Documenting Travel
I’ll begin this post by saying flat out–I hate writing in a journal. I never do it in ordinary circumstances. I know I should and that all of the reasons I am about to put forth for why you should keep a travel journal can …
Tag: how to
Preparing for a Trip
Trip Preparation List: This is being posted a day earlier than usual because in a reverse Groundhog’s Day phenomenon, our February 2nd will have disappeared completely in between the time that we leave Los Angeles (Feb 1) and arrive in Sydney (Feb 3). So weird. …
A Trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine
In our Poland Do’s and Don’ts post, we briefly mentioned visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines (WSM). Some things deserve to be talked about a little more, so this post will describe the crazy cool time we had exploring 300 meters (imagine three football fields stacked straight down) underground in Poland.
Getting There
One of the fun parts of travel is to leave the comfort of a tour and see what life is like for everyday people in that area. When we decided to go to the mine, I (obvs.) pulled out my trusty guide book and checked out how Mr. Steves recommends getting there. It seemed simple enough: go to a bus station, get on a bus, buy a ticket and head out of Krakow. We figured, no biggie, let’s do it. Well, the first problem was the description of the bus station ‘across the church from the mall.’ A. The mall is huge and B. there are little churches everywhere. After bumbling around trying to find the right church, we eventually did locate the stop that had our bus number on it. Check.
Buying a bus ticket in Poland
The next step was to board the bus and buy a ticket. I think the purchasing of a ticket is often the most challenging part of public transportation, so here are my best (rather obvious) tips: 1. Always have a variety of low denomination bills and coins. Even if you don’t know how much they are worth, you can just keep handing them over until eventually you’ll pay for whatever it is you are buying.
I hate being in the U.S. and not having the right payment method; this is only amplified in a strange place where you don’t speak the language. Variety is the spice of life. 2. Do what the locals do. When we boarded the bus we watched the kids in front of us walk up to a machine and stick in a few zloty. They then walked over to a time stamp thing and shoved in their little piece of paper. We followed suit.
Riding a bus in Poland
After we boarded the bus, we found some seats and settled in. The salt mine is about a 40 minute, ten mile route outside of the city. C and B found some seats next to each other and I took an open seat next to a tiny, ancient lady. She was straight out of a Grimm’s fairy tale–I guarantee this lady looks exactly like her mother and her grandmother, all the way back to the middle ages. Our other bus riders were a mix of locals and (what we later learned were) tourists.
But not tourists like the three of us; everyone on the bus was from Poland. We knew what stop we were looking for, but the problem was we had no idea of knowing when we got to that stop. We had been going for about 40 minutes when the group of teenagers that B and C were entertaining themselves observing all clambered off the bus.
Listen to your elders (in Poland and elsewhere)
There wasn’t a sign anywhere so we were staying put, but then the adorable babushka sitting next to me poked me, said something and Polish and pointed to the door. Some things transcend verbal language, so we scrambled off the bus before it pulled off again. Bless her. This actually brings about tip 3: respect the older ladies. Everyone should always do this, no matter where you are, but it is especially useful in other countries when you need help. If I am ever being hassled by men in another country, I know to look for an older lady. They’ll give the jerks an earful for you.
On the bus the lady had no idea who we were or what we were saying, but she knew three American girls would only be on that bus to go to the mines and so she helped us out. After we left the bus, we reverted to tip number one and followed the group of teenagers down a poorly marked path, across a road and finally arrived at the mine entrance.
The Mine Itself
The Wieleczka Salt Mine is a pretty major tourist destination in Poland; over a million people visit here each year. It opened in the 1200s (yes, that’s not a typo) and finally shut down operation in 2007. That’s an insane amount of salt that has come out of this almost 200 miles of underground area. On our tour, we walked about two miles in the mine.
The tour
After purchasing our tickets we were assigned to an English speaking tour group of about 40 people. After we got our headphones so we could all hear the super cute Polish tour guide girl, we walked through a door that had about ten steps down in a wooden shaft, then turned at a right angle and had ten more steps, etc. etc. for almost four hundred steps. This was no problem for B, but was a problem for C since she had sprained her ankle earlier that week and was a big problem for me since I get claustrophobic in underground places. (Why would I go into a mine, you might wonder? Well, I weigh things like this: if regret for not going > fear of going, I’m gonna go for it.)
At the bottom of the stairs, the hallway opened up and we got our first glimpse of what a salt mine looks like from the inside. I was surprised; I was expecting it to look like the salt I’ve seen–white and grainy. Instead, we would spend the next four hours walking on and through floors, walls and ceilings that looked like gray rock.
