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Photo of the Moment: Out of the Rain, Iran

Banksy strikes again.

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Signspotting: What Are You Looking At?, London

That’s why I’ve put together this guide on the most useful areas to learn about before your next trip. It depends where you’re headed, of course, but I don’t think learning something actually ever hurt anyone (yes, I’m a teacher in my other life), so I’m going to suggest that finding out more about all of these topics will make your travels even more worthwhile.

History and Why Knowing Your Wars Is Essential

It sounds obvious to say that a lot of the places you’ll visit when you’re traveling are historical. But this also means that you probably need to brush up your history knowledge to get the most out of your trip. You might have learned some useful stuff in school – my curriculum focused on Europe during the world wars, China during the last few centuries and well, a vague mention of Australian history. Useful-ish, but largely forgotten, and missing some very important chunks of world history, not to mention completely ignoring anything that happened in the Americas or Africa.

If you’re in any doubt about how to tackle things, simply learn about wars.

Try to read up on the history of the countries you’re visiting, but if you’re in any doubt about how to tackle things, simply learn about wars. Now, I hate wars passionately, but you can’t learn about the past without learning about wars, and they crop up everywhere on your travels: monuments and memorials, museums, cemeteries and even as national holidays. If you’re not a history fan and just want the bare bones of knowledge to go traveling with, learn a bit about the major wars, when and where they happened and why, and you’ll be streets ahead. Wikipedia can help you out here (and with pretty much everything else I’m going to talk about), and the History Channel website has a heap of interesting info too.

The Church of the Holy Innocents, NYC © mudpig

Architecture and How to Recognize a Gothic Church

Here in Australia, churches tend to be in modern brick buildings with slightly pointy roofs. When I went to Europe, I discovered that how a church looks can actually be very complicated. But unfortunately, at first I didn’t know much and just ending up wandering quickly in and out to say I’d been there, without appreciating all the differences.

It wasn’t until some years into my travels that I met a guy who was so obsessed with church architecture that he actually stayed a whole week at one church, going back every day and studying every nook and cranny. I thought that was a bit extreme, but the one thing I remember learning from him is that if I thought a church might be Gothic, I should check: does it have pointed arches, flying buttresses and stained glass windows? If so, then I was probably right.

Now whether it’s churches or other historical buildings, knowing a bit about the various periods of history and their architectural styles can really make a day out sightseeing a whole lot more interesting. Being able to throw around words like neoclassical, Tudor, Bauhaus and Byzantine and actually have some idea about what that means in terms of how a building looks is, I promise, a worthwhile skill to have on the road.

There are tons of ways to learn about architectural styles but a quick one is the Victoria and Albert Museum Microsite which covers a lot of the major styles with just a few words and lots of pictures.

Bird-Watching and All That Other Animal World Stuff

I’m a nature lover but more in the sense of enjoying a beautiful landscape than knowing which bird makes which sound. In fact, it was only when my Swiss relatives visited me here in Australia recently that I actually started to learn the names of the birds that frequent my backyard every day. But do as I say, not as I do, and make the effort to learn about the fauna and flora of your destination. Keeping your ears open for a bird call – even in cities – adds an extra dimension to your travels.

And of course I’m not just talking birds. Dangerous animals (everyone loves to learn about snakes when visiting Australia), local insects, cute and cuddly native species – whatever a country offers you, try to find out about the animal and its habits before you go. Then when you’re walking down the street and you’re confronted by a weird flying insect or a rabid mammal, you’ll know more about what’s happening.

In this instance I recommend National Geographic Animals which has an incredible A-Z list of animals which surely includes everything you’d ever want to learn about – I just found out about the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, for example.

Tacoma Glass Museum, Seattle © Wonderlane

Artists, Art and Knowing Which Way Up a Painting Goes

In my early traveling days I quickly got sick of art galleries. Not knowing too much about art other than what I subjectively liked or didn’t like, I was the kind of traveler who would hurtle through the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and then not see much else on the way out.

I’d already started to change over time – perhaps a symptom of slowing down and taking time to look around – but when I met the guy who’s now my husband, my art gallery days really started looking up. Because he’s a painter he started showing me what to look for in a painting, explaining the differences between impressionism and cubism, pointillism and realism, and telling me more about the lives of the artists who produced each picture. I finally got it. And now you can’t get me out of an art gallery in less than half a day.

I still don’t know if I can figure out which way an abstract painting should be hung – but then again, neither can the Tate Gallery which has been hanging famous abstract artist Mark Rothko’s works on their side for years – but I know enough to enjoy a gallery outing thoroughly.

