Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	September 2010
Destination Good for	Sightseeing, Adventure/Hiking, Pictures
Best Time to Go	Always hot – though winter (Dec-Feb) is most comfortable
Currency/Conv. Rate	Brazilian Real & Argentinean Peso
Good Way to Get Around	Rent Car: Yes	Public: Yes	Taxi: Yes	Walking: No
Appox. Trip Cost	Fairly Inexpensive
Speaks English?	Many
Entry Requirements	Passport and Visa for Brazilian side (must already have)
Do it	Every inch of both sides of the park Parque das Aves Bird Sanctuary(Brazilian side) Helicopter Tour (Brazilian Side) Waterfall boat tour & St. Martin Island (Argentinean side)
Skip it	Not bringing Mosquito Repellent
Didn’t get to do	4×4 safari
Would I Recommend	Absolutely Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

Although situated between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, the falls themselves only exist in Brazil and Argentina. I’m not aware of any international flights originating outside of South America that flight directly to the falls, so the most popular connection points are from Rio, São Paulo, or Buenos Aries. From these spots, you can take domestic flights which are around the 2 hour mark. If in Brazil, you would fly into Foz do Iguaçu – the city that lines the Brazilian border of the falls. If coming from Argentina, you would fly into Puerto Iguazu – city that lines the falls on the Argentinean side. A bridge separates the two sides with each country’s flags painted along the bridge up to the midway point. Allow at least 30 minutes for your first border crossing, though subsequent crossings take less time to complete (you are still at the mercy of the lines to get to the checkpoint – which can be long).

Since I flew in from Rio into the Brazilian FOZ airport and drove across the border into Argentina, I did not have to pay the $130 reciprocal fee (it is only charged to US citizens on international arrivals at Buenos Aires’ EZE airport). There are also no visa fees for US citizens visiting Argentina. Special note to Americans attempting to visit the Brazilian side of the falls – you will need a visa. The visa is $140 for US citizens and cannot be paid at the border (there is a ridiculously long process that must be completed at one of their embassy/consulates in the US – either in person or by mail). There are stories on the web of the Brazilian border agents looking the other way and allowing entry – I wouldn’t base my vacation on the hope you find the ‘right’ agent to put their job on the line for you. Don’t ruin your plans by showing up with no visa, they will likely turn you away and even if they don’t; I suspect you’ll still need to cough up the $140 US and wait who knows how long for them to process the application. Since I was coming from Rio and already had my visa, this was a non-issue. You have been warned!

Regardless of whether you stay on the Brazilian or Argentinean side of the falls, there are only three hotels that are really close to the park (two are actually in the park itself). Just understand you will pay dearly for this convenience – $500 a night isn’t unheard of. The remainder of the hotels are around a 15-25 minute drive to the falls and many of them are complete dumps (at least from the outside as I drove by). Use Trip Advisor to find a highly rated boutique hotel; if someone says the property looked rundown or grimy – believe them. In terms of transportation, both airports have the usual Avis, Eurocar, etc. rental car agencies.

Finally the weather – it’s hot. And humid. And hot. With a shit load of mosquitoes. And hot! Even in the dead of winter – the temperature is still around 80-85 degrees so you’ll need plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. In addition, head to toe bug spray is a must, as well as, synthetic clothing that wicks moisture away and dries quickly. The absolute worst thing you could do is wear denim/cotton jeans and cotton tee-shirt – once you get wet, you’ll never dry off. Did I mention it was hot???

The Falls

Here is a brief history of the falls mostly taken from Wikipedia:

Iguazu Falls (Iguaçu Falls in Portuguese) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The name “Iguazu” comes from the Guarani or Tupi words meaning “water”, and ûasú [waˈsu], meaning “big”. Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The largest waterfall in the entire park Devil’s Throat – is a U-shaped, 82-meter-high, 150-meter-wide, and 700-meter-long waterfall with its primary views being on the Brazilian side. Approximately two-thirds of the remaining waterfalls are on the Argentinean side.

You can visit both parks in a single day without rushing even in the winter when it gets dark earlier – you will just have to make two concessions. The first is you will need to hire a cab or rent your own car. I hired a driver for the entire day for 300 Argentinean Pesos (about $75) – not too expensive. You can certainly take the public bus system, however this is a considerably slower method. The second thing you’ll have to accept is you will be at the mercy of the weather. Neither of the parks will close unless there is severe lightening – but it’s difficult to take pictures and enjoy one’s self in a thunderstorm. Obviously if you have more than one day this is a non-issue.

If you are going to do both parks in a day, I’d suggest starting on the Brazilian side because it is the shorter experience due to the trail essentially being in a straight line. The Argentinean side is more expansive – meaning multiple falls, multiple levels, and more walking. Unfortunately, the two park’s entrances are not close to each other. It takes about 20 minutes to drive between the two entrances excluding the time it takes to cross the border (which can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour). The entrance fee to Argentinean side is 100 AR$ per person (half off 2^nd consecutive day) and 37 R$ to enter the Brazilian side.

The Brazilian Side

By far, the key attraction on the Brazilian side (and perhaps the entire falls) is Devil’s Throat. Several color coded buses are lined up just after the entrance to the park and all follow the same route; however each color indicates where that bus will stop. I forget the color bus I took (Blue I think), but get on the one that takes you to the very end of the route (the one with the gift shop, restrooms & first aid center). This will put you beyond Devil’s Throat where the rivers come together before the falls. Going this route has a few advantages, one – most people get off on the previous stop which is a direct line to Devils Throat’s platform. Going to the next stop eliminates most of that traffic. Secondly, starting at the top of the maze means you will be walking against traffic (particularly if you go in the morning). When everyone is walking in the same direction, it almost becomes like standing in line for hours. Going against this traffic usually means there are fewer people in front of you making your viewing faster and a little less annoying. Finally, following this tip means most of your walk on the Brazilian side will be slightly downhill (obviously a little easier than going in the other direction).

Similar to the Grand Canyon, pictures of Devil’s Throat (or any part of the falls) just doesn’t do it justice. You really can’t comprehend the scale and massive power of millions of gallons of water blasting over the edge of a cliff unless you are standing right next to it. Devil’s Throat’s lower viewing platform is by far the most exhilarating viewing platform in the entire park. From the end of the platform, you stand literally just yards away from the aforementioned millions of gallons of water splashing down with such intensity that a constant spray (nearly a shower) of water blankets the platform. You will get drenched! I strongly suggest using a parka (cheap ones are available in the gift shop) to provide some shelter for your camera/camcorder. As for the view itself, it’s just stunning!!!

I was able to get through the Brazilian side of the park at a leisurely pace in about two hours as going early and against traffic really helped. There is also a Jungle Safari and ATV tour offered on the Brazilian side. Looking at the park, there’s not an abundance of giant animals (there’s a few birds and plants) and the online reviews weren’t so hot, so I skipped them both. Just outside of the Brazilian side of the falls are two very good attractions worthy of consideration:

• Pacquo Bird Park – Less than a 5 minute walk from the park entrance is this fascinating zoo with over 50 species of birds – everything from ostriches, flamingos, parakeets and toucans. Entrance was only $R18 and definitely worth an hour of your time.
• Helicopter Tour – Literally across the street from the bird park, this is a great way to get pictures/video of both sides of the falls from a completely different perspective. The 8-10 minute flight around the entire falls is only $R150 per-person.

The Argentinean Side

Upon entering the Argentinean side of the falls, you’ll be directed to the train that will take you to the Upper and Lower levels that departs about every 20 minutes or so. Free maps of both levels are available at the entrance of the park.

The Lower Level

The lower level is certainly the most rewarding section of the Argentinean falls – but also the most challenging. There is significant walking – up and down stairs/hills – you must be physically fit to do this section. There are literally signs stating pregnant women, people with heart/breathing conditions and/or other physical limitations are prohibited. This section is certainly not wheelchair accessible. If you are able to successfully navigate the maze, you will find some of the most amazing natural views on the planet.

In addition to walking over, under and around several waterfalls, the bottom of the lower level opens up an entirely different experience – a boat adventure. This high-powered jet boat takes around 40-50 passengers for a thrilling ride up and down the river and almost under one of the giant waterfalls. While it’s too dangerous to actually go under any of the waterfalls, you will get close enough to feel the thunder and power of millions of gallons of water crashing down just feet from the boat. And you will get totally drenched – a perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day. Tip: if you want to get more wet (like drenched down to the under garments) – sit on left side of boat since it continuously makes right turns causing the left side to be closer the current waterfall. You will be significantly less wet if you sit on the right side of the boat – but like I said, it’s relative – everyone will get wet. The company does provide a waterproof wet bag for your camera and personal belongings. Due to the amount of water, you really need a waterproof camera if you want to take pictures during the ride – though the company is filming the entire adventure and will sell you a copy of the event (I don’t know that cost since I used my own camera).

Once finished with the boat ride, I took a 60 second ferry across the river to St. Martin Island. The ferry and admittance to the island is free and you’ll land right on shore which has about 100 yards of sandy beach. If you have the stamina, there’s a steep walk up a ridge that will expose you to eye level and downward facing shots of one of the Argentinean side’s largest waterfalls (the same one I went under on the boat ride). There are several more observation decks on the island – many close enough to the falls that water splashes right over the viewing platform. Be mindful of the time; the last ferry departs from St. Martin at 4pm and I have no idea what happens if you miss that boat. There’s no walkway and trying to swim across is the fastest way to earn a spot in the local obituaries.

The Upper Level

The upper level offers the best panoramic views of the entire national park – meaning almost all of the Argentinean side’s falls, as well as, Devils Throat itself. The Argentinean Devil’s Throat viewing platform certainly isn’t as awe-inspiring as the Brazilian side’s near sea level perspective – but it’s an interesting vantage point nonetheless. The Brazilian side’s Devil’s Throat observation deck is at the bottom of the massive fall – the Argentinean side’s platform is a few hundred feet above the falls – looking down on the platform at other tourists getting drenched from the mist.

I can’t remember the Brazilian side having more than 5 or so official viewing platforms (I’m sure there’s more) but the Argentinean side’s Upper Level has over 20 extremely beautiful observation decks. One of the cool things about this side of the falls is the number of rainbows to be found against the backdrops of the many falls. There were so many rainbows it got to the point where it was like, “oh yea, another rainbow”.

Which Side is Better?

Some may prefer the Brazilian side, which offers the largest/tallest single collection of falls (Devils Throat), as wells as, having access to the Pacquo bird park and the helicopter tour. The Brazilian side is also slightly easier to get around as the buses are color coded, depart with greater frequency and overall is easier to understand than the Argentinean side (because it’s a straight line with no connections or turns). On the other hand, while the Brazilian side may sport the largest, the Argentinean boosts significantly more waterfalls (most of them huge) with several more vantage points. In addition, the Argentinean side has a beach and boat ride that takes you near one of the giant waterfalls. I can see some people not being thrilled at the physical activity required of Argentinean side; if you are pregnant, have leg or back pains or just plain out of shape/lazy – you can forget the full Argentinean experience – particularly the Lower Falls. At the end of the day, it’s certainly a matter of choice. I strongly suggest visiting both sides of the falls; it’s the perspectives and vantage points of the water/cliffs that make all of the difference.

In closing

This is one of those places where the phrase ‘pictures just don’t do it justice’ is 100% accurate. The size and scale of this behemoth can only truly be experienced in person. Certainly worthy of a trip – in fact – it was the highlight of my South American tour. No offense to Rio’s Christ the Redeemer – but to me Iguazu Falls is the real New Wonder of the World in Brazil. If you are already visiting Rio, São Paulo, or Buenos Aries, I’d strongly suggest adding a few more days to your itinerary to make this trip – even if it’s just for a single day. Simply awe inspiring!!

Next, off to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay – a UNESCO world heritage site.



Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	September 2010
Destination Good for	Beach, Party, Picture Taking
Best Time to Go	Always hot – though winter (Dec-Feb) is most comfortable
Currency/Conv. Rate	Brazilian Real / 1 BRL = .60 USD – Favorable
Good Way to Get Around	Rent Car: No	Public: Yes	Taxi: Yes	Walking: Yes
Appox. Trip Cost	Moderately Expensive
Speaks English?	Some, tourist areas mainly
Entry Requirements	Passport – $140 Visa fee for Americans
Do it	The Beaches – Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon Sugarloaf Christ the Redeemer/Tijuca National Park Hang Gliding off of Corcovado Mountain
Skip it	Walking around with expensive jewelry/electronics
Didn’t get to do	Wasn’t able to attend my first in-person Soccer (Futbol) match. Party with the locals Samba school / Carnival rehearsal
Would I Recommend	Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

If you are a US citizen, unfortunately you will have to go through a somewhat laborious and expensive Brazilian visa process. The expense is mostly due to the US State Department’s insistence on charging Brazilian citizens the equivalent of $140 US for visa/entry fees to visit this country. The Brazilians (and many other South American countries) have imposed a ‘Reciprocal Fee’ in response. To make matters worse, the Brazilian tourist visas are controlled by regional agencies, e.g., the Boston consulate handles parts of the northeast, Los Angeles would handle Southern California and I’m stuck with the Atlanta consulate – which to be kind – has the worst website ever. Half of the content is in Portuguese the other in English with no conversion utility, some content lives on Brazilian servers (which some browsers deem as a security threat) and no way to telephone anyone if you have a question. Assuming you can navigate this mess of a portal; you complete the application online, schedule a face-2-face visit, turn over your passport photos, current passport and 160 bucks and return in a few hours to pick-up your visa. The most important thing to understand is that unlike many other countries, you cannot get the Brazilian visa on arrival; you will be turned away and put back on a US bound flight at your own expense (most airlines won’t even let you board the plane without the visa).

Getting In and Around

To me, the best season to visit Rio is during its winter (June through August) where the average temperature is around the 80s F. Summer temperatures (90s-100s F) along with the humidity may be a little unbearable for some – especially if you are in a crowded area like during Carnival celebrations. Rio is a fairly large city of 6 million residents within over 450sq miles – though most visitors will stay downtown (if traveling for business) or in the Zona Sul (South Zone) if you are doing the tourist thing. Unfortunately, there isn’t a train from Rio’s Galeão International Airport (GIG) into Zona Sul so you’ll either need to take a bus/shuttle, taxi (expensive) or rent a car – all of which will take you 45min to an hour depending on traffic. ‘Depending on traffic’ is really a misnomer – traffic is always bad in Rio from what I can tell and what the locals have said. If you intend on visiting the city during any of the upcoming large events (Carnival, Olympics, etc.) – keep in mind the traffic is likely to be exponentially worse than normal since there are only 2 train stops for the entire Copacabana and Ipanema beach areas – limiting the ability for the city to accommodate the extra crowds.

