International Phone Service Shenanigans

The Road Show has been trying to figure out how to have inexpensive international phone service while traveling. We've been to France, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia in the last year and have yet to figure out what's best.
Here's a run-down of what I've tried:

The Set Up: I have an Iphone 4S. I have AT&T phone service.
Of course, every phone service has different plans and costs, so my experience is limited to AT&T.

I have two monthly add-on plans my phone: Each plan is about $5.00 a month

a: World Connect-allows me to call from the US to other countries for a cheaper per-minute rate.

b: International Roaming-allows me to call from a foreign country back to the US for a cheaper per-minute rate. This can be pretty cheap when calling to Mexico or Canada, but other countries can be $1.50 or more per minute.

Different things I've tried:
1. Global Messaging 50: this gives you 50 text messages per month for $10.00. You are supposed to be able to send picture and video along with text messages, but some foreign phone carriers don't allow the photo messages. You can add this feature and remove it after your monthly billing cycle to reduce costs.
Review: I used this once or twice and found it frustrating when the photos didn't go through. Messages received get deducted from your regular messaging plan.

2.  AT&T WIFI International App- This may be called AT&T Call International now.
Register and download the Iphone app. When connected at an AT&T sanctioned WiFi hotspot you can make phone calls for cheaper rates billed directly to your credit card. No monthly packages.
Review:
I tried this on a trip to NZ and never found an AT&T hot spot where I could connect and use this service.  The trick is to find an applicable AT&T sanctioned WIFI hotspot. It won't work from just any WIFI network.

3. Unlocked cell phone with local SIM card. I've used an older Nokia phone with a SIM card in France and Australia, and an Iphone 3S (IOS4) with a SIM card while visiting Sydney, Australia for several weeks. The SIM cards are easily purchased online ahead of your trip and easy to use.

Review: This is a good way to go if you are going to make phone calls within the foreign country-say to restaurants and hotels or to stay in touch with local friends. You can get data plans as well as calling plans for less money than I could get with AT&T. You can give your new phone number (that comes with the SIM card) to people at home and they can call you. You can also forward your home phone calls to this new number, but it could run up your charges. I have used the text messaging on this but photos don't always go through.

4. FACE TIME over WiFi: One thing that has been great is using the Iphone FaceTime feature. With my phone plan, I have to use this on WiFi, and it only works with other Iphone users also on WiFi. Users with set data plans can use Face Time over their cellular network. This is similar to Skype, but is easily accessed through my phone contact list.

I'm still undecided about how best to maintain phone service at a reasonable rate while traveling overseas. If you have any other suggestions, please share!

To keep costs down, I always do this with my Iphone:
 1. I turn off the cellular data usage feature (found under Settings>General>Usage) and stop all push notifications and automatic email loading.
2. Remember to put it on Airplane mode before I get on the plane. I can listen to music or audio books and videos already downloaded.
3. Upon arrival to the new country, I keep it on airplane mode and turn on the WiFi feature. 

A Neat Smartphone Mapping Trick

The Road Show has been on and off the road lately, but look for more posts shortly!

Here is a neat trick shown to me by my daughter, who has graciously allowed me to share it with the world. I've used it in several faraway places lately, so I know it works.

 If you like to take walks in the neighborhood where you're staying, like I do, but don’t like carrying maps or map books this can help you to not get lost. Think about times when you are walking in residential areas or early in the day, where there isn't going to be wifi or people around to ask for directions.

The idea is to save a map showing your starting location to your photo stream.  Then you can access the map in your Photos while you are walking in the area.

You just need your smartphone with GPS and wifi to start.
Here are the steps:

1. While logged on to the internet, make sure your GPS is on, open your favorite navigation app

and locate your position. On Google Maps you are the blue dot.

2. Pinch or spread your fingers on the screen to shrink or enlarge the map. I try to enlarge the map

just enough to show some nearby street names. Put your blue dot in a corner to give yourself

more map space and leave room to show the area you will be traveling in.