To learn more, head to the website of your favorite large art gallery – the Louvre, for example, or MoMA - and browse their sites to learn more about art styles and find a few favorite artists.

Religion and Where You Can Go to Get Your Car Blessed

No matter what your own religion is, when you travel to other countries you’re going to stumble across a many new religious-based habits. Knowing what they’re about and why the people do the things they do is not only interesting, but probably helps the world to become a more tolerant place.

I learned more about the Islamic religion when my hotel room was right next to a mosque in Tunisia and the loudspeaker calling the locals to prayers was directed straight at my window; in Japan, I loved the way my students would go to the Shinto shrine to get their new car blessed, but were happy following Buddhist traditions when it suited them too.

Learning about local religions can also help you avoid offending people without meaning to when you’re traveling. Above all, it’s also fascinating.

The BBC Religions website is beautiful and comprehensive and definitely the place I recommend to explore religious rituals and customs before you travel.

What Other Knowledge Do You Need?

When you travel, especially long term, you inevitably learn a lot. But I’m sure that you can learn and understand a whole lot more if you know the basics before you set off. So what else do you wish you’d known when you went traveling? Let me know other useful areas to learn about – and any great resources you know of too – in the comments.

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

Smarten Up! Perfect Your Travels By Becoming an Expert

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Photo of the Moment: Shark’s Eye View, Queensland

Can I just say for the record that Mr. Murphy must have not traveled extensively if this is all he could come up with? As anyone who has ever traveled long (or short) haul knows, that does not even begin to describe it.

Zombie Flight Attendant © huong-lan

Here, the extended version of Mr. Murphy’s law(s) of air travel:

1. The loudest, most obnoxious (and often smelliest) person will be seated next to you on the plane.
2. If there are children on the flight, the one that is crying constantly will be seated in your proximity.
3. Consequently if there is one drunk person seated on the plane, he or she will be seated next to you.
4. The person with the biggest and heaviest hand-luggage will decide to put it in your overhead compartment with the result a) that you will not be able to get to your stuff and b) in all probability you will be hit on the head when he or she decides to retrieve it.
5. Just when you thought you would have some room as the seat next to you was empty someone will come in at the last minute and proceed to vomit during take-off, landing, and several points between.
6. The minute you go to the toilet, the plane will hit turbulence and while you are mid-pee, the “Fasten your seat belts” sign will go off.
7. You will be the last one to be served lunch and even though you can choose between vegetarian option, chicken or lamb, the only one remaining will be your least favorite.
8. If you do fall asleep during your flight in all probability you will wake up and realize you have not only snuggled up to your fellow passenger, but also dribbled all over his shoulder.
9. The minute you hit the duty free thinking you have plenty of time to douse yourself with perfume and stock up on Toblerone, last call for your flight will be announced.
10. When you proceed though the security checkpoint, of course the alarm bell will go off forcing you to remove some and/or all of your accessories.
11. Your luggage will be the last one on the carousel … if it shows up at all.
12. If you do have a short lay-over the distance between where you are and your boarding gate will be on exact opposite sides of the airport.
13. If you are in a hurry to get to your destination the plane is guaranteed to be either delayed or cancelled.

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

Murphy’s 13 Immutable Laws of Air Travel

Do me a favour. Log into your profile and give it a read over. If someone contacted you with a profile like yours, would you let him into your home? C’mon, be honest.

What is This CouchSurfing Business?

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve probably at least heard murmurs of this phenomenon known as “couch-surfing”. Internet-based communities like HospitalityClub (HC) and CouchSurfing (CS) allow wanderers and armchair travelers alike to interact in the real world.

The benefits are numerous: local knowledge, good conversation, free accommodation, new friends, and sometimes even a personal guide.

Point of interest: check out this site if you’re curious how many people in each country belong to either CS or HC.

Couch Surfing © Mhogan35

Makeover Your Profile

As a host myself, I’ve seen the gamut of profiles and know in an instant if I should consider someone as a guest. Certain things set off alarm bells in my head. A strong profile and a nice inquiry will give me a good gut feeling about a traveler.

If you are competing with other backpackers for the same time slot on someone’s couch, you’ll want to stand out. Here are ten tips to be more eye-catching than Pamela Anderson in a pillow fight (if you’re a lass, substitute David Beckham in a banana hammock):

#1: Be Funny

Ha-ha/LOL funny, not strange funny. Being humorous and light will put the potential host at ease. After all, have you ever met a mass murderer who made you laugh?

