Travel for Love

I read about the “7 Links Challenge” on ThePlanetD, a great travel blog by a super adventurous Canadian couple. Definitely go check out their blog if you haven’t already – they are an inspiration!

They got the idea from Problogger to do the 7 Links Challenge and inspire other travel bloggers to do the same. I thought it would be fun too participate too!

Here are the posts you are supposed to link:

Your first post
A post you enjoyed writing the most
A post which had a great discussion
A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
Your most helpful post
A post with a title that you are proud of
A post that you wish more people had read

My first post
Why Travel
This was an introspective piece where I tried to pinpoint why exactly I love to travel so much. Looking back I’m happy to note that my points are still valid and I still feel the same way.

A post I enjoyed writing the most
Traveling with a Brazilian
Oh boy was this one tough to pick! I love writing all my posts and especially enjoy all the fond memories they conjure. But my Traveling with a Brazilian post was just too fun to write. I love traveling with Roberto and I got the warm fuzzies thinking about all the reasons that make him a great travel companion!

A Post which had Great Discussion
On my List – The Balkans
Honestly I haven’t written any posts that roused a ton of controversy or passionate comments. This post got a few comments, but I am including it here because it continues to be one of my most popular posts and has brought lots of traffic to my site.

I post I wish I’d written
What is Microfinance: A Traveler’s View from the Field
Oh boy was this a tough one! There are TONS of amazing blogs out there with hundreds of posts I wish I’d written. I chose this post about microfinance on Uncornered Market because of how eye opening and educational (as always with UMarket!) the post was. I truly admire the way Daniel and Audrey travel and learn and grow, and how they can present such an educated and fresh perspective on nearly everything they encounter. This post made me realize how little I know about developing economies and isolated societies, and how we could possibly make a difference. I wish I had written such an educational post.

My most helpful post
On my List: Chernobyl
And I was just wishing I had written more educational posts. I also just started working on a (timely) post about staying healthy while traveling, but I don’t usually go around dishing out the travel advice on my blog. I went with this post about touring Chernobyl because I’ve gotten a lot of feedback that people never knew such a tour existed. And, let’s face it, it would be a pretty friggin cool tour!

A title I’m proud of
How I Became a Soccer Fan
Bah! I am not creative at ALL when it comes to titling my posts. I thought my “How I became a Soccer Fan” title was kind of fun, maybe a little interesting? I really need to get more creative with my titles…

A post I wish more people would read
Road Trip
All of them? Haha! Here’s an early one about a road trip through the Brazilian interior that I think people would find fun to read. It was an interesting trip!

So those are my 7 links! I hope you enjoyed!

Unconventional, maybe. But visiting the Chernobyl site and surrounding area is definitely on my list of dream trips.

Luckily, my dad is a nuclear physicist and can get me government issued documents so I can enter the Chernobyl area. That way I can ride my Kawasaki Ninja all over the radioactive zone because I’m special. I’ll bring my very own personal Geiger counter and everything!

Just kidding!! Everyone’s favorite Chernobyl internet hoax aside (google ‘Chernobyl motorcycle lady’ if you’re one of the 5 people who haven’t seen this website), many people are surprised to learn that it’s now possible to take a tour of the Chernobyl area and the nearby deserted town of Pripyat.

drmonowsky via Flickr

For those of you who don’t know me in real life, I work in the nuclear industry. My particular engineering discipline actually requires a lot of understanding of how accidents can occur and progress in power plants, and which safety systems are needed to mitigate them. We’ve studied the Chernobyl accident and the sequence of events that caused it, although not in super great detail because we don’t work with that type of reactors.

Here are a couple facts about the accident.

1. The fuel did not explode. The Uranium-235 is not enriched enough to sustain a fusion-like explosion. What did happen was a large steam bubble formed due to the uncontrolled heatup of the cooling water, reacted with the core, and blew up due to the intense heat and pressure.

2. This accident could not happen in the US. All US plants (and most other plants around the world) have a reactor containment building of 3 foot thick concrete that would have prevented the release of fission products in the event of a meltdown (as with Three Mile Island).

