticket says the manager or my Hostel. This is a very good value in a city where one metro ride cost 1.60 pounds.
So on the walk over to Hyde park to catch this bus, or try discover how to catch this bus my true desires surfaced. I was looking at all these building and take a few photos. I had this vision of a Charles Dickens book and old historic homes. So I change my plans and decided to walk. This would allow me to the ability to walk through or wander around in the local neighborhoods as I head for a major attraction. So I started walking toward Buckingham Palace and keeping my mind open to the idea of wandering in the local neighborhood. Now this sounds good, but it did not work. I never seem to leave the modern areas. But I had a fresh walk on an Fall day in London. I think I need to go farther into the outskirts of the city to find the more bedraggled parts of this metropolis.
SPACE FLIGHT OF CHINA
China has successfully put a man in space. This is wonderful and it makes me think of China and what the future will bring. Current Events travel is starting to be on the top of my mind. History only occurs when it occurs so if you or I have the opportunity. Why not go and share in the moment.
Peter my friend from Iraq was going to go and watch the last landing of the Concorde as it came into Heathrow airport here in London, England. I hope he got his wish. Concorde was the first supersonic passenger plane. But as always a business is about making money and this plane has not competed.
THE BEACH
I am on beach in Goa. This is a backpacker area known worldwide. I suppose it is known for drugs, hippies, and hanging around. If I was going to rate this beach. "Palomen" or something like that. On a scale of 1-10 it is in the 7th level of being invaded by tourist. So people are happy to pay 1 dollars for a beer and eat pizza here. But it is beautiful and cheap. So that is still a good combination.
I have a newsletter prepared to send about London. Hope to send tommorrow. It is a little difficult to adjust. Lots of sand and moisture. The room is dark and I have jet lag. The trip here was interesting. Saw a few cows walking around in Bombay a.k.a. Mumbai and such. Will give a good update tommorrow also.
VERY Slowwww Internet
To everyone that is expecting an email. I am fine. It is about 7:00 PM here in Goa and the connection is very slow. So be patient and the world will return to normal. I will need to copy and paste a lot. So life is good. Just slower, and that is good also.
Also went from 20 Dollars USA a night for dorm room in London, to a private hut for 3 dollars USA. Back to the Hobo Budget.
I am barefoot on the beach.
SAFE IN INDIA
Hello,
I am safe in the State of Goa, India. I am staying on a beach called Palomen. I probably spelled that wrong. But it is south of the central part of Goa. A great beach. The connection is slow. But life it good, and I will soon adapt and thrive.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
HOSTEL CONVERSATION WITH NURSE
I met a smart nurse in the Hostel. We had a conversation about bedbugs and rashes. What fun. I have been working on a tip in an effort to commit INSECTICIDE... I think that is like genocide against an insect. The problem with bedbugs is that in the end it about cleanliness and cleaning.
Well... We had this long conversation. What I am searching for, or wanting is a way to spray, kill. mutilate these little critters with extreme prejudice. I want them out of this world. Only thing I know for sure is that cockroaches eat them. And just when I was wanting the same for the cockroaches. But really the cockroaches are less of a problem.
RASH
I have almost killed all the fungus on my rash. It is disappearing very well. But in the end another great tip would be about how to get super clean when there is shortage of clean. Soaps, hot water, etc.
I wrote a couple of tips while in Thailand about how to wash clothes with hot water and how to carry a bucket.
I do recommend you clean with great industrial strength soap, and wash all your clothes in hot water a minimum of once per month. Even if you have to boil the water.
HOT WATER TIP
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newstips091.php
BUCKET
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newstips090.php
PAGE OF TIPS BY CATEGORY - PLANNING - AIRPLANE ETC
http://www.hobotraveler.com/indenewslettipsbysubject.shtml
NATASHA IS CONFUSED IN INDIA
A friend that is going to meet up with me in India said she was confused.
I wrote:
You wake up.
You walk to the beach.
The sun goes down.
No Problem.
No shirt,
No shoes,
No Problem...
Sometime there is a fine line between Paradise and Hell. People can drive themselves nuts. Just because they do not have something to think about or do. I suppose a real happy person is OK doing nothing as well as doing everything.
LAUNDRY PROBLEM IN LONDON
I cost me about 6 Dollars US or about 4 Pounds Sterling to wash and dry one load.
A cheap T-shirt cost about 5 pounds. Hmmm?
I go to India in 1 day. It will probably cost less then 2 dollars for everything.
What tough decisions I have to make.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
CHRIS KNOWS I LIKE SHAKIRA
Andy,
Sorry about that Shakira photo. I just couldn't help it - I was laughing so loud.
I wonder if she stores that Venus Flytrap in her carport or something. I also enjoyed
your hobotraveler street sign hack. That was funny.
Anyway ... cheers!
- Chris
Hello,
For you long term readers of the newsletter you will understand. I sort have this thing for Shakira. I on a regular basis more or less.. Mas o Menos - Demasiado
Think or talk about Shakira.
Shakira you are still invited to travel with me.
I am sorry to any women that this may inconvenience.
But us boys understand.
Please make a Hobo happy Shakira. Write hoboontheroad AT yahoo.com
I will leave this cold country of England in 2 days and go to the Beach or Goa.
Bring your swim suit.
LIFE IS GOOD ! and some of my readers are probably too SERIOUS.
Just wait people. One day she will come and then you will really laugh.
You only get from life what you ask for, and nothing more.
MY SHAKIRA PAGE
http://www.hobotraveler.com/shakira.php
HARRODS LONDON
Peter came to London. We walked towards Hyde Park from the Hostel. We passed Harrods Department store. We went in an looked around. Blah blah blah...
Not sure about the fuss. The building is nice on the outside. Not sure of the age, but took some photos and will send in next newsletter. Now I am wondering if Pete is Tourist? I get a real feeling of being a tourist when entering that store. Plus there was not any good looking young women in there.
Some older yes. Maybe rich. Oh well. I suppose I would stop in Macys in New York.
Just to see where they have the Parades?
http://www.harrods.com
STAGING NEXT TRIP TO EUROPE
I know it appears that I came to Europe or London to be a tourist. But my goal this time was more an effort to discover how to travel in Europe for 6-8 months. Europe is expensive and hectic. Not my favorite type of travel. The biggest problem for me is the need for reservations. This remove the spontaneity and the pure joy of adventure. It can become more of job then an adventure.
I have discovered some ideas to make my next trip easier.
1. Travelers congregate in London and sell their camper vans.
2. It is legal to camp in Sweden along side the road. It may be possible to do this in most of the Scandinavian countries.
3. Renting an apartment for a month works.
4. London is a great place to find a temporary job. Do not need a work visa and they will pay cash. (That is illegal.)
5. I can buy car insurance that covers almost all of Europe.
6. Germany may be a good place to buy a used vehicle.
7. I need to take into consideration loneliness more in Europe. It is more difficult to meet and share experiences. Especially if you are not willing to spend lots of money.
8. My Mother and Father dream of going to Europe.
9. I want to get here in very early spring before the rush and / or crazies arrive.
This listing of idea helps me to think though my trips. I will often make a list of things to do and then never look at the list again.
WOKE
I woke up at 1:50 in the morning. Could not sleep, but actually I thought it was time to wake so went down stairs to the TV room and watched a movie. The movie was “Finding Forester.” An excellent movie and inspiring.
What am I do next? This part of my daily thoughts and the question becomes bigger and not smaller. I now after my Iraq trip realize that I can go anywhere I wish. A person is suppose to know that they have the freedom to travel and do as they wish. But this often is an evasive thought and hard to believe. I seem to fall into a channel and have trouble thinking about where I want to go, and just go to the places that I hear other travelers say is nice.
I try to understand myself, and what is of interest to me? This is not always simple. So I choose a country that seems interesting and then go there. Once I am in the country I experience or hear information that tempts me to visit. Then I go visit.
Yesterday I went on a walk to Hyde Park to catch a bus that would tour the city. This is the double decker type bus and would take me to the main attractions. It cost about 10 pounds for a day ticket says the manager or my Hostel. This is a very good value in a city where one metro ride cost 1.60 pounds.
So on the walk over to Hyde park to catch this bus, or try discover how to catch this bus my true desires surfaced. I was looking at all these building and take a few photos. I had this vision of a Charles Dickens book and old historic homes. So I change my plans and decided to walk. This would allow me to the ability to walk through or wander around in the local neighborhoods as I head for a major attraction. So I started walking toward Buckingham Palace and keeping my mind open to the idea of wandering in the local neighborhood. Now this sounds good, but it did not work. I never seem to leave the modern areas. But I had a fresh walk on an Fall day in London. I think I need to go farther into the outskirts of the city to find the more bedraggled parts of this metropolis.
SPACE FLIGHT OF CHINA
China has successfully put a man in space. This is wonderful and it makes me think of China and what the future will bring. Current Events travel is starting to be on the top of my mind. History only occurs when it occurs so if you or I have the opportunity. Why not go and share in the moment.
Peter my friend from Iraq was going to go and watch the last landing of the Concorde as it came into Heathrow airport here in London, England. I hope he got his wish. Concorde was the first supersonic passenger plane. But as always a business is about making money and this plane has not competed.
CHRIS ON ELECTRICTY IN INDIA
Chris sent me and EXCELLENT link on adapters. I want everyone to know that most computer use both 220 and 110. Before you go crazy buying all these adapters. In all the countries I have entered they have hardware stores that sell the same adapters on the page. They are only selling the ones that are needed in the specific country. But if you wish to really get ahead of the game. Here is a link to help.
Subject: Electricity page
http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/wwelect.htm
India adapters, same as British adapters.
- Chris
Friday, October 24, 2003
A WALK AROUND LONDON
Walked to Hyde Park, made my way to Hyde Park corner. Crossed over toward Buckingham Palace. Found this statue as part of a larger monument to the Soldiers that helped in WW 2, then walked on to Buckingham Palace. Afterwards I walked over to Big Ben. Took some photos then across the street is a protestor against the war. I went over took some picture and said hello. He pointed that he was doing a silent protest. I said I was in Iraq and the people were happy. He then start to holler at me. So much for the silent protest. The next newsletter will have all the photos.
"...with the faith that all mankind would benefit from their sacrifice."
Buckingham Palace
HoboTraveler.com... was here X!
TRAVEL TIME TO INDIA
I have had various people feeling sorry for me because of long plane trip to India I will make soon. Geeez!. I do not know for sure how long the trip will be.
...But long is the bus trip between.
Santiago Chile to Punta Arenas, Chile.
From Rio Gallegos, Argentina to Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rio de Janeiro Brazil to Maceo, Brazil.
All 3 trips were between 30-40 hours continuous on a bus. This plane is a walk in the park.
By the way. The Europe backpacking is for wimps... hehehe.
Oh yea. The train from Baghdad to Basra was hot. Not long.
Long starts for me after 30 hours of travel time.
MONEY IN ENGLAND
I could maybe have this comment about Great Britain and not just England. But I would probably tell this wrong. This all started me thinking when I was in the TV room of the Hostel and someone asked,
"What is a Quid?"
Good question, and before the Brits get a chance to make fun at your expense.
They always say,
"You got to understand their humour." I disagree.
BUT... Here goes.
1 Pound = 1.66 USA dollars
As best I understand without driving myself crazy trying to research this is that you have various types of paper money. It starts with the 5 pound note and goes up. Under 5 and they give you coins. The have for sure coins of 1 - 2 Pounds, 50 - 20 - 10 - 5 - 2 - 1 Pence.
