the cool thing about s**tting in the woods is…the woods

15 Oct 2012 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in Lodging, Trips Tags: , , , , , ,

This is the last of my Gobi Desert notebook posts, and the last post from the Great Railway Adventure.  I thought we’d end on a high note. I could have had a summary post about the last days in Ulaan Baatar, but I’d really like to leave you with this little anecdote, so enjoy!

From September 27, 2012

“My last post was pretty dramatic and harrowing, so let’s follow it with a good old poo story.  I

‘ll have to poo, I know.  I just can’t go for four days, eating nothing but strange meats, stranger dairy products, and green tea, and not poo.

I know I can poo outside. I’ve been camping, I’ve shat in the woods. I just don’t like it.  And even in the woods there are…woods.  I can find a nice thick tree with some bushy coverage to tuck up against.  But not here, in the wide open steppes.  Here you wander away from the Ger, dig a little hole, and make your offering to Mother Nature.  In delightfully full view of anything within miles that chances to look your way. Glorious. Keep in mind, that if something goes wrong there are no showers, and I only brought one pair of pants- the pair I am currently wearing.

So I think strategy.  I know it isn’t happening during the day, with the immediate and extended family coming and going all the time.  But at night there are the dogs, awake and alert to protect the herd animals from the things out there in the dark.  And based on last nights stream of barking…there are plenty of things out there in the dark.  If I get far enough away from the tents for my own sanity,  will the dogs remember me?  Or will I get bowled over by a big Mongolian wolf-dog when he catches an unfamiliar whiff of me?  They’ve seemed pretty friendly so far, one even came up to be pet, and the Mongolians believe that dogs with eyebrows have four eyes: two for physical sight and two for seeing auras and energy.  Hopefully they’ve all seen my happy rosie glow…and hopefully I glow in the dark.

I decide to risk the dogs.  So last night, with all the family huddled around the (solar charged) TV, I take my chance.

I even find a nice flat rock to dig my hole with. I dig, I squat, I contemplate aiming techniques, when suddenly “BARK!”

“BARK BARK GRRR!!!”

One, two, then three dogs start barking and running across the field.

“God Damn it!” I turn on my flash light and stand up. “It’s just me!” I say. But they aren’t barking at me, they are barking past me.  And one dog, the one I pet earlier, is  standing just a few feet away.  Is he guarding me? I wonder. From what?!

Well, the moment is gone.  I’ll not be pooing now.  So I sigh, abandon my hole, and head back to the family.  My protector follows me back, but not before taking a good long sniff at my pee puddle.  Well, at least I’ve gotten well acquainted with one member of this nomadic family, I laugh.  Better luck next time, I tell my grumbling intestines.”

last days in russia

12 Oct 2012 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in 1001 things to do before you die, Lodging, Observations, Trips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This post is about Lake Baikal and Listvyanka. The lake had so many faces, it changed every time we looked at it. Here it is at dusk.

The next three posts will follow each other quite quickly because they’ve already been written.  I am home already, safe, sound, and (now) healthy.  The end of the trip was a whirlwind of laughs, adventures, and limited internet.  So I picked up a notebook along the way, and wrote these final posts on pen and paper like a real nomad.  Or like something really cool that doesn’t have internet or a computer.  A vintage journalist.  A royal scribe.  Anyway…I hope you enjoy my stories- epic, embarrassing, and foolhardy as they are.

This first entry is from September 25, 2012

“I know I am getting behind on these posts, with infrequent internet and little down time.  I have been too busy making stories, to write them down!  Right now I am sitting on a bus on the way to сансар (Sansar), Mongolia to begin a nomadic cultural immersion experience.  I am writing in a notebook I picked up yesterday to do just this- write and document my experiences and maybe help communicate with the locals over the next four days.  but on the way I’ll try to catch you back up to speed as well.

