Crossing the Peace Arch Border

Posted by Katrín Sif - 19/11/09 at 10:11:39 am

I was in Vancouver for the weekend, compromising between American & Canadian Thanksgiving, my grandmothers’ 80th birthday, and Rememberance Day as reasons to take one trip for all of the reasons above. I dragged along my roommate Maya, and Misha, my brother from another (russian) mother. It was a short 3 day visit, but the time there felt like forever and far away, but now that I’m home, it literally passed in the blink of an eye – as does all travel it seems. I also happened to be sick for all (and only) the 3 days I was there, which was unfortunate for me and everyone around me (people are way to paranoid about H1N1). I was in the airport and a hospital at one point, and everyone that hears you sniffle or cough looks very suspicously over their shoulder at you, and finds the nearest antibacterial pump machine to lather their hands (has anyone else noticed they are absolutely everywhere now?). My response? I point at my nose and say, “dont worry, its just allergies,” since I’ve definitely heard the horror storries of being caught up at a border or airport in quarantine when someone accuses you of having swine flu symptoms.

Fortunately – and suprisingly – it didn’t rain the entire time we were up north, but grey skies and cold rain sent us on our way back to Seattle-Tacoma airport. We flew in and out of SeaTac, which is only 150 miles south of Vancouver, because flights are about one third the cost than flying from the Bay to BC, and I have to admit how much I love taking that I-5 drive and stopping into any of the Washington State rest areas that are fully equipped with free hot drinks and tasty treats for anyone interested. However, to my dismay, I got held up at the border for an hour when they threated to revoke my American Study Visa because I showed them my Canadian passport (which allows free travel between the American/Canadian border) instead of my Icelandic one (which holds the actual student visa). After they asked if I had an Islamic passport (ummm, hello, Islam is not a country, a religion cannot issue passports… are you really qualified to be a border patrol officer?!?), I (laughed) and said, no, I had an Icelandic one. Without asking to see it, they brought me inside, where a pms-ing woman on an authority trip (more of a power struggle, since I did nothing wrong) tried unconvincgly to make me feel guilty or apologetic of ‘misleading’ border officials of my identity and purpose in the states. After threatening to confiscate my visa and doing nothing at her desk but comparing my stamps of entry in each passport for an hour, she told me they never wanted to see my Icelandic passport after my student permit was up, and that I cannot use whichever passport I feel like or is more advantegous anymore.

Too bad I got in trouble for not showing the Icelandic passport in the first place, and, having two valid passports is completely legal so I will continue to exploit my rights as a dual citizen. Argh.

American College Football

Posted by Katrín Sif - 18/11/09 at 08:11:03 am

I attended my first college football game here at Cal (short for the University of California at Berkeley) where the California Golden Bears played the Oregon State Beavers in their second-to-lastlast home game. Unfortunately, it did not go so well, with their main quarterback suffering a serious fall (leading to a stretcher carry-out and a concussion)  and the final score being 31-14 for Oregon. Their last home game was a close call, but victory against Arizona came with a 24-16 final score. Next weekend they play their second-to-last last season game, against Stanford, a long standing rivalry of theirs. Even day-to-day on campus, all students express fierce competition with Stanford on every level (other varsity sports, academically, socially), and Stanford recently won a game against USC (the University of Southern California) by 55-21, one of the biggest margins ever.

Since the Cal Golden Bears are ranked 25th and Stanford is ranked 17th (BCS Standings as of Nov 15), there is a lot of pressure on Cal, and fans here are tough; during my first game, I was sitting in the stadium, and after the end of the third quarter, more than 25% of the fans had just left, knowing the game was already lost. Halfway through the last period, you could see on the televised versious of the game that the stadium was more than half empty, and the only section still full and cheering was the Oregon fanbase. It seems harsh for that many fans to turn their backs on you after a rough game, but, those people come to see them win, not lose.

It was still a really cool experience; the Cal stadium is up on the top of the slight hill that Berkeley campus sits on, with a view of San Francisco from the top of it. At night time, it is lit up with so many white lights that you can see it glowing from accross the bay. It is the largest football stadium in California according to its 72,000 seating capacity (which fills almost every sold-out game); being in a crowd that big for the most beloved sport of Americans was definitely an experience I couldnt miss out on, especially since I myself am now a ‘bear’ – an affectionate term for Berkeley Students.

