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Pictures from the Netherlands

2008-03-28T21:14:00.001-07:00

We lived in Amstelvein, a suburb of Amsterdam (1989 & 1990). Most of these pictures (click to open) were taken by my son Trevor about 10 years after that. For more of his work see here.

The Science of Airplane Seating

2008-03-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

On airplane flights, your seat can have a significant impact on the comfort of your trip. Some basics, that we have learned through the years:

Seats to avoid

The rows right in front of exits don’t recline (because they would block the exit)
The last row in the plane often don’t fully recline
Seats right by the bathrooms, always busy places, and on long flights can become really smelly places
Middle seats, unless of course you are traveling with friends or family
On 737s row 6 has no window

Mixed Bags

Bulkhead seats. They provide more leg room, but there is no place to stow stuff, so everything must be overhead at take-off and landing.
Exit rows. They definitely provide more leg room, but oftentimes offer no stowage under the seat in front of them. On wide-body jets these areas are wide enough that people will hang out in them, talking and stretching their legs. Plus, they tend to be close to the bathrooms.
Rear of the plane. Generally noisier and it takes longer to get off the plane. However, I’ll go there to avoid a middle seat.

Personal Preferences

I prefer window seats
- You can look out the window
- You don’t have to fight over one arm rest—you own the one by the window
- You can lean against the window if you are trying to sleep
- You won’t be disturbed if you are trying to sleep by someone needing to get up
Aisle seats
- Easier to stretch out (into the aisle)
- Don’t have to bug anyone to get up
- You don’t have to fight over at least one arm rest—you own the one by the aisle.
- Get bumped by passengers and drink carts as they come down the aisle

Seat Assignment

When Booking. It is easy to forget, and sometimes not possible, but the best time to get seat assignment is when you book your ticket. All of the on-line reservation systems I use have the option to do this. Sometimes it is not obvious (e.g. a little seat icon you have to click).
On-line check-in. I highly recommend you do this anyway to avoid lines when checking in, but when you do on-line check in you usually have the option to set / change your seat assignment.
At the gate. Sometimes they will change your seats at the gate if you ask the people at the counter. If the flight is lightly loaded or you get there early your odds are better.

Seat Etiquette

Please don’t recline your seat all the way back if there is someone behind you. In my opinion this is just common courtesy. How do you feel if someone does it to you? Also, recline it fairly slowly, I know people who’s laptop display has been broken by someone slamming the seat back.
If the person next to me is big, or likes to live large, I will concede the armrest to the—but that is the limit. Encroaching into my space between the armrests will result in gentle, but firm shoulder/arm pressure. This has always worked for me unless they are huge. In the case they are physically unable stay out of my space privately ask the stewardess/steward if there are other seats available. You should not have to put up with this is there is an open seat available.

Seat Tricks

Changing seats. With some restrictions, (e.g. you can’t move up to Business Class from Economy) you can move to another open seat on the plane. The trick is figuring out what seats are really open and which ones belong to late arrivers. Some people will just pick a seat and wait to see if they get kicked out. This is for gutsy people. Once the plane’s doors are closed then it is ok to move to an open seat—don’t ask, just jump up and move. If you ask a stewardess/steward beforehand you might get some priority on an open seat.
Blocking Recliners. If you know, or suspect the person in front of you wants to recline their seat all the way back you can brace your knees against it so it won’t go all the way back. This requires a good sense of timing and ability to convince them that their seat is broken.

A User’s Manual to Seat 21C

Recommendations on Napa Valley

2008-02-22T06:54:00.001-08:00

Hotels

We stayed at the Silverado in Napa Valley http://www.silveradoresort.com/

They offered a great package which included $20 towards lunch and free wine tasting at 5 or 6 different places
Our first room was right by the parking lot, which is used by the golf course too. Very noisy. They switched us to a much quieter place when we complained
The have a very nice spa with hot tub, swiming pool, and exercise equipment which is included as part of the deal
Very convenient location

Wine Tasting recommendations

We received the following recommendations via a friend of a friend. We made it to both of the "musts" and they were very good.

Musts

Corison
Bremer, appointments required. Very pretty site

Recommended

Martini -- Lots of choices available
Caymus -- reserve

Cakebread -- good bar
Frank -- family owned, free tasting
Artesa -- beautiful site, good wine

Restaurants

Terra -- French and Asian fusion, very good 1345 Railroad Ave, St Helena, CA
Taylor's Refresher -- famous hamburgers 933 Main St. St Helena, CA
Mustard's Grill -- 7399 St. Helena Hwy Yountville, CA

Recommendations on Paris

2008-02-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Musts

Notre Dame (be sure to check out the Roman ruins under the church)
Sainte-Chapelle (stained glass)
Arc de Triomphe
Pere Lachaise Cemetery (Jim Morrison's grave is in division 6)
Musee de O'rsay (Impressionist art)
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Neighborhood of Montmartre
Wander through the Jardin des Tuileries
Wander through some Paris neighborhoods
Lunch at a local cafe away from the touristy areas

