Feature

Having the only pint of ice cream on the bus tour of death valley is a rare situation. It is a circumstance where people want to steal a possession from you that isn’t money. For all those other times here is a look at the three least secure ways to carry your money. [The three most secure ways to travel with money is the next article.]

Creative Commons picture by gruntzooki.

3) In An Open Purse, in Cash

A big wad of cash loosely stuck in an open purse is like a big red button with a sign that says “do not push.” Previously honest people will be tempted. Those who have spent the last few years working at a boring job will wonder if they could get away from it. Even a devout monk would get a rush of adrenaline looking at it. It is just so easy.

Extra points if:

You only hold one side of the purse, so gravity seductively pulls it open.
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Chatting with the people you meet during your travels can be one of the most rewarding parts of any trip. Other travelers can have a lot of experience, and people in other parts of the world can explain perspectives that are very different from those you might find back home. Here is quick guide for conquering your initial fear and starting a conversation.

1 - The Weather

Creative Commons picture by extranoise.

As blasé as it may sound, talking about the weather actually works. The weather is something that we all experience, are all influenced by, and usually don’t blamed on strangers. A quick “I’m glad it is such a nice day” or “wow, I wasn’t expecting that rain” is a nice non-aggressive opener.  It is so good at starting conversations that I sometimes wonder if all of human society would fall apart without such a topic.

Disadvantage

You can get trapped in a conversation doldrum. Once the ice is broken you are still miles from other topics.

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Romeo and Juliet is set in the northern Italian city of Verona. Thanks largely to Shakespeare’s mention of Verona, the town has developed quite a reputation for romance. Lovers flock here to coo at each other, swoon from balconies, and grope statues of Juliet (it is supposed to bring luck, but do you really need a reason?). It’s long history of war is less of a tourist attraction.

Amore Turistico (tourist love)

Most people know that Shakespeare was an excellent English playwright and a sub-par historian. However, sometimes the fictional stories can matter more than the real ones. In an attempt to make Shakespeare’s story appear true, a house in Verona was declared to have been “Juliet’s house.” To make this claim more convincing a balcony was built onto it in 1938. People have flocked there ever since.

The house features a courtyard with a statue of Juliet that is overlooked by a balcony. It is said that if one gropes the right breast of Juliet’s statue, they will receive good luck. Juliet’s statue now has a very shiny right breast.

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A computer can make traveling a little easier. Not only does it let you easily keep in touch with friends and family back home, but it also allow you to quickly make reservations and do research. It would be a perfect travel accessory if only laptops weren’t normally so expensive and annoying to lug around. Luckily the present vogue thing for computer manufacturers is to build tiny, cheap, and highly portable laptops. Here is a quick run down of what you need to know to score yourself a good one.

These new wee hunks of computing plastic tend to share an emphasis on internet use and a small form factor (generally about 2lbs and roughly the size of a hardback book). They pretty much all have wifi cards. Depending on the model you can also get one with a webcam and microphone built in so that you can easily video chat (or even record videos) from the road.

As you might expect, not all ittsy bittsy laptops are created equal. Here are things you will want to look at before purchasing:

Price

I don’t want to spend a lot of money on these things. I figure others are like me. Netbook prices range from $200-$600.

Keyboard ease of use

Having a “condensed” keyboard is pretty common with these ultra-portable laptops. If you plan on using the keyboard at some point, make sure it isn’t so small that it hurts your hands.

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Bathing at the bottom of small waterfalls in incredibly exhilarating. Standing in the rush of water you get to slowly replace the grime stuck to you with the characteristics of the falls around you. Afterwards you feel fresh, clean, and beautiful. Waterfalls are the first and best shower ever invented.

As cool as that experience can be, there is a waterfall-related bathing activity that far exceeds it. Bathing at the top of HUGE waterfalls.

Usually bathing at the top of waterfalls is a recipe for trouble. Water that is about to slide off a cliff has an unfortunate tendency of encouraging other things to slide of the cliff. Because of this I usually discourage the top-of-waterfall bath. However, some waterfalls have a small sheltered area, a pool of relative tranquility, that will allow you to safely bathe in water that is about to free fall off a mountain. Just be really sure that such a pool exists before jumping in.

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