And Work Took Me Places…

15 July 2011 by Leave a Comment

A lot of my international travels have been part of or enabled by work.  Whether is being asked if in 24 hours I could leave for Helsinki to spend 3 weeks there in the middle of winter, or whether the miles accumulated by years of sometimes-weekly travel have allowed me to go out of the country for vacation, work has always been a key factor in my exploring.  I would say it is second only to my zest for travel and exploring!

As part of this reflection, I thought it would be cool to capture where all have I been to related to work whether for a one-day meeting to year+ assignments.  Here it goes!

GERMANY

In Germany, my discoveries were how great German food is (not just the ones I had known like wursts).  Also, my colleagues made it a point of making sure they were showing me places like beer halls and good restaurants and that hospitality -no offense intended- took me by surprise, especially when compared to other countries where I had expected a warmer culture.

Sulzbach/Bad Soden (outside of Frankfurt, Germany)

Dusseldorf (Germany)

Munich (Germany)

FRANCE

I have been to a good bit of France but for work these two sites were it.  In the Riviera, I enjoyed being by the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean and yet seeing the Alps at a distance, staying in Cannes or Nice, depending on the week and the mood!  Paris, well, what can I say.  An incredible city even if it was hard to develop social contacts due to the long hours at work and perhaps the language barrier (I spoke basic French then; medium after I left there and focused on learning the language).

Paris (France)

Sophia-Antipolis (France)

View from the terrace of the apartment building where I lived in Paris!

THE NETHERLANDS

Basically shuttling between client offices in both towns.  I was amazed at how small the country is and yet how exotic it felt to me.  Den Haag much more subdued than Amsterdam.  Amsterdam, just phenomenally interesting.  Getting to work with the Dutch allowed to see how their cultural traits are unique and how some of the stereotypes I had heard of showed up in work settings.

Den Haag (The Netherlands)

Amsterdam (The Netherlamnds)

OTHER EUROPE

The rest of the European work sites were of shorter durations than the ones above with the longest being 3 weeks.  But they all allowed me to explore each of the places and/or visit with friends who lived in those places.  Work definitely gave me a good opportunity to see more of Europe.  How else would I have spent 3 weeks in Helsinki had it not been for work?!

Geneva (Switzerland)

Oslo (Norway)

Vienna (Austria)

Helsinki (Finland)

London (UK)

Madrid (Spain)

View of Oslo Fjord

LATIN AMERICA

My experiences in Latin America have been phenomenal.  Perhaps the cultural affinity or the approach to life, especially in Brazil, but I have seldom been disappointed or failed to enjoy my stay.

Chile trumps all other places in L.A.  by sheer duration of my work experience there (over a year).  I had worked there many, many yrs before (check my other blog entries) and I got to see more of the country in that year.  What a beautiful country!

In Peru, I got to explore more off the beaten path locations by the nature of the work assignment.  I got to see many places the average tourist sees and many they would never get to.  And, I got to enjoy the food of Lima which is just outstanding!

Brazil offered me good food and great fun besides the work.  Spending weekends in Rio or going out for the nightlife of Sao Paulo, Brazil never disappointed.

Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Quito (Ecuador)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Santiago (Chile)

Lima (Peru)

Cuzco (Peru)

Puno (Peru)

Huaraz (Peru)

Panama City (Panama)

Mayaguez (PR)

Church in Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

AFRICA

Here I definitely got to see some diverse places from Muslim and Arab Egypt, to deep Africa in Tanzania, to cosmopolitan cities in South Africa (I visited Cape Town too but not for work).  I have enjoyed the unique experiences each offered whether it was visiting HIV/AIDS patients in the rural areas around Mwanza, to going for food in very local places in massive Cairo, to getting into the history of apartheid in Joburg.

Johannesburg (South Africa)

Cairo (Egypt)

Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Stone Town (Tanzania)

At the Apartheid Museum in Joburg

CANADA

I got to spend a LOT of time in Toronto and had a lot of fun with a great crew of Canadians whose key contribution to my skill sets was to have me start calling a puck “puck” and not “the thing”.  I also learned that I needed better pacing drinking Canadian beer as it was stronger than the American variety.  Finally, I learned how to curl (as in the game/sport).

Toronto (Canada)

Montreal (Canada)

What has been your most interesting and rewarding international work experience??