Other Suff

Louvre interesting but too big. Mona Lisa viewing is very crowded
Eiffel Tower, good view, nice overview of the city

Restaurant recommendations (from comments on Sandwalk )

La Coupole, in Montparnasse, to eat. Famous brasserie, was frequented by various early 20th century literary sorts.
Lunch: Pouch-la on the rue Mandar in the 2nd arrondissement. It is cosy.
La Palette, rue Seine: an artists' hangout.Chez George, rue des Canettes: old style and lots of wine.
Le 6, either rue des Canettes or rue Princesse: lively bar/restaurant.
Coolin, Marché St. Germain: Irish flavor bar.
Le Procope though I find it too touristy and not up to its reputation.
A better choice would be Brasserie Lipp, but don't let them shuttle you off to a small corner because you are a tourist.
If you want to go farther afield, try the Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon - very nice decor.
Le Comptoir du Relais at Carréfour Odéon. Need reservations.
L'atelier de Joel Robuchon in the 7th, rue Montalembert at Hotel Pont-Royale. Apparently no reservations taken, but check to see if the policy has changed.

Impressions of Shanghai

2007-12-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

Don't come to Shanghai to learn about Chinese history—go to Beijing or Xi'an for that. Shanghai is about business. In this city of 18 million capitalism and communism are bound into a vibrant combination. Traveling from the airport to your hotel you can board the fastest commercial train in the world (peak speed of 267 mph) and experience first hand that China doesn't shy away from technology. What impresses me the most about Shanghai is the skyline. Already home to the 6th highest building in the world the 2nd highest is already at its full height and is being fleshed out. These monster buildings don't really stand out because there are so many skyscrapers—there are more than 140 buildings over 300 feet tall. Far from being cookie-cutter boxes almost every building has a unique top or feature—adding an artistic element absent in modern western cities.

The Chinese government has embraced a free market economy in the sense that advertising is pervasive and the selection of things to buy, and eat is huge—but the communist system is still there. Gas prices are mandated and neighborhoods are leveled to make room for new buildings. With some things deemed undesirable a hybrid approach is used; rather than ban things, the government makes it very expensive. For example, a dog license within the city limits is 2000 RMB (approx $270) annually—which is more than many people make in a month. Asking people if they have brothers or sisters is at best an awkward question because in 1979 China implemented a one child policy. In urban areas couples having more than one child can be heavily fined—so many of the younger professionals don't have siblings

I don't know how the Chinese government has managed to fuse a free market economy with communism, but it clearly works for business.

Guidebooks, Hotel, Nearby Restaurant's

A guide book with a good overall balance of content: Fodor's Shanghai
Hotels

In my recent visits to Shanghai I have only stayed at the Intercontinental—which is in the Pudong area of the city. It is a 5 star hotel that typically runs in the $150 to $200 per night range—depending on corporate discounts, time of year, etc. I recommend it. The rooms are elegant and clean, the exercise center is good, and if you want a big breakfast you are in luck. Sometimes the breakfast is included in the room price, other times it is extra (over $15). The breakfast buffet includes American, European, Japanese, and Chinese cuisines and it is first rate stuff. The line 2 subway has a stop Shiji Avenue only about a quarter of a mile away so it is convenient for commuting, or getting to/from the airport.

Restaurants within walking distance of the Intercontinental that I recommend

Charme Casual family oriented restaurant
Shanghai Uncle
Wagas Not a gourmet meal, but if you just want something western it's decent and has a good atmosphere
Starbucks—pastries for breakfast are good. They don't open up until after 7:30AM (really!)

Tourist stuff

Shanghai Acrobats When I saw it years ago it was excellent
The Bund (Pedestrian walkway, tourist zone on both banks of the Huangpu River)
Day trips Hangzhou

Recommended Resturants & Bars

The Bin Jang One on the east side of the Bund. Check out the snow bar. They give you a parka before you go in...
Cloud 9 -- Supposedly the highest bar in the world (~ 120 RMB minimum)
Tapas Bar Spanish Tapas (in the French Concession)

Travel Hints

Airport to town: Maglev train (show your boarding pass or travel itinerary and get a discount in either direction) Buy a one way ticket, the round-trip is only valid for one day
Town to Airport: Maglev terminal is at Longyang Road stop on the line 2 subway

For traveling on the subway get a "Shanghai Public Transportation Card". You charge these up with money--maybe 50 RMB, (a typical ride might cost 10 RMB) and just wave them over the turnstiles when entering / exiting. You can't share them. The fare is automatically deducted and it shows you how much money you have left. Obtain these at the information counters.

The German Trash System

2007-11-18T17:07:00.000-08:00

We lived in Germany near Stuttgart from 1999 until 2002. I wrote this towards the beginning of our stay there.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Well I’ve only been in Germany for a few months, it’s too early to tell, but right now the hardest thing to do is: deal with the trash.