In terms of navigating the city once in from the airport, Rio’s train system will drop you within walking distance of most attractions or within a short bus ride (Rio has an excellent public transportation system). Interestingly, many/most of the buses don’t have automatic card readers or cash acceptors – they have human cashiers. They literally have one person to drive the bus and another who sits at a cashier’s desk next to a turnstile that takes your money. Wow – now that’s a jobs plan! There are tons of taxis in Zona Sul should you need them, just beware they can turn out to be expensive due to the time just sitting in traffic.

My suggestion is not to worry about staying in a beachfront property. You won’t be able to step out of your hotel’s door and onto the sand; the beaches are separated by 4 lane avenues (almost expressways) – so there’s really no reason to pay more for a beachfront hotel unless you are dying to have an ocean view from your room. Even if your hotel is 10 blocks from the beachfront – we are talking about a 5-10 minute walk at the most. Officials say don’t drink the tap water and most locals have filters in their home faucets or drink bottled water (something to do with the sewer system).

One last note, it was election season while I was in Brazil and I learned it is compulsory (required) for every eligible citizen to vote. In fact, Brazilian citizens cannot renew their passports, get a job, leave the country and a host of other things if they do not prove they have voted in the last election. Imagine how the US political system would be different if everyone was required to vote. Ponder than for a moment. In any case, it was fairly interesting to witness that politicians are the same no matter where you go.

The Sites

• The Beaches – There are several beaches in and around Rio; the most popular for tourists are Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon which are within walking distance of the Zona Sul. Copacabana is the largest and probably the most famous; followed by Ipanema and Leblon. On Sundays, many of the main arteries that line the beaches are closed to street traffic. Two piece bikinis and Speedo boxers are all the locals wear – anything else and you are immediately tagged as a tourist. The turquoise to light blue water is simply stunning to look at, though sometimes the beaches are closed due to fecal runoff after heavy storms (Yuk). You’ll see everything from volleyball and soccer matches, surfers, ad-hoc beach parties, workout stations and plenty refreshments stands selling fresh coconut water.
• Sugarloaf Mountain – During the time when sugar cane was Brazil’s primary export, the refined sugar was packed into bread like loaves for shipment – which is where the mountain got its name. The mountain itself is a combination of granite and quartz and is one of Rio’s most popular attractions. Getting to the top of the mountain is a two stage cable car ride. The first leg takes you to 700 feet to Urca Hill where you’ll find a few restaurants, exhibits, Helisight’s helipad and several vantage points of the city for those unable/unwilling to ascend to the next stage. A glass egg-shaped 360-degree view cable car takes you to the second stage of the mountain at 1,300ft. Facing the city at this point, you can clearly see Copacabana beach on the left, Christ the Redeemer straight ahead, the downtown skyline to the right and airplanes takeoff/land from the small airport (Santos Dumont I think) on the far right. The cable car ride is R$30 per person to the top roundtrip. I suggest going an hour or so before sunset, as you can start off with a helicopter tour on stage one then ascend to stage two to take pictures while the sun is still up, wait 20min or so and start taking night pictures. Rio’s skyline really comes alive after dark.
• Tijuca National Park – The largest urban national park/rainforest in the world – it literally spans over 12 miles smack dab in the middle of the city (over the city actually). They say that the rainforest actually pulls heat away from the rest of the city – lowering the temperature by up to 9 degrees. Inside of the rainforest, there are dozens of nature trails, exotic birds, a few animals (many not native to Brazil) and over 35 waterfalls. You can take public transportation to the park; however, at least 3 people (the concierge at the hotel strongly advised against it) stated the neighborhood around the park entrance isn’t the safest. So I booked a tour with Jeep Tour which conducted a 4 hour tour of the park complete with hotel pickup/drop-off for R$80 per person. Corcovado (“hunchback” in Portuguese) Mountain is technically part of the park and is the giant granite hump that holds the Christ the Redeemer statue.
• Christ the Redeemer – At over 130ft tall and another 30ft wide, it is probably the most photographed landmark in all of Brazil. Sitting atop the peak of Corcovado Mountain, on a clear day you can take excellent panoramic photos that include the Tijuca Rainforest, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches, Maracanã stadium, downtown Rio, the lagoon and Sugarloaf Mountain. The monument has been voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. No need to pay for a tour, take the train to Borafogo station then bus #422 to the Cable Car/Tram entrance. The trams costs R$36 roundtrip and takes about 20 minutes to get to the top.
• Forte de Copacabana – Built right before World War I, the Copacabana Fort was built to protect the city from invading navies. In addition to the giant overhead cannon, there’s a museum with a few relics including the barracks and ammunition storage areas (no pictures inside); as well as, a number of artillery guns scattered across the grounds. The excellent views of the Copacabana beach and its skyline alone are worth the R$4 admission.
• Santa Teresa Historic District – A neighborhood in Rio that is popular with the artist and tourist crowds due to the architecture originating as far back as the 17^th century. The primary draw however is the Santa Teresa Cable Car/Tramway that starts downtown and passes over the Carioca Aqueduct (Aqueduto da Carioca). I read there was a mudslide that ruined some of the tramway’s tracks, so I skipped it during my visit; but it should be repaired by now.

Next Page: Things To Do

Design

Unlike my Nemo 200, the HD320 doesn’t take any more space than a regular scuba mask – so there’s no need for me to bring along (and pay for) an additional piece of luggage. Even though the build quality of the HD320 feels sturdy, the fact that it’s mostly plastic may not make it suitable for extreme cold water dives. The HD320 comes in two sizes – medium and large and you can get it in any color you like – so long as it’s blue. I don’t personally have a problem with this, but I know several divers who believe looking good (read: color coordination) is just as important as actually diving well – and blue may not go with that day’s outfit. SMH….

On the front of the tempered viewing glass are two crosshairs designed to help you line up shots underwater. I will talk about how well the crosshairs do/don’t work in the performance section, but I can say that once the mask is on your eyes automatically focus past the crosshairs and you don’t notice them. Each side of the unit stores two of the 4 required AAA batteries – which should provide around 2 hours worth of video recording. I initially thought the use of AAA batteries instead of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries was pretty lame – but the concept has grown on me and I’m actually glad Liquid Image decided to go this route (no doubt cost had something to do with it as well). If I ever forget my rechargeable AAAs or one of them becomes damaged – I could just run to any supermarket and pickup replacement alkaline versions – something I couldn’t do with Lithium batteries. The top of the mask includes the water tight compartment with a microSD card slot and a mini-USB jack for playing videos onto a HDTV. The cap to this compartment also serves as the holding space for the optional blue/green water filters while not in use.

The top-right side of the unit holds a single rocker lever that powers the device on/off, as well as switches the mode between ‘Picture’ and ‘Video’ modes. I don’t generally use the picture function – simply because there’s no way you can tell if you got the shot with the mask on underwater. It’s easier to just take video and create snapshots from it using software. To turn the mask on, you press and hold the left side of the rocker until you hear the beep. The inside of the mask contains an LCD status panel which displays the remaining battery life, number of videos/pictures recorded and the SD card status. Once the mask is on, pressing the left side of the toggle will switch it between video to picture modes. Even though you cannot see any of the LCD information while the mask is on, you’ll know what mode it’s in because there’s a giant light inside of the mask. Red means it’s in picture mode and Blue means it’s in video mode. To start recording or to take a picture, press the right side of the rocker lever and the mask light will flash red once if taking a picture or continuously flash blue when shooting video.

Features

Using a camera housing underwater can be annoying as it tends to affect your buoyancy control and make your arms tired from holding them out in front to film. Other times, you want (or need) your hands to be free for safety reasons or to pick something up – like a shark’s tooth (never touch the coral). A video camera embedded in your mask eliminates all of these problems – freeing you up to enjoy the dive. Just press the record button and every direction your face is pointed the unit will record. When you have finished your dive, you can transfer the video manually to your computer or connect the included component video cable directly to any HDTV and watch the video from the mask. The HD320 also has a built-in microphone – though it records a mono soundtrack – not stereo or simulated surround sound. To me, this is not that big of deal since there’s very little to record underwater except the gurgling of your own regulator. Here’s the roundup of the Liquid Image HD320’s features:

Captures 720p 16:9 HD video as well as 5MP digital still images Waterproof down to recreational diver limit of 130ft Stores video/pictures to micro-SD cards (up to 32GB accepted) Built-in microphone and can connect to TV for direct playback Blue/Green water filters and side torch lamps available

The HD320 records to h.264 .mov format at 30 frames per second standard NTSC video. The resulting video is 1280×720 progressive scanned in 16:9 aspect ratio; there is no option to downgrade recording quality to fit more video on a microSD card. The HD320′s 5 megapixel camera creates images that are 2592×1944 pixels. You can record one hour of video for every 2GB of SD Card space you have available – so an 8GB SD Card will allow you to record about 4 hours of video. The HD320 supports up to 16 GB micro-SD cards and comes with the Windows® only ArcSoft video editing software (something I admit I never bothered even using it since Cyberlink PowerDirector does such a good job producing videos for this site). Keep in mind in order to play the HD video produced by the HD320 on your computer, it will need to be a relatively recent dual-core machine – most Netbooks will struggle to play these files correctly.

Performance

The first thing you notice when you put on the HD320 is that you really don’t notice it; which is to say it doesn’t feel any different than most any other scuba mask. It is not heavy or unbalanced – nor does it feel cheap or overly plastic. I’ve taken the HD320 down to 85ft and there was no indication of leaking in the battery/memory card compartments whatsoever. Assuming you get the correct size for your face – you shouldn’t experience any in-mask leakage either.

All of these features sound pretty good on paper, but none of this matters if the camera embedded in the mask doesn’t work, leaks, takes awful recordings or you can’t line the shot up properly. If the resulting video is overly dark, pixilated, choppy, stutters, has sound/action sync errors or cannot properly or quickly focus on the subject in front of it – using it is a complete waste of time and money. Luckily, the HD320 was more than adequate in each of these categories – at least in optimum lighting conditions. In well lit conditions (near surface dives or external light source), the HD320’s automatic white balance does a good enough job not to overexpose most shots. Even in caves, the recorded video was somewhat grainy due to lack of light – but no pixilation or choppiness.

One accessory I strongly suggest is blue/green water filters. Attaching the $50 accessory adds the lost red back into the video and overall just makes all the colors in the video pop. Warning: the color filters require two adhesive stickers to mount onto the camera – the second is hidden inside of the base. Since there’s no instruction manual included with the filters, not attaching both plates will make the filter become unattached from the base while in the water – guaranteed. I lost one filter while in Thailand and almost another in Nassau. Liquid Image could do a better job with instructions and/or pointing this out in a FAQ section on their site. If you are going to a depth beyond what a color filter can do for you, then you can add the optional side torches at $80 apiece (I have not used the side-torches). Even though the aspect ratio of the video is widescreen 16:9, the depth of field is only 54 degrees – making the resulting video appear slightly narrow. Here is some footage from my Phuket, Thailand, Cape Town, South Africa, Coco Beach, Costa Rica and Portobelo, Panama dives taken with the Liquid Image HD320 scuba mask.

The major drawback to an on-face camera is you can’t adjust the video settings underwater like you can with some dedicated camcorders in housings, such as zoom, white balance, etc. while underwater. This puts you in the position of filming everything and ‘hoping’ the resulting video turns out okay. For the most part, everything did – but I had a difficult time lining up shots using the crosshairs on the front of the mask; in many of the shots I was filming too high. My suggestion is to practice with the mask in a pool or even just walking around the house to better gauge the recording angles. Another thing you have to account for is the mask may vibrate every time you exhale. I’ve found that I can alleviate most of this by remembering to ‘breath’ out through my regulator – not ‘blow’. Another tricky situation you have to manage is the bubbles that float to the surface from your regulator as you exhale. If you are looking down, your exhaust will likely rise to the surface from around your neck. On the other hand, if you are looking straight ahead or up – the bubbles will likely rise right in front of your face – possibly obscuring whatever it is you are filming. Some high-end regulators route the bubbles behind you – otherwise, you’ll need to make sure whatever it is you are filming is in frame while you are inhaling (never hold your breath while diving). Finally, the mask will record the direction your head is pointed – not your eyes. During my first several videos, I was still relatively new to scuba diving – so my head jerked back and forth so often during the dives that watching the resulting video made me nauseous. Obviously, your mileage may vary.

Final Thoughts

The HD320 along with the Drift x170 are my two favorite travel gadgets. There is simply no reason for me to use my Nemo 200 anymore, the HD320 is just a better fit for my diving in every way – whether that’s decrease travel costs, keeping both hands free during diving or overall portability. Nothing is perfect – the sheer nature of the mask is not suited for extreme diving conditions or professional Videography/Photography. Also, the occasional mask vibration and bubbles from exhaling can sometimes impact recordings. That said, this is one of the coolest tech gadgets on the market – not just in terms of paper specs – but real-life execution. I understand Liquid Image will be introducing a new version of this scuba mask – this time with expanded recording angle and in any color you want – so long as it’s charcoal (something I’m sure the need to look good crew will appreciate). I can’t wait to see how they will improve on this excellent underwater gadget; until then…

Happy Travels!!

What some say is a valid way to learn about one’s self, another culture and possibly contribute in some way to that community’s plight; others see as an almost evil form of voyeurism in which the supposed benefits can be derived from direct contribution – either via money or labor – without the dignity robbing picture taking.  To add insult to injury, there are plenty of for profit businesses that make money providing organized ‘tours’ of these locations – some have been accused of not giving any money back to the communities they are taking advantage of.

So is Slum Tourism a Bad Thing?

First off, such a negative term is bound to cause a disapproving reaction when first hearing it.  Of course those who go on these excursions or promote and make money off them don’t use this terminology and feel they are unfairly targeted.  Even if you prefer the more diplomatic “Impoverished Areas Tour”, I’ve listed a few reasons why some choose to go on these types of excursions:

1. Social Awareness – Understanding how other parts of the world live allows you to put your current situation into perspective.  Throwing a hissy fit when the waiter puts the wrong dressing on you salad seems a bit silly when others are eating out of the public dump or sleeping in dirt floor huts with no inside plumbing.  In addition, getting first-hand knowledge about any subject is always better that someone else’s interpretation.  You can’t talk about changing the world if you’ve never actually been to the part of the world you are trying to change (it’s a credibility kinda thing).
2. Help That Community – Whether visiting on your own or as part of an organized tour, the money you spend may end up in the community.  Buying crafts from a local vendor or eating at a restaurant puts money directly into the hands of those that need it the most.  Obviously, direct contributions such as building homes, teaching at the local school, etc. are excellent ways to help the community – but that’s generally called “Volunteerism” e.g., you are staying for a bit – not leaving after you’ve gotten enough pictures.
3. Feel Better About One’s Self – Allows one to feel better about their relatively good lives and thank whomever they pray to for not been born in such conditions.  I know that sounds harsh to say, but we all know people who are not happy unless they feel superior to others.
4. Spreading the Word – Slums aren’t something that’s generally on the news or on television unless there have famous advocates, ala Sally Struthers in the 80s or George Clooney.  There is a strong correlation between those who’ve personally seen some of these conditions and have become advocates with the amount of monetary support received for that cause from individuals, communities and nations.
5. Historical Significance – While South Africa’s Soweto community just outside of Johannesburg is nowhere as bad as it used to be, it is slowly emerging from the oppression of the Apartheid era and the years of neglect, poverty and crime since its fall.  In my opinion, you really have to ‘see’ the bullet holes in Mandela’s house and dirt floor homes to truly understand how far they’ve come and how far the community has to go.