So.  When I last posted we were still on The Train.  We arrived in Irkutsk at 3:00 am local time, and paid a cabbie $10 to take us where we could have gone for 50 cents each had we arrived at a decent time of day (as in, when the trams were still running).  We slept for a few hours, showered (horray!), and then went exploring in Irkutsk.  I don’t have much to say about that.  The only reason I would recommend stopping in Irkutsk is so you can take a marshrutka (a Russian minibus) to Listvyanka.  Which is exactly what we did that afternoon after enjoying a cup of coffee at the Lenin St. Coffeeshop- a delightful rip off of another well loved coffee brand.

Wherever did they get the inspiration for their logo? I love that a disrespect for intellectual property so often goes hand in hand with a communist philosophy.

For 100 Rub (about $3.30) the marshrutka will take you on the one hour journey to the village on the shores of Lake Baikal.  They depart several times a day from this farmers market style shopping area. Basically whenever the marshrutka is full, it leaves.

Lake Baikal was seriously amazing.  I wish we could have spent more time there.  The lake’s waters are beautiful, cold, and crystal clear.  They say it is clean enough to drink, and if you swim out too far you’ll get vertigo from staring through the clear waters into the depths, with visibility over 40 meters down.  There are hiking trails winding around the lake, including the Great Baikal Trail, which is still under construction, but will one day allow hikers to walk completely around the lake.   Our day hike meandered through a birch tree forest, allowing us to see, smell, and feel the trees we had watch whiz by for days on the train.  On our hike we met a four-footed travel angel in the form of Vicktor the Amazing Puppy- a young Great Pyrenees we found, or rather were found by, on the trail.  He joined us for our walk, alternately scouting ahead and herding us from behind.

The Great Baikal Trail, a delightful jaunt through birch and cedar forests through which you can catch glimpses of the shining lake below.

We lodged in the Baikal Eco Hostel, a beautiful place that smelled of wood and crist autumn days.  The beds were comfortable, handmade singles (no bunks!), and the fellow travelers were friendly and genuine- other serious travelers lured to this out of the way spot by its promise of beauty and tranquility.

After a lunch of smoked Omul, a fish found only in Lake Baikal, we wandered through an open air market.  There I learned how mineral rich the Baikal region is.  The stalls were filled with amazing pieces of stone jewlery of every color and size.  Especially interesting were the vibrant purple and green agates and blue lapis lazuli mined around the lake itself.

Listvyanka is the third place I found on this trip to which I would gladly return for a longer stay to think, write, and soak up the nature’s energy.  It was the only place where I felt I truly got to experience Russia; not just the Russians, with their complex history and brusque disinterest in helping a traveler, but Russia the place that takes up 1/5 of the world’s landmass, and is so mysterious and unknown to so many.

All too soon, we had to rush back to Irkutsk to catch the train that would begin our journey to Mongolia.  But that adventure is certainly a story unto itself, and must wait for another day.  It is a good one though- so check back soon!

We made it this far! At Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Russia

Cheers!

~Aeri

$3,419.96

03 Jan 2012 2 Comments

by Aeri Rose in Budgets, Food, Lodging, Transportation, Trips

Yup. That’s the expense total.  On November 14, 2011 I set out to prove it was possible to travel leisurely and enjoyably for under $100 dollars a day.  This $100 a day budget was to include all transportation, lodging, food, tourism, and souvenir expenses.  Absolutely EVERYTHING.  Those of you who followed the whole trip will know, sometimes it was tough.  The average daily allowance fluctuated between the high of $100 and a low of $54.47.  Sometimes I was over budget. Sometimes I was under budget.  But not once did I pass up a tasty treat, pretty trinket, or chance for an added adventure.

I kept a tight record of my travel expenses, down to every 2 TL metro ride in Istanbul, and 5 Dinar glass of orange juice in Marrakesh.  Sometimes I felt miserly, but mostly I felt intrigued.  Would the average work out in the end? Would I come in under budget?  That Thing That Sucked Me In sucked pretty hard in Goreme, Turkey, when I bought over $300 worth of hand thrown and hand painted pottery (that included shipping, promise!).

But, I am happy to say, I DID come home under budget.  The total spent was $3,419.96.  A full $280.04 under the goal of $3,700 for a 37 day trip.  Wahoo!!!

So, what did I end up spending that money on?

