The Travellers Warehouse

My life as a globetrotter has been an enriching and rewarding experience. That is the reason I want to set up this website. I want to share my experiences with others, and pass on important information about globetrotting in today’s volatile world.

There are so many things we have to consider in taking a trip now. We might want to see the Greek Islands, but would like it to be a joyful trip that will be fondly remembered.

Also, I want to share some of my favorite places on earth. There is nothing like a sunset on the Cornish coast in England, or a quiet moment in the Cathedral at Notre Dame in Paris. One of my favorite places on earth is the vista point at Waiemia Canyon on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

I am fortunate enough to have friends all over the world, and sometimes I am able to visit them. Another favorite place is in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Some friends have a home there. This city sets in the famous Valley of Morelos south of Mexico City, and is a site of one of Hernando Cortez’s palaces which is home to some of Diego Rivera’s most famous paintings. Their home is situated up above the valley and early in the morning, before the fog sets in, the twin volcanoes that hover over the distant villages can be clearly seen. It is quite a site when the volcanoes are emitting smoke at sunrise. The whole sky and the panoramic sunrise manifests as a bright red. My friend’s patio at 5:30 AM is one of my favorite travel memories.

I can pass on what I have learned, and I hope it helps others. Not only that, there are products and tips that I can recommend that make a long trip easier. For example: China. I loved the place, but the laws and expectations are different there. I always believe that while a person visits the land of another that everything there is respected and honored. Because of that, there have been very few problems as I have traveled around the world—last count it was 37 countries.

I have always studied the lives of other globetrotters, like Marco Polo who was born in or near Venice in 1254. Before he died in 1324 he was the instrument for opening the minds and awareness of Europeans to the Far East—mainly China. He came from a whole family of merchants and adventurers who traveled into areas that far off land, and opened up new avenues of trade with the west. His adventures and recollections in his memoirs, Travels of Marco Polo, inspired and fired the imaginations of millions of people. His work was used by Columbus to fabricate a voyage across the Atlantic to find a better trade route to Japan and China. Instead, Columbus stumbled on the continents of North and South America.

I have studied those who loved travel since grade school. In my teens I came across the biography of Richard Halliburton, the famous American globetrotter who died at sea in 1939. It was in one of Halliburton’s books that I first came across the famous anthills of Ghana in Africa. They are tall peaked mounds that dot the landscape there. Halliburton is a good place for a budding traveler to start looking at the world. A listing of his books appears at the end of this article.

Recently while visiting the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island in San Diego I came across a wonderful book in one of the gifts shops there. It is entitled The Best Travel Writing. It is a great book to take on the plane to pass the time. This paperback is a compilation of travel stories by some of the worlds finest travel writers. For the casual or business traveler there is a lot of good information contained in the very entertaining stories.

My research never ends. I haven’t read Halliburton lately. It is probably time to go back read him again. That way I can travel all the time.

List of Halliburton books:

• Richard Halliburton’s Complete Book of Marvels
• The Flying Carpet

• Richard Halliburton, his story of his life’s adventure as told in letters to his mother and father
• The Royal Road to Romance: American’s Most Dashing Adventurer Explores 1920s India (Adventure Travel Classics)
• Richard Halliburton’s Book of Marvels: The Occident
• Richard Halliburton’s Second book of marvels;: The Orient
• The Glorious Adventure

• The famous adventures of Richard Halliburton
• The romantic world of Richard Halliburton
• Richard Halliburton: His Own Story of His Life and Travels

Other:

• The Best Travel Writing 2006: True Stories from Around the World (Best Travel Writing)

When I first started doing a lot of travel I did things pretty much the way everyone else was. In those days people carried a lot of luggage, and some of it very large. Even then I was conservative, and the bags were not quite a big as others that I saw. My own habits were about to change! My former husband landed new position in his organization, and he really did not want to make things difficult for others. I would be doing a whole lot of travel with him. He said to me, “Pack light because we are carrying our own bags.”

Now this was when the general public didn’t have the bags on wheels. The only people we saw using them were stewardesses and pilots. So, my first trip to Europe was quite eventful. I carried two bags to Amsterdam that year, and that was too many. My partner, however, carried one small shoulder bag with all his business materials in it, and a light suit carrier that could be hung up in the plane for his clothes. By the end of the trip I learned a lot from watching him.