The giant of the skies

Posted by Tihomir Rangelov - 11/11/09 at 09:11:32 am

Just over two years ago, at the end of October 2007 the brand new Airbus A380 made its maiden commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney. The flight was operated by one of the biggest airlines in the world, Singapore Airlines, and the aircraft was produced by the biggest airplane maker in the world, Airbus. That flight was a cornerstone in aviation history.

A380 is by far the largest passenger airliner that the world has ever seen. It is a wide body aircraft and has two decks, the total take-off weight being 560 tonnes and its wingspan – 80 metres. If you have seen it up close and personal, you will know what that means. It is so gigantic that you cannot stop wondering how on earth it can get in the air. But it does and it has been doing it very well in the past two years with an excellent safety record.
One of the best things about the A380 is that it is extremely fuel efficient and the fuel consumption per seat is by up to 20% lower than that of its main “rival”, the former record holder Boeing 747. This has been achieved by the use of the latest technologies and lightweight materials for building the aircraft. Besides, it has a capacity of carrying 853 passengers, which is 50% more than the capacity of a Boeing 747.

Because of its size, the A380 is also able to introduce the earth´s greatest luxuries to the skies. First class passengers on Emirate´s A380 aircraft already enjoy private suites, bars and lounges as well as “shower spas”. Virgin Atlantic plans to have casinos, double beds and gyms on its A380s. These might come in useful during the long hours on the plane. The A380 is namely capable of flying 15,200 km or directly between Hong Kong and New York.
So far only 20 of these aircraft have been delivered to Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates and Air France. Lufthansa and Korean Air expect their first A380s in 2010. So if you are an airliner freak (like me) or just curious and want to experience the giant in the skies, you should look for a flight on those airlines on your favourite search engine, www.dohop.com.

How can tourism improve the world?

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 09/11/09 at 08:11:38 am

Eight years ago I passed through the beautiful coastal city of Beirut in Lebanon. It was perhaps the most powerful experience of a city visit I have ever encountered in my short life. As we drove into the city, half-ruined apartment buildings seeminlgy one step away from total collapse were all around me. Occasionally we would hear a thundering noise from distance; we were told it was the city’s attempts to clean up the destructions made to the city in the war in 1983.

As we got further into the city, I remember rather vividly a striking reminder of the human consequences suffered from war-situations; a man maybe in his forties or early fifties past us as we were stuck waiting for the green light at a cross road. He had lost both his legs below knees. He had made himself a wheelchair out of a skateboard. It was a sore sight but one that has remained with me since then.

We finally arrived at our destination, Planet Hollywood for a burger meal. Planet Hollywood is (might have changed following the war in 2006) located on the beach front. What striking change there was to the cityscape: a young woman running along the pavement aligning itself along the beach wearing shorts and running top, and a young man running topless.

What phenomenal oppositions co-existing in the same city!  We had the chance to walk along the area by the coast and a little bit further into the city centre; we found the people of Beirut were warm and welcoming.  Earlier in the day we had been driven to West-Beirut where the fighting had been at its worst.  Nearly twenty years later pillars of broken bricks were still spread on the streets of West-Beirut and the only semi-intact  building was a two-floor house, caged up entirely by bars.  The interior was covered with bricks and sticking out among the brick was the sight of a teddy bear.

At that moment the atrocity of war struck me; I was a young adult from a priviledged background, and although I had heard of the war in Lebanon in the eighties, I had never been exposed to the devastating consequences of it.  Still in 2001 people were living in the half-destroyed high-rises awaiting their benefits from the insurance companies.  I wonder  if perhaps tourism can come to aid countries recovering from catastrophic events such as wars and natural disaster. What if tourists would pay a small amount to support the reconstruction of the cities and countries in return for the pleasure of visiting?

As travellers we subconsciously expect to have more good times than bad times, to be visually stimulated by stunning landscape rather than monstrous piles of blown-up bricks. The gift to travel can also be means to physically experiencing the presence of past atrocities. Westerners are often fenced off and protected like children in day-care centres from the horror of war, but perhaps it would do us good to remove the protective circle and expose ourselves to sorrow. I myself think I am a better person for having seen the duality of Beirut, I at least am able to apprehand how lucky I am, with or without the financial crisis!