Now, reasonable people can debate the validity of the statements above but those are the driving forces as I see (have heard) them.  The most popular of the so called “Slum Tours” are conducted in Mumbai, India (think Slumdog Millionaire). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Soweto/Johannesburg, South Africa and very recently Port a Prince, Haiti and New Orleans, USA.  The counter arguments as to why one should skip these kinds of tours are as follows:

1. No Human Zoos – Perhaps the most damming reason not to do participate in so-called slum tours is to think of how the person you are ‘viewing’ feels about your presence.  What if someone walked into your house and took pictures of your dirty closest and posted them on their blog/Facebook for all of their friends to see, laugh and feel better about themselves?  There is no such thing as a Human Zoo – so taking snapshots of people struggling in their everyday lives is just awful.
2. Can’t Truly Understand – The world is an increasing small place – pick up a book, watch TV or research on the Internet if your goal is to learn something.  By all means, volunteer if you really want to help someone.  But at the end of the day – you can’t truly understand what it’s like to be in their position by taking any kind of tour.  Taking a tour to understand the plight of struggling people is like watching the Special Olympics to understand what it’s like to be a paraplegic.  You can certainly conceptualize and have strong feelings about their plight – but you can leave – they can’t.
3. Not a fair trade – What exactly do the subjects get out of these tours?  Many of these so called tour companies have been accused to making money off of human poverty but not doing anything to help those who are the source of their revenue.  You can see the conflict of interest right – if there was no slum, there be no slum tour business.   If you aren’t directly contributing in some way then you are participating in a human zoo.

This isn’t cable news; I’m not going to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t do something – my goal is to provide a little perspective so you can make your own decision.  My opinion is – you can’t really know (or talk about it) if you haven’t seen it yourself.

Some rules please

If you decide to visit an impoverished area, I think you have to follow some minimum levels of respect and decency while you are engaged.  In addition, poverty breeds crime – so watching out for your own personal safety is key.

1. You aren’t at a zoo!  Don’t take pictures of people or their property without their permission.  If in doubt, ask yourself before you take that picture if you were the person on the other end – how would you feel.
2. Try not to go alone.  Every person you encounter in the world isn’t decent; there are robbers, rapist and murderers in every walk of life and social economic class.  A “tour” isn’t necessary, but there is strength and safety in numbers.  Also, going into these areas at night is generally a bad idea.
3. If you can’t blend in (admittedly a difficult thing to do in many cases) – at least try not to be obnoxious in flaunting your relative wealth.  Lose the jewelry, designer fashions and the annoying electronic gizmos.
4. Even better – contribute to the situation – either volunteer or buy something directly from a street vendor.  This way, you know your time spent there has garnered some tangible benefit to someone’s life – albeit fairly small in the scheme of things.
5. If you go the “tour” route, try to choose a company that purports to re-invest at least some of the proceeds of their tours back into the community you are viewing.  Of course there’s little way you can validate these types of claims – but at least go for the ones that have done the bare minimum of claiming they do.
6. Have a reason to go beyond you just can.

So What About My Experiences

I have personally been to 3 places some would call “slums” – though only one of them was an actual tour.  For me, I wanted to see these areas that had either been talked about so frequently in news/commentary or had some kind of special meaning to me.  I visited the Favelas (Portuguese for “Slums”) in Rio, Soweto in South Africa and New Orleans exactly two years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

• Rio de Janeiro – I wanted to see if the city was truly all sunshine and bikini clad women we frequently see in advertisements or whether the other side as depicted in the movie “City of God” was more in-line with the reality.  I took an organized tour to two local Favelas which purported to return portions of each tour’s proceeds to the construction of a school – amongst other things.  What I found were working class folks who were very prideful and determined to make the best of a trying situation.  As my guide put it – very few people are living in ‘misery’ – there aren’t many people begging on the streets – but there are plenty of people willing to sell you arts/crafts/food they made themselves – of which I was happy to oblige.  Buildings on top of buildings, the most ingenious splicing of wires and what felt like a ‘make a way’ attitude where pleasant surprises – but didn’t obscure the very dangerous environment of one of the Favelas essentially being run by drug dealers.  For me, taking this tour provided me with a different perspective on the city; the beaches and bodies are what’s primarily pushed by the tourism industry (for obvious reasons) – but the reality is it can be a very dangerous place for those who are not aware and not constantly on guard.
• New Orleans – I know some people would take offense to calling a US city a slum – but it’s the conditions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that made it so.  Everything from the homelessness and displaced citizens, people dying of disease and starvation and even slum tours of the hardest hit areas.  My reason for going was I wanted to see what progress had been made since the disaster.  A common refrain from many US citizens is the government has lost its way – that it can no longer do big things or cares to do anything for certain classes of people.  At the time of my visit two years after the disaster, the recovery was moving fairly slowly.  There were still a ton of FEMA trailers throughout the affected areas, abandoned/unrepaired homes and garbage/debris in the streets.  While there was certainly some progress (specifically the new & improved levies) – it seemed most of the visible progress had been made by non-government entities and ordinary people taking matters into their own hands – like the Musician’s Village.
• Soweto – When I was child, there were calls to boycott US businesses that did business in South Africa due to Apartheid – a concept I didn’t even understand.  It wasn’t until many many years later that I gained a better understanding of this evil system affecting people who look like me in the ‘Motherland’.  I wanted to see the conditions (at least what’s left of them) native South-Africans were forced to endure from the hands of the Dutch, how far the community has come since the fall of Apartheid and how far it has to go in giving its citizens a decent quality of life.  Much of South Africa’s history as it relates to Apartheid can be found in and around the community of Soweto – from Mandela’s first house, the Apartheid Museum and the still standing ‘Shantytowns’.  An Apartheid leftover, many of these Shantytowns have dirt floors and no inside plumbing.  For me, I wasn’t much interested in the Shantytowns themselves (I never entered one) – but the community as a whole.  Soweto is often depicted as a giant dangerous eye sore – but is this really the case? Well – yes and no.  Yes – there is still a ways to go and it can be dangerous at night.  No – in that there are tons of thriving businesses and many of the shantytowns have been replaced by homes that look no different than those on the block I grew up on in the south side of Chicago (window bars and all).

In short, I wanted to have firsthand experience with the subject matter to truly understand the issues at hand.  One destination was about exposing the true (at least more nuanced) identify of a culture, another was about progress my government has made to fix its own neglect and the other an historical journey into a dark period of history (I was not aware of the US’ involvement in Apartheid until this trip).    These were my reasons, others may agree or disagree as to their validity; no matter – I implore you to think for yourself but be mindful of how you approach the situation.

As a side note, having these personal experiences may make you think about the perspectives you have about your own environment.  Here are a few perspectives I have gained/changed due to my travels:

1. It always tickles me (not in a good way mind you) when I hear dudes in the US talk about  how grimy and rough their ‘block’ is – as they stand on the corner wearing $100 Timberlands and sport jerseys.  Please.  Don’t get me wrong, poverty is a bitch and exists in full force in the US – but nowhere on the scale as some of the destinations listed above.  Just saying most of these dudes need a little perspective.
2. How resilient the human spirit is.  In all three of my experiences, people continue to strive to make the best out of whatever life throws their way.  It’s hard to watch these so called reality TV shows where 10 idiots are thrown into the most contrived situations, whine and complain about the silliest shit and form ad-hoc teams to vote each other out until a winner (I use this term extremely loosely) is determined.  It makes me want to drag these assholes off the set of these fake ass shows and throw them in a real 10 person one-room house with no inside plumbing.
3. Whenever I see someone touting a “hand-made rug” – the first thing that comes to my mind isn’t “that looks wonderful” – it’s “Slavery”.  Though certainly not confined to Egypt – my time spent on the outskirts of Cairo while visiting a rug factory was nothing more than a warehouse full of 6-13 year olds manning various rug making contraptions.  You see, little fingers are necessary to properly work the loom and position the material properly.  A quick Google search will turn up tons of articles where parents have sold their children into slavery to pay off debts – usually medical bills for the very child sold off.  Without seeing this myself, I doubt my reaction to the concept of a rug would be as it is today – even if I’d read it somewhere.  Seeing something like this with your own eyes has a more profound effect on one’s psyche – at least I think so.

In Conclusion

Child Carpet Workers

Will I go on another trip to an impoverished area? Maybe, but certainly not just for the sake of going. I plan on going to India but I don’t have any desire to visit the slums of Mumbai – no matter much Slumdog Millionaire romanticizes it. Actually seeing this particular environment won’t make me feel any better (worse actually), I have no personal or historical connection to the region and I’m not in a position to provide long-term volunteerism. As such, I won’t be talking about the region as if I’m some sort of credible resource on the subject.

The fact is I don’t see Slum Tourism going anywhere anytime soon.  As long as there are people willing to pay to see these environments, there will be some operator willing to offer the tour – whether they give back to the community they are making money off of or not.  As I said earlier, this isn’t cable news; I’m not going to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t do something – you’ll need to understand the different perspectives, do additional research (if necessary) and decide if it’s the best thing for you.

Happy Travels!!

So, here are my top five cemeteries I’ve experienced in my travels so far in alphabetical order.  Click the blue links to see full travel review of that city and click the images to see larger versions of the cemetery.

Tomb of the Unknowns

Cementerio de Colón

La Recoleta Cemetery

Lafayette No. 1 Cemetery

Tomb of Nefertari

Honorable mention goes to Savannah’s Bonaventure cemetery.  The above ground offerings in this costal town’s cemetery do not compare to the other cemeteries on this list – but in terms of shear creepiness, it can’t be beat.  Even in broad daylight, the way the trees are situated throughout the cemetery creates an eerie feeling.  Throw in the fog that commonly blankets the city and it’s no wonder “Ghosts Tours” in the cemetery are conducted almost every day of the year.

Tips for visiting cemeteries:

1. Wear comfortable shoes and long clothing; snakes and insects are fairly common in cemeteries – particularly those near water.
2. Be respectful; don’t leave trash anywhere in the cemetery, bring food to feed animals (or yourself) and try to keep the noise to a minimum.
3. Don’t touch – don’t move grave stones or family items (flowers, tokens, etc.) for any reason, especially to improve your shot.
4. Stay away from funerals in progress.  Even if you are viewing the New Orleans version, stay far enough away not to interrupt the proceedings.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but if you expand your horizons and give it a chance, I’m sure you’ll see why these can be one of the best parts of your vacation.  Someone once said “how you respect the departed is how you will treat the living”.  These five cemeteries are a good indication of how those societies felt and treated their populations.

Which cemeteries have you visited????



Travel Bloggers I Dig

	A View to a Thrill http://aviewtoathrill.net Where a strong desire to travel is merged with the reality of limited funds. Our goal is to help you sample the world at a fraction of the price.
	African American – Latino World http://ahorasecreto.blogspot.com I was born in St. Louis, MO, raised in New York City; studied at the State University of New York at Albany before serving on the U.S. Naval aircraft carrier USS Ranger in the Communications Division. Now, I live in Oakland, CA and work in San Francisco as a bilingual counselor.
	Around the World ‘L’! http://www.aroundtheworldl.com/ Lillie is a 29 year old, six foot tall Boston high school teacher who embarked on a nine month voyage around the world. Stop by to read her interesting takes on travel in far flung places like Laos, Ghana, Thailand, Spain and Cambodia – just to name a few.
	BlackAtlas http://www.blackatlas.com A unique online community that offers travel insights from an African-American perspective. Much of our content is from the African-American community itself. Members are business-focused, family oriented, socially active and explorers at heart. If you love traveling and have a sense of discovery, BlackAtlas may be for you.
	American Black Chick in Europe http://americanblackchickinlondon.blogspot.com Well, I’m American. And a black chick. In Europe. Join me as I contemplate whatever’s on my mind: interracial relationships/dating, the state of the black community, politics, my (pseudo) expat life, those crazy Europeans, whatever.
	BrownGirlsFly http://www.browngirlsfly.com HBrownGirlsFly (broun gûrlz flī) n., pl. – Two sisters, Chelle & Crystal, who are passionate about the art of travel and who obsess over languages & cultures, great deals, stretching our travel budget to the max, and inspiring others to start their own travel adventures.
	Fat Juicy Oyster http://www.fatjuicyoyster.com Have sass. Will travel!!!
	Fly Brother http://www.fly-brother.com I don’t experience the world via a culturally “neutral,” “color-blind,” “American” matrix. I live life in full color, just like I travel”. Pretty Fly!
	Haute Travels http://hautetravels.blogspot.com In this blog, I’ll take you along to haute destinations and boutiques that will make you forget all about your budget. I’ll also tell you about must-have beauty products for your travel bag that make you smile. It’s my way of leaving a global footprint around the world… and a little part of me with everyone that I meet.
	I’m Black and I Travel http://imblacknitravel.com For a long time, I wasn’t sure what to call this blog, until the day my wife told her co-workers how we go “wherever” and independently plan our own trips. They were stunned. “Is your husband white?” one asked. Just like that, I had a title. It’s your world. It’s time you had a look at it.
	Kiratiana Travels http://kiratianatravels.com In conjunction with the book, I decided to start a travel blog: Kiratiana Travels: Let a Black Girl Show You the World. I don’t just want to show people how to travel every other year….I want to do it EVERYDAY!
	MoTravels http://www.motravels.com/ From Amsterdam to Zanzibar on romantic rendezvous, family vacations, girlfriend getaways, solo sojourns or everyday expat experiences. Join her on her journeys!
	Oneika the Traveler http://www.oneika-the-traveller.blogspot.com High school teacher who loves to travel!! Lived for two years in France before moving to Monterrey, Mexico to teach for a year. Taught in Toronto for a year after that, then moved to Hong Kong to teach in August 2009. Read about my travel adventures!
	Outdoor Afro http://outdoorafro.com/ Outdoor Afro is a community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through recreational activities such as camping, hiking, biking, fishing, gardening, skiing — and more.
	Solo Friendly http://solofriendly.com I created this website so I could share my experiences on the road and what I’ve learned during my solo travels, provide useful links to online travel resources and generate some interest in solo travel among people who haven’t yet taken the plunge.
	Urban Travel Girl http://urbantravelgirl.com Ciao, and welcome to UrbanTravelGirl, a blog featuring my thoughts on black women living globally through international travel. I’m a passionate believer in the ability of travel to not only transform the way we see the world, but ourselves. I don’t believe in letting other folks define ME — and you shouldn’t, either!.