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Where Have I Been? My Countries Visited Map

23 June 2011 by Leave a Comment

So here is my countries-visited map as of today…  Filling out a part of the map seems a possible criteria to determine my next set of destinations.  Well, I would not pick probably based on that but it sure is tempting!

For example, Ireland and Portugal would close up a good part of Europe.  Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica would close up Central America – and so close to home!  South America looks more daunting with the 3 “Guianas/Guyanas” and Venezuela being part of what is left…  Africa, well filling out a part of the map quickly would not be possible.  But the map shows that perhaps I need to put some red in western Africa…  I also see a big pocket in southern Asia where I need to paint red…

I seem to have been hitting the Balkan area in the last 2 years by serendipity really:  a wedding in Bulgaria, a wedding party in Greece, hopping from Italy to nearby Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, and -soon- a hike in Romania for an orphanage.  I think God wants me to cover the Balkans so I may add Serbia or Moldova when I head to Romania!  (I realize I am stretching the definition of the Balkan peninsula!)

In the end, it will boil down to when I can travel, the local season (for example, Greenland in January would not be my choice), cost, possibility of traveling with someone, etc.  I love the uncertainty because all options are open!

As of May 2012 :  (added Caribbean islands and Balkan countries)

As of June 2011 :

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Photo of the Week – Suitcase of the Past

23 June 2011 by Leave a Comment

I, for one, am glad luggage has evolved since the days when this was what you had to lug around an airport and through security.  OK, those were not the things of the time but this trunk still had to be moved around!  (From a small museum in Madison, GA)

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How Ashes Changed my Vacation – Who Knew They Could!,

22 April 2010 by Leave a Comment

Well, my trip to Europe was to be a few days in Bulgaria attending a wedding and then a quick jump to Copenhagen.  Bulgaria happened.  Denmark did not.  Ashes were to blame.

I arrived in Europe at Frankfurt where I was meeting up with my cousin and then traveling together to Sofia, Bulgaria.  Right before we boarded our flight that Thursday, the flight next to us which was going to Berlin got cancelled due to volcanic ash.  I remember thinking “volcanic ash?  that’s weird.”  A friend emailed me that I seem to escape chaotic situations (like the Chile earthquake by a day or so) since I made it to my destination before the airspace closures – I knew he had just jinxed me unknowingly!

As the weekend progressed, we kept hearing the news about the volcanic ash and the airspaces closing.  We started beginning to think that our Tuesday departure was not going to happen.  We enjoyed the wedding events on the weekend and we even took a daytrip on Monday (more on those things in a separate post).  But when we finally got to the apartment on Monday, we checked with the airlines and our worst fears got confirmed and our flights were cancelled.  Our flights got re-scheduled for Thursday.  In my case, my new flights were still taking me to Copenhagen via Munich.  However, the news kept talking about how Denmark was right in the path of the volcanic ash even after other countries were expected to re-open their airspaces.  So, I started working on a new plan to fly out on Thursday but via a more southerly connection spot to Atlanta.  I knew there were direct flights from Sofia to Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Istanbul, and Rome.  I could book a one way ticket to one of those cities and then get Delta to switch my return flight accordingly.  However, another option was to keep my flight to Copenhagen via Munich but stop in Munich since from there I could also catch a Delta flight or was close enough to other cities (Prague, Zurich, Vienna) if Delta could not get me out from Munich soon enough.  I was calling Delta several times a day and I kept getting quoted the 28th or 29th as the earliest they could squeeze me into some flight.  That was not good enough as it was a week away.  I managed to get the 25th from Madrid but I did not snatch it and when I called 20 minutes later, it was gone…

The biggest challenge for someone in my situation (which was not the worst by far compared to what others went through) was trying to decide which way to go with things.  If I did not go to Copenhagen or at least to Munich with my itinerary, I would lose the unused portion of my Lufthansa ticket.  If I didn’t make it to Copenhagen, my hotel booking would not be refundable (I had gotten it with miles not actually paying but it was nevertheless non-refundable).  However, I wasn’t willing to get into Denmark (if I could even fly in) only to risk its airspace getting shutdown on further eruptions’ ashes…  I also needed to be sure my cousin had a good plan to since she didn’t like the idea of staying behind in Sofia on her own or of staying in an unknown European city by herself (I, on the other hand, was not too troubled should I find myself in that situation).  This all complicated deciding what I should go for…

Finally, I seemed to score.  Delta could get me on a flight to Atlanta from Rome today (Thursday the 22nd).  I knew I could get a $150 ticket from Sofia to Rome with a 2 hr connection in Rome so I went for it.

