MANALI + TERRY | Newlyweds Backpack Round The World

Verona | Italy :: Casa De Romeo & Juliet

Terry — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:57:13 +0000

Verona is a great side or day trip from Venice, if you have the time. This quaint town is most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Many people consider Verona a more relaxed and pleasant and come here to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Venice.

Although fictional, the smart tourist bureau in Verona has ‘re-created’ Juliet’s balcony; charging 5 euros to climb atop the balcony; thanks but no thanks. On your way home however, don’t forget to rub Juilet’s breast for good luck or leave a love note!

The enormous, spectacular Roman amphitheatre is a must see in Verona and rivals it’s cousin in Rome. Erected in the 1st Century AD, this is the world’s third-largest amphitheatre to survive from antiquity. Much of the outer ring was damaged during an earthquake but the inner part is still intact. When we were in town, Alicia Keys was scheduled to perform – what a great venue!

If you are in the area, try to taste Pastisada de caval, braised horse meat, a specialty in the area. Although we were tempted, we passed on chomping Mr. Ed and jumped back on the Eurail to our next destination!

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Venice | Italy :: City On The Sea
12 August 2010 4:54 PM | 32634 CommentsVenice+%7C+Italy+%3A%3A+City+On+The+Sea2010-08-12+23%3A54%3A04Terry
Arriving in Venice, Italy we were ready to explore the enchanting canals architecture and alleyways while slurping down spaghetti, espressos...
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Norwegian Cruise Lines :: Greek Isles Cruise Highlights
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Venice | Italy :: City On The Sea

Terry — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:54:04 +0000

Arriving in Venice, Italy we were ready to explore the enchanting canals architecture and alleyways while slurping down spaghetti, espressos and gelato! A photographer’s paradise was discovered around each bend; each with more obscure plazas dotted with bougainvilleas on balconies.

We could have spent an entire week roaming around Venice, the world’s only pedestrian city, since the absence of cars makes it even more pleasant.

The best way to explore was to eat our way through the island; espresso, walk, panini, walk, gelato, walk, pizza, walk was our regular routine.

The Rialtine island – the ‘main’ touristy part of Venice – was small enough to walk from one end to the other in about an hour or two.

If you want to get around a bit more quickly or lighter on the belly, you can hire a water taxi or take a vaporetti! Don’t be surprised if you are crammed into small cabins and get completely wet if you’re standing on the sides; these vaporetti drivers are racing for their pride!

Italians do everything fast; drink coffee standing at coffee bars, talk and walk at super-speed – get out of their way! Gondola rides were targeted towards the hoards of tourist buses on tours and cruises; but we thought the $100 for a 20 minute ride with 6 other people through a littered canal was a little cheesy and not worth the ride. I think lots of people were disappointed since there were rows and rows of empty gondolas at standby.

Most of Europe has been really ‘touristy’ like the gondolas so far and we miss the authenticity of the culture we were used to seeing in Asia, just by walking down the streets. However, we are definitely getting back into the whole comfort and convenience thing – bring on the easy travels, we need a break from bargaining and worrying about getting ripped off every minute – phew!

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Verona | Italy :: Casa De Romeo & Juliet
16 August 2010 11:57 AM | 32661 Comment2010-08-16+18%3A57%3A13Terry
Verona is a great side or day trip from Venice, if you have the time. This quaint town is most...
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Tokyo | Japan :: Touring The City
17 September 2009 5:08 AM | 9554 CommentsTokyo+%7C+Japan+%3A%3A+Touring+The+City2009-09-17+12%3A08%3A13Manali
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Taking Europe by Train :: A Eurail Story

Terry — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:46:18 +0000

We absolutely LOVE train travel in Europe! If you are visiting the continent, you won’t get a true depiction of European lifestyle without taking at least one train journey. A normal part of every European’s routine, train travel doesn’t have the typical stigma that most Americans think of when traveling without a car. We are so dependent on our cars (especially in places like Atlanta where there is limited public transportation) that we neglect to explore other options. Don’t wait – buy your Eurail pass now!

WHICH PASS SHOULD I BUY?

First step would be to plan a rough plan – how many countries will you visit? Are they neighboring countries? How long will I be traveling?

