Art of Backpacking

New Drinking Law in Buenos Aires, Argentina for Clubs and Pubs

Michael Tieso — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:39:41 +0000

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As of October 7th, 2009; bars and clubs in the Buenos Aires Province must stop serving alcohol at 4:30am while the venue itself must close by 5:30am. Supermarkets and liquor stores have also been affected with a no buying from 9:00pm till 10:00am. The last time this was attempted by former governor Eduardo Duhalde was in 1996 which caused a series of protests and later reverted back. Many pubs and clubs are complaining today about the new changes but no news as of yet if this is being heard.

The law was decided by the Senate of the Province of Buenos Aires and enforced further by Governor Daniel Scoili.

Buenos Aires is known for the late night partying. It’s common to go out at 1:00am or later and party away till the early morning. It’s part of BA’s custom to eat late and party late. Now with this new law, clubs may have to open earlier and locals will need to get use to eating and partying earlier forever changing it’s custom.

My personal opinion: It’s great that their cracking down on the alcohol abuse that does tend to go out of control in the streets. However; the closing of clubs at 5:30am should be reconsidered. Let’s say worse case there’s someone drinking heavily throughout the night and his or her’s last drink is at 4:15am. Now it’s 5:30am and is forced out of the club yet he or she’s still drunk but now wondering the streets at 5:30am.

If the club were still open, this person would still be safe inside the venue. Though most venues won’t stay open much longer after 4:30am, the larger events will and people will still purchase water, energy drink, Gatorade, etc.

Will this change the Buenos Aires nightlife?

In 1996, the provincial government of former governor Eduardo Duhalde had ordered clubs to close their doors at 4pm, which triggered a series of protests.

Tips to get you started teaching English in South Korea

Michael Tieso — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:12:50 +0000

My friend Steve is currently teaching English in South Korea. I’ve been interested lately in doing the same and thought I’d email him for some tips. The email response back was more then what I had expected. I’ll let his email take over:

Hey dude,

Here’s some info about teaching English in South Korea. It’s been an
awesome experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Korea is
also one of the best places to earn a decent amount of cash to save,
unlike some other countries. That is, of course, depending on your
qualifications.

There are several ways to secure a job in SK:

1) Public Schools. I myself went through a recruiter named Teach Away
Inc. which is based in Toronto, Canada. Through them I applied to the
government-sponsored program called EPIK (http://www.epik.go.kr/). If
you go through the EPIK program, you have your choice of teaching
elementary (Grades 1-6), middle (7-9), or high school (10-12). All
placements are in the public school system. To apply to EPIK you are
required to have at least a university degree. The public schools are
like a regular day job: 8:30-4:30, no work on weekends, and all holidays off.
10 paid sick days, 10 days vacation in summer, 11 in winter. The best
part is that they give you a 10-day orientation that will give you a
good foundation for beginning your job. they also pay for your entry and exit.

2) Hagwons. These are the privately-run academies that teach any
number of subjects. English and science are in high demand. They have
some funny hours that could go all day. I know a few people who have
gone this route and the response is varied. Your experience in these
institutions is completely dependent on your manager. Some managers
are money-mongering idiots, others are pleasant bosses. You have a
chance to make more money in these institutions, but that comes with
the sacrifice of hours. That being said, I meet a lot of people who
work in hagwons and are still out all night partying, so, it can’t
be all that bad.

3) Companies. Lucrative if you can get the job. Crazy hours like
hagwons (since you have to accommodate employees’ schedules). Not sure
about vacation, etc.

4) Universities. This is something I wish I knew before coming to
Korea. If you have a Master’s degree, you stand a very good chance of
being able to land a job at a university. Universities are tougher in
terms of lesson planning, but pay more and give much more vacation
time. If I return to Korea, I will go the university route. In Busan,
I know of a few universities: Kyungsung University, Pukyung
University, Pusan National University, and Dong A University.
Kyungsung and PNU are also major party centres where you will meet a
lot of other foreigners. To land a job at a university, you normally
need to know someone, but if you know who to solicit, you can probably make contact with someone in the university who can assist you in securing a job.

A few notes:

-Culture shock. Wasn’t as bad as I thought, though it is still present
sometimes. Korea is striving to look very much like the Western world,
but underneath, in terms of culture and the manner they do things,
some things are just different from the way they are done in North
America. Come with an open mind and be prepared to laugh off bad situations.