Why the Wieliczka Salt Mine is famous
The reason why Wieliczka is such a famous salt mine and why we made it a point to visit was not because of its historical importance or size. Nope. Instead, it is renowned because salt miners, you know, when they weren’t busy working, have carved all sorts of interesting sculptures, figures, chapels, out of the salt. Most of these sculptures were inspired by the religious sentiments of the miners. Our tour started off sedately, with our guide explaining how we would only see wooden beams and wooden doors in the mines because metal would rust. Because of this, though, much of the wood is white with material that keeps it from catching on fire.
Fire would be disastrous to the mine (and miners!) so along with the white coating there were procedures in place that protected against it, such as we all had to be in an enclosed area and have door behind us shut before we could open the door in front of us to mitigate static electricity sparking a fire. We were then told that since salt is antibacterial, we could taste the walls without worrying about who has licked that same spot over the years. Challenge accepted.
Exploring the caverns
Our tour took us through about 20 of the 2,000 chambers in the mine and each one seemed more impressive than the next. Some scenes were of full-sized people, like John Paul II (not at all surprising as this guy is EVERYWHERE in Poland) and some were caricatures that looked like the dwarves from Snow White. We learned about the lives of the miners and how they would go into the mine in the dark of the morning and not leave until the dark of the night. We learned about how they used animals to do some of the work and some of the horses never saw the light of day, having been born and died below. A large underground lake glisten in an eery green color. However, the most impressive sight on the tour is a cavernous Chapel of St. Kinga.
Chapel of St. Kinga
This room is about 5,000 square meters and can hold several hundred people. As we descended the stairs onto the main floor, our guide pointed out the chandeliers carved out of salt. This seemed impressive until we got to the bottom of the stairs and took a look around us. There were sculptures all over and an altar where we were told many people have been married. My favorite thing about the room, though, was the carving of Leonardo’s Last Supper. There was an amazing amount of detail–so much so that you almost forget that someone etched away at the wall to leave this beautiful scene in relief. The tour ended with elevators–we were so grateful we didn’t have to climb up the stairs that we didn’t mind being crammed into strange cattle-like elevators.
Getting Back
After our tour we figured we would be able to head back to the same area we got off the bus, cross the road and wait for the next bus heading in the opposite direction of where we came. So there we were, standing around, when another Polish woman walked up to us and saying something we didn’t understand and gesticulating down the road. Since we subscribe to rule #3 religiously, we did as she said and found another bus stop down the road. A few minutes later, the bus arrived and we were on our way.
Conclusion
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a terrific way to spend a day in Poland. You will get a glimpse into the life of pious, hard-working miners and be instantly grateful that the job you have isn’t remotely as difficult. For a heightened adventure, try out getting there on your own. You might just run into some sweet Polish ladies who will help you on your way.
Ways to Make Business Travel More Fun
Fun work trips are possible. I promise. Do you have to travel for work? If the answer is yes, below are some suggestions for how to make your next business trip a little more enjoyable…provided you can find some free time of course. Suggestions for …
Dealing with Disappointment while Traveling
Travel disappointment is real. Disappointment in general is, unfortunately, a part of life. But it is also a part of travel. No matter how well planned or thought out, a trip rarely goes off without a hitch. Whether it is flight delays, an upset stomach …
Tips for dealing with other tourists
Other tourists. They are that element of travel we sometimes forget to think about until we find ourselves surrounded. No matter where you go in the world (but especially at must-see places) it is difficult to avoid buses full of people as eager as you are to get that one picture or souvenir. Some are great and I have met many interesting people on the road. Then there are the others. You all know who I am talking about. Dealing with them can be frustrating, to say the least. Like it or not, tourists are a part of travel (a not-so-fun part of travel).
Tips and tricks for other tourists
In an effort to help, I have complied a list of tips for dealing with them before they ruin your vacation.
Tip #1: take care of yourself
First things first, you have to take care of yourself. If you are tired and hungry, you are not going to be in any kind of shape to deal with irritable people and you will probably become one yourself. It is important, whenever possible, to get enough sleep. Also, remember to eat or pack snacks. Being hangry is the worst! Some light stretching, yoga or even a little meditation will go a long ways to calming your mind and preparing you for unpleasant interactions with tourists…or any other travel mishap.
