You don't have to be rich to travel

I was having a conversation with someone yesterday who said that I won't be able to travel now that I'm a struggling university student. True, I won't be able to stay at 4 or 5 star hotels, and eat out at expensive restaurants, and live my, what some would call a hedonistic lifestyle. But, you really don't have to be rich to travel.

Firstly, if you can afford to live in a city in a modern Western country, like Sydney or New York, then you definitely can afford to travel in most of Asia or Southern and Eastern Europe. It's cheaper in those places than living at home. For example rents are cheaper, and you could rent out your existing apartment or house on http://www.airbnb.com, and come out ahead. Eating out is cheaper; a good coffee is around $4 in Sydney, but $1.50 in Spain. Beer is $5.50, and $2.50 in Spain. In Asia you can eat out at the food stalls for like $2. So, in essence, if you live in a Western Country you are really rich in comparison to other countries.

Travelling is so much easier now, and with all the information technology we can easily find the cheapest deals on flights (http://www.skyscanner.com), train trips, accommodation, or tickets to entertainment events.You can check travel reviews on http://www.tripadvisor.com before you book accommodation, or follow Travel Blogs like this one - if only to give you confidence that if I can do it, so can you.

However, if you wish to travel inexpensively you could hike, and just sleep under the stars in a bivy, tarp, or tent. (See my Ultra light Shelter system blog post). There are a number of long distance walks in Europe, like the Comino in Spain to the Cathedral at Santiago. There's the Appalachian Trail in the United States, which ever since I saw the National Geographic article, I've wanted to do.

If camping is too much of a stretch for you, then staying at a hostel in Europe is quite cheap, at around $20 a night, and you pay extra to have your own room if you like. It's definitely cheaper to rent an apartment instead of staying at a hotel.

In conclusion, you really don't have to be rich to travel. Sure, you have to be more careful with your money, but you can make it work. There are a number of options depending on how much you wish to spend. So, get out there, and get out on the road.

Decompressing after the Europe Trip

After the long flight home (23 hours) I'm starting to get back in sync with Sydney time. You need time to decompress after travel, to get back into the normal routine. The first few days after a trip are strange. You have to get used to not having to pack again, or that you really don't have to go out and do something, visit something, see something.

Sometimes you immediately start planning for the next one. This is winter time in Sydney, and at 13 degrees, we really don't have anything to complain about compared to a Northern Hemisphere winter where it snows. It doesn't snow in Sydney. Still I usually plan to go overseas in our winter, to Europe or America, where it is summer. It's a sneaky way to get two summers. I highly recommend it.

Another way is to go somewhere tropical, like Fiji. I love Fiji, and it's only five hours or so from Sydney, and it's relatively cheap. We are lucky to have a holiday house in sub tropical Queensland, where I often escape too. I think I spent six weeks up there last winter. Another favourite destination is Hawaii, and for my friends on the West side of America, that's where I would be heading. I love Hawaii, especially the North Shore.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself, first I have to update my blog entries, organise my photos, upload video, and add more information, and go through the normal decompression phase after travel.

Heathrow to Dubai on the Qantas A380 and on to Sydney

Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world. It is easy to get to in London on the Underground. Simply take the Piccadily Line, the blue line, to Heathrow 2,3,4, which costs about 5 Pounds. When you are flying out of a busy airport you will have to allow extra time to clear security, customs and there are usually more flight delays, particularly in Northern Europe due to the weather. There is enhanced security, including body scans, at security. Arrive at the airport earlier than normal.

I had the opportunity to visit the British Airways First Class Lounge, a big step down from the Qantas First Class Lounge in Sydney where this trip first started, which seems like so long ago. UK, Spain, Amsterdam, Belgium, UK again and then Dubai and onto Sydney.

Qantas partnering with Emirates is a game changer for Australians travelling to Europe. Traditionally, we have always travelled directly to London. Next trip, however I'll probably change at Dubai, and take a direct flight to Spain or Central Europe, maybe doing a stop over in Dubai to see the place. I would recommend doing your Duty Free shopping in Dubai as it seems to be cheaper than Sydney. If you like good Scotch (Whisky) then Highland Park single malt is not much more than the price you would buy from the cellar door in Orkney, Scotland.