Tonight, I write from Atlanta, having “gotten out” of Europe with not many scars, outside of half a ticket lost with Lufthansa and miles lost on the Copenhagen hotel (I am still going to try get that refunded… no harm, no foul!).  My flight from Rome had a number of empty seats making me wonder how bad was it really?

In the end, my vacation got cut short one day but, on the upside, I ended up with two more days in Bulgaria.  Since I may not make it back there any time soon, I am glad I did get those couple of days.

P.S. – On my last day in Bulgaria, I kept hearing on the news how IATA was accusing European governments of being too serious with the airspace closures.  I was aghast that the airline industry feels that making money is more important than our safety.  Since the impact of the ashes was not well understood, I for one was certainly glad the governments were cautious on this since, APPARENTLY, we could not rely on the airlines to do the safe thing.

Filed Under: Bulgaria, Europe, Travel Stories Tagged With: , , ,

What Makes All the Difference on a Business Trip…

8 April 2010 by Leave a Comment

I am sitting on the 22nd floor of my hotel room in Santiago wanting to catch up on my writing and talk about my trip to Valparaiso, Chile, catch up on earthquake impacts to a trip to the lake district, and other discoveries about Santiago.  But I’m too distracted.  Too distracted with work.  With getting to the U.S. for most weekends and hurrying through keeping in touch with those I love back home.  With planning a vacation with a cousin to Bulgaria and Denmark with a 1-day trip to say hi to a friend in Sweden.

But what is compelling me to sit in front of the PC for yet another 1/2 hour is wanting to talk about those people who are strangers to you for the most part but who make your time away from home -at a hotel in another city other than your home- get as close to “real” as you get when on business trips.

I normally haven’t had my own access to the “special” lounge at my regular Santiago hotel (Marriott) but get access normally by going with colleagues who do have access.  Of course, after this week, I get access on my own right because of reaching the 50 stays in one calendar year.  Anyway, through past visits, we have met some of the staff at this special lounge.  Some are strict about the rules that say at 830 PM the wine and other liquor is retired from access.  And then there are those employees who seem to get that we all don’t just come to another country on business because we work 9 to 5 and have the luxury to get back to the hotel between 630-830PM to enjoy the special treats…

Those employees who realize that the key to great customer service is about making us, the weary travelers, have a sense that we can get that one (or two…) free glasses of wine at a lounge so we can sorta feel maybe we could be at home.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have sat in the lobby and paid for drinks when able to go to the special lounge at the “right” hours – the scene at the lobby can be quite interesting.  So I am not just after a free drink or two or three or…  But going to the lounge does also give you contact with other human beings who recognize you and through the small talk make you feel you are not just a stranger, a number, a credit card at this hotel.

So, to these folks I say, salud.  You are doing an awesome job and I hope your employer, Marriott, realizes that you are doing more to retain my loyalty than even the ability to use my points gets them.  Emilio, Fernando, Katherine, Baruk:  may your employer realize the value you are to them and I wish you the best.  Thanks for helping us feel not totally away from a place like home. You guys are piola.

Filed Under: Chile, South America, Travel Stories Tagged With: , , , ,

2009 in Review

25 December 2009 by Leave a Comment

Well, 2009 is almost in the books and who would have told me at this same point in 2008 all that I would do in 2009!  On the less glamorous side, sinus surgery and losing my job.  Yep, I wouldn’t have imagined both.  But, on the more exciting side of things, I certainly had even less of an idea that I would get to see the land of John Paul II (Poland), the mythical (at least for those of us far from it) land down under (Australia), the majestic islands in the far south Pacific (New Zealand), the mountains and beauty of the granite state (New Hampshire), and 18 years later a country I loved when I lived there (Chile).  I also did get to visit more familiar places like Tampa, DC, Panama, NYC, and Denver but most of those were in my plans already.

So I sit here during Christmas Day wondering which places will I get to see in 2010 for the first time and what will I discover in more familiar places…   I can’t wait to find out!  Could it be the year I see the Holy Land?  Or check out Iceland?  Perhaps visit southern Chile and the lake district?  Or finishing off “Western” Europe by seeing Portugal and Ireland??  Or, why not, go to Australia again and explore other parts of the continent?  SO much to see, so little time and money!