Also, make sure to be the kind of tourist you like to encounter. Be aware of your surroundings. Do not step in front of people or moving vehicles. Respect the local customs. Be polite and say thank you—in the native language. Hopefully, your example will wear off. But even if it does not, at least you are not contributing to a problem or stereotype.
Tip #2: avoid peak times
An easy trick to avoiding other tourists is to go when they are not there. We are big fans of off-season travel and we have heaps of examples where this has worked well for us. But even in the height of travel season, you can schedule things to your advantage. First thing in the morning is a great time to hit up beaches and hiking trails. Near closing time is also a good idea.
A little trick I learned working at Disney World: about an hour before the park closes is the best time to ride the big rides (especially if there is a parade or fireworks show). They almost never have a wait, even in the summer, and as long as you are in line before the park closes, they will let you on the ride. I once managed to ride Space Mountain three times in a row without waiting in line simply because it was almost closing time and no one was around.
Tip #3: choose tours wisely
Sometimes it works best to avoid tours altogether. If you can go it on your own, you will be better able to set your own schedule and avoid the crowds. However, we understand that avoiding tours is not always possible or even the best option. When choosing a tour group, try to find a small one that caters to your situation (e.g. no children, family friendly, 65+, etc.). And make sure you look at reviews.
On the other hand, a tour might be the best option for actually avoiding large crowds. Paying a little more for a VIP experience often guarantees a more intimate setting. While visiting Indonesia, R talked us into doing a sunrise tour of Borobudur (the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia). The tour was expensive by Indonesian standards and we had to wake up at the very unpleasant hour of 4 a.m. to catch a less-than-impressive sunrise (par for the course on that trip).
Those were the cons. However, the pros far outweighed them. The tour consisted of about 50 people and once the sun came up, we were free to explore the temple to our hearts’ content before the hordes of other people showed up. We took all sorts of wonderful pictures without a bunch of strangers in them and visited the mostly-empty museum. As we walked out, we could see hundreds of people filing in. It made me very glad we had paid the extra money. Plus, our tour included breakfast with a view of the temple and a Batik souvenir scarf.
Tip #4: work on your patience
Be patient. If you are trying to experience something and a big tour bus pulls up, maybe now is a good time to take a break. Tour buses are typically on a tight schedule so all they really have time for is a quick picture. If you sit back and relax, maybe get something to eat, they will probably be back on the road before you know it and you’ll be back to enjoying your experience.
Case in point: C, R and I were relaxing on a bench in Riga, admiring the old buildings surrounding us and enjoying the sunshine, when suddenly, we were swarmed by selfie-stick waving tourists. There were so many of them! Luckily, we were not trying to get anywhere so we just sat back and people watched. After 10 or 15 minutes, they moved on and we had our views back. We are still not sure how many pictures we accidentally photo bombed, but it made for an interesting experience.
Tip #5: get off the beaten path
It never hurts to stretch your legs and if you get off the beaten path a ways, you may find yourself all alone—or at least with dramatically reduced numbers.
While visiting Yellowstone National Park earlier this year, not surprisingly, we ran into a lot of tourists. We went early in the season hoping to miss the big crowds, but so did a lot of other people. Oh well. We made do and when it came to visiting Old Faithful, we did two things right:
- First, we went about an hour before closing. There were still people around, but not nearly as many as we saw at lesser-known stops earlier in the day.
- Second, we took a walk and got off the boardwalk and paved trails. It was not a long or hard walk, but it was enough to discourage most people apparently. By the time we arrived at the overlook, we got to see Old Faithful blow with just a handful of friends instead of the line of people surrounding the perimeter of the geyser. We got a unique view and room to breathe. It was lovely.
Tip #6: laugh
Make up a game. Or just try laughing. A little humor goes a long way and if you can find a way to laugh at your situation, you will be much happier—as will your travel companion(s).
On our recent trip to Puerto Rico, we signed up for a night kayaking tour to a bioluminescent bay. Since we did not book ahead of time (a mistake that almost cost us a very cool experience), we had to settle for the only tour group with openings. It was a big group and although the people were nice enough, most had never kayaked before. Our guide gave us a two-minute explanation on how to kayak and then put us in the water. It was 8 o’clock at night and completely dark. Talk about a disaster. It was frustrating at first, but then became so comical that I could not help but laugh. Watching kayaks run into trees is pretty funny after all. C and I even made it a point to try and pass as many kayaks as possible—which wasn’t too difficult given the lack of skills amongst our fellow tourists. The whole experience ended up being a highlight of the trip.