3. Take a photo of the screen-called a “screen shot”- to save the map to your photo stream.

4. How to take a screen shot:

5. On the IPhone: press the home button and the on/off button together at the same time for a

second or two until you hear a click or see the image refresh.

6. Go to your photo stream and you should see the photo of the map.

7. Now you can access this map on your phone without being on the internet or using cellular data

8. Just remember that the blue dot is a fixed point in the photo and isn’t tracking where you are

walking.

A Screenshot showing my location at the blue dot and surrounding streets.

9. Have a compass app on your phone that will work offline. This is good if you do walk off your map.

Hope this works for you and happy walking!

A Few Days At the Beach, Aussie Style

Sleepy Koala At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

We were looking for some r&r so we went to the coast, the Gold Coast, that is. South of Brisbane are a string of seaside towns that offer many delights-sun, sand, cute critters, food, and a lot more.

We drove out of town on Friday afternoon, along with most of Brisbane, it seemed. Lots of traffic, but some cars exited at the theme parks: Dreamworld, Warner Brothers World, Sea World, etc. I'm sure some people would be going to the Australian Outback Spectacular-think Medieval Times experience but with Aussie Cowboys.

Some cars kept on the M1 to Surfers Paradise, the "Miami Beach" of Australia. We continued to the Queensland/New South Wales state line to the towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. The state boundary runs through the center of town, right out into the water at Point Danger.

State line boundary marker

 Point Danger was named by Captain James Cook in the 1700s and remains a rocky outpost today.

Point Danger

  We stayed at the Outrigger Twin Towns Resort, one of the larger properties in Coolangatta. It was a nice hotel and we had a Deluxe Ocean View Room. An earlier post shows the photo from the balcony with the ocean view. The hotel attracts a family-oriented crowd, lots of multi-generational groups. No tour groups here.There is also a building with holiday apartments of 1 to 3 bedrooms, so that larger families have more space and full kitchens.

Of course, people come for the beach and we enjoyed our time on it. Each town has a surf lifesaving club and swimming areas are designated on all the beaches with life guards on duty during the day. You swim in between the flags and have to watch for the rips that might drag you out to sea. The water was cool, but people were swimming. This area is also famous for surfing, but this time of the year there weren't many large waves.

We had many options for food within walking distance of the hotel. All along the beach front are many small cafes and restaurants, as well as shops. We had Italian, Greek, Indian, and burgers and sandwiches over the three days we were there.

Greek Salad

A highlight of the weekend was our trip to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary just north of Coolangatta. Founded in 1947 with a focus on Australian wildlife, it is a lovely oasis with shady walking paths and over 1400 birds, reptiles, and mammals. There are many opportunities to see the animals up close-even holding koalas and baby crocs. We watched the different shows and almost did the Eco Green Challenge ropes course. Almost.

Part of the ropes course

The last day we said goodbye to our quiet beach town and headed up to Surfers Paradise. This is the largest city on the Gold Coast and has the high rises to prove it. For interesting background on this place, you could read Bill Bryson's Australia which tells how this city reinvented itself to attract tourists. I think they created a monster.....

We went up to the observation deck at the Skypoint building-the tallest residential building in the world, they say. Amazing views of the coast, inland, and the sea. After a cappuccino and muffin in comfy chairs next to the windows we got back in the car and headed back to Brisbane. A lovely weekend retreat, for sure.

They call this an Ocean View Room

Today we're at the Twin Towns Resort in Coolangatta, QLD, and from what I can see of the beach, it looks lovely. They call it an ocean view room, but it's mostly a Condos-Across-the-Street-That-Block-the-View view room. But I am enjoying the balcony.

A 60 mile drive south from Brisbane takes 2 hours on Friday afternoon, just like the rest of the world heading to the beach for the weekend.
More to follow. Trying out mobile Blogger

A Few Days In Brisbane, Australia

Will be in Brisbane, Australia, for about 10 days, which is midway up the east coast of the country. The climate is similar to South Florida's and it's summer here in the Southern Hemisphere, which means sunny and WARM. Great for the beach, which is where we're headed this weekend.