So there you have it – my Blogroll so far. If you think there are other excellent travel blogs that should be on this list, please let me know by adding a comment below. In the meantime, take a look at my Best Sites to Find Travel Deals, How to Avoid Scams and Travel Planning Sites I Like (save money) articles. As always, happy travels!

The first part of solo travel is actually being solo – or perhaps more accurately not married.  Traveling for work can strain even the best relationship, but consistently traveling for vacation without your spouse I would imagine would cause some issues.  Being single in the first place gives you ‘options’.  I’m frequently asked by folks at work; “how do you have the money to travel all over the world” or “Dude, I need to get on your compensation package”, etc.  Well, the simple fact is I don’t have the two biggest expenses most of my co-workers have – a spouse and kids.  I’m certainly not suggesting I’m better off than they are, it’s just that I can devote all of my discretionary income to one person – me.  The takeaway here is if this is your situation, take advantage of it while you can.

Tiger Temple

Good Things

• You won’t have to wait for anyone else to secure vacation time, save the money or argue about where to go or what to do.  Friends don’t want to jump in the water with sharks, no problem – hang out with the folks who do once you arrive.
• Once at your destination, you don’t have to wait for anyone to get dressed, complain they are tired or worry they don’t want to do what you want to do.
• Much more likely to meet new people when traveling solo as you’ll have the freedom to talk to anyone you want for whatever reason.  Being on a trip with someone typically involves giving most of your attention to that person.
• It’s usually easier to book last-minute tours/events as there is almost always space for 1 extra person.
• It’s almost impossible to get into an argument with yourself during your vacation.
• Unless it’s a fellas outing or the person you are with is okay going “Dutch” for everything, then paying for two people can get a little expensive.

Challenging Aspects

• Certain aspects ‘can’ be more expensive – usually when buying air + hotel packages.  Operators price these deals to attract two or more travelers – thus a ‘single supplement’ is charged to all solo passengers.  This additional fee can be anywhere from 5-30% of the price – in many cases negating the so called sale.
• Can get lonely – but that depends on where you are and why you are there.  If partying is your thing, you will only be as lonely as your game takes you.  If you are there to see the sites (museums, artifacts, etc) – it can get lonely in the evening.
• Unless you are a loner, humans generally need some form of social interaction.  There are varying levels of work involved with striking up conversations with strangers.
• Singles only events are sausage factories.  The steady feedback I get from male travelers on these ‘singles cruises’ is the odds are usually 45 men to 5 women.
• Constant or long-term travel can cause a little friction for the significant other left behind.

From my perspective, the advantages of solo travel outweigh the challenges.  Going solo certainly isn’t the best method for every trip; trips that are generally considered romantic in nature (Paris) or those geared towards children (Disney) are best left for couples and/or families.  For most other adventures, traveling by myself meant I could go wherever, whenever and with whomever I wanted.  That may sound a bit selfish, but the truth is it is quite liberating.

My Experiences

Here are a few of my solo travel experiences from the last year and my thoughts during those trips.

	Belgium – Brussels My first solo trip.  All of the concerns I’d held prior to the trip vanished almost immediately.  I was never lonely and there must be something about a guy with a video camera that sparks the craziest conversations.
	Las Vegas, NV Of all of the places in the US that are friendly to solo travelers, I’d think Vegas is somewhere near the top of the list.  With tons of day and nighttime activities, I was never bored in Vegas.
	Thailand – Bangkok, Phuket Due to the rioting in Bangkok and the amount of walking I did in Phuket, it was probably a good idea I was by myself.  Though I have to admit – the tiger temple tour and cooking classes were probably best experienced with someone else.
	Costa Rica – Liberia, Arenal and San Jose Traveling with someone wouldn’t have made the adventure any better/worse; my Liquid Image Scuba Mask and my Drift x170 head camera ensured I captured every zip-line, white water rafting and horseback adventure.  Still, I was almost a victim of robbery by two hot-chicks.
	South Africa: Johannesburg, Kruger National Park & Cape Town The only bad thing was the unusually cold night in a tree house in the middle of Kruger National park (could have really used a belly warmer).  The Table Mountain repelling, Shark Dive and innocent flirting with hotel front desk staff were right out of the solo traveler’s playbook.
	Panama – Panama City Traveling solo really helped with booking tours at the last minute.  Both my Atlantic Ocean scuba diving excursion and tour of Old Panama were sold out, but both operators made space for one more person.

I’ve met some interesting people traveling solo – both in person and virtually; that I would not have met if I were traveling with someone.  A few travel bloggers I’ve encountered who also do a good deal of solo travel include Gray from Solo Friendly, the Fly-Brother Ernest and Lillie from Around the World L.  The fact is there are tons of solo travelers at every destination who are looking to connect with like minded travelers like you.

Some Solo Travel Tips

Here are some travel tips which are unique to solo travelers (or are of greater importance);

• Solo travel for women can be safe, so long as you follow a few simple rules such as avoiding unwanted attention, avoid talking to strangers, not accepting drinks from anyone your don’t completely trust and staying in well-lit areas.  Solo travel for men is also getting much more dangerous, at least in terms of nightclub drugging robberies.
• Use Facebook, Twitter and TravelBlogExchange to meet new solo travelers in-route and at your destination.
• Hostels are an excellent way to meet like minded travelers, especially in the common areas.  While my free stays on the Hilton’s executive floor had every creature comfort one could desire, they were generally filled with old rich folks.  CouchSurfing is also an excellent way to meet people – though the lack of privacy may be a little off-putting to new solo travelers.
• Always carry identification – preferably a color copy of your passport.  Watch out for scammers.  Don’t tell your life story to complete strangers, feel free to omit or lie about specific details. In fact, don’t talk about personal information such as your last name, hotel room number, etc.
• Start a conversation.   Looking like a tourist is a double edged sword; while it certainly makes you more of a target – it also lets others know you may be in need of assistance – whether that be directions, help with the language or just someone to talk to.
• Remember to enjoy yourself – this is about living your life to the fullest!

Closing

Don’t let the fact you don’t have a partner influence where you want to go – properly prepare and go enjoy yourself!  As long as you follow the safety tips unique to solo travelers, you should be fine. Not waiting on someone else to go with you, doing whatever and whenever you want and the decreased travel costs are just a few of the benefits of going at it alone.  I’m not suggesting traveling by yourself is any better or worse than with someone else – it’s just different; call it liberating!!

» Part 1: History & Why You Need to Go
» Part 2: Getting There By Any Means Necessary
» Part 3: Through My Own Eyes

Part One of the series focused on the history of the embargo, how the embargo is portrayed in the US and my opinions on why every American should visit the island. Part Two focuses on how a US citizen can qualify/travel to Cuba and a few tips on what to expect once they arrive. Finally, Part Three will detail my personal experience on the island in the familiar trip review format – including pictures and video.

Part Two assumes you have decided to take the plunge and visit the forbidden island but aren’t sure how to go about it and how to avoid the pitfalls. Information about how a US citizen can qualify for travel to Cuba, actually getting to the forbidden island, where to stay, what to expect on arrival and returning to the US safely and without incident are included in this article. If you are not a US citizen, this obviously doesn’t apply to you – but it may be a good read nonetheless. As you read through this article, I want you to keep in mind of one important fact – I am not an attorney. You should take my experiences (as well as anyone else’s) with a grain of salt – your mileage may vary. Showing the US Customs Agent a copy of this blog article is unlikely to help with any situation you may encounter. If you are in any way uncomfortable with the steps I’ll outline, I suggest you visit a Visa attorney with experience in these matters.

Qualifying for Travel

It’s important to understand that it is against US law to contribute to the Cuban economy – it is not against Cuban law.  The big misconception is the Cuban government doesn’t want or in some way makes it difficult for US citizens to visit the island.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, your presence off the plane in Havana is likely to be greeted with… a shrug.  The Cubans welcome all visitors with open arms.  There are two ways of getting to Cuba – legally and illegally, both of which I will outline below.  I warn you, except for the “I’m gonna wing it” approach, the process to legally get to Cuba is fairly time consuming and difficult (because you must qualify).  To that point, here’s an overview of your options;

• Legal: Specific License – Specific Licenses must be applied for and are approved on a case-by-case basis by the US State Department.  Specific licenses are primarily granted to those who have immediate family living in Cuba, are freelance journalists, those participating in international sporting events (like the Olympics), teaching/enrolled in a recognized university, religious activities and humanitarian causes (hurricane relief).   In most cases, the traveler will not have to engage in the complete licensing process themselves; their Job/School/Organization will likely complete most of the paperwork on their behalf.  To be clear, any visit to Cuba for the purposes of conducting business (including nonprofit) is strictly prohibited.  Once you have been granted the Specific License, you may legally purchase a direct charter flight ticket to Havana from Miami, New York or Los Angeles.  Many of the US based travel agencies authorized to book flights to Cuba will not do so unless you have a Specific License.
• Legal: General License – A General License differs from the Specific License in that the traveler does not have to obtain prior approval from the US State Department but they must still qualify and document the license in order to legally travel.  Areas where a General License would be issued are professional journalists on assignment, full-time professionals doing research/agricultural activities, those on official government business and members of international originations.  Tourism is not an acceptable reason to visit Cuban under the General License provisions.
• Illegal – By far the easiest and riskiest way to get to Cuba.  If you simply feel “the hell with it, Da Man can’t keep me down and ima go where I wanna go”, then this is this a common if not precarious way of traveling to Cuba.  In fact, most US citizens who travel to Cuba do so without a Specific or General License (read illegally) and for the most part – nothing happens to them.  Before you stop reading to pack your bags for your danger filled jaunt to Havana, I’d suggest you take a moment to read the ‘Getting Back’ section to understand the consequences of this action.

Steps for documenting a General License:

Should you determine that the General License is the most appropriate license for your circumstance, these are the high-level steps you’ll need to take to properly document your status.

This last bullet is critical because not every Customs Agent knows the General License rules specific to Cuba.  You can assist in your re-entry process by highlighting the relevant sections of the law (the section stating General Licenses do not require prior approval).   Don’t let an uninformed Customs Agent impact your re-entry.  A more detailed explanation, as well as a few document templates can be found here.

Getting Into Cuba

Keep in mind that just because you have been approved for travel to Cuba, Delta airlines still can’t fly your there; you’ll need to charter a flight if you want to fly directly into Havana from the US.  Charter flights are not cheap; I’ve heard of $1,000 tickets for the 45 minute flight from Miami.  For this reason, many people go through a 3^rd party country even if they have a Specific License.

Using a 3^rd party country allows US citizens to get to Cuba using airlines not beholden to the US embargo – usually national carriers of the 3^rd party country.  The most popular 3^rd party countries are Canada, Bahamas, Jamaica and Mexico.  If you live in the upper Midwest or Northeast, Canada is likely your easiest and least obstructive option of getting to Cuba.  If you live in Florida, particularly South Florida, the Bahamas is a good option since that flight is only about 45 minutes from Miami.  Jamaica will certainly work, but it’s not the most efficient option since you have to fly past Cuba to get to Kingston and then fly back north to land in Havana.  For everyone else, the best option is probably Cancun as it is only 50 minutes flight time from Havana and is served by two carriers Mexicana and Cubana Airlines.  Remember, flying into Cuba via a 3^rd party requires a little patience, faith and cold hard cash.  Your US based credit/debit cards are completely useless.  Also, since you must pay cash for the tickets and you can only do that at the airport – you will be at the whim of market conditions, e.g., supply-demand may push the $200 ticket a month before takeoff to $500 the day of the flight. One other thing, purchasing a ticket the same day of travel opens the possibility that there may not be seats available when you arrive at the airport.

An alternate method of getting into Cuba is via your own boat (no cruise or charter boat will take you there).  Technically speaking, if you visit Cuba without putting any money into that country’s economy – you haven’t broken any laws.  Again, it is not illegal to be in Cuba, it is illegal to contribute to its economy.  If you have a boat big enough to make the roundtrip without refueling, swim to shore (docking your boat in the marina requires payment), fished over the side of your boat for food and brought your own water – you are good “technically”.  Unfortunately, Uncle Sam is fully aware of this little loophole boaters in South Florida have tried to use in the past and considers any time spent inside Cuba longer than a single day to be prima facie proof of violating the embargo.

Regardless of how you get into Cuba, the Cuban immigration control agency is fully aware of the embargo and will not stamp your passport.  You will be issued a temporary visa card which you keep with you throughout your stay.

Finally, as of May 1, 2010, tourists, foreigners with temporary residence in Cuba and Cubans living abroad who visit Cuba will have to purchase medical insurance.  The insurance can be purchased from foreign companies approved by the Cuban government or by Cuban firms at the ports of entry.  Diplomats and representatives of accredited international organizations do not have to be insured.

…Continued on Next Page

» Part 1: History & Why You Need to Go
» Part 2: Getting There By Any Means Necessary
» Part 3: Through My Own Eyes

Part One of the series focuses on the history of the embargo, how the embargo is portrayed in the US and my opinions on why every American should visit the island.  Part Two will focus on the number of ways a US citizen can visit Cuba and a few tips on what to expect once you arrive.  Finally, Part Three details my personal experience on the island in the familiar trip review format – including pictures and video.

Each part of the series will include several facts, my interpretations of those facts and my personal opinions.  I am not advocating a particular governmental or economic philosophy nor am I assigning ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ status to any of the players; my only goal is to encourage critical thinking of my readers so that they may form their own opinions.  To that end, I am completely upfront and unabashed about advocating that US citizens visit the island prior to the embargo being lifted.  On to Part 1: History and the Need to Go…

Brief History of Embargo

I was amazed at the wildly varied responses I got when I uttered the phase ‘I’m going to Cuba”.  I heard everything from “Don’t they hate us?”, “dude, that’s awesome!”, “you can’t support that evil empire?” to “why do you want to go there?” – just to name a few.  The most common response though was “isn’t that illegal?” The takeaway for me is even after being in place for over 50 years, the US/Cuban relationship is still shrouded in mystery and perhaps more importantly propaganda from both sides.  To that end, a think a brief timeline of the US’ Cuban embargo is in order.

The ‘Economic’ embargo applies to all US government agencies, businesses, its foreign subsidiaries and any individual living in the US, including natural born citizens, naturalized citizens (even those with dual-citizenship) and legal residents.   Technically, it is not illegal to visit Cuba – it is illegal to contribute to the Cuban economy in any way.  Whatever amount spent on plane tickets, gas for a boat, food, hotel – whatever, contributes to the Cuban economy and therefore violates the embargo.

US/Cuban Propaganda Relations

Because it is fairly difficult for US citizens to travel to Cuba and we are not privy to much if any of their locally produced news content, the US public is left with information that is filtered, massaged and/or manipulated to advocate a particular cause.  If all you knew about Cuba was the media’s and the US politician’s depiction of the country, it would be difficult to think of it as more than a nation of people virtually imprisoned by an evil dictator, living in poverty/dilapidated conditions and resorting to elicit enterprises just to get by.

