Viaggiare è un modo meraviglioso di relax per molte persone, e per chi vuole veramente conoscere la loro destinazione, non ci può essere nulla di meglio che viaggiare backpackers. Tuttavia, questo metodo di viaggio richiede che si è fisicamente in forma e in grado di tenere il passo abbastanza regolare alcuni inconvenienti. Siete pronti per questo?

Potreste pensare che sono, ma cosa succede se si ammalano mentre si è in uno dei tuoi ostelli backpackers o, se si dimentica il proseguimentovolo? Vuoi essere in grado di permettersi le cure necessarie, o immediatamente ottenere un altro biglietto? Per rispondere 'sì' a queste domande, è necessario adottare alcuni di assicurazione prima di lasciare la tua casa.

Le spese di assicurazione di viaggio è un criterio importante, quindi è necessario prestare attenzione a come si sceglie il diritto backpackers di assicurazione per te. Utilizzare Internet per farsi un'idea di ciò che offre il mercato e raccogliere un'idea generale di ciò che costa di essere assicurati in base alle vostrespecifiche esigenze.

Il tuo secondo passo sarebbe poi chiedere quotazioni da almeno quattro a cinque imprese di assicurazione in modo che si può paragonare uno contro l'altro. Solo allora si sarà in grado di scegliere la politica di prezzo più competitivo. Non abbiate paura di contrattare in maniera aggressiva per il miglior prezzo possibile.

Prima di chiudere l'affare, assicurarsi che la compagnia di assicurazione che hai scelto ha una solida reputazione. Ricordo, che si assumono questa assicurazione, perché si vuole essere certi diavere assistenza finanziaria immediata quando si viaggia in un paese straniero, se necessario.

Non sarebbe giusto se l'assicurazione backpackers mette improvvisamente clausole immaginario e ti impedisce di usare i tuoi benefici. Per un sicuro backpackers esperienza di viaggio, dovete sapere che la compagnia di assicurazione che avete scelto è copertura per tutti gli eventuali incidenti che potrebbero accadere durante il viaggio ad esempio, e 'esserci' per il vostro quando ne avete bisogno.

E 'da est a vedere Perché la gente si diverte di viaggio zaino in spalla, in quanto questo è il solo modo di viaggiare che li pone in stretto contatto con la popolazione locale. Mentre tipo di vacanza è divertimento e fornisce una certa momenti più indimenticabili, è necessario assicurarsi che queste memorie sarebbero stati tutti piacevoli.

Pertanto, prima di partire per le vostre vacanze, affinché si prende una completa backpackers polizza assicurativa che coprirà voi nel caso si esegue in qualsiasi tipo di problemi relativi al vostro modo di> viaggio. Ciò non solo dare la pace immensa della mente, dal momento che si sono preparati per ogni eventualità, ma anche offrire prezioso sostegno finanziario quando più ne avete bisogno.

Visit : Dewalt Faucet Filter Dewalt Elidaslokes Talk

I type this in a café in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I don’t live in Thunder Bay, or any part of Ontario, but I am here now. It’s one of the stops on my trip across Canada. This trip has been a dream of mine for some time and I’m having fun. On a deeper level though, I am fulfilling a lifelong dream to travel and see the vast country that I’ve spent my entire life on only one side of.

Travel is a very strange beast. Most people talk about wanting to voyage off, whether for a week long family vacation to Disneyland or a year long backpacking trek across Europe. For the Disneyland type vacationers, travel is usually a treat for someone else (their children, I would imagine) and is made to be as predictable and planned out as possible. It is hoped that this preparation will create an experience that contains the least amount of stress and surprise as possible. Backpacking is quite the contrast to this, and is where my story takes us.

For the backpackers, travel can best be described as a pilgrimage. Usually they are trying to “find themselves”, or create memories and stories they can look back on wistfully in their dotage. A backpacking excursion is a wild, unruly thing; full of unexpected twists and desperate, dangerous situations. This is how the backpacker likes it. No one wants to find themselves, grey haired and retired, telling their grandchildren about “that one time everything went right and we had a good time”. Adventure! Excitement! Near death experiences! These are the things great stories are made from.
So, we backpackers let most events fall as they may. Itineraries are vague, timetables loose and changeable. If a backpacker feels like staying an extra week in Bruges, that’s not only acceptable, it’s encouraged.
Don’t think that these brave men and women have put no planning into their travel though. Oh no, there is much preparation that has to be done to maintain this much freedom.  Money, of course, must be addressed.

To take a year, or even a couple of months, off of work is hard enough. Add on top that you need to somehow come up with the money to both feed and entertain yourself, for the entire journey, and you really start to feel the pinch. Combine these with the expenses of getting to and from where you’re going, whether that be by plane, train, automobile, or (as in my case) intercity bussing, and things are looking pretty ugly.

So, the backpacker has to spend what often equates to years of their lives saving up the money, sometimes during their travels. Usually they work more than one job, both of which paying only slightly above minimum wage. They may be fortunate enough to live by the graces of Mum and Dad, and not going to school. More often than not though, they are students living with a group of their peers, cramming into any dorm, home or apartment they can afford together. This means they probably already have debt. In short, money is tight.
Money isn’t the only issue. As you might imagine,

it takes a huge degree of will power to go as long as is necessary
to gather together everything that’s needed on top of a couple of jobs and school. Sacrifices must be made,

and that means no social life for our poor valiant backpacker. It also means being constantly vigilant about things like food and cell phones. Little by little is the only way for someone like the backpacker to make their trip possible. And then, just when the money is coming together, just when their willpower has gone unbroken for two or three years, and they don’t think they can go another week living off of no-name macaroni, they have to figure out some way to get OUT of their multiple jobs. They must find some way to take the necessary time off of school without falling forever behind in their quest for a degree. They must find some way to leave an apartment or dorm, leaving the already desperate people like themselves behind to pick up the slack in the rent.
All this lie in the wake of a backpackers departure.
Family must be left behind. Boyfriends and girlfriends may need to be let down gently, and the idea that you will be broke, again, for years after your return, must become a reality you no longer fear to face. In short, it is a devastatingly stressful position to be in, far from the Disneyland travel cruise.