What this does is makes sure you have a lot coins in your pocket. Because you always have a few 1 pound coins in your pocket. I always look at 1 pound as being 1.50 US dollars. Easier to calculate in my mind the value.
So they could say,
“It cost 1 pound.” or 1 pound sterling,
Because it was once the one “Pound of Sterling.”
So if I buy something that cost 1.50 pound.
They could say,
“1 Pound and fifty P” (Pee)
or they could say “one Pound, fifty Pence.”
The conversion problem. Not really a problem in England. You do not need to convert. You are using pounds 100 percent of the time. So there is no conversion problem. Except if you bought pounds. Then it may help to know the conversion rates. I do not carry Travelers Checks or exchange money. Only when I have too much of the local money and leave the country. I have 2 debit cards or bank cards. The ATM or Automatic Tell Machine Cards. Traveler checks will cause you to have a big conversion problem. You will lose money on the conversions and you will loose money because it will cost you more because you have traveler checks. Get 2 debit cards. That is my advice. If you are afraid. Get 3.
WORDS
The word that confused me is the word “Quid.”
It means pound. So 1 Quid is 1 pound. A person in England could talk about Sterling. This just mean in English money. Sterling is interchangeable for English money.
These terms are old and not really used. Farthing, shillings, and pennies, They use pounds and pence now.
SMALL NUMBER PROBLEMS
My eyes are getting bad. I use glasses to read. The numbers on the coins are very small and difficult to see. This is a problem. I am slowly learning the differences by the size, shape, or color. But for the first week I would just hope up a hand full of change and say take the correct money. This works pretty good in England, because their basic value system is honest. Do NOT do this in 80 percent of the world. I normally will only give correct change to people in most countries because they will not give you the correct change back. Or they do not have change and thing I should just donate the balance.
ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA EXPLANATION.
POUND STERLING:
“the basic monetary unit of Great Britain, divided (since 1971) decimally into 100 new pence. The term is derived from the fact that, about 775, silver coins known as “sterlings” were issued in the Saxon kingdoms, 240 of them being minted from a pound of silver, the weight of which was probably about equal to the later troy pound. Hence large payments came to be reckoned in “pounds of sterlings,” a phrase later shortened to “pounds sterling.” After the Norman Conquest the pound was divided for accounting purposes into 20 shillings and into 240 pennies, or pence. In medieval Latin documents the words libra, solidus, and denarius were used to denote the pound, shilling, and penny, which gave rise to the use of the symbols £, s., and d.
On Feb. 15, 1971, the pound sterling was officially decimalized into 100 new pence. The symbol £ was retained for the pound sterling; the letter p. was chosen for the new penny.”
NOTE: I collect converters and things like that on this page.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/money.php
Thursday, October 23, 2003
PLATYPUS CALLING... Reader and friend.
German from Bogota writes:
EARLS COURT...
I also stayed there a few ( many ) years ago....loved
that place but I payed ashor visit in april/2003 and
was very much shocked with the prices !!! Aren´t you ?
Good luck with the indian visa...back to Asia !!! When
is South America having the honour of your visit ?
Some guy tried to rip me off at Victoria Station 20
years ago. He say he was a lorry driver and offered me
a lift all over the UK, we went to a pub for a beer,
he said he didn´t have any money and ask me to lend
him 20 pounds,luckily I didn´t have that much with me
otherwise I would have done. At the hostel somebody
told me it was happening a lot.
Have fun , amigo, and keep conquering the world ...it
is all yours !!!! Enjoy it !!!
German
PLATYPUS HOTEL
Web page: http://www.platypusbogota.com
ANSWER:
I think too much about Colombia and South America. But I will return. As for the cost in England. I have been listening to people complain about the cost of England for 7 years. No surprise. But Paris is still worse. But there are lots of jobs here. I have sat in the TV and people come in an ask if we want to work the next day. This is good. So I can always stop in London and pick up some work.
I hope you notice that I am still trying to send people to visit you German!
There are robbers everywhere. The bad part is people come here thinking it is safe. They are easy targets.
I now have the India Visa in my passport. 6 months multiple entry.
RAIN
I am worried. It was beautiful all day. Now it has started to rain.
I spent the whole day wrapping up business stuff. I got my Visa for India. I got a place ticket to leave Heathrow on Monday morning and arrive at 3:45 the next morning, Tuesday in Bombay. So the business is done. But my photos?
I only have Fridays, Saturday, and Sunday to take photos of London. What if the stories about England are true. Like the sun never shines and it is always cloudy. I have to admit. It has been very nice weather so far. Now it starts to rain.
I am a slow study. I have finally chosen a few places to visit and it rains. I am counting on one of the next three days as being nice. I am conservative. Three days and my odds are good. Lots of travelers visit a city or have a city on their agenda for one day. Now that is a big gamble in Europe. It does rain a lot in Europe. That is why I keep trying to plan to stay in places for a 10- 30 days. Guarantees I enjoy the place and have enough good weather to see the sights.
THE LINK TO NEWSLETTER - London Bridge
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo129insert.shtml
TODAY IS NEWSLETTER DAY
I am back in the Kitchen typing on this computer. Lost my attention again. There are the women walking around in pajama bottoms and big sweatshirts. I am not complaining. I sometime think it is proof for the existence of God… hehehe
A cup of coffee. Girls in pajamas. The stereo is playing happy songs and the sun is shining in the window. Thanks
WHAT AN EXCUSE TO EAT CHIPS.
As you can probably tell. I like chips. I only have a couple of days left in England. No use holding back now.
VISA CALL AND TICKET
I called the India Embassy. I am suppose to go India House between 2 and 5 and pick it up. So being organized and a sequential thinker. I decided it was time to reserve my ticket at the StaTravel Agency. It is a Student travel place, but sell very cheap airplane tickets to the normal public. So a good little traveler and ready to go. I go to the office. Franceso my normal agent is gone to central office. OK. I must buy the ticket today to leave as soon as possible. There was a woman that help me and had an attitude. it’s a cultural thing and she cannot help it. Permanent attitude.
Ok… I want to reserve the ticket. Pick up my Visa at 2:00. Return to the office and pay for it. Fair enough. Now they will not let me reserve the ticket because I am leaving too soon. Who knows?
But it looks like I will leave on Monday. 291 Pounds including tax. Not a good price. But the best I can find from London. I would have thought about 175 pounds. But that is life. It is winter here. I have need to leave.
SO WHAT? I AM IN TRAINING
Now, I could live my whole life in small town Indiana, USA and never learn about a Sultanas. They just do not eat that much Mueslix. Plus the bigger benefit of travel is each culture has specific behaviors. They will attempt to teach me to eat their food. At the way they do, and all sorts of other interesting culture. So there is always a train process going. The people around me are trying to teach me to act like them. They do not know it, but they do. I do it to them also. That is culture.
SULTANAS
The day has a routine now. I have been in this location long enough and have adapted to the Hostel Dorm life. I get up around 7:00 and go down to the Kitchen to eat Muesli. Or maybe Muslix. Spelling, always a problem. Drink a cup of coffee.
But I did learn something interesting on the side of the bag of Muesli. A girl said something about the amount of Sultanas in the Muslix. I just was in Turkey three countries back and the world Sultan is every. But that is a type of leader. Or one of them guy with a Harem.
But there are raisins made from the deep purple or red grapes. But I learned that the Sultanas are the yellow raisins. So they call the grapes that are dried from purple grapes a raisin. When you dry a yellow grape for a raisin. It is called a Sultana.
SULTANA: a pale yellow seedless grape grown for raisins and wine b : the raisin of a sultana
- Encyclopedia Britannica
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
TOO MUCH WORK FOR HOBO
Freezing here in London for a Hobo that works part time as a beach bum. So today I hibernated and worked on my newsletter. Almost done, but still not done. I am in a dorm room now. The big problem is there is not a place where I can work that is not with other people. Therefore I avoid my computer. So I am slow... But who really thinks I work hard is under a misconception.
My Dorm room cost about 15 pounds or about 20 Dollars USA per day. I would not even think about getting a single room. I would go broke faster. I normally have a single room in cheap countries.
I have had a couple of people asking,
"Where is the newsletter?"
I am sometimes able to be real regular, and other times I am irregular.
It may have something to do with the free breakfast and Muslix. But more likely this is the problem of traveling in a rich country. The richer the country the more time I spend just working to spend time in that country. Rich countries are too busy and take up too much time just getting from place to place. Strangely. I would think it is the other way around. But I find that the lesser developed countries to be easier... Not a little. But a lot.
For example: I took a Subway to the Indian Embassy the other day.
In Thailand I took a taxi and was there very quickly. For 1/3 the price of the Subway or Underground.
I am not sure these rich countries really have any advantage? There is always a thought that there is lot of mice in a cage. They are on that wheel running and getting nowhere. But I am trying to do nothing. So I am doing well. Except today. Well... Life is good.
Small tip: Do not eat too much Muslix with Raisin before a big train or bus trip.. Plane etc.
P.O.M.E. Prisoner Of her Majesties Empire
This a word you hear. Or could hear from the Kiwis and the Ozzies. Peter brought it up, so I thought I would elucidate. It is definitely a derogatory word, and usually said with the F word in front of it. Do not use it. Bad manners. I suppose it reference the idea that some were not able to escape the culture or the influence.
OR maybe POME
'Prisoner of Mother England', slang term for British citizen.
From:
http://www.jwaak.com/trips/africa/english101.htm
PETER turned in...
Prisoners of Millbank, England
TOWER OF LONDON
For those of you that need photos.
The acronyms UNESCOs page on this.
http://whc.unesco.org/sites/488.htm
SPOTTED A POSSIBLE BLOG TO WATCH Edward Hasbrouck's blog
Edward Hasbrouck's blog
I have written this guy at least 5 times a personal email. Does not seem to want to answer. But nonetheless he has a book that I would consider a classic in Travel Genre.
"The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World."
I do not have time to read his stuff, because when really traveling we are on the road and not in the library. But I do know the book has a lot of pratical information. Heavy on the technical side and the fact side of travel. Lots of information on flights. I looked at his blog. If you are really a travel nerd. It is probably an insider type blog to follow. Watch your cues. He does push products.
http://www.hasbrouck.org/blog/
FAST INTERNET IN ENGLAND
I was using the Internet in the library in Bristol. It was free. But I am paying for it in London. 1 pound or 1.50 US per hour. England has the fastest I have encountered in the world. They call it broadband. The speed saves me money on publishing photos. They have made great adjustments on the problem of measured local telephone service. Now remember I have about another 150 countries and territories to visit. This is not the final word.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
FORGOT THE PHOTO FOR TNT MAGAZINE
What you think I would do?
If you really want to see photos. Got to the link. Has about 6.. with captions.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/129tntmagazine.shtml
DRIVE BY INTERVIEW WITH TNT MAGAZINE
DRIVE BY SHOOTING - TNT MAGAZINE
- Really this is a drive by interview.
READ ONLINE - LOOK AT PHOTOS
http://www.hobotraveler.com/129tntmagazine.shtml
( I LIKE THIS MAGAZINE - Really - No Joke. )
I will try to behave, and I will apologize now so I do not have to at the end if I slip and am sarcastic. This magazine is wonderful. But not in the way a magazine would wish to be wonderful. The advertisers in this magazine are perfect for a Hobo or Backpacker. You know the type. Me and some other crazies that take off for months on end and never come home.
So what I am saying is,
"Read the back of the magazine for advertisers that can help."
If you really wish. Read the articles, but for me,
"I can't be bothered."