3. “Fun” fact: the accident was not discovered internationally until a worker in Sweden entered a nuclear plant and set off the on-site radiation monitors due to low levels of airborne radiation in the air from Chernobyl. The Soviet government has been accused of trying to cover up the incident.

Given my background, I definitely want to visit the site.

stuckincustoms via Flickr

Here are some reasons a someone who’s not a nuclear engineer might want to visit Chernobyl.

It’s a Historical Site

Many of us remember hearing about this when it happened. I was only 3, but I definitely remember learning about it when I got a little older. It’s always interesting to visit a place we’ve seen on TV and heard about so often. It would definitely be neat to see the site in person, learn more about the history, and meet the people who were impacted by the incident.

Visiting the area would also afford an interesting glimpse into the former Soviet Union. Reportedly old Soviet propaganda was left (planted?) in the buildings, and the town of Pripyat is a good example of a planned “nuclear-city.”

See the Nuclear Ghost Town

The tours also include a visit to the nearby town of Pripyat, which was evacuated after the accident. I can’t think of too many places in the world you can tour a town that’s basically been abandoned as-is. While many areas around Pripyat are reportedly contaminated, some of the abandoned buildings of the community are included in the tours. It seems like the old school, ferris wheel, and swimming pool are very popular. Plus, the tours do offer an opportunity to meet “resettlers,” people who moved back to their homes in the exclusion zone to continue living as they always have. I think this would make for a memorable experience like no other.

drmonowsky via Flickr

Way off the Beaten Path

I’m sure lots of people have no interest in seeing this old beat up reactor or abandoned town. Ukraine certainly isn’t on the list of your typical Europe vacationer and many people don’t even know a tour to the Chernobyl site exists. It’s definitely a destination off the beaten path. Plus, it’s a bit tough to get to and not really easily accessible. There’s just a certain travel “street cred” associated with going here. I don’t know anyone who’s been on a Chernobyl tour.

Here are some specifics of the Chernobyl tour that I found through SoloEast Travel. They’ve been doing it since 1999.

It’s $160 per person (if you have a big enough group), they’ll pick you up in Kiev for a full day tour.

They have several selected days of each month that they’ll conduct tours.

The website even offers a special package that allows you to spend 1 or 2 nights in the Chernobyl hotel!

So far my list consists of places that start with “Bal,” since my first post about my list of places I want to go discussed Bali. It’s just a coincidence that I decided to write today about why I want to visit the Balkan countries, and there are lots of other places on my list (in my head) that don’t even start with B!

Here is a map of the Balkan countries, although if I were the one defining the region I would not include Romania. Not my decision though.

I first became interested in this part of the world when I saw a documentary about the falling lakes of Plitvice National Park in Croatia. The program gave a lengthy overview of this stunning area, including discussion of the interesting wildlife in the dense forest of the area, noting that tourism is finally starting to pick up now that the war is over.

Isn’t that stunning? I found this photo in a post about lakes on www.simonseeks.com.

I didn’t quite understand what war they were talking about until I started doing a little more research. I am just old enough to remember the news coverage of the wars that went on in the 90s, with terms like “Kosovo,” “NATO,” “Serbs,” “Slobodan Milosevic,” sounding very familiar. I just didn’t really make the connection at the time when hearing about these far off places that these wars were occurring right there in Europe, right next to Greece. So between seeing the beautiful Plitvice region and realizing that these borders were drawn during a war that I remember, I became very intrigued by the Balkan region.

Burning building in Sarajevo during the war in 1992… all over the internet.

I’ve done some research on this lesser-known region over the years and came up with some reason why I want to go there.

The History

The history of this region is so complex I have trouble understanding enough of it to summarize here. Just the recent history yields enough political changes in the Balkans to make your head spin! This fascinating map from Wikipedia shows how the region has changed since 1796. Considering the US has been it’s own country since before then (though not quite as large as it is today) it’s incredible how many changes the Balkan peninusla has had in the same time period.

Mostar, Bosnia (commons.wikimedia.org)

The region’s colorful past includes ruling by the Greeks, Normans, Slavs, Venetians, Byzantines, Ottoman Turks. Each empire undoubtedly left its mark on the region’s architecture, food, and culture. There are Roman ruins, Ottoman mosques and hammams, Serbian monasteries, and medieval castles. Some of the Crusade battles were fought here. And, the recent bloody wars in the Balkans give visitors a unique opportunity to see the consequences of modern warfare like nowhere else.