Why then, would anyone in their right mind decide to do this to themselves? While the possibility that they are not in their right minds mustn’t be overlooked, I have another theory. This is based on personal experience, and is twofold.
First, travel is important to the backpacker on a very personal level. It’s not just about a vacation, or even about the stories they can tell afterwards. It’s about learning for yourself about the world around you, putting yourself in situations that are unfamiliar. This way you can be prepared for those situations when they matter, avoiding that sad, all to familiar sensation of “what if”. The sensation that many people who have lived the same way in the same place all of their lives have experienced.

My second theory on why people take on this daunting task is that it’s easy. Now I must clarify that easy does not mean effortless. The effort is herculean. Once your mind is made up and you take the first step towards going on your trek, (a step where you simply decide) all of the effort becomes secondary. The most difficult boundary to cross is the mental one that has you looking at the effort involved and discourages you not to do it. I’ve seen this manifest in many ways. Some people run into trouble, and convince themselves that some entity or God, Nature or Fate, has decided that it “wasn’t meant to be”. Some decide they will explore at a later date, that there’s always more opportunities to come. — And some just give up without excuse. These are all cop-outs. The truth of the matter is, if it is important to you you will do it, and you will do it as soon as possible.
I had it relatively easy. I lived at home, and only worked one job. I’m not halfway through a degree, and thus not worried about loosing momentum in school. I didn’t even have a girlfriend to dump before I left. However, I still had to raise the money, and sacrifice the time, and most of all overcome that mental hurdle of can I or shant I.
I disclose this because even to me this lends a nasty edge of hypocrisy to my theory.

I’m in a position of relative privilege, how dare I say that those of less means than myself are “copping out”? And yet, I have no qualms expressing my opinion on the matter. This is because I recognize that most people are, in essence, equal. Not all, but most. Even poverty, in Canada, can be escaped from if the will is there. Not like in some nations where there is no wealth to aspire to have, and school is not mandatory, it is non-existent. And you need not be a perfect physical specimen to travel, Terry Fox proved this impressively by going distances that seem, to me, impossible; with one leg less than I have, and cancer. In short, the average person is just that, average; and capable and without excuse.

Travel is not important to everyone. In fact, many people see it as a ridiculous waste of time. To them, all of that effort for something intangible, something that doesn’t last past the arrival home, makes no sense. This doesn’t make my theory any less important. Travel is only my example here, but that first hurdle, those illogical excuses; they exist within all that is important to each of us. It seems that in order to make any effort, to reach for what is important, we must first overcome ourselves.

Ko Tao is known for its beautifully clear water, which makes it a prime dive and snorkel destination.  It is full of dive shops and avid scuba divers looking to see the wonderful world of underwater sealife.  Despite my desire to see turtles, sharks and other colorful and large sea creatures, I am extremely frightened of being underwater, and being meters below sea level does not appeal to me. 

Thus, I went to Ko Tao looking for another relaxing weekend in the sun.  I had scoped out the place a few days before and realized that it is very accessible on foot.  There are trails and although most of the roads are not paved, most of the island can be reached with a short hike.  Well, hike is an understatement…

I arrived to Ko Tao early on Thursday morning.  Luckily, there is now a boat leaving Lang Suan to the island that only takes 2 hours.  What a perfectly easy trip to make!  I decided that I was going to follow a path that was indicated by a dotted line on my trusty map to a place where there were a few cheap places to stay.  Five minutes later, I was pretty much climbing a mountain and forging myself through a very faded trail and overgrown brush.  The one time I forget my shoes!  My trip to Ko Tao was definitely a testiment to how trusty Rainbow Sandals can be. 

I had a huge smile across my face the entire time.  I love hiking and I loved that there was a huge possibility I was lost.  The trail was not easily marked and there were plenty of times when I had to make the executive decision on which way to go.  I loved that I had no idea where I was going or where I was going to end up.  I loved that I had no clue what I was looking for or what it was going to look like when I got there.  To put it plainly, I loved it. 

I made it to a secluded beach covered in little bungalows called Sai Thong Resort.  It was perfect!  I checked in and was led to a little bungalow a ways up the hill.  As soon as I saw the hammock I knew I was in heaven!  I dropped my backpack  and jumped into the hammock to relax after my hard trek through the wilderness.  But I wasn’t done.  There was way more forging ahead of me.  There was still a dotted line on the map that I hadn’t followed and I wanted to reach the town that day so I could set up a snorkeling trip. 

So I set out again.  This trail was much more difficult to follow and it included large boulders and steep inclines, but once again I found myself on a little secluded beach and decided to take a dip in the crystal clear water.  The ocean in Thailand is absolutely heavenly.  It is the perfect refreshment from the hot sun.  After an ample amount of time relaxing, I set out for the town.  Lots of hiking later on what they call “roads” I reached a place called Viewpoint resort and stopped to have lunch.  My table was located right on the rocks with the perfect view of the beautiful Chalok Baan Kao Bay. 