I had some foreshadowing of this when I looked through the kitchen drawers in our new house and found 4 separate, color-coded trash compartments. This suggested more than the "toss it in the bag under the sink" approach to trash management would be required.

Step one: Getting the trash can (or rather cans).

It turns out that there are only two officially approved trashcans in this Kreis (district) of Germany; the black "Mulleimer" and the green "Grune Tonne"’ can. The Mulleimer comes in two sizes, 35 and 50 liters, and the Grune Tonne comes in 120 and 240 liter size. As luck would have it, these can’t be bought at the same place. The Grune Tonne is only sold at the central recycling center, and the Mulleimer only at the local Target equivalent –the "Multi-Center". Sensing I’m in trouble, I decide to buy the biggest damn Mulleimer made.

Unfortunately, although the Multi-Center has plenty of 35-liter containers, there isn’t a 50-liter to be found. When I asked the relocation specialist what other stores carried Mulleimers she was stumped and said she would have get back to me. Ok—the Grune Tonne it is. It was easy enough to find the recycling center, which looked reassuringly like something you would see in the USA—a bunch of labeled dumpsters (e.g. Dosen) with people parking their cars nearby, unloading junk. There was even a section with brand new Grune Tonnes apparently for sale. After wandering among the cans for a few minutes looking bewildered (something I’ve been practicing the last few months), an attendant walked up to me, pulls out his wallet (to make change), and helped me buy my first German garbage can.

Step two: Putting trash in the cans

I asked the relocation specialist what sort of trash could be put in the Mulleimer. She paused and said this was a difficult question—uh oh. It turns out it easier to say what sorts of trash shouldn’t be put in this particular can. Specifically you shouldn’t put in:

Newspaper
Regular notebook sized paper, or correspondence
Batteries
Aluminum
Clear glass
Brown glass
Green glass
Cardboard
Biodegradable stuff
Or plastic

Realizing that it would be pretty silly if she couldn’t come up with some example of acceptable trash, she suggested that a piece of old cheese stuck to a paper wrapper could be tossed in. I started thinking that the 35-liter container might be big enough after all.

Acceptable contents for the Grune Tonne are easier to describe—biodegradable stuff. No plastic bags are allowed, my relocation specialist suggested the biodegradable stuff be wrapped up in newspapers. I now visualize German dump workers as professionals, dressed in spotless white overalls, stacking trash in neat piles. My USA dump experience is more along the lines of a bulldozer pushing an oozing refrigerator through piles of McDonalds wrappers with a kid’s bicycle caught in its tracks.

Step 3: Getting the trash picked up

This part was theoretical with the Grune Tonne for a long time—six weeks. My first concern was that the trash crew would find some reason to not empty my trash cans. My fear was that they will open the lid, immediately discover forbidden trash material, and walk off shaking their heads. However, before I actually put the trash out to be collected I had already avoided one trap. I had stickers. These stickers, when placed on your can, indicate that you have paid the appropriate fees to for having your trash collected. The part that gave me trouble was that trashcan types, green or black are collected on alternative weeks. If you happen to be gone on alternate weeks you can accumulate quite a trash problem.

Later I learned that the trash crew is far more sophisticated about rejecting trash than just taking a look. My neighbor’s Grune Tonne was rejected for pickup. When she complained they explained that their metal detector had found metal in her can. She had to dig out a piece of old metal that had gotten stuck in before they would take it.

Stuff near Half-Moon Bay, CA

2007-07-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Half-Moon Bay area, CA

Big, well protected tide pools North of the town, check tide tables first
Nice cliff / beach area near Karen Brown's initial B&B Cypress avenue towards ocean
Cooler, be sure to bring your jacket!
Ate at cash only restaurant on pier in Santa Cruz. Good oysters+ Guacamole

Hints on Driving, Directions, Parking

2007-05-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Driving

In the big cities (e.g., Paris, London) cars are far more trouble than they are worth. Park them once you are close enough to use the subway systems. Don't even think about it for China, Japan, Taiwan.
If you reach a section where the road narrows to one lane (e.g. over a bridge), look for a sign. If it is red, that means you must yield the right of way if someone is coming the other way.

Normally with roundabouts the cars on the circle have the right of way, you must yield to them. Roundabouts are very convenient if you need to make a U-turn or if you need to buy some time while your navigator frantically looks for city names on the map. You can circle around until they find it, or until you all get car sick...

In Italy things are a bit crazy, but I have driven there multiple times without problems. The main thing to remember is that in Italy you are only responsible for what is forward from your side view mirrors. Everything behind that is someone else's responsibility.
Driving on the left side of the road is not as hard as you might imagine. Don't start in a city, pick some sparsely populated area to begin. The key for me is continually reminding myself to "KEEP LEFT". If in doubt "KEEP LEFT". For example, you enter roundabouts on the left and go clockwise, not counterclockwise like the USA. The slow lane in the freeway is on the left side, when turning left, turn into left-most lane. Be extra careful when you start in the morning, or after a long break. Exiting out of parking lots on the left side is one of the hardest things to remember.

