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Authors may be a degenerate lot, but that doesn't mean they can't illuminate the human condition. Even if they have to do it from jail. In fact, some of the world's greatest works of literature were written from jail.
1. Cervantes, Don Quixote
Widely considered to be one of the first true European novels, Don Quixote was written while Cervantes was serving time in debtor's prison.
Made you look! This is one seriously charming sculpture floating its way into harbors around the world. It just arrived in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor where it was met by officials, teams of child dancers and other large rubber duckies, but nothing close to the one bobbing in the bay.
Upon looking at the Wicked Camper website, you may think you are dealing with laid back hippies who struck it big with a good idea that popped in their head while hotboxing their van on the eastern coast of Australia. This image is even further emphasized when visiting the depots. Cars are spray painted in florescent colors and quotes from stoner songs and flicks litter the vehicles and store rooms.
Traveling alone isn't for everyone. In fact, it seems only a select few can really enjoy that much time by their lonesome. While the phrase “traveling alone,” in Southeast Asia definitely merits quotation marks around it (you are never alone in Southeast Asia), taking time to yourself while traveling is necessary. Though I’m a firm believer that reflection is much easier to do when you are by yourself, introspection isn't the only reason a little alone time is good while traveling.
Most visitors to Australia like to spend time on the east coast. With destinations like Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns and Melbourne, there are plenty of places to see and plenty of things to do. Along with the notable cities, there are also more small beach towns, boasting beautiful coastal real estate than any lowly traveler could ever visit. While the Sunshine and Gold Coast are the preferred destination of most travelers, there are other beautiful places to visit outside of said stunning, coastal strips.
Sometimes while traveling, certain things happen that don’t exactly fall in line with the day’s plan. In fact, most of the time, the day’s “plan” normally deviates before it even starts. Regardless, not all aspects of travel seem to work out how we envision them, but that doesn't mean the day has to be a failure. Sometimes you just need to open your eyes and realize the possible mishaps are just opportunities to see something new.
The major metropolis known as Sydney is a multicultural, vibrant city. It boasts the world famous opera house, beautiful botanical gardens, lovely beaches and a concrete jungle any city explorer would love. While the city is a must-see for anyone visiting Australia, for those wanting to head from the north to south or vice-versa, it is a traffic nightmare. Sydney during all hours of the day, and especially during rush hour or on weekends, is not a destination for the faint of heart.
While we have websites like Priceline or Orbitz in the States to help us navigate hotel shopping, in Australia Wotif seems to be the best tool. While looking for a place to stay in Sydney, Wotif suggested to spend a few nights in the City Resort Hotel in Sydney. To denote that this was a “deal that must not be missed,” they put flames on the bottom of the price box. While Wotif may believe the $65-a-night for a private room is a great deal for Sydney, my stay in City Resort Hotel wasn't that impressive.
For the past few weeks, I've been doing my best to travel Australia on the cheap. While I came to Oz knowing I was going to have to spend a dollar or two, I didn't realize how many dollar or twos I would be spending. Even though the colorful Australian dollars may remind the American traveler of money from Monopoly, the fact is, you will be spending Boardwalk like money to do almost all activities while down under. But like all ventures in life, there is a way to do Australia on the cheap if you are willing to work for it.
I have a dilemma. It's not a bad dilemma to have, actually, but it is one nonetheless. I am in need of a new Netflix streaming show to watch - or I will be, once I finish the next two seasons of Alias. That shouldn't take long. I've never seen this show and I'm tearing through it at warp speed, and really enjoying all of the special guests. After spending the better part of a decade not watching any TV, I'm playing catch-up in a huge way now.