Anyway I left London on the 9.30pm QF 2 flight to Sydney via Dubai and arrived in Sydney around 5am on Saturday morning. I caught the train back home with all my Duty Free shopping from Dubai. You can catch the train under Sydney International and Sydney Domestic into the centre of Sydney or out to the Western Suburbs.Ticket prices are from $15 to $17.20.

I'll update the blog over the next couple of weeks with the video footage and more detail and information on the places I've visited on this trip. I'll do a lessons learned post and go over some of the gear that I've used.

TRAVEL INFO

The London Underground - http://www.tfl.gov.uk - excellent. You will need to use the Underground to get around London.

Qantas airline - http://www.qantas.com.au

TRAVEL TIPS:

- Take the Underground to Heathrow - 5 Pounds

- Do your Duty Free shopping in Dubai in the 1 hour that you have to wait for the plane to be refuelled.

- Fly on the A380 if you are doing the long haul to Europe from Australia, the seats are larger and more comfortable.

- Consider doing a Stop Over in Dubai for a direct flight into Europe

Ghent to Lille-Flandres and on the Eurostar to London

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below."

                                                 In Flanders Fields, Lt Col John McCrae

For short trips regular followers might know that I favour catching the train. The best thing about Europe is that they have high speed trains. One of the better known ones is the Eurostar, which we took yesterday. I've previously caught the Eurostar from London to Paris. From the heart of London to Paris was only about two hours. That's the beauty of high speed rail.

First, we had to travel to Lille-Flandres to meet up with the Eurostar. It's about an hour on the train from Ghent to Lille. Lille is actually in France, just over the border from Belgium. We pass through Flanders the scene of the carnage in World War 1. The train board had names like Cambrai, Dunkirk, and Amiens This is the region where Australians fought, and you can visit the Australian and British war cemeteries here. Unfortunately, I didn't have time on this trip. The red poppies of Flanders referred to in the poem above are a symbol of remembrance for the fallen.

Lille was packed with hordes of shoppers taking advantage of the sales. The sales in Europe involve large discounts that accounts for their popularity. We had a leisurely lunch at a French Cafe that could of been owned by Rene from Allo Allo. I didn't see Rene, but he could of been out the back with Yvette. I would recommend the Mussels, which come in a big pot with French Fries. Being in France the coffee is also much improved.

Now, catching the Eurostar means that we have go through the charade of customs at Lille, as the UK don't think they are part of Europe. Don't forget to fill out the customs form, and have your passport ready. You have to go through security like at the airport.

But, apart from that, the Eurostar whisks you to the heart of London to Kings Cross St Pancreas Station in about I don't know it seemed like an hour maybe. It was quick.

Tomorrow, we are making the long, it seems longer on the way back, flight to Sydney.

In Bruges

The thought of anything exciting happening in Bruges is actually pretty funny once you've visited the place. I have to admit I haven't seen the movie, In Bruges, yet, but I can't wait after visiting Bruges on Monday. People I have spoken to in Ghent find the whole idea hilarious. Apparently, nobody goes to Bruges except tourists. One local told me the story about an American tourist who asked what time Bruges closed, like it was an amusement park. Everyobdy it seems has a funny story about Bruges.

Anyway, I went with an open mind, and with the usual amount of research, I caught the tram to St Pieters Station, and then the 45 minute train ride to Bruges. A return trip costs 12.60 Euros from the vending machine. I set off North from the station aiming for a church steeple in the distance, which is always a good bet in Europe if you have absolutely no idea. I also followed the tourists, and that is another a good sign that you are on the right track.

 Bruges is actually not bad as a tourist destination, because it so small. It's only a short distance from the main train station, and it's quite compact, easy walking distance to the main attractions. It's also very cute, like cookie cutter cute. It's very well preserved, and don't think anything has changed much in five hundred years, and I bet in five hundred years people will still be coming to Bruges.