This is the third time I've visited Brisbane, but the first time when the weather is so warm. In addition, there is no Daylight Savings Time in the state of Queensland, so at this time of year the sun rises at 4:45 am and sets at 6:30 pm. This has altered some of my sightseeing routines, and also has me going to sleep at 9:00 pm; and I don't think that's the jet lag.
I've tried to get out for my early walk before 6 am, because it gets hot so quickly.
Many of the summer flowers are out, and there are beautiful poinciana trees, frangipani trees, and others I don't recognize.

Poinciana

Frangipani flowers

Red Tree in Bloom

 There are people out jogging and even a few outdoor exercise classes in the parks. The coffee shops open around 7 am for the early risers.

I always like looking at the signs with unfamiliar phrases. Don't exactly know how a "quick beer" differs from other beers, but this is at the soccer stadium, so I imagine one wouldn't wait for a beer on tap to fill the glass at this counter.

I went into a coffee shop and ordered an "Iced Coffee." This is what I got:

A lovely coffee drink with ice cream, whipped cream and a cookie. Very refreshing.

I headed into the city via bus (I'm staying with Laurie in the close-in suburb of Paddington) with the idea to see 2 museums in the CBD: the General  Douglas MacArthur WWII Headquarters Museum for the first time. It's only open 3 days a week, so you have to plan ahead. I got to sit in General MacArthur's chair at his desk in the original office from which he ran the war in the South Pacific. The nice docent took my photo and explained how this was the hub of the entire operation.

There are good exhibits about how important Brisbane was to the support of the Allied troops-soldiers and sailor- during the war. I especially liked the information on how children's schooling was affected and how women helped by knitting clothes for soldiers.

Then I walked a few blocks to the Museum of Brisbane which has 2 small exhibit spaces and focuses on the social history of Brisbane. On view was the "Cabinet of Curiosities"-odd items from various collections around the city. From a taxidermy dog that was used as evidence in a murder case, to old movies of the dancer Anna Pavlova, it was fascinating to think about what we collect and why.

After my iced coffee and a chicken sandwich at Cocoawoo I headed to the Myer Centre, an urban mall with 5 floors of stores, including Target and Coles (grocery store), numerous food shops, and lots of other small shops. Some relief from the heat, but it was quite crowded. Did find some nice gifts in the Australiana shop. I took the city bus back home around 3:00, to beat the rush and to get out of the city in the heat of the day.

We ended the day with a lovely dinner in Paddington at Montrachet. Very nice service, excellent food with French flair. Pricey.

A very nice day out, with minimal overheating.

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Realizing the Next Foodie/Travel Dream

Today I finally realized another foodie/travel dream: Eating at Shopsins in NYC. I haven't been able to make it there on my last 2 visits to the city. It's located on the Lower East Side in the Essex St. Market, so I was happy to be able to round up DM and DH who were also willing to make the trek.

There are plenty of articles and reviews of this very New York eatery. Mr. Shopsin has even written his own book detailing his food philosophy. There are rules of the road, here: wait in line along the wall for a table-the place seats fewer than 20-everyone must order a meal, no more than 4 in a group, everyone has to order something different. (that last one may not really be a rule).

The menu is a dense two sided  legal sized sheet of paper. Pancakes, Eggs, Sandwiches, Soups, Sides, Salads, and more. Food from many cultures and combined in interesting ways leads to entertaining reading.

And leads to difficulty in choosing what to order. I downloaded the menu ahead of time so we could "digest" it before arriving. Even then,decisions were difficult.


Luckily we had time in line to think about things: we waited about 40 minutes for a table, with 2 parties ahead of us. Food came out in about 30 more minutes. We noticed that food was coming out of the kitchen one dish at a time, often with long waits for others at the same table to get their food. At one point, the cook called out to a woman telling her to "eat while your food is hot, don't wait for them to get theirs," because she was obviously being polite and waiting for her table mates to receive their food. The cook repeated that "just because we're being jerkoffs you shouldn't wait, don't let yours get cold." So that's another rule: when your food comes, you eat.