- $1,590.87 was spent on transportation.  Planes, Trains (and Metros/Trams), Buses, Boats, and Camels. Still no hot air balloon though.

- $321.64 was spent on lodging.  Hostels mostly.

- $459.87 was spent on food.  This included meals, grocery store trips, snacks, and water.

- $266.64 was spent on other touristy things.  Things like museum entrance fees, my Sahara Tour, and tips for henna done by the little old ladies in Morocco.

- $780.95 was spent on souvenirs. So I like new trinkets.  I’ll say it, and I’m sure others have said it- when traveling, go ahead an splurge a little on those strange and unique things that call you in.  What are the chances you’ll be back a second time to pick it up later? Pretty slim, I’d say, so go ahead and enjoy the shopping experience.

And of course, the souvenir budget wasn’t necessary for survival, so I could have skated in almost $1,000 under budget if I wasn’t such a sucker for the rare and hand made.

Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with myself for making it home with cash to spare.  So pleased, in fact, that I decided to spend the remaining funds on a weekend trip to Philadelphia, to visit with some old friends.  I managed to squeeze that trip out for $290; which included gas ($65), theater tickets ($56), a hotel room in center city ($89), food ($50), and a night at the bars ($30).  Getting to reconnect with college friends in a new Grown-Up way- Priceless.

Though I still think I prefer the $10 student rush fill in the front row tickets over the $56 with a terrible view tickets…

Well, now I’m back home and broke, a common enough state for an artistic fairy type. Stay tuned next month for a Great American Journey. A road trip to Arizona and the beginning of a most unique and exciting adventure- the Renaissance Circuit!

Westward Ho!

~Aeri Rose

 

 

get off the beaten path

22 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in Advice, Budgets, Lodging, Transportation, Trips

The last few days have been stunning.  That’s why the message of this post is to “get off the beaten path.” It’s impossible, or rather impractical to plan out your entire trip before you even leave home.  You just can’t know all the great stuff to do in a place, even with all the internet research in the world! The best way to find the good stuff is to just ask around- ask the locals, ask the travelers, ask Everyone! And stay flexible.  If you like it somewhere, stay there for a few days- don’t rush it.  Tour around. You’ll feel it when it is time to move on.

So how has my latest “unplanned” trip gone? Smashingly, of course!  We left Istanbul on a bus for Çanakkale, a port city on Turkey’s west coast.  The next morning I went to the ancient city of Troy. You’ll need an imagination, to appreciate the expansive “city” which is just a collection of foundations and ancient rock walls now. But it was wonderful to be somewhere so ancient, and still being excavated currently.  I  touched a 5,000 year old wall!  I mean just think, the human race has only really been around for a little over 10,000 years; and that wall has been standing for fully HALF of it!  Far out! And bricks and mortar are still a popular method for building construction. Sometimes people are so slow to evolve. hehe.

Anyway, after Troy I spent some free time in Çanakkale, waiting for the bus to the Cappadocia region in the center of Turkey.  Çanakkale was really an unexpected gem.  They had a cute town square, warm weather, and beautiful restaurants and pubs along a waterfront (the Aegean Sea). 

Seaside veiw from my café seat

In no time we were on the bus to Kayseri, the big town on the edge of the Cappadocia region.  I have to say, bus travel (while totally necessary at least once!) can be entirely unpredictable.  Luckily, long distance buses in Turkey were fantastic. They were new, large coaches with plenty of heat.  This trip was not very crowded and Maree and I each had a row to ourselves with space to stretch out and sleep- which was really good considering the bus ride was 16 (yes, SIXTEEN!) hours long.  My longest ever ride yet. When going on a long trip like this, consider timing as well. We left in the evening so that we rode through the night.  This is good for several regions: for a budget traveler you can include a night’s lodging in the price of the ticket, and for the time conscious traveler you don’t waste daylight stuck inside.

Arriving in Kayseri in the morning, we were refreshed (well, excitedly energized  at least) and ready for an adventure. Our first mission: find a place to sleep for the night!  A few minutes work in an internet cafe and we found a hostel for 20 TL a night in a town called Göreme.  Works for us!