I actually walked completely through Bruges the first time, because I thought it would be bigger until I reached the canal on the Northern side of the town. Of course I had no map, or travel guide on my Kindle. I soon came to my senses, and returned to the centre of town, which is the market square (above). After you spend enough time in Europe you know where to go.

The Townhall is close to the market square (above). Bruges was one of those canal towns that flourished in the early Middle Ages, due to it's proximity to the sea, and ability to transport goods cheaply via it's canals. It's closer to the Atlantic than Ghent, which was a source of friction between the two places.

I did find a not bad ice cream shop called Da Vinci on Noordzand Straat. It was quite popular, and I wandered around eating my icecream cone. It was quite a pleasant little town, and adorably cute of course. You can easily see everything in 3 hours, so it might be just a half day trip, and then maybe continue on to Antwerp, Ghent or back to Brussels. It would be about an hour and a quarter to Brussels on the train.

I should mention that they have this thing in Belgium where you pay to go to the toilet, well, at least in Bruges. There is a lady who looks after the toilets, and you pay half a Euro to use the facilities. Well, they are clean I guess.

Anyway, that  was my afternoon in Bruges. No shoot outs, chases, or any excitement really. I did get asked to take a photograph from some tourists, but that was about it.

I escaped back to Ghent on the train.

TRAVEL INFO

Map of Bruges

How to get there: By train, short walk or bus ride from station. 12.60 Euro return from Ghent (45 mins)

Bruges Tourist web site - http://bezoekers.preview.brugge.be/en

Where to eat:

Da Vinci Icecream shop - good icecream

Noordzand Straat

Bruges

TRAVEL TIPS:

-  Bruges is compact & you can see most of it in 3 hrs.

You know what they call a Quarter Pounder in Belgium? A Royal with Cheese in Ghent

VINCENT: ...You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris (& Belgium)?

JULES: They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

VINCENT: No, they got the metric system there, they wouldn't know what the f.....k a Quarter Pounder is.

JULES: What'd they call it?

VINCENT: Royale with Cheese.

Pulp Fiction  (see clip from Youtube above)

Royal with Cheese

Vincent (John Travolta) from Pulp Fiction was right; it's the little differences that are funny in Europe. For example they really do put Mayonnaisse on French Fries in Holland, and a Quarter Pounder is called a Royal with Cheese in Belgium (top of page). Travel is interesting, because you see how other people go about things, like basic things, like eating. Or how they get around the place. Here in Ghent they have a well developed electric tram network, and get about on bicycles. Bicycles are huge in Europe with every city I've visited having dedicated bicycle lanes. Sydney is still catching up with the dedicated bike lanes, and we are soon going to reintroduce trams. Definitely better for the environment, and with the average traffic speed in Sydney about 26 kmph, bikes are probably faster anyway.

Ghent is pretty cool. A University town with a thriving arts community. On Saturday night we saw an excellent modern dance performance at the theatre called, 'What the body does not remember'. The good thing about dance is that you don't need to know the language. It would be hard if it was a play. We met some friends here, and enjoyed hanging out at the hip bars in the city. It's a very relaxed sort of place.

Ghent is an attractive city as well. Above is the celebrated Cathedral. Below is Ghent Castle also known as Gravensteen. For the ghoulish there is a torture museum inside that you can visit.



The main attractions are within a short stroll of each other, but if you need to go anywhere further you can hop on a tram for 1.20 Euro per trip if you buy it from the ticket machine, or 2 Euro from the driver. You could hire a bike and whizz around the city like the locals do. It's very quiet here, without all those noisy cars.

This place is like a Toll Booth for the canal. It wasn't too popular when it was built because the locals had to pay the tax to move their goods by water. Everybody hates paying tax. It's universal.

You may have noticed the grey skies, and the clouds that look like it is going to rain at any moment. That's because it really is going to rain at any moment. Basically, you need to take a mini traveller umbrella with you, and think layers of clothing. I take a Patagonia Down Jacket that weighs 600gm and scrunches down to a small brick sized package, which goes in my daypack. It is windproof and amazingly warm for it's weight. I also carry a Golite rain jacket that weighs hardly anything. I also have a light weight wool cap or Beanie, as you might know that you lose a lot of your body heat from your head. In combination with the mini umbrella that sort of covers all the bases, however in really strong wind then the mini umbrella won't cut it of course, and you will need a proper umbrella. At various times of the day you will find yourself taking off a layer or adding a layer depending on the weather conditions.