Directions

Maps are a must--doing without to save money is a massive false economy. You have spent a lot of money getting to your destination and paying for accomodations. Being lost is a pain. Maps are commonly available at airports, gas stations, etc. They don't need to be in English, you are primarily looking for cities and streets which don't translate anyway.

Maps in Europe tend to come in three levels: country level, region level, and “detailed”.
* The country level are useful for an overall perspective and covering large distances via freeway/toll roads
* The regional ones are good for finding hotels, sight seeing locations, and non-freeway driving
* The detailed ones will typically show every street, subway stops, etc., and are very helpful when sightseeing in a city. In Venice for example, you will miss most of the charm of the city, and be lost most of the time if you do not have a detailed map.

If we are going to be in a specific region for a while I will buy the map for that area. The level of detail you get will often be a great help you navigate through cities, find important sites, etc.

Signs are typically marked with destinations & cities, typically not compass directions, occasionally route numbers. Finding the cities they reference can be a real pain because they are often major ones that are a long ways away. On your map trace the major roads until they reach a major city, or the last medium city before crossing the border into the next country--this is often the one they refer too. When you are on small local roads usually the next town on the road is the one they mention.

Try to plan your route before you start. Just driving, and trying to figure out what to do is pretty tough. Sometimes I will look over the route and write down the steps--it lowers the stress level a lot. Because Europe is much denser than the USA you will need to make decisions much more often than you are used to. If I am navigating I keep a finger on the map where we are approximately, so that I don't have to re-find where we are each time we come to a decision point.

Asking directions when there is a language barrier is hard and unreliable, but don't hesitate to try if you are stuck. If you can have any information you have written down (I carry a small notebook & pen), this is much easier for them than trying to understand your attempts at pronunciation

If you miss a turn, backtrack; don't try to just take the next exit. It is rare outside the USA to have roads laid out in a grid fashion, taking the next exit and then trying to backtrack is usually a quick way to get lost

Try to get comfortable with being lost, it's inevitable, and you get to see more of the place you're visiting. We've stumbled onto some pretty neat things this way. If you’re stuck in a big city and recognize that you are getting nowhere, follow someone--unlike you, they probably aren't going in circles

When coming into a big city, they will usually have "center" or "zentrum" signs to the old town center.

Throughout Europe they use a green or blue sign that looks like a bridge to indicate freeway. Follow those signs and you will get to the closest freeway.

Moderate to large hotels usually have someone that can speak English at the reception, they are usually very helpful with directions.

Don't be afraid to get off the beaten path. It is hard to get seriously lost in the countryside (assuming you have a map) --big cities are harder .

Parking

In Euorpean parking garages you usually have to take the ticket you received at entry to a nearby kiosk when you are ready to leave. There you put in your ticket and pay the indicated amount. The kiosk encodes that information on your ticket and spits it back out. You then have a few minutes (no big rush) to put that ticket into the machine at the exit gate. Sometimes the machine doesn’t return the ticket, so be ready to go when the gate goes up.

In some areas you park and then go to a nearby machine to buy a parking permit. You put in enough money for the time you want and then tell it to print out the permit—which shows when your time is up. You then put this ticket on your dashboard.

Hints on Passports

2007-05-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Passports

They will be required later this year for flying into Mexico and Canada (they had to delay this because the passport office couldn't handle the load)
Carry a copy of your passport photo page with you. It is also a good idea to scan in those same two pages, attach it to an email and mail it to yourself. This assumes you have a email provider that allows easy web based access to your email. Gmail (Google's email), Yahoo, Hotmail are all examples of email services that provide this service. I prefer Gmail. With this email approach you can always retrieve this information anywhere you can get internet access.
I typically carry my passport with me at all times. Sometimes stores will ask for it when you charge something. For business trips you are often asked to produce this if you visit a customer or vendor. Many countries require you to carry ID. Your state drivers license will not be acceptable.
Hotels in Europe, Japan, China, etc. will often ask for you passport when you register. Occasionally they will want to hold it for a while, but it seems like this is becoming uncommon.
Visas -- for US citizens a visa is often not required or can be easily obtained at the border if you are just being a tourist, or a short business trip. However you should always check before hand. China for example does require a Visa and this can take weeks to get. If you are studying for multiple months or plan to work then a Visa is usually mandatory. Work visas are hard to get.

