Boldly Go Solo

Food shopping in foreign countries is as worthy as museum going

September 24, 2009

I was in a supermarket aisle in Buenos Aires staring at the boxes of yerba mate tea. I'd drunk a fair amount of it during my vacation and I wanted to take a box or two home.

But I wanted tea bags, not loose leaves, and since I didn't know the words for that I couldn't tell what was inside the colorful boxes.

A woman came down the aisle doing her shopping and I asked, in my typically inventive Spanish, if she could help me. I might have said something like "es este te en bolsas papeles?" which I think means "is this tea in paper bags?"

This was on the heels of an attempt during a separate shopping excursion to buy tissues at a little cafe shop near the Perito Moreno glacier.

"Tiene papeles para la nariz?" Do you have papers for the nose? Or maybe I said "servillettas para la nariz," meaning, I hope, "napkins for the nose."

(Now perhaps you get a better grasp on why I continue to need Spanish lessons.)

In both cases I got the answers and the products I needed. And cracked myself up while doing so. And perhaps made the people I interacted with chuckle too, though, if so, they were too nice to do it in my presence.

I love shopping in food stores and little convenience markets in foreign countries. For one, there are few tourists inside. And I learn a lot about the culture and the food. And I usually ending up buying all sorts of interesting-looking things to try and often bring food favorites home.

In Argentina, that meant a jar of dulce de leche and packages of alfajores, a sandwich cookie.

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Budget spa ideas including one with no single supplement

September 21, 2009

Fodor's recently ran a blog post on "Luxury for Less." They described five tips for budget spa visits. So why did they include Mandarin Oriental's "Signature Spa Treatments" that cost $450 to $470 for 110 minutes?! (Coincidentally, I've already written about one of the cheapest places they include – BodyHoliday at Le Sport, on St. Lucia. No single supplement.)

Fodor's, what exactly is your definition of "less?" Less than a million dollars? Anyway…

I liked some of the tips for solo travelers. Such as book short stays at hotels close to home. I could use one of those little spa holidays this minute.

If only I weren't going to Mexico in three short weeks…oh wait. I'm thrilled to be going to Mexico in two weeks! Si, estoy muy alegre!!

Any day now, the nice folks at my Spanish school in Guadalajara are going to email me with information about who my host family is for four nights.

Now the trick is working double time at my job to get everything done in advance so I can actually enjoy my vacation. This is why being independently wealthy would come in so handy sometimes.
Single people are getting a raw deal including on travel

September 18, 2009

Interesting story on single Americans. The percentage is up to 43 percent of the population versus 28 percent in 1969. Tell me again why tour companies focus mainly on couples and families?

Particularly when "the average American will spend more of her adult life unmarried than married?"
Solo travelers avoid psychotic travel companions

September 17, 2009

Most travel writers, and many other adventure travel lovers, have read a story or two of Tim Cahill's. The adventure writer is "famous" for being one of the founders of Outside Magazine and for having what some consider one of the best jobs ever: traveling and writing about fabulous places around the world.

New West recently ran an interview with Cahill and he was asked what lessons his travels have taught him. I must quote what he said:

"Avoid psychotic traveling companions.

There's a corollary to that. The most carefully-chosen traveling companion becomes the most psychotic."

If you've ever experienced this, or some milder version, you know why solo travel is not the worst travel predicament. Far from it.

Because in addition to the psychotic companion, there's the irritable one, the complainer, the one who doesn't want to do anything you want to do but keeps asking, "hey, what do you want to do today," the picky eater, the late sleeper, the early riser, the cheap friend, the extravagant friend…and how did you not know this before?

If you only have a limited number of vacation days, you really don't want to waste time with that sort of nonsense. Nor pick a fight. Nor miss the things you want to do after spending a whole lot of money to get to the place you wanted to go.

If you're lucky enough to have a great travel companion, good for you. If you don't, and you feel sorry for yourself because of it, reread this post. As many times as it takes.

And if that doesn't work, go ahead and needlepoint yourself the Cahill quote.
The Nation’s Triathlon lets a solo traveler experience the city like a local

September 14, 2009

I biked to the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., early this morning so I could see the swimmers in the Nation's Triathlon. Having just done a (shorter) triathlon, I was curious to see how racers would get into the water and where the course was.

What a crazy scene. 4,700 participants. Waves of swimmers starting every three minutes or so from 7 am to 8:30 am. Men and women of all ages.

While spectating, I ended up talking with several people and making friends with a dog who desperately wanted to be swimming along with the participants, the owner told me. It made me realize what a good strategy it is for a solo traveler to cities to attend events that locals go to. You get to see that city come alive beyond its formal tourist sights.

In Madrid, for instance, the locals go to Cibeles Square downtown after their team wins a championship, gathering around the fountain in the middle. I've heard some people jump in the fountain, or they have in the past. Security may be tighter now.

When I was in Niagara Falls on my own, I learned there was to be a 5K race that weekend. I seriously considered entering it. I'm not sure that's the way to meet people. Better to be a spectator.