If you are only traveling to one country or going on one long distance journey, it makes more sense to buy individual tickets online or at the railway station. However, a Eurail pass may be a more cost effective solution for large groups or people traveling extensively between countries, especially in a short period of time. Remember that traveling by train is usually faster than some short flights – there are hardly any security check in lines – you just show up 10 minutes before your train leaves and hop on!

Rail Europe has a great ‘travel planner’ tool that will help you decide if the Eurail pass will save you money and can help decide which ticket to buy.

Also, be prepared to pay reservation fees in some countries – although you have a Eurail pass, there is sometimes a supplementary fee to secure your reservation (marked with ‘R’ on train schedules). Trains in Spain all require reservations, regardless of distance, but other countries, like Italy, only require reservations for international travel. You can also find this information on the Rail Europe website as well as on Seat61.com.

SO, HOW MUCH MONEY DID WE REALLY SAVE?

For illustrative purposes, we’ve charted our actual train journeys below and costs.

We show Terry buying individual train tickets in each rail station he visits versus Manali who planned ahead and bought a Eurail Global Adult Flexi Pass, 1^st class, 15 days of travel within 2 months for $1052 in April 2010.

Note: Prices are based in US Dollars (as of August 2010) and Manali’s cost of each journey is determined by taking the entire cost of her Eurail Global pass divided by 15 journeys in 2 months; costing her a fixed $70 per journey.

(click for larger image)

We saved approximately $600 per person on our total travel throughout Europe with our Global Eurail pass!

HINTS AND TIPS

Buddy up to buy Saver tickets (discount for 2 people or more) rather than two individual tickets
Traveling international saves more than traveling locally (Manali actually overpaid for her first 3 journeys in Italy)
Traveling in Eastern Eruope is generally cheaper than Western Eruope
For your first day of travel, be sure to get your pass validated at a ticket office and only fill in days of travel once you are sure you will be on board! Mistakes will cost you an entire travel day!
High speed trains are usually more expensive (such as Eurostar Paris to London in 2 hours – wow!); so if you have time, relax and enjoy some slow train travel!
Be sure to buy your train reservations in advance in the summer and periods of high travel or festivals – seats do sell out for popular journeys!
We saved over $600 each with our passes; the only other investment is taking the time to figure out if it works for you – if money is no object, get the pass and save some hassle!

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Chiang Mai | Thailand: Sleeper Train Returning To Bangkok
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Norwegian Cruise Lines :: Greek Isles Cruise Highlights

Terry — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:41:56 +0000

How much do we love a great cruise?! We sailed the blue seas over to Alaska in August 2009 and kept our eyes open for any other cruising opportunities as we traveled – before you could say ‘ahoy matey’ we were booked to cruise the Greek Isles!

If you have never cruised before, let’s just say that 80% of you will be hooked after Day 1 – it’s just a perfect time and place to get together with family and friends and just relax – everything is taken care of for you! Just be prepared to gain a few pounds while on board and don’t forget your sunscreen.

We really enjoyed the ‘freestyle’ aspect of Norwegian Cruise Lines where we could eat and do whatever, whenever! Perfect schedule for tired, worn out backpackers, not used to an established routine – we were in heaven! We signed up for the unlimited spa pass and sauna’ed our way into the deep blue of the Mediterranean! Though not detailed here, you can see more details regarding our ports of call in Venice, Split and the Islands of Greece.

The NCL Gem had extremely updated, efficient and state of the art cabins, we still can’t believe they can have over 5000 guests and crew on board. The shows and entertainment were a little cheesy, but with the casino as a redeemer we didn’t complain. Be sure to get your bonus buck coupons the first time you visit!

The premium steak and sushi restaurant was well worth the small cover charge and was nice for a change to avoid the usual cafeteria style buffet masses.

Despite the art auctions, comedy shows, cabaret dancers and numerous activities on board – what was really going through our jaded backpacker minds? Unlimited food, no more packing and unpacking for a whole week, no noisy neighbors and English TV channels!

We ate our weight in ice-cream sundaes, lounged by the pool and individual spa tubs and lunched with some wonderful people – shout out to old friends Dru & Nicky in Atlanta, GA and new friends Dick and Tut from Columbia, SC!

