Jeff Greenwald Addresses Golden Gate Council

Hostels in the San Francisco Area

2 Comments / January 11, 2011

The Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International-USA

The Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International USA (HI-USA) held its Annual Member Meeting on January 10 at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco. Executive Director Danielle Brumfitt hosted the meeting, which included an update on the seven hostels located in the San Francisco Bay Area and an additional hostel located near the capitol in Sacramento. Her presentation underscored one of the many reasons that membership in HI-USA is such a bargain. At rates for groups or individuals far below the average for this region, members have an opportunity to enjoy some of the most beautiful and interesting sites the Bay Area has to offer. Imagine staying at a lighthouse overlooking the Pacific Ocean or in highly rated venue in downtown San Francisco without breaking your budget! See below for a complete listing.

Featured speaker, Jeff Greenwald attracted a large crowd, which he regaled with stories from his years of traveling the globe. His presentation, “Confessions of an Accidental Ambassador” kept the audience laughing, but at the same time drove home the important message that all travelers are personal ambassadors to the world, a philosophy which is shared by Blue Orb Travel as outlined in our Overview. Greenwald is the author of numerous books and articles and is the co-founder and executive director of Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org), a global alliance dedicated to human rights and environmental protection.

If you haven’t joined HI-USA yet, check our link on the left for further information. Your membership not only supports a wonderful organization, but becomes your ticket to bargain stays at some the most interesting locations around the world. Founded in 1958, The Golden Gate Council of HI-USA is dedicated to helping ‘all gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling’. I can’t wait to try out some of the award-winning hostels the council operates in Northern California!

Hostels in the San Francisco Bay Area

HI-Marin Headlands (marinhostel.org)

HI-Pigeon Point Lighthouse (pigeonpointhostel.org)

HI-Point Montara Lighthouse (montarahostel.org)

HI-Point Reyes (pointreyeshostel.org)

HI-Sacramento (sacramentohostel.org)

HI-San Francisco City Center (sfhostels.com)

HI-San Francisco Downtown (sfhostels.com)

HI-San Francisco Fishermans’s Wharf (sfhostels.com)

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All Night Party in Madrid

January 8, 2011

Night Life in the City That Never Sleeps

It was midnight by the time I found myself in the midst of the Madrid nightlife scene. The festive atmosphere in the series of plazas near the city center was unlike anything I had experienced before. The bright lights and loud noise made it almost seem like midday. With my train leaving in six hours, I decided to give up my search for a hotel and join in the fun. It was a warm, beautiful night and I enjoyed watching the throngs of locals and tourists mingling together beneath the lampposts or crowding around the entrance to a bar or just enjoying a late meal at one of the many sidewalk cafes.

There was a feeling that everyone knew everyone else, and, who knows, maybe they did! For sure, no one knew me, but I was greeted with a pleasant smile or a friendly ‘hello’ wherever I went. Crossing streets to pass from one area to another I was amazed to see the amount of traffic for that hour of the night. At two in the morning it looked like commute hour in any large American city.

I wandered around the busy squares, took a load off my feet when I could and just generally blended in with the rest of the folks. The time passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to find my way back to the train station. As I left the party scene, the same old familiar refrain was going through my mind…”I’ve got to get back here for more of this sometime!” My train arrived right on schedule, and I was soon on my way to the next party town…Barcelona!

The Madrid Party Scene

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A Train Ride Through the Pyrenees Mountains

1 Comment / January 3, 2011

Basque Ccountry, Spain

A Very Long Day! (Part 2)

The train pulled out of the San Sebastian station around 6 PM and I settled in for a pleasant ride through the Pyrenees Mountain region of Northern Spain. The Pyrenees Mountains form a natural boundary between France and Spain and this region is known as Basque country or the home of the Basque people who many believe to be the native people of Iberia. We soon turned south, leaving the mountains behind as we entered the central region of Spain. Our route took us through Pamplona, famous for the annual running of the bulls, and it was with great disappointment (make that ‘relief’) that we were passing through in May and the running of the bulls takes place in July. So, this time I would not have an opportunity to join the other brave crazy souls in this wild celebration dedicated to the city’s patron saint. I have no doubt, however, that I will ‘run’ (in the other direction) on my next pass through this beautiful region.

