Went into San Francisco today. Not only is this an awesome skyline…but a cool city.
And I mean cool as in temperature. When we left the city at 1 pm it was 61 degrees. Less than one hour later we were inland and it was 91 degrees. Suppose the marine layer has something to do with that???
Thinking of traveling and don’t know the language? Here are some simple things that may help.
Bring along a small cheat sheet
Make an index card, or write the list inside the cover of my dictionary or guidebook, of words you are likely to see on signs, especially those that have opposites, such as:
in, out
up, down
exit, enter
push, pull
wait, go”
Go back to school
Sign up for a class at your local community college. You can always continue with tapes. But it really helps to understand how all the grammar works and how to compose sentences.
Pave your way with a smile
Remember that a smile is well understood in either language. Many do speak English and are more than happy to attempt English if you’re friendly and attempt at least please and thank you in the local language.
Master basic phrases
I always make it a point to learn between 50-100 words in the language of the country I am traveling to. Most important are key phrases like ‘Where is the…,’ ‘Please,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry but I do not speak ____ very well.’
Make learning the language the point of your trip
It’s fun and after a few days you may no longer be nervous about trying to speak the language.
Looking for the best way to get around London. Look no further than The Tube. Buy a pre-paid pass, slap it on the pass reader, make your way through the gates and venture down into the underground train system. It’s all very efficient and quick. Some trains we used were down several floors via escalators. I thought we were going to the dungeon.
An automated voice tells you which station stop is upcoming. She also tells you to “Mind The Gap”. She doesn’t just tell you once…she repeats it so often that you can’t get it out of your head! Sort of like “It’s a Small World” in Disneyland. What she means is…the station platform is not always at the same level as the train. Therefore, there is a small (and I do mean small) space or step down to the platform. So…Mind The Gap.
“Doors Closing” and “Doors Opening” as only the English can say.
No photos today…just good info if you want to carry your luggage. Sometimes it’s not bad waiting at baggage claim. Other times you may want to get on your way more quickly.
1. Know the rules and limits for carry-on bags. This warning is especially important if you are traveling overseas, where baggage limits can be much stricter. Happily, Web luggage retailer ebags.com has a useful section with the carry-on requirements of many major airlines and even recommends which bag to buy for the airline you plan to fly. Also, Seat Guru has a very thorough list of all the baggage rules for every major and minor airline around the world. Click on the airline’s name, then click on the “baggage” tab.
2. Measure your bag correctly. Once you know what you can take, ensure that you have a bag that meets those limits. Be sure to measure the entire length and width of your bag, including all handles and wheels. These can add more than an inch in some cases. Although you can always buy a new bag, the point of going carry-on is that you are not spending all that extra money. Luckily, most domestic carriers have very generous limits of over 50 linear inches. As a rule of thumb, you can almost always take a 19-, 20-, or 21-inch rolling bag onto a plane; most 22-inch bags will also fit. Above that, you might be asked to check your bag.
3. Wheels are not always best. It may be hard to remember, but not so many years ago it was rare to find a wheeled suitcase. For a shorter trip, a simple duffle or small backpack might suffice and will lighten your load considerably since the wheels and handle add at least 2 or 3 pounds to your bag. The lack of wheels also works in your favor if you are flying on a small commuter plane, where wheeled bags must almost always be gate-checked. And if you are going onto a train or subway after leaving the plane, it’s sometimes easier to walk with a backpack or duffle over your shoulder.
4. Ditch the liquids. The hardest part of becoming a carry-on traveler for a lot of people is the necessity to lose most of their liquids and gels. Men can minimize their shaving products by buying shaving oil. Women might simply have to take fewer liquid cosmetics. Definitely leave the shampoo and conditioner at home; let the hotel shampoo work for you. Ditto with shower gel; just use soap. Use a solid deodorant stick or crystal rock deodorants. Take just a small tube of lotion, and a small sunscreen. It’s possible to find most liquids in 3-ounce or less sizes.
5. Limit your wardrobe. You don’t have to look like a slob, but you also don’t have to take two changes of clothes for every day of your trip. Plan on wearing your nicer dinner-time clothing two or three times. Bring stuff that will work together in different combinations. Put your underwear and socks in gallon-size Zip-loc bags, and squeeze out the air so they take up less room.
6. One pair of shoes. Or at least one pair of shoes in addition to the ones you wear on the plane, which should be the bulkier ones. I also include a pair of flip-flops. In the summer, women are the lucky ones because they can wear sandals and look quite elegant. But make sure whatever shoes you take are comfortable. Don’t take anything new.
7. Pack carefully. It’s important that your stuff fit into the bag. I usually roll 3 or 4 shirts together in a very tight roll to keep them from wrinkling so badly. Put socks and small things inside of shoes. Put heavier clothing like jeans and shoes on the bottom, and then fill in around them. Use all the hidden pockets in your suitcase. Throw in a travel size bottle of wrinkle releaser, which I find works wonders.
8. Plan on doing a bit of laundry. It’s cheaper to do a load of laundry along the way, or even have your hotel clean 3 or 4 pieces of clothing, than to pay $40 to check a suit-case round-trip. You can wash stuff out in the sink for free, and most items will dry overnight if you wash them out before going to bed.
9. Don’t take the extras. If you are not going to a place where you expect to be cold, then don’t take a jacket. Don’t bother with back-ups of anything. If you get your clothing dirty, then do a bit of washing up. In the rare even that you need something unusual, an umbrella in Arizona, a warm jacket in Florida, dress-up outfits for a trip to Yellowstone, that’s what outlet malls are for.
10. Leave some of the electronics at home. One thing that weighs a lot of people down these days is all the extra electronic gear that they may be tempted to bring. While no one would hesitate to bring a cell phone or ipod, do you really need a laptop? Plan ahead.
Coffee, anyone?
Maybe bubbles are more your style…
After all, your can get your Presecco to go
Turkish Delights…little pieces of sweetness coated in powdered sugar. Flavors range from tobacco to pistachio to lemon to anything imaginable. Heaven in your mouth.
What type do you want today?
More signs
Tour anyone?
What time is it?