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Greek Isles | Greece :: Island Hopping
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Manali + Terry India Wedding Highlights
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Greek Isles | Greece :: Island Hopping

Terry — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:57:45 +0000

The Greek Isles were always a highly anticipated stop on our around the world adventure, so we were stoked to finally be there! With over 6000 islands, we obviously have to save some of the smaller ones for another trip, but were sure to hit up the more popular spots including Corfu, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini.

Our first port in Greece was Corfu, also known as Kerkya (important to note when you are riding a scooter all over town), is an island that lies in the Adriatic sea, east of Italy and southwest of Albania. We thoroughly enjoyed the warm summer breeze as we whizzed by countless olive groves to the beaches of Benitses, Lefkimmi and through the narrow shopping streets of Methodiou.

The next stop was in Crete, the largest of the Greek Isles as well as the most populated. We were greated by the stunning Venetian fortress of Rocca al Mare as we approached the inner harbor. We were pleasantly surprised to learn about the Minoan culture (the first civilized European settlement) that had settled there circa 2000BC and decided to walk around town to check out the digs. Since the Romans had ruled over this part centuries ago, we noticed a plethora of Italian architecture, giant walls, columns and old fortress arches. After exploring the old city, we sped over to the numerous beaches and relaxed our tired toes in the refreshing crystal clear sea.

Next stop was the party island of Mykonos! We had heard many things about this white and blue wonder and it didnt fail to meet any expectations! The maze of white homes with blue doors (zig zagged to confuse the pirates) were a joy to be lost in with even more picturesque homes at every turn. The streets are lined with shops, boutiques, cafes, and bars so you are never too far from entertainment, thus making it the perfect destination for the young partying traveler. After sweating it out around town, the lovely crisp (not warm) clear water was so inviting that we ran in and dunked under the waves to numb our frozen bodies! We would have enjoyed an extended period of time here and hope to be back soon!

Then, Terry’s favorite island of Santorini was up next! First to leave the ship, he had all his camera equipment ready to hop on board a donkey to ride up the volcano! Of all the animals we have ridden on this adventure, we have to say that the donkeys were pretty cute and the fastest of the bunch! They knew the own way up the hill and were not shy to push their cousins out of the way. Whew! What a laugh and a must do experience! Oia, a small town on the west coast is where you can find the postcard perfect sunset shot. However, photos and postcards aside, you just have to visit to feel the beauty and enjoy this delightful and charming volcanic island. One of our favorite chill and relaxing places in the Mediterranean!

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Gili Islands | Indonesia :: Island Living, Off The Grid
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Split | Croatia :: Exploring The Port

Terry — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:12:07 +0000

We had a day to settle into the cruise and explore the ship while at sea, got our SPA passes, ate the usual 5 meals a day and even randomly bumped into some college friends, Dru and Nicky onboard!

The first stop on our Mediterranean cruise was in Split, Croatia and we were excited to disembark and explore the port area and make the most of our few hours on land. Split is the second largest city, also one of the oldest, in Croatia and is located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea.

We had time to squueze in a brief visit to the Diocletian Palace (Unesco Heritage Site) and strolled around Old Town eating snacks we picked up at the local market. Although the water was a tad bit cold to swim in, we watched a rowing race while enjoying a delicious gelato with just enough time to taxi back to the cruise for some evening entertainment!

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Amberg | Germany :: Bratwurst & Beers In Bavaria

Terry — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:57:48 +0000

Onto the second half of our adventure – Eurotrip time! We were excited about visiting Terry’s parents in Amberg, Germany for two weeks to start off our journey in a central location. We were quite lucky and caught Mom and Dad just in time. After living three years in Amberg, it was time for them to go back to the United States. With a family of our own looming on the horizon, opportunities may be rarer, so it was wonderful to spend some quality time with our parents.

Amidst the movers, tape and boxes, our parents’ German neighbors Edith and Willie consistently treated us to goodies and snacks. They were even kind enough to prepare for us an amazing traditional Bavarian dinner. I lost track of how many courses we had consumed around 5 or 6, but needless to say, Manali rolled me the 30 feet home. Thanks Willie and Edith!