After an amazing lunch, I headed into the town to find a place to set up a snorkeling trip.  I found a shop and put down the money to buy the trip.  He asked me where I was staying and too much dismay my bungalows were too far for them to pick me up in the morning!  I had to do the hike again early in the morning!!  This didn’t discourage me one bit.  I enjoyed the hike and because I haven’t worked out too much in Thailand, I took it as a wonderful challenge.

The next morning I woke up around 7 and made my way into town.  The hike was rough and difficult, especially in the morning, but it was a good rough and difficult.  I truly enjoyed it.  Apparently, I was forgotten because I waited for about an hour and then was rushed to the boat with everyone starting at me like I was the late one.  And by rushed, I mean I had to jump aboard another motorcycle taxi, and a motorcycle taxi on the mountainous Ko Tao, is an adventure I wasn’t ready for.  But, once again, I survived, and made it to the boat. 

The day of snorkeling was exhausting, but completely worth it.  At the first stop, Shark Island, I learned about “sea lice.”  According to a website on staying safe at the beach, “Sea lice are actually the microscopic larvae of jellyfish and other ocean stingers wchich contain the same nematocysts (stinging cells) as mommy and daddy.”  I felt liky my body was on fire!  The first sting was surprising.  I literally said out loud, “What in the world was that!!” Then as I decided to follow the path of some big fish, I must have swam into a swarm of them, because I felt them on every inch of my body!  The snorkeling was amazing there, huge fish, beautiful coral, but I had to get out of the water as soon as I could! 

The rest of the day was magnificent!  We circled the entire island and ended up on the little island off the coast called Ko Nang Yuan.  With two hours to kill on the small island, I quickly climbed the hundreds of stairs to a breathtaking lookout, knowing that I would soon be swimming in the crystal blue water and relaxing in the white sand.  What an amazing sight.   I would have loved to see the island when it was empty and uninhabited, but then again I probably wouldn’t be standing there if it was deserted.

Ko Tao is only two hours away from Lang Suan.  Thus, when I want to have a “lazy weekend” where I don’t want to travel far, this is where I will come.  It is an amazing island with so much excitement to offer and I can’t wait to explore it more!!

swap, exchange, buy, sell, see, go.

12 and 13 december in bica’s largo de sto antoninho from 1pm to 7pm.

Thanksgiving 2009 will be one to remember for the 150 study abroad students who celebrated in Interlaken this past weekend.  We were thankful for epic snow conditions and bluebird skies. We were thankful for heart pounding activities like skydiving and bungy jumping.  We were thankful for wild parties and awesome staff at Balmers and Metro Bar.  All in all it was one of the best Bus2alps trips this semester and with many students soon returning home, it was great to go out on such a high.

Everyone arrived throughout the night with students coming in from all over Europe.  The next morning we awoke to our first glimpses of the mighty Swiss Alps.  Renowned the world over, the mountains surrounding the hostel are some of the most spectacular in the world.  Throughout the day groups of students hiked the mountains to take in the postcard views and soak up the mountain air.  Others opted to test their agility and strength on the ropes course which was suspended 20 meters above the ground. There was also Skydiving on offer and hordes of students returned back to the Hostel with Adrenaline still pulsing after losing their ‘first jump’ virginity.  Many of them couldn’t wait to strap back in and do it again!

That night the crew at Balmers stepped up to put on a Thanksgiving feast of epic proportions.  The delicious meal with all the trimmings was served out whilst wine flowed like water.  It was the ultimate pre game for the Inaugral Movember Moustache Gala Party downstairs at Metro Bar.  Here prizes were awarded to those who had been cultivating moustaches over the last month which made for some very ‘interesting’ party goers.  Music blared and fists pumped throughout the night and well into the wee hours of the morning. Everyone went to bed happy, knowing that tomorrow would be even more action packed.

On Saturday the Ski/Snowboard participants awoke before sunrise for the bus ride to the Saas Fee Glacier, where they were guaranteed powder turns and steep groomed runs.  On arrival at the mountain everyone was in awe.  It was November and there was fresh snow aplenty! The whole mountain was open and the sun was shining!  Back in Interlaken a large group embarked to a nearby gletscherschlucht gorge to launch themselves off a cliff – An activity not for the faint hearted.  Basically the participants propel themselves off a cliff affixed to rope and swing down through the gully at a death defying pace.  After everyone got their adrenaline fix it was back to the bar for some more partying – Swiss style.

Sunday was departure day and it was clear no one wanted to leave.  In the final hours groups took to the streets of Interlaken to hunt for those hard-to-find Christmas presents.  Before we knew it, time was up and we were on buses to our respective cities.  It had been a jam packed weekend and no doubt a Thanksgiving that everyone will remember for years to come.

by Linn Dupont

British backpackers traveling around in Australia has been accused for spreading sexually transmitted diseases caused by their risky behavior. That is found from a study made by Britain’s John Moores University in Liverpool and Australia’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

A survey carried out amongst backpackers at hostels in Sydney and Cairns found out that the British backpackers often had triple the number of sexual partners compared to how many they were normally having sex with at home. This regardless being single or not.

The report shows that of those who were single when arriving to Australia and having sex, 40.9 percent reported not using condom on a regular basis, while 24.0 percent had unprotected sex with multiple partners.

Australia is a very popular travel destination and each year 700, 000 young Britons go there to enjoy life while traveling around and provide for themselves by carrying out different jobs on the way. Almost one fifth of the backpackers have more than one sexual partner when they’re on vacation.

“Backpackers are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and other negative sexual outcomes”, the study sums up. Both John Moores University and Australia’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre strongly wish for backpackers to take a closer look at their behavior both before and during their travels in order to make an effort for improvement.