Tip #7: learn to deal with it
Often, dealing with tourists is unavoidable. Just take a deep breath and go with the flow. Sure, it would be nice to be the only person trying to hold up that leaning tower of Pisa. But that is never going to happen. Accept the inevitable and move on. Now might be a good time to make new friends. If you are stuck standing in line, you might as well get to know the people around you. Who knows? You may find you have a lot in common or perhaps they have some good suggestions for where to eat dinner that night.
In Helsinki, we wanted to visit the Sibelius Monument. When we arrived, there were several tour buses parked and a whole lot of people walking around. We figured we would wait until they left. But every time a bus pulled away, another pulled up. Finally, we accepted the inevitable. We got right in there and explored the monument, took our pictures and then moved on. It was not the most pleasant experience, but it was far from a disaster.
Tip #8: distract yourself
In certain situations (particularly on buses or planes), it is a good idea to try and distract yourself. Headphones are your friend. Music soothes. Earplugs are never remiss and a good book can come in real handy. It helps to be prepared in these sorts of situations—especially if there is a crying baby on board.
Tip #9: connect with locals
Talk to the locals about what to see and where to eat. They know the hidden gems and I have never had one recommend I eat at a Hard Rock, which is where all the tourists go.
A few years ago, I visited Cozumel via a cruise ship (speaking of way too many tourists). My friend S and I had escaped the crowds and large shore excursions to go spear fishing with small, local tour company called Spearfishing Today. It was just the two of us, our guide Leo, and Juan, who steered the boat. Although neither S nor I managed to hit anything, Leo speared a nice-sized triggerfish, which he offered to us.
Of course, we could not take it back to the cruise ship with us, so Leo recommended a restaurant that would cook it up for us. We walked a couple of blocks off the main drag and into a small restaurant. Leo had called ahead for us. They took our fish and cooked it to our specifications (half ceviche, half grilled). We were the only people in the restaurant and it was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had. Plus, the views as we walked to and from the restaurant were lovely and people free.
Conclusion
Yes, other tourists can be a trial. But with a little preparation and planning, their impact on your vacation can be greatly minimized. Do not let those tourists ruin your good time. Plan, prepare and be patient.
The Mid-Vacation Respite
A mid vacation respite is a time on your trip when you can take a vacation from your vacation. One of the most challenging things about planning a trip is trying to cram in as much as possible. No matter where you go, you will …
![Travel Planning for a Trip [Australia Specifically]](https://i0.wp.com/janeseestheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Australia4.jpg?resize=760%2C400&ssl=1)
Travel Planning for a Trip [Australia Specifically]
The dates are set, the plane ticket is bought and the travel fund is steadily growing. It is now time to start travel planning and focusing on the details of your trip. Not long ago, I wrote a post about what I am doing to …
How to survive the heat in a hot place
Vacations full of fresh fruit and beaches always sound really good to me, but to be honest, I’m just not a hot weather kind of Jane. I prefer sweaters to swimsuits; they are softer and I can eat ice cream without feeling guilty. That being said, sometimes you have to put up with the heat if you want to see cool places. No matter how you shake it, Hawaii is going to be hot. It can still be worth it though, if you know some strategies for handling hot weather. If you are like me and start to sweat at 85 degrees, here are some things that might help you survive your next trip to paradise.
Winter
Like the handsome cowboy in ‘Country Strong’ croons, timing is everything. If the place you are desperately wanting to visit has seasonal weather, go when it isn’t hot. Seems totally obvious, right? I love Italy. I had a wonderful time visiting in April and May, but even then we had some days that were pretty steamy. B, on the other hand, last visited Italy during February. She had a very different packing list than I did. Sure she didn’t go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea like I did, but she did experience Venice during Carnival–not a bad trade off for not being sweaty. Bonus: lots of people don’t like to travel internationally during the winter months. You will get much better deals and much fewer tourists if you go during the low season.
Clothing
Clothes–like you before you give a public speech–need to breathe. We’ve talked about this before on this blog; it really pays dividends to purchase clothes that are made of materials that survive in hot weather. In a sticky situation, cotton is most definitely not king. Instead, opt for natural or synthetic blends that will help wick sweat off of you. It might sound crazy, but wool does a very good job of this. Now I’m not saying you should pack a wool sweater for your next trip to Fiji. I am saying you should pick up some thin merino wool underwear, though. Seems counterintuitive, but if a material takes liquid off your body, it will allow some air to get in there and will keep you cooler. Oh, and speaking of letting air get in there, I highly recommend skirts in the hot weather. A little breeze around your legs will cool you off in a jiffy.