World’s weirdest hotels

Posted by Freyja Oddsdóttir - 06/11/09 at 11:11:04 am

Have you ever wanted to live with giraffes or sleep with the fish in the sea? Or do you simply wanna try something weird like sleeping in an open sewer or an escape pod? Now you can, because Dohop has found you the weirdest hotels in the world!

Giraffe Manor in Langata, Kenya, is arranged so that roaming giraffes can poke their heads into any open window or doorway and lather guests with their sticky, prehensile tongues. Talk about a friendly wake up call! Your guesthouse is their guesthouse, so the silly creatures pop up everywhere, including over the breakfast table, in the lobby, and through the curtains.

Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Florida, USA, is a former marine lab, 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. Guests will have to scuba dive to reach their room, and if you don’t have the mandatory certification you must take a course at the hotel. Once in your room, you’ll see angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures through your 42-inch window.

Das Park Hotel in Linz, Austria consists of three unadorned, 10-ton segments of drainage pipe, each 6.5 feet in diameter and barely long enough to accommodate a double bed. Artist and designer Andreas Strauss punched the pipes with skylights, added doors with electronic locks, and placed it by the Danube River. Amenities are skimpy, as you might expect: You get a lamp, a mattress, and a few sleeping bags. On the bright side, the hotel has no fixed rates. You leave whatever amount you think is fair.

Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Idaho USA, is a two-story, beagle-shaped B&B. Guests enter the structure from the deck that lines one side of the pup’s rib cage. The main quarters are in the belly of the beast; the sleeping loft is in the pooch’s head. And, yes, pets are allowed.

The Capsule Hotel consists of bright-orange ’70s-era escape pods for easy visibility and rotates its fleet around the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. At the moment, two are in the western Dutch town of Vlissingen and another is in The Hague. The pods once hung outside oil rigs, ready to be deployed in case of an evacuation but these are different times and now you can opt to book your pod with a disco ball and all the James Bond movies on DVD.

The Igloo Village can be found at multiple locations in Switzerland. The Swiss have plenty of snow but no igloos, so an enterprising hotelier in Scuol built one. The beds are made of snow and price of a night’s accommodations includes a down-filled sleeping bag rated for North Pole expeditions.

Don’t worry if you budget is tight or if you would like a fancier experience… Das Park Hotel is ideal for backpackers and Harlingen Harbour Crane suits those looking for something extravagant.. this list is just the top of the iceberg!

Packing the sensible way

Posted by Freyja Oddsdóttir - 04/11/09 at 08:11:36 am

It has been said that the happiest traveller is the one that can fit his bag under a seat on the bus, or take it as hand luggage on a flight. You may not believe this is feasible… but most of us learn the hard way that this is not only true, but actually possible! Take a hint from someone who “backpacked” around Europe with a 40 kg suitcase that broke in country number 3 (out of 12) and learn to pack light!

#1. Make a list. The things that make it onto your list should be “I cannot survive without this” type of things, rather than “I might need this” type of things. This also means that last minute, you won’t allow yourself to add things to your bag because you think “you might need them”… there’s a reason why they weren’t on your list in the first place, so stick to it.

#2. Make sure that all the clothes you take fit with most other items in your suitcase. Don’t take that yellow pattern shirt that only fits with that one pair of pants!

#3. Pick the smallest bag/suitcase you can get away with. If you bring a big bag, you will most likely either fill it up with stuff “you think you might need” before you leave or while you’re travelling… it’s human nature.

#4. You’ll be doing yourself a big favour by keeping everything liquid in either a water-proof wash kit or zip-lock/money bags tightly fastened with an elastic band. An item leaking into your bag is a pain that’s worth avoiding.

#5. Roll your clothes into tight tubes instead of folding them, they will take less space and are less likely to wrinkle.

#6. Should you be backpacking, you may thank yourself later for bringing little things like earplugs, a padlock, wet wipes and a travel washing line for hanging your clothes after washing.