This weeks - October 20th Issue has a Gold Course on it and a caption,
"Living on the Wedge."
OK, if you really want to attract backpacker. That title and front cover has
"Lost the plot."
....Now, me writing about Iraq is off the story line also. So who am I to talk?
( I LIKE THIS MAGAZINE - Really - No Joke. )
The price is perfect if you are in London - FREE. I suppose it is paid for by advertisers. I hope they got that golf company to pay through the nose. In Advance!
BENEFITS:
Sell the benefits they say,
1. Ads for cheap Hostels. - 8 Pounds
2. Ads for jobs.
3. Ads for cheap flights... (Maybe)
Well. I think Trailfinders.com and Statravel.com advertise in here. So that good start. I cannot remember if Easyjet.com and Ryanair.com are in there. But hopefully.
4. Travel Insurance like insureandgo.com.
5. Shipping companies. For people to send thing home. I will study up on this and see why it is such a big deal here. Normally that is DHL or UPS. But here they have a real selection. UPS stands for United Parcel Service. I am not sure what DHL stand for. But they are a big world shipping company for smaller packages.
A bunch of other stuff for travelers.
OH Yea! By the way. All you companies that I just pointed at...
Send Money. I do all this nice advertising for these companies. But that is the point of this page. I can normally find the Tourist Attractions real easy, but to find a cheap flights, and other Hobo needs. I need some good advertisements to read. This Magazine has them.
( I LIKE THIS MAGAZINE - Really - No Joke. )
I am repeating the above line in repentance for any sarcasm or direct comments made.
OK. Back to the Drive by Shooting, Oops. Interview with TNT Magazine.
I do not think they took me serious. I am happy for that. I wanted them on their normal behavior and not their special behavior.
INTERVIEW
I went over to the office of TNT Magazine. It is located just down the street from my Hostel. So this was easy for me. I need it easy or I will not do it. But I walked into the office. There is this blond girl with a telephone headset on behind the reception desk. I want to interview here more then the magazine. She is Swedish and that is always ok in my book. She is polite and tries to understand why I am in the office. I keep telling them that I have already read or looked at the magazine. I tell them also that I have a travel webpage and am collecting information on the magazine for travelers. I had to tell them this a few times. They think Americans are slow, and I am trying to be polite.
FIRST DAY - Monday
The lady or person that the Swedish girl is trying to connect me with is under deadline. I try to set an appointment and be polite. But that does not work. So after I cannot get an appointment. I say,
"What time does Miss Eyb come in?"
Now the Swedish girl tried very hard to explain that I wanted to talk to someone and explained very well. So she did her job very well. And she is Swedish. That lends to me being easier on her. She did do good.
The Swedish receptionist says,
"She comes in at 10:00."
I say,
"I will return then tomorrow at 11:00, she should be settle in by then."
Now I worry a lot about people getting drunk and not being to work on time. Especially the British. I am not sure where this Lady is from, but to be cautious I would not want to wake up a Brit early. So I will return at 11:00.
SECOND DAY - Tuesday
I enter the office. Same great Swedish girl. I walk around and look around and try to be on my best Hobo behavior. What is nice about this is that nobody take me serious. This is perfect. Just the way I like it. I am trying to chat up the Swedish girl and getting nowhere really. But she is very nice and that is good. I am having fun.
Ms. Eyb comes out. I changed that to Ms. form Miss to be safe. Do not want the Political Correct police after me. She is short, abrupt, and short. She has to be British. But I did not ask. So who knows? Not important.
I will paraphrase. Saves on typing. She said the magazine was for the Australians, New Zealanders, and the South Africans. That is was about Life Style, Travel, and etc. At this juncture she tries to give me another Free Magazine. I start to be more complex in sentence structure and use very succinct and proper diction for clarification and to take the P iss. Besides I know that I am American and that is for sure stupid. Plus slow and other peasantry type behavior. I am the fief.
But onward. I am getting bored and really do not like to talk to serious people. I try a focus session. I want to know how or why they focus on the backpacker? Bigger sentences beside they focus on "Life Style." But I was bored and started to leave. Took a photo. oops. That got them or her real serious. I ask or got a business card. I cannot remember exactly. But she gave me one after I took the photo.
PHOTOS are great. Just take a photo of someone if you want their attention. Especially if you do not want to know what they really think. I take photos secretly or after any kind of conversation.
She ask me after the Photo,
"Why did you take a photo"
I said,
"I really do have a webpage, and I really am collecting information for travelers."
I am little impatient with this repetition. But that is OK. Better this way.
She says,
"Do you have a business card?"
I say,
"No."
This is the truth. Just a hassle and not needed.
She says,
"Why?"
I say,
"I like to be anonymous."
She goes and writes down. Hobo Traveler. What to know if it has one or two L in the traveler. I say one. Good question. I have both the one and two L's so not really important. But still a good question. I scoot on out before she gets in more inquisitive. I especially do not like people with cameras. By the way. The camera was in my hands the whole time in the office. So I did not secretive. This was not a drive by shooting. It was a give them warning shooting. So I had fun. It was good for me.
The ADVERTISEMENTS in the magazine are great.
Read it or place in the John. It is free in England. I think the cost is too high for a subscription. She says they have a newsletter you can subscribe to online and you can subscribe to the magazine in other countries for a BIG fee.
Too much fun.
By the way. They are offering seminars on travel writing. I think it was on October 4th. So I am late. But that is good. I would not pay to learn to write. I am positive I have little talent and that no one would want to read this incessant blathering and noise.
Tntmagazine.com
( I LIKE THIS MAGAZINE - Really - No Joke. )
Send money TNT! I just want people to send money. That is simple? But if they sent money. They would probably want me to be serious and correct my grammar. Spell good. I can't be bothered. Keep your money please.
KFC AND DEFEAT - NOT ME - NATASHA
I was reading Natashas Blog. She ate at KFC in India. Shameful. I am going to have to have long talk on what and what is not acceptable backpacker rules of behavior. Eating at KFC is for TOURIST. Hobos do not do this type of thing. And if they do. They LIE. Never admit weakness. That is a lesson in negotiations also.
LONDON has a McDonalds, KFC on every other corner. I am what I eat! So what are the British?
Lets "Wind em up!" as they say in England.
I suppose they are really a big fish and a plastic container or chips.
This is all possible to say because I am in Oz and Kiwi land. Also called the Earls Court area of London and on safe ground. I have not seen a true Brit for a few days.
Brrr SWEATSHIRT AND COATS IN LONDON
I can see my breath. Like a bite on the cheek, winter is here in London, England. I know someone said the word,
"Beach."
Time to migrate to the Beach for winter. Life is good here and I am learning how to speak Ozzie and Kiwi. So that is good, but still it is time to leave soon.
I finally figured out the London map. That means I am one step closer to being a tourist and one step away from being a tramp. If I got a job here. Like everyone else from Oz and Kiwi Land I would be a good Hobo. There is a job on every corner here. With or without paying taxes. This is fall so that may not be true in the Summer. Hoboes everywhere. Tramps travel and won't work. Hoboes travel and work. Bums do neither. I am having a great time. TV. Kiwi and Ozzie Women. Full on food and lots of history. This place is huge though. The internet is cheap. The subway cost an arm. The room is a leg and an arm. I will leave soon before I have to sell other important parts.
But a good place for a Hobo of any country to get a temporary job and replenish the backpack.
Monday, October 20, 2003
TRYING TO SNEAK UP ON TNTMAGAZINE.COM
Hello,
If you read my noise a lot or have paid attention then you know I sometimes mention the "Center of the Backpacker Universe." I stole this from Alex Garland and his book "The Beach," but nonetheless it is an accurate way to describe some locations of the world and I suppose the Universe. He said that Khao San Road is the Center. I adapt this phrase and add or say where the center is for backpackers in specific cities of the world. I will get clearer as my live gets clear, or maybe more confused. I am not sure which is correct?
This "Center" is the place where you should center your fun and home around. The closer to the center the better. Earls Court Subway or Underground Station is the center or still appears to be the center here in London.
But what is interesting is the Magazines in the area. Peter had already pointed out a magazine by the name of TNT Magazine and the website. It has an office that is located just one block from the internet cafe in which I am presently. I stopped there to day and am planning to sneak up on them tomorrow and get one of the drive by interviews and get the low down on what the magazine is, and why they cater to the backpacker? Besides money. Basically how they came to be?
It is an excellent magazine. Not the articles so much, but the advertisements are all Backpacker in nature. So right up my alley. I will see if they can send it to the USA as a subscription. It is Free here and comes out on Monday. One of few magazines that I could say is real helpful for the Budget Traveler. I am NOT talking about the articles. They are just extra although there is a lot funny stuff. The advertisements will steer you along the path of a Hobo Barefoot Traveler and with their help you may never be able to go home...! Here is a link.
http://www.tntmagazine.com/
WROTE THE BOYS IN MOSUL AN EMAIL - PETITION
I have the petition with the signatures of 40 plus English Scholars from Mosul, Iraq in my possession. I will try to publish something about it soon, and other information soon. I want to somehow get to a World Class newspaper like the London Times. Wall Street Journal. USA Today, or New York Times, etc. Hopefully they can publish it and help out the boys in Iraq.
TRYING MY BEST TO BE A TOURIST
I am done with most business and time to try my best... to be a tourist. Take some photos and have some fun. I decided I should follow my own advice and check out the UNESCO acronyms site or World Heritage List.
http://whc.unesco.org/heritage.htm
LIST OF HERITAGE SITES IN GREAT BRITAIN
1986 Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
1986 Durham Castle and Cathedral
1986 Ironbridge Gorge
1986 Studley Royal Park, including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
1986 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
1986 Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
1986 St. Kilda
1987 Blenheim Palace
1987 City of Bath
1987 Hadrian's Wall
1987 Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Saint Margaret's Church
1988 Henderson Island
1988 Tower of London
1988 Canterbury Cathedral, St. Augustine's Abbey and St. Martin's Church
1995 Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
1995 Gough Island Wildlife Reserve
1997 Maritime Greenwich
1999 Heart of Neolithic Orkney
2000 Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda
2000 Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
2001 Dorset and East Devon Coast
2001 Derwent Valley Mills
2001 New Lanark
2001 Saltaire
2003 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Easy enough to get the list, and now I need to find a couple of them in real life. I have about 6 more days in London to knock off a couple. I am pretty lazy and that is probably all I will get done. This is confusing for a Hobo. Wonder what one of them red tour buses would cost? Probably would make life easier - faster.
I will do my best to take some good photos and if all else fails I will spend all my time flirting with the Kiwi and Ozzie Girls in the Hostel. And when I get tired I will go eat them over sized French Fries here they call Chips. Life is good and I have to do it.
COOL FALL AIR AND A HAIRCUT
The end of summer is here. I can feel it in my bones. There is a time to migrate to warmer climates. I will wander soon.
Cut my own hair this morning in the Hostel. I did pretty good I think and it was needed. Looks as good as any of the spiked haircuts that surround me and for most better.
MILKMAN PHOTO & INDIA VISA RUN
This is photo of Milkman in Bristol.
BACK FROM VISA RUN
I thought I was early. But the was already a line or queue as they say here in front of the Indian Embassy. They opened the door and in a very orderly way they process the Visas. They said I would have about 5 days to wait. I need to call on Thursday. I will call on Wednesday in the event it is quicker. The Visa cost me 55 Pounds or about 90 Dollars US.