Now, I have to tell you.  We chose to add Cappadocia to our tour for one very important reason: the caves!  Called “fairy chimneys” by the locals, these strange landforms were made by volcanoes ages ago.  The local tribes moved in, and carved out elaborate cave homes in the cliffs and chimneys.  Many local people, while having moved away from the original caves, still build their houses backed up to caverns.  The hostel where we stayed was a cave hostel, and our room was a stone cavern.  The beds were even nooks carved into the living wall!

Totally Cool Right?! I'm that second nook on the right. :D

We could really settle into this town for a few days, with limitless hiking in the beautiful surroundings, and local crafts to experience. And we did just that.  Almost as soon as we could throw the bags into our rooms, we were out on a trail.  We explored up and up and found ourselves in a vineyard at the top of the plateau.  This region is also known for its wines, which I  will be sure to experience and report on- purely for the reader’s benefit of course.

The Fairy Chimneys of Göreme, Turkey


The next day, today, we started with a trip to Avanos, to visit a sixth generation pottery shop.  And boy-o was this some pottery shop! The owner showed us the facilities, explaining the process.  They collected mud from either the riverbank (for red clay) or the hills (for white clay).  They process the clay so it is ready for throwing.  The potters use either an antique foot spun wheel, or an electric wheel. Then we were shown the painting room, where each pot, plate, and bowl is hand painted by local artists.  The detail and craftsmanship was just stunning. One painter was working on something different from the other artists.  It was explained that he was doing some modern art pieces.  I was blown away by the thought that this family could maintain the work done by their family for generations, yet bring in modern influence to keep the art meaningful, present, and fresh.

Lastly, we were taken to the finished pieces showroom.  Every traveler should be prepared for this moment.  At least once on every trip you will encounter the thing that sucks you in.  This was my thing. You may think you have a perfectly planned budget, you may even be perfectly keeping to your perfectly planned budget. But then, without warning, you’ll find that thing that sucks you in.  Really, you should plan for this too in your budget. My thing sucked me in was a collection of 7 bowls and 2 cups.  Including shipping it totaled…well suffice it to say, I blew my budget for this day and for several days after.  But it was worth it.  When you find that thing that sucks you in, let it.  You only live once, and you’ll probably never be back to the place to “buy it next time.”

Just looking at those bowls makes me happy. Which is a good thing considering I won’t be able to afford to put much food in them for a while!

So, to recap, my two important travel tips for today are:

1. Get off the beaten path, and

2. Be prepared for the thing that sucks you in.

Whew! Good night!

~Aeri

maree from australia

15 Nov 2011 1 Comment

by Aeri Rose in Budgets, Eating, Lodging, Transportation, Trips, Uncategorized

Well it is now 3:00 am in Istanbul, Turkey, and despite the exhausting trip getting here, jet lag has gotten the best of me.  Since I seem to be reviewing the day’s events in my head anyway, I deemed this as good a time as any to blog about my day.

So, how was the trip getting here? Long, but uneventful.  After an on time departure from Dulles Airport in D.C., we arrived in Munich at 8:00 am their time.  I had time for a walk to stretch my legs, and a nap- stretched across several chairs- before the final flight to Istanbul.  Two an a half hours, and a surprisingly delicious in-flight meal later and I had arrived. We landed, I passed through customs after purchasing a $20 visa, collected my bag, and made my way to the tourist office.  There I got my hands on a map and instructions for the metro system.

At the ticket machines I made my first friend.  A “Maree from Australia” who had also just arrived, though she’s spent the last nine months backpacking around Europe.  These spunky Australian girls are a travel staple.  No matter where you go, you’ll find these spirited girls, laden down with packs as big as they are, and bursting with knowledge, stories, and a sense of adventure.  Maree lent me 2 Turkish Lira after the machine repeatedly rejected my 10 Lira bill, and shared a portion of the train ride with me.  Before she had to get off, to transfer to another line, we exchanged e-mails and Facebook information.  Hopefully we can meet up again and do some of the touristy exploring together!