#7. Remember that wherever you are going, you will most likely be able to buy whatever you didn’t bring. It will probably a lot cheaper than home and you support the local economy at the same time.

The less developed your destination is and the more you plan to move between places, the more important it is to pack light. There are heaps of extensive packing guides out there for any occasion… all you really need to do is to believe me when I say that you don’t need all this stuff you’re tempted to put in your bag… and you’re good to go!

Packing the emotional way

Posted by Freyja Oddsdóttir - 02/11/09 at 09:11:29 am

Are you about to embark on a long  trip? Are you moving to another country? If you are, you may have started to feel the agony of deciding of what to take with you and what to leave behind… especially when you realize that you can only bring 20 kgs with you. Most of us have collected quite a share of material belongings, so how does one decide what is worthy of being part of our 20 kg suitcase?

There are so many packing guides out there. But my problem was that all of them were very sensible but none of them helped you deal with the emotional side of having to leave your things behind… so here is a guide to packing  that takes your emotions into consideration, although I recommend looking at the sensible way to pack as well!

#1. Start early! Yes, everyone knows that… but apart from Bree Van de Kamp, does anyone ever do it? I recommend starting at least 2-3 weeks before scheduled departure (this goes for anything long term)… bring out all your stuff and start planning.

#2. Categorize all your stuff into 3 piles: things you absolutely must take with you, things you would like to take with you and things you know you don’t want to bring.

#3. Start packing the things that you absolutely must take with you. If your suitcase is already overflowing after this step, you may wanna go back to #2 and re-evaluate.

#4. Have a good look at the things that you would like to take with you and decide which of them would be of most use where you are going. You can even prioritize them and pack them one by one until your suitcase is full.

#5. Pack the things that you would have liked to take but couldn’t fit in your suitcase into boxes and store them where a friend/family member can reach them. If you realize upon arrival that you desperately miss some of them, you can always have them sent and the thought of that can give you peace of mind if you feel sad about leaving them (this saved me a lot of tears when I packed my collection of high heels in a box).

#6. Store or give away the things you didn’t want to bring.

Voilá! You are ready for your trip!

Marin County, California

Posted by Katrín Sif - 30/10/09 at 08:10:41 am

If you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, just north of San Francisco you will find Marin County, a beautiful, sparcely populated oasis of redwoods, beach and countryside. I roadtripped with a friend north up the 101, and then went west towards Muir Beach, until finally driving along the coast up to Stinson Beach. The drive over the hills was a little trecherous, speckled with road-side grazing deer, but the small, single lane highway made it seem like we were miles and miles away from the city when we were really only about a 30 min drive away.

Once we arrived at Stinson, we tipped our hats to the (amazingly) good weather by heading straight to the beach, where kids were still swimming and surfers still catching waves, despite it being late October. There was barely a breeze, and luckily enough no fog either. We ate lunch at a locally run, organic, open-air cafe before heading out for some surf. We drove around Bolinas Lagoon to the north side of Bolinas Bay where the town, Bolinas is actually situated. We rented boards and wetsuits and spent the next 3 hours riding waves without ever feeling cold.

We welcomed the evening by settling on the beach ontop a sleeping bag we took from the Bolinas “free box,” a place where you leave or take what you dont need or have. We stayed there throughout one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, and on through to the darkest point of night where the only light you could see was the distant city glow of San Francisco, still within eyesight but definitely out of mind.

The following day we drove through Samuel P. Taylor Park, home to some enormous redwoods, and all the way to Pt. Reyes Lighthouse which sits at the end of Drakes Bay in Pt. Reyes National Seashore Park. Enroute we stopped in some tiny, historic towns like Pt. Reyes Station, Inverness and Olema, and dipped our toes in the sandy beaches of Drakes Beach and North Beach.

It was the perfect getaway out of the city, only a short drive away, with enough natural beauty, solitude and quietude to make us totally forget about the stresses awaiting our return home to the huslte and bustle of the bay.

The Coffee-chase!

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 27/10/09 at 09:10:29 am

Last Friday morning was rather unusual for me, I found myself roaming around Kringlan, Iceland’s first shopping mall, and actually purchasing a couple of items. Kringlan is an excellent place to do your shopping when visiting Iceland during winter or on a rainy day.  On this particular occasion though, my initial plan, to which I stuck eventually, was to hang out at my favourite cafe, Kaffi Roma.

