Tripwolf Blog

Last night was our first on the Tui Tai. It takes a while to get sea legs, and it has sure been a test, all of us are rolling around like I assume baby giraffes do, and the crew must love it.  I woke up at 4 am to see my deoderant and other toiletries comically sliding back and forth across the shelves in my cabin. Even as I type, they key board and my body are doing a sort of samba…

It’s amazing how fast humans can adjust – an hour on the boat yesterday and we were in full exploration mode. We snorkeled in Dolphin Bay while the sun was still out, the late in the afternoon we were already in a remote village testing the residents’ blood sugar levels…I’ll step back a bit.

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The satisfaction and silliness of leaving New England in November…in flip flops.

I’m of to Savusavu, Fiji – Tom Robbins says something like everything on an island needs to be said twice – to join the Tui Tai crew for the month of November.

I love to do a bi-weekly wrap-up for you of Andrew’s posts on The Brooklyn Nomad because he’s on top of interesting travel trends.  Here are a few interesting posts from this week:

Who visits the US the most? Find out which countries come to the US for tourism, and why tourist numbers are declining.

Congrats!!!  Andrew is excited to announce he’s bringing another travel lover into the world – due in April! (thelittlenomad.com?)

Stephanie Yoder stepped in this week as a Guest Nomad – posting 5 cool day trips from London…Hey Steph, post ‘em on tripwolf!

Cheers!

Who doesn’t love dumplings?  They’re kind of like sex – even a bad dumpling is better than no dumpling at all.  But I’m used to equating dumplings with Chinese potstickers and Japanese gyoza, or maybe Polish pierogi when I’m feeling like a non-meat filling.  But it turns out things are a little more complicated than that.  After a day at the NYC Dumpling Festival that featured such unlikely contenders as Indian idli and Italian gnocchi, I was left wondering: what the hell is a dumpling?  Had my assumptions been mistaken this entire time?  After a few Google searches and a skim of Brian Yarvin’s book “A World of Dumplings,” I found out that dumplings are present in practically every world cuisine except for countries of Africa.  It makes sense – who wouldn’t want to stuff a piece of dough with some meat and see what happens?  But as it turns out, there’s not much of a set standard for what qualifies as a dumpling, and the forms these “dumplings” take can surprise and even shock.

As far as I can tell, there are the following families of dumplings:

The “Yeah, I know that’s a dumpling” Dumpling:

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The entrance to Kathputli Colony, in Delhi’s West, is easy to miss. The narrow, dirt track which leads into the colony, turns off a busy road, packed with rickshaws honking noisily and speeding rickety buses.

On most days, a trickle of drummers and performers in Rajasthani garb with tinsel trimmings, amble to and from the colony, directing one to the entrance.

Today, an over-sized ginger-colored dog sits near the entry, barking manically and snapping at flies. A group of men with gold earrings, mullet haircuts and rough faces stand around smoking beedis, the Indian cigarette.

“What do you want?” asks the roughest in the group.

Not really sure that we have come to the right place we mutter that we want to visit the slum.

The man’s face erupts into a smile and he beckons for us to follow.

He takes us to his brother, Jagdish, a puppeteer who has just returned to his one bedroom house and eight children, after a stint performing in France.

Kathputli Colony is like most Delhi slums with its cramped quarters and depleted living conditions. But the theatrics of its inhabitants, young and old, colorful homes and props and puppets which seem to be as much a part of the house, as say, a cooking pot, hint at something more.

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We always have out-of-towners staying at our apt, and when they ask me the first thing they should do in NYC, I tell them to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and explore DUMBO afterward. But most out-of-towners have no idea what that means, so I usually end up drawing a little map with some highlights on it. It end up looking a lot like this one.

DUMBO is absolutely beautiful for just walking around, which is why I haven’t listed too many galleries or bars – meandering around, you’re inevitably going to find them all. You could also do this itinerary in reverse, starting out in DUMBO and then walking across the bridge at sunset for dinner in Chinatown. But to do DUMBO any justice, you really should go back for seconds and thirds.

See the featured trip and where to go!

The Museo de la Policia Federal has got to be one of the strangest places in the world. Often ignored by guidebooks and maps, its contents are a dream for anyone who is obsessed with CSI:Whatever. I spent a few hours here and can attest to the outright creepiness that the museum delivers.