Passport expiration dates can be a nasty surprise--I know people that have been turned away at the departing airport because of this. Some countries require that your passport be valid for the entire time you can legally stay in their country. A typically country might allow you to enter a country and stay for up to 30 days under a "Tourist Visa" that is automatically granted. However if your passport is going to expire 25 days from when you enter then you might have a problem -- even if you intend to be back in the USA well before your passport has expired. Your passport will be generally be carefully checked before you leave the country, so if you have this problem you might not be allowed to board the plane. Check the expiration date on your passport and if it is less than 60 days I would check the rules very carefully before assuming you are ok. Better yet, renew it!

Hints on what to do, tipping, restaurants, safety

2007-05-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

What to do

v Once you get to a city you want to explore find the information center and get maps, tour ideas, etc. There is usually a place called the "I" that has free maps and advice. The staff is usually very helpful.

v Libraries and the Internet are very good sources of information that you can gather before your trip. We usually take the best two guidebooks that we found with us (e.g., one best for lodging, the other best for sightseeing)

v We like to plan some variety, don’t plan one type of thing all day (e.g., cathedrals, castles, museums). Other things that are fun are zoos, parks, artist's homes, shopping districts, cemeteries, caves, ruins, and amusement parks.

Tipping

v In Europe the tip is almost always added in for restaurants--they will usually make it clear if that is not the case. Rounding up the final tab (e.g.. from 23.50 to 25) is customary if you feel you received good service

v In Japan or most restaurants in China you don’t need to tip, it is included in the stated price

Restaurants

v In most European countries you have to ask for the bill when you are ready to leave. They don’t want you to feel rushed. If you are in a hurry you sometimes have to track down your waiter and ask for the bill. If everyone in the dinner party leaves except for the bill payer the waiter usually gets the idea.

Safety

In countries where they drive on the left side be extra careful when crossing streets on foot. Our tendency is to look the wrong way (left) for traffic as we step off the curb. You can step directly into on-coming traff ic if you don't learn this. I recommend that you always look both ways, regardless where you are to avoid this hazard.
In China pedestrians definitely do not have the right of way, even if the walk lights are on and you are in the crosswalk. The right-on-red people will run you over!
We've never had any significant trouble wherever we been. In general European cities are much safer than big US cities and Japan feels very safe. We recently visited a very seasoned traveler now living in Shanghai, China and she said it's the safest feeling place she has ever lived.
It's common sense to keep your wallet in your front pocket, and keep your purse in front. I'm much more alert and careful when we are in crowds. In riskier areas (e.g., Paris, Italy, Spain) I wear a money belt for the more valuable stuff. Instead of a money "belt", I have a wallet sort of thing that has a strong cord that goes over your neck. I think this is more comfortable. Even when you use a money belt I carry a wallet with nothing in it but some cash. It is much more convenient--and safer to use it for most transactions than to be continually dragging out your money belt.
Take only the credit cards you need
If there is any sort of commotion (e.g., fight, person running into another) be extra careful, these can be distractions that the thieves create to cover their moves. For example, two people might appear to get in a fight and while you are looking in that direction an accomplice will grab your purse or backpack behind you.
Gypsy kids used to be a problem in Europe, where a gang of kids, oftentimes with the oldest carrying a baby would swarm people. They would sometimes flap pieces of cardboard at you to increase the distraction factor while the younger ones rifled your pockets. I had been warned about this, so the one time this happened to us I yelled when they started to approach me and they backed off.

Hints on Accomodations, Money

2007-05-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Accommodations

Our favorite way to find accommodations is through vacation rentals by owners http://www.vrbo.com/. We have had great places in the United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, Hawaii, Beijing, and New Zealand this way. They typically cost about what a hotel room at a nice hotel would cost, with way more room.
Try not to change places to stay every night.The amount of work to pack, check out, find the new place, and check in subtracts considerably from the time you have available to sightsee. Find a centrally located site and then take day trips. Other countries tend to be far more compressed than the US. For example, most of Northern Italy (e.g. Florence, Sienna, Venice, Milan) is an hour or two train ride away from Bologna.
Lower your standards. You probably aren't going to spend much time in your room--so save a lot of money and skip the pool and the fancy lobby. Less expensive hotels are often more centrally located and hence more convenient for getting around or they are out of the city in rural areas that have a charm of their own.
We like to book accommodations ahead. It is usually pretty easy to just find them once you are in an area, but we find it is not worth the stress of not knowing where you will be staying. Travel agents, the Internet, etc., are good resources.
When language is a barrier it is usually better to write stuff down (e.g. email or fax) rather than try and do things verbally