Let’s provide a little reality shall we; from no less than the US government.  According to the CIA’s World Fact Book, Cuba has an Adult Literacy Rate of 99.8% (that’s 2^nd highest in the world).  The unemployment rate in Cuba is 1.7%*** (8^th in the World).  Though it’s hard to find official numbers for Cuba’s homeless rate, it is generally accepted as the lowest in this hemisphere since housing is guaranteed in the country’s constitution (note: there is homelessness in Cuba, it’s just significantly less than other countries).  And let’s not forget healthcare is free and guaranteed for every citizen in the country.  Cuba has the largest economy, GDP and population in all of the Caribbean and Latin America dwarfing Jamaica, Costa Rica and the Bahamas combined.  To sum it up, in Cuba you are very likely to be well educated, have a job, access to free healthcare, food to eat (state rationed) and a place to sleep – something an alarming number of Americans cannot claim.

Another media fallacy is ‘everyone’ in Cuba is waiting for the next cardboard box to float by to risk their lives navigating the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of reaching Florida’s “freedom”.  While it is certainly true many Cubans have lost their lives attempting this, the numbers aren’t even close to the thousands of Mexicans to have died attempting to cross the desert and/or the Rio Grande.  The coverage of these two events is disproportionally skewed towards the relatively few Cubans who have tried and failed.  The fact is many more Mexicans die in a week than Cubans have died in the last year attempting to get into the US.  Think about this for a second; the immigration issue is generally framed as Mexicans taking jobs (jobs some say no American wants) and living off of social services without paying for them.  What if we allowed immigration of the most educated country in this hemisphere and they began taking the white collar jobs we do want??  Food for thought, but I digress.

Speaking of out of whack, former Cuban exiles living in Tampa and South Florida have a disproportionate impact on our immigration policy and national politics.  Many national elections have been swayed by the Cuban American constituency which represents less the 1% of the US population.  I suspect you remember the Elan Gonzolas debacle; at the core of the entire episode is the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy.  The short version of this immigration law is Cubans who successfully put their feet on dry land of any US territory are automatically granted asylum and US Citizenship.  Cubans who are captured at sea (Wet Foot) are returned to Cuba.  Seriously, I couldn’t make this bullshit up.  When I lived in Miami, I would often pass one of the US immigration offices that had giant outdoor fenced prisons full of black people.  Primarily from Haiti or Jamaica, these folks were denied economic asylum and were awaiting deportation back to their country.  So, for no other country in the world do we allow someone to magically become a citizen by – breaking the law no less – like we do for Cubans;  but Haitians – who were trying to escape the very definition of economic hardship before the earthquake – are herded into awful makeshift prisons while awaiting the boot out of the country.  There’s no other word for it – Bullshit!

Finally, the embargo is frequently justified as “we shouldn’t do business with evil people”.   Of course this is the height of hypocrisy as the US does business with evil regimes every single day.   This issue is more accurately described as “the US shouldn’t do business with evil people it doesn’t need anything from”. Saudi Arabia has a flat out awful human rights record and most of the 9/11 hijackers were from its borders.  But we need oil – thus we do business.  Don’t get me started on India’s near slavery, US’ support of Apartheid and Saddam Hussein as an ‘ally’ right until the point he messed with Kuwait’s oil.  We don’t do business with Cuba because we don’t need anything from them – pure and simple.  We can get Cuba’s primary exports – sugar, rum and cigars – from several other regions around the globe (at least “good enough cigars”).

Why I Think You Should Go

I’d like you to think about the following as your read through the remainder of this series.  The United States has implemented sanctions/embargos against 15 countries and/or regions (mostly terrorist states) and of the 15 countries on that list, Cuba is the only one US citizens cannot travel to. That’s right – if you wanted to, you could travel to Iran, Somalia, and North Korea – but Cuba is just too evil for the average American to stomach.

As stated by the US government, the embargo was supposed to make the Cuban population rise up and throw the Castros out of office.  Whether you think the embargo was/is a good idea or not, I think we can all agree that it’s not working.  Fidel Castro has outlasted 10 US presidents and is working on number 11 – that’s 50 years!!!  The end result is the government still rules and the people are paying the price due to the country’s inability to trade with the largest economy in the world.  Eventually the embargo will be lifted; likely coinciding with the death of the original “el Presidente” Fidel Castro.  After all, he is 84 years old and the only thing the US has to gain is the symbolic victory of outlasting the constant thorn in its side sitting only 90 miles from Florida.

The two primary reasons I believe every American should visit Cuba prior to the embargo being lifted are:

1. In order to make an informed decision (e.g. vote) on the issues like Trade Agreements, Health Care and Immigration Reforms that are currently affecting our country – it may be helpful to know a little about these subjects.  All of these issues will play a prominent role in US politics in the near future – particularly as the “Socialist” rhetoric starts to increase as we get closer to the ‘political silly season’.  One way of acquiring knowledge on these issues is to actually travel to a real Socialist country and formulate your own opinions.  The reality is if you rely on others to tell you what to think on these matters you can’t blame anyone else for your ignorance or the likelihood you will be manipulated into voting against your own interests.
2. These sanctions are being imposed in your name.  As a US citizen you pay taxes and have the right to know how your government is spending that money – whether it is on the battlefield, diplomatic table or an economic sanction.  Furthermore, the specific travel ban is illogical and possibly unconstitutional; restricting citizen’s right to travel to single country on the planet is as un-American as apple pie.  The point isn’t whether the embargo is good or bad – it’s whether you should be able to see the results of your government’s actions for yourself.

While those are my two primary reasons, I would be remiss if I painted the picture that the only reason to go to Cuba is for some sort of political science exercise.  Havana is a beautiful place full of culture and some of the most pleasant people you’ll ever meet.  It’s just that due to the complexity and expense involved, tourism may not be a good enough reason to go by itself.  Of course that’s just my opinion – you should formulate your own so long as you don’t approach this voyeuristically or as some sort of Slum Tourism escapade.

Final Thoughts

If it sounds like this article is painting a somewhat unflattering picture of US policy, you would be correct – it does.   This part of the series shouldn’t be taken as me promoting the Cuban government in any form or fashion.   Make no mistake about it, much of the ill will towards Castro both in and outside of Cuba are of his own making.   There are two sides to every coin and I will speak to some of the things I witnessed while in Havana in Part 3, including what felt like an open air prison for the Cuban population, their inability speak and move freely, the secret police, the fact that some Cubans are more ‘equal’ than others, rampant underground black market/prostitution and Cuba’s very own propaganda machine.

That said, at best much of the US media’s coverage of the Cuba issue is very one sided; at worst utter propaganda.  Unlike in the movies, there aren’t any well defined ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys – no one is innocent in this 50 year old stalemate.  What seems clear is the embargo hasn’t destroyed the Castros and the Cuban people are paying the price.

Perhaps the most important advice I can give is for you to decide for yourself.  Don’t let anyone else unduly influence your opinion on this subject – whether the US media, politicians, the Cuban propaganda machine or opinionated bloggers (present company included).  The ability to gain insight on how these issues impact your life and to understand the effects of what your government is doing in your name are available once you decide to visit the forbidden land.

Next: Cuba: Part 2 – Getting There By Any Means Necessary

*** In September 2010, the Cuban government announced it was laying off over 500,000 government workers; a figure sure to make 2009’s 1.7% unemployment rate skyrocket.

This little conversation with myself took place two weeks ago on my way to my first day back at work.  Almost exactly a year ago, I was finishing consulting work for one of the nation’s mobile phone carriers about to embark on a trip to Australia.  What started out as a little “me” time turned into a 12 month extremely fulfilling journey across the globe.

How Did This Come About

I only have one life to live and I want to get the most out of it.  When I’m 90 years old and toothless, I hope to be able to look back on the pictures/videos of my life and not have any “I wished I had done X” moments.  Some years ago when I was running my own business, I realized I had a lot of money and a number of ‘things’ but no real life.  That realization (and associated burnout) lead me to take a nearly three year break from working to do things I’d never done, like riding motorcycles, boating and moving to South Beach.  Although I wasn’t burnt out at all this time, I felt it was a good opportunity to explore the rest of the world.

I wanted to do something I’d always wanted to do, discover something about a different culture and hopefully, learn something about myself.  The destination list came from my existing Bucket List or a particular activity was only possible at a specific destination, like Shark Diving in South Africa.  I would have loved to have visited all 7 continents, but trips to Antarctica were extremely expensive ($6,000 and up).  The final destination count turned out to be 6 continents, 12 countries and 23 cities as listed in order below (click any image to see a full-sized version):

	Australia – Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne Attempted surfing in Sydney (hilarious), the Great Barrier Reef is utterly amazing and my Harley ride out to Melbourne’s wine country was awesome!
	Belgium – Brussels Not often does one get to stand in the middle of a historic site, but Brussels’ Waterloo was quite interesting. Oh yea, the Belgians have excellent beer!
	Seattle, WA Wonderfully cosmopolitan city; ferries & locks, Seahawks game, even caught a fish down at the famous Pike Place market. Now we could do something about this rain – geez!
	Mexico – Cancun Although heavily Americanized, had an excellent time taking part in the water sporting activities. Cenotes, scuba diving, ATV tours – Cancun has it covered.
	Las Vegas, NV There’s much more to Vegas than showgirls and gambling; my favorites were the Dune Buggy adventure, the Gun Store, indoor skydiving and a trek to the Grand Canyon.
	Cuba – Havana The forbidden land! Marvelous people and remarkable culture. Cigar/Rum factories, the real Tropicana and 1950s Buicks are just a few of the amazing sights. A must see for all Americans before the embargo falls.
	Thailand – Bangkok, Phuket Though Bangkok was hot in more ways than one, it still managed to mesmerize this traveler’s senses. Phuket has some of the most beautiful scenery in the region – some say the world.
	Orlando, FL I’m not into the Disney hoopla so I was pleasantly surprised by the number of cool things to do in Orlando. Ziplines, Horseback riding, Nascar driving and best of all – becoming a Fighter Pilot!!
	San Francisco, CA Where can you windsurf, visit Yosemite National park, tour a 100 year prison in Alcatraz, take a wine tour and attend the opera in the same weekend? The Bay Area, that’s where.
	Miami, FL No need for a passport, Miami will give you all of the Caribbean and Latin American vibes you need.
	Costa Rica – Liberia, Arenal and San Jose Diving/nightlife in Coco-Beach was out of the ordinary, San Jose’s big city life was cool but neither could compare to the volcano, zip-lines, white water rafting and hot springs of Arenal.
	South Africa – Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town There is a lot more to do in J’Burg than people give credit. A wildlife safari is something I think everyone should have the privilege to experience at least once. Shark, cliffs and wine – yep, Cape Town has them all.
	Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, Foz de Iguaçu Brazilians buy their clothes in one size – tight; and for that I thank them! Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf and Tijuca National Park were all stunners.
	Argentina – Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires Iguazu Falls is the most amazing natural phenomenon I’ve seen in my life – period! Every time I see a waterfall from this point on in my life, it will pale in comparison to my memories these amazing falls. Buenos Aires is like an outdoor museum.
	Uruguay – Colonia de Sacramento Sleepy colonial UNESCO World Heritage site.
	Panama – Panama City The Panama Canal, colonial ruins, diving the Pacific/Atlantic oceans and some of the most beautiful women I’ve seen in my life. Really.

Every single destination was an opportunity to learn something or cross something off of my bucket list.  If I had to choose a favorite, it would likely be my trip to South Africa.  The culture of Johannesburg, the amazing safari in Kruger National Park and the majestic beauty of Cape Town put it slightly ahead of Australia.

Was this Expensive?

A question I got quite often is how I was able to take a year off of work in the middle of a global recession to travel the world.  Well, the first and most important requirement is that you must want to do it.  For me, I simply did not want to work for a while so doing something that I enjoyed doing in its place was a breeze.  Once the decision was made to explore the world, I had to figure out a budget.

The biggest cost with almost any vacation is the airfare; something I was able to eliminate almost completely.  As my job required me to travel across the country once a month for business, I racked up over 300,000 Delta Skymiles by the time I left.  This meant that every flight to the destinations above (with the exception of Australia) were purchased with Skymiles and nearly free (usually less than $60 taxes).  In addition, I had a boatload of Hilton Honors points that allowed me to stay in their properties around the world for free (at least until the points ran out).  When I ran out of Hilton points, my Gold status provided me with free breakfast, drinks, room upgrades and Internet access – saving me additional money.

Even with my free flights and mostly free hotels – my year long sabbatical across the globe was still quite expensive.  The reason is the things I like to do cost money.  Jumping out of airplanes, going on Safari, repelling down mountains and swimming with sharks to name a few, isn’t cheap.  Furthermore, some destinations are simply more expensive overall due to unfavorable conversion rates for the US Dollar – the Euro (Brussels) and the CUC (Cuba) to name a few.  Having said that, just because my year long adventure was expensive doesn’t mean yours has to be.  There are several backpackers traveling multiple continents on as little as $30 a day – including room, food, etc.

So, the long answer to the short questions is – I got most of the bigger costs free and saved up enough money to spend freely on the somewhat expensive things I always wanted to do.

…Continued

Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	May 2010
Destination Good for	Shopping, Culture, Food
Best Time to Go	Always hot – though rainy season June-September
Currency/Conv. Rate	Thai Bhat/ 1 USD = 32 THB – Very Favorable
Good Way to Get Around	Rent Car: No	Public: Yes	Taxi: Yes	Walking: No
Appox. Trip Cost	Fairly Inexpensive
Speaks English?	Many
Entry Requirements	Passport
Do it	Grand Palace Tiger Temple Tour Thai Cooking Class Thai Kickboxing Match Exquisite Massages
Skip it	It’s All Good
Didn’t get to do	Scuba Dive Siam Ocean Aquarium Canal Longtail Boat Ride
Would I Recommend	Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

Spicy food, kick boxing, beautiful beaches and some of the best scuba diving in the region were initially the reasons I wanted to go to Thailand.  As an avid fan of Discovery Channel’s Bizarre Foods, I couldn’t wait to get to one of the night markets to try some fried scorpions, roasted grasshoppers or some other strange cuisine.  Bangkok was my first stop in my 6 day tour of Thailand – the second leg would be spent touring the beautiful islands of Phuket.

I knew the worst part of the trip would be the flight.  Rarely the highlight of any trip, this particular connecting flight on Delta was pretty uncomfortable.  It amazes me why Delta would spend money upgrading planes that primarily fly domestic routes with seatback entertainment, WiFi, etc. while leaving their long-haul international planes as the oldest and least updated in the fleet.  The 767 from Atlanta to Tokyo was so old it had ashtrays – ponder that for a moment.  Not only did the plane not have any seatback entertainment in coach, there were only 3 TVs for the entire cabin – and two of them were CRTs (old glass screens).  I hate flying overseas on US carriers!!!