We managed to stuff ourselves with bratwurst, wiener schnitzel and potato salad during our visit but still held a special place for some TACO BELL at the American Army Base! Score! We had tears in our eyes when we spotted the ever familiar purple taco, the hearty menu and the free drink refills…ahh heaven!

While in Germany, we even had a chance to meet up briefly with our good friend Andrew, who lives in Frankfurt. We caught up at a very local watering hole in Frankfurt, specializing in some of the best Apfelwein this side of the Rhine.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

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A European Holiday
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Dubai | UAE :: Land of a Thousand Lights

Terry — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Although we have been to Dubai numerous times, we still enjoy the occasional lively ‘city’ feel and love to hang out with family and friends each time that we are there. Manali’s brother, Kunal, was on a work assignment, so we decided to go visit on a free weekend.

Even though it’s slightly cheesy, you still have explore the desert in Dubai once you are tired of the malls and endless shopping. You can experience camel riding, sand boarding, henna painting, belly dancing and an Arabian feast like no other. We opted for the “Sundowner” tour with Arabian Adventures and had a blast!

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Hong Kong | China: Symphony Of Lights
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Manama | Bahrain :: April Fool’s Surprise

Terry — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:53:13 +0000

After six months of packing, unpacking, booking hotels, researching new cities, we decided to take a well deserved break. Geographically, we were headed west from south-east Asia to Europe, so the Middle East was the perfect place, and of course, Manali grew up in Bahrain and her parents still live there. Awesome! What can we say? We ate, slept and just vegged out on the couch like champs! To make things even more homey, our beloved pup Bailey (Note: He has taken new residence in the Bahrain Palace for the last 18 months and has proclaimed himself the new Prince of Persia) was there, excited and confused to see us!

And to spice things up, on April 1^st, we decided to surprise my parents and show up at the door with backpacks in tow! Let’s just say that it’s the first time in Manali’s mom’s life that she was speechless. What a great April Fool’s surprise!

We had a wonderful stay, hung out with mum, dad and friends, celebrated Easter in style with our cousins, visited my brother in Dubai for the weekend, caught up on our reality TV shows and were totally rejuvenated for the second half of our adventure!

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Siem Reap | Cambodia :: Angkor Wat

Terry — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:56:52 +0000

Ahhhh, we missed you, Asia! Long gone were the days where we could progressively dine street style,
bargain until our ears bled, enjoy hours of cheap massages and not feel guilty about taking naps! We were SO happy to be back! And of course, we wanted to see the grandiose Angkor Wat complex and enjoy some Khmer traditions and delicacies.

Words can’t describe the awe we felt of the immensity of these ancient structures, we couldn’t help but marvel at the way they were constructed and the way the jungle overtook some when they were abandoned for over 400 years. Wow!

Siem Reap itself was a cute little town, densely populated with tourists from all over the world. Although it was lacking the true local character in it’s tourist bars, restaurants, hotels and tacky shops, the people still exemplified the Khmer charm. The most adorable kids had ‘jobs’ after school selling bracelets or handmade items. I left Terry for ten minutes and he was quickly conned into buying a group of fast talking, smart little seven year old schoolgirls some lunch! It was hilarious – they told us that their names were “Sasha” and “Maliya” and were spewing out facts about America: “The youngest state is Hawaii”, “Washington DC is the capital”, “Bobo is the president’s dog”!

We even sampled some delicious and spicy Happy Pizza, found the best iced coffee at Blue Pumpkin Bakery (50% off pastries after 8pm) and enjoyed strong foot massages for the remainder of the week. What a life!

Accomodation: Prohm Guesthouse

$15 for a large, air conditioned ensuite room, great location on a quiet side street in town, with free wifi – what a deal!

Angkor Wat Tickets: 1-day ($20), 3-day ($40), or 7-day ($60). The 3-day pass is valid for any 3 days within a week, while the 7-day pass is valid for any 7 days within a month. Your photograph is printed on your pass to ensure non-transferable and regular checks for the pass are performed at almost all sites within the park.

We recommend going for at least one sunrise and sunset and taking a nap in the middle of the day during the immense heat!

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Taking Europe by Train :: A Eurail Story
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