First of all, he took a lot of vitamin supplements, and even then he put what he needed in sandwich bags, and labeled them. This way he didn’t have to carry bottles and packages which took up a lot of room. I still do that today.

The next time we traveled I got a little bit better at the packing end of things. I bought one maroon bag that had a lot of side pockets, and sections in it. Still no wheels! However, I was able to pack everything in one bag.

In those days I sewed a lot. Children’s clothes were expensive, and so I made all my young daughter’s outfits. I also sewed for myself. The yardage store has a lot of different type of travel savvy materials. This is cloth that can be rumpled up, but that will lose all the wrinkles when it is hung up and requires no ironing. Most people don’t make their own clothes today, but if someone has that talent and they travel a lot it can make a difference. Suppose someone is going to London on a business trip, and part of that trip entails an evening out at the theater and a fancy dinner party. A talented seamstress can make a very nice, simple outfit for the occasion. Today there is such a great selection in the stores and the shops of ready to wear wrinkle free outfits that are ideal for easy packing in a suitcase or a suit carrier. At the local drugstore, and sometimes the local supermarket there is a whole section dedicated to small travel items such as shampoo, toothpaste, hair spray, and mouth wash. These small necessities take up very little room in a suitcase.

These days we have suitcases with wheels, and savvy travelers. I try not to carry a purse with me anymore when I travel. Instead I put my wallet and travel documents in my carry on bag, and in the checked bag I place a purse that will lay flat. I usually wear comfortable shoes that can be taken on and off easily, and pack another pair that is more upscale. Be sure that the shoes are good walking shoes. Sightseeing often requires a lot of walking, and in some countries staircases are the norm.

On Amazon.com there are all kinds of books on how to pack light. Here are two titles that may prove interesting. The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-on Traveler by Judith Gilford and Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler by Susan Foster and Barbara Weiland.

Rick Steves is a modern day Marco Polo who can be met each week on Public Service Television (PBS). He first visited Europe when he was 14, and has returned every year since. He has a whole series of travel books and travel materials that can be found on his website. He also has a book out that gives tips on packing light. His travel books can be found at Wal-Mart.

Paris, France is known as the City of Light, and is one of the most visited cities in the world. There is so much to see and do there. I will cover some of my favorite sites, and explain why they mean so much to me.

Paris is built on the Seine River, and had its roots and beginnings back to ancient times. We really start hearing about the French connection during the time of Julius Caesar when he brought Roman culture into Europe. He was a conqueror, and he was tough with all of the “barbarian” tribes of Europe. But, his journeys did change the course of Western History.

One of my favorite places in the world is the Cathedral of Notre Dame that sits on an island out in the Seine. There is the most wonderful feeling there, and I wondered why. I have visited a lot of holy and sacred sites around the world, but there was something special about Notre Dame. So, I started researching. One day I was in a used bookstore, and my hand literally landed on a book called The Biography of a Cathedral by Robert Gordon Anderson.. It is an incredible book, and is a must read before visiting the place. The book was written to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the completion of Notre Dame.

The saga begins in 32 B.C. Anderson talks about the island in the Seine all the way through to 1239 A.D. He talks about the fact that this particular spot was always special to someone or some culture. First, Druids came followed by the Romans, and then by the Christians. Some groups of individuals have always found something special about the site, and millions still find it inviting today.

There is so much to see in Paris. There is The Louvre , an ancient palace that has been made into one of the finest museums in the world. It is the final resting place of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. It is true that the eyes of the painted lady seem to follow a person around the room. A tour of The Louvre might take up 3 days, and then that might not be enough. Just making a trip to take in all of the art that is stored there can easily take a whole day. Dress comfortably, and wear good walking shoes.

The Paris underground is an excellent way to get around Paris and surrounding areas. The rail service all over Europe rates five stars. A traveler can check into a EuroRail pass, and save a lot on travel. A short train ride from Paris is the Palace at Versailles, birth place of the French Revolution. Versailles was the home of the French Royal family, and today serves as a museum. The grounds are magnificent. One area to visit on the grounds is the buildings where Marie Antoinette lived and raised her children. She didn’t always stay at the larger palace, and preferred her own corner on the estate. A lot of the buildings are quite simple, and nothing like the regular palace area.