We ended up with:

The Gulf Pride Sandwich: bbq shrimp, avocado, garlic spread on toasted bread.

The Symphony: Pumpkin cheese french toast with grilled onions and maple bacon and fried eggs.

The Mo'Jemima: Poached Eggs (3) with maple bacon stuffed mac and cheese pancakes.

Served with maple syrup and hot sauce.

We enjoyed our meal and got a kick out of being in the space

Our waiter was very friendly and we never felt rushed. From where we sat we couldn't even see the line so we never had that feeling of being vulture prey. We paid our bill with the Square credit card technology:very simple and easy.
All in all, a fun food outing. Not cheap (avg meal about $20 pp), but definitely a cool vibe...

Week #3: What can you learn through travel?

When I read this prompt, I first thought about a few of the skills I've learned through traveling: how to read maps surreptitiously so people won't know I'm a tourist, how to hide money and ID on my person (a tip I learned from LV: use an Altoids tin instead of a wallet), how to use the ticket machines at Grand Central and use the Metro Card on the bus, how to drive on the other side of the road in Australia (although some would say that is still a skill at which I am not yet proficient).

 It's also fun to take classes while traveling.
 I took a cooking class in Rome: we made fried artichokes, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu after going to the market at the Campo de Fiori and the bakery. No written recipes, just my frantically scribbled notes. Wonder where those are now?

I also took a cooking class in San Miguel de Allende: We helped make guacamole (with pomegranate seeds), mango salsa, and chile rellenos stuffed with goat cheese. No margaritas while cooking.

A great experience was the "Blend Your Own Wine" class at Wynns Coonawarra Estate winery in South Australia. We got to taste while creating the perfect blend, then took home our mixtures in a personalized wine bottle.

Then I thought of other skills I've picked up while traveling: I parked that houseboat!

 I learned how to pack the back of the car for a cross-country road trip and keep everything organized along the way.

I learned that everyone needs down time and alone time on a trip, even while enjoying the group.

I think I'm still learning to be in the moment every moment while traveling.

What is an Indie Traveler?

This week's topic from BootsnAll Indie Travel Guide : you can be an indie traveler without even leaving your hometown – as long as you’re challenging yourself and your assumptions about the world, learning about people or a place different than your own, and seeking out experiences that help you better understand the local culture.
What does indie travel mean to you?
I think I've always been an "indie traveler." I always want to see what's out there. My vacations are often jam-packed with sight-seeing and museum stops. In fact, there have been some people who hesitate to go places with me, as they know what the pace is going to be like and that museums are always going to be on the itinerary.

I'm not the best photographer, but I like attempting to record what I see. And what I will want to remember. 

I loved seeing the ceramics factory outside of San Miguel de Allende. We toured the show rooms, but also parts of the manufacturing buildings. Each ceramics painter has a chair, a table for glazes and brushes, and an easel or stand to support the object currently being painted. Completed pieces are sent to the kilns for final firing.

I found the deep sea drilling museum in Galveston, TX interesting. Building those rigs is an amazing feat, let alone working on the platforms themselves and getting the oil and gas out from under the sea. We should all know more about how we get our energy.

Museums can be park-like and have little to do with art. I had no idea that Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were good friends and had winter homes in Ft. Myers, FL. Thomas Edison did research in Florida on plants that produce latex. You can tour laboratories and restored homes at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Fascinating.

 "See if you have what it takes to join the ranks of noble knights."
I saw this poster advertising knight school in a bookstore in Brisbane, Australia.Really enjoyed taking a minute or two to wonder who would send their kids to knight school and if my son and/or daughter would have liked it.(They do take girls.) Used bookshops are a great way to soak up local culture.






I enjoy a sunset and a sunrise, too. Just kicking back by the water is a favorite pastime. Taking some time to just be in a place is important, too. I am trying to appreciate that aspect of indie travel more. Maybe giving up some of the "forced march" pace will be good for me.