A few minutes later the train came to my stop as well, and with simple map in hand I began the search for the flat I would be staying in.  About twenty minutes and 5 stops for directions later and I was sitting cozily in the living room of Erdi’s flat.  Erdi is a young Kurdish man who has lived in Istanbul for five years, slowly studying economics and making the rent by subletting rooms to travelers and doing free-lance computer repair.

We spent the rest of the evening chatting over tea.  We ordered in for dinner, and upon Erdi’s recommendations I had some spicy kebab, something that sounded like “ichili kutte”- a fried meatball squirted with lemon juice, and a salty yogurt drink, typical from this area.  It was all delicious, and I had it all for 16 Turkish Lira.

Spicy Kebab, Fried Meatball, and a Salty Yogurt Drink. All delicious!

After the food, the warmth, and the friendship I was quite content and relaxed.  My exhaustion quickly caught up with me, and shortly afterward I excused myself to retire for the night.  After all, tomorrow I had a busy day of learning about my new neighborhood!

So, to catchup with my budget:

November 14th

I did not spend any money as most of that day was spent on the plane.

November 15th

- one postcard for my dad, from the Munich Airport- .80 Euro, or $1.08

- Visa from the Turkish Airport- $20.00

- Metro token- 2 TL, or $1.11

- Dinner- 16 TL, or $8.88

- TOTAL: $31.07, well under budget for the day.  I’m off to a good start!

We’ll see how it goes tomorrow, when I start my first full day in Turkey.

Good night for now!

~Aeri

lets talk about lodging: Couch Surfing

09 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in Lodging

Lets return to our alternative lodging series.  Today we’ll look at the third option- couch surfing.  What is couch surfing?  At the most basic level, it is when one person travels a country by hopping from one couch to the next for the night.  The owners of the couches can be friends, family, acquaintances, or people you met in the park that day.  It is a community of travelers and welcoming hosts who want to meet new and interesting people around the world and provide somewhere free to sleep for the night. Yup, free.  One good way to try to couch surf is by using the website couchsurfing.org.  They do a great job of connecting surfers and hosts.

How do they do it? Well, like most social networking sites, it all starts with your profile.  Like AirBnB, Couchsurfing is a big recent phenomenon.  They have almost 3.5 million registered users in 250 countries.  And like AirBnB, Couchsurfing.org attempts to build safety precautions into the system.  They provides several levels of authentication from address/identity verification, to traveler recommendations and friendship links.  I recommend becoming verified.  It has a nominal cost, helps support the organization, and improves your reputation in the organization.  Also, be sure to follow up on recommendations of your surfers/hosts- for the same reasons.

When it comes time to travel, do your research ahead of time.  Check out available hosts on Couchsurfers.org, and send several couch requests out.  The first person you check in with may not be available when you’re traveling.

Even if you choose not to stay with a host, they can be valuable sources of information.  Meet up for a coffee or a beer and have a chat about their town.  Sometimes there are Couchsurfer meetups scheduled; these are a great way to meet several travel-friendly people all at once.

I’ll tell you about my first CouchSurfing.org experience.  It was last January, when my friend and I were backpacking in Europe.  The first half of the trip was over, but sadly we had much less than half of our budget left.  We decided to try something new for the next country we went to: Denmark.  So we logged-on to CouchSurfing.org and checked out a few friendly locals in Copenhagen.  While we weren’t able to find a couch for the first night, we did find one for the second.  One of the hosts that was unable to have us, because he had another surfer already, told us about a gathering in a local bar that the Couchsurfer hosts had organized.  We had barely disembarked from the plane and dropped our bags at the hostel we chose to lodge in that first night, before we were out the door and heading towards the bar.

What a stunning collection of cultures in that smokey back room! There were girls from Australia, guys from England, a pair of twins from Brazil, and about a dozen other people sitting around and sharing animated travel stories with each other.  That night we were told about a fabulous Swedish sauna to try, just a half hour train ride away, and met a friendly guy from London who invited us to stay with him when we got there (about a week and a half later).