-Money. It’s good. Saving money is a great idea, if you can pass up
going out all the time. I know some folks in the university area find
it difficult to save because the party scene is always happening and
drinks are just that cheap.

-Food. I approach each meal with the “don’t tell me until I’ve tried
it” mentality, it really does help. And no, eating dog is not as prevalent as the ESL forums would have you believe. The younger generation is generally against it and you’d probably have to go out of your way to find a place anyway. In any event, Korea has many of the things the Western world has.

-People. Foreigners are generally very nice and adventurous folks, so
too Koreans. I found it difficult to make Korean friends at first,
which I attribute to my lack of Korean language, culture, and
disposition. The university areas have lots of foreigners and Koreans,
whereas my area, Goejeong, is mostly Korean and it’s rare to see other
foreigners (but they are there). Further, if you go through the EPIK
program, you will meet tons of foreigners right off the bat.

-Cities. Travel in Korea is pretty easy and cheap. The major
centres are Seoul and Busan, followed by Kyongju, Jeonju, Jeju, and a
few others. The major centres will assuredly have just about
everything you could need, Western or Korean. Smaller cities, well,
won’t.

-Korean language. Try to learn. Go to livemocha.com and sign up, it’s
free and easy, and it’ll at least get you started. Learning some of
the language will also soften culture shock. The hardest part is
learning the alphabet, after that, you start laughing at how Koreans
like to transliterate words from English into Korean.

I hope that helps. Let me know what you decide to do.

Steve

Thanks Steve for the information!

If you have any tips, please feel free to share them in the comments!

The most haunted city you might want to Backpack

Teresa Gotay — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:06:13 +0000

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Happy Halloween! Now that Halloween is here and the obsession over the perfect costume is over, what is there to do now? If you’re currently backpacking, it might be interesting to celebrate abroad in a new location where celebrations might be different from what you’d normally expect. Those who happen to be in Prague, Czech Republic or have traveled there before might be aware that it is the most haunted city in the world.

Many consider Prague a backpacking destination in itself because of its European history. It has been through numerous wars, political and cultural changes but remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. That also happens to be the most haunted city in the world.

Locals say that ghosts and spirits surround the city walls. Water goblins tend to hide under Charles Bridge. This bridge is a huge tourist attraction; dating back to the Middle Ages. At that time, ten lords were executed; their heads stuck on poles and placed on the bridge gruesomely. If you’re brave enough to stick around till midnight, you can hear screaming voices of the dead spirits.

@vratsab

Another interesting story is the legend of a walking skeleton. A jealous wife got upset with her husband and hit his skull with a nail and killing him. His spirit wanders the streets of the Old Town. His spirit will be freed if someone removes the nail from his head.

More information on the haunted city of Prague.

Off the Path in NYC: The High Line: Visited!

Teresa Gotay — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:52:54 +0000

If you didn’t already know about the New York City High Line, check out Skylab’s post about what it is and why it is so cool. While Skylab is taking a break in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I decided to pay a visit to the High Line here in our good ole hometown of New York City. It has been here for years and we are now just visiting it. (What awful New Yorkers we are!) It was well worthy of a visit and I am pleased to agree that it is a sight to see.

Can someone please explain this?

The start of the High Line

It still doesn’t seem like a huge tourist attraction. Fortunately, you are able to walk the path with ease and not in a congested mess of people traffic. On my visit, I bumped into a traveling acting troupe that did an interactive performance on the High Line.

Look up in the sky!

Starting on Gansevoort Street in the Meat Packing District, the newly structured High Line runs till about 20th Street. (For now) The actual High Line itself ran till 34th Street, but those sections will open with time!

Dolce on the High Line

You feel like you are on top of the world; walking a path that has never been. I’ve walked many streets in New York City and its awesome to walk down a new one, so to say. You get incredible views of the Hudson and the trendy streets of New York.

14th Street and 10th Avenue

Tunnel vision.

More high line to come.

Grassy fields

It was a pleasant experience and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting New York City! The park is open from 7AM until 10PM.

Attitude Determines Attitude

Michael Tieso — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:10:12 +0000

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I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock
strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be
thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad
that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and
guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am
alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I
was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be
born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that
thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark
upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for
joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly
open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework
or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my
mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I
am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of
day I will have!

- Author Unknown

Why I Recommend You Rent A Motorbike

Michael Tieso — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:30:57 +0000

As long as you know how to drive a car, renting a motorbike is perhaps one of the best and most convenient ways to explore an area. Motorbikes allow easy on and off access and getting in between areas cars normally wouldn’t be able to get to.