On the banks of the Potomac, I don't remember how I ended up talking to the woman behind me. She must have said something about the race and I turned around and responded. Or maybe I made a comment about being glad I wasn't in the cold, not exactly pristine, river.

In any case, it turns out she's a regular racer. She does it as a "hobby." And she looked it, too.

I asked why she wasn't in the race. It's because she has one coming up this weekend. The SavageMan triathlon. I told her about the 79-year-old woman in my race who'd beat me. She told me about the 82-year-old woman in her race who turned in a fine time too.

I asked why she was watching if she wasn't racing. She said she enjoys the energy, and talking with people. It's about being in a crowd that has this thing in common. The event in front of them.

I understand what she means. Everyone likes to talk about the things they're interested in or have experience with. And people in these type of situations are open to conversation. They're watching their father, daughter, grandmother or friend race. They're in a good mood. They're not going anywhere.

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City guides and videos by hostelworld offer a trip preview

September 10, 2009

Hosteling sure has changed since the days I was bumming my way around Europe. I carried a ratty little book listing where the hostels were and counted on outdated information that was printed probably once a year at most.

You'd have to write letters to make reservations at a hostel, or just show up and potentially be shut out for the night for lack of space.

Now, at hostelworld.com you can find videos and podcasts, and ratings and prices of hostels in particular cities. You can book online. Short videos take you around the bedrooms, bathrooms and exterior of the hostel. See Athens below, for example.

Getting a little familiar with a place via video might help a solo traveler get more comfortable about going someplace new.

A hostelworld guy named Colm Hanratty also has produced six "city guides" titled "10 Things You Need To Know About (X city)" and he's done them for Paris, London, New York, Prague, Rome and Dublin. Sure, you can find all the same information, and in much more detail, from guidebooks or at other places on the Web.

But there's something charming about his take. And, again, the visuals provide a "you are there" feel that you don't get from books and still photos.

Fair warning: If off-kilter French pronunciation bothers you steer clear of his guide to Paris, in which he mangles all the French words he utters. (I haven't watched all the videos so I can't gauge his facility with Czech or Italian. And I'm sure I'd do the same in pronouncing Czech locations!)

http://hostelworldvideos.com/videos/travelguidePlayer.swf?videoPath=athens%5Fathensbackpackers&imagePath=athens%5Fathensbackpackers%2Fathens%5Fathensbackpackers%5Fstart%2Ejpg&imagePathEnd=athens%5Fathensbackpackers%2Fathens%5Fathensbackpackers%5Fend%2Ejpg&flvUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehostelworld%2Ecom%2Fhosteldetails%2Ephp%2FAthensBackpackers%2DAthens%2D6324*******
Washington DC’s long escalators and the people who love them

September 7, 2009

Seeing the flashes going off at the bottom of a Metro escalator the other day reminded me of two things: what a big tourist attraction my home town is and how hard it is to capture an escalator on "film." (At least for us amateurs.)

The reason people try to capture our escalators for posterity is because of how long they are. Picture, say, a department store escalator and then multiply it by four. If you're afraid of heights, don't do the math.

As for tourism, I meant to do something visitor-like this holiday weekend in my home town but friends and events intervened. This is why I don't envision vacationing at home. Life constantly intervenes.

There were two things I wanted to do though. One I haven't done in decades and loved the first time. The other I didn't know existed until two days ago.

I want to go back to Arlington House, home to Robert E. Lee and his wife until 1861. The 19th-century mansion is on a hill in Virginia overlooking Washington just above Arlington Cemetery. Your eyes sweep down Arlington Memorial Bridge, across to the Lincoln Memorial and on down the Mall toward the Washington Monument (what my niece used to call "the big pencil") and the U.S. Capitol.

The location offers an outstanding view of the plan that Pierre Charles L'Enfant came up with for the city, with its grids overlaid with radial streets poking outward like spokes. There is no better view of Washington's layout.

And now there's a more poignant reason to head to Arlington Cemetery: the grave site of the third Kennedy brother to be laid to rest there.

The historical site I just learned about also is presidential, and Civil War-related. It's the cottage where Abraham Lincoln spent a quarter of his presidency, and is located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest Washington

The cottage was designated a National Monument by President Clinton in 2000 and was restored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. After a seven year, $15 million renovation, it was opened to the public for the first time.

A solo traveler could get to Arlington House or Lincoln's Cottage by cab for a few bucks.

I'll likely visit with the S.O. because he's a Lincoln fan. Or maybe with a friend who's a history buff. Or maybe on my own if no one's available.

Is someone sputtering, "But I thought you were all about solo travel?" What I try to explain on this blog, which doesn't always come across clearly, is that I'm not a militant solo traveler.

I just think it's a fine option when no one else is around to join me in doing what I'd like to do. Much better than not doing it. And sometimes, an adventure it itself, depending on who I meet.

Photos by Ellen Perlman: 1. Metro map. 2. Van Ness Metro elevator

Other photos: 3. Arlington House, from the Arlington National Monument Web site. 4. Photo circa 1860 from the President Lincoln's Cottage Web site.
Solo travelers can rent a bike in advance in cities they plan to visit

September 3, 2009

A few months ago, a service was launched that lets you rent a bike and accessories the same way you rent a car or book a flight. You pick a destination city, give the dates you're traveling and what type of bike you want, and the service attempts to find you available bikes in shops around the area.