Beautiful Scenery and Nature

Beautiful mountain ranges, clear blue Adriatic beaches, and wilderness come to mind when I think about this area. The mountain regions offer hiking and skiing in the winter while the beautiful coasts and islands are popular for relaxing beach vacations. Dense forests in the area harbor wolves, bears, the Balkan lynx, and lots of Europe’s migrating birds. I think visiting some of the natural scenery would be a pleasant contrast to the deep and sometimes dark history travelers will find in the more urban areas.

I did see PBS has a special “Nature” episode about the Balkans, which I am going to watch if I ever finish this post. It can be found here for anyone interested!

The Culture

The region is a bit of a melting pot of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Islam; it’s a bit of east meets west with influence from Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Balkan folk music sounds to me like a mix of Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Gypsy music (in a broad generalization – there are many diverse musical types). Belgrade, Serbia has a reputation for great nightlife. I can only guess that this region, at a crossroads of east and west, has a culture like that of nowhere else. Muslim call to prayer, women in Babushkas, Eastern Orthodox churches, shopping bazaars, those are what I picture. And they must really have some “street cred” for going through all they have.

Bosnian folk dress on www.HiddenBosnia.com

Off the Beaten Path

I don’t know anyone who’s been to this region except on a cruise stop in Dubrovnik, or coworkers who’ve visited Soviet Era Nuclear Plants in Bulgaria and Slovenia. It really seems to be off the radar, at least among American tourists. Prices are still supposed to be low here too, considering many of the countries are still rebuilding crumbled economies after the war. But that’s starting to change. Cruise ships stop regularly in Croatia now, and the region is becoming more and more popular among tourists. Paris Hilton even apparently owns a home somewhere in the area. This is all the more reason for me to want to visit the Balkan countries before everyone else does.

It was really ambitious of me to try to squeeze all these countries into one post, and hopefully I am not lumping them together too much or over-generalizing. It’s hard to write about a place I haven’t been, but I am totally fascinated with this region. And why not? It has everything – incredible history and culture, beautiful natural scenery and wildlife, and it’s an up and coming destination that desperately needs tourism to help its economy.

Old city of Dubrovnik (www.touristmaker.com)

What’s on your list?

I’ve been meaning to make a list of “dream trips” to include on here to figure out the top places I want to visit. Instead of just putting up a list I thought it would be nice to write a little more about each destination and why I really want to go there. I think I’ll include them together in their own page once I’ve written about them (I’ll try to limit it to 10 or so). Hopefully then, as I continue to cross places off the list, I can compare my trip to my expectations. I think that will be fun!

So, I thought I would write about Bali first. I’ve been intrigued by this Indonesian island for a long time now. It all started with this photo:

It’s a plunge pool (or some kind of water feature) at the Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay. I saw this picture years ago on some website and decided I wanted to go to Bali. Even though it was just a resort picture, the architecture It seemed to be so exotic and far off, so different from anywhere else.

I still feel this way, but as I learn more about the island I continue to find new reasons to want to go there.

Bali is a small island in the archipelago of Indonesia. Just south of the equator, it’s a volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs. It’s largest industry is tourism, with agriculture (especially rice cultivation) also very important.

So why do I want to visit Bali?

The Balinese culture sounds so interesting. The island is nearly all Balinese Hindu, a minority in mostly Muslim Indonesia. Bali is famous for its art of many forms, including paintings, handicrafts, and performance arts. Balinese dances look amazing, with choreography down to the fingertips and eyeballs. There are also many beautiful celebrations and rituals throughout everyday life in Balinese culture. There are interesting-looking temples throughout the island.

There is something just, well, exotic about Bali. It’s far away from here. I don’t know anyone (in real life) who’s been there before. There are beautiful beaches and rolling rice patties, Hindu temples and religious shrines. The Balinese Hinduism seems to encompass so many aspects of life there that ritual and tradition are found everywhere, surely creating an exotic setting for any visitor.

