My Top 3 Travel Secrets

Credit goes to Traveling Savage, The Travel Bee, and Top Backpacking Destinations for passing the baton on this unique project championed by Tripbase.  The skinny?  Tripbase challenged a few bloggers to reveal 3 travel secrets – the rest is virtual history – because the idea has spread like a cubicle cold.  Swiftly, with heart and vigor.

I must confess, chain emails are not a typical pastime.  If someone (my sister) sends pics of a basket full of kittens with a precious saying included, urging me to forward it to my address book, I press delete.  It’s that rebellious, punk girl inside.  I don’t do precious.  However, a lighting bolt struck me – high school!  My friends and I passed letters back and forth complaining about tests or sharing doodles devoted to our morning crushes, which rapidly changed to a new crush after lunch.  I began chain letters before the damn Internet was conceived of.  It’s a burden to be a pioneer.

Turns out, my travel tickle trunk has a few tips.  Enjoy!

Tiger Balm

I do not joke.  At my.. ahem.. place in life, muscle pulls and neck kinks occur rapidly, taking time to heal.  Long days on the road punctuated by grueling walks in search of shelter and sustenance can aggravate physical ailments.  This miracle in a jar can fit in a pocket, and only a dab is needed to alleviate aches or pains.  Have a relaxing shower, and massage in this soothing, mint infused liniment before bedtime.  I guarantee, you’ll sleep as a baby does with thumb tucked in your mouth, soundly and deeply.

Hostel Albergue Porto – Salvador, Brazil

Salvador is the tip of Bahia state, a city echoing ghostly remnants of the Portuguese slave trade, married to a blissful, laid back attitude.  I have vivid memories of music spontaneously bursting from street musicians or busloads of laughing children in lime green soccer jerseys streaking past me.

Tourists tend to flock to the Pelourinho district, a historical hotbed of colonial structures ranging from municipal halls to churches gilded in gold leaf.  I purposely stayed clear of Pelourinho, for some reason felt a different experience was in order.  Pelourinho is aptly named “upper city”, and for good reason.  Prices are often higher, and the experience a bit contained.   Where did Jeannie go?  Why, the opposite of course.  That’s when I headed for the “lower city” and Hostel Albergue.

Many travelers can relate, accommodation can set the tone for a destination.  Hostel Albergue did that for me.  Nestled a block from Porto da Barra Beach, it’s an unusual building, because literally it’s an office plaza!  Ah, but like many things in Brazil, what seems dodgy is usually not.  Cassio, the owner, is Brazilian, but mainly lives in the States, so his sensibilities are a lovely combination of the two.  He understands good customer service, while toeing a chilled out atmosphere.  With the recent addition of a games room, laundry facilities and a gym, this hostel offers a little sanctuary after battering around a day of tourist sites.

What I enjoyed most is that Hostel Albergue mingles within the neighborhood, so I never felt trapped in a gated tourist community.   And Pelourinho?  A 10 minute bus ride away.

Mayne Island, Eco Camping – British Columbia

You didn’t think I’d leave out my home base?  Never.  A few years ago some friends and I discovered Mayne Island Eco-Camping and Tours.  Camping on an island?  Loads of people do it, and British Columbians are no different.

Mayne is a member of the Southern Gulf Islands, a quad of islands southeast of Vancouver Island.  What might be a restrictive location is actually not.  We did small hikes, explored conch and polished rocks on Seal Beach, or gathered at the picnic table for chats and meals.

Since the Tsawwassen ferry route passes by Mayne, we caught a few majestic ferries in Milner’s Bay and best of all?  Whale sightings!  My senses overloaded with smell, touch and sound.  The result was falling into a sweet bliss.  The topper of my trip has to be the outdoor hot/cold shower constructed around a tree!

My first, and subsequently, anywhere I travel my nose is sniffing out outdoor showers.  Maybe I’m an exhibitionist?  With an emphasis on eco-camping, Mayne Island truly reveals the breathtaking landscapes of British Columbia.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Tagged as: Tips, Travel