Water
We are made mostly of water + when we are hot we sweat = we need to replace the lost water in our bodies. Heat exhaustion is a real downer on a trip. Even beyond the immediate feeling of relief you get when you drink some cold water when you are hot, your body will handle the heat much better if your are properly hydrated. That being said, make sure you drink water that is safe to drink. We are big proponents of reusable water bottles here at Jane Sees, but we are not big fans of giardia. A compromise could be to buy gallons of water and refill your water bottle yourself along the way. On our tour bus in Ecuador we had three seats: one for B, one for me, and one for our three-gallon jug of water.
Fan
When you are hot, air blowing on you makes you feel better. These are things we all know. What you might not think about is that you can very easily pack a small fan and in hot situations bust it out. You can even pretend to be a sexy flamenco dancer and open it with flair. It will get the job done of cooling you off that much faster.
Warm shower
When you are hot, not much sounds better than jumping into some cold water. It feels really great too, as long as you stay in the water. Here’s a crazy thought: instead of taking a cold shower, you should actually turn the dial to the middle instead of the far left. Here’s why: taking a warm shower can lower body temperature. Cold water can make you shiver, which is your body’s way of heating you up. You definitely don’t want your body to kick into that mode. Here’s my additional (albeit not scientifically proven) rational: if the water is hotter than the temperature outside of the water, the temperature outside will feel cooler to me when I turn the water off.
Cool key places
If you’ve taken a basic first aid class, you will have learned that one of the quickest ways to cool off someone who is overheated is to place something cool in specific areas of victim’s body. To cool yourself off in a hurry, hold a glass of ice water against your wrist or the back of your neck. You could also do this in your groin area or armpits, but you might want to reserve these maneuvers for extreme situations only or risk getting a few raised eyebrows.
Sweat rag
This is gross, but not as gross as dripping sweat. If you carry around a rag or handkerchief you can use this to wipe the sweat out of your eyes. If you are really hot, you can get this rag wet and then use it to wipe your face.
Shade
You’ve heard of work smarter, not harder. This can be applied to beating the heat. Again, we all know it is cooler in the shade than in the sun. If you do a little proper planning, you can use the shade to your benefit. At an outdoor music festival this summer, B and I noticed that some trucks along the edge of the grassy area provided a sliver of shade around 1:00 p.m. We reasoned that as the sun set further we would get even more shade. So while everyone else got close to the stage, we set up camp right next to those trucks away from everyone else. Sure, we looked weird for a little while. But a few hours later while they baked, we had a little patch of blessed relief.
When we were touring the Castillo San Felipe del Morro in old San Juan, Puerto Rico, we walked along the outside of the massive walls that protected the people inside from people outside. We were walking along this path in the morning and were in pretty much direct sunlight the entire way. Once we got on the other side I realized that had we decided to walk on the other side first, we would have been shaded the entire time. Proper planning fail.
Spray bottle
Air blowing on wet skin cools you off. You can use sweat as the liquid in this scenario or you can use a spray bottle to do this job. Think of the long lines at amusement parks. The best part of the line is when you are under those mister things; a spray bottle brings the mister with you. I’ve seen combo fan/spray bottle apparatuses that do both at once. This probably feels awesome, but might not be so practical if you are trying to pack light. Do what you gotta do to survive, though.
I have a friend who didn’t have air conditioning in her car during a hot Idaho summer. Instead she would keep the windows rolled down and spray herself and her kids as they rolled along. The spray got them wet and the wind from the windows cooled them off as part of a 1-2 punch. It might not have been as sophisticated as normal AC, but it helped them survive.
Piña colada
When all other tricks fail, just get yourself a cold smoothie. One of the best things about the tropics is the tropical fruit, so you might as well embrace it. My personal faves are piña colada, passion fruit, or watermelon/pineapple. One of the most brilliant inventions for resort visiting is the swim up bar. This way you don’t even have to leave the water to get your icy fruit beverage. Genius.
Conclusion
Some people are built for the heat and others are not. If you are in the latter category, you just have to make the best of the situation and deal–otherwise you might miss out on a really great trip. The strategies for handling hot weather above will help you along your path to acceptance. Oh, one last thing, make sure to pack your anti-perspirant!
Tips for Choosing a Travel Companion
I have been lucky enough to find some great travel companions over the years. But I understand that it can sometimes be difficult to find like-minded people to travel and explore this world with. Unfortunately, I do not think there is a magical formula to …