The next night, we stayed with a computer programmer from India, working for IBM in Copenhagen.  We arrived late at his house, since he had been working, and had time for a good conversation over some tea before we all called it quits for the night.  The next morning we were out the door before dawn, to catch the bus to the train station and head on to Stockholm, Sweden.   But by then we were hooked.  Couch surfers are a friendly, multicultural, welcoming bunch.  I highly recommend trying it out- either as a surfer, a host, or both. I hope you catch a wave and surf on in to your next trip!

So, I hope you’ve learned a bit about alternative lodging options, and realized it isn’t necessary to spend too much of your budget on where you lay your head at night. Next up, packing: tips on traveling lightly and comfortably.

lets talk about lodging: AirBnB

31 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in Lodging

In the first part of our alternative lodging series we looked at the old standby- Hostels.  Today we’ll consider something a bit newer- the AirBnB.  If you’d like to check out the site for yourself, go here.

So what IS AirBnB?

Short for Airbed and Breakfast, AirBnB was started in August 2008 in, you guessed it, San Francisco.  As the story goes, some friends needed a little extra cash flow to pay rent, and heard all the hotels in town were booked for a big conference.  Putting two and two together, for a few bucks the friends blew up the old air mattress and offered an airbed and and coffee to a stranded attendee.  Since then it has grown into a rather large web organization, spanning 19,000 cities in 192 countries, and connecting millions of people worldwide.

How does it work?

Log onto the website to search for available spaces in the city you’re traveling to, at the price point you can afford.  They have everything from couches to full houses, for one night or six months.  You can send a message to the host to chat with them before you book, if you want.  Book on the website, and AirBnB handles all the money transfers.

Pros

AirBnB is an interesting, inexpensive, and relatively stable, way to find interesting lodging and meet some locals.  Take the opportunity to live in a local home, and experience a side of the culture often inaccessible to tourists.  What are the subtle differences between the way they live and the way your own home is set up? Maybe you’ll like their way better and replace it with your own customs when you return home!  Also, it is often less expensive than a hotel with comparable services.  Also, often the home owner or other travelers are sharing the space with you.  Be friendly! This is a great way to meet a local, brimming with advice, or a fellow traveler to get lost around town with.

Cons

Like Hostels, there are a few areas to consider when booking with AirBnB. Look at the location closely, and consider services/amenities provided.  Do you have a private room? Does it lock?  What kind of kitchen access do you have? Often kitchen access is a perk not available in traditional lodging options.  Kitchens are another wonderful way to experience a culture in a more detailed way, and save money on food while doing so.  Wander down to the local market, pick up some ingredients you’ve never used before, and see what happens!  And most importantly, are there any time restrictions/requirements; such as being out by a certain time each morning, or home before a certain time each night.

Don’t be overly fearful of staying with strangers.  This organization is built on a system of trust, and you should come into it with an open mind.  That being said, trust your instincts and do your homework.  If you arrive to a flat and are uncomfortable with arrangements, you have the right to leave within the first 24 hours and AirBnB will refund you part or all of your payment.  Click here for more safety tips.

An AirBnB story

The first time I experienced AirBnB was in Austin, Texas, this summer (June 2011).  I was traveling home, after spending two months in Waxahachie, TX (a tiny little town south of Dallas); and I decided to stop in Austin for a few nights.  I really only needed somewhere to park my Jeep and crash at night, so I looked up listings on hostelworld.com.  As a rule, in the United States hostels are hard to find, expensive, and inconvenient. I was ecstatic to find a simple, close, listing for under $20 a night. I think it was $15.  Since I was booking for that night, I couldn’t use the online system, so I called the phone number provided and was greeted by a mild and friendly male voice.  After chatting for a moment we decided his “hostel” would be a good place to stay and he gave me directions to a coffee shop near by where we could meet.

Over coffee he explained that his “hostel” wasn’t one in the traditional sense (as if hostels are ever really traditional!), and went on to explain the AirBnB concept.  This was his apartment, that he renovated to fit more beds, because as a traveler he understood how hard it could be to find cheap, safe, lodging.  Plus, he loved the flow of travelers passing through, he loved his city, and he really loved showing it off to his new friends.

