Monthly Archives: April 2012

buckingham-palace

Here’s London! Part 1: Buckingham Palace

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One of the first rules of traveling is to know your destination. Of course you probably will not be able to absolutely fit in in the span of two days or even two months. But it’s good to have some conversation starts with the locals and to know what’s a conversation ender. In order to know what to do in Rome to do as the Romans do, you have to have done a little research on local customs and peculiarities. So I’ll be lightly touching on some interesting things I’ve learned about each of my destination cities and surrounding sites. At the same time I’ll be able to update my itinerary to include lot’s of famous and cool spots.
Here’s London! Part 1: Before the trip.

Buckingham Palace


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This is the Queen’s official residence in London. St. James’s Palace remains the ceremonial residence of the Monarch (which is why Ambassadors to the UK are accredited to the Court of St. James’s. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to take up residence at the Palace. Although the Queen lives there, the Palace serves a dual role, housing her office as the Head of State.
The Palace is home to 30 species of bird and over 350 kinds of wild flower, some being extremely rare. When a royal death or birth occurs, a notice is posted at the Palace railings. For eco-friendly people like myself, you’ll be happy to know that the Palace uses LED lighting to reduce electricity consumption and has onsite recycling for its garden (99%). One of the most interesting features for person’s from countries without monarchies perhaps, is the Royal Standard. This official flag of the currently reigning monarch is flown atop the Palace when the Monarch is present and the UK Flag (Union Jack) is flown when the Monarch is absent.

So what’s in the palace?

Things like a chapel, post office, swimming pool, cafeteria, doctor’s surgery and cinema to name a few!

Does the Queen own Buckingham Palace?

As an individual, the Palace is not the private property of the Queen. The Queen, as Sovereign has use of the this and a few other royal residences such as Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Who’s been to the Palace?

Prominent visitors include:

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (when it was still Buckingham House, and he was only a seven-year-old
  • Johann Strauss the Younger
  • Charles Dickens
  • Alfred Lord Tennyson
  • American Presidents including Woodrow Wilson and JF Kennedy
  • Mahatma Gandhi (who wore a loin cloth and sandals to tea with King George V)
  • Neil Armstrong
  • Nelson Mandela

Who else calls the Palace home?

These royals of private offices at the Palace

  • The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Duke of York
  • The Earl and Countess of Wessex
  • The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra

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Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Earphones

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Earphones are absolutely necessary when you’re traveling long distances, especially the ones to and from your destination country. That part of the journey is usually when peopler are most anxious. Sitting aboard a boat, in a car, or on a plane (like I will be) for more than 4 hours will be very boring after a while and perhaps highly stressful if you don’t bring things along to keep you occupied.

I have fallen asleep on EVERY plan ride I have ever been on… except for two that were between two nearby islands that lasted nearly 15 minutes. This one, I think will not prove the exception, but seeing as my naps usually only last between 2 and 4 hours, I sure will need some music, games, and writing to occupy me. Well, what would I do if my earphones stopped working?Hey, weird things happen to things when you need them most!

So I’m making sure not only to have my trusty old earphones, but I order some cool new red skull candy ones for 1/3 the price thanks to http://www.ebags.com! So if one gets lost or broken, I’ll still be able to jam both ways across the Atlantic and in between!

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Knowing what to say (Spain): Airport

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Going to Spain? Want to expand your Spanish vocabulary in the meanwhile? Me too! So, we’ll help each other out. I’m making lists of words I think are important or interesting to know for a trip to Spain. Do you have any words you think that I should know in Spanish? suggest them and I’ll follow up.