Rent a motorbike and go into the distant local areas. Buy local food where tourists may not have been for awhile, if ever. You’ll have an unforgettable experience driving the distance. If you can, go out there for a few days and just make sure there are guest houses or hostels along the way. I found SE Asia to be very motorbike friendly.

Driving down southern Laos

Simple Tips

This is important for obvious reasons. Always wear a helmet and if the rental store doesn’t provide one, move onto the next store.

Bargain if you can, especially if there’s more then one of you and if it’s for a few days.

If the rental owner seems to be taking extreme notes of the condition of the bike before you take it on the road, be wary. They could be picky on every little itty bitty detail and may charge you a big number upon return for the most ridicules things.

Take pictures and videos of the bike before you leave. Don’t be fooled into them telling you about a bump that may have already been on the bike before you left.

Take a map, a bottle of water, and a day-pack.

If you’re in a non-English speaking country and you don’t know the native language, have someone who knows English as well as the native language write down the translation of where you want to go.

Mind the weather and prepare ahead for the conditions of the road. Many roads may not be paved and if it’s raining, motorbikes don’t drive very well in messy dirt roads.

Take your time and don’t rush to get to a destination. Better to stay safe and drive slow. Motorbike accidents are not pretty!

Be mindful of your fuel. Luckily motorbikes can go a long way on little fuel but always keep it above half way just in case there are no stations up ahead.

Enjoy the view and the breeze as locals come rushing to you from the distance waving to say hello and remember to stay safe!

Have you driven a motorbike? How was your experience? Where did you go?

Review of The NYC Adventure Expo

Teresa Gotay — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:09:22 +0000

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As a travel aficionado, being involved in the travel world is a 24/7 kind of thing. Thoughts of places to go, how to save money and learning about new cultures is always on my mind. But something didn’t cross my travel radar. Fortunately, my sister caught the commercial for the NYC Adventure Expo (Sometimes it pays to watch TV) and informed me the night before the event.

The NYC Travel Expo, held at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City was the event to see! If you were lucky enough to be backpacking last weekend, boy were you in for the Grand Slam of backpacking and adventure activities.

For two days, New York City transformed its huge Convention Center to the mecca of all things travel related. Organized by destinations, you could find information about African Safaris in Nairobi to Volunteer Travel in India or even how to find the best Gumbo in New Orleans.

No one could possibly express the melting pot of global cultures and travel related information. Upon arriving, I was kind of overwhelmed and dumbfounded by how big the event was. I went home with 2 backpacks filled with brochures, information packets and free gifts.

The pictures tell the best story:

Welcome to The Travel Expo! Probably the best $16 bucks I've spent!

The first booth I encountered was the Maui/Hawaii booth. I recently traveled to Hawaii and they were a great example of how wonderful the Hawaiians are.

When there weren't speakers, the Destination Theater played travel related videos.

Have some Dulce de Coco at the Nicaragua booth!

Playing the Wii at an Expo? Of course! Skii down the snowy slopes at the Colorado booth.

If you needed a good deal on travel books,clothes or other miscellaneous items, you could find it here! Many booths sold guidebooks as well.

The huge crowd excited for the Travel Expo.

This woman has the ULTIMATE backpack.

I entered many contests at the Expo. Hopefully I will be getting call backs soon for some more free travel!

Practice your zipline skills on a real life Zipline!

Or practice learning how to scuba!

Or have your name written at the Taiwan booth.

Look for upcoming posts with videos from the event and a Special feature post with Lonely Planet creator: Tony Wheeler.

If you missed out on this year’s travel expo, check out more information so you’re ready next year!

Hostel Life

GrantLingel — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:12:25 +0000

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by Grant Lingel

Whether you are a seasoned traveler who has been navigating the globe for decades or a first-time backpacker with wide eyes and a curious spirit, there is no better place to stay while traveling than in a hostel. For those who haven’t spent a night in a hostel before, I’ll be the first to tell you… you’re missing out. But I should be clear right off the bat; not everyone loves the hostel scene. Not everyone wants to spend the night in a room full of snoring strangers, and not everyone wants to wait to use the shower. Of course there are pros and cons to everything in life, so I will give you a few reasons why I choose to stay in hostels when I backpack, and you can decide for yourself.

The People You Meet
There is nothing that makes a hostel more attractive to the vagabond backpacker than the people you meet inside. From young single nomads exploring the world for the first time to newlyweds with a passion for backpacking, you’ll find all sorts of amazing folks who will definitely keep your mind off of what you might miss back home.