It was getting dark by the time we went through Zaragoza and nearly 11 PM when our train finally pulled in to the Madrid Atocha Railway Station. The Madrid train station is the largest in Spain and was the site of the 2004 terrorist bombings that killed 191 people and wounded another 1800 arriving on crowded commuter trains. I have been through many train stations throughout the world, but this station has to be one of the most beautiful. Once inside, it feels more like being in a large botanical atrium rather than a busy transportation hub.

With my rucksack on my back I ventured out into the streets of Madrid on that balmy spring evening, hoping to find a room to catch some ZZZ’s for what was left of the night. Thankfully, Madrid, though large, is an easy city to walk, but after a one hour sweep of the area I was unable to find a single room at a price that I was willing to pay for only a few hours sleep. Madrid was an unplanned stop in my itinerary and to keep on schedule, I would have to be back on the train heading for Barcelona early the next morning…now only six hours away. Around the time I had resigned myself to spending the night on a park bench, I arrived at the center of night life where revelers spill out from the tapas bars into the plazas as they party all night. I quickly gave up my quest for a room and joined in the fun, taking advantage of this impromptu opportunity to enjoy one of the many things for which Madrid is famous. As both the big hand and the little hand on my watch met on the 12 mark, my very long day had suddenly become two days, but by the end of the night I was pumped and ready for the next leg of my trip.

A Train Ride Through the Pyrenees Mountains

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The Beach at San Sebastian, Spain

1 Comment / December 27, 2010

The Beach at San Sebastian

A Very Long Day! (Part I)

Setting out from Bordeaux, France heading for San Sebastian, Spain in the early morning of Saturday, May 30, I had no idea that it would not be until I arrived in Barcelona two days later that I would once again sleep in a bed. This was one of those times when the independent traveler has to be flexible and bounce with the ball. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing. Otherwise I would have missed the all night party in Madrid! But first, back to San Sebastian. The short train ride took me past Biarritz and into the Pyrenees Basque country region of Southern France and Northern Spain. After a two hour stop over in the quaint border towns of Hendaye and Irun, I arrived in the beautiful resort city of San Sebastian.

Bathing Beauties

It had been a number of years since I last visited Spain, owing to the relative isolation of the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed my earlier visits to this country, but was quickly reminded when I first caught sight of the stunningly beautiful beach of San Sebastian on the Atlantic coast. Its beauty lay not only in the clean, white sand, the dark blue water and the green hills surrounding the crescent shaped beach, but also in the bathing beauties who studded the beach itself. It was a pleasant struggle attempting to cope with this sensory overload and I found myself staying longer than I had planned in order to take in all that the beach had to offer.

No Room at the Inn

Perhaps that’s why by the time I finally tore myself away, I could not find an available room anywhere in the city. Looking back, it makes sense. Every red-blooded man in Europe who could possibly get away from the every-day routine must have been in San Sebastian taking in the sights! At any rate, the situation called for a quick change of plans in my rough itinerary. After a brief walking tour of the town I was back on the train at 6 PM heading for Madrid hoping to have more luck finding a room in a larger city. But it was not to be.

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Bound for Bordeaux

December 21, 2010

Bordeaux, France

There’s nothing like the prospect of exploring new territory to get a weary traveler up early in the morning. The eight hour train ride from Paris to Bordeaux started at the Montparnasse station within walking distance of my hotel. I had purchased a reservation for about $6 the day before which included a 2 hour stopover in Nantes. The beautiful ride through the Loire Valley took us through LeMans and Angers before we arrived in Nantes around 9 AM. It was a gorgeous day and I walked around the central part of the city with its wide boulevards and classic edifices. Of particular note was the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne protected by a water-filled moat and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Once back on the train we headed south down the Atlantic coast of France, getting an occasional glimpse of the water along the way.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France

Hotel Regina

Arriving at Bordeaux at around 2 PM I immediately found a hotel near the train station. While nothing fancy, the Hotel Regina easily met my minimum criteria for lodging, including convenient location, safety, and cleanliness. In addition, it had a friendly staff and I was allowed to go into breakfast before serving time the next morning so that I could make the early train to San Sebastian, Spain.