Money

Use charge cards whenever you can--you get the best rate that way. Hotels give you the worst rates for changing money.
Before you leave the USA call your credit card companies and tell them where you plan to be. If you don't you will likely find your attempted charge will be declined. You will then have to figure out how to call your credit card company from a foreign country to fix this, which can be a non-trivial task.
It is usually easy to exchange some money at the airport when you arrive, the rates are not that bad and you often do need money immediately for things like taxis. Don't forget you have already spent a lot on the vacation, another $10 or $20 in exchange fees to get a fast start on the day is well worth it.
It is even better to use the ATM machines with a credit/debit card and a PIN code. Look at the machine to see if there is some hope that English is supported before putting your card in.
In a pinch you can get a cash advance with your credit card at a bank.
Cities have lots of currency exchange places and many banks provide service too
Exchange significantly more than you think you will need, it is much better to pay the small (e.g. 5%) cost of converting into the next currency you need rather than to deal with the stress of not having enough cash and having to finding a place to exchange money or an ATM machine. The Euro makes this a lot easier in Europe.
Places that take charge cards are common (at least in Europe and Japan), but many smaller hotels and restaurants do not accept them.
Keep it simple with exchange rates. For calculating what something costs in dollars come up with a simple approximation. For example the Chinese RMB is 7.75 to the US dollar right now. Round this up to 8, and just divide the cost in RMB by 8 to get the dollar amount. If there are 1.3 US dollars to the Euro, make the multiply factor 1.5 and just recognize you are overestimating a bit.
I have stopped carrying traveler's checks. They cost money, many places don't take them, and the exchange rate for them if they are not in the local currency is usually not very good. I bring cash as an emergency fund if I have trouble with debit / credit cards and stash it in my luggage somewhere.
We haven't quite figured it out, but in many countries people seem to really hate break big bills when you buy something. Even a bill that is equivalent to $15 to $20 will generate some consternation. It could be that their managers always leave them chronically short of change. Since an ATM will typically only give you big bills you need to be on the lookout for good places to get change. Places that handle a lot of cash or a lot of tourist like museums, shopping markets, or big hotels are good choices. When I put bills into my wallet I try to sort them by size so I can find the small bills when I need themm (I know, engineers are weird). If you can pay a bill for an odd amount (e.g. 23.11) exactly in cash and coins it often results in a smile, or even laughter on their part. They probably appreciate that you have taken the time to figure out their system.
In poorer countries dollars are often welcome and sometimes can be used to negotiate a significant discount over the standard exchange rate. Tips in dollar bills are fine in these situations too.

Hints on Subways, Taxis, Rental Cars

2007-05-05T16:17:00.002-07:00

Subways

v In the big cities it is almost mandatory to use these. We often don't bother with buses, but we have found subways to be incredibly handy. The key to understanding the subway directions is that they almost all use their last stop in each direction to indicate directions.
So the S1 might be marked with "Herrenberger" to show one direction and "Vaihingen" for the other. You have to figure out from the map if the stop you want is in the one direction or the other and then get on the train going in that direction. In the example below (Shanghai) the "Zhanglang High Technology Park" stop on the left is the last stop and all signs in various subway stations would use that stop or the last stop on the other end of the line to indicate what direction the subway was going.

Taxis

v Not as expensive as you might imagine (in fact cheap in Argentina and China) , and can be a real convenience if you don't have the energy to figure out the local bus system. If you only need to go a few miles they are great. I've never had one deliberately lengthen a trip to increase the fare, but if you have a map handy you can double check that they are taking a reasonable route.

v In Europe tip about 10%, in Japan and China just pay the meter amount (unless it is just pocket change)

v My friend Roy's advice is that in Asia, “You are never lost--you are just in need of a taxi.” Your hotel will give you a location card you can show to the taxi driver (your key card also should work)--this is important! Don't assume that the taxi driver will be able to speak or read english. Have a map in the local language you can point at or have directions written out. The people in the hotels are usually very willing to help you with this.

More on Taxi's in China

Rental Cars

Most “premium” credit cards (some sort of metallic reference usually) will provide collision/theft insurance if you use their card to pay for the rental. This can save a lot of money, but be sure to check to see if your card carries this benefit. There also may limits on the length of rental that will be covered (Visa Signature limits it to a contract duration of 15 days or less). Your personal car insurance may offer coverage too, but it also will probably also have limits on the duration of the rental.
AARP and AAA (I think) memberships can save a lot of money on car rentals and sometimes provide additional insurance coverage. In Costa Rica this saved us at least a hundred dollars.
Don't assume you can drive your rental cars into other countries than where you rent it. In Europe there may be restrictions on going into Italy, Slovenia, etc. Check your contract first. This restriction varies sometimes on the type of car you rent. Driving a rental car from the USA into Mexico may not be allowed with your car or will require supplimental fees. In Europe there may be supplimental fees for entering a country that require you to purchase a sticker for your car. These requirements are usually fairly clearly stated in English near the border areas. Don't assume that just because there isn't a border station that you are home free.
I do not recommend trying to use a rental car in Japan, China, Taiwan or most 3rd world countries (e.g Turkey, any place in Africa). I don't think it is even legal in China. Check requirements on drivers licenses. We rented in Costa Rica and the Patigonia region of Argentina and in both of these cases it enabled us to do things that would have been impossible otherwise.

