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Showing posts from April, 2012

Madrid Pics

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I loved Madrid.  I visited last May, and according to the locals, this is the perfect time to visit.  The weather was great.  Perfect days and cooler evenings.  The people were very friendly, even to a non-Spanish speaker.  

Prague Pics

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Prague Old Town Square.  Day and Night shot of  Church of Our Lady before Týn.  This is also one of my favorite cities.  I hope to visit again when it is warmer.  

An Airport Drinking Game....

The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake of water for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. For women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. Most of us don't even come close.  As a result, we walk around mildly dehydrated every day.   Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired  [1] .   Air travel dehydrates you further.  Alcohol dehydrates you further.  Flying and drinking....bad idea.  So no need to add booze to the mix.  My drinking game involves a nice cool bottle of water.  In order to stay hydrated and take the total boredom out of drinking water, I've developed my drinking game.    After passing through security get yourself a bottle of water...at least 20 oz.   So when in the airport, there are lots of possibilities here.. every time you hear the keyword, then take a sip of water.   Possible keywords....the airline name, your destination city, a child crying (this is especia

Using Public Transportation

You will get a lot more of a city's culture if you ride the public transportation and see the people.   I never drive a car outside the US/Canada, and rarely drive in the larger cities of North America.  I try to use public transport when I can.  First, it saves my company a little bit of money.  Second, it makes my trips much more interesting using public transit.  If you have a sense of adventure....give it a try. Some folks are opposed to this option and are going to use a cab.  To each his or her own....but if you are a little more budget limited, then consider public transport. Tips on public transport:  Know Before You Go.  These days every public transport system has a website.  Once you have booked your trip, and know the location of your hotel and your destination, then form a plan.  Just Google it.  Get a general feel of the overall system. Most have a trip planner, where you can enter your point of origin and destination and it will display several public transi

Melbourne

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Melbourne was great! One of the friendliest cities I've been to so far. In my top two or three of favorite cities in the world.

Lighten Your Load

One of the very nice benefits of travel is the miles/points.  So my FREE Kindle Fire is on its way.  I ordered in on Amazon.com yesterday using my AMEX rewards.  Looking forward to it.   So what does this have to do with travel?  I like reading, but I dislike carrying books around.  One of the reasons I went with the e-reader is to reduce overall weight.   Go with the lighter suitcase, bag, clothing, etc. I used to carry spare batteries, toiletries, pills, clothing.  Now I use the hotel shampoo, soap, etc.  I carry a small shaving cream.  I carry one razor for the week.  The less you have to lug around, the easier your life will be on the road.  What if I run out of toothpaste?  Well first, most hotels will help you get through the day.  If my mouse battery dies..then there is Target, WalMart, CVS...you get the idea.   Carry a debit card, it is lighter than all that extra crap.    Pack what you need, but not much else.  I think this is a little tougher on the female trave

Get a Routine

Since 2009 lots of happenings.   So now...I have a new job, and I've been there about 18 months now.  I could blog for years about how not to be a manager, after my last job.  But truthfully that just stirs me up, and I'd rather let it go.  It will creep in here and there. :-)  The new job..I love it.  My boss is great, I feel appreciated, and I enjoy the work.  I am traveling quite a bit.  In 2011, I logged about 185,000 air miles and went to 11 countries.  I won't reach that total this year, but...I'm already at about 40,000 miles.   The international travel will slow down as my company increases its training presence internationally.  I will still have a few here and there.     So my next few posts are going to be what I have experienced and learned from the travel.    Some general tips about travel and also my thoughts about cities that I have visited.   Please note that I travel for work, so I don't always have comments about tourist attractions.  Someti