Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
hate rent-a-car companies
Fox is the cheapest national brand in the USA, it seems.
For many cities you can get a vehicle for $50/week. Or even $6/day. … At least that’s what their website claims.
So why was my bill — still cheaper than the competition — more than double what I saw online:
$82 / week
$3.61 SEA Concess
$8.13 Tax SEA
$6.59 WA Rental Tax
$.26 WA MotVehTx
$35 CFC … (explained to be some sort of new building fee)
$3.36 VLF
Of course you are hassled with a scary up-sale of insanely expensive daily insurance options.
All in all, a terrible customer experience. Like this guy had:
On a recent trip to the airport rental counter I marveled at the ability of the Avis/Budget representative to make me feel like a criminal, a moron, and an irresponsible lout gambling with my life all in the space of about eight minutes. Welcome to modern car rental. …
Are there any rent-a-car companies who actually tell you the entire cost? …
Canada must have more rules against deliberately obfuscating prices. The same company prices online are about double in Canada for the same vehicle as in the States.
Filipina with Western (older) man
On the resort island of Boracay in the Philippines you see many of these culturally and age mismatched couples.
I don’t blame you for jumping to conclusions.
You’re probably right. 
Yet some of these couples are in Boracay to be married. Many men of European ancestry, past their prime, look for younger Asian brides.
It’s not always the case that the rich dirty old man is taking advantage of the young, naïve woman from a developing country, more interested in the bulge of his wallet than anything else.
There’s a perfectly innocent story behind some of these photos.
ferry Victoria, B.C. to USA
Clipper Ferry – Victoria to downtown Seattle
$75 + tax
Black Ball Coho Ferry – Victoria to Port Angeles
$15.50 + tax
… That’s a BIG differential for a walk-on passenger. Yeesh.
Longs Round-the-World wrap-up
Warren:
Well, we are actually home now and have been for over a week. All in all it was a fantastic trip and I can’t really say I would have done many things differently …
No doubt Warren’s plotting their next escape.
in Machu Picchu
I’d completely forgotten about this excellent photo taken by my buddy George Novak. We were two of the first few visitors in the gate this day … a few years ago.
click for larger size
Here’s another of George’s Machu Picchu pics.
THANKS George.
world’s biggest shopping malls
There are plenty of arguments.
Don’t you hate it when somebody claims piddly Mall of America (2.77 million sq ft) is biggest?
Eastwood Mall Complex (3.2 million sq ft) in Niles, Ohio is largest in the USA.
West Edmonton Mall (3.77 million sq ft) is largest in North America.
But if you like BIG MALLS, the place to go is Manila, Philippines:
SM Megamall(3.74 million sq ft)
SM Mall of Asia (4.20 million sq feet)
SM City North EDSA (5.20 million sq ft)
I was at Megamall one of the busiest days of the year
The only larger malls than EDSA in Manila are the Golden Resources Mall, Beijing (6.0 million sq ft) and the South China Mall (7.1 million sq ft).
Projected to be much larger, when finished, is the Abraj Al Bait Mall, Saudi Arabia. It’s being built directly across from the Holy sites in Mecca.
Other contenders are under construction in China and Thailand.
wikipedia – List of largest shopping malls in the world
headed for London …
Just confirmed. I’m soon off to the London Prepares Series Gymnastics Test Event at the same venue hosting the 2012 Olympics.
I’m NOT going to the Olympics themselves. This is the next best thing.
This competition is a run through for the Organizing Committee. Athletes will be qualifying in Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline gymnastics. It’s important.
I’ll be MEDIA covering the action for my Gymnastics blog.
… I’m still looking for inexpensive accommodation. Contact me if you know of any Couch Surfing or floors I can crash upon. I’ll have full camping gear.
Airport Security Theatre
I’ve four times crossed the Pacific this Fall. Air travel is horrible in 2011.
Departing Philippines, here are the line-ups I suffered.
1. Car entering the Airport was stopped. (1min)
2. Line-up and luggage x-ray entering building (15min)
3. Check-in and collecting boarding pass (20min)
4. Immigration (10min)
5. Security check-in (15min) … removing shoes
6. Boarding pass checked before entering the gangway (4min)
At each step it was clear to me that no real security inspection was underway. It was all theatre. Laughable.
The best article I’ve read yet on Security Theatre has been getting wide circulation online.
Charles C. Mann:
… To walk through an airport with Bruce Schneier is to see how much change a trillion dollars can wreak. So much inconvenience for so little benefit at such a staggering cost. …
Terrorists will try to hit the United States again, Schneier says. One has to assume this. Terrorists can so easily switch from target to target and weapon to weapon that focusing on preventing any one type of attack is foolish. Even if the T.S.A. were somehow to make airports impregnable, this would simply divert terrorists to other, less heavily defended targets—shopping malls, movie theaters, churches, stadiums, museums. The terrorist’s goal isn’t to attack an airplane specifically; it’s to sow terror generally. “You spend billions of dollars on the airports and force the terrorists to spend an extra $30 on gas to drive to a hotel or casino and attack it,” Schneier says.
… “We’re spending billions upon billions of dollars doing this—and it is almost entirely pointless. Not only is it not done right, but even if it was done right it would be the wrong thing to do.”
read more – Smoke Screening
What can airlines do?
Distract me with circus acts like this one from Cebu Pacific in the Philippines.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via Kottke)
____ Airport Security
In Narita, Tokyo I was twice questioned by serious, skilled security officers. Both times outside the normal procedures. That was impressive — and scary.
In Vancouver, Canada I was selected for extra inspection, along with suspicious Russians and Iranians. That screening was very skilled and professional, too.
… Yet instances like that are rare, rare, rare.
(via Boing Boing)
atop the Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. They have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture. …
I rode on top from Sagada to Banaue, Philippines. A crazy fun hour descending narrow mountain roads.
GREAT views of the famous mountain rice terraces!
Some of these are 2000-years old.
… Here’s the issue — should you tie yourself on to the roof rack? … Or take your chances jumping to safety just in case the Jeepney goes over the cliff?
I did tie myself on. But was ready at an instant to unclip in an emergency.
What’s the world record for most number of people in a Jeepney? … You don’t want to know.
More photos of my roof ride.
New Zealand #1
Sounds like the Longs have enjoyed New Zealand best of all on their Round the World family holiday.
… We have been traveling and staying with the Closson family since we arrived. Clossons are our friends from Saskatoon, for those of you who do not know them. They are on an ambitious one year round the world tour. Kim lived here when he was younger and so still has many friends and connections. Fortunately for all of us, many of Kim’s friends have been very generous and allowed squatters in their “bach”.
A bach is typically a small holiday cottage, but our first “bach” was a luxury highrise at the beach with views of the ocean and harbor. Thanks Kim!! …
read more – New Zealand #1