I finally arrive 1am in the morning at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the first thing that hit me as I exited the terminal is the heat and humidity.  It was 90 degrees and 80% humidity at 1am in the morning! Wow!  As I stepped out of the baggage claim area, an airport staffer points me to the taxi stand where there’s a set rate of 500 Baht ($16 US) into the city.  Sure I could have taken a shuttle bus for a lot less, but at 1am in the morning the last thing I wanted to do is spend 2 hours stopping at every hotel in the downtown area.   The good thing about the taxi stand was the standard rate – no negotiations, no mob of taxi drivers yelling at you to get in – the rate is the rate.  In so many countries exiting the arrivals section of the airport is akin to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, so it was nice I didn’t need to get into haggle mode to get to my hotel.

Getting Acclimated

Although I alluded to it before, it’s worth mentioning again that it’s very hot and humid in Bangkok.  Atlanta is a fairly hot and humid city by US standards but I could barely take it in Bangkok.  I have never sweated like that in my life!!!  It made me wonder if it were possible to spontaneously combust into flames from the heat and simultaneously extinguish one’s self with the humidity.  My suggestion is to take it easy for first 24 hours in the city (region) so that your body has time to get acclimated to the weather.  And drink plenty of water!

Turns out the weather wasn’t the only thing hot in the city – political unrest was brewing.  I won’t get into an in-depth political analysis in this blog but the short version is one of Thailand’s political parties (the Red Shirts) were protesting the government’s ruling party (the Yellow Shirts).  The normally peaceful demonstrations turned into ugly violence that claimed the lives of several people and basically paralyzed the city for a few weeks.  I would not go as far as calling it a war zone, but when several city blocks are barricaded by protesters with guns, bottles and homemade mortars (you can make mortars & a launcher at home???), it’s not necessarily the safest place for tourists.  Personally, the violence in the downtown area did not impact my safety to any extreme – the Hilton Millennium hotel was across the river away from the activity.  That said, many of the activities I’d planned in the city were cancelled or closed due to the violence.

The upside to putting together an itinerary for your trips is it increases the likelihood of you doing most of the things you intended to do.  It sometimes allows you to fit a number of activities into tight schedules without feeling as though you’ve missed something.  The downside of course is some things happen that are out of your control and can kill even the best plan.  The red shirt protests were just that for me.  My original plans included scuba diving in Bangkok’s Siam Ocean World Aquarium with the sharks and spending nearly every night in one of Bangkok’s night markets sampling the variety of foods.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do any of these as roadblocks, public train closures and police mandates basically shut down these parts of the city.  Time to execute Plan B.

The Sites of Bangkok

Getting around Bangkok is both super easy and very cheap.  Official taxi cabs are an excellent way for tourists to get around as all have meters and are the cheapest I’ve experienced in my travels to date.  For example, I was in a taxi for almost 30 minutes (driver got lost) and the fare came to only 75 Baht (that’s $3 US).  Another – albeit more adventurous method of getting around are Thailand’s Tuk Tuks.  Tuk Tuks are 3 wheeled open air vehicles that whiz you around the city at breakneck (some say dangerous) speeds.  Another method primarily used by locals is the motorcycle taxi; basically the backseat of a 100cc motorcycle.   Both are somewhat interesting – though not necessarily cheaper (price is negotiable) or faster method of getting around.  Finally the MRT and BTS (SkyTrain) train systems are first-rate methods of getting around downtown and the outlying areas.  Once you’ve determined your mode of transportation, there are a number of sites in the city limits including:

• Grand Palace – I don’t think a stop in Bangkok would be complete without a tour of the Grand Palace.  The Grand Palace complex is actually a series of structures that includes a museum, statues, shrines and several Wats (monasteries).  The most popular are the Wat Phra Kaew (houses a giant emerald Buddha) and a giant Golden Temple (not sure of the correct name).   Admission is 350 Baht and there is a strict dress code (arms, legs & feet must be fully covered at all times).  Note: Don’t be fooled by anyone trying to sell or rent you proper clothing to get into the palace grounds.  Proper clothing is provided free of charge by the palace staff (a fully refundable deposit is required).
• Muay Thai Fights – Muay Thai (Thai Kickboxing) is Thailand’s national pastime and there’s usually 2-3 events featuring multiple matches most every week.   Bangkok has two Muay Thai stadiums – Ratchadamnoen and Lumpini.  Due to the Red Shirt demonstrations, only Ratchadamnoen stadium was open as was not in the affected area.  Regardless of which stadium you go to, purchase your tickets at the box office on site; many hotels will attempt to sell you ‘VIP’ tickets at more than twice the cost.  I had front row seats in a relatively empty stadium, but the fights themselves were pretty decent.  I found it interesting that more than half of the participants were foreigners (supposedly from Australia).  In any case, there were a few knockouts and a good bit of blood – a good day in my book.
• Royal Barges Museum – Eight perfectly restored barges along the Noi canal.  Each barge is at least 100ft long and is exquisitely sculptured and laced with gold and glass.  The barges are placed into service during special occasions & festivals.
• Wat Traimit – About a 10 minute taxi ride from the Grand Palace is another sacred Wat – Traimit.  The Wat sits in the middle of a dual commercial/residential block but stands out by the white walls and gold laced trim.  Even though there’s a small museum inside, the main attraction is the 5 ½ ton solid gold statute of Buddha.  According to the Wat, it is the largest seated Buddha in the world.  20 Baht entrance fee.
• Canal Boat Ride – Bangkok is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of Asia” due to the number of canals that run throughout the city.  Long narrow boats called “Longtails” were once the primary mode of transportation throughout the city; now serve as rather expensive tour boats for visitors (there are ways of getting a cheap longtail ride).  I had a few hours before my flight to Phuket to take a ride, but I choose to get another massage instead.  What can I say?
• Custom Clothes – Though not really a tourist attraction, there are tons of storefronts offering custom tailor services.  They can do almost any design you want assuming you have a picture or can adequately describe the style.  In 1-2 days (sometimes hours depending on the design) they can complete a complete 3-piece suit and shirt tailored to perfectly fit your body.  The average cost for these suits is anywhere from 3000-6000 Baht ($100-$200) – much less than an off the rack suit in the US.  I didn’t have a need for a suit at the time, but a guy in my cooking class and another in the hotel swore by the quality.

The most memorable part of my time in Thailand was the massages.  More memorable than the Wats, Tigers, beautiful scenery and the wonderful food – nothing has remained as fresh in my mind as the massages.  I’m not sure if the fact that they were universally of good quality or so unbelievably cheap, but I have Vietnam style flashbacks to this day of how good it felt.  I frankly became addicted to them.  I actually had time to take a longtail canal tour of the city but thought to myself I’d rather be getting another one of those massages.  200 Baht (that’s $7 US dollars) for an hour long foot & leg massage; 300 Baht for an hour long Full body massage.  WOW!!!  You couldn’t pay someone $7 to ‘look’ at you for an hour in the US!  During my full body massages, the lady always jumped up and stood on my back – cracking every bone in my spine.  She even massaged my butt and…hold up, I just had another flashback!

…Continued

Google Voice is a service that attempts to simplify your life by providing “One Number, Online Voicemail and Enhanced Phone Services”.  Originally launched as GrandCentral, Google Voice provides you with a single number that rings all of your phones, e.g., office, cell and home simultaneously.  With Google Voice, there’s no need to give out 4 different numbers or check 4 different voicemail systems – everything in managed in a single location.

Design

The Google Voice signup process is relatively straight forward, though you must already have a Google account to get started.  Simply navigate to http://www.google.com/voice, enter a zip code to get a list of phone numbers to choose from, select a voicemail pin and enter up to 6 phones you want to ring.  The good thing about Google Voice is you can get a number based anywhere in the US; just because you don’t live in Chicago doesn’t mean you can’t get a Chicago based local number.

Receiving an inbound call is exceptionally simple.  When you answer one of the phones associated with Google Voice, the system states – “Call From <Name>” followed by prompts to “press 1 to answer”, “2 to send to voicemail”, “3 to screen the call” (listen in like your 1980s answering machine) or “4 to answer and record the call”.  As soon as you answer one of the phones the others automatically stop ringing.

There are three options for making outbound calls.  The easiest way is to use a mobile phone that has the Google Voice app installed.  The Google Voice app, available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices, essentially takes over the inbound/outbound calling services of your phone/carrier.  With the native app, all outbound text messages will show your Google Voice number and the voicemail key on your phone will go to Google Voice’s voicemail instead of your mobile carrier’s.  The second method is to go to the Google Voice website and place the call from there.  Google will call your phone and after you answer – connect you to the number you wish to dial.  This is the method you would use if you wanted to make the call from your home/work phone or from an unsupported mobile OS (like Palm, Windows mobile, etc.) and have your Google Voice number appear on the outbound caller id.  Finally, you can make a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol – voice calls over the Internet in laymen’s terms) calls directly from your computer to another person – whether mobile, landline or gChat.  Obviously, the computer you are using will need a microphone/speaker combo, as well as, a decent Internet connection.

Where it gets somewhat convoluted is trying to figure out which Google tool to use for communicating with others.  For example, if you log into Google Voice, you cannot call someone using your computer – you have to use Gmail to complete that process.  In Gmail, you cannot have Google ring your home phone to place a call – you must sign back into Google Voice.  But if you want to add Video to your voice call – gChat is the app you must use.  There definitely needs to be some tightening up of the UI for these services; it’s simply unclear where one service ends and the other begins.

Features

Beyond the ability to have a single number ring into multiple phones, Google Voice also includes a few enhanced features to make communicating even easier.  Caller Groups allows you to designate your contacts into specific groups such as Personal, Business, Homies, etc.  Each group can have a unique greeting, e.g. the Business group would hear something entirely different than say – the Homies.  You can control what time of day the each of your phones rings, such as setting your work phone to only ring weekdays 9am-6pm.  Another cool feature is the ability to permanently block callers by sending them to a disconnected message (same one your local phone company uses when they take your line out of service).   The Conference Calling feature allows you to conference up to 4 people on a call by selecting the conference option during the call waiting process.  In addition, you can record any incoming call by pressing “4” at anytime (both parties are notified), as well as, transfer calls from one of your phones to the other by pressing “*”.  Here are a few other more of Google Voice’s enhanced features:

Forward voicemails in MP3 format to any email/mobile device International calls for as low as 2 cent a minute Automatically have voicemails transcribed and texted to your mobile phone Make calls from anywhere in North America (Caribbean, Central America and Canada) to any phone in the US for free using VOIP Temporarily transfer calls to any phone (like vacation rental) or use the “Do Not Disturb” setting to send all calls to voicemail.

Unfortunately, the enhanced feature set is not perfect.  A few features which were staples prior to Google acquiring GrandCentral are no longer included in Google Voice.  The top three missed features are Incoming Caller Ringtones (music the caller hears as they wait for you to answer); the ability to send all Private Numbers or Caller ID Unavailable calls directly to Voicemail and the mapping utility that showed the city/state the incoming caller id is registered to.  Hopefully, Google will see fit to add these features back into the product.   In addition, the Call Record and Call Transfer features only work on incoming calls; these features aren’t available when you place outbound calls from your GV number.

Performance

It doesn’t matter how many features a calling service claims to offer, if you can’t complete a call or the call quality is awful – the service is not worth the effort.  Luckily, Google Voice passes both tests with flying colors – so long as you meet some minimum requirements.  In short, the product is only as good as the platform it’s attached to.  If you are using the native mobile app, call quality and connection is only as good as your mobile carrier’s coverage in the area you are making the call.  Same thing applies if using Wi-Fi or a wired Internet connection; crappy connection equals crappy call quality.

Assuming you have a decent connection, call quality on both ends of the line is exceptional – no static, delays or hollowness.  In fact, call quality was slightly better than Skype in my informal tests.  This brings me to a few reasons I prefer Google Voice over Skype for making non-video calls.  First, Skype’s installation and memory requirements tend to slow your computer down (especially most Netbooks) – which may be the cause of the deteriorated call quality in my tests.  Google Voice only requires your browser and a 500k plug-in to make VOIP calls.  Second, the person you want to talk to must be logged into Skype; Google Voice allows you to call their cell phone directly (at least from anywhere in North American – including Caribbean, Canada and Central America).

Most of the features work well, though there are a few misses.  The Voicemail transcription service is pretty poor – especially when it attempts to transcribe women/high pitched voices.  Here’s an example of Google’s transcription service results:

As you can see, the transcription service is not nearly ready for primetime.  Another miss is not being able to transfer calls or record a conversation during outbound calls made from Google Voice (the two features only work with inbound calls).   Perhaps the biggest gap is the Blocked Call service – you can only block callers who’s number is passed in the caller id.  In GrandCentral – you could set it so that anyone calling from a ‘Private’, ‘Unavailable’, ‘Restricted’, ‘Unknown’ or ‘Anonymous’ number could be sent to voicemail or given disconnected message.  In Google Voice, if a telemarketer, crazy ex, or bill collector decides to dial *67 when they call you – all of your phones will ring and you can’t block them from calling you in the future.  That’s just lame Google!!!

Summary

Google’s goal is to provide you with a single number and an integrated mailbox to manage all of your mobile, landline and VOIP needs; and for the most part it succeeds.  Google Voice gives you the freedom to change mobile carriers and/or home phone numbers without having to distribute your new number to everyone you know.   

Excellent call quality, enhanced calling features, native Smartphone apps and free domestic calling to mobile and landline phones are just a few of the excellent features.  Throw in free international calling back to the US from anywhere in North America and you’ve got a worthy replacement for Skype.  While it’s missing key features like caller ringtones, blocking private numbers and the ability to transfer/record outbound calls, the improvements Google has made in other areas of the service more than warrant giving Google Voice a try.

Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	November 2009
Destination Good for	Watersports, Relaxation, Romance
Best Time to Go	Anytime except Hurricane season (June-Nov)
Currency/Conv. Rate	Mexican Peso/ 1 USD = 13.26 MXN – Favorable
Good Way to Get Around	Rent Car: Yes	Public: Yes	Taxi: Yes	Walking: No
Appox. Trip Cost	Moderately Expensive
Speaks English?	Most Everyone
Entry Requirements	Passport
Do it	Scuba Dive a Cenote Chichen Itza Walk the Beach
Skip it	Overpriced American Mall/Shops
Didn’t get to do	Lagoon Speeder
Would I Recommend	Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

Many of us have a Bucket List, e.g., things we want to do before we leave this earth (kick the bucket).  The destinations on my bucket list usually offer seeing something amazing (artifacts in Egypt), participating in something crazy (shark diving in South Africa), learning something new (the real Cuba) or experiencing something wildly entertaining (Chinese New Year in Hong Kong).  Cancun, Mexico doesn’t really fit into any of these categories – or so I mistakenly thought.

I had not actually ‘planned’ on going to Cancun for vacation; it was supposed to be a stop on the way to my long desired trip to Cuba.  I’ll save the details of why I didn’t make it to Havana for my upcoming Cuba series; for now, I was stuck executing my backup plan – Cancun.