Backpackers

2009 2010 Review of the Australian Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL)

Australia WHV Working Holiday Visa Blitz

A SPECIALIST integrity unit has been formed inside the Department of Immigration to deal with widespread fraud in the working holiday visa program, on which industries such as fruit growing depend.

More than 200 internet advertisements have been found offering to buy or sell documents allowing backpackers to claim they had worked in rural jobs without them leaving Sydney, and thus extend their working holiday visas. The standard fee is $400. So far, 64 visas have been cancelled over the fraud and at least 19 more are being reviewed.

One man, an Irish national, has been convicted of fraud. ”There’s been more than 100 fraudulent claims identified this financial year,” a spokeswoman for the department said. ”The answer is we don’t know [the full extent of the fraud]. At this stage it’s too early to determine and we will be looking at it over the next six months.”

The working holiday visa (subclass 417) allows people to extend their stay in Australia by a year if they can prove they have worked in a rural area for three months. Applications are lodged online but have been abused by people selling Australian business numbers linked to farms so backpackers can falsely claim they worked on farms.

”Second year visas for sale,” one ad read. ”Will email completed 1263 form and add your details to my books so you can gain second year visa with ease.”

Another ad offering similar services, posted on the Gumtree website on Saturday, had received more than 2000 hits by last night. Unlike visa scams targeting international students, mainly Indians, this fraud is used mainly by European visitors.

One backpacker told the Herald he had been offered the false documentation as soon as be arrived in Australia, by people staying at the same hostel.

”People told me about buying the documents – getting the numbers to put in,” he said. ”When I arrived here people said you can go there [to a farm] or you can buy. Everyone knows about it. It’s easy. All the people who are here know about that.”

The federal Opposition spokeswoman on immigration, Sharman Stone, said the widespread fraud reflected under-resourcing of the department.

Komune Resorts,

The new resort for surfers and travelers who enjoy the beach lifestyle will be opening on the Gold Coast in February 2010. Just in time for the Quicksilver Pro.

The resort is on Coolangatta beach only minutes walk away from some of Australia’s best surf beaches. The resort includes 10 stories of share, self-contained and penthouse accommodation.

The building has gone under 5 months and $2 million dollars of renovations to make it the best surfers resort in Australia. Renowned Italian architect Giovanni D’Ambrosio has designed the building to include all the features of a surfers resort but also be a sanctuary for rest and social activity.

With views over both Coolangatta beach and the Tweed river the resort is located perfectly to suit the demands of people traveling to the Gold Coast.

The resort hosts a variety of facilities for the surfers, backpackers and travelers:

• The option of share, self-contained and penthouse accommodation.
• Video, intercom and key card security
• Security safes
• Air Conditioning
• Telephones
• Laundry facilities including washing machine and dryers
• Television including cable and free-to-air T.V.
• Cooking Facilities
• Surfboard Racks
• Internet Computers and WiFi access
• Restaurant and Bar
• Pool
• Views of Coolangatta and Tweed
• Modern and relaxing social environment

Komune will be the latest surfing and beach style resort for backpackers and travelers on the Gold Coast.

Austria is a nation of many layers- stunning architecture and a turbulent history are contrasted by breathtaking mountains and nature. It is considered to be one of the Europe’s premier destinations and it’s shaped like a guitar for a reason – it rocks. This past weekend Bus2alps took 26 students to the nation’s capital, Vienna, and then onto Salzburg, gateway to the mighty European Alps.

First stop was Vienna (pronounced ‘Wien’ in German). After a quick nap we headed off to explore a city that is renowned as one of Europe’s cultural epicentres. The city centre of Vienna is a UNESCO listed world heritage site and the streets are dotted with opulent architecture from a bygone era. We wandered through the grounds of the Hofburg Palace and marvelled at the size and grandeur of the complex which had everything from a library to its own horse riding school. The building has housed the most powerful people in Austrian history and is certainly ‘fit for a king’.

Following this we headed to St Stephens Church and spent the day soaking up the infectious Christmas atmosphere.
In the evening a large group of people headed back into the town to view a performance by the Wien Imperial Orchestra. Post opera we rendezvoused with the other B2A crew and cruised to the famous ‘Bermuda Triangle’ party zone to drink up some more culture.

Saturday morning everyone awoke bright and early to explore the Schönbrunn Palace – An important cultural monument and Vienna’s definitive tourist attraction. The Palace was established in 1569 and through the centuries has been renovated and expanded by successive dynasties. The gardens and buildings that make up the palace are nothing short of amazing. Just wandering around makes you feel like royalty.

After a quick lunch it was time to make the quick three hour traverse to Salzburg – the gateway to the Alps, and home of the Von Trapp Family. Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria and is world famous for its alpine setting and baroque architecture. Arriving on dusk, we immediately set off to the Xmas markets where we indulged in some pre dinner gluwein (mulled wine) before heading up to the Stieglkeller restaurant. Here we gorged ourselves on traditional Austrian fare whilst overlooking the lit up fairytale town beneath us.

On Sunday we were greeted by unseasonal warm sunshine, ideal for the days scheduled ‘Sound of Music Tour’. We were picked up by our friendly guide Johan and driven all around Salzburg and surrounding areas. During the day we saw all the sites where the famous movie was filmed, in addition to some of Salzburg’s historical sites. It was a prerequisite to sing along on the bus and everyone got into the spirit and relived their childhood memories.

The tour took in sweeping views of the rugged mountains and spectacular lakes. It is no wonder Hollywood so often uses the location. Rumour had it that Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise were in town filming a new movie. Unfortunately we didn’t see them, much to the dismay of many girls. Nevertheless, the chocolate, Apple Strudel and doughnuts more than made up for it and no one was complaining as we hit the road for Florence.

