Tuesday's Travel Tip - Doco-Loco

So you’ve made it! You’re standing in a land far away. You stick out like a sore thumb, and you can’t understand any of the locals. Then the worse thing imaginable happens.

You lose your passport! And/or traveller’s cheques. And/or ALL your money, be it cash, debit card, or credit card! All of it!

Ach!

But luckily, you were smart enough to pack photocopies. (You know! In that deep dark corner of your backpack. The one with the other odd items that are very Very important, but if all goes as planned you’ll Never need!)

My suggestion this week, is of course to carry the usual photocopy of all your important cards and documents. The standard is 2 copies in different spots, but I’ve got a better idea.

For the truly neurotic, I mean well prepared, I would also suggest a paper-free option. Scan the photocopies, and send them to yourself in an email. That way you can access them and print them if the truly horrible happen and you lose the backpack as well (this is called the worse case scenario! haha).

Lastly, consider leaving a copy with someone who could fax them to you. Although perhaps not your mom, unless you like the idea of her imagining you being pick-pocketed or mugged! No offense to the mom’s of the world, you know we love you, and Yes we Will send postcards…maybe!

Now I hope you didn’t forget to include that list of traveller’s cheques numbers in that email!

Travel Safe, Travel Smart!

All For Fringe and Fringe For All

Well it’s that time again folks! Festival time in Mon-tre-aaaal! And what better way to start it off than with my favourite festival of all. The Fringe Festival.

10 Days of Fringe Theatre. Artists from near and far. A little sum’n sum’n for everyone! The outdoor venue complete with beer tent, and live music. A great place to catch the vibe, and get info on what shows are HOT!

Love theatre? Wanna meet others who do? Wanna see free shows? Then why not become a volunteer! Easy-peasy. You just need to contact Patrick, volunteer coordinator extraordinaire! (benevol@montrealfringe.ca)

Picky about your bedfellows? Well, why not sleep with Fringe Artists?... You’ve all got dirty minds! Good on ya! But seriously, if you’ve got a spare bed or couch, please contact Angela (fringe@montrealfringe.ca). Think of it as contributing to travel AND the arts! A two-for-one special if you will!

If you want to catch a sneak-peak at what’s in store for this year’s festival, be sure to check out FRINGE FOR ALL, happening tomorrow night (May 29th) at Café Campus, @ 8pm! It’s free! It’s fun! And it’s completely unpredictable! See ya there! I’ll be one of the girls handing out programs, or posters, or…something?

Want more? Then be sure to check out the Montreal Fringe Super-Blog on MySpace ! And be sure to check out the festival running
June 8 - 18!

Sleep now folks. Next scheduled rest-period is October!

Tuesday's Travel Tip - Fei-What? Ooooh... Vodka!

Ok. This isn’t a gadget. And I’m not even sure if this technically qualifies as a travel tip. But it falls into the realm of “close to my heart these days”. So here goes.

I’m a glutton. And one of the joys of travelling is drinking in the culture, and this is a case in point!

Vodka. Yes folks, my dear friend vodka! But wait! It gets better!

I’d like to take this opportunity to promote the yummiest flavoured vodka treat to hit shelves near you. And if it hasn’t yet! Lobby! Haha

42 Below is New Zealand’s finest, sure to tickle the taste-buds of those lucky enough to hop on this gilded bandwagon. All are taste sensations well known to kiwi folks, but to those otherwise uninitiated, the best is Feijoa. (Click and see! Yum!) Others include Manuka Honey, Passionfruit, and Kiwi (of course!).

Feijoa vodka. Best served straight out of the freezer over ice, or topped off with some sparkling lemonade (Sprite), for the less hardcore. Haha

Sometimes you don’t have to leave home to enjoy travelling. This is one of the times when the wonderful can come straight to your table.

Enjoy folks! And don’t even get me started on New Zealand wines! ;)

Tuesday's Travel Tip : I am SO flu-ent-ly BI-Lingu-elle!

I am a true advocate for "learn a bit before you go".
And this is no exception.

To get by you need 2 words. Hello, and Thank You. That’s enough to get a charade conversation going no matter what country you’re in.

But for those of you that need more, good news! A chance to learn your next destination’s language and maybe make some friends along the way. Oh, and a chance to not only take, but give as well. Win-win if you ask me.

