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It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter! update Back in my earlier travel days, I worked on board the cruise ships Pride of America and Pride of Hawaii for almost two years. I was the Tour Manager. Each week, we would go round and round the Hawaiian islands, sometimes stopping in the country of Kiribati as well. The historic town of Lahaina, on Maui, was a favorite port of mine during those years. Our ship had to anchor off the coast and small tender boats took everyone to shore. I was always on the first boat so that I could meet with our local tour operators before the guests arrived. That short morning boat ride, with such spectacular scenery all around and such a quaint town getting closer and closer, was enough to make the day worthwhile. After I finished my work with the tour operators, I always had the same routine - walk along Front Street, enjoy a Hawaiian plate lunch at a local restaurant, visit an art gallery, sip a coffee under the shade of that beautiful banyan tree, another walk along the coast and a quick dip in the stunning blue water. Then I would return to the cruise ship, happy as can be. To see Lahaina completely destroyed by fire is devastating, and almost impossible to comprehend. I deeply feel for everyone whose lives have been upended and can only hope that the town returns again with as much spirit as it had before. --- Last week I took a trip to Las Vegas and Denver. The trip itself was wonderful. I hung out with friends in Vegas while attending the Star Trek Convention. It was my second time attending this convention and while I know nothing about Star Trek (not even after attending the convention the first time!), my friends do and the experience is always a fun one. We also managed to squeeze in a meal at The Modern Vegan (so good!), Viva Las Arepas (one of my all time favorite places to eat) and Chef Kenny's Vegan Dim Sum (I'm not vegan but I love this restaurant too) and we did a Star Trek-themed escape room one night. Overall, it was a most successful stay. On the way back to North Carolina, I stopped in Denver to see a good friend for 1.5 days. It was short but full of good people, good coffee, good scenery and a mighty nice morning stroll around the most lovable town of Boulder. With all that said, my flight experience from Raleigh, NC to Las Vegas at the start of the trip was, once again, messy to say the least. Here's my social media post with a full rundown of the absurdity that caused me to almost miss my flight: Raleigh to Vegas mess --- Now that I'm back here in Raleigh, I've made it a point to visit a different nature preserve or state park every day. I pick one (luckily there are many nearby) and off I go for a 1-3 hour hike, depending on the trail. Spending this time in nature is part of the reason I moved here and it will now be a vital part of my routine. It's what keeps me sane during this experiment of living in the US! What part of your regular routine helps keep you sane? Hit reply and let me know! new podcast (part 2)
Part 2 of my guest appearance on Sheri Zevenbergen's "The Dash Mindset" podcast has now been released. During this episode, we continue our chat about all kinds of travel topics and this current period in my home country!
Holafly eSIM (Discount) After mentioning the very useful eSIM company Holafly a few weeks ago, they gave me a discount code to share. Their easy to use eSIMs offer travelers a reliable data connection on your phone, wherever your adventures take you. *Take 5% off any Holafly purchase with the code: WANDERINGEARL. Travel Dress Shoes? I was recently sent a pair of the Oaka "Modern Dress Shoe". I was skeptical, but these comfy, travel-friendly shoes actually would have been perfect to wear at my friends' wedding in Romania a couple of months ago. They fold up and take up almost no space. If you might suddenly need to dress up during your travels, these are ideal. Plug Adapters Prices This drives me nuts. Travel plug adapters should not cost more than $2 or $3. You can usually buy them in your destination for that amount (or even less) and in many cases, they're the exact same ones that cost $15 or more at home. Even the fancy ones, with multiple outlets, USB ports and more, can still be found in markets and local shops for a few dollars. around the globe
💱 Income Per MonthTake a look at how different families live around the world on different incomes, ranging from $27 per month in Burundi to $15,000 per month in France. 🌐 An Ode to Internet CafesThis was my favorite read this week. If you remember visiting internet cafes during your travels, here's an article dedicated to the last remaining internet cafes out there, from Kathmandu to Lagos to Mexico City and beyond! 🕺 A Tiny NightclubIf you're in Berlin, you can visit the world's smallest nightclub, located inside of a telephone booth. There's plenty of room inside...for two people. 🏝️ Abandoned IslandsDuring the next trip you take, there may be a chance to visit one of these abandoned islands as an activity a bit off the beaten path. 📘 Beware of GuidebooksA recent NYT article highlights a growing scam in which AI-generated travel guides are being sold on Amazon, complete with useless information and fake authors. If you're going to buy a travel guidebook, make sure it's from a reputable company! (If you don't have a NYT account, here's the short version of the article.) 🇧🇷 Brazil Visas are BackStarting October 1st, US, Canadian and Australian citizens will once again need to apply for a visa in order to enter Brazil. The process can be completed online and will cost $160 USD. 🌏 All the CountriesTorbjorn Pederson recently completed a 10 year adventure like no other. He visited all 195 countries without taking a single flight. where in the world?
The location of the photo from my last newsletter was guessed correctly by more people than ever before! So, a big congratulations is going out to - Jennifer C, D, Mike, Kevan, Eileen, Rhona, Ann, Steve, Gilbert, William B, Gillian, Eldon, Cheri, Kate, Sue, Jennifer M, Malcolm, Sheila, John, Karin, Talek, Anne, Douglas, Neil, Therese, Teddy, Rebecca, Mark, Rafael, Cathy, Orit, Cassandra, Rebekah, Todd, Cheryl, Robert, Ellen, Jennifer S and Scott! This photo was taken while we were riding along the Avenida de Maceo / Malecon in Havana, Cuba!
This week's photo:
It's time to guess...where was the below photo taken?
If you have a guess (the more specific the better), click reply and let me know. Anyone who guesses correctly will be mentioned in next week's newsletter! |
Thank you so much for reading!
Derek
(my middle name is Earl) |
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