It also seems like a good combination of scenery and culture. A trip to Bali would have to include some nice laying on the beach and snorkeling time. But, at least as I envision it, there are also plenty of opportunity to see traditional performances and visit shrines and temples.

So why haven’t I gotten there yet? The main reason is it will be a long and expensive flight. I don’t want to know how many stops it would take to get there from Pittsburgh, or how many hours flight time. I would probably want to combine a stay in Bali with a visit to other places in the region, and that’s just not possible with 3 weeks of vacation.

It is starting to sound like Bali is becoming more and more popular with Western tourists. Apparently it’s also a popular international conference spot. All the more reason for me to get there sooner.

A couple more random tidbits about Bali: Anthony Bourdain almost decided to stay there permanently on an episode of No Reservations (or at least that’s how they staged the episode), and Bali is where Elizabeth Gilbert met her Brazilian husband in Eat Pray Love. That fact alone was enough to get Roberto to read it. In English.

While it’s kind of hard to write about a place I’ve never been to, it’s fun to think about why I want to go there and organize my thoughts about those “I’ve always wanted to visit!!!” places. I’ll continue to write similar posts about other places “on my list” in the future.

This is the second entry of a series about my experiences with making money online.

Last year, I began experimenting with a few ways to make money online. I think it will be a good exercise for me to evaluate these methods, assess where I’m at, and make goals for 2010.

Second Method – Craigslist

Well this isn’t really generating new income online, but I started selling some things I was getting rid of anyway on Craigslist. The plan is to make a little extra money while getting rid of clutter and things I never use anymore.

What I Did

I’ve gone through my house a few times and set aside stuff I don’t want or need anymore. I am planning to have a garage sale once Spring comes. I pulled out a few items that I thought would make enough money to be worth bothering with individually, and photographed them. I listed a handful of items on Craigslist a couple months ago, including an obsolete electronic, two pairs of champagne flutes, and a bunch of Boyd’s bears that I’d gotten as gifts and can’t really stand.

Outcome

I got responses on every item, but only actually sold one pair of flutes. I did get my full asking price for those, and had a good experience meeting a nice girl at a local coffee shop. I got quite a few inquiries on the electronic, but no one ended up buying it. I got a pretty low offer on the bears from some lady that now I’m thinking I should have taken, but it was really only about 10% of what I think I could sell them for. They’re still collecting dust now, with no new offers.

Recommendations

Based on my experiences I put together a few Craigslist selling tips which I wrote in another article. Here’s an abridged version:

Accurately describe your item. Provide pertinent details such as brand and model, size, and color. Give information about when it was purchased, how much it’s been used, and describe any wear and tear. Describe what it’s used for if it’s not obvious. You should be honest about it’s condition since prospective buyers will most likely see it before they buy it. Be descriptive in your title as well and be sure to include the price in your heading.

Once you’ve described your item as accurately as possible it’s a good idea to include at least one picture. If you item is very straightforward one photo is probably enough, but it’s helpful to include several photos, as many as you need to accurately portray your item. Be sure you photos make your item look great! Stage it nicely with plenty of light, and the item is clear and in focus. Nice photos will entice Craigslist surfers to want your item.

Pricing your stuff correctly is very important for selling on Craigslist. It’s a good idea to browse through your local Craigslist and even other cities to get a good idea of what items like yours are going for, and check other sites like Ebay and look in local classified ads. Your item needs to be priced competitively to sell, but you also shouldn’t underprice – unless you really need to sell quickly. It’s also recommended to price your item a little more than you really want, because most Craigslist buyers expect to haggle.

Once you list your item on Craigslist, you’ll begin getting emails from people interested. Be sure to reply promptly and answer any questions they have. It’s not uncommon for people to contact you then never hear from them again. If someone is interested in buying your item, make arrangements to meet them if your can bring it with you or allow them to come to your home only when you are not alone. Beware of scams offering money orders and requesting that you ship your item – it’s best to use Craigslist locally.

The Future
I’ll keep using Craigslist because it’s free. In fact, I have several items I plan on listing in the next few days. I am going to try re-listing these items every so often if they don’t sell, so Craigslist browsers can find my stuff without having to search.