Before you get to the city. Without you having to poke around once you get there, trying to find an open shop with a bike that fits you.

RentaBikeNow.com is a great idea. I like the idea of renting a bike in advance and having it waiting for me. The site provides service in 144 cities. The only problem is, it doesn't seem particularly comprehensive.

When I entered "Washington, D.C." and "Saturday, September 12" to see what bikes would be available at local bike shops, I was given five bike shops to choose from. Unfortunately, just one was actually in D.C.

The other four shops were in close-in Maryland, close-in Virginia, far-out Virginia and very far-out West Virginia. West Virginia? That's not a D.C. bike shop.

But I'll cut the rentabikenow folks some slack. These things take time to build.

And perhaps there are better choices of shops and bikes in other cities. I'll certainly keep them in mind next time I travel to a U.S. city and want to bike.

RentaBikeNow hopes to expand worldwide. Good luck to them. It would be a useful service if done well.
Tuscon spa offers hiking and morning exercises

August 31, 2009

I wake up but do not get out of bed. The Iron Girl triathlon was the day before. A .6 mile swim, 17 mile bike and 3.4 mile run. I finished. "To finish is to win," as JT, a fellow triathlon "girl" kept telling the eight of us doing it. I won.

In that sense.But I do not know how my muscles will react to vertical. Instead of throwing my legs over the side of the bed, letting my feet hit the floor and my body go upright, I stay on my back and lift my knees to my chest. And pull. Stretch.

I lower my legs. Lift the left one all the way up. Straight. Then reach it across my body to the right so it's perpendicular to the rest of me. And stretch. I repeat on the right side with my left leg. Feels good.

I continue these stretches and gentle exercises. As many as I can remember.All learned nearly two years ago now, at Devon Hiking Spa. "Fit Health into Life" is the spa's tagline, and this is what I'm doing. Fitting healthy stretching into my morning. (Tucson solo trip stories here. Read in reverse chronological order.)

I don't remember all I learned during my week in Tucson. But I remember how good it felt to contemplate morning instead of diving into it. Instead of rushing and buzzing and scrambling to start the day. As I usually do.

I admit I haven't been doing those exercises every day since that trip. But there are mornings when I remember. Either because something aches. Or I'm not willing to get out of bed too quickly.

I also remember my lessons about eating mindfully, not gorging at meals. Not that I can always follow those either. I try to gauge when I'm starting to feel satisfied and stop eating. It doesn't always work but each time I tend to think about my options and often I succeed at "being good."

It is not essential to finish everything on my plate. Sometimes, I find it fascinating how hard it is to stop eating. To purposely leave just one bite. It's a challenge to the irrational desire to finish what's in front of me, even though if that bite weren't there I wouldn't miss it. Try it. Leave one bite of food on your plate at every meal. Can you do it?

What's my point here? My point is, I traveled alone to a beautiful part of the country because no one was able to go with me. Met a nice group of people to hike, eat and exercise with. The health lessons have stayed with me. I would have missed out if I had passed on this trip.

Instead, I have post-triathlon exercises to do, better eating habits than before and fond memories of red rocks, rushing streams, snow in the desert (it was December), skittering critters and intriguing visions of myriad cacti everywhere.

The only down side was getting just a tad too close to one of those cacti. A nice, big prickly pear. And unwillingly taking a bunch of its cactus spines home with me. But even that turned into an up side. It made for a really great story for friends and family.

And, um, let's just say sharp memories for weeks after, as I'd find a spine here and a needle there. I'd love to go again.

And perhaps, hike just a tad more mindfully when amongst the cacti.

The next spa weeks are in September 2009 and January and May 2010.

Photos: Ellen Perlman – cactus

Doug Setzer, Iron Girl swimming
Top 10 cities for live music, chosen by travel writers

August 27, 2009

There were only two surprises on the list of the top 10 cities for music chosen by members of the Society of American Travel Writers.

When I saw the email about the survey I ran through my head the cities I knew would be on there: Austin, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis. Several others didn't come to mind but were obvious choices: Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Branson in Missouri.

The two that I wasn't expecting? Denver and Montreal. "Montreal is a hotbed of world music, and free music festivals," according to Nancy Lyon, freelance travel writer and photographer. As for Denver, "A concert at Red Rocks should be on everyone's bucket list…Red Rocks is one of a kind," says Kim McHugh, freelance writer.

I have to say that music isn't something I do on my own much when I'm traveling. (Or when I'm not.)

I don't picture enjoying sitting in a smoky bar with a drink on my table and no one to talk to, or at a large music venue in between couples. But looking at that Red Rocks amphitheatre, 15 minutes west of Denver in the Rocky Mountain foothills, it seems like a place worth going. And one that might be comfortable for solo travelers. The great outdoors and all that.

Anyone out there been to Red Rocks?

I don't keep a bucket list. But I could see why Red Rocks might be on someone's.

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