This is probably the most time it has taken for a Visa in my travels. If I was a British Citizen I could have gotten it in one day. I was talking with a Brit before I entered. Sort of older, retired, and English. I said to him,
“Well, I have to admit. I have been to 53 countries and India has set the record for difficulty.”
He said,
He said,
“Anyone that has entered countries knows that this is a very simple process and you can never get a Visa faster than this.”
He said,
“Where can you get a Visa the same day?”
I said,
“Syria Embassy in Istanbul.”
He was not listening, but I already knew that. He already had his answers. This is sort of the culture.
The most time consuming visa before this was the Venezuela. I applied one day and got it the next. This one will take a 5 days. I am always in a different country and applying for Visas. So all things are equal.
THE WORLD IS NOW AWAKE
6:30 and some people are coming in the kitchen. I awake every day around this time. Most backpacker Hotels are empty until about 8:30. This is very strange. I will need to put away the computer and finish my preparations for the Visa application. I am not looking forward to this. I do not like to have to be at a place by a certain time when traveling. It is very difficult. I will probably sit in front of the building waiting for it to open, or arrive just a little late. Either way there is not way to control anything. I just know that all will turn out OK.
BACK TO THE VISA
I need to leave the Hostel at about 7:30. I will need to find Aldwych Street here in London. This could be easy or difficult. There is a map upstairs to check. Hopefully it has the street name in the map index. It is better to get to the Embassy early. Before they become fussy and impatient because of the large number of people that apply for visas. I am sure at about 10:00 in the morning it would be very busy. I will try to get there to be at the door when it opens. This I hope will get my visa application on the top of the pile for the week and I can get it in 2-3 days and not 7 as is possible.
Moving around or trying to find offices in large cities can be easy and difficult. In countries like Ecuador or Thailand it is best to just pay the 2 dollars for a taxi. Here a taxi would probably cost 25 dollars. So I will use the tube or subway. Transportation and all travel in the more developed countries is more difficult then in the lesser developed countries. In a cheap country like India. I can normally just flag a taxi and the driver will sort it out. Here I am the sorter. They will do it here also, but I would have to sell my first child to pay for it.
VISA APPLICATION DAY
Hello,
Today I go and make the application for my India, Visa. The office opens at 8:30 this morning as best I can determine. It is presently 6:04 and I am sitting in the Kitchen of the Hostel typing on this computer. The place is very quiet and I am lucky. I was able to shower with the least amount of problems. My dorm room is pitch black and impossible to see so I had to find my shampoo, toothbrush, and other things in the dark. I have a system somewhat of always putting this stuff in the same place together in one of them 1 gallon zip-lock plastic bags.
The people living or sharing a dorm room can be very touchy sometimes. I share the room with 3 other people. So if they drank a lot, or stayed up half the night, or they just cannot deal with anything, or they are a light sleeper, etc. they can grunt and groan and complain. In the end it is best to just try to do what you have to do as quietly as possible, and not pay attention to any of them. It is October and at least one half of the residents have a job or a looking for a job, and other sorts of activities. Very few are what I would call travelers or tourist. They came to London to live and wander around a little. I am sure in the summer it is much crazier. This is one of the calmest and most mature Hostels in which I have ever lived. This probably due to the Australians and New Zealanders. This is a place to meet the people from these 2 countries. But what is nice is that they are very normal. The proper amount of being crazy and drinking and laughing, but none of the tree hugger, tell you how to live zealots.
SAUSAGE AND HAM
I was preparing yesterday to cook an egg sandwich in the kitchen. This girl was next to me breaking into the package of sausage. There was already a slab of bacon in a skillet. I looked at her and said,
“That would make a vegetarian have a heart attack!”
She said,
“We Ozzies do not get too worried.”
This was nice for a change. In fact this is great. I do not think the meal she was eating was proper or healthy. I would not want to eat that much fat in one sitting and could honestly say my Egg Sandwich was a lot healthier. But it is nice of people to just be normal. The vegetarians and vegans are the most obnoxious types of travelers because they constantly want to change me or anyone that would just eat. Like a reformed smoker, or drinker they can spend their whole time trying to make you feel guilty for eating.
I am in favor of eating healthy. I am not in favor of making people feel guilty on a minute by minute basis.
Now the Hostel in which I am living may be quite different. I do think the manager sorts out the travelers and keeps the crazies on the outside of the front door. This is good. A little balance for a change.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
READER COMMENT
i dunno how you travel so much alone. i don't mind being alone either but i realize it'll be much better traveling w/ someone i like.
ANSWER:
I look more for a place that is friendly and fun then a place with the best conditions and facilities. Who cares if the place is a 5 star hotel if you are alone? I have to admit that I meet a lot of people in Dorm Rooms, although I usually avoid them. In Europe it is about impossible because of the cost. I don't like dorms because they never seem to have a locker for my computer and camera. So I am always thinking.. Is it safe or not?
I travel for enjoyment. I do not travel to meet a 5 star hotel. People are most important in life. In the end it is the people I remember.
Life is Good!
NATASHA HAS A BLOG
A friend is meeting up with me in India. She has a Blog and has just arrived in India. You can make comments below here comments. Have fun! I am waiting for the photos!
http://www.pigdogs.org/natasha/
A PROPER HOSTEL
The English use the word “Proper” to signify something that is correct. That of course is their interpretation of what is correct, and can be quite annoying and judgmental. They can be real wanks.
But I would say that the Hostel that I am staying is a proper Hostel. It has a common kitchen, television room, book exchange and free breakfast in the morning. There is coffee and I think tea free all day. The kitchen has everything needed to cook.
The free breakfast, coffee, and tea is a bonus. I would not consider this necessary to be proper. The only thing lacking in this Hostel is a Locker that I can use with my own lock. There is the always in any Hostel or Hotel the danger of having things stolen still. Although I think the manager screens the residents and sort of decides whether they are safe. He is from South Africa and the Hostel has a good representation of countries. I just realized that there are no people from England here. But I am in England and normally the people from England would already have a home. There are mostly Australians and New Zealanders. But there is one more American and a Brazilian, a couple Germans and I am not sure of most of them.
I just walked down the street and found this place. This is really the first one I entered. Cost is 15 Pounds for one night, but cost 87 pounds for a week. (Note the date if you read this a year from now)
IS THIS BIG BROTHER? OR MY HOSTEL?
http://www.barmybadger.com
Saturday, October 18, 2003
HOSTELS
I located a Hostel for 15 pounds or about 20 Dollars USA. It is cheaper here if I pay by the week or the month. I think most of the people in my hostel have been there for a long time by the looks of their clothes and baggage. As best I can tell so far a large number of Australians a.k.a. Ozzies or New Zealanders a.k.a. Kiwis come here to work.
There is lots of slang here in England. In fact the rules and restrictions on my dorm room wall says,
"if a resident happens to pull one of the residents, they need to leave the room and use the communal bathroom because it would not be cricket in the dorm room."
A DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH SLANG TO HELP
- Note that I just search in Google.com for this very quickly. But I learned about the world Pull from an English girl in Thailand. It is very difficult to understand the normal Brit. The meanings of the words are many time much different then what you would think. This can be very misleading. In fact if anyone would say they spoke the Queens English. I would have to choke to keep from laughing. Although there is a real possibility they are a Queen.... hehehe
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/p.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A128152
NOT THE INFORMATION I WANTED TO HEAR ON INDIA
My friend Ramsey said that India is completely full of Brits. The predominate traveler in India. This is his rendition. I am hoping it is better balanced.
This is not my ideal world.
INDIA VISA DELAY
Bad news on Visa. They say it will take from 2-7 days. I will apply tomorrow Monday. I was going to do this first thing when I arrived in England and the cost of transportation has made me procrastinate. It is a necessity now that I park it in London proper to get this sorted out or sussed out as they say. I was ready to buy the plane ticket and I called the Indian embassy for clarification and was lucky. I just opted to be conservative on the Visa and call before booking the ticket. But the good part about this delay is I can really learn about the center of England for the next trip here. On that trip I will say a month. Most likely in one year on the next revolution around the planet. I have basically decided to keep circling the planet by always going east. I believe this is the cheapest direction to travel.
- The Brits can get the India Visa almost or the same day.
- Others seem to have to wait a week. I have not applied yet, so that may change.
- There is an extra 15 pounds to pay because I am from the USA. Now that is a good way to encourage tourism
HOBO ON THE ROAD - LONDON ENGLAND - Tower Bridge or London Bridge
Left Bristol and went to Sendend by the Sea, Essex.
Left this morning - Saturday and caught a train to London. Changed trains at Tower Bridge.
Stopped and walked the bridge. It is about 11:29 in the morning. London Time and I need to go find a room or bed for the night. I am supposed to be at the "Center of the Backpacker Universe" London.
EARLSCOURT TUBE OR SUBWAY EXIT
I will soon see, but obviously it is a full on place for backpackers. Internet is only one pound per hour or about 1.66 Dollars US. Paris is about 6 Dollars USA.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
NEWSLETTER DAY HERE IN BRISTOL
I am sending my first newsletter out on Bristol, England. Here is the online version.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo128insert.shtml
FIRST TIME … I THINK
Oh well. I think this is the first time. I alternate or change the photo that is the first page of my webpage as I move from city to city. So that the people can get an idea where I am located. But for the first time I was so excited over an airplane. I put a photo of easyjet.com on the front.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/
Easyjet.com
Inside Europe
Ryanair.com
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
MAP OF INDIA
I am trying to go to Goa. I will need to fly to Bombay. The name is name is now Mombai. I will take a train towards Goa. But plans change. This is my next destination after England.
PROBLEMS IN BRISTOL
I spent 45 minutes waiting for the milkman or person to come today. I was wanting to take a photo. He or she was late. Peters Mum said,
"We will have to sack him."
I said that was harsh.
When I said,
"What."
She corrected me.
"I beg your pardon?"
THANK YOU
Yesterday my page broke another level for visitors. 1500 in one day.
If you have an interest in statistics. There is a little box at the bottom of most page. None on the Blog page. Sorry.
Sitemeter.com gives these statistics for free. Plus they send an email to my box. All for free. I have used them for a couple of year. I recommend this for easy statistics.
http://www.sitemeter.com/default.asp?action=stats&site=sm5hobotraveler
NOTE:
NOTE: The prices of airplane tickets may be cheaper out of Amsterdam or Belgium then England. I may have made a strategic mistake that will cost me money. The change to the Euro has really cause a lot of inflation or price gouging. It may take a year or two for the competition to beat down the prices again.
http://www.joker.be
Trailfinders.com Travel Agency in England is probably a great place or one of the best in the world to buy around the world tickets.
http://www.trailfinders.com
StaTravel.com is probably great for just tickets also. You do NOT have to be a student to buy ticket there.
http://www.statravel.com
GOING TO LONDON
I have to buy a plane ticket yet to India. I was targeting about 200-300 USA Dollars for this. So far… Best I can do in Bristol is 500 USA Dollars. This is terrible. So me an Pete are going to London. I can get the India Visa quickly there. Muck about as they say, and try to find a place where they sell really cheap tickets to India. I am having or trying to check on prices from Frankfurt, Germany to India. I can fly to Frankfurt for less then 50 USA dollars with Ryanair.com. If I could fly to from India for less then 300 Dollars from Germany. I could kill 2 birds with one stone. Knock off a piece of Germany and travel cheaper to India. You got to remember or try to empathize with a true traveler. (You do not have to, but advisable.) We do not like to get to the destination. The travel is the trip. The destination is where we pause.
BEOWULF AND GRENDEL
Yuk, Yuk, Yuk!