Welcome 2012!

In an effort to post more consistently, I'm signing up for the 2012 Indie Travel Challenge by BootsnAll Travel. They will post a prompt each week, and I'm going to respond. This week's prompt is to list my 2012 travel resolutions. They have a pretty good list on their blog.

What are my travel resolutions? I have some places I really want to see, but I don't know if 2012 will be the year for them: Antarctica, the Galapagos, Alaska's Inside Passage, Western Australia, New Zealand's North Island, Xian, China, are just the first few that roll right off my fingers. There are more.....

I don't have any of those big trips planned yet for this year. But I'm thinking of all the other short trips I make and don't even consider them to be "traveling."

Resolution #1: I resolve to appreciate that every night spent away from home (even if it's only 100 miles away) is traveling and to take advantage of it in the same way I would a more far-flung destination.
 My short trips in the next 6 months that are already on the books: Houston for one night to attend a travel conference, Dallas for one or two nights for family business, Colorado for 3 nights with DH for a business meeting, a week of skiing in Taos with family, a trip to NY with DD to see family. See, that's a lot of travel already!  

Hunziker Bowl, Taos Ski Valley, NM

Resolution #2: To put technology in its place while traveling.
I'm pretty well attached to my smartphone at this point. Love it. I have over 150 apps, with at least 50 related to travel, travel planning, and finding services while traveling like food, bathrooms, wifi, NPR stations, movie theaters, AAA discounts, etc. I need to learn to disconnect more from the ethernet and connect more with the real world. Ask someone for directions or recommendations?  That would be a novelty for me. Come into a town without knowing where to eat? Frightening. I think I need to do that more!

I have app folders now

Resolution #3:  I will never use the term "bucket list." Travel experiences can't be plucked out of a container.

So I guess that's my list for now.  Wishing everyone safe and rewarding travel this year!

Essential Australia

Author's note: I wrote this post about 2 weeks ago but due to a technical issue it didn't get published to the blog. More on the Australia trip is in the pipeline. Thanks for reading.

Waking up to the maniacal laughter of kookaburras  in the trees reminds me that I’m in Australia. Opening my cabin shades to see kangaroos munching on the grass lets me know I’ve found the essential Australia.

I’m near the town of Hall’s Gap in the state of Victoria, surrounded by the Grampians National Park. We’re staying at the Hall’s Gap Valley Lodges, a moderately priced set of self catering cabins set along a tree-lined drive just off the main road going into town. Hall’s Gap is so named due to being in between the Grampians ranges and the Wonderlands mountains.

The mountains with jagged sandstone cliffs rise up in all directions, and deer, kangaroos, and rabbits roam across the green lawns. Sulphur crested cockatoos squawk loudly and perch on the cabin roofs, enjoying the attention of visiting photographers (us!).
Many other birds we can’t identify add to the background noise. This is a perfect base for exploring the mountains, the small towns and the Brambuk Aboriginal Culture Centre.

Hall’s Gap is under 3 hours west of Melbourne, and is a popular holiday destination in Victoria.
I’ve been on a 5 day tour from Adelaide, in the state of South Australia, to Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, courtesy of AATKings Tours, and the tourism boards of South Australia, the Great Southern Touring Route, Grampians, and Victoria.
We’ve been able to experience many of those essentially Australian activities, from “cuddling” a koala, becoming master wine makers by blending our own wine, learning of the Aboriginal heritage and history of this area, and seeing the sights, from city museums to natural wonders.

Now, some people think that essential Australia has to include visiting the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef, but this trip has shown me there’s so much more to Australia, I can’t wait to see more.

Husband Takes Wife Fishing, Marriage Survives.

It doesn’t get much better than a few days in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The Road Show was in the beautiful Teton Mountains in Wyoming and Idaho for some R&R and a 2-day fishing trip. D. is now an avid fly fisherman, and thought I would enjoy the scenery and the adventure.