Ever since my Paris years coffee has not been just coffee.  A good cup of coffee is made with passion by baristas who themselves (with few exceptions) are quite particular about what makes for good coffee.  I always order the same single-shot latte with extra milk;  to me consistency in quality is the exception with most cafes, but Kaffi Roma always gets it right!

Kaffi Roma is located on the second floor of Kringlan; its location is not the quietest but to me that’s not an issue. A second branch is supposedly located on Laugavegur 118 in the centre of Reykjavík (although I am convinced the actual location is Rauðárstígur, across the street from the Kaupthing ATM).  I would most definitely recommend with Kaffi Roma if you are as particular (and passionate) as I myself am where it comes to good coffee. Not to mention that occasionally I even get a chance to refresh my Spanish a bit as the cafe in Kringlan is run, or at least managed, by a native Spanish-speaker!

What I would appreciate is if those of you who read this blog take a minute and let us know what your favourite cafe is where you live, and where it is located.  I for one would find that very useful!

Massaging South East Asia

Posted by Erna Eiríksdóttir - 26/10/09 at 09:10:55 am

When traveling in Asia, long flights, hours on trains, more hours on buses, hours on foot while exploring something new, uncomfortable beds and even an upset belly are bound to follow you. A good massage seems to fix all of the world’s problems – the problem is that there are too many of them. The following is a list of the most common massages to have.

Khmer Massage: Your body will be massaged with a body. After changing in to pajamas your tiny masseuse will stretch you in all directions and massage your body with her entire body. For a sore body that needs to be set straight, this massage is terrific. The masseuse frequently puts all her body weight on one spot of your body to help the muscles loosen up. My favorite part of the massage is when the girl sort of kneels on your back and puts her hands under your arms (your hands locked behind your head) and holds your neck. She proceeds to swing you around, slowly at first, until she really cracks it and you think your back is going to break in million pieces. However, you do feel like a million bucks afterwards.

Thai Massage: similar to Khmer massage except you need to participate a bit more. The massage is quite yoga-esque and differs from South to North. In S-Thailand the main focus of the massage is acupressure while in the North stretching is the focal point.

Balinese Massage: a soft aromatherapeutic oil massage from the Indonesian island of Bali. Your muscles are kneaded in a wonderful relaxing with warm, lovely smelling, oil.

Hilot: a therapy from the Philippines. As so many Asian massages it is to relieve sore joints and kneads muscles. But, Hilot is so much more, the technique is often used to reset dislocated shoulders and help with childbirth, amongst others.

Fish Massage: It is exactly what it sounds like. Tiny fishies massage you by eating you, mostly your feet and callus. Tickles a bit and feels a little odd at first, but your freshly eaten and smooth feet will love you for it. You can have fish massage in other parts of the world but this seems to be very popular in the region.

Foot massage: as the name says your feet will be massaged. Sometimes it is infused with reflexology but generally your toes and heels will be very happy campers. Best thing is that most often you get a hand massage, and a short but revitalizing head, neck and back massage too.

Lulur: one of my favorites is this lovely massage and scrub from beautiful Indonesia. Traditionally, brides to be have this treatment for 40 days before their wedding to sweeten and soften their skin. First you are massaged with coconut oil mixed with pandan leaves and cempaka flowers. Followed by a soft scrub made of rice, turmeric, jasmine and sandalwood. To end the treatment is a flower bath filled with aromatic flowers such as frangipani and jasmine along with astringent leaves. During the bath you should drink a liquid remedy called jamu which is made of turmeric, ginger, egg yolk and herbs. After the three steps of Lulur your skin will be rejuvenated and so sweetly scented

A tip for the ladies, they will, most likely, massage your breasts, especially if you have a non-traditional massage and there is no way to stop it in most cases, as the masseuses normally don’t speak English except for a few words.
Unless you go to a spa where the staff knows what they are doing I suggest that you just go with the traditional massage. I’ve had some very interesting massages through out the years in Asia, claiming to be Swedish and whatnot ended up being the same as the traditional but more expensive.

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