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Archive for the ‘Travelling’ Category

Win a $150 Pacsafe Product

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 22nd, 2010

Pacsafe Logo The catch is you already need to own a Pacsafe product of some kind. But if you do and you happen to be carrying it around the Serengeti, the Great Wall of China or bungy jumping off the Auckland Sky Tower, take a picture of it and you could win another Pacsafe product worth $150.

Send your pictures (5mb or smaller in jpeg) with your first and last name, the location of the photo and the Pacsafe product you are wearing in the photo, to photos@pacsafe.com Every three months Pacsafe will pick their fave picture and divvy up the cash.

Posted in Travelling

Tags: competition, pacsafe, photography

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99 Reasons to be Afraid of Travelling

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 20th, 2010

From vaccinophobia (the fear of vaccinations), via alektorophobia (fear of chickens) to the fear of returning home (nostophobia), we list 99 phobias you are more likely to confront while backpacking.

Before You Go
Iatrophobia – Fear of going to the doctor.
Aichmophobia – Fear of needles.
Vaccinophobia – Fear of vaccinations.
Pharmacophobia – Fear of taking medicine.

Accommodation
Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces.
Catophobia – Fear of mirrors.
Cleptophobia – Fear of stealing.
Dishabiliophobia – Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Acousticophobia – Fear of noise.
Amathophobia – Fear of dust.
Rupophobia – Fear of dirt.
Entomophobia – Fear of insects.
Acarophobia – Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.
Pediculophobia – Fear of lice.
Parasitophobia – Fear of parasites.
Musophobia – Fear of mice.

Posted in Travel Features, Travelling

Tags: accommodation, chickens, flying, tapeworms, touts, vaccinations, vomiting, wildlife

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Put Together a Free Travel Dining Set

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

Don’t bother raiding the cutlery drawer for utensils. Leave behind Grandma’s best butter knife and the spoon commemorating Charles and Diana’s wedding. You’ll only lose them and a free and lightweight set of tableware can easily and quickly be acquired from various sources for al fresco or hostel room dining.

Our first port of call for free stuff begins on the plane. Airline knives and forks are now mostly plastic but metal ones are still available on some airlines. It can be a little bit annoying when security has confiscated your blunt butter knife only to be handed a similar one by off message airline staff.

Posted in Travel Features, Travelling

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4 Insults That Can Land You in Prison

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

If, in the Arab world, someone say’s to you, ‘Eyreh be afass seder emmak*’ you are entitled to go all Bruce Lee on their ass. And never say ‘Me cago en tus muertos**’ to a Spaniard. A Bulgarian would be scandalised to be compared to a salad, while calling someone’s mother a ‘big turtle’ is a big no no in China.

While no one in authority is going to care how rude you are to an annoying tout or cheating cabbie, best keep it to yourself when it comes to negative opinions about the nation’s flag, the President or long dead founding father. At least until you’ve crossed the border.

Posted in Travel Features, Travelling

Tags: insults

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Traveller Hangouts: Cusco, Peru

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

A reasonably large city, the centre of the former Inca capital is a compact mix of attractive Spanish architecture and sturdy Inca walls. Mountains enclose the city.

Steep Streets, Cusco

Facilities
Reasonable rooms and rates are plentiful. The city has lots of internet cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs – some with a good mix of Peruvians and travellers.

I’m craving chocolate cake, ice cream and, after so long on the road, would love a traditional British sunday lunch. Any chance of that?
No problemo.

Posted in Traveller Hangouts, Travelling

Tags: cusco, peru

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Touts and Hasslers we Love to Hate:The Meeter and Greeter

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

Get off a bus or train in some towns and you will be treated to a rapturous reception. Everyone wants to know your name and business and, most especially, where you will be staying in their town.

"My hostel is the cleanest, bestest hostel in Egypt - all the others are closed for repairs"

Where found
You don’t find them, they will find you. He knows all the train, bus and boat timetables better than his own face and spends his time scuttling from one transport arrival to another. M & Gs are usually young men with a vehicle who work for a hotel except in Greece where they are a canny middle aged Greek lady with a spare room, dressed in black, on a scooter.

Posted in Touts & Hasslers, Travelling

Tags: touts

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9. Homeowners

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

October to November 2006 – Turkey

Hello. We were unable to bring you an issue of JAB last month (our apologies) so we have combined two issues into one. The reason: we’ve been busy buying an apartment in Turkey and today we got the keys. So the thanks this issue go to Mike and Lutfi of The Right Move Abroad and to Turgay.

Medusa, Apollo Temple, Didim, Turkey

Posted in Househunting Travels, Our Travels, Travelling

Tags: altinkum, living abroad, ohrid, skopje, turkey

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8. The Family

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

September 2006 – Albania & Macedonia

Hello. As usual JAB always seems to fall on the day or day before we are moving but today Deirdre is unwell – our unwritten rule when one of us is sick is not to travel unless we absolutely have to. Otherwise we would be heading to Skopje today.

St Jovan, Lake Ohrid

Last issue we were due to leave Gjirokastra the next day. We got up early, got a lift to the station from our helpful hotel owners and stood by the road waiting for the bus. The swine drove right past us all and in swooped the taxi drivers with their lies and extortions.

Posted in Househunting Travels, Travelling

Tags: albania, gjirokastra, hitch-hiking, korca, macedonia, ohrid, rakija

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7. The Albanians

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

August 2006 – Greece & Albania

Hello, we finally left beautiful Corfu Town and headed north to explore other parts of the island and then it was back to the roughty, toughty backpacker life, travelling to Albania.

Gjirokastra, Albania

Saranda is by the sea directly opposite Corfu, close enough for some brave Albanians to have swum the channel between the two countries looking for a better life. The town seemed to be experiencing a building boom and we momentarily considered the place as somewhere to live. Had we been looking for a long term investment it may have been an option but as a place to live we felt we didn’t have the experience to buy in a still developing market.

Posted in Househunting Travels, Travelling

Tags: albania, butrint, gjirokastra, saranda

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6. Working Again

Posted by The Working Traveller on May 15th, 2010

May, June and July 2006 – Greece

Corfu Town, Greece

Hello, we started working again and relaunched the Jobs Abroad Bulletin, our monthly newsletter of job vacancies around the globe. A number of events – including family illness and bereavement, homelessness, and some serious computer, server and connection problems – knocked us a little bit wobbly and it took some time to get reorganised. We have been getting lots of work done on the website over the course of the past month as we have found accommodation with an ASDL connection.

Posted in Househunting Travels, Travelling

Tags: corfu, greece, jobs in kavos, world cup

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