I have been having fun. Have you read Beowulf or the made to accompany book Grendel? It accolades say or start out by saying in my Encyclopedia Britannica.
“heroic poem, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic.”
I had to read this for a couple of English Classes in college. I suppose I should say University. I went to Indiana University where I had a major in drinking and a minor in the study of Philosophy. Tried for a short and abusive time to study English and Psychology. Of course when I got out of “UNIE or maybe UNY” as they say in Europe I went into business to make money. Have to eat.
But this Beowulf books is excellent. Well… maybe. It is fun to talk about with the other students and the teacher.
This all started because of Peter. He is a provoker. He ask me,
“What do you want to look at in England?” He has to provoke. He really cannot just let me sit around and read, or look at movies. Chase girls and all that sort of thing. He has to provoke. He want me to be a tourist. This is always a problem. But I did think a little about England. He does not appear to like my wishes. I made the short list.
Beowulf
London Bridge… “London Bridge is falling down. Falling down…”
( He said something about them moving it to Texas.)
I stopped and went and researched. This is the fun part of this blog. It forces me to think. I like to research.
THERE WAS OR IS 3 LONDON BRIDGES.
1. Old London Bridge. (Up for 622 years.. Gone)
2. New London Bridge. (140 year and sent to Arizona)
3. Modern. (The one on the river now.)
“Rennie's bridge survived less than 140 years. Between 1968 and 1971 its facing stone was dismantled and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.S. state of Arizona, where it was reerected on a five-span core of reinforced concrete to serve as a tourist attraction at the resort town of Lake Havasu City. The New London Bridge now crosses Lake Havasu behind Parker Dam, 155 miles (250 km) south of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.”
- From My computer… Encyclopedia Britannica.
( Don’t leave home without it.)
Rest of short list.
Black Tea and His favorite or local pub.
( He knows nothing about these. Has not lived in England much really)
I would love to see the Queen. But fat chance of that. I mean I would love to sit around an have a chat with the Queen. I could care less about seeing an old lady. But to talk with her would be great. Maybe chat up a couple of Princesses would be better.
I suppose for me. I love to look at the buildings. But this is best when I just wander around in any city. It does not take much. I discover corners of the city long and forgotten. Lonely and sad, full of grandeur, hope, and life. Telling me a story of what they use to be in the days of Kings and Queens. And all that is free. I found a really good one yesterday. Of course I took photos. Digital because they are cheap.
The reason I said… “Yuk, Yuk, Yuk..” is because of the fun Beowulf gave me. She is instructive in nature and like to do that. Instruct. So she is sort of lecturing me about manner and woman. But I have to keep her honest and at bay sometimes. So what I do is bewilder her with a few complex questions. I do this to Peter also. He is in the like to make fun of Americans attitude way to much, so I have to let him know we are stupid. Neither of them knew anything about Beowulf so I had them feeling a little stupid. But they change the subject.
I threatened Peters mom or “Mum” as they say here. I said,
“You better be careful.. Or I will use big words and complex sentences to try to confuse you.”
HOW MUCH TIME TO SPEND ON BLOG?
I am in a steady conversation the last few day with my friend Peter to try and persuade him to have a travel blog. He is determined to say and believe that it takes a lot of time. I will admit that a webpage representation of a persons trip with photos could take hours a day, but my blog takes minutes a day. I hope your command of the English language would make you aware that I do not sit around and edit, think, or correct. I just write this and let her fly. But this is a purist or honesty thing for me. I would not consider it a “Log, Diary, or Journal” if I spent all my time correcting. That would be a webpage and made for money.
He ask me though? Why do you do the Blog? I say for travel money? Then he says, but then you spend all your time on it? I suppose he believes that I could make my diary of events better if I edit, spell, and choose the topics. But that seems a little ridiculous. How could you get to know me, and understand what I am feeling if I get choosey? I do overlook a little after I am finished. But generally I feel it dishonest to revise. Take away from the flavor. I am just having fun, and hope you have fun with me. I do wish I could write better. But there a editors and such for that. I am just happy to think good. Some people can write cogently, clearly, and accurately. But really have nothing to say.
I really do not think I have anything to say. But if you will pay for this. I will sell it. I suppose you do not pay anything. This is correct. But not in reality. I am giving this information and crap in the hope you donate to the cause and keep me traveling so I can continue to take photos and try my best to make you laugh.
I spend about 20 minutes a day on the blog.
I spend a lot of time walking around being a tourist. Taking photos and enjoying my life.
Peter like to muck about in Lonely Planet Thorntree and really this is where we met. I was already in Iraq and I posted that I was going into Iraq and was looking for help. He emailed me, and caught up with me. It is sort of fun. But extremely, extremely, extremely time consuming. I think he does it to meet people and chase girls.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
LONELY PLANET FAMOUS
I think or feel that lots of people want to get famous. I like to think you like to read my newsletter and blog. So maybe I do want to get famous. But I do not want the day to day walking around fame. There is a large voice of people that write in the hope that the Lonely Planet in some ways picks up the noise and publishes something they say, and they become famous. I have a lot of respect for the business acumen and the time it takes to publish, edit, and create the Lonely Planet “Guidebooks.” But… There is always a But..t
( I did that to get it by those computer filters)
The but is that I want to be me. I do not want to be Lonely Planet. I want to be HoboTraveler.com. I am not sure how much I give up before there is no me. Writing for anyone but me seem to destroy me. So sorry to say. I just try to write this sojourn for me.
Travel is selfish. I would love to share it would a young lady with an overload or brains. But I travel alone most of the time, and so it appears I have not met that woman. I must accept fate.
Monday, October 13, 2003
THE MATTHEW - BOAT OF JOHN CABOT
fl. 1461-98, English explorer, probably b. Genoa, Italy. He became a citizen of Venice in 1476 and engaged in the Eastern trade of that city. This experience, it is assumed, was the stimulus of his later explorations. Like Columbus (though there is no evidence that either influenced the other), he apparently believed that the riches of East Asia might be more easily reached by sailing west. He went to England, probably in the 1480s, and resided chiefly at Bristol, a port then promising as a base for discovery. Under a patent granted by Henry VII (Mar. 5, 1496), Cabot sailed from Bristol in 1497 and discovered the North American coast, touching at Cape Breton Island or Newfoundland. In 1498 he again sailed for America to explore the coast. The fate of the expedition is unknown, although there is presumptive evidence that it reached America and that some of its members returned. The English claims in North America were based on his discovery. His son was Sebastian
From: http://www.encyclopedia.com/
ENGLISH FISH AND CHIPS
Every wonder what Fish and Chips looked like in England.
Here is a photo. Now I had the choice of 3 types of fish and they would have looked different. The Chips are traditionally like this and big... Maybe called steak fries in the USA. But very good and cheap. 1 Quid or pound. About 1.66 USA.
READER ON CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
Andy -
On the topic of Christopher Columbus, you've received some
strident comments from *enemies of Western civilization*.
Such comments are so predictable.
Since you have decided to acknowledged such comments,
I want to confirm your objective assessment of Columbus.
There is plenty of philosophical ammunition for you in a new book,
*_The Enemies of Christopher Columbus_*
by Thomas A. Bowden
Below is one review from Amazon.com.
The link to the book on Amazon is: http://tinyurl.com/qma2
If you decide to post this on your blog, okay with me.
Just use my nom de plume...
Mr. Dave
Reno, Nevada, USA
Answer from me... I only have 45 minutes on computer.
But hope to read later.
Read the link... I am in agreement with this link.
Andy in Bristol, England
MANNERS
I am getting a crash course in manners from Peter's mother. She is very corrective and instructive on how to be proper. It is good. She is learning how to keep me quiet.
FOOD
I have now experienced “Fish and Chips.” Probably the English version of “Hamburger and French Fries.” Both are tasty, but both are very high on the FATS and the food police will surely make me feel guilty for that. But at least with the English version we are eating fish and the food police are less restrictive.
I am a French Fries person. I love potatoes. Especially French Fries. Chips here is a Fat French Fries and Crisps I believe
are Potato Chips. I am sure one slip on words and the “Word Police” here will get me. I know I am already speaking a “Common” version of the English Language so I am watching my words carefully and trying my best to adapt to Englands version of the English language.
This is good fun and I am judicisiously driving the country crazy by using the Americanism on a regular basis just enough to let them think I do not know what I am doing and they forgive me, but enough to still drive them crazy. I will “Suss” this out. I hope I spelled that correctly. I do so much want to be “Proper.”
The English say so much more with a phrase then an American. They can make multiple inferences and insinuations in just a few words. This is a great way to be paranoid that they are talking about me. I hope they are, and I can drive them a little crazy. There is absolutely no way to understand how I think. I am quite positive that I do not have a clue how or why I think things.
I do try to stay focused. I say to myself,
“Beach, Beach. Go to the Beach.’
Obviously I have lost my focus. I am in England in October.
But life is good and the food here give me a clue where the Americans learn to eat so much and get fat. I am happy to say the walking has decreased here in Bristol and I am able to rest more. So I eat a lot and walk very little. I would say that it similar to the USA, but that would just irritate the Brits. Any comparison with the USA that would say that we are similar would not be “Politically Correct.”
England is great. The price of food in the Grocery is more or less the same as the USA. The cost of housing and transportation is high. But less then Paris or Barcelona. But this is NOT London. To be fair to Paris and Barcelona I should compare them to London. I think I am a little afraid to see how expensive London really is, and am avoiding London. I will soon need to go there to leave for India.
I am not doing well at all on finding a cheap ticket to India. So far the cheapest is 460 USA dollars. That is about 200 Dollars more then I was expecting. But maybe they have better prices in London. The travel agent says it is the wrong season and the prices are high. I hear this every time I purchase a plane ticket and think it is part of their training to say this statement.
I do not have a plane ticket, and time is getting short. I want to leave around the 20th of October for India. I am meeting a friend there and the standing orders is to try for that date.
I will suss it out and sort it out, and get a plane ticket and go to the beach in Goa, India. (That word Suss is not in my Spell Checker. I will check with Peters mother for the correct spelling.)
CARPET - This is the first house in Europe I have every encountered that has wall to wall carpet.
BLOGGING OFFLINE
I am in England. The internet is free to use in the library. That is great. The problem is the time. I must try to finish all my emails and work in 45 minutes. So I am writing my travel log offline to save time on the library computer.
WHAT A MORNING?
I woke early and started my normal routine. A cup of coffee, and a couple of hours on the computer. But my computer has… I hope a “Virtual Memory Paging File” problem. I guess I know what them means a little. Not totally, but in many ways I guess I would say to myself that I understand that term 62.50 percent. More or less a few percent and maybe not at all. I say hope, because if it is not that I am in real problems.
I am making fun. I hope I adjusted this setting correctly and the computer gives me permission to play after searching for the setting for 2 hours. I set it to 4000 as the maximum. I am hoping this little box in my Frontpage program stops popping up and saying I do not have enough memory. It would be easy to believe there is a conspiracy to make me buy another computer.
The bottom line is I can now type on my computer. I have worried about my computer for 2 hours and think I have repaired the problem. I know that I am boring you with this, but what can I say. A log is a log, or blog is a blog. Am I suppose to leave out in this TRAVEL LOG what I… a.k.a. ME is thinking about. Seems like a good way to forget that this is for me, and not for you. Or maybe I am correct. I think the big problem is I read the book “Alice in Wonderland” a couple of weeks ago and my mind is still not OK>
WHAT IS BELOW?