Paris is a town where churches, old palaces and museums thrive. The traveler should try to get to the Impressionist Museum before moving on to another city. Examples of all of the Impressionist artist\u2019s works are housed there. In The Louvre the paintings are sometimes huge, and can take up a whole wall, while the works at the Impressionist Museum are smaller. The impressionist ideas represented have a beautiful, esoteric, and ethereal quality to them.

Of course, the city is a wonderful place to shop, and is one of the main fashion capitals in the world. Other high fashion districts in Europe are Rome, London, and Munich. A Paris fashion show is really a major event all by itself. Then, of course, there are the sidewalk cafes, good food, and nighttime cruises down the Seine.

A French dictionary is a handy tool to have anywhere in France. In a lot of European countries English is taught as an additional language. In France, however, the people are very proud of their home grown tongue. It doesn’t hurt to take a short course in French before leaving. Making this effort could mean the difference between finding a good restaurant or a restroom (Toilette–to the French).

Paris can honestly be called “The City of Light.”

I love to travel! It is an activity I have pursued since the early 1970’s, and it continues today. So, I have decided to share what I know with others. I had to learn how to travel light, and how to act in various countries. There are some things that are perfectly acceptable in some parts of the world, and in another area it is strictly taboo or frowned upon. Americans as well as people wanting to travel from other Western nations need a whole course at the local community college to travel safely in Mid-Eastern and Moslem countries. On the other hand, our Arab friends are having to deal with additional security hassels the rest of us may not have to address.

Gone are the days when your family could walk down to the gate at the airport and kiss and wave goodbye. The little kids could stand at the window and watch the plane leave. Then the whole family would be at the end of the ramp waiting and smiling when you came home. No more! Those days are gone—probably forever. America has arrived at the spot where a lot of other countries have been for many years. Terrorism and bombings invaded Europe and other parts of the world long before they started occurring here.

Today there are long security lines, and new travel security regulations that grow in numbers every day. Domestic travel in the United States has become quite involved. Most airlines have up to date information, but it would advisable to check the Transportation Security Administration website for any new information. www.tsa.gov This website has a complete list of permitted and prohibited items that will be allowed or confiscated at security checkpoint. I was surprised to find out that cigar cutters and nail files would be allowed as a carry on, and that scissors are allowed as long as the blades are shorter than four inches long. The list is comprehensive, and very informative.

It is a good idea these days if you are planning any overseas travel to check the State Department bulletins for up to date travel advisories. www.travel.state.gov This site gives all kinds of information about passports, visas, and temporary papers that the traveler may need on a trip. They have all the embassies listed, and they furnish valuable emergency information. As an example: U.S. Passports are no longer being issued abroad. This is important information for those who are frequent business travelers, or those who vacation yearly in other countries. The government is using a new photo-digitized imaging system. The only passports issued abroad will be those needed for urgent travel.

Airport status information can be found at the website for the Federal Aviation Administration www.fly.gov Along with other important travel information the traveler can get reliable information about flight delays.

Passports are going to be put on line after December 31, 2006. There are new passport regulations going into effect. It might be a good idea to renew passports now to avoid the boggle that might occur later. People will need a passport to go into Canada and Mexico. This makes things difficult for people who live on the borders, or for those who travel frequently north or south of the United States.

The security checkpoints are only going to become more difficult. These days I try to wear shoes that slip on an off easily, and I try not to carry a purse. I have a roll on bag that has room for a lap top and other business materials, plus my passport, wallet. If a purse is needed at the destination I pack an empty purse that can lay flat in one of my checked bags. I also save room in my roll on bag for snacks. On a domestic flight meals on most airlines are no longer figured into the price of a ticket. Usually, $10.00 is charged for one meal. The meals that I have seen are not worth that much. If snacks are purchased it is best that it done in the stores that are past the security checkpoint to avoid item confiscation. Usually a banana and a bag of trail mix along with a bottle of water will get me from San Diego to Minneapolis. Most beverages are still served free with the exception of those with alcohol content. If there is time to get a meal prior to boarding that might be a good plan. These days it is also a good idea to use the restroom prior to boarding. The use of airplane restrooms are restricted. Flight crews do not allow lines to be form outside the in air lavatories anymore leaving passengers with the option of making a mad dash when a unit is available. It is one reason I try to get an aisle seat.

It is harder these days to get to any destination. But, remember that the individuals running a security checkpoint are only doing their jobs. I do everything I can to make things easier for them, and in the long run things go smoother for me too.