Hints on Trains

2007-05-05T16:17:00.001-07:00

Trains

v Trains are oftentimes very useful and convenient.
Even if we have a rental car we some times use the train instead for day trips.

v Trains are lower stress. You don't have to worry about driving, getting lost, and parking.

v They enable all of you to see the sights instead of one person having to concentrate on the road, and the other person having to do navigation

v Cheaper than taxis or rental cars

v A rail pass is by far the easiest method of ticketing, but usually these have to be purchased before your trip. Tickets can often be purchased once you are on the train, and always at the train station. If there is a language barrier write out the "to from" path (e.g. Kyoto ----> Hiroshima), the train number (e.g. K101, and the departure time, what class you want (2nd class is usually fine, and smoking or non-smoking on a piece of paper.

v Once you are in the station with the ticket you need to find the right train. Look for signs that show your destination (or a major city that your train goes to or through), then for your particular train look for a track number (like the gate number for an airplane) and then
follow signs to that track.

v Just because a train is at your track doesn't mean it is your train. Sometimes other
trains will use that track and depart before your train pulls in. If there is doubt ask a conductor or wait until about 5 minutes before your train's departure time before you get on the train. Sometimes there will be signs by the track indicating the current train number and ultimate destination. This same advice applies to bus stops too--wait until near departure time before boarding if you are in doubt.

v A lot of luggage is a pain to drag around the train station and get on the train. It is usually possible to check baggage on a train, but in a foreign country that is a considerable challege to figure out. In general try to limit yourselves to what your group can comfortably carry or roll. Too much luggage can really detract from a vacation if you are moving a lot. It is much better to go light and buy something there if you really need it. You can wash out clothes in your hotel room and manage very well.

Hints on Planes, Airports, and Jet Lag

2007-05-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Planes

v If you have a lot of luggage you can drop everyone off at the departure gate curb and then drop off your car. Airports roads always have a circular layout that takes you back to parking or rental car return with a minimum of trouble. This reduces the amount of lugging of luggage, enables everyone else to get in line, etc. This works when you are picking up a rental car at an airport too (have everyone wait at the airport until one person picks up the car and brings it around). If the rental place is a long ways from the airport you should probably skip this idea and just drag your stuff onto the rental shuttle.

v For domestic flights aisle seats are more comfortable (more room to stretch, less hassle to get up and walk around), but you may be interrupted a lot by your seatmates. Window seats are definitely better if you want to take a nap. For international flights I definitely prefer window seats.

Jet lag

Ø What is it? It is the understandable desire of your body to continue existing in the time zone you were in, until you recently strapped yourself into a plane and flew east or west. In mild cases you feel sleepy and lethargic for a couple hours during the day (for me it usually between 2 and 4 in the afternoon, regardless where I am). In the bad cases your sleep patterns are totally disrupted, and you feel lousy when you are awake, and you can’t sleep at night. A fairly common pattern is for people to wake up around 2 AM and then not be able to get back to sleep for 3 to 4 hours. When you get up the next day you are not only tired but usually have an “fuzzy, out-of-sync” feeling.

Ø What seems to work well is to switch to local time as quickly as possible. This means avoiding long naps on the plane when going east until you are into the short “night”. When going east (e.g. US to Europe, China to US) it is very helpful to get a few hours sleep on the plane because you often arrive early in the day and need to stay up all day to sync up with the local time. Buy some ear plugs (I like the foam ones). I also use a blindfold to shut out light and a blow-up pillow that goes around my neck. My kids pretend they don’t know me. I take a mild, over-the-counter, sleep inducing medicine (Tylenol PM) about 20 minutes before I try to sleep. Every time I wonder if it will work, but I have always managed to get at least 3 or 4 hours of sleep. On trips to Europe you'll have to skip the movie and try and sleep, this typically comes around 3 to 4 hours into the flight. Skip caffeine and get plenty of liquids--it's very easy to get dehydrated. I try to bring a 1/2 liter plastic bottle of water along (I bring it empty to the airport and fill it up once I pass through security); it is much easier than asking the stewardesses or going to the bathroom to get water out of the tap.

Ø Plan a fairly busy day the first day to keep you awake and active. Plan to get an overview of the area, or go see one of the key sights. Do not hang around the hotel--you'll end up napping and getting off to a really bad start. If you weren’t able to sleep at all on the plane then a nap is pretty hard to avoid, but try to get it early in the day and limit it to no more than 2 hours. Set several alarms/wake up calls and if you can arrange it, go somewhere with someone. Stay up to your normal bedtime or later if possible and don’t get too much sleep that first night (maybe 10 hours or less). Unless you had a long nap in the daytime most people sleep fine that first night—it is that 2nd or 3rd that you have to worry about. Try not to get too much sleep the first couple of nights, at most 8
hours so that you are tired enough that your "old" sleep patterns don't reassert themselves. A long walk or some light exercise during the days really helps your sleep patterns too. I take Tylenol PM on the 2nd and 3rd nights—it isn’t overpowering, but I find it really helps me get back to sleep when I wake up.