Dankeschön Austria…See you next time.

Next up we are heading to Interlaken and also to Munich for the famous Xmas Markets…

Click here to book.

Hi Leute.

Ich bin gut in Australien angekommen. Der Flug war zwar anstrengend, aber alles ist gut gelaufen. Mit durchschnittlich 1000 km\h und 10.000 metern Hoehe ging es ab nach Sydney. Ich hab bis jetzt auch noch keinen Jetlag. Aber vielleicht kommt das heute nachmittag noch. Hier ist es gerade 12.10 Uhr und ich sitze im Hostel, Surfside Backpackers, und warte auf die Zuteilung eines Zimmers. Danach geh ich dann an den Strand. Das Wetter ist leider nicht so gut, so dass das schwimmen im Meer heute ausfallen muss. Es ist ziemlich windig und bewoelkt, aber trotzdem ueber 20Grad warm, obwohl es keinen strahlenden Sonnenschein gibt. Ich kann mich also eigentlich nicht beklagen. Hoffe euch geht es auch allen gut.

Wer Rechtschreibfehler findet darf sie behalten. Da ist ausserdem die Australische Tastatur schuld, an die ich mich erst gewoehnen muss.

Bis dann

Vor dem Abflug

Am Flughafen in Dubai

Endlich da! Flughafen Sydney

1. Tag am Strand

BANDUNG HERE WE COME !

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Travelling down the East Coast of Queensland? Like horses? Yes, then stop off in Noosa for your fix of horse riding.

This beach and bush ride on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland is the ultimate Australian bush and beach riding experience. It’s the quintessential Australian ride where riding guests are mounted on superbly bred Australian Stock Horses, ride along untouched, vast expanses of beach, tail behind a mob of cattle and experience true bush spirit in outback Queensland.

Visit their website here: horse riding holidays

Australia News 15 November 2009

We headed out on Thursday morning to get the bus down to London, a short 10 hour bus trip. The bus trip seemed very quick, well the first 8 hours, the last 2 just dragged on. We didn’t get a stop the entire time. So sitting for 10 hours is a bit much.

When we finally arrived in London, we found an underground and got a ticket. It is quite confusing because there is an underground and an overground. So we found a ticket booth and bought a ticket and asked for directions to the platform. People say boarding a RyanAir plane is like being hearded like sheep… Well I would just like to say, walking through the underground is far worse. People everywhere and when a train arrives everyone just gets pushed in the door together. Luckily, I only had to wait one stop before getting a seat, Kath was in the middle of the carrige, we got separated on the way into the train.

We got off the underground, and found our way outside. For the first time ever, our hostel was directly in front of us, and the supermarket was in the train station.

We made our way into the hostel and hiked up to the 4th floor (which was actually 8 sets of stairs), we were glad we only had little bags for the weekend. We made our beds then headed out to get some dinner. We strolled down the street and the first place we looked at was a Weatherspoons, so we went in there for dinner. It was a very busy one (made because it was curry night). We both had a curry for dinner, it was great.

We then headed back to the hostel and met an Australian girl in our dorm. As more and more people turned up, we discovered that the majority of girls on the floor were all Aussies. Our room the first night had 2 Americans, 1 Italian and 5 Australians (including us). All of the girls were really nice. The room next door had another 2 Australians. We thought it was funny that we head to another country and all we meet are Aussies. We stayed up until 2am chatting.

The next morning we got up and went to do the Free Walking Tour. We mastered the underground that morning and got to the starting point and hour early, so we decided to go for a wander down the road to Buckingham Palace. The Queen was home on Friday!! We walked around there and then went back to the starting point. By the time the groups were split up and we were on our way it was 11.30. We first saw the Iron Dukes House and a monument. Then we walked really quickly down to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards Ceremony. We didnt see much because there were so many people around the gates. I have to say I was quite disappointed with Buckingham Palace (well the guards), I thought you would actually be able to walk up to them, and that there was more of them. There were 4 guards, they didn’t wear the funny hats (well the guards before the change don’t) and you can’t go near them. (So I just have to say, sorry Bryce we couldn’t try and make them move!!!).

We then saw the residence of Prince Charles, Camilla and William and Harry. (None of them were home ). We then saw the Queens second house, there were guards out the front of them, and you could approach them and have a picture with them. However, if you were annoying to them they had loaded rifles and were allowed by law to shoot you. So most people didnt get too close when having a photo.

We then wandered down the road, but it was pouring with rain and we didn’t have our waterproof pants on so we headed back to the hostel to dry our jeans for the concert in the evening.

We headed out to our concert at 5pm, the doors weren’t due to open until 7pm. The que was quite large. We lined up for an hour, before being told by security that we were in the wrong line. We ended up being one of the first people into our floor for seats, so we got the best seats. Kath had a spare seat next to her, and funnily enough an Aussie girl came and sat down next to her. Kath and her had a bit of a chat. The concert was really good. They had an awful support, he was meant to be a rapper but just spent the entire time yelling at you. Some people booed him. He had never performed infront of more then 8 people before. We still can’t work out why he was chosen as the support act. We had a great time at the concert. We didn’t buy any merchandise because we didn’t really like the shirts (they were really well priced). After the concert we headed back to the hostel and chatted to some of the girls again.

On Saturday morning, we headed to the Coach Station to come back up to Glasgow. The bus ride back was very very long!!. At one stage we were 25mins behind schedule. The driver we had was nice and gave us a 25 minute break, so we could get something for dinner. Nothing was open so we settled for chips. The rest of the drive back was pretty horrible because there were 5 men who had been drinking and were whistling and yelling and being annoying. So our diet on Saturday consisted of cornflakes and toast for brekky, Cheese Balls, apple and strawberries for lunch, and 2 packets of chips for dinner! Haha. When we arrived in Glasgow, Ellen and Tom met us at the Bus Station and took us home.

