Comments for A Tramp Abroad

Comment on Travel Rant: On the Importance of Gratitude by Yaz@cheapflightstomauritius.info

Yaz@cheapflightstomauritius.info — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:12:00 +0000

There is a real cultural divide between the West and the rest in terms of this kind of stuff. But it’s weird. Gratitude, social niceties, etc. is extremely important outside of the West, but on the other hand customer service values (for want of a better word) are much superior in the West. Now I really believe those “customer service values” are absolutely fake, but they do make dealing with businesses smoother than it can be in developing countries.

But anyways, Canadians are “notorious” for their niceness! Its great most of the time. But there are some dangers, sometimes. On the one hand, it can be annoying to people who might interpret it as being artificial. On the other hand, others might see it as being naive and take real advantage of you.

In any case, great post.

Comment on How to find off the beaten track destinations by Liz | Two Weeks to Travel

Liz | Two Weeks to Travel — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:11:32 +0000

I am all for the idea of throwing away the guide book. I love finding off the beaten path places, it always makes the trip so much more fun for me, and it’s nice to visit places and not run into hordes of just other tourists. Once I stopped always being so concerned with seeing ‘everything’ and sticking to a crazy schedule, I really had much more fulfilling vacations.

Comment on North of Myself by Zsolt72

Zsolt72 — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:47:20 +0000

I just love this writing. Thank you for taking me into this journey!!

Comment on Solo Travel: How Traveling to Paris Alone Changed My Life by Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:05:33 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing your story, I have SO much been wanting to travel to Pairs or Greece. But people tell me I’m crazy for not wanting to go with a group, or pile it up with tours. When I go I want to experience what it would be like to live there, not just visit. (Though OF COURSE I would go see the Eiffel tower.) Now I am more confident about wanting to go alone! Your story is inspiring

Comment on Solo Travel: How Traveling to Paris Alone Changed My Life by Kimberley

Kimberley — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:34:19 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed your story.

I went to Paris, like you, after watching the film “Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulin” (in homage my youngest daughter Gabrielle’s middle name is Amelie). Although I only spent 3 days & 2 nights there they are the most amazing and memorable moments I cherish to this day. I wish I could have stayed longer and hope to get back there with my children some day. They, should they wish, help be my translators, as I, living in Canada and loving Paris thought it would only serve them better to have a french immersion education. They speak french at 5 & 7 much better than I do.

I digress…

After reading your story I was taken back to Paris again and a smile spread across my face. I didn’t do the touristy things most would do but took pleasure in wandering off the beaten path and dining in bistro’s littered with the locals. One of the best decisions I made. They were patient with my broken french and shared stories in English with me. The french aren’t rude as we’ve been lead to belive, but rather, like most of us respond well to commen courtesy and a polite demeanor. I won’t hesitate to recommend Paris as a vacation destination for anyone.

Thanks for rekindling my memories and making the rest of my day more enjoyable.

Many good wishes to you and your travel adventures.

Comment on North of Myself by Landscaping Fort Lauderdale

Landscaping Fort Lauderdale — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:13:25 +0000

Very nice pictures… North!

Comment on The Trials and Tribulations of Writing a Book While Traveling by Duncan

Duncan — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:43:57 +0000

Congrats on living the dream Dan,

I was considering developing a small travel app – Would this book be suitable for small budgets ?

Thanks

Duncan

Comment on How to find off the beaten track destinations by Sander Van D

Sander Van D — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:12:25 +0000

“throw away that guidebook. You won’t need it where you’re going”. – I totally agree with this. Most guidebooks are out to date and only contains basic commonsense information. I love travelling, and in most of my adventures I just rely on information that locals tell me. Thanks for sharing this article. It’s very informative!

Comment on Forgotten Places – Playa Hermosa Hotel, San Blas Mexico by Rick

Rick — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:57:11 +0000

I stayed at the Playa Hermosa in 1962, the first of four or five weeks spent there through the 60′s and 70′s. It was never what one would call high end although the food they served was good and cheap and the bar was open. It was always during the summer months (I and friends were snake hunting) the mosquitoes were brutal but only ran into the jejenes on one trip.
There was no air conditioning, what you got if they weren’t all taken was an electric fan. Unfortunately the electricity was off as much as it was on. Sleeping in 90 degrees with 90% humidity took some getting used to.
What I remember most about the place was the desk clerk. When you asked him for matches to light a smoke he’d give you a box and tell you what matches are called in spanish. If you again asked for matches you’d be ignored until you requested them in spanish.
Oh, and there were geckos running all over the place at night. I loved it and am sorry to see it’s no longer in business.

Comment on Picture of the Week – Elephant Snog by Website Design

Website Design — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:44:53 +0000

Fantastic shot Amy. Was this impromptu or did you try to wait for the moment and capture it?

-Joe