EnglishSpanish

airline una línea aérea
airplane un avión
airport el aeropuerto
Arrivals Llegadas
baggage el equipaje
baggage claim la recogida de equipajes
boarding pass la tarjeta de
embarque
carry-on luggage el equipaje de mano
cart una carretilla
checked luggage el equipaje facturado
check-in desk el mostrador de
facturación
customs la aduana
Departures Salidas
duty-free (store) (una tienda)
libre de impuestos
early temprano
economy (coach) class la clase
económica
first class la primera clase
flight un vuelo
gate una puerta
immigration la inmigración
late tarde
layover una escala
one-way ticket un billete
sencillo
passport el pasaporte
plane ticket un billete de avión
round trip ticket un billete de ida y vuelta
security check el control de
seguridad
shuttle un puente
aéreo
terminal la terminal
visa un visado
to board embarcar
to buy a ticket comprar un
billete
to check bags facturar
to declare declarar
to land aterrizar
to make a reservation hacer una
reservación
to take off despegar
passenger pasajero,
viajero
pilot el piloto
flight attendant un(a) auxiliar de
vuelo

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Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, A: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

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In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Abkhazia Sukhum Apsny
Аҧсны
Abkhaziya
Абхазия		 Aqwa
Аҟəа
Sukhum
Сухум		 Abhazian
(Abkhaz Cyrillic script)
Russian
(Cyrillic script)
Afghanistan Kabul Afghanestan
افغانستان		 Kabul
كابل		 [[Dari (Eastern Persian)| PashtuDari
(Perso-Arabic script)
Albania Tirana Shqipëria Tiranë Albanian
Algeria Algiers DzayerAl-Jazā'ir
الجزائر		 DzayerAl-Jazā'ir
الجزائر		 Berber language
Arabic
(Arabic script)
American Samoa Pago Pago Amerika Sāmoa
American Samoa		 Pago Pago
Pago Pago		 Samoan
English
Andorra Andorra la Vella Andorra Andorra la Vella Catalan
Angola Luanda Angola Luanda Portuguese
Anguilla The Valley Anguilla The Valley English
Antigua and Barbuda Saint John's Antigua and Barbuda St. John's English
Argentina Buenos Aires Argentina Ciudad de Buenos Aires Spanish
Armenia Yerevan Hayastán
Հայաստան		 Yerevan
Երեվան		 Armenian
(Armenian alphabet)
Aruba Oranjestad Aruba Oranjestad Dutch
Australia Canberra Australia Canberra English/ Aboriginal native languages
Austria Vienna Österreich Wien German
Azerbaijan Baku Azərbaycan Bakı Azeri
(Latin script)

Source:wikipedia

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The peculiarity of the British: Traveling by train

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Got a train pass for continental Europe like the Eurail passes?

Sorry to inform you that it won’t work in Great Britain. If you want to travel the Island with unlimited train rides, then one of the Britrail passes are your best bet. I am not sure why the British national railway chose not to accept the pass and enter the combined rail system like most of the other European states. Also, even if you want to cross the tunnel that runs beneath the British Channel (dividing France and Great Britain) known as the chunnel, you should know that neither of the regional pass systems will cover your travel cost. Instead, you will need to invest in another fare: a Eurostar ticket. However, there is some silver lining as a discount is offered for both the Britrail pass system and Eurostar tickets for Eurail passholders.

I had been looking at the travel and oyster cards (prepaid cards used to cover bus fare) and decided that a pass was probably better to use due to the large amount of traveling I have planned. The single fare prices, though low, would add up over time to being more in comparison than the pass. But, if your are staying for less than two weeks and don’t plan to do lots of traveling, then the travel card or oyster card will do well for you.

Once again statravel.com offers some discounts for those of us who are under 25.

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Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Backbpacking

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Spacesaver

A crucial element in any backpacking adventure is having enough space in your backpack to carry all our essentials. Please note that essentials is meant to refer to things that you absolutely will need, not what you think may come in handy. I stumbled across a very helpful tool for creating more room and organization in my backpack: space savers! This awesome invention combines the impermeability (waterproof-ness/air-tightness) of a plastic bag, with the compacting, space-creating force of vacuum. These are now made by different companies under different names, but the premise is the same. Removal of excess (and valueless) air from your luggage creates more room for your valuable essentials. This is especially true of clothing or linen, which is meant to retain fluffiness by having fibers that just won’t lay flat. The suction created by the vacuum and the plastic against the item, makes sure that it’s kept as flat and compact as possible.
Bckpc

So I just tested it out. Works great with hand rolling, but works even better when you attach a vacuum cleaner’s hose to the built-in vacuum port. Hand rolling it did an okay job, so I will be able to re-pack my bag while away from a vacuum. It’s really so easy and fun; I could see myself using this for everyday clothes storage based simply on efficiency. The pack I got wasn’t too expensive (8 pack for about $20), but I doubt I would buy a ton of these for everyday use.