This morning we went for a walk with Ellen to a country park. We saw great views over Glasgow and then we went to a man-made Loch and walked around it.

We had a great time in London and are looking forward to going back next year.

Hope everyone is going well.

Love Cindy and Kath

Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1100 years and since the demise of communism it has come out of its shell to be one of Europe’s premier destinations.  It is a city of great diversity that draws comparisons with Paris, London and other famed locations.  This past weekend Bus2alps (B2A) spent two days in this historic city and was able to see a side of the city that is not accessible to most tourists.  It was a jam packed weekend that gave everyone a taste of the Czech Republic.

We departed on Thursday for an overnight bus ride and the journey was made comfortable by our new Busabout Buses.   Reclined in style, we awoke the next morning to be welcomed by the former communist city.  After fuelling up on the monstrous Czech Inn breakfast we rendezvoused with Issac, our guide, for Prague’s most politically incorrect walking tour.  We spent the next few hours wandering the city whilst having all the sites of interest pointed out to us.  The Astromical Clock, the Charles Bride, Lennon Wall and everything in between.  Issac combined history and culture and sprinkled it with inappropriate banter. It was a walking tour more akin to a comedy act and the B2A posse were in stiches all day long.

Day quickly rolled into night and suddenly it was time for the Clock Tower Pub Crawl.  With a slogan stating “The best night you will never remember…”, everyone knew what was in store.  First stop was Mollley Malones.  Here the B2A crew mixed with other students and travellers from all over the world and got acquainted over a few beers.  After this it was onward to three more bars, but only four out of 150 revellers remained at the end.  For others, the temptation of Macdonalds and KFC proved too tempting.

The next day was spent at leisure and most people took the opportunity to shop and ‘Czech out’ Prague’s historical castles for a more in depth look.  Others chose to visit the Prague Zoo (voted the fourth best in the world) whilst some of the more curious paid a visit to the Sex Museum.  History, Sea lions and 1800s porn.  Does it get any more diverse?

That night everyone gathered together at the Beer Factory for some goulash and good times.  The tables all came equipped with their own beer tap, meaning that you could fill up whenever you wanted.  A giant screen on the wall kept a running total of how much beer each table consumed and by the end everyone has mastered the art of pouring pints.  Next up it was time to enter Prague’s underground bar scene.  Over the course of the night we went to a punk rock concert, sampled some Absinthe and wound up in a high class casino. Variety is the spice of life, and nowhere more than Prague embodies this notion.

It astounds me how much we could fit in two days. The whole crew got to the see the best parts of Prague, as well as some of the hidden gems.  Bus2alps guides pride themselves on knowing cities inside out and with this knowledge we were able to escape the tourist traps and discover the real Prauge. Something most people cannot do in two days.

So Bon-Fire night was amazing, then the next night at Ellens and Toms was a big gathering for an actual bon-fire (which tom had built) and fireworks. You should have seen the size of the fire – It was MASSIVE. Before the party started, Cindy and I helped Tom bring some of the wood from one place to the fire so we could put more on it. It was sooo muddy and cold and a little drizzly – we got quite filthy but it was quite fun to be sloshing around… Wish we had brought our wellies from home though – then it would have been awesome haha

So many people were there and the small fireworks were fun to watch – some were very good – other attempts weren’t as good. My Grandpa had a great time chucking wood onto the fire… Beer in hand – haha.

The next day Ellen and Tom took us to Calderglen park which has its own little miniature zoo and we saw some pretty cool animals. Some of which were from Australia. Then we went for a nice walk around the park and the little river that ran through it.  We then went into the inside warm bit of the zoo – that had all different plant species from around the world and it had fish, snakes, ugly bug things, monkeys, turtles- very cool.

On the Sunday, Cindy and I went to the Burrell collection and Pollok house (and the park). The Burrell collection is quite impressive (one rich man can collect ALOT of artifacts/stuff from anywhere in the world) It was cool some of it – others was a little weird. Pollock House is an impressive house with some artifacts of olden day things… and it showed you where the lady of the house would sit in the morning, then at lunch, then in the afternoon and then at night. They had alot of sitting rooms – haha. The gardens were very pretty.

On the monday we then went to Edinburgh to do some stuff… we went to meet up with our tour guide Danny from our Skye trip and I had quite a bit to drink…. he ended up passing out after a lot to drink so we walked back to our hostel and I went straight to bed.. haha. The next day we had a look around the shops on the royal mile and went into the childrens museum – which had so many toys from back around WW1/2 and from there to now. Really good…  Today we went to Edinburgh castle again to get a stamp in our book – but she didnt stamp it very good – so a little disappointed. It was rememberance day today and they had a big thing up in the castle and alot of different troops were there from different ranks, areas, and so on were there in there scottish garb – it was great to see them all there.

We’re back in Glasgow tonight and tomorrow morning we bus down to London (10 whole hours) for our Tegan and Sara concert on Friday night.

Well anyways thats the update  – we may put some photos up tonight of Belfast, Bon-Fire night and Edinburgh…

Love to all,

Kath and Cindy

Batu Ferringhi

I spent last week in Malaysia with my girlfriend, Waew. It was our first proper holiday together and my first proper trip to Malaysia (I did a brief border hop from Brunei in 2005 but that was essentially just to tick another country off the list). It was also my first proper holiday in South East Asia since moving to Thailand last year, having so far failed to live up to my promise to myself to see as much of the region as possible while living here.

