Euro Travel & More

Couchsurfing is exactly what it says – couch surfing – you sleep on the couch of someone’s else house when you go on a vacation – and I don’t think you need to pay your host – well – you could at least buy him/her a bottle of wine for the trouble or a meal.  But it could be the other way round if you hit it off fine. I only got to learn about couch surfing this year and it’s an awesome site.

But wait a minute before you go jumping on the next plane for couch surfing – do make sure you do all your research – check out your host – and make sure his credentials are being checked and vouched for.  You certainly don’t want your vacation to end with a horror stories.  But thus far, I’ve heard many good things about couch surfing and only one horror.  So if you are dying to see the world and is adventurous – couch surfing is the way to go.

We all go on holiday and with holidays – we go on tour buses – but don’t you hate it when you tour bus is a dingy old van ?  well ! so do I and you are not alone – especially if you are touring on the tour bus for a good part of the day.  So what can you do to avoid sitting on a dingy old van – uncomfy seats – and even smell of sweat or puke?  Actually a lot !  I know we all don’t expect our tour buses to come with maserati mats but the least we can expect is air-con and comfortable seats and a deceent driver.  So the next time you book a tour or go on holiday – make sure you ask your tour operator – what kind of tour buses you will be on – because you are afterall the customer – and you are entitled to as much comfort as you can get.   Don’t feel bad about asking – because you have to know what you are paying for.

I used to worry about having to stop my yoga or exercises that I do daily when I am traveling but truth be told – one don’t need to have this fear anymore because hotels have their own fitness club and some bigger hotels even have yoga classes now.  Aerobics are now not popular but one can bring your yoga mat just about anywhere you try travel.    I get mine from sunshineyoga.com yoga mats -  that way I don’t have to use one from the hotel.  Yoga mats are cheap and light – so it doesn’t even matter if I did forget it in the hotel – I can easily order another one before my trip.  Yoga is a great exercise when one is on vacation – and you can do it just about anywhere.   More and more hotels are offering yoga sessions and if you are worried about exercising – one can always check with the hotel fitness center before leaving home.

I’ve flown on Malaysian Airlines many a times on first class and to fly first class in domestic flight on this airline is super cheap – maybe that is why Malaysian Airlines not allowing babies on their first class seats?   This new rule does not sit well with a lot of parents of course.  But the business class cannot be that bad either right?   So if you are flying from KL to Amsterdam, London or Sydney with babies – forget about flying in first class seats and because of what Malaysian Airlines is doing – I hear that other airlines are thinking of doing the same too.    Now that would not be good at all.

Many years ago – I thought I should take up a course to be a registered and qualified tour guide because I loved to travel so much and the only way to do it free is – either you become a flight attendant, marry a rich man – or become a tour guide.  So since you need to be very good looking and tall to join the Singapore Airlines – that was out, to marry a rich man – I need to be very pretty too – so that was out too – so the only way I could travel – was to be a tour guide.  But alas, I don`t like traveling in economy class – not that there is anything wrong with it – but I figured I should finish my studies and look for a job that would send me all over the world instead.   But seriously, a tour guide`s job is very important and he or she can make your trip a good one or a horrid experience.   A private tour guide are usually the ones we go for – when we are in another country – but being a tour guide has it perks too – you see the meet all sorts of people from all over the world and they have special connections to whatever you need.  From a doctor to a  wholesale dental supplies I would definitely ask my tour guide for help – you will be surprised at what your tour guide can find you.   How do I know?  I’ve traveled with bosses from all over the world and the things they want me to look for them as a assistant – you will be surprised how many times – the local tour guide helped saved my time and my job.  Yes  – do not under estimate your local tour guides – they know just about anything and everything and have the connections to get you stuff – legal ones of course – hahah!

While they say to never leave home without your American Express – my favorite though is never leave home without your blackberry bold 9700 .  Why?  because I loved my blackberry and it’s really a smartphone that does almost everything for me while we are traveling.  I could store photos, music on the on board memory and can add on additional media card – if I run out of space.  It even has a GPS on it! woohoo!!  you see why I never leave home without my blackberry now?  I can also email, chat, take pictures on my trips with it – during an emergency and of course make calls to the spouse when I’m done shopping for him to pick me up.   So if you travel a lot like I do – get a blackberry!  no need to bring your laptop no more.

I don’t know if it is because I am on vacation or because I’m fascinated with the things I cannot get easily at home.  Just imagine me – traveling all the way to Paris and being fascinated by the acne treatment that was being demo at the beauty counter in a shopping mall one day I was there.  But I was thinking of my niece who’ve always had acne problems and couldn’t find anything that would work for her.  So of course, like any good aunt – I had to get some for her  – because she is such a sweet thing – and I just wanted to help her.   And since I’m in Paris – thing has got to be good right?  after all it was Paris – known as the city of beauty products.  But yes! I do shop till I drop while on vacation all the time – even with acne creams.

I recently got back from the city – from a 2 nights and 3 days stay in a hotel and I thought that I was quite prepared with all my skin care products – only to find out that there were some stuff that I needed during my stay and didn’t bring along.  So what can one do when they are on a vacation and find out that they needed to get some skin care products?  do you go out and get another bottle?  what if you needed more than just one cream or lotion like myself?  Usually I don’t fly into the mall and get my regular stuff – if I did missed out on buying something I would read up on some reviews on the cream or lotion I wanted to try out – like the oxytokin reviews for wrinkle creams -  and then buy the one – that I had wanted to try but was too afraid to – in the regular shopping center that I frequent.  Going on vacation means one can spare to splurge a bit and buy the not so normal stuff – and if it worked out great – I can buy more in the future – and if it didn’t work the way I want it – I just won’t get it anymore.  What about you?

Many lady travelers bring a long a wide range of skin care products when they are traveling and I don’t blame them at all.  Besides, the regular toner, sun care lotion, moisturizer and remover – some bring a long products to get rid of whiteheads.   So how to get rid of whiteheads when you are traveling you asked?  well, besides not using a too oily moisturizer when you are traveling even though the humidity may be drier than usual – there are creams out there – one can buy to be used during traveling.  So there is no reason why you cannot get rid of those horrid whiteheads when you are traveling.  I make sure I always have a bottle of the whitehead stuff when I am not home – that way I don’t have to worry about my whiteheads popping out during my vacation – I can enjoy my vacations or business trips to its fullest.

The spouse travels for work and because in various countries they don’t encourage smoking indoors – he has decided to look into get  electronic cigarette wholesale for himself and co-workers in his office.  If you’ve watched the movie currently out on DVD – The Tourist – you will see Johnny Depp smoking an electronic cigarette – I definitely like electronic cigarettes so much more – for the nicotine is the same – but you don’t get all the smokey and smelly clothing after you are done for the day.  So yes! i’m all for it – electronic cigarettes are so much more cheaper so I read – and if you are traveling as much as my spouse – you wanna get some too – you can even smoke them on the train and anywhere – so I’ve heard.