Hey,
Perhaps this week's newsletter can provide a small distraction from what might prove to be a wild day today for those in or from the US, and for many others around the world. Good luck to us all. Let's talk about travel for a moment. It was Day of the Dead here in Mexico last Saturday but, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the celebrations were significantly tamer this year. That's how I ended up staying in my apartment that night after eating some delicious seafood tacos. I watched the movie In the Loop and that was good enough for me. With that said, the day before Day of the Dead, I did have a shot of mezcal with a chocolate skull inside. I guess that counts for something. --- Like last week, I am trying hard to focus on the joys of past travels as a way to stay sane. Our stay in Mauritius came to mind (you'll see why below) as did visiting the magnificent Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, where I remember a conversation with a local woman about edible frankincense. Then my mind wandered over to the crazy day I crossed the Khyber Pass from the tribal region of Pakistan into Afghanistan, and somehow managed to go unnoticed when the local bus I was on got ambushed by a group of Taliban. After that heavy memory, I quickly switched gears and started laughing about our campervan trip and the insane 2.5 hour drive through the mountains of California to reach the excellent Henry Miller Library before it closed for the long weekend (we made it by 25 minutes!). Travel, I miss you. --- Cat lesson of the week: If you are feeding your kitten salmon souffle, it's best not to tell anyone or they'll think you're weird. Oops. Travel-related (usually) tidbits that appeared in my inboxes this past week. - Booking.com: I learned that the popular hotel booking website now has a flight booking section. Interestingly, Booking.com uses Kayak.com as their behind the scenes search engine, but they actually show cheaper fares than what I found on Kayak.com directly and other booking sites. HOWEVER, there's often a lot of fine print such as 'this fare can only be booked with a Visa Debit card' and when you go to book the ticket, it frequently took me to a strange booking website that was in another currency. Overall, not ideal, but it could be a way to save money if you pay close attention to the details.
- Catamaran: A friend of mine living in Spain recently bought a 32-foot catamaran that she will now sail to the Caribbean. She works online and plans to wait out the pandemic bouncing around the islands on her floating home. Sounds cool to me!
- India: Thanks to an email, I learned about two initiatives this week. Football (soccer) has become a surprising outlet for child brides in India, giving them a newly found confidence to stand up for their rights. And in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, one inventor generates electricity for several villages using...pine needles.
My 2020 Day of the Dead experience! |
AROUND THE WORLD In East Iceland, the Studlagil Canyon is repeatedly mentioned as a hidden gem and it's very easy to see why. The Tumpak Sewu Waterfalls in Java, Indonesia seems like something out of a fairy tale. In Bulgaria, the "Eyes of God" is clearly the suitable nickname for the Prohodna Cave and I can state from experience that the Bungle Bungle Range in the Purnululu National Park of Western Australia is as incredible as it looks in those photos! VERY NICEUnlike last time around, Kazakhstan has now embraced the new Borat movie, using the film's "Very nice!" line as its tourism slogan. "Kazakhstan. Very nice!" is front and center on their new tourism promotions. ANTIGUA, BARBUDA AND MAURITIUSAdd Antigua and Barbuda to the destinations welcoming remote workers as well as the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius. The Antigua and Barbuda visa costs $1500 and seems more complicated to get but the Mauritius one seems quite straightforward. See you at the beach! And finally.... |
I'm a huge fan of Wes Anderson movies. And I was thrilled to find the Accidentally Wes Anderson Instagram account that posts gorgeous locations around the world that could easily have been from a Wes Anderson movie. To say I love this, is an understatement! |
Stay positive. Everything will be okay! Regards,
Derek (my middle name is Earl) *If you received this email from someone else and want to sign up, just visit A Life of Travel. |
Travel Insurance - Be sure to check out Safety Wing, my personal favorite for incredibly affordable travel insurance. Cruise ship jobs - While cruise lines are not hiring right now, they will be hiring thousands of new crew members once they start up again. My popular e-Guide How to Work on a Cruise Ship will help you get a rewarding job on board a cruise ship once the time is right. |
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