A Walking Tour

Located in Aquitaine on the Gironde estuary, Bordeaux is much more than just a city in the heart of wine country. My walking tour took me through narrow streets filled with visitors, young and old, enjoying the elegant shops and sidewalk cafes. In short order I was able to locate the Cathedrale St-Andre, the flea market, the bell tower of Eglise St-Michel, the Great Bell of Bordeaux (Grosse Cloche) and the Monument aux Girondins, which commemorates the leaders from the area who were guillotined during the Revolution.

The Water Mirror

Even with all these interesting landmarks, I would have to say that my favorite spot in Bordeaux was the Water Park known as the Miroir d’eau or Water Mirror. It is located between the river bank and the Place de la Bourse and consists of a large square filled with water only 2 cm deep and accompanied by beautifully manicured gardens. Here throngs of people hang out alone or in small groups, some to play and others just to cool their heels. I must have spent several hours just watching everyone enjoy this unique water feature on a warm spring afternoon. Bordeaux is definitely on my list of places to see again and next time the surrounding countryside will be a top priority.

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Gateway Cities

3 Comments / December 14, 2010

Gateway Cities

A gateway city is one that has a major transportation hub, including a busy international airport. Airfares to and from gateway cities are often less expensive than fares for smaller cities, based on increased traffic and availability of flights. Some of the major gateway cities in Europe include Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; London, England; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In China, Beijing and Shanghai are two of the main gateway cities. Some gateway cities have more than one airport such as London and Paris.

Choosing a Gateway City

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a gateway city, but, of course, the main ones are proximity to your destination, availability of flights and cost of available flights. Beyond that, the most important consideration is availability of convenient transfer to land transportation. For example, Frankfurt is my favorite gateway city in Europe because the train stops at a station right under the airport!

Round Trip or Multi-city Ticket?

Most of the time it will be cheaper to fly in and out of the same gateway city with a round trip ticket, but this is not always the case. It may be cheaper to fly in and out of different cities with a ‘multi-city ticket’ rather than to retrace your steps to return to your original point of entry. I discovered this on my recent trip to China where I flew into Beijing and out of Shanghai. The additional cost was minimal compared to the cost and lost time that would have been incurred if I had returned to Beijing to fly home.

Additional Considerations

Several additional points should be considered when choosing a gateway city. It is an added feature for your trip if the gateway city is an interesting destination in itself. When this is the case, you can spend several days at the beginning and again at the end of your trip exploring this city at a more leisurely pace. It is an extra bonus if the city you depart from is also a good place to shop. I frequently save most of my shopping until the last two days, so that I don’t have to carry my purchases around with me during the rest of the trip.

Pudong Airport Terminal, Shanghai, China

Searching for Your Gateway City

To secure a plane ticket I recommend starting several months ahead by doing a comparison search on the Kayak website. Kayak searches most of the major airlines and other travel search engine sites and rapidly displays the results starting with the least expensive. If you select a flight on Kayak, they may refer you to another website such as Expedia or Orbitz to make the actual purchase. I have purchased tickets through both Expedia and Orbitz and can recommend them without hesitation.

It is important to try several gateway cities in the vicinity and try flight dates on different days of the week. Some travel experts say that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and sometimes Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Friday and Sunday are the most expensive. When looking for a flight on Kayak, try doing your search on different days and at different times of the day and night. Some say there are certain days of the week and times of the day to search if you want the cheapest ticket, but I have not necessarily found this to be the case.

After you have done a number of searches you will have an idea what the range of fares is likely to be. Once you are certain that you want to take the trip, have your credit card ready. Sometimes when you least expect it a fantastic deal will pop up and you will want to lock it in while you can. The next time you check it may not be there.

Using this method in the past few years I have gotten a nonstop round trip fare to Frankfurt for $500.00 on one occasion and for $750.00 on another. Sometimes there are just no bargains, however. This year when I went to China I paid almost $1100.00, but I really wanted to go and it turned out to be well worth it! Just for fun, why not give Kayak a try right now (http://www.kayak.com). Just enter your dream destination and available dates and see what turns up. Good Luck and Happy Searching!

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