We spent the weekend in downtown Jackson Hole, WY where we enjoyed some great food at Rendezvous Bistro and Trio American Bistro,  a few drinks at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and The Wort Hotel, visited the Saturday Farmer’s Market, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. We also went to the rodeo at the Teton County Fair.

We rode the chair lift up Snow King Mountain (the in-town ski area)and hiked down. 

 

We took a walk around Jenny Lake in the Grand Teton National Park.

We were having a good time, enjoying the summer ambience that is Jackson Hole in the summer.

And then came the fishing trip…I was a little nervous since I don’t really know how to fly fish. How much fun would it be to ride for 2 days in the boat with 2 guys who really like to fish?

We had booked with World Cast Anglers ,an Orvis-affiliated outfitter that has 3 different shops in the area. We drove over Teton Pass to Victor, Idaho, to meet out guide, Brian G. and get on the water. We would be fishing 26 miles of the South Fork River over 2 days, and camping out at the South Fork Hilton Camp at about the halfway point.

 

So the weather was pretty discouraging at first. I wore a rain jacket and waterproof pants. Brian G. had us do practice casting and hook setting in the parking lot. I threw it out there and hoped for the best.

We loaded up our gear and some food and drinks and got on the water. The current is strong, and the guide sits in the middle of the boat and rows to keep the boat in the right place and at the right angle to the bank so that maximum fishing ensues. One person sits/stands in the bow and one in the stern, so both can fish at the same time. Sometimes Brian G. would throw out the anchor on a gravel bar and we could get out of the boat and fish from the banks.

Luckily, Brian G. is an excellently patient and good humored guide. He worked with me to get my flies out there and I did have success pretty quickly. I caught a brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout in succession. If you can listen to your guide, and get the fly where he says to put it, follow the directions for setting the hook and reel in line properly, you, too, can catch fish. Not that hard…..

 

So I was happy, D. was happy, and Brian was happy. I could sit back and watch the scenery go by and fish if I felt like it. Brian could concentrate on getting more fish for D. D. could work on his casting and setting the hook to reel in the big ones. Of course, a large part of fly fishing for trout is getting the right flies on the line, and Brian was great at that, too. You really need to know too much about bugs for it to be very interesting to me, but I could see the results when the right match was made.

At one point it rained quite hard. I stayed dry, but felt clammy and my hands definitely did get cold.

The weather improved late in the day, and the fishing was pretty steady.  We saw many bald eagles and hawks, and they watched us go by with interest. I’m sure they were wondering if we had any fish in the boat. Sorry, no-it’s all catch-and-release here.

We got to the South Fork Hilton Camp before dark and enjoyed a great dinner and time at the fire pit. They had hot water in basins for us as we got into camp, and the beer was iced and wine open. There was just one other couple in camp, the rain having scared away the others, so it was a quiet group. Steak and potatoes with salad and broccoli, homemade peach cobbler for dessert. Plenty of good food.

The platform tents were just ok. Nothing luxurious, but definitely adequate. Each tent is set back in the woods away from each other, but don’t forget earplugs if snoring bothers you…..Noises carry at night.

Up pretty early the next morning, and after a hot breakfast of eggs and meats, as well as yogurt and fresh fruit, we got in the boat again for the rest of the trip. I caught a few more fish, but mostly enjoyed eagle spotting and the scenery.

The weather held up and it was a great day. Once again, Brian G. helped us catch fish and made sure that he stopped the boat at the only official rest stop with toilets on the river. Now that’s a thoughtful guide…..We got to the boat ramp around 3 pm and were back in Jackson by 5 pm.  I really enjoyed this trip immensely and would definitely do it again.

We stayed at 2 different hotels in Jackson, first the Ranch Inn, a motel property just 2 blocks from the town square, and then The Alpine House Inn., a gracious small inn with a homey Scandinavian feel. We would go back to The Alpine House Inn, for sure. It was only a few blocks from the Town Square, and on a quieter street. They had a hot cooked breakfast in the morning, and just nicer spaces and amenities. And for about the same price as the Ranch Inn.

Oh, and D. had plenty of photo ops with fish, too.