So, the best thing about Ghent is that you have this beautiful old city with all the benefits of modern living complete with it's cosmopolitan feel. Plus, it's only 30 minutes to Brussels or 45 minutes to Bruges, which I will be visiting tomorrow.

TRAVEL INFO

The best website on Ghent - http://www.visitgent.be/en/home

Travel Tip:

- Buy the tram tickets from the ticket machine for 1.20 Euro instead of 2 Euro on board.

- In Northern Europe think layers of clothing & carry a mini umbrella.

Amsterdam to Brussels 'the Crossroads of Europe' to Ghent?

Ghent? Ghent, Belgium where is that? You may of heard of Brugge, but Ghent (pictured above) is about half an hour west of Brussels on the way to Bruges. Like Amsterdam it is built around canals, water being the cheapest way to move goods in the Medieval period, due to lack of good roads and the marvel of the combustion engine. It's probably better if I just pull down a map (pictured below).

A student of history looking at that map might recognise it as probably the most fought over area in Europe. The bloodiest battles of World War 1 were fought here. You can see Arnhem up there in the top right, 'the bridge too far', of the ill fated parachute operation of World War 2. Of course Waterloo was fought within 20 km of Brussels (you can catch the train there to see the battlefield). Being the 'Crossroads of Europe' means there have been many battles, because it is a transport hub. It is convenient location for Europe's capital or enemy armies to move through.

To get to Ghent the fastest way is by the fast train to Brussels, which takes about an hour from Amsterdam, and then it is a half hour local train ride to Ghent. From Brussels you can also catch a fast train to London, Paris, or head east into Germany. Because it so convenient many visitors choose to stay overnight and explore Brussels or continue onto Brugge or Ghent.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself, because our train didn't leave until 4.30pm I had sometime to visit a museum. I thought I had to see one of the 40 odd museums in Amsterdam, so I chose the little known Stedelijk museum of modern art. Entry is only 7.50 Euros. If you keep going past the Stedelijk you will reach the number 1 attraction The Rijksmuseum.

To get out of Amsterdam by train you will have to make your way to Amsterdam Centraal, which is not a spelling error but how they spell it in Amsterdam. The cheapest way to get there is by tram or bus. If you have to make several journeys in a day it is probably best to get 7.50 Euro all day ticket on the tram. Remember, that taxis are expensive with a 7.50 Euro flag fall. You can just buy the tickets on board the tram.

Now, it gets a bit confusing when you have to catch the train to Brussels Airport. As you enter the airport you will see Burger King. Platforms 5 & 6 will take you to Brussels. The ramps down to the subway are located next to Burger King. We made our 4.30pm train with three minutes to spare. No sweat.

Brussels central train station, befitting 'the Crossroads of Europe" is massive. You will have to work out what platform your connecting train is leaving from, but if you have time you can pick up a coffee from Starbucks, and a Belgian waffle in the station.

We were met at Ghent station by our nice Airbnb host who drove us to our apartment in the historic old section of Ghent. When people are new to Airbnb they tend to put the extra effort in, and our host was fantastic. Actually, everybody has been great. I strongly recommend http://www.airbnb.com for short or long term accomodation. As you can see it's worked really well on this trip.

Ghent is beautiful, and so quiet. We went out to dinner for a nice steak tartare and french fries (a Belgian speciality). If you have been to Brugge, then why not try Ghent or Gent?



TRAVEL INFO

For everything you need to know about Amsterdam - http://www.iamsterdam.com/

Tourist information for Belgium - http://www.visitbelgium.com/

Ghent, Belgium - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/flanders/ghent

Travel Tips:

- Remember trains leave on time, so make sure you leave yourself enough time to make all the connections.

- Consider staying the night in Brussels to explore this famous city.

- Visit Ghent