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

GEORGETOWN

Approaching from the air, the provincial capital looked to have been spoiled by an overabundance of ageing high-rise condos, which scarred an otherwise lush, green island. However at ground level I found Georgetown to be charming. True, a lot of the buildings are greying and flaking, but then it is a very old city, and you can’t have history without a bit of wear.

Thankfully the ugly high-rises are more of a feature of the outskirts than the downtown region, which is full of character. Malaysia is known – and celebrated – for its multiculturalism and tolerance, and this is certainly evident in Georgetown. Ancient Chinese shophouses mingle with mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and old colonial architecture.  Dining options offer Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai and European, while browsing the myriad  ethnic stores is a delight. Aural atmosphere is to be found on every street, too, whether the five-daily Islamic prayer sessions, the joyous songs emanating from the Hindu temples, or bhangra pop music blasting from sari shops and Indian CD stores.

A short walk from anywhere in the city centre can take you to most of the downtown attractions and to the seaside, although typically of an urban coast, the sea is murky and unremarkable. However the beach legs of our trip were ahead of us; Georgetown was the cultural side.

A bus or a cheap taxi ride into the centre of the island takes you to the island’s showpiece tourist attraction, Kek Lok Si Temple. The sprawling Buddhist place of worship straddles one side of Penang Hill and dazzles in its colour and design. Chinese, Burmese and Thai influences come together in one site and make for one of the most impressive religious sites I have seen, and certainly among the very best Asian temples.

It’s then a short hop – 5 minutes by taxi or a 25-minute walk – to the Penang Hill funicular station. The train will take you on a steep ascent to the 830-metre-high summit, from where you can take in the inevitably sweeping views, although again the rash of condos do blight the landscape in places. It probably looks better at night, when the city lights switch on, but still the view is far-encompassing enough to offer plenty of interest, whether the cityscape or the jungle or out to sea.

In terms of nightlife, Georgetown offers some smaller, more characterful bars along Jalan Chulia which attract backpackers and expats, or the more upmarket Jalan Penang, boasting smarter bars, a throbbing high-end nightclub and the city’s beautiful people.

We stayed at the Broadway Budget Hotel, which was basic but centrally located, clean and staffed by very friendly and helpful employees. We couldn’t fault it for RM50 (£10) per night. We found it by simply walking around after finding one of the Rough Guide’s recommendations, the Blue Diamond Hotel, to be unacceptable (ancient, musty, threadbare rooms) at the same price.

BATU FERRINGHI

With Penang island being circumnavigable in a day, we decided to hire a car and do exactly that. The car hire company we called was booked in Batu Ferringhi, the nearest significant beach spot to Georgetown, on the north of the island, where we intended to stay one night. The price of the rental was reasonable, but the hire rep had to come from BF to Georgetown, and then drive us back to BF, where his office was based and from where the rental would officially begin. Fine, we thought – it’s a free ride. Unfortunately the rep had seemingly been trained in the Bangkok tuk-tuk school of transporting tourists and rather than simply drive from our hotel to his office, he took us via a luxury chocolate store, a fabrics mill and a coffee outlet – all overpriced and all of which presumably paid him commission.

After checking in to a seaside guesthouse – Shalini’s, which was in a great location, just on the opposite side of the beach road, but otherwise not worth the RM75 they charged, if you compare with Broadway in Georgetown – we set off on our driving tour of the island, working our way clockwise.

The emphasis was simply on looping the island and seeing the countryside, and as it was already 1pm by the time we set off (thanks to our commission-seeking car hire rep), we didn’t have time for the major tourist attractions such as the Butterfly Farm, Tropical Fruits Farm and Snake Temple. Still, away from the city, the island proved beautiful, with lots of photo opportunities along the winding roads of the coast or of the jungle interior – just be careful when driving of monitor lizards crossing the road as if they have all the time in the world!

Almost back in Georgetown, we swung on to the bridge that links the island with the mainland portion of Penang province. At 13km long, it’s an impressive piece of architecture. The mainland seemed fairly featureless and access to Butterworth, the nearest city of note, incurred a toll, so, bearing in mind we were also pressed for time, we simply returned to the island via the bridge, which does offer a scenic run.

Finally, a quick run through Georgetown and then back up to BF and we had completed the loop while it was still daylight, giving us time for a stroll on the beach, which did not boast clear water but was scenic enough, with large boulders framing the western end and playful stray dogs chasing crabs . Dinner of carpetbag steak (beef stuffed with smoked oysters) inside a restaurant fashioned as a life-size ship, followed by a stroll around a night marker, completed a very pleasant day.

Part 2: Langkawi

In addition to our old time classical favourites: of Expedia, TripAdvisor or Priceline. The Toronto Star brings us a few extra websites that offer the same services with even better deals according to niche markets.

1) Fly From Canada: Designed by Canadians for Canadians, this page supplies helpful tips varying from traveler’s vaccinations and visas, to travel reviews and deals. Worth a look, Eh?

2) Canadian Affair: This Company has ads in the travel section of The Toronto Star every Saturday and Sunday, with targeting lines such as: “UK for $99″. This UK generated website promises to offer the lowest air fares from Canada to any destination in the UK available. (A few months ago I found a roundtrip for under $300- taxes included)

3) Cheapo Stay: Besides its catchy name, the website is super too easy to manoeuvre. You just type in the city you are visiting and then pops up a list of the best hotel deals in and around the city.

4) Hotwire: Possibly the best feature for travellers who are just antsy staying at home for too long and need to get the *F* out. Hotwire offers the “Today’s Top Deal” feature where you could find yourself sipping margaritas in the Caribbean or hiking the Rockies in British Columbia.