The people you meet in hostels are some of the friendliest and most interesting people you will meet anywhere and many are people you will remember for the rest of your life, even if you only spend a day or a night together. One morning at breakfast in a hostel in Mexico, I found myself invited by six guys on a two-week road trip through Belize and Guatemala, and the next morning, we packed the van and headed out. Not to mention it was one of the craziest trips of my life!

Because we live in such a connected world with all kinds of communication just a few clicks away, you can, and most likely will, keep in touch with people you meet across the globe. So one day when you find yourself in their neck of the woods, or vice versa, you’ve got yourself a local friend who will show you around town and introduce you to things you’d never find in a guidebook.

The Stories You Hear
Some of the stories you hear from the people at your hostel will absolutely blow your mind. It’s a similar scene in almost every hostel across the world… a group of people sitting around a table, sharing drinks and stories like old friends. Get ready to hear some outrageous stories from some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. People of all ages and from all walks of life tell stories of remarkable places they’ve been, crazy things they’ve seen, and, often the best of all, their travel misadventures. Laughter is contagious and people drink the night away, with words of wisdom and travel tips galore. If you think you learned a lot about the world in high school or college wait until you spend some time in a hostel. You will be introduced to beautiful small towns around the world by listening to your new travel buddies, so be attentive and take it all in!

The Advice You Get
One thing you will find in every hostel you stay in is free travel advice. Who better to talk to about the next stop in your voyage than someone who has just been there? Backpackers are the most informed travelers out there, especially backpackers who stay in hostels. There is always a wealth of information if you’re willing to ask, and people are more than happy to help you plan your next stop.

The friends you make in a hostel will always know about the best place to stay, the easiest way to get there, and what to do once you’re there. And most likely, someone else will overhear the tip you’re getting and decide to join you wherever you’re going. New ideas will pop up and your trip may branch in directions you never expected, so be prepared. I discovered my absolute favorite place in Mexico, a pristine white sand beach called Tulum, based on a tip from a fellow traveler at a hostel. After that first on-a-whim trip, I returned several times, each time with new backpackers in tow, and I will most definitely head back there in the future.

So when it comes down to it, hostels are my accommodation of choice when I’m on the road because of the people. I don’t mind if the hostel isn’t the cleanest place in the world and I’m hardly concerned if the Internet connection sucks or there are few bathrooms. What I care about most are the connections you make in hostels and the lifelong friendships that are born out of only minutes of conversation. If you don’t want to share a room with strangers, splurge and rent a private room. It will likely still cost less than a hotel, and you will still have the opportunity to take advantage of all that hostel life has to offer.

More on Grant Lingel and his incredible story through Mexico can be found on Imagine: A Vagabond Story

Study Abroad or Study, Abroad?

Teresa Gotay — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:37 +0000

You wake up Monday morning to your usual obnoxious alarm clock. You’re exhausted from last night’s excursion to a local pub. But of course, you need to get to class. You open your blinds and witness the busy streets of Parisians going about their day and a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go to school in a foreign country? Taking a lunch break at a small cafe in Athens, Greece. Doing an excursion over the weekend to Barcelona, Spain.

Study Abroad is an exciting program for those who want to study and travel. Most Universities offer a program within the school that includes everything: Tuition, Room & Board, and other various fees. You have to pay for your ticket to get over there.

@ Dr Karanka

Usually, financial aid doesn’t cover everything, so you have to take a loan or get lucky enough to find a scholarship. Study Abroad programs can be thousands of dollars, especially at a Private University.

But what about doing it on your own? Starting your college career in another country? This is a new option growing with lots of popularity. What about going to these schools in the summer or winter break directly? Or doing your Graduate Studies abroad, after obtaining an American degree. It takes out the college middle man.

It gets you out there into the travel world and you’re getting your studies accomplished as well!

However you decide to do it, Studying Abroad is a great investment and a wonderful opportunity to see the world!

Have you done Study Abroad and how did you enjoy it?

Happy Birthday Skylab!

Teresa Gotay — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:38:31 +0000

One half of Art of Backpacking would like to say Happy Birthday to the other half! Skylab (Better known as Mike) celebrates his birthday on the midway point of his travel with his family in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Did you know that Argentinian children receives a pull on the earlobe for each year of their birthday?

What are some other birthday customs you’ve heard of?

Let’s all wish Skylab a Very Happy Birthday!!!