Instant Native Travel

For me travel is a way to explore a life I might have lead.  In Paris I imagine I’m a student walking along the Siene and soaking up great art.  In Russia I hired a driver and channeled my inner czarina.  You can leave your daily life behind and be anything you’d like on vacation.

One thing I long for is to feel a part of the place.  I want to experience it like a native would.  Being from San Francisco I know that the places we take tourists and the places we frequent ourselves are not the same.  So I thought today I’d share my tips on how to be an Instant Native:

Create a base of operations – Hotels are great, but there are so many new options out there now.  Rent an apartment, a cottage by the sea or even a castle.  Try a home swap if you can.  Even if you just get a hotel room with a kitchen it will feel more like home.  Once your settled, plan day trips.  It’s a great way to see things most people miss.

Plan a longer stay – Humans are creatures of habit and I find it takes at least a week to develop a routine.  Find a favorite coffee shop, gelato stand or even a park bench and make it part of your daily routine to stop there and people watch.

Learn a few phrases in the language – Please, thank you and excuse me are my standards.  It’s also nice to be able to say hello and goodbye.  Your pronunciation may not be perfect, but I’ve always found that people are proud of their language and appreciate your interest and willingness to try and speak with them.  Just remember if they drop into your language it’s best to follow.

Talk to people – These days with Twitter, TravelAdvisor and Yelp you can chat with locals before you arrive.  Friends and family are also a great resource.  If they’ve been where you’re going pick their brains.  However, when you arrive don’t cocoon yourself.  Talk to people.  Locals may find it a bit weird, but we all like being knowledgeable.  Too intimidating?  Ask your hotel clerk or doorman for advice.

Be open – Some of my best travel memories come from the times I stumbled upon something unexpected.  I love to just drive around and look for things to see or do.  A few of my favorite finds ~ a castle in Ireland where the owner gave me a private tour, a tour of the catacombs beneath the Old Cathedral in Cuenca (hey sometimes you just have to ask…), a sunny hilltop restaurant in Sweden with a million dollar view, and a small Russian village in Alaska with a beautiful orthodox church.

We don’t share a language, but you share a curiously about each other. I love that. I love being very different and figuring out how I can communicate with the people and what I have in common with them.

~ Samantha Brown

Okay I’m a tear today.  I am so sick of articles on carry-on bag strategies.  Another one came out this week by Rick Seaney on ABCNews.com.  He suggests the same tired strategies we’ve heard before, “pack light”, “pay extra to board early” (how this helps I don’t know), and “join the loyalty program and achieve elite status”.  None of these things helps leisure travelers.

Here’s my advice.  Check your bag.  Figure the $25 fee into the price of your ticket.  It is a cost of traveling these days.  That’s the reality.  Now pack one bag full.  Family of 4?  Check a 50 pound bag.  Push the limit.  If the airlines are going to penalize you for putting your bag in their hold then game the system by making sure you get the absolute most for your money.  Don’t check 4 bags and pay $150.  Check 1 really heavy bag for $25.  Concerned about “over-sized bag” fees, don’t be.  Often your charged less for 1 over-sized bag than you are for 2 regulation sized bags.

This one is a hidden gem in the truest sense of the word.  When I was in Cuenca last week I was fortunate to stumble upon the workshop of Simon Cordero.  His shop window (shown right) immediately captured my attention and I just had to go in.

The shop (located at Calla Larga 7-84 y Luis Cordero), is actually an art jewelry workshop and school.  My instincts about what was within were right.  The designs are all completely modern and very aggressively priced.

I bought myself a gorgeous silver ring with a circular diamond design.  It looks absolutely stunning on my hand.  I also discovered that they do custom designs, so if you’re in the market for something really unique, say a one-of-a-kind engagement ring…definitely check them out.

When you are looking for souvenirs to take home from Cuenca the most obvious choice is the Panama hat.  Cuencans are incredibly proud of their tradition of producing Panama hats.  I know, you’re wondering what I’m talking about.  Turns out that  “Panama” hats got their fame from the media reporting on Teddy Roosevelt wearing them when he visited the Panama Canal.  The workers brought the hats with them over from Ecuador.

I ran across a fantastic hat store while visiting the City.  It’s called Bernal Hats and is located at Bolivar 12-60 y Tarqui.  They are fourth generation hat makers and they have some truly beautiful products (those are their hats at left).  Trust me, if you’re in Cuenca and looking for a hat, this is where you should start your search!

Let me start by admitting that I am a hopeless romantic.  And it being close to Valentine’s Day I feel like writing whimsical posts.  My recent visit to Cuenca inspired this fancy.  Cuenca is a colorful, historic city filled with old churches, lovely parks, charming restaurants, and even a daily flower market.  It’s a romantic’s dream.

I was fortunate to spend 4 days there last week with my love, the Travel Mooch.  We toured the Old Cathedral, climbed among the ruins of the Pumapungo Archeological Park and shopped at La Esquina de las Artes.  The City is home to four rivers so there is lots of green space and great walking paths.  It’s nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains on each side, and boasts a matchless natural setting.  It was a perfect spot for a long weekend.

Are you one of those guys (girls?) looking to propose this Valentine’s Day?  Well I have found the perfect place for you.  The Mansion Alcazar boutique hotel in Cuenca, Ecuador is a study in old world charm.  Their Love is in the Air package makes for a perfectly executed romantic weekend.  It includes welcome cocktails ~ I highly recommend passion fruit martinis.  As well as breakfast, afternoon English tea, massages (believe me, you’re going to need that stress relief), gourmet dinner and tours of the city and the majestic Cajas National Park.

Your picture postcard moment?  After a sumptuous meal in the fairytale glass gazebo set in the garden, take your beloved into the lobby and drop down on one knee in front of Cupid (on the fountain), then ask him or her to be yours.  Best part?  It’s Carnival in Ecuador, so when you get your yes the whole City will be celebrating with you!

Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.

~ Michael Leboeuf

Want to know why you can’t get the flight times (and dates) you want from your local airport in 2010?  Check out USAToday’s clever interactive map of airline schedule changes.  For the past 2 years airlines have been cutting flights and substituting aircraft to maintain the illusion that their planes are still flying “full”.  This allows them to keep fares up and charge those nasty fees we all hate so much.  The truth is they’ve been eliminating flights.  Lots of flight.  We’re talking double digits in California, Nevada, Illinois and Utah.

There are as many different types of trips as there are people.  The one thing we all seem to share though is a sense of adventure and a real joy in the experience of being someplace else.  I stumbled upon this slideshow earlier in the week from the New York Times.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen better inspiration!