Ø Kids present special challenges. When our kids were younger it seemed like at least one of them stayed awake the whole flight. An early nap is unavoidable in that case, but it works best to not let them sleep more than around 3 hours and then get them moving again. This isn’t easy. Getting them really tired physically is very important to them sleeping well those first few nights. If you don’t wear them out during the day they will be raring for action at 2:00 am.

Ø Going west you usually don't lose a night, so heavy-duty efforts to sleep on the plane are not needed. Nap if you feel like it and after arrival just go to bed close to your normal bedtime--after having a really long day. Again avoid getting too much sleep those first few nights. I tend to take a Tylenol PM on the 2nd, and 3rd nights.

Taxis in China

2007-04-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

Taxis

General
~Usually easy to get. There are a huge number of them around. Just stand on the sidewalk where they can pull over and wave. At night they have a red sign in their windshield that is lit when they are available. All licensed taxis have the cost per kilometer on a sticker, typically on the rear windows. In Beijing it was 2.5 RMB per km after the initial startup fee, Xi'an was 1.5 RMB and Shanghai was 11 RMB per km. ( divide RMB by 8 to get approximate cost in US dollars)

~ Make sure they start the meter (the minimum charge is the number on the window sticker )
~ No tipping required--really! I usually round up (e.g. from 14 to 15 RMB), but that's it
~ In Shanghai for some reason the red taxis seem shady, make sure they start the meter
or wait for a different color taxi.

Directions
1. Best: Chinese characters for destination and cross streets if necessary. Your hotel card or stationary should have this. The people at the hotel desk will usually do this for you (for a resturant, for example)
2. Point to a location on a map that has Chinese characters
3. Point to a street intersection on the map if the streets are labeled in Chinese (this works about 80%) of the time.
4. Try pronouncing the location in Chinese (good luck...)

Sightseeing -- Beijing area

2007-04-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

A good detailed map of the city is a must

Be prepared to pay multiple entrance fees in the historical areas. Once you get inside a complex you sometimes have to pay again to see some special areas. Tickets tend to run from about 20 RMB to 50 RMB ($2.5 to $7) apiece.
Tour guide recommendation: We used Michal Fenghua and were very happy with him. He will bargain over his fee. He set up a very good tour of the Ming Tombs on the way to the Great Wall (MutianYu) and we had a very nice lunch. He also helped us set up our tour in Xian. Email: michael_fenghua@hotmail.com cell (86) 1312-028-7620).

Forbidden City

A large, almost overwhelming complex of buildings, courtyards, and plazas. Most signs are in English and seemed to cover most of the information included in the audio guide. The audio guide senses what area you are in and plays the appropriate segment. There is a replay button, so you can conveniently share the audio guide if you want. It also has a small map of the complex with little lights that show which areas you have visited--pretty cool. The main buildings down the center started looking pretty alike so we started exploring the building on the east and west side. We spent most of our time off on the east side of the complex, where we found a section that had been turned into a rocky glade surrounding a temple.

The 3 story theatre was pretty interesting too. We did miss a building with various clocks that was on the west side. That would probably be worth looking for.

Park just north of Forbidden city

The hill in this park is man-made. The dirt escavated from the moat around the Forbidden city was dumped here. It has good views of the city.

North Lake
Nice location with lots of resturants around it--at least on the south end.

Hutongs Old neighborhoods of Beijing

Drum Tower

Used to serve as the city's clock. Drums were beat at certain times. Good views of the city.

Lama Temple
We went on a late Monday morning and it was a hopping place with a lot of active worshipers. There was so much incense being burned that the temple workers had to come in and carry off tubs that were filled with flaming incense so new empty tubs could be put in place.

Ming tombs
Has a cool entrance road with statues of animals on each side (costs extra). The tomb area we went to did not have access to the burial chamber, so the attraction was primarily the temples associated with the tomb. One building had artifacts from another emperors' tomb that had not been looted. They were very impressive. Some of the crowns were made of gold wire mesh, and the emperors’ headdress had some pretty amazing jewelry on it.

Summer Palace

Another big complex that includes a hill and a lake

Chinese sod machine repairing a section of lawn

Old Summer Palace

Used by the royal family until it was destroyed by coalition of 8 countries (including England and France) in the 1800s. Was not rebuilt. Not all that interesting.

Temple of Heaven
Not that that great. Good people watching.

Random Place

Beijing weekend open market

The bike parking for the vendors was huge and very well organized.

Street vendor selling baked sweet potatoes. Nancy--Yummm Vance--gag!!

One way to reduce household spending on diapers...

Great Wall (at MutianYu)

Very impressive. The scale of the effort is immense--reminded me of the great pyramids in Egypt. We hiked about a mile to where the wall was no longer restored.

That whitish line on the distant ridge is more of the wall