5) Where’s Cool?: My favourite website hands down. You find yourself in a city with no guide book and you’re not sure what there’s to do? This site is a budget oriented network that connects you to the most surprising spots in any city, guaranteed cool times

Now all you need to do is pack your bags, grab your map and click submit on your next travel search!

Greece is a country of beauty.  A country where culture and good times await around every corner.   It is also a country that was about to have a huge mob of Bus2alps (B2A) students unleashed upon it for a week of sheer awesomeness.  Toga parties and booze cruising at the Pink Palace in Corfu, discovering ancient ruins in Athens, relaxing beachside and working on tans.  B2A was about you serve it all up and everyone was more than hungry.

Toga! Toga! Toga!

Saturday Morning 9AM:  Florence’s October skies are grey and its’ raining – Time to escape to the sun drenched paradise that is Greece.   The crew of students’ rock up to Santa Maria Novella Train Station for departure.  Luxury Bus. Check. Coffee in hand. Check. Passports. Check. Inhibitions. Left behind.  The sun breaks out over the rolling green hills of Tuscany and within hours the Ferry is due east on the Adriatic Sea. Next stop. Greece.

With a boat that came equipped with a duty free bar, things were bound to get wild, and they did.  Within minutes the tunes blared out of the stereo and it was evident this was going to be a trip to remember.  After a mouth watering buffet dinner to keep the engines running it was time to get freaky at the Boats nautical disco.  The DJ got the party started with club classics, then mixed in some obligatory eighties cheese. The crowd rocked out right up until bedtime (Or breakfast time, depending on who you asked)

Once docked at Corfu we were greeted by the infamous Pink Palace buses and whisked away to a true Greek island paradise.  The sheer beauty of Corfu shook off any tiredness and everyone made a mad scramble for the Hotel’s private beach.  Sitting on the beach, you take in lush green hills and rocky cliffs cascading downward toward the sparkling blue Mediterranean. The scenery can best be described as something out of Jurassic Park.  The ocean has been warmed by the sun all summer, giving the water that perfect swimming temperature.

As the sun set the Pink Palace staff gathered everyone for some special Pink Palace style volleyball.  When they arrived to the court with cases of beer and bottles of ouzo in hand, people were confused.  As the game got underway it was clear this was not your average volleyball match.  Shots were consumed. Beers were chugged. Cross dressing took place.  Players were playing for pride, T shirts and Free ATV rental.  They were also playing for their sobriety.  It was a fitting end to a perfect day, and an ideal precursor to the night’s debauchery.

Monday saw everyone awake to bright blue skies and perfect beach weather.  After fuelling up on bacon, eggs and coffee is was time for the Pink Palace’s internationally renowned ‘Booze Cruise’.  The Pink Palace staff assembled the B2A crew and headed for the high seas.  Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Cancun, or something equally as insane.  Throughout the course of the day the boat navigated Corfu’s stunning grottos and cliffs, giving the ‘Pirates’ a chance to cliff jump, dive and explore uninhabited beaches.

Sailing the high seas

Once docked it was time for much anticipated ‘Toga Party’.  No rest for the wicked, especially at the Pink Palace.  Everyone was decked out in Pink Togas and the night started off with a banquet that would have made the ancient Greeks proud.  As the drinks flowed and tunes bopped everyone let their hair down and hedonism reigned supreme.  It was a truly memorable night amongst the pillars of the Palladium.

The next day saw everyone awake bleary eyed, but ready to see what else Corfu had to offer.  At around midday the Quad Safari tour departed.  The B2A Bikie gang was rolling out.  Corfu is known as Greece’s lushest, greenest island and tour allowed the crew to see this magnificent beauty close up.  On return to the Pink Palace everyone assembled for a final group dinner, and with tears in eyes, departed this unreal wonderland.  Next stop: Athens.

The B2A Bikie Gang rolling out

The first day in Athens was spent taking in the cities historical sites.  The Acropolis, Zeus’s temple and numerous other ruins were all examined with commentary and facts provided by B2A Chief, Mike Laporta (An encyclopaedia on all things Greek).  After a hearty lunch of gyros it was time for the ladies to get their shop on.  The afternoon was spent zig zagging in and out of Athens charming little streets, stocking up on world famous Poet Sandals (as worn by Jackie O and John Lennon), bags and clothing.  No matter how tired girls are, there is always energy to shop!

That night we all headed out a typical Greek dinner which included seven lip smacking courses and unlimited wine.  All for just thirteen Euros. Pretty good bang for your buck.  After that it was onward to the Hookah Bar and Spirit Nightclub. It was here that B2A took control of the dance floor and partied till the wee hours of the morning.

Next day everyone awoke for and set sail from Athens port for a day trip to the Island of Aegina.  This was the Greece everyone was expecting, complete with the requisite white buildings that everyone sees on postcards.  Motor scooters and ATVs provided the ideal transport to circumnavigate the Islands winding hills.  Olive trees and well preserved ruins dotted the rugged Island and the views of the glistening sea were jaw dropping.  On return home it was everyone’s last night in Athens.  Time to break out the Ouzo again. Yamas!

Good times were had. Good friends made. The trip has been one to remember and as everyone is sad to depart.  Prague, Vienna and Interlaken await us for the rest of semester. Skiing, Baroque architecture, Absinthe and Thanksgiving are on the horizon…The fun ain’t over yet.

Coming Up…

In the following weeks we have trips to Budapest, Venice, Verona, Vienna, Salzburg.  And don’t forget about Interlaken this Thanksgiving (with departures from cities throughout Europe)

Click here to check out the schedule and book
http://www.Bus2alps.com/