Thanks 2009, and good riddance in a way.  2010, bring it on!

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Language When Traveling Abroad

6 March 2009 by Leave a Comment

When traveling outside one’s country, language can be a barrier, a nuisance, or part of the adventure. As much as I can, I try to make it the latter. Case in point: the trip I just completed to Poland.

Though I was told many people I would deal with as a tourist in Poland would speak English, it seems to me this is more true of the younger generations only. Dealing with women in their 40s and up in the train station cashiers, for example, required a mix of my basic Polish phrases, train schedules I had already printed, and, at times, hand signals. (Glad to report that I did well enough with no mishaps, though that makes the blog entry less exciting…)

Besides learning the pleasantries, I focused on learning the numbers, and questions and words related to transportation (how much did the fare cost, what is the schedule, etc.) and food (gotta know what I ate so I can describe it later!). The most important phrases/words for me to learn were those related to transportation since we were going to be doing a lot of bus-ing and train-ing. Last thing I wanted was to be in a smaller town trying to get back and missing the last train because of a mis-understood time or ending up somewhere totally different… (hey, that is not too far-fetched: it happened to me flying from Boston to Atlanta in 1994 and that WAS supposed to be a language I was fluent in… but I digress).

I was able to mumble my way through canned phrases (or made-up phrases I assembled myself!)  from my Learn Polish podcast. Among the phrases that I used the most were:

  • How much is the fare?
  • I don’t understand.
  • How much does this cost?
  • One one-way ticket to Krakow for today
  • I would like today’s schedule for buses to Wadowice
  • And everyone’s favorite: Do you speak English?

It was neat, after a couple of days, to have the language in its written form begin to make sense. For example, I began seeing words I had learned used in signs in other contexts and was able to get the sense of the signs. (I am a geek, I know. Languages fascinate me.).  I also got to enjoy hearing the language and began to more rapidly recognize numbers thrown at me in response to a “how much does it cost?” question.

If I have to boil down language advice for travelers that I believe applies anywhere is learn the pleasantries, at minimum. Even if people in the country you visit speak your language as a second or third language, saying the hello, good mornings, please, thank you, etc. in their language goes a long way. Everyone likes to be acknowledged and I believe addressing someone in their language acknowledges them, no matter how poorly the words come out. While visiting remote villages in Tanzania, I was always asked to make a small speech as a visiting American from my organization (the first time that threw me off as no one had warned me and I am not good at speeches).  I had learned ahead of my trip basic Swahili; enough to say hi, I am glad to here, I am American, and I like your country (all true statements).  It was cool to see them smile when they realized I was actually trying to speak Swahili though the smile may have been half being amused at my poor attempt!  I felt it was a better connection than had I stayed remote and relying 100% on a translator.  If you can do more than the pleasantries, that is great.

A final tip is that making a short note you carry with you (electronically or on paper) with the phrases you most expect to use.  In my Poland trip, these would be the transportation-related ones since I was going to be self-reliant on arranging for that. That way, you avoid fumbling through a dictionary or to the back of a travel guide at key moments with a line forming behind you!

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Musings about Destinations

21 September 2008 by Leave a Comment

I am in the midst of transcribing the rest of my Perú trip narratives and yet I am knee deep researching for my next trip…  How do these narratives begin to backlog?  That is how!  Maybe I should just plan a month off and catch up on all the trips from the past I want to share here??

My next trip will be to South Africa, mostly for work but I expect some opportunity to take a good peek at some key places.  Almost like a “research trip” for a future vacation?

There are so many places to go to and so little time and money.  Well, the money part is perhaps not as bad as I do believe that if one looks hard enough, one can find good places and good deals that do not make every trip a major expenditure.  Anyhow, among the places I want to head to are those where I know people who are in ex-pat situations.  I enjoy my trips best when there is a “local” who will know the real ins and outs and when I can also take advantage of the vacation time to get to spend time with friends I normally don’t get to see.  In that category fall South Korea and Australia…  I think I have another friend still in Bulgaria, but have to double-check.

Also in my list of “I want to see soon on vacation” are Iceland, Portugal and New Zealand.

How to really pin down the next destination?  I guess partly it is a matter of cost, who else may be interested in the trip, and if my ex-pat friends are available when I can take time off.

Alright, these were just random thoughts about vacation.  I think I need one is what it is…

Cheers

Filed Under: Travel Stories
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