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Traveling: When to pay for stuff (transportation)

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One of the recurring issues I am having with planning my trip is the dilemma of when to purchase things like train tickets/passes and the order in which to purchase them.

Step 1: Decide on where all you will be needing to go.

I know that I will be traveling in over 6 countries I have never been before. I decided that it would be best to purchase a pass instead of a group of point-to-point tickets simply because of the possibility of missing a scheduled train due to a miscalculation of walking distance or the other. For the region that I am traveling in, it would be best to purchase the Eurail pass. Because I am visiting more than 5 countries, I will have to get the Eurail Global Pass instead of the Select Pass (where you select up to 5 countries to visit), because a “visit” in a country counts as either getting off the train at a stop there, OR simply passing along its train tracks. So even though I wasn’t planning on stopping in France or Belgium on the way to Holland, the Select Pass would have deducted on country from my limited visiting total. The Global Pass, instead allows unlimited travel for the time period selected in any of the 23 participating countries.

* It is helpful to know that Eurail passes are not applicable in Great Britain. Just like Pound Sterling (instead of Euro) and three-prong electrical sockets (instead of two), the Brits really just like to have their own special “something”  I’m beginning to realize. I will provide follow-up in a future post about British rail tips.*

Step 2: Decide on the route you will be taking and the amount and location of stops you will want to make.

After leaving the UK, I will need to end up in Spain for my study abroad program, so I was able to calculate a maximum of 16 days  in which I would be able to traverse the Continent. Because that coincided most closely with the 15-day consecutive pass, I decided that that option would be best. Flexible passes are the other type of pass, and they allow non-contiguous calendar day use. Remember to sit back and look at who you are as a statistic whenever you have to pay for ANYTHING; it helps you to spot discounts everywhere! Because I am under 25, a student, and a non-European resident, I was able to figure out a savings of over $200 for this pass.

Step 3: Decide on when to pay for the pass/tickets.

When things are offered to tourists that are not offered to residents of a destination, they usually only retain their lower cost outside of the destination country. This applies to the Eurail, as its passes need to be ordered online and shipped for the special pricing. Purchasing them directly from the website or from a student travel site like statravel.com is best. This means that you can’t wait until the week before you travel to purchase the those passes. And because I plan to leave home before I actually fly to Europe, I have to plan a little more in advance.

So, to recap: some things you will need not only to plan, but to purchase, before you arrive at your destination. With shipping time included, this is definitely one of the highest on the list of purchase-ASAP-items.

backpack

Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Packing

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If you’re going backpacking across Europe like I am (traveling or hike carrying one’s belongings in a backpack), then it an integral part of your journey will be your luggage. Whatever your choice of bag(s), it is important to remember that you will need to carry everything with you basically everywhere you go. This is especially true if you plan on staying in hostels where you don’t feel safe leaving your belongings.

Great advice from a backpacking expert, Rick Steves, is that you primarily have three choices. Either you use a backpack, a small suitcase, or a piece combining attributes of both. Ever open to as many options as possible, I decided on the last option. I bought one of Rick Steves own creations, a backpack (with shoulder straps) that’s the size of an allowable carry-on. It’s designed to be the only piece of luggage you should need on a backpacking trip, starting from the airport itself.

One advantage with this type of bag are that it will conveniently stowed in the airplane with you; meaning that you won’t need to check it in and have to wait at the baggage claim at your destination. It also allows you to fit all the necessities you would have in a regular carry-on, into something like a regular backpack you can take on your back in the event your arms get tired, and vice-versa. This particular bag came with a small mesh pouch for separating soiled laundry. I will speak more about space management in an upcoming post.