#2: Be Detailed

The more personal info you provide the better. You will be less mysterious and, again, help put the host at ease. If I can’t get a feel for who the person is and what she’s about, chances are she won’t make it to my couch.

#3: If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It

Do you have the skills to pay the bills? Maybe your special talent can help you in landing some accommodation. I recently hosted a French chef who cooked up an amazing three-course meal for my wife and me. Of course, it wasn’t a requirement of ours, but my interest was certainly piqued after reading about his kitchen abilities.

#4. Showcase Your Openness to Other Cultures

Share examples of the places you’ve visited, how you’ve interacted with the locals and how it’s affected you. Can you appreciate and accept the differences in other cultures, even if they go against your personal beliefs?

#5: Be Trustworthy

In each community, there are ways to go about this. Comments and references from fellow travelers are important to potential hosts. Furthermore:

• In HC, there is an option for Trust (if you can be trusted) and Identity Checked (if your passport was verified). Having one or both ticked off in your comments will go a long way. Make sure anyone commenting on your profile uses the relevant choices.
• For a small fee, you can have CS verify your identity. Along with verification, you will also be supporting the non-profit organization. Another CS security measure is Vouching. Get vouched for to increase your odds.

#6: Don’t Use Pictures Other than Yourself for Your Profile

An image of George Costanza in his underwear or a baboon face might be funny to your friends, but it won’t be to a host. Your smiling mug will go a lot farther in securing a couch.

To take that another step, use a travel shot with a picturesque background. A driver’s license or passport picture will just make you look like a psycho.

#7: Be Active in the Community

Keep your profile up to date. Log in frequently. If there is a forum, go give someone helpful tips. You get what you give.

© dichohecho

#8: Be Interesting

The fact that you’re traveling already puts you in this boat. But to stand out, talk about your interests and hobbies. If you play an instrument, you may be more attractive to another musician or someone who just loves music.

#9: Make the First Impression a Good Impression

On your first message to the potential host be kind, courteous and thoughtful. Don’t send an abrupt one or two-line email. Before you hit the Send button, give it a proofread and make sure your message actually makes sense.

And one more thing: sty awy frm SMS-styl splng, u knw wht i mn?

#10: Do Some Hosting Yourself

No one likes a freeloader. If you have a history of three years of surfing other couches, and haven’t returned the favour to any extent, you may raise some eyebrows. Prove you’re not just a taker.

It is well worth your time and effort to ensure you have the best possible shot. The stories that come out of couch surfing are ones you will want for yourself.

One of my most memorable travel experiences was crashing on a couch in Petrozavodsk in Russia. A night of revelry with our host and his friends culminated in an authentic Russian banya experience, complete with besom beatings.

Now go read over your profile again. Start from scratch if you have to. It may be the difference between the opportunity of a lifetime or bunking in a rat-infested hostel!

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

How to Impress Your Host: 10 Steps to a Perfect CouchSurfing Profile

#10 - Rewind Your Writing

Try writing your story in reverse. Start with the last event first and write backwards. Sometimes, if you know where the story’s going, it’s easier to figure out how to get there.

… and:

#19 - Start in the Middle / Kill the Back Story

Well-crafted action movies often jump into the middle of the story to instantly draw the viewer in. This follows from our very first point in part one of this series: “Pack your travel writing like you pack your luggage: load in everything you think you’ll need, then reduce it by half.”

Try “cutting to the chase” - skip the back story in your travel narratives if it’s not germane to the central plot. This forces you to focus only on the juiciest, most engaging bits.

Check out the full post and share your tips with us in the comments section!

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

A Guide to Better Travel Writing (Part 2): 20 Time-Tested Techniques and Essential Exercises [Flashback]

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

Photo of the Moment: Hot Air Balloon Boozin’ Over Helsinki, Finland

Speaking a bit of the local language is a skill that will improve your travel experience immeasurably. The problem is that learning languages is really, really difficult, even when you have plenty of time. Here are my tips on taking a crash course in the basics of a language when your departure date looms very near. You just need ten or fifteen minutes a day to give yourself a bit of an advantage in the traveling stakes.

Okay, so you won’t be fluent in seven days. But at least you won’t wet yourself in the lobby of a Holiday Inn while struggling in vain to enunciate “Where’s the toilet?” in Mandarin.

Check out the full post and share your rapid language learning techniques with us in the comments section.

Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved.

How to Learn a New Language 1 Week Before Your Trip [Flashback]

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Photo of the Moment: Domes of St. Markos Church, Cairo