One of the reasons Cancun never really intrigued me was it is so close (only 2 hours flight from Atlanta) and heavily Americanized.  The thought being why spend more money going through the hassles of international travel (customs, taxes, currency exchange, etc) when I could get a similar experience in California or Florida.  Turns out Cancun (and the surrounding areas) is actually pretty cool and worthy of a visit.

Getting Around

Cancun and the two popular nearby cities – Cozumel and Playa del Carmen each have their own airports, but there are usually more flight options and is generally less expensive to fly into Cancun.  Cancun has wonderful weather year round – even in January when the average high/low temperature is 81/67 Fahrenheit – though it can get a bit windy and rainy during hurricane season (June to November).  Cancun could be the most “Americanized” city in Mexico; which is to say the number of English speakers, American restaurants/hotels and the percentage of tourists from the US means you should have no issues getting around or communicating simply because you can’t speak Spanish. In fact, the US dollar is widely accepted so you may not even need to go through the currency exchange process.

As soon as you walk through customs/baggage claim, you’ll be virtually mobbed by people hawking taxis, buses, limos, rental cars, shuttles, local tours – whatever – it’s like a goddamned swap meet.  On top of this, taxies are ridiculously expensive from the airport – $50 to the hotel zone – that’s $100 round trip for a 15 minute drive.  Once you reach your hotel, you can skip the taxis and take the relatively cheap public buses up and down the strip.

Perhaps a better method of getting around may be renting a car; though rental agencies are not upfront about the fees until you reach the counter.  The coverage extended to rentals by your personal insurance policy is not accepted in Mexico; therefore purchasing primary insurance from the rental agency is mandatory. The fact that it’s mandatory is a good thing in my opinion – the last thing you need is a lean/debt collector from Mexico hounding you.  Most secondary coverage policies (Collision Damage Waivers) offered by credit card companies are accepted or the agency policies can be waived (not recommended in Mexico).

The hotel (tourist) zone of Cancun is a strip of land flanked by a lagoon (inland) and the beach (Atlantic Ocean) separated by a highway.  For the most part, the lagoon side of the strip has all of the restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. and beach side holds most of the hotels.  Unlike other Mexican cities, there are very few street vendors and/or open air markets in Cancun’s hotel zone.  There are 2 malls catering to the Gap & Tommy Hilfiger and the Louis Vuitton & Burberry crowds alike.  Don’t expect to haggle much, nor get any significant deals in Cancun (at least in the tourist zone).

Fun in the Sun

If you like the beach and/or water sports then Cancun is an excellent place to be.  Parasailing, snorkeling, wave runners, kite boarding, sail boating – you name it – if it involves getting in the ocean – you can find it near Cancun.  As just about all of the hotels are on the ocean side of the strip, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a hotel that offers views of the beautiful ocean water.  You can find most of the activities listed above by just walking up and down the beach; as many vendors are right on the sand.  The more formal offerings (speeder boat tours, deep sea fishing, etc.) can be found on the lagoon side of the strip.  Of course, sun bathing or just walking the beach are also popular activities in Cancun.   Here are some options that go beyond the normal beach activities.

• Cenote Scuba Dive – A Cenote is a fresh water lake usually connected to an underground river or body of water.  In the Yucatan Peninsula, Cenote water temperatures are generally around 75 degrees and are often referred to as “Gin” clear (meaning there is excellent visibility underwater).  In many of the Cenotes, there are underwater caves, tunnels and caverns that make for some amazing visuals (though there’s rarely any plant or marine life).   Although there are caves, most Cenote dives are not considered ‘cave dives’ so the cave diving certification is not required (Open Water is fine).   The nearest Cenote is about an hour drive from the Cancun strip depending on which Cenote you dive.  I dove with Aquaworld water sports which provided two Cenote dives for about $120 per person.
• ATV/Cenote Tour – Also about an hour from Cancun is Boca del Puma eco-park; part jungle and part ATV trail with a number of Cenotes.  The program is essentially an ATV tour that stops at 3 Cenotes to either swim or leap from some fairly high ledges.  I initially really sucked at driving the ATV because I tried to drive it like a motorcycle – which I am fairly good at.  You turn motorcycles by leaning; ATVs don’t lean, so I ended up in the ditch twice in the first five minutes.  After an hour or so, I got the hang of it and driving became second nature.  The first Cenote we stopped at was about 15ft underground inside of a cave and filled with bats.   The bats weren’t a problem at all and the Cenote swim itself was a welcome reprieve from the blistering Mexican sun.  The second Cenote was also in a cave but had an opening near the top perfect for leaping from the 20ft ledge into the water.  This Cenote also had a zipline, water hammock and an inflatable pad.  The final Cenote was completely exposed and sat 50ft below a cliff.  Leaping from this ledge put a little fear into me but it was pretty awesome.  The tour costs $78-$90 per person including hotel pickup depending on whether you are riding solo or sharing an ATV and can be reserved here.
• Lagoon Speeder Boat – The two seat speeder boats are similar to wave runners, but the seats are side by side instead of piggyback.  The tour starts on the lagoon side of the beach, then proceeds out to the ocean for a stop on a reef to do some snorkeling and back into a mangrove jungle waterway.  Tour is $55 per person, last 2 hours and can be booked here.
• Deep Sea Fishing – Though much bigger in Cozumel, there are a few outfits that depart from the lagoon side of Cancun strip.  Some tours drive/ferry to Cozumel and others (mainly charters) boat directly to one of a few fishing spots.  If your tour drives/ferries to Cozumel, be prepared to spend almost 3 hours in just transportation.  Regardless of how you get there, Blue Marlin, Sailfish and Tuna are just a few of the main draws to the Cozumel fishing area.

…Continued

The last variable – plus “What do you do for a living” are the two questions that always seem to land me in detention.  Over the last year, I’ve traveled to South Africa, Belgium, Panama, Costa Rica and Thailand solo.  Except for the Belgium trip, I was pulled over for additional screening on every single one of these trips.  The process played out exactly the same on every re-entry like this:

Customs Agent: Where did you visit?
Me: [Insert_Country]
CA: Was this business or personal?
Me: Vacation
CA: Who did you travel with?
Me: No one, by myself.
CA: What kind of work do you do?
Me: I’m not working right now
CA: So how can you afford a trip to [insert_country]?
Me: ??? I saved money
CA: One moment please (starts typing into the computer)

From there, I either get the Red folder for immediate escort to the locked administrative area or some code circled on the Blue re-entry form so that further screening can be performed once I’ve collected my bags.

The Interrogation Process

The administrative area (that’s what I’m calling it) is an area you are escorted to on orders of the first line customs agent.  The doors literally lock behind you; you can walk in – but you have to be buzzed out by an armed customs agent to leave.  Nice.  Once locked in, you wait for a CBP agent to call your name to take you to the back for an interview.    I won’t waste space (or give any real terrorist a heads-up) here detailing all of the questions – but they ranged from the repetitive/absurd to very detailed/necessary.  This is the area where the ole ‘Full Cavity’ searches take place.  At a minimum, expect to empty your pockets and any carry-on luggage.

If you have any checked bags, they let you out of prison to get your belongings – only to be handed a Blue folder so that your checked baggage can be x-rayed and searched by hand – along with more of the same questions asked in the admin area.  To add insult to injury, when they were done – I was never told ‘why’ I was singled out, just a generic “Thank you – you are free to go”.  All told, I spent anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour going through these additional security screenings.

This additional screening apparently wasn’t necessary for any of my non-solo trips in the last year.  The only thing that was different was me answering “not alone” to the “who did you travel with” question.  These trips included Australia, Brazil/Argentina, Mexico and Cuba.  I repeat – Cuba for Pete’s sake. Of all the places additional screening would come into play, you’d think Cuba would be right near the top of the list. I guess only if you travel alone.  Through the news, it is implied CBP uses sophisticated tools to weed out suspicious travelers, such as tickets purchased with cash, or one way tickets, no baggage – none of which prevented the alleged Christmas Day Bomber from boarding a plane.  But round-trip tickets purchased by a US citizen who happens to be unemployed – well call the FBI, we’ve caught a Terrorist.  I feel safer already.

Of course I could lie and say I’m a Minister, computer tech or the middleweight kickboxing champion of the world – but why should I have to?

Can this be avoided?

Sorta, but I’m not sure it’s worthwhile.  The last time I went through this song and dance with Customs I asked why is this always happening to me.  The agent took this as an opportunity to push the CBP’s Global Entry Program.  The Global Entry program is Custom’s attempt to get “low-risk” citizens through the re-entry process as quickly as possible.  To be accepted to the program, applicants will have to go through a very in-depth background check, provide biometric information (fingerprints), submit to an in-person interview and fork over the non-refundable $100 application fee.  Assuming you are approved (and it’s far from sure thing you will be) – the membership is valid for 5 years.

I have a few problems with the Global Entry Trusted Traveler program;

1. There are only 21 locations in which you can do the mandatory in-person interview.  If you live in San Diego – you’ll need to brave the I5 traffic to Los Angeles.  Live in New Orleans – guess you’ll have to hop on a flight to Atlanta or Houston.  Perhaps someone should introduce Skype to these folks.
2. You have to trust the government and its affiliates with your very personal information.  Remember the Clear Program?  This was another attempt at helping ‘low-risk’ travelers at the airport – but this was the security boarding process not re-entry.  Anyway, personal information on 33,000 members of the Clear program where left exposed.  While the US government is managing the Global Entry program and not a private company – there are still contractors, human errors and the inevitable breaches in security.  Are you willing to put this level of detail (life history, biometrics, passport/SSN, etc.) in a single database managed by the outfit that took 4 years to figure out how to manage common names on the No-Fly-List?  Not me.
3. According to the CBP’s own website – you might be stopped for additional screening anyway.  After all of the interviews, the turnover of personal information and money – the kiosk may still flag you if you are unemployed and travel alone.  So much for low risk.

For me, the Global Entry program is just too much trouble for not enough benefit.  To be honest, while these additional screenings are somewhat time consuming – I didn’t have any connecting flights to miss and nowhere really to be so I just took it in stride.  I can’t say this post will do much to help prevent others from going this this, I just needed to vent.

Oh….I am not a Terrorist!!!

Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	February 2008
Destination Good for	Shopping, Sightseeing and Culture
Best Time to Go	Spring-Early Summer
Currency/Conv. Rate	British Pound/ 1 USD = .51 GBP – Extremely Unfavorable
Good Way to Get Around	Rent Car: No	Public: Yes	Taxi: Yes	Walking: Yes
Appox. Trip Cost	Very Expensive
Speaks English?	English is Primary Language
Entry Requirements	Passport
Do it	Buckingham Palace London Eye Bullet Train (if coming from Brussels/Paris)
Skip it	London Bridge
Didn’t get to do	Tower of London
Would I Recommend	Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

Here in America, the term Europe often conjures thoughts of England.  Not surprising considering America was a former English colony and both countries speak the same language (though many Yanks think the UK version of English is funny).  For Americans, the most recognizable and popular destination in England is London.

While on a vacation in Paris, I figured why not make my first trip to London a day trip via the Eurostar bullet train.  I was just as excited about riding on the bullet train as I was about touring London.  The United States leads the world in a number of things – but getting any significant infrastructure projects completed isn’t one of them.  Over 15 countries have bullet trains (defined as those rains that travel over 125 mph) – China is even investing 300 million into high-speed rail.  The United States won’t have any form of high-speed rail at least until 2015 – more likely 2020.   SMH – but I digress.

To get my first taste of what high-speed rail travel is like, I booked a 1^st class ticket on Eurostar’s Paris to London line.  The Eurostar trains rocket between Paris, London and Brussels in about 2 hours at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).  I realize folks in Europe/Asia reading this are probably wondering why I’m so giddy about a high-speed rail; you just have to understand there isn’t anything remotely like this in the US.  Flying is certainly faster than taking the train; however, the trip isn’t as scenic – though the Eurostar trains are similar to flying in terms of security and seating classes.

The Tourist Spots

Once in London, I hopped on the local train (commonly referred to as the “Tube”) to get around the city – usually putting me within walking distance of many popular tourist attractions.  Here are the attractions I took in during my day in London:

• Buckingham Palace – The official home of the Queen of England offers tours of the inside of the facility during the summer months (I was there in February).  All other times, tourists can look through the front gates as the guards do their thing in the courtyard every few minutes or so.  Outside of the gates are several statues and the royal garden.
• Big Ben – Probably the most recognizable landmark, Big Ben is the nickname for the bell inside of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster.  The bell is rung/chimed several times an hour.  The lights around the palace allow you to take excellent pictures of the tower at night.  Take the tube to Westminster station and Big Ben will be right above your head when you exit.
• London Eye – Is Europe’s largest Ferris Wheel situated in downtown London.  Once you get through the 40 minute or longer wait in line, you enter one of 32 egg shaped see-through capsules.  The 30 minute ride provided excellent 360 degree views of London and the surrounding areas reaching a top height of 443ft.  Each glass capsule is air-conditioned and holds approximately 15-20 people.  Tickets cost £15 if purchased online; otherwise the tickets are £18 at the gate.
• National Maritime Museum – is actually a decommissioned English Naval battleship – the HMS Belfast to be exact.  It is permanently moored in the Thames River not far from the Tower Bridge.  In fact, walking along the river towards the ship (coming from the London Bridge) should allow you to frame the ship & the Tower Bridge in the same shot.  Tours of the inside of the museum are held daily and cost £13.
• London & Tower Bridge – Not many bridges in the world are famous enough to have a song about it – but if ever there was a bridge that didn’t deserve it – it’s the London Bridge.  This is… wait for it… a small concrete bridge that is not especially tall, certainly not pretty and absolutely no feat of engineering.  Seriously – WTF is that???  What is actually worth seeing (and what many tourist mistake as the London Bridge) is the Tower Bridge.  As bridges go, the Tower Bridge is actually worth seeing – both from the outside (especially at night) and the museum/walkway on the top of the bridge.  Since vessels have to notify the bridge operators 24 hours in advance, you can schedule your arrival just as the draw bridge springs into action using public lift schedule.  Taking pictures of the exterior the draw bridge is obviously free – the tour of the museum is £7.00.
• Madame Tussauds – Is a London max museum with pretty good depictions of famous people such as actors, athletes, musicians, heads of state or otherwise famous/infamous entities (to include non-humans like Shrek, the Terminator, etc.)  Tickets are £22.99 if purchased online or £25.54 on site.

A Few General Thoughts

Though the United Kingdom is part of the European Union, the Brits still use the British Pound Sterling as the method of currency.  At the time of this writing, the Dollar has gained significantly against the Pound; however, during my visit in 2008 the Pound held a 2:1 advantage over the dollar (one dollar equaled only .49 Pounds).  Even though I knew there wasn’t a 1:1 exchange of Dollar to Pounds – seeing a lunch menu item for “13” causes your brain to believe the meal is only a few more dollars than $13.  Except for the fact that 13 pounds is actually 26 dollars plus the credit card foreign transaction fee; I essentially paid $30 for lunch in a simple pub.  Dammit!