One tip about backpacks in places where you have even the slightest risk of theft, always put the backpack in front of you. So, if you’re at a cafe, bar, or any other place where your backpack is exposed behind you, but the bag in your lap or put the straps over your shoulders in the opposite direction so that the bag is secured to your chest. Another safety precaution involves using proper locking devices, which will be touched upon in an upcoming post.

adventure

Mapping the adventure

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As mentioned in an earlier post, it’s highly economical and worth it (academically, and developmentally) to visit locations near your program location to maximize the long-distance cost, but also to provide an extra dose of the same type of elements your study abroad program will expose you to. Learning about new foods, how to make purchases in a foreign setting. Learning how locals get around and visit their families in neighboring countries, etc.

I’m visiting family in London before my program begins in Spain. I am hoping to tarry there for two weeks before embarking by train to Madrid through major European cities like Vienna (Wien), Austria and Prague (Praha), Czech Republic. Notice the spellings in parentheses? Those are the localized names of the cities, and those are the way names are printed on rail maps of Europe. Why? Well, I assume that, assuming all countries are equal, their languages are as well, and one can’t assume that the English version, for example, is more suitable than the localized one. Also, by referring to cities by their localized name, the problem of translation from any of the numerous languages spoken in Europe becomes less acute, when the “original” is used. This means that french speakers do not need to know what the city of Koln is called in English (Cologne). This would seem tobe less of a problem in Europe where most people are bilingual, but one can’t be expected to know all languages, and to avoid the favouritism aspect once again.

So, here is a Google Maps map of my destination cities and some points of interest I highlighted from lists I found on the internet. I would be happy to know of any more places I can fit into my schedule!


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Study Abroad: Traveling

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One thing that I may not have mentioned before is that, it would seem to be highly economical to visit places other than the one your study abroad program is hosted in, if you are able to. For my particular program, the cost associated with travel across 5 time zones doesn’t come cheap. So, why not visit other places while you’re away from home? Visit the countries or other locations within your program region a few days or weeks before or after your program makes all the sense in the world.

I do understand that the although the cost of airfare or other long-distance transport is maximized the longer your stay in a country, other costs increase over time. Food, accommodations, and short-distance transit, which may have all been worked into your overall program costs, will now have to be fully paid out-of-pocket. But looking at the bright side, you may never have the opportunity to visit that part of the world again. Of course, I am not suggesting that you splurge your college fund by staying 6 months visiting 20 countries in the Far East. In reason, visiting nearby countries via a cheap means of travel can easily be justified. This is especially true in developed areas such a Europe, where public transportation is widely available and often, heavily subsidized.

 

charger

Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Charging

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Another thing you will want for your trip is a new phone, iPad, or other high-use electronic charger. Because you don’t want to risk your electronic device losing power in a faraway country or at the airport before or after your journey, you should definitely invest in one of these. I know that they have electronic stores that sell chargers in Europe for example, but the ones they sell would be fitted for their outlets, as explained in a previous post. When you bring that charger back to the U.S., you will always need to use an adapter, as opposed to you purchasing a U.S. one and having to use an adapter for a days or weeks. As explained in the previous post, my charger is a dual voltage one!

 

adapter

Travel Abroad Scavenger Hunt: Outlets

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One of the most important things to remember when traveling to Europe is that the electrical outlets are different than the ones we have here in the U.S. and many neighbouring countries. The voltage is also different, with 220v used in Europe and 110v used in the U.S.

The good news is, that most newer appliances have dual voltage, meaning that they are able to safely uptake electricity in both U.S. and European systems without being totally destroyed. These units come in one of two forms. Either they have a switch which allows the unit to switch from 110v to 220v and vice versa, or they have a range of acceptable voltage from 110v to 220v.

That being said, the second problem of fitting the unit’s plugs into a wall socket needs to be addressed. Because there’s no feasibly economical way for companies to have all the different types of electrical outlet prongs built into their devices, you will need to purchase an electrical adapter.

Which brings me to the first tangible part of my study abroad experience!

 I received it in the mail today. All nice and shiny, it comes with prongs for Europe, Japan, the U.S. and a few others.
One thing I hadn’t remembered was that the Brits, although grouped with the Continent, rather like being different. The outlet used throughout much of continental Europe is the same (with Switzerland producing some slight variations recently). The outlet used in the UK  however, has three prong inserts, as opposed to the Continental two.

FYI, I paid about $4 (shipping included) for this cool gadget.