Hmm. I forgot to cut and paste what is below into the blog. I agree with anyone that says my pages are chaotic. That is kind.
HELLO FROM BRISTOL, ENGLAND
I have a arrived in a what the English my call a “Proper” house. Carpets, walls, quiet, lights and things. Lots of things on the walls, in the yard, the garage, and the fridge. Lots of things that in the name of this proper English family has claimed it as their home.
I earmark this word “Proper” because of two women that asked if we had “Proper” chocolate or did the English infererral of that we do not have this chocolate. I assured them that I would return to the USA someday and see if the chocolate in the USA is behaving and therefore proper. I know she mean something different, but I need to get with the program of the English humor and make sure I am not an easy target.
Peter is great. Worries too much about my comfort, and he updated me on the gossip of Iraq. He was somehow able to find the house where the two Saddam boys were killed in Mosul and slept in the house. I was told that the USA immediately tore the house down to remove any evidence. This rumor I had heard on the destruction of the house is a real problem in Iraq. They think and evaluate the world often in a childlike soap opera methodology. This has cause lots of killing in Iraq.
But back to England. I have fitted sheets. I had fitted sheets for half the time in Barcelona, and then the owner lady gave me some clean ones that were not. I do not think it possible in this home to find a bed without fitted sheets and Peters mother would not consider it proper. I do believe that fitted sheets is a sign of a higher developed civilization. I am not saying Spain is lower, but maybe the home I was inside of was on the lower range. There is a continuum of culture and proper behavior and people are a mix of various specific behaviors. Some good and some bad. Some high and some lower.
I would have to sleep in a lot of betters in Spain before I made a mass decision on the fitted sheet test of society. But I will return to see if I can sleep in more beds someday.
Saturday, October 11, 2003
SCARED MYSELF IN ENGLAND
Me and Peter were walking to the Library to use the internet for free. I looked down the road before I crossed and started to walk. Oops. The cars are coming right at me, and I took off running. They drive on the opposite side of the road and I looked the wrong direction.
Just to let you know. Iraq was maybe dangerous, but so is life in general.
I do believe that the most dangerous thing in the world is the car.
Oops Yesterday was NEWSLETTER DAY - BARCELONA PHOTOS AND WHAT NOT
I had some time problems and got the newsletter out late. But that is OK. There is not time designated to send my newsletter so I am always on time. I just try to send on Tuesday. So Friday is sort of late.
Here is the link:
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo127insert.shtml
Thursday, October 09, 2003
READER COMMENT ON THE HELLO FROM INDIANA
Andy -
You often write, "...from Indiana: 'Hello, how are you today?'".
Wonderful to hear that.
And rare nowadays.
Simple, basic, Midwest politeness.
I'm from Wisconsin: same.
I just returned from The Philippines.
Americans I passed turned heads away and stared at the walls.
In Taipei, Taiwan, airport - same.
None from Indiana, eh?!
Recently in Vancouver, British Columbia, walking through Stanley Park,
I made it a point to smile, say, "Hello", to many people I passed.
(Except women, of course.)
Most just stared at me.
Some looked shocked.
A few smiled back - I think gay men.
Wondering what is your experience with, "Hello, how are you today?"
You getting any better results?
I hope so.
Perhaps you will write in newsletter about Indiana politeness as you
travel the world.
- Dave W.
writing from Reno, Nevada, USA.
ANSWER:
Hello,
How are you?
A good hello will break down the hardest person eventually.
I was working on a couple of Grocery stores in Barcelona. I would walk in and say in Spanish,
"Hola, Como estas?"
More or less the same. They just looked at me for the first week. Not that quick to say hello in Barcelona. But on the last few days in Barcelona, the people said hello before me... GREAT.
I had a good friend from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Ron...
Say to me when I met him in real life.
"Life is Good"
And guess what. Life is good when you say to someone....
"Life is Good."
NOTE:
I just got a nasty email from someone complaining about my English.
I wonder to myself if people every think of the meaning of words.
HOBO... Does not mean. Good anything. More or bum type idea.
The person lost the plot. Spends more time thinking about grammar then communication.
Probably why they never learned manners.
I will think about the TIP idea. I have used the idea in ways before. Will try to explain about why the Indiana "Hello" is special. Helps me on a daily basis to be from rural Indiana.
ARRIVED IN BRISTOL, ENGLAND
Looked out the window of the plane as I arrived at the airport and could see it was cloudy. I asked the girls sitting behind me if this was normal. They said... NO
It is very nice today.
I am fine, and trying to figure out the computers here. The library is free. But they have blocked my ability to publish photos. I will have to find a way another way. Peters brother has a computer. But until then...
I have a newsletter ready to send, but need to publish some pages first. New place, new problems.
Normal.
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
THINK THE FORBES THING IS NICE
I was very excited to have some good comments about my blog in Forbes.com. But what is funny is that I told the people around here, and none of them had even heard of Forbes Magazine. So what is a big deal, is not a alwasys so big... hehehe
http://forbes.com/lifestyle/travel/2003/10/02/cx_cv_1002blog.html
ADD TO WHAT I MISS LIST - QUIET
I used to work in Real Estate and maybe that makes me more aware of homes, and construction, but one of the things I miss the most when traveling is quiet. It is never quiet in places I visit. Most of the world lives in a concrete type structure. In Belgium, Switzerland, Paris, and now in Spain I have lived in a room with concrete type walls. Although Southeast Asia had bungalows made of wood materials, bamboo, other types of softer material they were paper thin. You could hear anything.
Central and South America are completely concrete type contstruction. Sometime the grass hut thing and you can hear everything.
In a concrete home you can hear anything. I am presently awake at 6 in the morning. I am trying to be very careful on how fast, or how loud I type. The owner of the apartments computer keyboard clatters when I type. Everyone in the apartment has commented on the clatter of the keys.
The bedrooms all have the hollow core type bedroom doors, and the place is small. Big in comparison to France. My friends in France did not have any bedrooms. And that seem normal for her district. Just an efficiency apartment. A big room with a bed and kitchen facility.
This apartment has 3 separate rooms and the owner a lady rents out the 2 extra rooms. Pretty nice. She gets about 700 dollars US extra a month for the 2 rooms. Like living in a nice Hostel in South America. Most Hostel in Europe do not have a Kitchen to share, so I cannot say they are the same. I believe a Kitchen to share should be part of the HOME type attitude that is suppose to have initiated the Hostel idea. A home away from home. This apartment is normal in this area of the city.
But why do the people not sound insulate their homes. This concrete stuff is noisy. The owner just got up and gave me a dirty look.... F"$·$$ her. She does not work and sleeps till noon. Stays up half the night. I would have to wait until noon to start typing. I am paying 300 Euros a month. This is good for me, and I am happy with the deal. But if I stayed around I could get a room for 200 in a better or closer area to the beach. So the money part is not that good.
I am leaving 10 days early and not getting, and have not asked for any type of discount. That is fair that I lose my 100 dollars. But in some ways I have never been able to really find the word for refund in Spanish. I do not think it exist. Like the verb to own. It does not exist. You can say you are the owner. The Dueno, but you cannot say really easily. I own this X.
The apartment includes free internet use, and this seems a common deal with rooms here. But in the fine print I found I have to use it only before 8 in the morning and after 6 at night. Marijana the girl that moved out has free internet 24 hours a day. The free internet saves me about 3 dollars a day. So I am really paying 7 dollars a day for rent in Barcelona. This is excellent for Europe. This renting a room is good.
But I go to England and stay for free with Peter. Even better and the conversation is a lot better. But Peter is very educated.
I am using the Spell Checker from Blogger.com. It is working good now providing I do not have any quotation marks. The turn into some A with funny look from Spanish I guess.
JUSTIN TRYING TO TORTURE ME
I met Justin in Quito, Ecuador. He had traveled for a year. He is from Australia. I forgive him.
But he is trying to torture me. He knows what a person out on walkabout thinks about.
A Fridge full of food.
An Email and photo he sent. I worry a little about him. Normally he sends me picture of girlfriends.
Now it is food. hmmm?
He also has to list out what is inside.
Photo 1 - my fridge - strawberries, cream, orange
juice, fresh milk, marinating spare ribs, fresh veges
and fruit, sauces, cheeses, etc.
This and clean sheets that are fitted is what I miss a lot.
Monday, October 06, 2003
on WORLD HERITAGE LIST
I was sitting and looking at this page. It does not say the city... aagh. I really have never looked at this page before today. But I am glad I finally found it.
That is another headache. No city. I have a page I made and am going to keep fixing it.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/unescoworldheritagelist.shtml
http://www.hobotraveler.com/destinations.php
But I would like to make the same list with the name of the city in front of the place.
A city and a destination = less research. It really takes time to research all this in an internet cafe. It is very expensive. The guidebook helps a lot. Especially if I had one... I do not have one on Spain. 3 weeks in a country is not a reason for me to pay 35 dollars or Euros.
But... If one of you out there finds a list with the CITIES included.
Send to hoboontheroad DELETE-ALL-THIS-AND-CHANGE-TO-AT yahoo.com
All that to stop the spammer. Never put your email address in a guestbook!
Never put on a webpage. Spammers collect or harvest them.
HOW TO CHOOSE WHAT TO LOOK AT IN A COUNTRY?
Follow the lemmings to the sea and jump in...
Travelers and tourist can be... How do I say this. Idiots. The way they decide on how to look at a city is by following the advice of all their friends. Normally that just gets you to their favorite bar, and a good place to find a shag. Especially in the younger set.
ONE SOLUTION.
My friend Peter from Iraq has a good way of making or finding the places to visit of real importance....
Go to the UNESCO list of World Heritage List
OK, I hate acronyms. UNESCO stands for a United Nations Organization...
UNESCO
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
I am not too excited about the United Nations and all they do. Sort of a look at us type of thing. But here is a list that will help a traveler to not go crazy.
THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST
IT IS
a World Heritage List of cultural and natural properties, submitted by the States Parties (COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD) and considered to be of outstanding universal value.
This is a list of places that the United Nations or UNESCO considers historically or culturally or for some reason important. That could also probably mean politically.
IT IS A GREAT WAY TO MAKE A CHOICE ON WHAT TO VISIT FOR SURE OR A MUST SEE.
http://whc.unesco.org/heritage.htm
TWO SAINTS IN THE SAME DAY...
I am just trying to walk to the beach. All day I have wanted to go to the beach. But first I need to do business. Some days are fun days and others äre what my friend Malcolm called ...
¨Business Days.¨
Today was a business day. A day you write off as being things you have to do. So I decided to get up early and go find the India Consulate. On this trip is where I met the first Saint.
I went to the Metro to start looking for the address of the India Consulate. I went through the turnstile, and ask the policeman for help. No police are not normally the best to ask questions. But he looked harmless and he was. He did not help but pointed me back towards the new stand. I had just used my metro card, so was poorer by maybe .80 cents USA for using it. So to return out the exit would forfeit the use of my card. He said he would let me back in for free so I took his advice and talked to the Newspaper sales stand guy. Now... Latinos in my stereotype mind are not too connected with directions or time. This man was the
¨Saint of Spanish Directions.¨
He showed me on a map. Help direct me, and would not stop until I understood. This was all in Spanish.
I will try to take a photo. Someone has to photo the Saints in the world.
The place was only maybe 10 blocks away. So I got to the Consulate and found they could do nothing for me very early in the day and had my business done. Now the day is very cloudy and threatens cold all the time. A cloud goes over and the temperature drops. So I have not made it to the beach.