The building that houses the museum looks like any other in downtown; half-hotel, half-office and all business – hardly the locale for a museum. I took the elevator up a few flights, not sure what I would see as the ding dinged. The woman in the ticket office was downright startled to see a patron. Entering the museum, I could see why. Nobody was there – not a soul. I’d spend the next two hours taking it all in and would not witness one other customer.

The first section of the museum was straight out of a B horror flick. The curator used mannequins to display uniforms that were worn through various eras of Argentine history. The effect was eerie. There were glassy-eyed mannequins at every turn, all seemingly about to come to life. The uniforms were interesting – but not interesting enough to keep my pansy ass from scadoodling through to the next section.

Around the corner was another treat, the long-since-dead bones of a police dog called “Chonino” . Proudly displayed, the sizeable skeleton was flanked with information about his active duty.

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OoOoOoo…spooky season is upon us.  The next full moon will be on the night of November 2nd (meaning Halloween will be very bright as well!)  There’s something about traveling that gets me outside, yearning to soak up every bit of the experience, and that usually means I see many more sunrises and sunsets, and make much more time to gaze at the night sky. Here are 7 intriguing places to be where you can experience the romance and excitement of a full moon! Anything can happen…

Full Moon Desert Drum Circle – Dubai

Founded by an expatriate to Dubai with a passion music and meditation, Dubai Drums gathers locals and tourists a like, and piles them into the desert for intense drumming sessions every full moon. You do not have to be a musician whatsoever – the experience is for whoever is willing to participate! Video of this incredible event is seen above.

Wolf Sanctuary - Full Moon Tour

A small, yet seriously dedicated wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Be sure to call ahead, this is a very intimate event – you’ll walk around the estate and watch the packs in their element. If you get tired, relax by the roaring bonfire the residents build.  Read more about the event on their blog.

Havelock Island, India – Full Moon Party

The Full Moon party tradition of the southern Thai islands has oozed over into the Andaman’s on India. These parties celebrate the crazy energy and wild moods some may experience during the full moon – though star-gazing is usually only an afterthought, as many parties are sure to last until sunrise!

Glacier National Park – Snowshoeing by Moonlight

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Two international moves in three years; I must be crazy. Yet, I can’t tell you how many times a friend has sighed, “You’re so lucky. I wish I could run off and live overseas, too.”

I enjoy the admiration. For some, starting over in a foreign land is the ultimate fantasy. And I won’t lie; I love it out here. But “running off”? Hardly. Some things to consider before you commit to moving abroad:

Focus – Get Legal

Envisioning a “time out” or something longer-term? Regardless, you must get legal unless you like having your coconut milk soured by the fear of deportation. Volunteering, studying, or working are great ways to add structure to your adventure. An organization will often sponsor your Visa and help you get settled.

If you’re after a sabbatical, volunteer programs also exist for shorter time periods. Alternatively, many countries grant a Visitor Visa upon entry. Make sure you’re familiar with which countries do and how long the Visas last.

Money

There’s the plane ticket. Then there’s start up costs, which varies by country. My company in Japan suggested we arrive with at least 2000 USD. That seemed unnecessary since I had a job. Overall, I’m glad I worked overtime the year before I moved. Save up: there are lots of unexpected items you’ll need and newbies often get fleeced.

Job

Find a job before or after you arrive? It’s your choice – just be honest about how much stability you need. A Working Holiday Visa can be your golden ticket if your country participates in the program. Also research internet job forums; they’ll feature job listings and accounts from veteran expatriates. If you’re moving to a country where you don’t speak the language, be aware that you might have to do something outside of your field, like teaching English or working in the service industry.

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tripwolf is proud to announce that we will further our partnership with Footprint Books – an incredibly respected travel guide publisher out of the UK.  In early 2010, over 60 Footprint guide books will be available online on tripwolf! The Peru guidebook has already been integrated.

To celebrate, tripwolf is offering a 30% discount on the Footprint guide books before they are all available online. Buying travel guides can be pricey, so here’s your chance to get cheap travel guidebooks!

To get the discount code and take advantage of this deal, see our special discount page.