And that was that.  We went home, I dropped off my bag, and went out to explore the town. That night I met up with my host, and a second guest who had arrived, and we bar hopped up and down Sixth Street, ending up in a dueling piano bar in time to hear a heated rendition of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”  The next morning I awoke to the scent of expresso.  After coffee and a shower I hit the road , but not before saying good-bye to my new friends.  I was hooked.

If you’ll be staying in Austin, I highly recommend staying with AirBunk Austin.

This has been the second of our three part series on alternative lodging.  Getting ideas?

Check back soon for a look at Couchsurfing.org!

Cheers!

~Aeri

lets talk about lodging: Hostels

30 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment

by Aeri Rose in Lodging

Where to stay is an important part of any travel decision. A good bed and a good night’s sleep keep you sane and give you time to digest all the new things you are doing and seeing each day, but an expensive hotel can quickly devour your budget. In this series, I’ll be talking about three low-cost lodging alternatives: Hostels, Airbnb, and Couch Surfing.

Hostels
The first is the most traditional of the alternative lodging choices. Generations of young or budget travelers have backpacked the world and slept in hostels. With the connectivity of the web, our generation has the best opportunity to find the gems hidden in the stones. Websites like Hostelworld and Hostels.com offer an easily browsable database of hostels in your select city. When browsing hostels be sure to look for a few key things: ratings, reviews, services, location, and currency.

Ratings
Some sites, like hostelworld.com, will ask users to rate their trip experience after their stay. Ratings are a way to judge a hostel at a quick glance. High ratings are better, but take a moment to really look at the numbers. A hostel with a 100% or 5-star rating might look great, but if it was only ranked by three guys over a year ago that might be a red flag. You might have a better experience in another hostel with an 86%, 4-star, rating that has been ranked by dozens of travelers.

Reviews
This is the best place to go to get a good idea of what a hostel has to offer. Other guests are brutally honest, and generous with both compliments and complaints. Be sure to read a few of each hostel before making a choice.

Services
Some hostels can be really bare bones. Be sure to check what services a hostel offers, and at what price. Do they have linens and blankets, lockers, internet stations or wi-fi, meals, or after check out baggage hold? Are the services free or for a fee? Is the fee one time, or nightly? Also important, how many beds are there to a room, and what is the bathroom to bed ratio? Will you be sharing one shower with two, four, or a dozen other travelers? While the hostel might look cheap, these services can add up. On the other hand, free meals can be a life saver if you’re on an extremely strict budget, but don’t expect much more than toast and jam and some coffee.

Also, some hostels are part of a larger organization (especially the Hostelling International Hostels). Staying at these hostels requires a membership, or the payment of an extra fee upon arrival. If you do a lot of backpacking it might be worthwhile to get the membership. Especially since, like any franchised organization, the Hostelling International hostels have a certain standard of cleanliness and safety that is maintained.

Location
Is your hostel in the center of town or on the outskirts? How much time, energy, and money will you spend getting from your hostel to the things you want to do and see while in town?

Currency
Lastly, is currency. Just a warning about a mistake I know I’ve fallen into at least once. Check the currency on the price listed. The first hostel I booked while in Rome, I booked with the Euro currency listed, which at the time was much stronger than the Dollar. So when I arrived at the hostel ready to pay Thirty DOLLARS for the weekend, I found that instead I owed nearly $50. Not a deal breaker, just an unpleasant little surprise. There went my carafe of wine at dinner.

One more tip: check out what other freebies the hostel might have or partner with. They often have free maps of the city, or events calendars at the front desk, or posters of free walking tours on the walls. Many cities now offer free guided walking tours of the down town areas, provided you tip the tour guide what you can or what you think they’ve earned. These tours are actually often quite good, and the tour guides are young goofy kids with a funny take on their city. Pump them for information of other good free stuff, or cheap eats too.

Well, that looks like a good starter talk on Hostels. If you’ve never stayed in a hostel, I’d say give it a try on your next trip. They are a great place to meet other travelers, and pick up some companions for the weekend, or maybe even some friends for live.

Look back soon for the next alternative lodging in our series: the AirBNB.

Bye for now!