SECOND SAINT
I start working on this rash problem. I still want something to stop the abrasion on the inside of my legs. I stumble into a pharmacy. I ask the girl at the counter about bandages. I was thinking, maybe I can get a huge bandage to stop this rash. I talked and explained, and made jokes. She says the word for bandage. I said in Spanish.
¨IF I knew the word for bandage in Spanish. I would say the word.¨ ... hehehe
I then jump to the idea of an elastic bandage. I finally say to her,
¨Can I show it to you?¨
So I pull up the swim trunks pants leg and show her. She instantly leaves. I think. He just a little leg should not scare you. But she goes and gets the saint. The Big Pharmacist. The boss or something.
He come and looks. Says Hongos, or fungus. He ask me how I got it? I said, all in SPANISH.
¨I was on the Amazon River and something in the water.
It went away with a pharmacist in Ecuador.
I went to Basra, Iraq and the heat made it go crazy.
Now I walk so much in Europe it is still going crazy.¨
He ask me more and I said more, but I am tired of typing.
In the end he keeps asking about problems. I use words like Mancha. Which is Spanish for Marks or Stains, or the little spots I have on the side of my face. We discuss the pros and cons of travel and how it is impossible to find information in other countries. I tell him they have the medicine, they just do not have as much education.
But in the end. He give me the extra strength. Anti-Hongos stuff and I want some industrial grade cleaner for my skin. He gives me the rosada. Whatever that is...?
I go to pay.
He more or less says,
¨Get out of here. Go enjoy traveling.¨
I take a photo of him.
Life is good and then you get to use the industrial grade skin cleansers.
I shortened and edited this because I have a short attention span.
THE REAL PRIORITIES
I bought a sponge to clean.
I bought some dried corn to eat. Cheap.
But the chocolate in Spain is just too CHEAP.
That BIG thing of temptation is only .70 cents Euro. About the Same in USA dollars.
3-5:30 Open - Go figure on Consulates
Went to the India Consulate in Barcelona.
Hours are 3-5:30. I was there in the morning. I went inside anyway. They was nice can told me that I needed to go Madrid, because I was from a foreign country. Like I say, I really have no idea what a consulate does, and I am positive they do not work too hard in any country. This is the sign about the beeper that opens the gate. The gate was open so I went inside. Embassies and consulates are not the place to be timid. They can give you the run around faster then anyone. I can be outrageously obnoxious at an USA embassy. The one in Thailand went to lunch at 10:30... I say some thing about that being a bunch of F·$" Sh"· and they opened it and gave me more pages. But I am probably one of the few REAL American citizens that every enters.
THE MUSIC SPOT IN BARCELONA SUBWAY OR METRO
There is a sign next to him that says MUSICA AL METRO - More or less, Music of the Metro.
Passeig de Gracias path.
Sunday, October 05, 2003
PICASSO MUSEUM IN BARCELONA SPAIN
Almost forgot to tell you about my trip to the Picasso Museum. The price was right. 5 Euros to enter. If I had paid 10 I would not be a happy camper. The place was OK. I did not see any paintings that I would recognize as his from seeing in the past. Maybe they are all owned or in Paris. Who knows? I thought his paintings were depressing in the Barcelona museum. There was very little of this cube type painting that he is known for, but more of real type images, and less surreal. But in the end the streets around the museum were fun to visit. I was not able to take any photos of the inside of the building. They always say the flash hurts the paintings. I think it hurts the sales of photos on the way out.
There was a lot of export - import type stores on the streets around the museum. They had all sorts of India, China, North Africa. I am not really sure where they come from. But they are trying to import stuff from their home country to the country of Spain. They were selling stuff wholesale. Maybe?
There are lots of vendors selling things here that I have seen in the home country. For example I see lot of Ecuador bags and Indian type stuff. Good for Souvenirs but not much else. Maybe for hippie wearing, and the dreadhead, tattoo people. But great to sell in tourist areas. People get a souvenir of Barcelona, made in India or Ecuador. Very good for the economy of Ecuador.
EMBASSY CRAP FOR INDIA - MAP OF ENGLAND
I have to get a visa or go the embassy of India to enter the country. I guess I cannot just fly in and get a visa. So I am out searching the net for Embassies in Barcelona or in England. They have one in Madrid, but that is not close. I am not sure if the Barcelona Consulate will give me one. I have the address finally. I have will go try to find it Monday. That will take at least 1/2 day and will make me need to eat an ice cream cone.
But I have also found 3 place in England to get this India Visa.
High Commission of India India House London
Consulate General of India, Birmingham
Consulate General of India, Edinburgh
It is suppose to be done the same day if I go in person. I hope so, because to travel around in these countries is expensive. I never can figure out what the difference between a consulate and an embassy is?
I put all this stuff here so I can find it easy.
I am going to Bristol. It is interesting the Lonely Planet map does not have Bristol, but the CIA map does.
Embassy Info
Database of Embassies
India Embassies in England
Why the CIA fact book is good.
CIA FACT UK
CIA FACTS INDIA
THE VICARIOUS THING! At the show.
At a topless beach life is comedy. I get there pretty early. The show starts. People start arriving. Today was a hot day and the sun gave your skin that warm tingle. I am sort of greased up with the baby oil. I am pro at getting tan, and am a brown boy now. But back to the babes. Ok. So I sit around and the beach is great place. It is always about 75 percent females on the beach. Which is too low for me. Should be higher. But what happens as the girls arrive is always humorous.
There is no changing room on or near the beach. So they will arrive fully dressed. They take a beach towel and wrap themselves in the towel. They then proceed to change their clothes under the towel. Now one of my favorite quotes is the question or statement.
¨Do you know what a womans greatest asset is?
.... A mans imagination.¨
So here is a wiggle and a shake, and other strange movements. Trying so hard to not look obvious that they are changing into a bikini. But here is the good part. They get the whole bikini on and then...
They lay down.
Take off their tops and I think.
All that work to put on the bikini and off it comes.
I sort of or really like the previews better then the actual show.
Note - The guys do the same show.
Truthfully folks. I like the normal beaches more. People talk more and are friendlier when they do not have to put on a show. I better rephrase that. I like a beach where they wear their tops. I think topless is probably normal in most of Europe, or with Europeans. It is just culture and customs nothing else.
LETS NOT TAKE OURSELVES TOO SERIOUS
I am out snooping around the internet. I have free internet on the weekends in the apartment or room I have lived in for the last 2-3 weeks in Barcelona. So after getting a lot of sun and trying to look younger by being very tan and blue eyed I came back to the homestead to use the internet. So I am looking at all the blogs in that Forbes.com Article.
What a kick! Oh well...? So...? Be nice Andy... Aaagh. OK Mom.
I will stop now. Ok.. I have one comment.
The take that spell checker serious.
Hows that? That was nice. Huh?
Now that I have a Blog, I spend all my time trying to understand what I have.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EASY LIFE
I am hoping life in India is similar to South America or Southeast Asia. Cheap.
A mistake or miscalculation in Europe cost me 25 Dollars.
A mistake or miscalculation in SA or SE Asia cost 2 Dollars.
If you miss the bus, you get lost, you are hungry, if you need a room?
2 Bucks.
Maybe a stretch and 5.
I love the feeling of being a rich Hobo. In Europe I am a poor Hobo, but in most countries of the world I am rich Hobo. Make life feel secure and safe when you have enough money to chase girls...Oops. Eat and find a room.
Chris Sent this to me
"...and now for something totally different" [Monty Python]
Koyaanisqatsi. I just think it's a cool word, so there you go.
[1.) Hopi: "Life out of balance" 2.) A Godfrey Reggio movie, 1st of 3 in the
Qatsi trilogy: i.e, Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi and Noqoyqatsi]
Powaqqatsi, the second movie might be right up your alley. A look at
faces of the 3rd World, impacted by contact with the 1st World. Thought you
might not mind hearing (JeJeJe)
...something like 'Travels with Andy' -- but the Movie. Here's a website:
www.koyaanisqatsi.org/films/powaqqatsi.php
bla bla bla,
Chris
Hmmm
One of those things you think you should save, just in case it may be needed, but you are not sure when.
A SPONGE INSTEAD OF A WASH RAG IN THE SHOWER
I have the solution finally. It is almost impossible to carry a wash rag in my backpack. It gets too smelly. Unlike a towel that is only slightly wet, a wash rag is very wet. I cannot get it dry by the next time I leave. Just a hassle. I purchase a very light sponge, and it wringes out almost dry. Much lighter then a wash rag and does a good job. A cheap and easy way to clean my world or grime or persistent culture.
INTERNATIONAL TOURIST CITIES
Trying to get it clear in my mind about Barcelona. I have decided that this time of the year, it is the best place in the world to come and meet Swedish people. I have only met 3 people from Barcelona, but I have met tons of people from Sweden, Ecuador, and Peru. A couple from Holland. Oh yea, one girl from Colombia. I just have not met many people from Spain here. The 3 people I do know from Spain are... 1 the woman that is the owner of the Apartment I live in, and her 2 friends. I suppose the guy at the food store is sort of my friend. He does now say hello. It is not a Hola Amigo city.
It is an International City. I have decided that some cities have nothing or very little to do with the culture of the country. New York, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Miami, Barcelona, Paris. They are really about looking at churches and buildings, and partying. Also a great place to meet women or men from other countries, or I suppose for some to test out the local drugs. But this is definitely an International Tourist City. It is owned lock, stock and barrel by the tourist. Cancun is like that, there is almost nothing about Cancun that is Mexican. Oh well, I do like Swedish girls on the beach, so I am not complaining.
Saturday, October 04, 2003
FRIENDS COMMENT ON INDIA
I am going to meet up with a friend that I met over the internet in India.
She wrote:
- tho. I finally got my passport in the mail today, so no more worrying about that, and Indian visa is easy to get and I'll do that Monday.the majority of my anxiety stems from the fact that my flight arrives in
Bangalore at 10.30 at night, and i fret a little about exchanging money that late, getting a taxi and getting to a safe place so late at night.
ME
MONEY - Use and ATM card or bank card. The money should come out in whatever currency they have. This has worked in all the countries I have visited, except Iraq. I had trouble a few years ago in Nicaragua. It would only take the Plus system and I had the Cirrus. I now have both. But there are many systems. The debit or credit card is not really just Visa as best I understand or Mastercard. I has a little symbol on the back that says the type of card. I have 2 Visa cards now. One is Plus and other Cirrus. If one system is down I can use the other and still get money.
I almost never exchange money. I get the money from the bank machine. It seems to always be a good rate. I do carry about 200 Dollars USA. I have not carried a traveler check in 6 years. I can not think of any reason to carry one. I suppose if I was buying plane tickets every week. I would. Because it is hard to get more then 300 dollars a day out of the machines. I have to pay attention to the local and my home bank maximum. I never use a credit card in another country. But if I did, it would be for a plane ticket, and hopefully only at the airport. Using a credit card is dangerous to me, in any country other then your home country. I paid for my easyjet.com card with a debit card. There is a limit on the card. Unlimited credit cards can cause problems. A debit card does the same, but I have to transfer money into it. Safer.
VISA - I do not have a Visa for India. I do not have a guidebook. I think I can snag a guidebook cheap inside of India, so I am waiting to buy a Lonely Planet, Footprints, or Roughguide, or whatever is the current best flavor there. I am hoping that I can get a visa or the permission. A Visa or Tourist card for those of you wondering is the permission given by the country to enter. It changes for each country and for the country you are from. There is no set answer. It is necessary to know from what a country a person is, and to what country they are going. The only thing I can say is they normally have a way to quickly enter because most countries want you to enter. Especially the poorer countries.