I’m talking about language exchange. Learn a new language, and help teach yours. And here are a few sites to get you going.

My favourite being the first I came across, My Language Exchange. Founded right here in Montreal, some of you might say I’m biased and of course I am. But it just feels right. Another option would be Friends Abroad.

So Hello, Bonjour, Hola, Ciao, Sawatdi Ka (cause I’m a girl), G’Day, Guten Tag, and on and on, so go out and find your own hello. And take it from there!

Tuesday's Travel Tip - Stab, Jab & Swallow

Shock! It’s not a gadget this week. But come oooonnnnnn, stuff is cooool!

Fine then! Be that way!

No, on a more serious note, this week’s post is on pre-travel vaccinations! I know. Let the good times roll. Not. But depending on where you’re travelling, this is very important.

Different countries have different recommended vaccinations. Most have to be administered weeks prior to travelling to your destination.

Would you risk malaria? I wouldn’t. And that’s one of the nicer illnesses you could get. Luckily, I’m not squeamish, but there are diseases out there that’ll make your toes curl just thinking about them.

Not to mention that different solutions may not be suitable for each individual. For example. Mefloquine (aka Lariam) which is used to prevent malaria has side-effects including psychosis. I myself am already crazy enough without such extra stimulants, so I’ll pass, thanks!

Also to note, not all drugs are effective for the specific area you may be visiting. For example, mosquitoes around the world are becoming immune to certain types of medications. Hmmm, doctors outsmarted by bugs?

But there are two great sites, used by the professionals themselves that have easy access to all this information: CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention & WHO - World Health Organization. (CDC being the better site. Information is SO much easier to find) Just plug in the country you’ll be visiting next and find out what you need to be stabbed for, or what you need to swallow.

So add this to your steps of being an informed, prepared traveller. Adding to your peace of mind is worth it so you can get on with more important things like the adventure.

Super Sophia Runs for a Cure

I first met Sophia in New Zealand. A fellow crazy Canuck, she was out conquering the wilds of West Coast, Sth Island, KiwiLand. I was lucky again to cross paths with this crazy girl again in Krabi, Thailand (Tonsai IS climbing heaven!)

This amazing woman has more energy than anyone I have ever met (and I have met some energetic people!). So when I read that she was going to be running in the Vancouver Marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, it seemed perfectly natural to me.

UNTIL, I read the part about her running 42.6 kms. Then she just seemed crazy! All over again! Haha. Or, maybe she’s just doing 21.1? Either way, it’s a heck of a lot more than most of us would even consider considering.

This is all happening THIS Sunday, May 7th. So before then, please check out Sophia's Fundraising Page, and if you can, please help her reach her goal of raising $2,000 for this worthy cause.

Traveljulie is helping her reach that goal as a bronze member, and encourages anyone who can, to help out. (Hey! Funding has been cut with our loss of Google advertising, but we’re still there to support great causes….and Google…we need to talk !)

Good luck Sophia! Maybe you’ll actually tire yourself out for once! haha

Me, Jo, and Sophia on the beach in West Raleigh, after a morning of climbing.

Tuesday's Travel Tip: Never Eat Shredded Wheat

Yes, it's true, the gear geek in me strikes again! But I can't help it. I LOVE all travel gadgets. But most of all, it's another little thing. Small, compact, light. And handy!

So you find yourself in a random city. You might not speak the language. You might not even be able to read signs.

You have your map (or guidebook). You have finally been able to decipher which street you're on...and now...which street CORNER! Success!

But...

Which direction are you facing? Are you really facing the way your trusty pop-up map thinks you are? What hemisphere am I in again?

Ah damn!

So it comes in handy, the tiny little toy compass that is attached to you somewhere. You can get them in all shapes and sizes these days. I originally had the standard keychain compass pictured in my head. But who carries that many keys in their backpack? No, so far the best 2 ideas I've seen are the zipper pull compass, and the compass on carabiner (for climbing geek wannabe's like me!). Clip on and go!

You'll be heading towards that museum, gallery, bus station, pub, etc etc, in No Time!

And at only $2.00 - $5.00 a pop, it's easy on the delicate budget.

Happy travelling folks!