Anyway, the goal was to find a spot that sold decent traditional English fare.  I was really looking for a spot that made the Scottish Haggis dish (don’t ask me why), but wasn’t successful (I wasn’t into Twitter then).  I ended up taking in a good plate of “Bangers & Mash” (sausage & potatoes) and Venison Lasagna (Deer) – both pretty good.

Although expensive, it was cool to take a short trip in London’s iconic Hackney Carriage taxi cab.  On several occasions, I mistakenly thought the cab driver was going to kill me by driving down the wrong side of the street (vehicles travel on the left side of the street in England).

Final Thoughts

While this certainly isn’t an in-depth review of London, I feel it’s a pretty good overview of some of the more popular tourist attractions – which is okay, because I am a tourist.  While it was stereotypically cloudy with a slight chance of drizzle during my visit, it didn’t stop me from seeing some of the more popular London attractions.  Even though the city is extremely expensive, I look forward to spending more time getting to know the London beyond the tourist zones.  Until then – Happy Travels!!

Destination at a Glance
Date of Trip	June 2008
Destination Good for	Outdoor Activities, Family Outings
Best Time to Go	Spring-Fall – many attractions closed in Winter
Currency/Conv. Rate	NA
Good Way to Get Around	Own Car: Yes	Tour: Yes	Taxi: No	Walking: Yes
Appox. Trip Cost	Free to Fairly Inexpensive
Speaks English?	NA
Entry Requirements	Possible Parking, campsite and attraction fees
Do it	Hike/Skylift to the top of Mountain Lasershow Ride the Ducks tour
Skip it	Riverboat – kinda boring
Didn’t get to do	Not much
Would I Recommend	Yes
Overall Trip Rating

Trip Review (Click Thumbnails to see Full-Sized Images)

Growing up in Chicago, IL, there weren’t too many opportunities for me to go camping. Luckily, I was able to go camping on a number of occasions during my brief stint as a Boy Scout. Getting away from the ‘Concrete Jungle’ with my scout leader Mr. Wilson exposed me to a new way of life and new found skills such as CPR, sail boating, a survival techniques – skills I would have been unlikely to learn in the city.

Fast forward 20 years and a move to Atlanta, GA – I have an opportunity to do relive some of those good times camping right in my own backyard at Stone Mountain Park.

Stone Mountain Park

Just 16 miles (20min) from downtown Atlanta sits Stone Mountain Park – the five square mile plot of land that is Georgia’s most visited attraction. The park gets its name from the world’s largest piece of exposed granite – nearly 1000 feet high and 583 acres. Within this sprawling complex are several lakes, trails, activities and of course camp grounds.

In my mind, there are three types of camping the average 21^st century Joe will participate in – RV Camping (sorta cheating), Tent Camping with water/electricity connections nearby (a little less cheating) or so called ‘Primitive’ campsites which are nothing but a few feet for cleared dirt (old school if you will). No matter what you choose, camping can be an excellent weekend activity no matter your economic or marital situation.

What better way to bond with the family than to spend time outdoors at a campsite? For the fellas who scoff at the idea – keep in mind camping one of the few “wife approved” excursions where you and the fellas can stay away all weekend getting drunk and otherwise just being ‘men’. As for the ladies worried about bugs, bears, sleeping near the ground, whatever – just remember this is an opportunity for you to spend time with your man without the interruptions of phones, computers, and the like – plus it gets cold at night so you’ll have to get close.

Let’s Get to Camping

For a mere $30 a night, I reserved a campsite in the park that included water and electricity hookups on the site; site number “69” I believe it was. So Jay (aka Paul Bunyan) arrived at the site and immediately got to pitching the tent and starting the fire. Clearing out a relatively even 6×9’ space for the tent and setting up/moving the sleeping bags inside took all of 20-25 minutes. Next it was on to starting the campfire to replace the light source the setting sun had taken away from us and to get dinner started. Now I admit, most everything I learned while in the Boy Scouts some years ago came right back to me – except for starting a fire without matches. Not that I suggest wasting time on this as the sun is going down, it’s just my ego would have loved to say I lit my fire with a flint & steel. Alas, that wasn’t to be – so the lighter and a couple of ez-start sticks would have to suffice.

Fire started, now it’s time for dinner. The first night the plan was to make dinner fast and simple due to me arriving so late in the evening. So, Day 1 dinner was dehydrated vacuum packed Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Stew. I know, I know – Paul Bunyan wouldn’t approve – but he didn’t have to work all day and brave Atlanta traffic on the way to his dinner either! Just because dinner is quick, doesn’t mean it isn’t tasty – and both of these were off the chain. Just add boiling water, shake for 2 minutes and presto – dinner in a bag (lol).

The rest of the time camping I actually cooked real food – so bacon, eggs and grits for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch and salmon, baked potato and grilled corn on the cob for dinner. Of course there was the obligatory marshmallow roasting but without a doubt, the most amazing cooking achievement of the entire weekend was the …… wait for it…. Jiffy Pop!!! Properly cooking a platter of Jiffy Pop on a campfire – how gangster is that???? Popcorn, a lil libation and good company around a campfire under the stars – priceless!

Stone Mountain Park Activities

What makes camping at Stone Mountain Park so nice is the number of activities available to fill up the day you aren’t in the tent. The easiest (and cheapest) way to take advantage of everything the park has to offer is to purchase One-day Pass for $27. This allows you to go to all of the attractions (except for Ride the Ducks) without paying extra. Here are a few of the activities I was able to do during my weekend stay in the park:

• Laser Show – By far the most popular attraction at Stone Mountain Park, the Lasershow spectacular combines colorful lasers, surround sound and special effects into a 40 minute light show, precisely choreographed to music. The show is projected against the north side of the mountain and ends with a fireworks display. The show occurs nightly starting at 8 or 9pm depending on season. Cost is free.
• Hiking the Mountain – Guess the name says it all – but there’s a little more to do in the park than just looking at the mountain from ground level. Once at the top of the mountain, you can learn more about the history of the rock and see all the way to downtown Atlanta using the stationary binoculars. The views from the top of the mountain on a clear day are nothing but stunning! There’s also an added benefit of getting fit as you walk up/down the mountain (in fact many local athletes use the mountain as a training ground). In case you were wondering, the three men chiseled on the side of the mountain are Confederate heroes of the Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
• Ride the Ducks – The “Duck” vehicles are 1940′s WWII era US Army amphibious vehicles, meaning they can drive on land like regular trucks but also speed through most any body of water. The park has converted the Ducks into open-air tourist vehicles that are captained by specially trained tours guides. Costs $14 and includes a goofy duck quacking whistle.
• Old Car Museum & Crossroads – The museum has about 50 classic and antique vehicles all donated/purchased from within the state of Georgia, including a Ford Model-T, an original Tucker and a first run convertible 1960s Mustang. The Crossroads is a mini-city that contains a number of arts & craft shops, restaurants and performing artists.
• Sky Ride – There are two ways up the mountain, walking it or taking the Summit Skyride. The Sky Ride is a high-speed Swiss cable car with windows on all four sides providing up-close views of the Confederate Memorial Carving. The trip to the observation tower on the top of the mountain takes about 2 minutes and costs $9.
• Scenic Railroad – A full sized locomotive from the 1940s with open-air cars takes you around the base of the mountain stopping at a replica 1900s Georgian town (complete with Hey-Haw performances) and half-way up the mountain at the Crossroads. Takes about 45 minutes to circle the mountain and costs $9.
• 4D Theater – Pretty nice attraction which amounts to a 3D theater showing a customized 20 minute movie on some outdoor related theme (they switch the movie ever so often). The 4D comes into play when the seats move, you’re sprayed with water, etc during the show. Not sold individually, must purchase a Day Pass to enter.
• Lake Activities – There are Paddle boats, a Riverboat and fishing available at one of the many lakes in the park (no jet skis). You can also hike through any part of the 10 miles worth of trails.

In Closing

While it’s cool to stay at the Hilton and have everyone cater to your every need, it is just as awesome to have the feeling of accomplishment by roughing it yourself. Camping just feels ‘real’ – whether lying under the stars at night or the smell of charred firewood in the morning. Camping makes you remember how much we have become slaves to technology – as well as a feeling of accomplishment having survived without it. What’s the best thing about camping; it’s the complete 180 your lady friend does when she raves about how much fun she had after spending the month leading up to it worrying about bugs, bears and Bigfoot. I love it when a plan comes together.

Happy Travels!!

You’ve Been Douche Bagged

Welcome to the Internet Blogging 2010.  With most people understanding it’s not a good idea to send large sums of money to Nigerian Princes and you really shouldn’t click on that Viagra email – “Article Jacking” (I just made that up) is becoming the new sleaze bag way of generating revenue.  Website owners use a number of advertising platforms on their sites which pay them when users click on one of those ads – Google Ads being the most popular.  What most people don’t know is – even if no one actually clicks on an ad, the website owner will still get paid based on the number of times ads are displayed.  More page views, more money.

With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why someone steals and reposts content – it’s free money.  Someone Googles the keywords in your article, the thief’s site appears in the search results and the thief gets paid for visit.  Nice!  Frequently, the sites displaying your stolen content have no original content at all; they just display hundreds of stolen articles for the purposes of gaining advertising revenue.  No one is immune to this – really shitty blogs with no readers will get jacked just as much as popular and well written blogs.

In the old days, these types of folks would copy-n-paste parts/entire articles into their site – a simpler proposition when there were only thousands of blogs.  As there are now literally millions of blogs, it is much easier to steal this content in an automated fashion – using your own RSS feed.

What You Can Do

Luckily, you have the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) on your side.  The DMCA (or EUCD for folks in the European Union) is a set of copyright laws that, amongst other things – allows you as the content owner to initiate a “Takedown Notice”.  Once you provide notice of the copyright infringement, by law the offending party must remove the content.  In addition, sending the Takedown Notice is free!   The bad news is you are responsible for uncovering each instance of your content being infringed upon, the douche bag posting it and generating the takedown notice(s).

There are few ways to determine whether your content has been infringed (stolen) – the easiest is to simply do a search on your site name, article name, specific keyword or a combination of the three.  Companies like Copyscape claim to be able to search for your content across the web, but in my experience it didn’t catch several blatant instances that were in Google’s search results.  Another useful method is to use Google’s Blog Search engine – which usually gives much better (targeted) results than the general Google web search.  If using the Google blog search, sort the results by “last 12 hours” as this will limit the search results and make your article (along with the stolen version) easier to spot.

Once you have identified the URLs serving your stolen content, follow these steps to get it removed:

1. Using the domain name of the URL hosting your content (e.g., imadouchebag.com), perform a Whois Lookup.  In the results, you are looking for the line that says “Name Server:”
2. Usually, the “Name Server” taken from Step 1 will tell you the web hosting company.  For example, the name server for imadouchebag.com could have something like “NSXXX.HOSTGATOR.COM” in the field.  In this example, it’s pretty easy to see the web hosting company in this case is Host Gator, LLC.  If you can’t tell who the host is looking at the Name Server, you can perform a Name Server Lookup to get the owner/IP address.
3. Send the Web Hosting Company a DMCA Takedown Notice informing them one of their customers has infringed on your content.  The contact information is usually on their site or you can use the “support” email address.  Here is a Web Host DMCA Template (in Word 2007 format) I created you can use.
4. Finally, send a Takedown Notice to Google to get any URLs removed from all Google search and application properties – including page cache.  You can use the Google DMCA Template (in Word 2007 format) I created.

Google and most web hosting companies require you to mail or fax any Takedown Notice requests.  If you don’t have a fax machine, use Faxzero to fax the two Word documents above for free.  Some folks suggest sending the offending website owner a takedown request – something I strong recommend you not do.  You are more likely to have your email address sold to spammers than you are having your stolen content removed.

Thoughts on Preventing Copyright Infringement

It really isn’t possible to prevent someone from stealing your online work – not very well at least.  There are a number of JavaScript tools than prevent right-clicking or copying any text on your page; however, these tools are easily defeated by anyone with a minimal level of skill.  Also, most content isn’t stolen via Copy-n-Paste anyway – it’s stolen directly from your RSS feed.   Of course you could disable your RSS feed or only include summary information in the feed – but that would have a greater negative impact in terms of growing your audience than the positives of eliminating theft would solve.  Finally, you could pay people like Copyscape to ‘monitor’ your site and act on your behalf; but I have a hard time believing this is worth the effort if their search apparatus does such a poor job identifying infringement in the first place.

This brings up an interesting question – should you even bother removing stolen content in the first place?  Sure sending Takedown Notices are free to do, but it does take time and effort.  I know many people don’t use any advertising platforms on their blogs, so the loss of revenue is not an issue.  While that may be true, the presumption is you write your article with the intent of someone actually reading it.  Loss of traffic means fewer people are reading your content.

With that in mind, I personally take the following approach to combating copyright infringement;

• When I find an instance of infringement, I’ll first determine if the article is copied in its entirety and if there is a link back to my site.  In a strange way, this kind of infringement  is somewhat helpful – as it builds link backs necessary for search engines page ranking (albeit very little).  If on the other hand, there’s no link or it’s more than just an article summary or the site quality is obviously trash (most are) and I’m not in the most pleasant mood ever (and I rarely am) – then it’s time to open a can of whoop ass.
• I place the “Jay Travels” copyright logo at the bottom right of every picture on this site.  Yes, it can be removed – but it’s just easier for douche bags to get someone else’s images than to Photoshop mine (the locked front door theory).
• The “Jay Travels” logo is embedded on the bottom left corner of every video on this site, as well as those videos on YouTube.  This way, when video aggregators pull my video from YouTube – the viewer knows where it came from because the brand is always visible.  Now the Douche Bag is working for me.
• I use a robots.txt file that tells Google, Yahoo, Live, etc. not to index any content in my /video or /image directories.  This doesn’t hide the files but it means my video and images never show up in search engines – just the pages in which they are viewed in display.  You can go further by preventing any browser/service from accessing any image/video on your site externally by modifying your .htaccess file (advanced users only)

I don’t bother with changing the RSS feed, copy-n-paste JavaScript or any other nonsense – the benefits are small and the time required too great.  So that’s it – hopefully this article will prove helpful to those that have or will encounter this situation.

And to the current and future digital content thieves – stop acting like Douche Bags!!!

Important Note: This article is about online copyright infringement – not Defamation or Trademark Infringement.  If someone writes on their site you are a “jerk” – you cannot use the DMCA to get that content removed.  In addition, if someone uses your logo not associated with copyrighted material and not fair use, you cannot use the DMCA to have it removed either.  An example of Trademark Infringement is if “McDowells” from the movie ‘Coming to America’ started a burger website.  In both of these cases, you will need to utilize other tools (attorney) to have the content removed.  I point this out because Google will likely deny all DMCA notices that are actually Defamation/Trademark infringements.