Peter is an expert on lots of countries. I will pick his brain on a lot of countries when I am in Bristol soon.
THE LAST DAYS AND MY MIND IS ON A DIFFERENT PLACE
I am leaving on Wednesday for Bristol, England. What happens the last few day in a country or a city is that I start thinking more about the next place, then the place I am located. This make is difficult to enjoy the day. I start seeing the bad about a place more then the good. Harder to accept a place when you know you are going to leave.
Barcelona is centered around the street the ¨Ramblas¨and this is a total tourist street. Full of people and the things that tourist people do. This is interesting for awhile, but after a few years of living in tourist places, I find it is better away from the tourist. I must accept that I am both living traveling and a tourist at the same time, but for me if I miss something. So what. This is not a tourist mentality, they feel they must see everything.
I have been listening to the Swedish people say to me a phrase about Barcelona,
The say,
¨It is easier to buy hash here, then to buy food.¨
I have to admit there must be some truth to that. The food stores are always closed.
I think the European Union will break apart these small monopolies.
I used the blogger spell checker on this. I had to go through after and fix all the letters back to English letters. So much for that idea. This is a Spanish computer I am on. I was trying to improve my spelling.
Hmm will it work this time? Subscribe to Blog only...!
Trying to get this blog to yahoogroups.com working.
IT WORKED! I can make a box to subscribe to blog.
Here is an email to send to until I get the box working.
hobotraveler_com_travel_blog-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Thanks CHRIS for the whats up and help.
NO BEACH AND CLOUDS
It is cloudy today in Barcelona so I decided to go look for some bike pants. What I am seaching for is a Tienda de Desportes. I also want deep sea fishing hooks for my backpack organizer. Number 11 hook. Large.
But off I went walking and asking. After about 2 hours of walking I found a small shoe or sports store for clothes and shoes. They had the pant. 42 Euros in my size.
Aaagh! Where is Walmart when need him? Hey Wally'
I have a rash on the inside of my leg from walkng and heat of Iraq. I purchased some special cream for what or who knows what types of funny things on the leg. It is working good. But the constant and constant and constant walking of Europe is not helping. I though to myself. I need to get rid of the rubbing. Biker have this problem all the time. So they have very ticket and slippery pants to solve the problem. So off I went. But this to me is 10 dollar solution and not a 40 dollars solution. So I do not know. Maybe I will use duct tape. (That is sort of a joke.)
The deep sea hooks are more difficult. I found some for .70 cents each down by the Beach.
But to send them home would be so expensive... Well. Life goes on, and life is a beach.
Hope the sun starts to shine or I will go crazy today on the metro.
Maybe I could sing in this little spot they have for Musica. They have musicians in the walkway at Passeig de Gracias and they collect coins. Some are pretty good. I am not good, so maybe they will pay me to stop. I used to do that in Mexico with the boys playing guitar on the bus. Pay them to stop.
Who helps keep this site up?
Carlos of my hosting company.
The are very good, and helpful. They are techies and that is forgiveable.
http://www.wizardshosting.com
HMMM HOW TO CONNECT TO YAHOOGROUPS.COM?
My friend Chris said or is explaining to me how to connect the blog to Yahoogroups.com
So this is test...
Did not work.. Chris! or anyone. How do I connect blog to my yahoogroups.com letter.
I am making another that will notify people of my blog. For the really crazy people.
Send to hoboontheroad DELETE_THIS_AND_CHANGE yahoo.com
Sorry abou that adddress. But I do not like to volunteer for spam.
Friday, October 03, 2003
ABOUT MY VISIT TO ENGLAND
Peter wrote me to help me arrange my next hop to Bristol, England.
This guy has done about 100 plus countries. Only a true traveler could empathis with real problems of life.
Laundry and Senoritas.
HE WROTE... Plus more, but I edited..?
See you then dude. My Mother is leaving today and going to Spain for a week. The house will be empty. So, just make sure you bring a couple of senoritas with you and don't forget your laundry!!!
I may as well plan something to do on Thursay and Friday. Bath is close by, as is Stonehenge. Plus other stuff. Are you into visiting things like that?? Is there anything that appeals to you?
WHAT APPEALS.
I want to learn about Black or English Tea and which pub he claims as his home pub.
Hmmm explain that phrase again?
LIFE IS GOOD - Go figure a Hoboes life chaotic?
Hello,
Sort of my ad hoc motto, and my answer to all problems. I just say life is good and I am smiling again. I have been laughing to myself about a word used by the Forbes.com webpage writer... It was perfect.
¨a chaotic sprawl¨
The name Hobo as best I can remember does not mean someone that cares about looks. Just lets the world fly and takes a seat... hehehe. So ¨a chaotic sprawl¨is perfect. The blog is an afterthought and not really a first thought for my page. Keeping a diary of my events sort of interferes with my being able to make or have an event. Plus ¨Yo soy flojo¨ I say this in Spanish all the time. Which means ¨I am lazy.¨ Not really but in many ways yes, I like to enjoy the day, and not worrry about how I look or what I do. More on the spontaneous side of life. Planning seems to hinder enjoyment.
So there are choices in life for a traveler. Spend all my time working on my computer making a mystical and not real cyber world look pretty and dressed nice, or just do my best to slap up what really happened, and in the way it happens. This real time world of the internet is or should be chaotic.
What is really good is this writer lady.... Que Guapa! Christina does seem to understand the word ¨Vicarious.¨ She used that in the first page article. Funny. But life if a vicarious adventure. I read books and watch movies a lot. By the way. I am reading the book the ENGLISH PATIENT a second time. In a way an excellent travel book. The writer use a term saying he is an ¨International Bastard.¨ I am going to use the whole quote in tha quote section of my newsletter soon. This book is good, but pretty complex. I want to see the movie again. Book is probably better then the movie. hehehe.. Everyone always says that, but so what.
OK... So today back to the beach to try to be a Hobo Paparrazi and capture photos of Guapa Senoritas sin
... I do not know how to say the phrase well in Spanish. I will take some photos of beautiful topless girls on the beach to make a few of my friends happy.
Here is the link to Forbes.
Go Vote on Forbes.com
The quote by Christina. I would put her full name, but this slide show thing don´t work too good in the Internet cafe quality world I live inside. I cannot get the pop up to show, so I can copy and paste. Oh well. SNAFU
QUOTE FROM CHRISTINA
Although Andy's site is a chaotic sprawl and is occasionally unavailable, what makes it compelling is the places he's visited. As Andy explains on his site, "I wander around the planet. Take photos. Put them on pages. Write and live an adventure. If the guidebook says to not go, I go." When the war with Iraq broke out, he headed straight there, reporting from Baghdad and Tikrit. He's also traveled through Kurdistan and Turkey, and lists on his blog what has to be one of the very few "Iraqi Hotel Guides." Unfortunately, he provides little information about himself but his tales and destinations make interesting reads.
FUN BLOGS TO READ
I just added, or am in the process of adding 5 categories to my homepage for travelers. The blog is not one of them. But I will think about it and see if I should make a category. But here are 5 travel blogs to read. Note that I have not read any of them, although I do know or recognized some patterns on where she found them. Reading a blog of someone else would cost more in an internet cafe then the cost of me living. I am doing very good on the 15 dollar budget in Spain. Paris was off the scale.
5 BLOGS RECOMMENDED BY THE FORBES.COM OR CHRISTINA ...
Mine
http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html
Have fun reading. I am put them up here so I could click easier and read.
http://geocities.com/fourontour/
http://www.edsgonesouth.com/blog/
http://www.globalwalk.org
http://www.vagabonding.com/
Last but not least...
None of the above
Justin and Carlos will you settle for a Full Moon Party Beach Photo?
Most of my photos of the beach at Barcelona are weak.
Here is photo form Thailands Koh Pha Ngan beach or the Full Party beach to keep you boys happy for awhile.
HARD DAY AT THE BEACH - Barcelona, Spain
Someone has to do it. Beach life. Carlos, Justin, and few other. I promised a topless...
Yo no muy organizado hoy. Pero la playa esta perfect. Mucho sol.
FORBES.COM - GOOD NEWS AFTER THE BEACH
I spend a long day at the beach. Lots of sun today. Trying to work on my tan before I leave Barcelona, Spain. Yesterday was a surfer waves day, and today was a wind surfer day.
But... The good news is Forbes.com put my blog in the running or vote for best travel blog.
Go Vote. Woopee. Thanks to the Gods that be, and the today the Sun Gods.
La Vida is Buena or Life is good.
Forbes.com Puts HoboTraveler.com Blog - Vote
Thursday, October 02, 2003
BOUGHT TICKET ONLINE TO BRISTOL, ENGLAND
Hello,
Purchased a ticket to leave for Bristol, England in a week. Gave up on a lot of alternative locations and decided to go see Peter. He is the guy that was in Iraq when I was. We followed the same path for a week or two. He has the Petition of the English Scholars from Mosul, and has some free time to drive around England. So a good deal for me.
I got a ticket from Barcelona to Bristol for 80 Euros. It was cheaper to fly into London, but the transportation cost out of london would have killed me. So Easyjet.com got my business. Both of these have cheaper then the train fares or bus fares.
http://www.easyjet.com
http://www.ryanair.com/
I HAVE 2 MAJOR PAGES FOR FLIGHTS THAT I WORK ON
http://www.hobotraveler.com/airplane.php
http://www.hobotraveler.com/aroundtheworld
LOTS OF PEOPLE ON SITE
Hello,
I am setting new records on my site. What do you think. The topless girls?
But for those of you that like to know techie stats. I check my site by looking at this link.
http://www.sitemeter.com/default.asp?action=stats&site=sm5hobotraveler
I had 1400 Unique visitors yesterday.
Who knows how many hits?
WHY DO I CARE?
When this number gets to 5000 per day. I think I can be a Hobo for the rest of my life and just travel and write and make noise and do all sorts of things that Hoboes do. I will have Hobo Heavon and Hobo Freedom. Because the page should support me with no problem. Now there are problems.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
DAILY JOURNALS
Hello,
I just want to tell you. Most travelers or a lot keep a daily diary or journal of their trip. I have never done this and this blog is the first time. Hope you enjoy. But to me listening to myself write or talk to myself seems a little on the crazy side. But I just read Alice in Wonderland and it for sure it is mad. It is very popular and people love the nonsense of the book. Hard to understand how nonsense can make sense. But in a strange way it does.
SIESTA IN SPAIN AND IN EUROPE
There is a super market down the street. It is open from 9-2 in the morning and is open from 5-8 at night. It is very difficult for me to remember to go. The USA custom of being open 24 hours a day has spoiled me. I always wonder how they make any money? But probably what happens is because there is not large areas of land available, plus nobody really has a car, plus the cost of land is so much, etc.
They can exist. In Beverly Hill they have a mall and a grocery store in a high rise building. The parking garage, mall, grocery idea seems perfect for this city and Paris. But strangely they do not have many 30 story building. There seems to be a 7 story limit or something. Maybe they do this to stop the view from becoming horrible. But then again it is so difficult to buy things that it is annoying. In the really cheap countries they work so hard to sell things, and the cost of transportation is so cheap, you can go to a market and take a taxi home. Here you would have to carry all on the Subway.
But they still have a SIESTA IN SPAIN
I was in Beligium and they did the same.
NEWSLETTER SENT
Sent out a newsletter with a story about Christopher Columbus and a tip on heavy things in your bag.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo126insert.shtml
